Chapter 22
[Let’s go to the forest. Hoot. Let’s eat a rabbit.]
[Hoot. Okay.]
[Let’s go.]
After watching the back of the owls disappearing and feeling the wind created by their flapping, I went back to my bed and lay down.
‘Yeah. In a world where a cat can speak, it doesn’t matter if owls can also speak.’
Sadly, it wasn’t just owls.
The next day, I went out for a walk while being embraced by Xavier. I heard the voice of a hunting dog being raised in the Imperial Palace.
[Should I bite or not? Should I bite or not? Bite or not……]
The voice of the dog was muttering fiercely while staring at the soldier holding the leash.
The two eyes of the hound, lying down quietly, were in a state of hunger.
A sparrow who was pa.s.sing by found a finance minister and shouted.
[Chirp! Baldy. Let’s p.o.o.p! Chirp!]
“Aaak!”
A moment later, the shouts of the finance minister roared down the street.
Ever since then, I’ve been able to hear animals talk.
[d.a.m.n heavy, neigh! Rotten guy!]
A horse carrying an obese aristocrat was two-wheeled and verbally abused.
[Gra.s.s, drink. Yum yum.]
The rabbit grazed leisurely and grated its ears.
I couldn’t help but accept the constant voices from animals.
‘I can hear animals talk……’
***
Coming down from Xavier’s arms, I immediately found the kitty.
“Kitty!”
[What. I was sleeping……]
‘This is not the time to take a nap.’
[Nothing is more precious than my sleep.]
The kitty grazed its face with her front paws. I ignored it completely and brought up my point.
‘I can hear the voices from animals.’
[Ooh, I guess your powers are finally beginning to bloom.]
‘Huh?’
Unlike me, who was fussy, the kitty was in a state of tranquility.
As if it knew this would happen in advance.
‘You knew?’
[Well, yeah.]
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
[That’s because I didn’t know exactly when Mabel’s abilities would bloom.]
I couldn’t question the kitty anymore because of what it said. Instead, I asked another question.
‘But why was I given the ability to hear animals’ voices? What am I supposed to use it for?’
[You’re not hearing just the voice. And it’s not limited to animals. It’s the ability to communicate with natures living objects.]
Communicate with nature. I pondered what belongs to the category of natural beings.
First, animals. And plants such as trees and gra.s.s.
‘Can plants communicate?’
[Of course.]
‘What is this……. it’s nice?’
With this ability, I could feed my body even if I left the imperial Palace later.
“Hu……”
I grinned and laughed happily, turning my back at Xavier, who looked at me wonderingly.
‘I’ve made a fortune.’
Looking at me like this, the kitty shook its head.
***
Four months have pa.s.sed since I became Emperor.
I was growing up in a leisurely busy time.
“Aigoo, you’re eating well.”
“Dewisous.” (Delicious.)
“It’s delicious? How can you at so well without being picky? Oh, so pretty.”
After the milk, my appet.i.te was at its peak since my diet had changed to baby food.
How can it be so delicious when it’s just baby food!
On top of that, it was nice not having to worry about my meals.
‘Having three meals a day is the best……’
in my previous life, I used to eat ramen or triangle kimbap at convenience stores, so even if it was baby food, such a proper meal was like a feast.
“Ah ade wel.” (I ate well.)
(t/n: what Korean’s say after a meal.)
“You even greet well. What are we supposed to do if your Majesty is so smart?”
The nanny, whose eyes turned into hearts, kissed me repeatedly on the cheek and wiped my mouth.
Even the nanny, I can’t stop her.
Now this level of affection reached the level of normal.
People who were surprised at first of how I spoke well, pa.s.sed it over now. They seemed to believe that I was a genius.
‘It’s my second life.’
Thanks to this, I was speaking in sentences, breaking away from word-oriented conversations.
Even though my p.r.o.nunciation is still terrible.
‘Today was delicious, too.’
Drenched in satiety, someone knocked as I lay sprawled out on the bed.
