Chapter 17. Lack of Mabel
Gustav’s complexion, which watched the series of events in the bedroom, turned paler and paler.
‘I’m screwed.’
He was afraid to imagine how much the Emperor, who was rejected, would be stirred up.
On the other hand, Lissandro, who had been watching the situation by the doorstep, was very relaxed.
“As expected, our little princess is not an easy one.”
Gustav was mad with envy at Lissandro who was leaving a review as if it was fun.
‘You were having a hard time with me just until you started to escort the princess!’
He felt betrayed by his comrades escape.
With a jealous stare, Lissandro tilted his head and have a friendly smile.
“Is something wrong?”
“……no, Lord.”
In the meantime, the situation in the bedroom was on the verge of collapse.
“Go!”
“Ma-.”
“Hwate!”
“ble……”
“Go!!”
The scene was tearful, it was hard to keep your eyes open.
“……I’ll come back later.”
“Hwate!”
Thud. The door closed.
Eventually, with Mabel’s resolute rejection, Esteban was kicked out without even touching a finger.
Esteban’s face, rejected by his daughter, looked miserable.
Gustav is again, in a situation where he doesn’t know whether to console or treat it casually.
It was none other than Lissandro that broke the delicate silence. He grinned and said a word to Esteban.
“Welcome to PMH, your Majesty.”
“…… PMH? What’s that?”
“Yes. A group of people Mabel hates!”7
‘This crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.d.’
Flames burst in Esteban’s eyes.
Lissandro had poured oil in his mind. The will to kill was seething.
He had once felt superior about the fact that Mabel had hated Lissandro. He did, but……
‘I can’t believe we’re in the same boat.’
His heart sank down to misery.
“……Gustav.”
“Yes, yes!”
Gustav answered with strained air and military discipline.
Of course, Esteban was not going to let Lissandro go.
But isn’t Esteban turning around too easily?
“Let’s go back.”
“……yes!”
Gustav who was following in the footsteps of Esteban, who was strangely calm, shook his head.
‘I thought you’d break an arm.’
Turning his head, Lissandro was smiling and waving as if he didn’t even know what was going on with Esteban.
‘Finally, his Majesty had grown up!’
It was only in less than ten minutes that it was learned that was not it.
***
The Emperor who was always angry he didn’t come, suddenly stopped coming one day.
‘Now I’m feeling better.’
I couldn’t forget the moment when he declared that I would take over the throne without consulting me(although he couldn’t).
Not being able to come doesn’t solve my problem, but at least my anger dissipated.
Come to think of it, I couldn’t say there was any fault in Oscar or Grandpa who were keeping their mouths shut about making me Emperor.
But the worst was the Emperor.
“huu……”
As I sighed deeply, Lalima, who was looking at me wither chin up, opened her eyes wide.
“Her Highness sighed! Perhaps……!”
Perhaps?
“Maybe she misses His Majesty?”
“Euaang!”
No, I don’t!
“I knew you would.”
Lalima interpreted my whining in a haphazard way and left in a rambling way.
‘Ah, it’s demoralizing.’
I didn’t even have the energy to correct them anymore.
As I crawled to the bed to exercise, Oscar, who was just coming in, ran to me in surprise.
“Why do you want to come down?”
“Oong.”
“That’s when you call the nanny or a maid, Mabel.
“Hwate.”
Unconsiously, I answered curtly and then shut my mouth.
‘I’m acting like a kid again.’
I hated this side of myself.
I knew little about the background of this foster case.
I just know that the Emperor handed over the throne as a birthday present.
Why would he want me to be the Emperor instead of Oscar?
It would be wise to put Oscar on the throne, who was expecting to become the Emperor, rather than me, who knew nothing.
Oscar and my biological mother were both recognized by the imperial family.
As time went by, and my head cooled down, there weren’t just one or two strange things.
Above all……
‘Will Oscar be okay?’
I have been well aware of the fact that there is severe education to become the Emperor.
All his efforts were denied and taken away by me, a baby, overnight.
‘I didn’t take it because I wanted to, but still.’
When I start at Oscar with some guilt, he asked me with a bright smile.
“Why?”
