512 – Last Vacation – 4

From the time I found out Trixie was pregnant until now, naturally, I’ve kept my distance from the evil word “Going to work.” Since the honeymoon vacation was postponed due to the invitation of a reference to the Council, it is right to enjoy the honeymoon vacation once the role of reference is over.

Of course, I didn’t just stay in the mansion for a vacation and enjoy the peaceful life of a hikikomori. Whenever Mar and First Noon wanted something to eat, they ran out, and soon the triplets also started protesting that they also wanted something to eat.

“Bye!”

“Your Majesty, I don’t have a beard.”

And about once every 3 or 4 days, he goes to the Empress Palace instead of going to work to play with his goddaughter, the Crown Princess.

Meeting members of the imperial family while on vacation is mentally tiring, but if the reason is to become close to the princess, it is understandable. Wouldn’t it be best to familiarize yourself with your baby from a young age so that they will be friendly when they grow up? As a godfather, I cannot have an awkward relationship with my goddaughter.

Instead, I hope you’ll refrain from punching me in the chin every time I see you. This lowly godfather doesn’t have a handsome beard like Sang-gang.

‘Should I wear a fake beard?’

The Crown Princess, with a bright smile on her face, is trying to grab her beard that is not even there. She thought seriously as she looked at her daughter.

I wonder how much I liked Sang Sang’s beard to this extent, even for people without beards. At this level, I think it would be polite to wear at least a fake beard. If it’s a fake beard anyway, it won’t hurt if you pull it.

‘It’s not bad.’

If you think of it as a toy to play with your baby, it’s a pretty good idea.

‘I have to take care of the emperor’s things as well.’

Because it would be disloyal if I were the only one to receive the love and attention of the Crown Princess. The emperor would certainly be happy if he could see the princess’s smile in her return her for wearing a fake beard.

Or not.

“Boo!”

The Crown Princess, who had been struggling with her arms for a long time, struggled with her whole body as if she was in heartache.

No, you were the one who found the beard that wasn’t there in the first place, so why are you doing this to me?

“I’m sorry, Minister. She’s usually a good girl, but she gets upset at odd moments.”

Hearing the dissatisfied babbling, the Empress smiled softly and took her daughter in her arms ─

“Bye!”

The Crown Princess rejected her hand.

“Ah.”

“Oh my.”

Both the Empress and I were surprised by that bold action. A baby rejecting its mother’s embrace of her, isn’t it too early to reach puberty?

Soon, she instinctively looked at the empress’s gaze. If the Crown Princess, who was lying on her bed, slapped the Empress’s hand away, she would have laughed it off, but she slapped it away while she was still in my arms. If you over-interpret the situation a bit, you could say that she chose me over the empress. As a new mother, the Empress must be heartbroken.

‘Damn.’

And as soon as she saw the Empress’s silver eyes trembling slightly, she quickly lowered her gaze.

“Hehe, I’m glad that Charlotte seems to be close with her godfather.”

“That’s too much praise. It’s probably to scold Sosin for not having a beard.”

Even if you think about it yourself, you have to make excuses that make no sense, or any excuse you can for now.

Otherwise, I had a gut feeling that she wouldn’t be able to leave the empress’ palace.

‘Why isn’t there a time like this?’

Suddenly, I thought of the emperor who was working in his office. The guy who usually sticks next to the Crown Princess and peeks out with a strange face every time I come is nowhere to be seen when anyone wants to be there.

Useless guy. Can you call yourself a father if you neglect your children?

Fortunately, the empress’s wounds healed quickly. Maybe I felt something unusual, or maybe I was tired of being in my arms of hers. The Crown Princess stretched out her arms for the Empress to hug her.

It felt strange to extend her arms again to the subject she had dismissed earlier, but the Empress smiled brightly, as if she was happy, and took the Princess in her arms. Thanks to this, the atmosphere, which could have been awkward, quickly became warmer.

“Until then, I was wondering if I should crawl out on all fours.”

“If it’s the thief who stole her daughter, I don’t think four paws will be enough.”

After safely leaving the empress’ palace, I told Eri the dizzying story of the saga, and Eri gave me my honest opinion.

These were sad words, but at the same time, they were undeniable words. Even if it were me, my heart would have been broken if the first snowman rejected me and stayed in the arms of this pathetic guy. I probably wanted to tear the other person to pieces as much as my own heart was torn apart.

“Still, it was fortunate that it was in front of Her Majesty the Empress. If it had been in front of Her Majesty the Emperor, she would have been caught by the collar a long time ago, right?”

It’s dizzying just to imagine it. What would have happened if it had been the emperor who was rejected by the princess? Given her personality, she must have rolled her eyes and beat me up with all kinds of strange customs and rules. It’s not even legally unjust, but it’s such terrible violence that you can’t even protest.

“Well, Her Majesty the Empress is no ordinary person…”

At my words, Eri shook her head with a somewhat mysterious look.

Of course, as Eri said, the Empress is not an ordinary person. Not to mention that she comes from a duke’s family, and wasn’t she the head of a household who was married to the emperor when she was the first prince, so it wouldn’t be strange if she died at any time? If that kind of person is ordinary, she is that’s even a stranger.

However, the opinion of nobles and officials is that as much as she is such a matriarch, her heart is also gentle and merciful. It’s clear that she’s a more generous and kind person than the emperor, so she wouldn’t be so upset about Eri, right?

