Chapter 38 - You Can’t Be Competent!
38. You Can’t Be Competent!
“Gustab. Wha kind of pwace with Abewado?” (Gustav. What kind of place is Abelardo?)
Gustav Druval, the baby Emperor’s aide, was facing the biggest crisis in his life!
He asked back with a white face, “Yes…?”
“Abewado!” (Abelardo!)
Gustav was deeply devastated by the fact that he had not misheard.
While Mabel was growing up, there were quite a few contacts with Abelardo, but Mabel never wondered about Abelardo.
It was a great relief for the stand-in-Emperor, for this Empire, and for the comfort of one’s working life.
‘His Majesty is keeping Abelardo in check in case he loses his daughter.’
So peace was maintained, but what would come eventually came.
Gustav smiled as if it was drawn on and trembled.
“Ahaha. Abelardo…Let’s see. What kind of place is it?”
“G.o.d’th seed.” (G.o.d’s seed.)
“Huk.”
Gustav shut his mouth when he heard that word.
The eyes of the baby Emperor looking up at him couldn’t be scarier.
‘Her Majesty truly is the genius of the century. But I can’t tell her the truth. I guess I have to induce her to dislike Abelardo.’
Gustav’s method was to tell a good-willed lie.
It was deceiving the Emperor, but he believed it would be okay because it was for the peace of the empire.
‘Since it’ll be bad if you’re interested in Abelardo.’
Gustav made a serious expression.
“Abelardo is an evil kingdom full of very wicked, wicked men.”
“Ung…?”
“Especially when they catch young children. They do terrible things. For example…”
Gustav fiercely envisioned something that would be suitable for a child in a short amount of time.
Mabel’s favorite thing is dessert. Then…
“So, for example, they don’t give delicious cakes and instead eat in front of them. It’s a common thing to starve them. Just to children of Your Majesty’s age!”
“……”
Gustav thought it was an appropriate threat, but not to Mabel.
He was quite fl.u.s.tered by the cold look Mabel gave him.
“Why… are you looking at me like that, Your Majesty?”
“Guthab, you’we vewy bad at wying.” (Gustav, you’re very bad at lying.)
“L-lying?”
“Ith okway. Gwo.” (It’s okay. Go.)
Gustav gazed blankly at Mabel’s back as she turned away coldly.
“I think she just saw me with contempt…I’m sure I missaw.”
He didn’t see anything wrong.
***
“You’we wothwess, Guthab.” (You’re worthless, Gustav.)
The unhelpful Gustav. The plan to get data research through him was discarded.
‘I also have a plan for everything.’
I stood proudly in the open s.p.a.ce deep in the garde, holding a large envelope in my arms.
All the knights and maids, who followed me as my escort, had their eyes on me.
“Your Majesty, what are you trying to do?”
“Well…?”
When everyone was wondering what I was going to do, I shouted loudly.
“Bwirdies. Leth eat!” (Birdies. Let’s eat!)
The birds in the trees flew in unison at my cry. The sight of the feathers of various birds falling like snow from the sky was spectacular.
“Pwetty…ah, no.”
I quickly came to my senses while watching the scene with admiration.
Before I knew it, packs were standing around me waiting.
As birds of different species gathered together, the atmosphere became unusual. I added a warning urgently because I thought there would be a bloodbath at this rate.
‘Don’t fight, birdies. If you fight, there won’t be any food.’
Then the birds chirped in unison.
‘How nice.’
[Give food please, chirp!]
The sparrow politely asked for a meal quickly. I nodded and put my hand in the envelope.
I laughed wickedly amidst the tension of the bird’s urge to eat.
‘Do you want to eat?’
“Ch-irp!”
‘If you want to eat, each of you give me a piece of information.’
The me who’s been ripped off by animals all the time no longer exists.
And my plan was very successful.
The birds began to reveal the information they knew of each other in order to eat a little more.
It was the winter migratory birds who had information about Abelardo. I gathered information eagerly by spreading bird feed.
[King has barley colored hair, chirp.]
‘Yeah, yeah. And?’
[Chirp. And his eyes are red as blood!]