“……towwy.” (……Sorry.)
“Towwy? What does that mean?”
Today, I sighed, feeling the limits of my p.r.o.nunciation keenly.
“Emewor hwate.” (Emperor hate.)
“Emperor hate?”
“Oong.”
“You mean you don’t like the Emperor.”
“Wo.” (No.)
“Then you hate becoming the Emperor?”
“Oong.”
A slight nod made Oscar look serious. That’s why I became serious.
‘As expected, is he upset?’
I looked at Oscar quietly, wiggling his fingers in suspense.
Oscar, who was staring at my face, opened his mouth seriously after a long time.
“……too smart.”
“?”
“Mabel must be a genius.”
‘Um, no. Excuse me.’
Why is that the conclusion? We were talking about something else!
Oscar grinned and poked me in the cheek as I stared at him as I was dumbfounded.
“Mabel. You understand me, don’t you?”
“Oong.”
“You’ll be the only baby in the world who understands and answers at the age of one. Why are you so cute and lovely?”
“Wo!”
You don’t mean to change the subject, do you?
When I stared persistently at Oscar, he muttered ‘I can’t stop it,’ and gave a small smile.
Then he sat on the bed and set me on his lap.
“Even if you don’t want to be the Emperor, you can’t help it, Mabel.
“Hwy?” (Why?)
“Because it’s to protect you.”
To protect me? Making me Emperor?
It just didn’t make any sense. Does it mean it’s dangerous if I’m not the Emperor?
I wanted to hear the details, but Oscar didn’t tell me.
Looking at his bright eyes stained with faith and affection, I couldn’t help but squeeze.
Phew. As I sighed, Oscar suddenly called me.
“Ah, Mabel.”
“Oong.”
“Was the ‘towwy’ from before an apology?”
Oscar’s eyes widened as I nodded.
“I thought it was the name of a painter I didn’t know.”
‘……wouldn’t it be more creepy for a 1-year-old baby to know the name of a painter you don’t know?’
What a strange way of thinking. Oscar is also an extraordinary man.
A small smile formed.
“You don’t have to say sorry. That’s what I wanted, Mabel becoming the Emperor.”
“Yu swudied a wot.” (You studied a lot.)
“I did study a lot, but I don’t think that was a waste of time. There’s nothing wrong with learning.”
“Bwut……” (But……)
Oscar patted me on the head as I blurted out the end of my speech.
For a moment, I became sleepy.
“Of course it’s studying that I need to so. Because I need to help my lovely younger sister who’s going to become the Emperor.”
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Indeed, Oscar seemed to have no lingering attachment to the Imperial throne.
The only emotion in my sunken eyes held concern.
‘But why?’
I didn’t give Oscar anything.
What could I do when I was lying in the cradle without speaking properly.
“And most of all, I didn’t want to become Emperor, so I’m really happy now.”
“Weawy?” (Really?)
“Yeah. Not to say to you that I don’t want to become Emperor.”
I looked at Oscar smiling embarra.s.sedly and thought back to what I had just heard.
To protect me?
I thought I could predict the reason.
‘I also didn’t want to just lie here all the time.’
But I’m not sure, so I’ll have to gather some information.
***
‘You’re almost in a trance.’
It was Gustav’s brief evaluation of the sight.
All the faces of the people in this place were so rotten that they could no longer rot.
The cause is no other than Emperor Esteban.
He watched the front with cool eyes, with his chin on the throne and sitting obliquely.
“Hiik – !”
The servants bowed their heads desperately, shaking in fear of making eye contact with him.
A dozen of the heads below Esteban were in a flurry.
Esteban twisted the corners of his mouth and laughed.
“You’re all a bunch of sheep.”
Flinch.
Apparently, referring to those involved in a mine fight in the south, but the officials could not relax.
Gustav shook his head and pressed his forehead.
‘……it was a week ago.’
He wondered why Lissandro, who had grown up, was leaving Esteban alone who was rejected by the Princess.
But it was an illusion.
At a parliamentary meeting that began about 10 minutes later, Gustav had a fantasy that he had met Esteban, who was in the early stages of his ascension.
“I don’t think it’s enough to put a hot spring in this Lunatic’s mouth.”
