Chapter: 679
When the Crown Princess headed to the palace to show her mama the firefly spirits, I could feel the sky crashing down. I had failed to fulfill the Emperor’s request as a father.
Yet, perhaps thanks to the blessing of Constantina, not long after the Crown Princess arrived at the palace, the Empress’s labor was over. Without divine intervention, this would have been impossible.
“Congratulations, Your Majesty! The royal family grows each day, and what a joyous occasion that is!”
So, upon hearing the news of the Emperor’s second child—the first son—I quickly bowed my head.
Fortunately, the Crown Princess didn’t pick up on the heavy atmosphere of the palace, and the birth went off without a hitch. If I offered my congratulations first, surely the Emperor’s annoyance and embarrassment would dissipate rapidly.
“Thank you, Minister.”
The Emperor, who had been visibly shaken by the Crown Princess’s presence, patted my shoulder with a bright smile.
“Thanks to you, the Crown Princess was able to be here for her brother’s birth.”
Of course, while the end result was good, I couldn’t deny that the process had been anxiety-inducing. The Emperor expressed some ceremonial regrets, but that was the extent of his grievances.
It was a joyful occasion, the birth had gone smoothly, and we had created a lovely memory for the Crown Princess. He was fully determined to move past any worries. Truly a relief.
“My little brother! He’s born!?”
And as I finished my implicit deal with the Emperor, the Crown Princess waved her plastic bag excitedly to express her joy.
Seeing the spirits wriggling pitifully inside the bag made me feel sorry for them. The Crown Princess, blessed by the Wind Spirit King, had drawn their attention, but little did they know it would lead to such a fiasco…
“Yes. Our Crown Princess has a younger brother now.”
“Wow!”
The moment those words left my mouth, the Crown Princess dashed off into the room.
“Crown Princess. The Empress and your brother must be tired. Let them rest for a bit before you go in.”
“Whaaa?”
I had failed to stop her in time.
Caught off guard by the quick intervention, it was amusing how the Crown Princess was effortlessly lifted by the circumstances as she tried to race in. With the kind of explosive speed she had, even the sturdy servants struggled to keep up.
She had remarkable agility and strength for her age. After retiring and living like a farmer, had my physical prowess risen to farm-level? Looks like I’m aging gracefully.
“Can’t I go in now?”
“Ah.”
“Uhhh…”
Despite her sulk, the Crown Princess didn’t throw a fit in front of me. Clearly, like throwing a tantrum in front of her grandfather was a no-go.
It’s interesting that while the Crown Princess isn’t afraid of authority, she still refrained from causing a scene. Did she instinctively realize that her tantrums wouldn’t work?
‘What a keen instinct.’
I quietly admired her. For sure, circumstances wouldn’t easily comply, even for her grandchild—
“Really can’t I go in?”
“Hmm…”
I noticed the corners of Sang-hwang’s eyes twitch slightly.
It seemed he might actually let it slide.
Accidentally, I was the first among the ministers to witness the First Prince’s birth.
It felt a bit rude to see him before my maternal grandfather, the Vice-Captain, but it would’ve been even ruder to just turn around after coming to the palace. So I cradled the Crown Princess and entered the room where the Empress and the First Prince were.
“Mom! I’m here!”
The moment she noticed her mother lying in bed, the Crown Princess began waving her hands energetically.
Unfortunately, the spirits in the bag appeared to have already passed out and weren’t moving at all.
“Our Charlotte. Did you come to see your brother?”
“I want to see my brother too! And Mama!”
“Ah, I see.”
The Empress, likely feeling warmed by her daughter’s remembrance, carefully propped herself up with the help of her handmaidens.
She reached out to the midwife. It seemed she wanted the prince in her arms.
“This is a truly splendid Prince, Your Majesty.”
“Waaaah…”
The midwife smiled brightly as she handed the baby over to the Empress.
Despite just being born, the prince didn’t wail as though the world was ending; he let out a gentle cry. I did have a worry—was he unwell? But seeing the physicians, mages, and priests calm, it didn’t seem there was any issue.
Well, every child has their own personality. Some might wail loudly, while others prefer to keep it down for balance.
“Look! This baby is your sister Charlotte’s brother!”
“Wowwww…!”
As soon as she laid eyes on the prince in her mother’s arms, the Crown Princess started fidgeting.
“Put me down! I want to touch my brother!”
I sneaked a glance at the Empress. Should I really let the excited Crown Princess loose around the freshly birthed Empress and prince?
“It’s fine, Minister. Please, set her down.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Since she said it was fine, I cautiously placed the Crown Princess on the bed.
She zipped over to her brother like lightning, making the bag with the fireflies she had so painstakingly brought feel utterly forgotten.
‘Poor little spirits.’
They were freed but still unmoving. Hope they get to rest well once we return to the mansion.
