Chapter: 846
The Emperor did indeed have his vodka-drinking rage moments, but really, it’s not like downing vodka is anything out of the ordinary for him. Back in the day, he would at least pretend to be on the wagon when the Empress scolded him. But now? It’s like he’s just given up completely, smashing the floor of his office to stash vodka.
Anyway, thanks to the Trika Empire’s scepter found in Armein and the gem from Sorden, the Emperor was tangled up in headaches, while I—
“Ah, what nice weather.”
I was having a peaceful day, far removed from the Emperor’s drama.
The Trika scepter? The Emperor and the King of Armein quickly inked a treaty, and it’ll be in the Empire’s hands in a few days. The gem from Armein? According to the Emperor, he’s planning to keep mum about it until Rutis’s wedding. Since that’s the case, we might as well hand over the gem during the Armein festivities and, while we’re at it, chat about its value when they’re all cheerful.
With the scepter just floating into our hands and the Foreign Ministry hustling to negotiate the gem, these matters didn’t concern me at all. Thanks to all this, whether the Emperor got plastered or not, I had my peace.
Had the Emperor laid it on me like, “You’re going to Armein anyway, right? Could you negotiate a bit?” I would’ve lost my mind! I’m just glad we didn’t end up with an early season of Ainter’s uprising.
“Uuugh—”
As I leisurely sipped my tea and gazed out the window, I heard the delightful babbling of a little one at my feet.
“Look at our Robert! Starting to crawl, huh?”
“Uu—!”
I scooped up the little champion of babbling, my nephew Robert, with a big grin. Just a while back, he was a baby who sucked his fingers in Erich’s or Zenobia’s arms. And now? He’s a little tank exploring all over the place by himself!
As a doting uncle, it’s heartwarming to see. Kids grow fast; sure, but watching my nephew crawl around like this filled me with unspeakable joy.
“How about we crawl together, Robert?”
“Uu—?”
He tilted his head, clearly baffled, as if he couldn’t grasp what a large uncle was saying.
Seriously, Erich? Have you gotten so lazy with your own kid that you’re just walking around while he’s crawling everywhere? What a self-important, dare I say, foolish move! I can’t believe he’s been eyeing his child from above instead of doing the dirty work of crawling together.
“Such arrogance!”
Truly a regrettable situation. Meanwhile, he’s not realizing how much joy and memory those little efforts could create for his kids.
“Alright, let’s play, little buddy.”
“Uu!”
With this newfound determination, I decided to introduce my nephew to the new world. If the rookie dad isn’t doing his job, it’s the seasoned uncle’s duty to step up.
So, I resolutely set Robert down on the floor. I was ready to get my four-legged action on when suddenly—
“Oh! Brother-in-law?”
“Ah.”
I just barely got to the ground when Zenobia walked in.
How embarrassing! I thought I was safe in the room with only me and Robert, and then she just had to walk in at the worst moment.
“I thought our little nephew looked a bit bored…”
An awkward excuse shot out reflexively. Sure, I was embarrassed, but how must Zenobia feel seeing her brother-in-law sprawled out on the floor?
“Uh, yes. Thank you…”
Thankfully, Zenobia seemed to accept my awkward excuse without question. It could be genuine gratitude, or maybe she just had to let my ungraceful display slide. Either way, I was thankful for her ability to diffuse this awkward moment.
“Where’s Erich and Serra?”
I tried to smoothly transition topics while getting back to my two-legged routine. It was a bit reckless of Erich to leave his little ones all alone in the house. But such was the situation, and I was being forgiving.
Erich was busy with their new baby, who just came into the world. Serra, not being too well after the childbirth, was focusing on recovery, so Erich had to step up and really handle the situation around their second child.
“I just put Eduard to sleep next to Serra. I’ll be here soon after checking to see if he doesn’t wake up.”
“Good? That’s a relief.”
“He was crying so much that Erich and I had to tag-team to settle him down.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at Zenobia’s words.
Eduard, my second nephew and Erich’s second son, had a full name, Eduard Trimara, taking after Serra’s family name. There were worries that since Serra was not the healthiest, Eduard might come out weak too, but look at him, smashing those fears and coming out as a healthy little champ!
“Krasius blood runs strong, I guess.”
Born from Serra, he’s healthy enough that when the medical team declared him a robust baby, Serra and the nurse both shed tears of joy. Even Serra’s father, Baron Zeigel, was on the verge of tears from joy.
The overwhelming healthiness has been quite the trial for Erich, though. Crying for everything from hunger to poopy pants makes it quite messy. He’s practically on par with Teresa’s early development!
“If only Serra would recover soon.”
With both parents working together through the ups and downs, it might be easier. But Serra is still focused on recovery, and sadly, Erich is left juggling the strong-willed toddler alone.
So, Zenobia had to rush to help out with Roberts since she was in the room. Clearly, that’s exactly why Robert was with me.
“I’m back…”
“Ah, did you come?”
Just as Zenobia was reaching for Robert, who was crawling toward her, Erich trudged in, looking haggard.
“Uu— Ah!”
