Chapter: 742
As usual, the Crown Princess and now the Crown Prince have come over as guests.
No matter how much our mansion is transforming into a daycare, sending over a just-crawling crown prince seems a bit excessive, doesn’t it? What if something goes wrong with this young child in our home?
‘He wouldn’t just let his child roam free like that, would he?’
Holding the grinning crown prince in my arms, I tried to sort out my thoughts.
The Emperor is overflowing with affection for his children, and he doesn’t hesitate to show it. I recall he would sigh in worry about the Crown Princess’s position and the future of the second child yet to be born.
So why would the Emperor send the Crown Prince out of the palace? Honestly, I suspected that one day the prince would visit our mansion, but I thought it would be once he was at least walking.
“The Emperor said that your warm love would also embrace the crown prince splendidly.”
“Is that so? It’s truly an honor.”
As I held the crown prince silently, the head maid bowed respectfully while explaining the situation.
After all, since I’m the Crown Princess’s godfather, it’s a request to also look after the prince. It’s not exactly a strange request, nor could I refuse it—what truly baffles me is “why now?”
But what can I do? I can’t send the prince back after he has just emerged from the palace, nor can I disappoint the Crown Princess, whose eyes are sparkling with excitement at playing with her little brother.
‘His temperament is the complete opposite of Dad’s.’
And while the crown prince’s head is a spitting image of the Emperor, his bright smile suggests that he may not inherit his father’s temperament at all. I can’t just coldly push away such a child.
“Your Highness, for today, I will serve as your attendant.”
“Wow!”
At my words, the prince smiled again with that angelic face.
How is it that the Emperor gets such a child after the Crown Princess? Looks like the empress’s genes have worked overtime.
“Let me down! I want to crawl!”
“Your Highness, since it’s your first visit to this mansion, I’d like to guide you personally.”
“No! I love crawling!”
That unexpected comment made me turn my attention back to the prince.
Children who enjoy crawling usually have an active personality. We have a remarkable child in the Krasius family too, and thanks to that kid, the Tailglehen County has been flipped upside down dozens, if not hundreds, of times.
But this calm and innocent child has a personality similar to Teresa?
‘He’s surprisingly well-behaved.’
Instead of squirming, the prince just gazed up at me with sparkling eyes, nestled in my arms.
This is odd. If it were Teresa in her prime, she would have started crying at least five times by now. No matter how you look at it, the prince appears to be the polar opposite of Teresa.
“Let me down! Let me down!”
“Oh, yes, Your Highness.”
Yet given the testimony of the Crown Princess who lives with the prince at the palace, her view should be more accurate than mine, who only sees him occasionally.
“Awooo!”
As I set the prince down in the mansion’s corridor, he suddenly darted away at astonishing speed, as if he hadn’t been quietly resting in my arms just moments ago.
Like a soldier charged with a mission, his pace was breathtaking. I was left dumbstruck as the prince’s back disappeared in an instant.
“Ah! Carolus! Come here!”
Soon after, the Crown Princess dashed after the disappearing crown prince.
“The crown prince is joyful wherever he is.”
“Wherever… you say?”
“Yes. If you lay him in bed, he will sleep soundly, and when you hold him, he gazes quietly at the scenery. But once he’s on the floor, he crawls faster than anyone.”
“Oh, is that so?”
A position that can seamlessly adapt to any situation. No matter what situation arises, he just shows a smile and doesn’t voice complaints.
‘He must be the Emperor’s child.’
I concede. The prince may be young, but he is indeed a child of the Emperor.
That peculiar knack for socializing must be an art inherited from the Emperor’s lineage. Even if one is an adult without the Emperor’s blood, they cannot exhibit such talents, yet even a baby with the Emperor’s blood can instinctively perform this art.
‘…Let’s think positively.’
I was momentarily overwhelmed with feelings, but I calmed down quickly.
Yes, let’s view this positively. The crown prince isn’t adept at socializing because he bears the Emperor’s blood; he’s simply a pure child who can smile brightly in any situation. He enjoys being held by adults and playing with his sister.
“Awooo!”
“Whaaat! What’s that?”
“Your Grace! Are you well?—Kyaaah!”
Before long, a shrill scream erupted in the direction the prince and princess had dashed off.
It seems that Jangsaeng and Risianne, who happened to be passing nearby, have gotten caught up with the Livnoman duo.
Jangsaeng still displays the same small frame and adorable appearance as before.
We can’t know what he looked like during his so-called “deathly” phase, but the present reality visible now is the truth everyone acknowledges.
In other words, the crown prince, visiting for the first time, can’t help but fall for the little and cute Jangsaeng.
“Awooo, woo!”
With a big grin, the prince hugged Jangsaeng.
“Guhh…!”
Having been helplessly captured by the prince, Jangsaeng couldn’t even struggle.
“Your Grace… this too is a trial that comes to your servant…”
And beside Jangsaeng, Risianne was also caught up in it.
It was such a beautiful sight that I quietly turned my gaze away. A small child, a small dog, and a small person (who used to be). Where else could you witness such a scene?
‘Good job, our Jangsaeng.’
And the prince, having just begun to crawl, is still weak compared to other children. Even if Jangsaeng tries to escape, he wouldn’t do so, fearing that the prince might get hurt if he really puts up a struggle.