“Your Majesty. It’s Gustav.”
“Euh.”
I expressed my blatant dislike, but the door opened. Gustav came in with a happy face, smiling weakly.
“It’s about time for the meeting, Your Majesty.”
“sigh……”
When I stretched out my arms, Gustav naturally lifted me up.
One of my achievements during the four months was getting close to Gustav.
Actually, I didn’t have any intention of getting close with Gustav at first, but the closer I got to him, the more fun it was to have a firm expression of the situation, so I got close with him.
“Did you enjoy your meal?”
“Oong. Id wath dewisious.” (Yeah. It was delicious.)
“That’s a relief. You need to eat heartily today.”
“Why?”
“Duke Javier is attending today.”
“Euh.”
Duke Javier. The middle-aged man who was the number one contributor who made me hate meetings.
It was a mistake to judge him from his warm and kind impression. Unlike his appearance, the man was insidious.
I don’t like subjects who listen to me but don’t actually listen to me thinking I’m cute, but I hated Duke Javier the most!
Gustav laughed at me who was fed up.
“Do you dislike Duke Javier?”
“Oong. Hwate. He’th pull ob himthelf.” (Hate. He’s full fo himself.)
“W-where did you learn those words-.”
Even before Gustav’s words were finished.
“Mabel.”
A familiar voice.
Today, features clearer than my future greeted me.
“Mabel, come here.”
The “Emperor” smiled and reached out to me, but I shook my head and clung to Gustav.
“I’m nwot gwoin.” (I’m not going.)
“Mabel.”
“Hmph.”
The eyes between the “Emperor” and Gustav chilled. Gustav started to sweat.
‘Gustav’s going to get in trouble again.’
I pulled on Gustav’s clothes.
“Lwet me dwon.” (Let me down.)
When I trudged past the Emperor and toward the convention hall. I could hear the footsteps of the two people who followed me slowly.
“Whimper……”
‘It’s harder than you think.’
Because I’ve been Emperor for four month now, I knew the situation.
That also gave me an explanation of why the “Emperor” made me Emperor.
‘To not hand me over to Abelardo the Divine Kingdom.’
Actually, I couldn’t understand why the “Emperor” took such drastic measures.
You could’ve just sent me to the Holy Land. For me, the Imperial Palace and the Holy Empire are here and there.
‘I’m G.o.d’s seed, so they’ll feed me well.’
Even if I’m the Emperor now, I don’t think I would be Emperor forever.
Besides, it was the “Emperor” that actually handled all the work, so none of my roles were important.
My idea of not wanting to do work as Emperor still lingered. I don’t want to have the power that others have given to me.
Therefore, my dream about the stepping down from the throne remained.
Being cold to the “Emperor” was for my dream.
His interest in me will fade away, and then I will be regarded as a thorn in the eye of the Emperor.
‘……I was supposed to deposed like that.’
However, even if I treated him coldly, the situation remained the same.
I was given everything I liked, and he came to see me everyday, making sure to see my face.
On a busy day, he stopped by no matter what at night when I was asleep.
Because of that, I, a one year and six months old baby, had a lot of wealth acc.u.mulated.
“Ah dis wate, awll de thars will be mwine……” (At this rate, all the stars will be mine……)
I was already the owner of a few gardens and buildings. But it’s useless since I can’t sell them.
As I trudged along with my short legs, I arrived at the Conference Hall.
As I walked in while expressing my unwillingness to enter, there were countless eyes on me.
“The Empire’s hope, Her Majesty!”
“Your Majesty, we are blessed for your health today too!”
“You tied your hair in pigtails today! You are very solemn and cute!”
As soon as I entered, I could hear the flattering cries of the subjects who jumped up from their seats.
I shook my hand once and then headed for my designated seat, the throne.
The throne was on the highest platform.
First of all, the stairs were too high for me to climb.
“Mabel. I’ll get you a seat.”
“Nwo. I will dwo it.” (No. I will do it.)