‘Ooh. And?’
[That b.a.s.t.a.r.d stole my food, chirp!]
‘Don’t fight.’
[Even when his Dad’s Dad was alive, king was king, chirp.]
Since the lifespan of the winter migratory birds are about 30 years, I could guess that the King is over 50 years old at least.
“Euuk.”
I got gooseb.u.mps suddenly.
‘You’re saying an old grandpa is obsessed with me, right?’
Good morning to your conscience.
Anyway, there was a lot of information from the birds. I got a lot of information about Abelardo’s King.
Michael Abelardo. It was said that he was the King of Abelardo, the Holy Kingdom, and he was reluctant to show his face to the point that anyone who had seen his face can be counted with his hands.
‘They said he has a cranky personality.’
A cranky old man, I don’t really want to get involved.
The Holy Kingdom served the G.o.d of Ades. The King was a very faithful servant of G.o.d. He lived by G.o.d and had no choice but to obsess over my existence because of the oracle.
‘He even tried to kidnap me.’
The present this time seemed to the ulterior motive to awaken my potential divine power.
The priests who were experts will look at my body condition, rather than the imperial ones who weren’t.
“Hmm.”
The birds pecked at the floor excitedly. I threw more feed.
[Abelardo has a lot of food. Chirp chirp.]
I suddenly had a doubt. If I can communicate with natural objects because of G.o.d’s arrangement, wouldn’t there be some priests who can communicate with animals like me?
‘It’s worth finding out.’
I couldn’t avoid it as long as I knew that the King was determined to take me. The stand-in-Emperor seems to be turning a blind eye to the end.
Before I knew it, the floor cleared up.
“Hewe, thith ith de latht!” (Here, this is the last!)
I turned the envelope over and emptied it. Looking at me like that, the maids clapped.
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“Heuk, so cute. She took care of the birds herself. She’s so nice.”
“I know. It feels like only a few days ago since she’s been squirming in bed, but she’s feeding birds now!”
“Your Majesty, we’re so proud of you!”
I shook my head again while listening to the maids.
Anyway, in other people’s eyes, the site of my wonderful data collecting method seems to be simply a time to feed birds.
The thought of a great information book made me laugh. I’m living off of feeding animals now?
‘Then I’ll take care of you next time, birdies!’
[I won’t tell you if you don’t bring food, chirp.]
[That’s right, chirp.]
“……”
That’s right. I’m still a pushover.
***
Late at night, owls were flying for food.
[I came, hoot.]
The cheese thugs appeared.
I rubbed my sleepy eyes and rised.
“Todway ithn’t a day you cwome…” (Today isn’t a day you come…)
[Spit.]
The mouse suddenly spit something out in front of me. I picked it up without saying a word because I was afraid they’d be offended.
It was another note. The sender was believed to be Aiden.
What does it say? I crouched at the balcony and glanced at the note in the moonlight.
[Viscount Targo.]
“Uung?”
Is this all? Even if I looked closely, that was all.
“Wat ith thith!” (What is this!)
My head was filled with question marks.
Aiden, everyone knew that Devlin’s devil wasn’t ordinary. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have such a strong power at such a young age.
So I didn’t fully understand it, but I just moved on to my understanding of my ability.
‘Even if I question you, I can’t meet you.’
To meet secretly, Aiden and I had an iron escort called Lissandro.
I was thinking deeply about it while looking at the note and ripped a paper from my drawer.
And I scribbled briefly and stuck it to the mouse.
“Give thith to him. Athk him for de cheethe.” (Give this to him. Ask him for the cheese.)
[I don’t get paid late, squeak.]
As the days went by, the mice’s bullying strength increased.
I put my hands together politely.
“I athk of you, gweat mice.” (I ask of you, great mice.)
[More politely, squeak.]
“Pwease.” (Please.)
[I’ll let you off once, squeak.]
I sighed deeply as I watched the mice disappear into the darkness.
“Scawy cheethe thugs.”
Holding it in because they’re dirty? I was holding it in because they’re scary!
I was afraid I would get hit.
