49. Respectable Little Emperor
‘My age, five years old. Still the Emperor.’
Five years old here, but in Korean age, six.
At this age, I still aimed for dethronement like death. I’ve tried all sorts of accident-like accidents. I spilled ink bottles on documents several times and took off the wigs of old men. It was a common occurrence to cry and complain about not going to meetings.
I complained about the side dishes with my eyes closed and messed around with my animal friends in the Palace several times, messing up the garden.
In addition, I did countless of other things with my eyes closed.
(T/N: Meaning she’s complaining without a good reason.)
The result?
‘Failure. Complete fail!’
Everyone clapped and said that I did a good job no matter what I did.
‘What good job. I’m a kid with bad manners!’
It’s a shame that I was in my second life, otherwise, I would have really grown up thinking I did a good job.
‘This is why you can’t raise a child carelessly.’
I actually thought about that at least once.
My back was warm and my stomach was full. Should I just be Emperor?
In fact, as the Emperor, I didn’t do much. Daddy and Gustav took care of everything on my behalf since I was still young.
All I did was seal documents that had been reviewed for an hour a day.
‘Stamping the seal is the most fun.’
However, seeing Gustav, who was suffering from overwork every day, and Daddy, who cannot leave the office, I gave up my dream quietly.
‘I definitely cannot be Emperor. My dream is to be unemployed.’
The Emperor’s life. Unable to sleep well and suffering from work did not fit in with my wonderful second life.
“Sigh.”
When I sighed quietly, Lalima, who was brushing my hair, tilted her head.
“Why the sigh?”
“No. It’s nothing.”
I failed to become a deposed Emperor for three years, but I also made some achievements.
‘I can finally speak properly!’
(T/N: You don’t know how much easier this makes translating now.)
I can’t say that I have perfect pronunciations, but I didn’t need interpretation now. It’s just that my pronunciation was a little off.
My time practicing pronunciation with A-O finally paid off.
“Ah’ll be back after a walk.”
“Have fun!”
Before I knew it, Aiden followed me with the kitty as soon as I left the bedroom as if they had waited.
Over time, Aiden also looked more mature than before.
He said he didn’t know his exact age, so I roughly guessed that he would be the same age as Oscar.
I could feel Lissandro’s gaze watching us from nearby.
‘When will the surveillance end?’
The condition that Lissandro would watch Aiden as my escort was still in effect.
“Aiden. Did you eat?”
“Yes.”
“Did you have dessert?”
“……”
“Dummy. Our chef has the best desserts. Make sure to have dessert next time.”
Saying so, I gave Aiden the candy in my pocket. I didn’t eat it on purpose and saved it.
“Here. Eat that at least.”
“…yes.”
Aiden’s reaction wasn’t good somehow, was it my imagination?
I hummed on my way through the garden. Without realizing that spring came, the garden was green and lively. However, there was one flaw, why weren’t there any flowers?
“Why aren’t there any flowers?”
I should have a consultation with the gardener soon. The gardens of the other palaces are in full bloom, but it’s a problem only the garden in front of the Imperial Palace isn’t.
After a long time, I was walking toward the training ground to see Oscar training and my Daddy walking from the opposite side.
“It’s Daddy.”
As I was about to run to him with a smile, I tripped on a stone.
“Ah!”
‘I’m falling…!’
Of course I thought I was going to fall on my butt.
“-careful.”
Thanks to Aiden who held my shoulders, I was able to avoid falling.
“Thank you.”
It was when I stumbled for a moment and squeezed the hem of Aiden’s clothes. A dark shadow fell over us.
“……?”
As I raised my head, I could see my Father’s face blocking the sun. His expression was so hideous that I flinched and trembled.
‘Why, why is he that mad?’
I took a step back and held Aiden’s arm tightly. Then my Dad’s forehead narrowed.
“Mabel.”
“Yes…?”
I spoke with honorifics without realizing it.
“Come here.”
I didn’t know why he’s asking me to come, but when he asked me to come, I approached him hesitantly. My Dad, who put his hand under my arms, lifted me up and hugged me.
My view suddenly rose. The air was clear too. I was about to admire my new view, but I heard my Dad’s cold voice.
“Aiden. Don’t test my patience.”
‘Why patience so suddenly…’
I looked at Aiden and Dad alternately. Aiden stared at father with an expressionless face.
“I don’t want to.”
Spark-!
An invisible spark appeared. I opened my mouth at the mood that seemed would explode at any moment.
‘Is this that? Jealousy?”
I hoped it wasn’t, but his reaction was unmistakably jealousy.
A sigh came out, but it was urgent to stop the two.
“Ouchie.”
Daddy was surprised when I suddenly grimaced and make a sick sound.
“What’s wrong, Mabel? Don’t tell me that brat-.”
“My leg. I think I sprained my leg!”
I couldn’t let my guard down because he tried to blame Aiden for everything.
Daddy’s face turned pale.
“Hey! Call the doctor! Hurry-!”
At this rate, I thought a doctor would really come, so I quickly grabbed daddy’s clothes.
“No, it’s not that bad. It’s justh a little sore.”
“Still, there will be aftereffects, so seeing the doctor will-.”
“Good thwing Aiden caught me!”
“What?”
Daddy’s expression got cold again. I said something before Daddy could blame Aiden for something again.
“If Aiden didn’t cath me, I would probably… have died?”
“What? Why would you die?”
“No. If it weren’t for Aiden, I would havth died. Aiden, thank you for saving my life! Daddy too, thank him for saving my life.”
“……”
“You don’t want to?”
I stared at Daddy. Unfortunately, Aiden’s expression didn’t show any signs of being relieved.
“Thanks to Aiden, I didn’t die. Daddy wants me to die?”