‘Is there something?’

Considering that Eri had a close relationship with the Empress during her school days, it is highly likely that the Empress knows her private life.

Still, she is no one else but the empress. It is difficult to imagine the Empress being violent or strange.

‘She must have been scolded.’

After a short period of thought, she came to a plausible conclusion. Eri must have been harshly scolded by the Empress for her eccentric behavior. In that case, she can understand Eri’s reaction.

She is an empress who is usually kind but strict when she is strict. It’s actually better.

“Ah! Are you thinking something strange right now!?”

“No, not at all.”

Meanwhile, Eri, who must have noticed the pitiful gaze she was giving, puffed out her cheeks and protested.

It’s unfortunate, but regardless of her affection for Eri, her trustworthiness is not very high. ‘Of course’ this means that the inference that Eri was scolded by the Empress for making a mistake is bound to come out naturally.

I’m sorry for being such a lover.

***

She grew bigger, and after giving snacks to No. 1, No. 2, No. 4, and No. 5, she walked to the Empress Palace.

“You wait here.”

– Woof! Woof woof!

– Wow!

“Uh huh.”

– Kiiing…

And she made the guys who followed me wait for a while at the main gate of the Empress’s palace. They are gentle and affectionate, but now they are bigger than the princess and their fur is flying. It would be difficult to bring him to the Crown Princess who is not yet a year old.

“When the Crown Princess grows up a little, I will take you with her.”

When we promised to go in together someday, the guys that had been drooping their tails started panting again.

I know dogs are smart, but these guys amaze me every time I see them. Isn’t this beyond the level of simply being clever?

‘It would be a good gift for the Crown Princess.’

Their lifespans are different, but their ages are roughly similar, so these guys will be together when the Crown Princess grows up. Please show the princess the same way she shows to me.

“Your Majesty the situation.”

When she let go of her tail and entered the empress’ palace, the empress bowed her head and welcomed her along with her maids.

“There is no need to meet you here just because of an old man who came down from the throne, Your Majesty.”

“If her daughter-in-law treats her father-in-law poorly, will she respect the imperial family as a subject?”

The Empress smiled and retorted when she told me to take it easy since I am no longer the emperor but just an old man. Although he is not the emperor, he is still his superior, and if the imperial family does not respect its superiors, who will respect the imperial family?

“As expected, Her Majesty the Empress is an example to all nobles and subjects.”

“That’s too much praise, Your Majesty.”

Since it wasn’t wrong, I had no choice but to just ignore it.

Come to think of it, even when she was the empress and princess, she confidently said what she wanted to say. At the point where she has retreated into the situation, she cannot overcome the Empress.

The Crown Princess, sleeping soundly in her bed, was holding a strange object in her left hand.

“Your Majesty the Empress.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“What is that that the Crown Princess is holding?”

She was a bundle of black fur whose identity she could not possibly identify, so she had no choice but to ask the Empress. What on earth is that?

“It is the beard of the Minister of Inspection.”

I was even more confused by the Empress ‘words her her, which eventually let out a small laugh. She had never heard of the Minister growing a beard, and even if she had grown one, why was it in the hands of the Crown Princess?

“Ever since the Crown Princess was taken into the arms of His Majesty the Crown Princess, she had longed for someone as solemn and dignified as His Majesty the Emperor. That’s why the Minister even wore a fake beard and played with her Crown Princess her her her.”

Still, I was able to understand the empress’s explanation to some extent.

“I am glad that the minister seems to be faithful to his role as godfather.”

“It is truly the red robe of the empire.”

After leaving the Empress’s words behind, she carefully extended her hand with the Empress Dowager’s right hand.

‘Hmm.’

Then the Crown Princess squeezed my finger as if she had been waiting.

She is still asleep.

It happens every time, but it feels different every time. When my children were born, I did not see or experience anything like this.

“Seeing you sleeping so soundly, I guess the minister took good care of you.”

“It must have been horrible to have my beard torn off.”

At those words, she turned her gaze to the Crown Princess’s left hand again. Even though it was a fake beard, the fact that it was torn off so cruelly shows how passionate the minister was.

“Because he has to resume his duties as an academy inspector soon, he worked particularly hard.”

“I see.”

I slowly closed my eyes as the empress explained what followed.

Two years ago, an unprecedented situation occurred when major figures from other countries entered the Imperial Academy. The Minister of Inspector General was urgently dispatched to resolve the situation.

‘I’ll be returning home in half a year.’

My heart suddenly felt tight. Two years ago, I thought the reason they enrolled was to legally spy on the empire. In fact, they did not return to their homeland during their first summer vacation but stayed in the empire.

However, since then, he has been returning home regularly. I looked into it separately to see if it was acting during the semester rather than vacation, but it didn’t show much movement other than academy activities.

Graduation is just around the corner. The time to legally stay in the empire is coming to an end.

‘What on earth is the purpose?’

Now, the possibility that they came here because of spying is infinitely low. It is difficult to think that those who have not made any moves for two and a half years are trying to spy on those who gave up the opportunity to remain in the empire and returned home.

That’s why it hurts. If it wasn’t for spying, I can’t even guess why you came to the empire.

‘I can only hope that the minister knows.’

Half a year until the end of the Minister’s duties. After half a year, I will have to meet the minister personally.

I did not want to get involved with the officials since I had retreated from the situation, but I would like to know the circumstances of this matter.