Chapter 20. Aigoo, He’s Dead!
The conference hall of the Ermano Imperial Palace.
The atmosphere of those waiting for the start of the meeting was quite different from usual.
They talked about the new Emperor, waiting eagerly for her to enter.
“Is it not time yet?”
“Phew, this guy. We still have five minutes left!”
“Why is time so slow?”
A minute and a second pa.s.sed by slowly. How long have they been looking forward to this day?
The aristocrats were thrilled to recall the days when they survived walking thin ice under the former tyrant, Esteban, who is now a situation-based Emperor.
‘Now we can have a meeting with a cute Emperor.’
It felt like a spring breeze was blowing through their minds. Among themF, there was one person who looked especially excited: Marquis Gardenia.
For the Marquis. who had hasn’t met Mabel recently except for when he had seen her from afar during the coronation ceremony, he hoped that the meeting would begin as soon as possible.
‘There’s no such thing as a distraction, so I’ll be able to spend as much time with you as I like……!’
He was happy just imagining it. Looking at the Marquis, Duke Javier asked him:
“Marquis Gardenia, you look happy.”
Marquis Gardenia had a stiff face, but he quickly smiled.
Duke Javier said something, irritating him, but he could overcome anything when he thought of Mabel. (T/N: not exact translation, but I think this is what it meant)
“How can I not be happy when it’s our first meeting with Her Majesty?”
Marquis Gardenia smiled proudly and stared at the Duke with a sharp look.
‘So don’t you dare do something to my granddaughter, you rascal.’
Duke Javier responded to him.
“I hear the Emperor is very clever, so I’m looking forward to seeing how well she takes care of the state, hahaha.”
Although he was smiling nicely, there was a lump in his words.
‘Whatever, I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of trouble your granddaughter will have.’
Other n.o.bles held their breath in the spirit fight between the two hidden giants.
In that desolate atmosphere, the servant finally announced the Emperor’s visit.
“Her Majesty the Emperor is entering!”
The door opened and Mabel appeared.
Hair as bright as a cherry blossom’s, large tired eyes, and chubby cheeks that have yet to lose any baby fat.
When Mabel looked around the hall with a rather frightened face, the n.o.bles stopped breathing one by one.
Seeing her from afar, she was cute, but when seeing her up close, it felt very different.
‘Crazy lovely!’
‘How could such a soft daughter like that been born from that s.h.i.tty Esteban?’2
Clasping the hem of you clothes! They felt like they wanted to be hit by Mabel’s white hand, who had gained weight.
Perhaps because Mabel was so cute, they only belatedly realized one important fact.
“You seemed to have forgotten to greet her, only having dumb faces on.”
……it was a fact that someone was holding Mabel.
It was Esteban who made his presence known.
He headed for the head of the table, holding Mabel dearly.
They were greatly shaken by the appearance of Esteban, thinking that he would obviously not attend.
Esteban crossed his legs arrogantly, placing Mabel on his lap, holding her tightly so she wouldn’t fall.
“Then let’s start the meeting.”
“……”
In a flash, the excitement subsided violently.
As soon a they made eye contact with Esteban, the subjects who glanced at Mabel trembled and lowered their eyes.
The cozy and lovely meeting that they had been looking forward to has been thrown away.
‘We can’t get out of his clutches……’
With a sudden realization of despair, they began the meeting with tears in their eyes.
***
‘It’s uncomfortable……’
As I wiggled, I was held tighter. In the meantime, the meeting continued.
“Due to the drought in the western region, there has been a request for the dispatch of water element wizards from the western provinces.
At the words of a subject, the “Emperor” replied, tapping the chair a couple of times with his fingertips.
(T/N: I put “Emperor” since he’s not the Emperor in name. The author put in a word that insinuates that, but there’s no English translation. )1
“Let them be dispatched according to the extent of the damage. Ah, don’t send them to Therapy. They already have wizards there, so they’re probably trying to save their man power for no reason.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
I just couldn’t figure out why I have to be here.
‘There was such a fuss that the Emperor has to attend the regular meeting, but I’m just like a sack of barley.’
In the first place, I thought other people would take care of things because I can’t speak, so I can’t even do anything.
But I didn’t expect to see it with my own eyes.
I scattered my eyes over the subjects. There was only one face I knew.
It was my grandfather, Marquis Gardenia.
Strangely, the others held the meeting with their heads down, and only Marquis Gardenia looked at me with a pleased face.
‘d.u.c.h.ess Donovan isn’t here.’
She seemed to be a n.o.ble who didn’t attend the grand meetings.
If it’s a good thing, it’s a good thing. I didn’t have the courage to face my father’s ex yet.
The meeting went smoothly.
A subject with reported with his head down.
“Devlin’s Devil appeared again yesterday at the border.”
Flinch.
I flinched unconsciously at the unexpected name that popped out of nowhere.
After stroking my head once, he turned to the subject.
“He’s tough.”
“But this time, he showed unusual behavior.”
“What?”
“At first, he lost his reason as usual, unilaterally ma.s.sacred the army, and then he stood still as if he had suddenly come to his senses.”
My body stiffened by the words ‘unilaterally ma.s.sacred.’
‘I already knew it, but……’
Compared tp the grand nickname of Devlin’s Devil, the b.l.o.o.d.y kid I saw was at least the age of a senior in elementary school.
I didn’t release him, I just let him escape. I thought I had done something useless.
‘No. If I had cried back then, I might have gotten myself killed.’
The possibility was high because they said he would kill all the enemies and allies.
While I was agonizing, the topic was changed.
“Viscountess Vincent again……”
The Viscount too……”
Listening to the boring meeting, I caught the big hand of the “Emperor’s” hand who was holding my in the corner of my eyes.