Rejecting the proposal, I confidently raised my hands above the stairs.
Then I lifted one leg up with all my strength.
“Keu……ng.”
It wasn’t until I struggled that raised one of my legs perfectly up the stairs. After raising my other leg up, I lay down on the stars and took a breather.
“Huk, huk……”
‘So dang hard.’
I looked up the remaining steps with fearful eyes. I should have just sat comfortably, I regretted it.
As I got up again and stared sullenly at the stairs, I heard the cries of the subjects from behind.
“You can do it, Your Majesty!”
“Don’t give up!”
“We’re cheering for you!”
Their support effectively drained me. I glared at my subjects.
“Ebewyone, be quiet.” (Everyone, be quiet.)
The baby’s warning might be annoying, but the subjects just laughed and nodded.
“Ah yes, Your Majesty. G.o.d will keep his mouth shut!”
“Yes, yes.”
“You’re doing well on your own, you’re very cool. Hahaha.”
When I finally got up to the throne with my own feet, my face was covered with sweat.
‘Starting tomorrow, I won’t bluff.’
While I was climbing the stairs, the meeting was already well over.
The “Emperor” sitting next to me presided over the meeting.
“Let’s start the meeting.”
The meeting has begin. While I was sitting still, a lot of agendas pa.s.sed by.
Among the aristocrats who spoke, there was one who stood out by far.
Today is was also warm-hearted Duke Javier.
“I think the territorial dispute on the streets of Demiras was raised by the Lorca family.”
I frowned.
‘How much of a bribe did you take from the Lorca family?’
Duke Javier stepped in on every topic and tried to correct the ruling or amend the bill to his liking.
But sometimes, my grandfather, Marquis Gardenia, refuted him. No one else was willing to.
‘It’s all because of the spirit stone.’
Spirit stone.
An indispensable mineral in this world where the power of mana, divine power, and spirits are the basis.
It was essential for maintain magic that naturally generated magical power to be agglomerated and tuned into a mineral.
Used to refine the spirit stone minerals and use them to maintain the barrier that guard magical artifacts or monsters.
Compared to its needs, the amount of the amount mined was so small it is very expensive.
And a few months ago, it was revealed that one of the mines the Duke bought had the most spirit stones buried in a mine that has ever been found.
The n.o.bles crawled on the so-called jackpot.
The imperial family has a lot of marbles in stock, is it’s okay, but one say they’ll run out.
So Duke Javier was aloud to make a lot of noise.
‘……if it weren’t for Enrique.’
I looked at the Duke disapprovingly.
Enrique Javier is a cut boy who is Oscar’s sword mate. And he is the son of that d.a.m.n uncle.
‘How on earth did a nice son like that come from a man like that?’
It would have been better if I didn’t know Enrique, but I had already gotten close to the little boy that follows Oscar.
“Ahem. But still, Duke Javier, that’s a little……”
“Are you going against it?”
The face of Duke Javier, who looked at the n.o.ble who dissuaded him, was gentle, but his eyes were cold.
“That’s not what I mean.”
“I see.”
I looked disapprovingly at the sight.
At first, I thought it was none of my business and sat still, but things got worse and worse.
In the early days for the “Emperor,” he warned Duke Javier, but when he didn’t listen, it was a state of ‘let’s see how far you’ll go.’
I didn’t like Duke Javier, who pressed down the opponent with a smiling face.
“Count Hilah spent the amount charged for the extension of the outskirts of the castle without sin.”
When Marquis Gardenia spoke, Duke Javier shrugged.
“There’s no evidence.”
“It’ll come out if we investigate.”
In the end, only Marquis Gardenia owned a mine where a small amount of spirit stones were buried.
“Sigh.”
Looking at the complex world of adults, I rolled my head.
It was not difficult to think of a way to screw Duke Javier.
But the problem is that I’m an Emperor who has no power.
“Hmm.”
After looking at the faces of the men who looked so teary, I finally decided.
‘This won’t do. I’ve got to come forward.’
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