***
My project to be abolished continued today, too. As soon as I entered the conference room, I lay down on the throne as if I were waiting.
From one day, a fluffy cushion was placed on the throne. There was even a blanket covering the pillow that the subjects gifted me.
It was like a bed for my small body.
‘I don’t think this is right…’
But it’s too late to go back. Today, I covered myself with the blanket and closed my eyes tightly to be faithful to my concept as Emperor. There was also a rabbit doll in my arms.
‘Pretend to be asleep, pretend to be asleep.’
Then, a sigh came from one of the subjects.
“Ahh. Her Majesty is sleeping with the doll I brought.”
“Hoho. I brought that blanket.”
“The most important thing for a comfortable sleep is a pillow, isn’t it? I prepared it!”
Embarra.s.sed by their bragging voices of the subjects, I turned my back towards them. Then, sighs burst out everywhere again.
“Ahh, the back of her head…!”
“Oho, the choice of vocabulary is unG.o.dly.”
“Let us see her more…”
If you want to look good, you’re going to have to kiss up to the stand-in-Emperor, why are you doing this to me? I’m just an Emperor with no power.
I felt the touch of a stroke on my head for a moment, and I heard the voice of the stand-in-Emperor right next to me.
“Let’s start the meeting.”
Soon, the chaotic atmosphere was suddenly heated up by the subjects.
I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep while I listened to the meeting.
“Recently, there has been a trade of fire flowers. The price of a bulb is as high as a castle.”
“A castle, isn’t that too much?”
“It’s so hard to grow a single fire flower. It’s a miracle.”
The main point of the meeting was that there was a shortage of ornamental flower candles in the social world. Somehow, I remembered the ‘tulip mania’ in the Netherlands.
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‘There are people who like to show off anywhere and everywhere.’
Humans were all the same.
“All the money was spent on the plantation, but it failed, and the top and vendors are going bankrupt.”
“If it succeeds it will be amazing, but if it fails they will fall.”
I shut my itching mouth. I knew how to solve it, but I never intended to go forward.
‘I can’t be competent. I can’t be useful!’
As I opened my mouth, I kept my breath away from my lungs. Fortunately, it quickly moved on to the next agenda.
“There has been a request for imperial a.s.sistance, saying the drought in the west is serious.”
The Ermano Empire had the world’s largest landma.s.s.
As the season was moving from winter to spring in the capital city, other regions were in full swing during the summer.
‘China alone has a wide range of climates.’
It had not rained for months, and the western part of the Empire was suffering from a famine.
For a long time, there was a debate to support the west.
“This is enough support, and I think we need a policy for public sentiment.”
It was Duke Javier’s voice. Marquis Gardenia responded in disapproval.
“A policy. What are you talking about?”
“How about a rain ritual?”
Duke Javier’s voice, full of laughter, seemed to have cooled the atmosphere. I peeked through the conference room.
‘Aigoo. It’s cold.’
I could see the poor men who were pressed by the two masters’ restless fight.
While watching with interest, my eyes met with Duke Javier’s, who turned his head.
‘Huk.’
“What do you think, Your Majesty?”
“U-ung?”
Everyone’s eyes were on me. I was embarra.s.sed, but I did not take my eyes off Duke Javier.
‘There must be a reason you need to have a rain ritual, right?’
Seeing that he was obsessed, there must be a dream of winning.
Hm. I thought about it for a short time and gladly nodded.
“Ah’ll do ith.” (I’ll do it.)
“Your Majesty!”
My grandfather dissuaded me urgently, but I didn’t even give him a look. Instead, I smiled at Duke Javier.
“Inthead, twere awe condithions.” (Instead, there are conditions.)
“Hoho. What are they?”
“I didn thwink Duke Jabie woulth think abowt people lwik thwart. I am vewy mobed. Thwo-.” (I didn’t think Duke Javier would think about the people like that. I am very moved. So-.)
I smiled as strongly as I could.
“Gib fwood to de staving people!” (Give food to the starving people!)
Do you have some money? If you do, give me some!
It was the moment when the experience of being ripped off by the mice paid off.