‘Huh?’
I clearly remember the time when this man, my father, ignored me like a fool and acted as if he didn’t know me.
I thought you wouldn’t look for me because your interest had faded.
‘You really made me into the Emperor, and now you’re coming to see me every day?’
It was so natural I couldn’t tell.
I didn’t feel like crying anymore to stop the ascension to Emperor. What can I do if I’m already an Emperor?
It’s no use crying, so I should change the method.
‘I will make you regret giving me the throne!’
I opened my eyes and looked for a chance to make trouble.
Options included: thrown papers and crying out of nowhere.
But the first option was rejected because my arms were too short, and the second one was likely to be just sent off.
‘There’s nothing I can do, let’s just move on for today.’
When I was about to be satisfied with the atmosphere, I heard the contents of the meeting.
“This is the divorce papers from Viscountess Vincent.”
The papers the subject had handed out were eventually placed in front of me.
‘Divorce papers?’
The white is the paper and the black is the writing.
When I raised my head, I could see the expression of a b.l.o.o.d.y situation.
“It’s already the third divorce claim.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Yes, what did Viscount Vincent do this time?”
“After letting his lover live in the main building of the mansion, the wife is said to have been thrown out of the house.”
I opened my two eyes wide.
‘What? b.a.s.t.a.r.ds like that exist?’
But that wasn’t the end of Vincent’s behavior.
“The pregnant wife had a miscarriage when she fell down the stairs because of the wind in the detached house.”
‘Terrible b.a.s.t.a.r.d!’
I clenched my fists. If Viscount Vincent was in front of me, I might have hit him.
“What did Viscount Vincent say?”
“That he moved her to a quiet detached house because she is pregnant and he complained that the accident was just a coincidence.”
‘You’re also talking trash, are you?’
Perhaps, thanks to his excuses, he seemed to have avoided the other two divorce claims.
I felt sorry for the Viscountess, who had to live with such a husband.
While listening to the meeting with a serious face, the subject who was speaking raised his head.
He glanced at me and lowered his eyes in surprise.
“If you approve the divorce, the Emperor will have to seal the divorce papers……”
‘Approves, approved. Greatly approved!’
Needless to say, it was approved. I raised my head hurriedly, fearing that the situation might say something else, but he was just expressionless.
Don’t tell me you’re going to move on, are you? I heard that this is the third divorce claim.
The subject glanced at me again and added another word.
“He also said he would give his last name to his illegitimate child.”
‘You even had a baby? You human disgrace!’
I hit the desk in anger.
Thud!
“……?”
I could feel all the subjects looking at me.
It was a burdensome look, but I couldn’t see anything because of my anger.
I shouted as solemn and heavy as I could.
“Bincen! Det Benaly!” (Vincent! Death Penalty!)
But the responses of the subjects were not favorable. The man with swollen eyes asked back with a stupid face.
“……Pardon?”
“Det Benaly!” (Death Penalty!)
“Your Majesty……? What do you mean?”
Oh, so frustrating! I thumped my chest with my fist. Still, my subjects didn’t understand me.
“Det benaly! det benaly!” (Death penalty! Death penalty!)
“Det benaly?”
I can’t believe I resent my teeth the haven’t come out yet.
After I took a deep breath, I spoke syllable by syllable.
“Det!”
“Det?”
“Ben!”
“Ben?”
“Aly!”
“Aly?”
‘Det benaly, det benaly……’ A subject mutteres and then burst into exclamation. ‘Ah!’
“Death Penalty?”
‘Yes, that’s it!’
I nodded enthusiastically. I was deeply moved the I finally got my message across.
Since I ordered the death penalty, I thought it would either be accepted or refuted. But…..
“Hohoho!”
“Ahahaha!”
For some reason, the subjects began to laugh cheerfully.
‘W-why are they laughing?’
Is a death penalty a laughing matter?
As I was blinking my eyes in confusion, a subject grinned and raised his arms.
“Aigoo, he’s dead~!”
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‘……??’
What’s happening right now……?
But what was more ridiculous was that it was not just one subject.
“He’s dead~!”
“I’m also dead, your Majesty!”
Everyone started pretending to be dead.
Even the trusted grandfather laughed and pretended to be dead.
It was not long after the death of all the subjects that I shut my mouth.
The ‘death sentence’ I ordered turned into a play time of pretending to be dead.
I turned away from the subjects who pretended to be dead.
‘As expected, this country is doomed.’
Even the subjects are out of their minds.
***
After the death penalty incident, the “Emperor” ruled in favor of the Viscountess.
The divorce claim was approved, and an enormous alimony was handed over.
It could have been called a fairly clean ruling, but it was not entirely satisfactory.
‘The death penalty should have been ordered.’
It was a shame thinking about it again.
Still, in case the ruling would be glossed over, I eagerly stumped the seal that the “Emperor” gave me on the divorce claim.
The subjects clapped their hands watching me, and my face turned red.
‘Let’s forget it.’
I lay flat on the bed.
I only went to the meeting once, but my while body was tired and my eyes were closing.
‘Baby’s sleep too much……’
As soon as I closed my eyes, I fell asleep.
.
.
.
“oom……”
I slowly opened my eyes.
‘Why is it so loud?’
If it wasn’t time to wake up, the nanny would be quiet, but it was noisy for some reason.
I opened my eyes with a grumpy feeling after being interrupted by a nap. I was startled but he strange face I saw right in front of me.
“Ang!”
Fancy golden hair.
The amber eyes that looked at me with curiosity.
“h.e.l.lo?”
I was briefly dazed by the appearance of the lovely strange master.1
‘Who the h.e.l.l is this? This big-faced guy……?’