It’s such a touching sight. Is he really willing to endure pain to prevent the child from getting hurt? It seems that now Jangsaeng can be considered a perfect playmate for the kids.
No, he has always been perfect in his appearance, but he’s moved up even further in perfection.
“Carolus! This is Jangsaeng!”
“A—woo?”
“And this is Risianne!”
“Woo—woo?”
“Exactly! Carolus agrees!”
‘What’s happening?’
In the midst of it all, the Crown Princess was happily patting the prince’s head, giggling.
What kind of conversation was just exchanged? To my ears, it was nothing but “Awooo” back and forth.
‘Do sibling bonds connect like that…?’
Amazing, Livnoman. Sharing the same blood means sharing colors. Something that Erich, Teresa, and I were never able to do.
“Carl.”
“Ah, Mar.”
“Looks like Jangsaeng was keeping the kids entertained again?”
At those words, I glanced back at Jangsaeng.
Now, Jangsaeng with rosy cheeks looked quite the sight.
“Can we even call this keeping entertained?”
“Children like it. Besides, Jangsaeng might say he hates it, but he often lounges around the hall where the kids play.”
It’s true; when he really needs a break, he just hides and doesn’t come out.
With a light chuckle, Mar handed me the plate in his hand.
“Here are the cookies Rizie made. Though the crown prince can’t have any yet, she baked plenty of chocolate-themed cookies thinking of the Crown Princess.”
“Chocolate, huh? I suppose the empress might scold us a bit if she finds out.”
“Hoho, she could just brush her teeth vigorously before heading back to the palace, right?”
That reasoning isn’t wrong, so I chuckled along.
Right, if the Crown Princess brushes her teeth well before returning home, the chances of getting caught would certainly decrease.
“But it is a bit strange, isn’t it?”
“What’s that? Is it that the Crown Princess likes cookies? Back in the Academy, Rizie had found some odd recipes, but her real skill is intact.”
“Oh, no, that’s not it.”
Mar, glancing at the prince and Jangsaeng, continued in a softer tone.
“It’s just that children can be scared of animals, but both the Crown Princess and the prince seem unfazed.”
“Isn’t that the same as with our kids?”
“Our kids grew up playing with Titi and all the village kids. They aren’t exactly in the same condition, after all.”
For a moment, I recalled the animal farm scenario but pushed it aside. The animal farm in the palace’s corner was different from the one spread out in the mansion.
“It seems there’s a kindness in the imperial blood even to embrace a mere beast.”
Thus, with sudden worship of the imperial household, I resolved Mar’s curiosity. When you can’t find a conclusive answer despite racking your brain, it’s much more convenient to wrap it up with, “Anyway, the emperor’s household is just great.”
“That might be true,” Mar nodded, a hint of understanding evident in the slight smile on his face.
My mundane response served to shift the topic. Yet surprisingly, this answer was one of the most plausible hypotheses. In real-time, the Crown Princess and crown prince engage with animals, while the original Livnoman also keeps an animal farm alive amidst all the chaos. It wouldn’t be odd for the bloodline of Livnoman to harbor an innate penchant for animals.
In the meantime, the Emperor himself has never shown any affection for animals, which makes things a bit ambiguous.
‘After all, he had to deal with something worse than a beast.’
Unfortunately, the Emperor has had his fill of torment from someone wilder than beasts. A child named Dorgos, or the Second Prince…
So, what could he do? Having suffered from a living nightmare, it’s not surprising if the Emperor has developed an instinctual aversion to animals.
Of course, the very one who dealt the Emperor a slap had been none other than the Second Prince, but it’s difficult to believe that such a monster exists on this continent. There’s no choice but to avoid creatures that closely resemble that Second Prince. Just like being startled by a cauldron lid has one flinching at the sight of a frog.
“Let me down! Let me down!”
As I lament the Emperor’s upbringing, the crown prince, Jangsaeng, and Risianne, along with the Crown Princess, came rushing back.
“Yes, Your Highness. Do you need something?”
“Where’s Pedi? I wanna show Carolus!”
Hearing the Crown Princess wishing to introduce her little brother to Pedi warmed my heart.
Even with the crown prince right next to him, it seems he hasn’t forgotten dear Pedi. If the Crown Princess ascends to the throne, she would become a remarkable ruler.
*
The head maid, who accompanied the Crown Princess and prince to the Minister’s mansion, brought forth a somewhat regretful report.
“The Crown Princess eagerly initiated the meeting with Young Lord Ferdinand and the Crown Prince, and since then, the three of them have been gallivanting around the godfather’s residence. Furthermore, Young Lord Ferdinand has shown great interest and affection for the Crown Prince, who hasn’t strayed far from Ferdinand’s side either.”
Even as I placed the crown prince beside the Crown Princess to lessen her focus on Pedi, it seems the prince has taken an interest in the young lord too.
What a tragic turn of events. While it would be a welcome development for the three of them to play nicely, prioritizing stability over concern for the future is the crucial issue. The crown prince should be a rival to Pedi, not an ally.
‘…What am I doing?’
Suddenly, a wave of self-loathing washed over me. The oldest being the Crown Princess, just five years old, and here I am worrying about her love life and making rivalries and partnerships… What kind of delusion is this?
The saddest part is that I’m fully aware of how petty my actions are, but I can’t stop myself.
‘We can’t let a second Minister’s situation arise.’
Everything hinges on how I view Pedi’s bloodline with fear.
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.