Even though it was nonsense, a child usually has this kind of logic.
Daddy made a sound of illness because of my puppy eyes attack. And then.
“…thanks.”
“……”
Aiden just nodded without answering. The atmosphere was so awkward. I was perfectly satisfied with this seemingly peaceful situation.
“Your Majesty. It’s time for the meeting now.”
Just in time, Gustav intervened sensitively. I realized that my destination changed to the conference hall.
‘I couldn’t meet Oscar.’
***
“Even with rain, the ground is drying up.”
The air sank heavily with those words. Even I, who was sitting at the top watching the meeting, became serious.
The drought that began three years ago in the west gradually began to spread throughout the Empire. It hadn’t progressed to the capital yet, but at this rate, it wasn’t far away.
A rain ritual was even held because of the drought, but it was of no use in the end. Whether it rained or not, the frond failed to accept the water and dried up.
Of course, farming wasn’t possible and vegetation withered quickly. Desertification was under way. The famine was serious as rivers and valleys were drying up.
“Open the treasury to help refugees.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The vassals nodded at Daddy’s order. There was no clear solution, so they replaced it by opening the treasury every time.
‘Since the rain would be useless,my ability would be of little help.’
I would do anything for the starving people, but I couldn’t do much.
I wanted to try growing crops, but I couldn’t because daddy wouldn’t allow me to go myself.
Even if the method of growing crops worked, I couldn’t travel all over the Empire.
‘Hard, it’s hard.’
After agonizing over it, I suddenly felt eyes on me and looked up.
“Ung?”
As I looked around, a document came up in front of me.
“Here, Mabel. Stamp the seal.”
According to the report, it was a document related to the drought we discussed. I nodded and stamped the heavy seal with my hands.
Bam!
I stamped the seal.
Clap clap clap clap! An applaude poured in.
“You did a great job stamping the seal today too!”
“Keu. That’s what I’m saying. I attend these meetings to hear that sound.”
“I want to be a document.”
“Your Majesty, so cute…”
I let out a small sigh as I listened to the vassals today. Seeing them do this almost everyday for the past three years, it was nothing new.
I looked at the vassals for now reason. Three years was long, I could see some old men with new gray hair.
Of course, my grandfather, Marquis Gardenia, was among them.
‘Sigh. Be healthy. Everyone.”
I felt sorry for no reason because some of the vassals acted like neighborhood grandpas. I hoped that some would leave.
‘Like Duke Javier, or Duke Javier.’
When I peeked at Duke Javier with a smile as if he was in a good mood, I turned away.
If I could, I would like to deprive him of his title and take away his estate, but there was no justification.
I tried to monitor the Javier family with the help of all kinds of animals to see if I could catch their tails, but I couldn’t even break in to see if there was a connection with the invasion.
The meeting came to an end before I knew it. After finishing the last agenda, I stamped the seal.
A bit later, the silent Duke Javier opened his mouth.
“I understand there are many people who want to see Her Majesty at peace.”
“Eung?”
I raised my head when I heard something out of the blue. The smiling Duke Javier caught my eye.
‘What is he planning?’
As if he was thinking the same, Daddy spoke coldly.
“So, what are you saying?”
“Haha. The Emperor is five years old now, so I think it would be okay to show her in front of everyone. Until now, only those who have been invited have been able to see Her Majesty.”
As Duke Javier said, the only official events I had participated in so far had been my birthday banquets.
Even those were banquets attended by very few people selected by Daddy and Gustav.
“So why don’t Your Majesty join us for the Founding Banquet?”
The Founding Banquet was a celebration of the founding of the Ermano Empire. It was a very large annual event attended by nobles from all over the Empire.
“I don’t want her to…”
“I only want us to see her…”
“I don’t want anyone to see her…”
The vassal uncles opposed timidly.
“Mabel. What do you think?
Daddy asked my opinion. Hmm. I was lost in thought.
‘Actually, I am curious.’
I hadn’t met many people so far. My daily routine was simple, and the number of people I met was fixed.
‘Will Enrique come to the Founding Banquet?’
I was looking forward to how he had changed. Enrique and I had been exchanging letters through Oscar for the past three years.
And most importantly, I didn’t want to stay wrapped around Daddy’s fingers forever.
I made up my mind.
“I want to go!”
***
“So, this is like a debutante!”
Lalima’s eyes were sparkling with excitement.
“If her Majesty were a regular Lady, yes.”
Xavier, who was resting on his chin, answered indifferently.
“Our Majesty is a respectable little Emperor now.”
“Well…that’s right.”
Sitting between the two, I scratched my cheek for no reason. The kitty rubbed its hair on my arm and persisted.
[Take me too, me too!]
‘You’ll be a display if you go there…’
[Who dares to treat me as a display, a great divine beast?]
‘Cat.’
[I’m not a cat!]
I patted the head of the cat grumbling and wagging its tail roughly.
“Her Majesty is the Emperor, so, um… I guess you won’t need a chaperone.”
The nanny also intervened in out conversation.
When one first steps into society, there is usually a chaperone who took care of them by their side. Usually, wives with influence in society were in charge.
Although I was a young girl, my position was special, so I didn’t think I had to follow such a custom.
Who would say something to the Emperor just because she wasn’t accompanied by a Chaperone?
“I will be be with you anyway, so do not worry, Your Majesty.”
The nanny didn’t have any territorial status, but it was reassuring that she had the title of a Countess.
“Yeah. Thank you, Nanny!”
Even I never imagined that I would kiss the nanny on her cheek that much.
“I greet Her Majesty the Emperor.”
“Yes…”
“Pacifica Donovan. The head of Donovan Duchy.”
A few days later, the fact that I was sitting face-to-face with my Daddy’s ex-wife and my brother’s biological mother…