“Our Robert was fine with Uncle here, right?”
“Uu—!”
“Glad to hear you had a good time.”
Amidst the chaos, Erich managed to muster a relaxed smile towards his welcoming son.
What a bittersweet and commendable sight. He’s a rookie dad, but a father he is indeed! Having barely any energy left from dealing with Eduard, yet here he was, skillfully handling his firstborn, Robert.
“Zenobia, can you play with Robert for a bit? I need to talk with Erich.”
“Sure, give me a shout if you need anything.”
With my request, Zenobia hurried out of the room. It seems she agreed that Erich was in bad shape.
“Just sit and take a breather.”
“Yeah, I think I might just die at this rate.”
As soon as the room turned into a No Kids Zone, Erich let out a deep sigh and sat down.
Zenobia herself was also exhausted, coming in after calming Eduard, but Robert is a pretty calm kid compared to the little tornado that is Eduard. With some help from the house staff, they could manage fine.
“Still, having a bit of ruckus is just the spice for raising kids. If it gets too quiet, that’s a concern too.”
I threw some sympathetic banter Erich’s way, knowing he was having a tough time.
The struggle he has with Eduard merely proves how healthy Eduard is. A small delicate child can be quiet and ailing, whereas bustling around with a boisterous little one is clearly more enjoyable!
“I guess that’s true.”
Indeed, when I said that, Erich’s mouth cracked into a labored smile.
Despite saying it out loud, they’d worried a lot about Eduard. They were just scared of jinxing it. Even though everyone else expressed anxiety, the parents kept their silence.
Now that the worries have made way for a healthy and lively baby, it’s a reason to rejoice. Some fatigue is a worthy price to pay.
“By the way, brother.”
“Yeah, what is it?”
“Could you lend me some of your sacred beasts? Just for a bit?”
I looked at Erich with a pitying heart.
“Are you struggling that much?”
“I mentioned earlier; I feel like I’m going to die here.”
His genuine expression had me nodding in silent understanding. The capability to handle these things and being overwhelmed are two different matters.
“Just one. If I can borrow even one, I think I can breathe a bit.”
It’s already proven that sacred beasts work wonders in watching over kids. Our house’s kids, along with the Emperor’s, and even Teresa at Tailglehen have a blast around the sacred beasts. Robert and Eduard should be no different!
“Once I start sending them, I can’t stop! Once they’re in, it’s all over! Better to have nothing at the start than to take one away after they’re used to it.”
“I promise I won’t keep them too long. Just until Eduard starts crawling. After that, I’ll bring my kids over to your house.”
Not because I’m waiting for a delivery of sacred beasts but rather, if it comes down to it, he’s ready to turn into a delivery service himself!
At this point, I couldn’t say no. After all, he’ll be at Tailglehen and strolling at capital too; adding the dispatches to his residence isn’t a big deal.
“Maybe this will turn out great?”
Moreover, however energetic Eduard was, he’s just one lively little rascal. For the sacred beasts, our house should be far preferable.
“…Can I start sending them out tomorrow?”
“Thanks a ton!”
Seeing Erich’s beaming smile, I quietly lifted my teacup.
I could start with a simple little chick, nothing too big. Don’t want to scare the kids, after all.
Upon confirming that saviors would start to arrive tomorrow, Erich seemed to finally relax, practically slumping into the seat.
“Ah, brother.”
Before I knew it, he perked up again.
“Has anything happened in Armein?”
“What?”
The sudden question made me frown.
“I reached out to Rutis recently, checking on the latest, and his laughter seemed a tad too cheerful.”
“Must be because the wedding’s right around the corner.”
“If it was just that laugh, he wouldn’t have said anything. Felt like there was something going on that he was trying to hide.”
He had quite the sharp deduction there, almost made me laugh out loud.
The discovery of the Trika scepter in Armein is still known to only a select few, and that exclusive club does include Prince Rutis. It’s only fair he manages his expressions carefully.
Yet, Erich saw right through that facade. He noticed the emotions Rutis was trying hard to keep hidden.
“Man, this guy’s reached a serious expert level!”
It’s impressive. Perhaps because he’s trading barbs in the imperial council and maintaining friendships with high-grade folks across the continent? I can practically feel Erich’s skills skyrocketing.
“Well, if you don’t know, then I don’t either. I mean, how would I know anything about foreign matters?”
However, even with all that awe, I can’t spill the beans on any confidential business. After all, once the scepter is in the Emperor’s hands, it’ll be officially announced, and then I can naturally reveal—
“Everyone knows you discuss everything under the sun with the Emperor. I was thinking you might’ve known something about Armein.”
“Damn it.”
The urge to curse almost slipped out. Seriously, how can I explain to my brother on vacation, “You basically act like an Emperor HIMSELF!”?
“How did he figure it out?”
As luck would have it, Erich was right.
Even in my downtime, the Emperor keeps dragging me around, making sure I’m in the loop about everything, and somehow I hear all the buzz coming out of Armein too.
“Damn.”
The fact that even my younger brother was aware of such things? I really don’t get how my image got so mangled!
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