“Seems fun. Talk some more.”
“Are you defying my words?”
“You’re not even looking forward.”
“Is life lonely? Why don’t you tell me in advance if you wanted to end the rest of your life. I will help you.”
Every word was very harsh.
Naturally, the atmosphere of the heated meeting quickly died. The subjects dared not to speak.
It wasn’t until such a h.e.l.lish time pa.s.sed and the Emperor left the conference hall that people managed to exhale the breath they had held back.
They rushed straight to Gustav.
“Just what the h.e.l.l happened to his Majesty?”
“That……”
“Speak!”
“The Princess……”
“Did something happen to the Princess?!”
“No, no.”
“Then?”
“The Princess said she hates his Majesty.”
“……?”
That was a week ago.
It’s only been a week, but the servant’s faces were so happy.
Despite the tightness of the situation, the agenda was pushed back.
“Duke Javier has announces his return.”
“It’s a coincidence. Ot the mine reconnaissance is over.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Esteban frowned.
Duke Javier. On the surface, he was part of the Emperor’s faction, but he is a man who is unable to be read. T/N: Meaning you can’t tell what he’s thinking.
Rather the Marquis Gardenia, the aristocrat who openly opposed the Emperor, was more trustful.
‘Duke Javier was involved in this mine.’
However, a reconnaissance was sent as a warning because there was no evidence.
He will show up at the convention hall with a good smile, as always, in spite of the warnings.
Duke Javier was a man who planned work with his own work.
As a result, there had been several cases in which aristocrats who were used by Duke Javier were destroyed.
Esteban was laughing and brainwashing.
“I hope you don’t disappoint me and bring me useful results.”
‘Are you saying that you will be let go if you are not good enough?’
Everyone had the same idea.
The Emperor’s harsh voice made the atmosphere even more subdued. Soon, there was only one last item on the agenda.
“Next…… there will be a statement from Marquis Gardenia.”
Everyone’s attention was focused on Marquis Gardenia.
The Marquis was the only aristocrat in the chamber who was not overpowered by the Emperor.
When the Emperor, famous for his tyranny, proposed to his daughter, he had opposed it head-on.
The n.o.bles, who gathered in the conference room have also been in politics for a long time and have been quite thick-skinned, but were no match for the Marquis.
“What’s the agenda?”
“It’s about Princess Mabel Gardenia Ermano.”
In an instant, a creepy silence came to the conference room.
Ever since they heard that the reason for the military was none other than Princess Mabel, the Emperor met Empress Xia. They have desperately avoided the subject of the Princess.
It was their unwritten rule to save lives.
‘May his Majesty be relieved and become soft again.’
All they could do was beg.
‘Even if its Marquis Gardenia, isn’t this a little dangerous?’
Gustav, who was watching the situation, opened his mouth and shouted silent.
Esteban’s cool eyes scattered over the Marquis.
“Speak.”
“It’s already been more than a week since you announced her throne.”
“That’s right.”
“I think we need to establish a temporary ministry for the coronation. If it’s too late, the Holy Land may ask to bring you back again.”
Contrary to everyone’s concerns, the latter’s remarks were extremely divine, except that the subject was about Mabel.
“I was looking for the right person. If you have anyone to recommend, put it up in writing.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Is there anything else to say.”
“There is not.”
Contrary to his immense presence, that was the end of his remarks.
“Break the meeting.”
A sigh of relief was released after Esteban’s declaration.
‘I’m through with it for today.’
The feeling of walking on thin ice day by day. Esteban rose from the throne as the servants prayed that these days would be over soon.
And-.
“!!”
Everyone was surprised when Esteban stumbled. Gustav rushed to help him.
“Are you okay, Your Majesty?!”
Even so, this morning, it was reported by the head of the city that the Emperor’s meals have been reduced recently and that he has not been getting enough good sleep.
‘You’re overdoing it!’
Gustav stared seriously at Esteban.
Esteban, who was frowning, closed his eyes and sighed from his fever.
By the time the anxiety about the Emperor darkened the atmosphere-.
“……I’m lacking Mabel.”3
“……?”
Everyone doubted their ears.