Chapter: 620
I woke up slightly due to faint noises. Was Nia tidying up the room?
Still, I managed to get a bit of rest, so the fatigue faded more than before. With this much, I could hold on until nightfall.
Once night comes, Teresa will sleep more than just a nap. In other words, it means there shouldn’t be any crying until morning, giving me a chance to recover as much of the energy I spent throughout the day.
“Ah- Uu-!”
‘Huh?’
Just as I steeled myself to get up, an unexpected sound reached my ears.
That voice… it belonged to Teresa. She shouldn’t be awake yet!
‘Why?’
Trying to calm my trembling hands, I quickly turned my head. It would be troublesome if Teresa was already awake. Nia and I had agreed to take turns resting, and if Teresa was already up, Nia wouldn’t get any sleep.
With the former Patriarch absent, Nia already had her hands full with the childcare. If she couldn’t even take a short nap, wouldn’t she collapse…?
“…Uhm?”
The moment I turned to the source of the voice, my brain froze.
“Ah- UuUu!”
Teresa was not in her bed but somewhere else!
“Is she asking me to hurry up?”
Carl had already made his way from the capital to Tailglehen.
Although we were both in a state of confusion,
“Ah- Uu!”
“If our little one wants that, then we must oblige.”
It was less shocking to see Carl carrying Teresa on his belly as he scurried around the room.
“Shwooosh!”
“UuUu!”
All while lying down, of course.
I couldn’t wrap my head around the absurdity in front of me. How could Teresa, who normally cries at the drop of a hat, be smiling so brightly, while Carl was zooming around the room as if cleaning it with his clothes?
“Laura.”
“Nia?”
Thanks to the gentle nudge on my shoulder, I snapped back to reality.
“Have you managed to relieve some fatigue?”
Nia’s question compelled me to nod instinctively.
Yes, my weariness had lightened. Although it had lightened…
“What on earth is going on here?”
While my physical weariness diminished, it seemed the mental strain was stacking up instead.
No matter how you look at it, Carl was a current Imperial Count and Minister. Given his status and authority, there was no way he should be crawling around on the floor like that.
“Shwooosh!”
“UuUu!”
Why was he moving so fast? Just moments ago, he was by the window, and now he was already at the door?
“He said he wanted to make up for not being able to visit often by playing a lot.”
The actual mother of the two siblings, Nia, was watching the scene with delight.
No, upon closer inspection, her expression was more than just delight; she seemed positively moved. Her eyes glistened as if she was overwhelmed with emotion.
“To dedicate himself so much to his younger sister. What a wonderful thing.”
At Nia’s words, I glanced back at Carl and Teresa.
“Uu- Ah-!”
“Going faster than this is a bit difficult—”
“UuUu…!”
“Moment of breakthrough!”
Although the scene remained difficult to comprehend, one thing became clear.
The Teresa, who spent half the day crying, was nothing but a bright, innocent little angel in Carl’s arms.
‘True Patriarch.’
I was unintentionally overcome with emotion. A brother who throws himself to the ground for his crying little sister, making her laugh—a person like that must truly be a genuine patriarch. Who else could be called the true head of the household?
I felt tears welling at the reality that Carl, whom I raised like my own son, was a wonderful brother and patriarch. Time had changed him from the child I once knew, but his kind nature still shone through.
‘No matter what title he holds, Carl will always be Carl.’
It was foolish of me to worry about how this might damage Carl’s reputation or diminish his authority.
Brilliant fame and position couldn’t hide Carl’s essence. He has always been a loving family member and has always cared for others since childhood. For him, what he was doing for his little sister was only common sense.
“Shall we head down the hall like this?”
“Uu- Ah!”
While I was lost in emotion like Nia, Carl opened the door and stepped into the hallway, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Carl!”
“Your Highness!”
Nia and I rushed into the hallway after them in a panic.
While it was heartwarming and beautiful to see the older brother playing with his younger sister, it wasn’t exactly the image we wanted to present to the knights and servants. What on earth must they think, seeing their lord crawling on the floor?
“Y-Your Highness!?”
“No, why are you lying down—Your Highness! Please stop! Why are you moving so fast while crawling?!”
Already, a few knights had encountered Carl, and their voices sounded like screams filled with desperation.
*
When it comes to taking care of a baby, there’s a first principle to consider above all else.
That is, regardless of your social position, it means nothing in front of a baby. Realizing and accepting this is essential to truly connect with the child.
This isn’t just a theory but a reality. As an Imperial Count and Minister, crawling around at eye level with the kids had them genuinely follow me. I might have been outmatched by the likes of Titi and the Holy Water users due to species differences, but among humans, I was number one.