“Carolus! My brother!”
‘Carolus?’
Amid all this, the Crown Princess shouted an unfamiliar name. If she was calling him her brother, had she already come up with a name for him?
“This is his name. If it’s a boy, we decided to name him Carolus.”
I stared blankly at the prince, and the Empress nodded, as if saying I was correct.
Now that I think about it, I hadn’t really considered whether the second child would be a son or a daughter. It’s perhaps odd to have thought so long about the gender yet come up with nothing for the name.
“Prince Carolus. Quite a name for one who seems destined to grow brave and strong.”
“Isn’t it? The Crown Princess picked it out herself.”
“You did?”
“Yup! I chose it!”
The Crown Princess nodded vigorously while poking Carolus’s finger.
Of course, it wouldn’t just be her decision. I assumed the Emperor or Empress must have thrown out several candidates, and she picked one from them.
But regardless, making a choice is still making a choice. For the Crown Princess, who had been eagerly waiting for her brother, to have chosen his name on her own—now that’s a memory she won’t forget for life.
‘Not bad.’
To have the older siblings name their newly born brother right after his birth. Definitely a fantastic event for the kids.
Great. Once Hayang and the northern twins are born, I’ll let the kids choose the names next. I’ll come up with a few decent candidates, and whichever gets the most votes wins.
I believe that would strengthen their bond even more.
The news of the birth of Prince Carolus Livnoman spread quickly across the entire empire.
[ Blessed by Enen and under the Great Emperor’s protection, a noble prince has been born, and all the ministers serving Livnoman should rejoice in his coming. ]
With the palace sending out mass texts like crazy, one couldn’t possibly miss it.
“Well, I’m just glad he’s healthy. Even though I told myself everything would be fine, my heart didn’t quite follow reason.”
“I understand. That’s the heart of a father.”
As I read through the group message from the palace, a smile crept onto my face in agreement with the Vice-Captain’s words.
While I hadn’t experienced the birth of a child like the Vice-Captain, the instinct to wish for your child’s well-being is universal among all fathers. Plus, while I haven’t experienced birthing a child, I’ve been around for multiple births with my wife, so I understand it to some extent.
“Fortunately, my aides seem to understand as well. I couldn’t focus on work until I heard the news of the prince, and only then was I able to handle my tasks. As a result, my aides also left work much later than usual.”
“They probably see it as an honor. Didn’t they hear the prince’s birth before anyone else?”
“True. They might think that way.”
The Vice-Captain chuckled softly, took a sip of tea, and continued with an even broader smile.
“Of course, the real ‘first’ was you, Cal.”
“Haha, I’m sorry! The Crown Princess insisted that I go to the palace with her, so it just happened…”
“That’s what makes it more disappointing. If I had escorted the Crown Princess, I would have been the first to meet the prince, not you.”
I just chuckled at the lightly sincere jest.
It’s true; I, a mere adviser, had seen the prince before the Vice-Captain, which couldn’t be denied. One might think this isn’t a big deal, but naturally, it would sting a little. I mean, if I were in his shoes, I’d be shedding tears if someone else witnessed the birth of my grandchild before me.
“Well, still, you can consider Cal as family since he is the Crown Princess’s godfather. It’s reasonable to yield the order to family.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
“Both the Emperor and Empress share the same sentiment, so don’t dismiss it as merely a formality.”
I nodded, knowing fully well.
Ever since I became the Crown Princess’s godfather, both the Emperor and Empress treated me like family. And with such a close-knit relationship, they strongly supported throwing an extravagant feast to celebrate the birth of the second child, elevating my sense of intimacy.
Regrettably, just because I’m considered family now, the chains of being a minister haven’t vanished. If tasks arise, I’ll still delegate without hesitation.
“Oh, by the way, I heard that your son will be coming to the banquet.”
“The one from the Duke’s House?”
At the mention of the Vice-Captain’s son, I instinctively questioned back. The only son of the Vice-Captain must be the one handling the Hablem Ducal Territory.
And that son, known as Ewald, is also a major figure—potentially the next Duke of Hablem, the brother of the Empress, and thus the Crown Princess’s uncle. At the same time, with his father, the Vice-Captain, looking after the duchy and the northern noble faction, he’s basically a mystical figure one seldom sees at court.
For such a busy duke’s son to visit the capital? Even the busiest of lords clearly won’t let such an important occasion slip by.
“This isn’t the kind of gathering families would ordinarily attend.”
Seeing the Vice-Captain’s satisfied expression, he seemed glad about his son visiting.
Definitely. The Vice-Captain and his son are bound by duty, making it difficult for them to abandon their posts. Surely, they wouldn’t meet up any other time.
‘Born destined for filial piety.’
What a prince born to make the maternal side of the family harmonious right off the bat! Truly, the very embodiment of a dutiful child.
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