That’s why I treated Teresa with sincerity too. Holding that curious child and wandering around, I crawled on the floor, bringing Teresa up to the level where she would soon be able to explore on her own.
‘It feels good to use my back muscles after so long.’
Honestly, saying it was easy would be a lie, but seeing Teresa’s joyful face made all the effort worthwhile. Not from the high vantage point in an adult’s arms but from down low where the floor is close. When would Teresa have the chance to experience this?
“Your Highness! Please maintain your dignity…!”
“With Teresa smiling, what does my dignity matter?”
I firmly replied to the butler’s plea, who was dumbfounded and pressed his lips together in disbelief.
He had already suffered from Teresa’s antics for several months. While his mind might tell him to stop the erratic behaviors of the Imperial Count, his heart probably didn’t mind this situation one bit.
“…Then please just stay in this area. If you go to another floor, the servants—”
“That’s not my decision to make.”
“Y-Your Highness!”
Ignoring the butler’s desperate plea, I headed toward the stairs.
But it couldn’t be helped. As I told the butler, where I go isn’t my choice—it’s Teresa’s.
‘Just how well do I read children’s moods?’
A subtle glance, a slight nod, and those adorable little gestures are enough for me to gauge what the kids want and where they want to go. My accumulated experiences raising five children are no small thing.
So, without hesitation, I moved toward where Teresa showed interest, even if it meant reaching the stairs and encountering the servants along the way.
The embarrassment might be fleeting, but the joy of my little sister’s smile is forever.
“Ah- Uu-!”
Thankfully, Teresa remained all smiles since climbing onto my belly.
What a relief that is!
I feel like I’ve used up my lifetime supply of back muscles today.
“Uu!”
But seeing Teresa so pleased made it impossible to stop. No staircase or doorway could halt our race.
‘It’s clean.’
As I glanced at the strangely shiny hallway, a bitter smile broke out.
I must have rolled around the mansion so much with the kids that Trixie cast a spell on my clothes. A miracle spell that cleanses away dust just like the magic that’s caught in her own hair.
Thanks to that, the parts where I crawled were cleaner than the surrounding areas. That vacuum’s doing a great job.
“Uu… Ah…”
“Are you sleepy?”
As we strolled toward Teresa’s room, she let out a small yawn while wrapped in my arms.
After a few hours of fun, it was proof enough that my efforts paid off. It turns out that playing hard is the best way to put a child to sleep.
“Sleep well, our little one.”
As I gently stroked Teresa’s cheek, she blinked a few times before her eyes shut slowly.
‘What a chaotic situation.’
After confirming that Teresa had completely fallen asleep, I let out a small sigh.
Having crawled around like a dog for five kids and suffering all those various humiliations and pains, I had finally managed to make Teresa smile after hours of effort. Maintaining a normal mindset while caring for Teresa would have surely led to a disaster.
That said, I couldn’t expect my parents, the nursemaids, or other knights to provide the kind of nurturing I did. I could only manage this because of my physical energy and age.
‘What do I do now?’
I’m at a loss. If Teresa could crawl from tomorrow, I could stop this nonsense. But she wouldn’t be able to crawl for at least three or four more months.
Even so, I can’t come to the palace every day to play with Teresa. While Pedi is with the Crown Princess, Titi, and the triplets are with Jangsaeng… Friedrich is too young to crawl like Teresa. Giving up my son for my little sister, that’s a bit much.
‘Should I take her to the mansion?’
If Teresa could spend time at the mansion, I could play with her every day. While I was at it, I could watch over her.
But that would be something I couldn’t bring up to my parents. They want to raise Teresa with their own hands, not by someone else’s. No matter how noble the first son’s house is, they could still feel the loss of having their daughter taken away.
Of course, it would be even harder for my parents to bring Teresa to the mansion. For the wives, they must cater to their in-laws every single day.
‘What are we going to do for real?’
Maybe I should just come to the palace once a week? I could tolerate Teresa’s cries for six days and rest on the one day I’m present. It doesn’t seem like a terrible idea.
It sounds reasonably good. If I can’t manage the best, then I should at least avoid the worst.
So, when I relayed to my mother my plan to come once a week—
“If Billy and the knights alternate to play with her, it just might work.”
“Huh?”
My mother proposed an idea that surpassed my expectations.
The plan was for my father and the family knights to take turns doing the miraculous things I did while crawling around.
…
‘That sounds doable.’
It certainly sounds perfect in theory.
Whether we can make that a reality is a separate question.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.