Chapter: 390
I calmed my nerves by sipping the tea that Marghetta had prepared. The tension about tomorrow’s Crown Prince appointment ceremony seemed to ease a little.
“Congratulations, Cal. You’ll be the godfather to the Crown Prince starting tomorrow.”
Unfortunately, just hearing Marghetta mention it made my tension spike again.
“No matter how I think about it, this honor feels excessive.”
“But it means that His Majesty the Emperor and the Crown Prince hold you in high regard.”
I smiled and shook my head as Marghetta grinned, practically humming with joy.
‘How can she be so happy?’
Despite the turmoil inside me, I found myself chuckling. The announcement of the godfather was supposed to be made during the Crown Prince’s appointment ceremony, so I had planned to keep it under wraps. However, I had let my family and loved ones in on it. But they’ve all got heavy mouths, so I knew there would be no leaks.
Everyone congratulated me, but that was as far as it went. Stabbing the air with rumors about the royal family before the official announcement from the Emperor? Everyone knew that would be rude.
Marghetta, on the other hand, was a different story. She didn’t spill the beans everywhere, but her reaction was nothing short of extreme.
‘She could be the most socially aware person here.’
My family didn’t care much about high society, while Beatrix was totally detached from relationships. Then there was the still naive Louise, and Irina, who had her own struggles. Then there was Elizaveta, who was just too busy celebrating to care.
In this miraculous lineup, Marghetta stood out like a pro in high society, instantly calculating the implications of having a godfather to the likely future Emperor. So, of course, she was going to be more elated than others.
To be honest, her reaction was the norm. The status and authority that come with the title of godfather to the Crown Prince are immense. No matter how you spin it, any congratulations would be warranted if your lover became a godfather.
The critical issue was that I didn’t want any of this.
“While Elizaveta is on good terms with the Crown Princess, if you become the godfather, it’ll bring you closer to the royal family. That would be a huge benefit for our children too.”
“Indeed. I doubt they would neglect the family of the godfather.”
But seeing Marghetta discuss not just my honor but our children’s safety, I couldn’t bring myself to express any hesitations.
Yeah, if I’m the godfather, it’s undoubtedly a good thing for any children born in the future. A godfather to the Crown Prince wouldn’t be in conflict with the royal family; it’s the opposite that would be the issue. The only way that suspicion would ever come to the kids is if I committed an enormous blunder.
Honestly, I was a bit worried. It wasn’t uncommon for children of downed nobles to get slapped around by the ruler after that influential noble passed on.
‘What a crazy combo we have here.’
I might be overthinking it, but being related to the Ducal family—and having several counts and barons among our ranks—definitely draws the royal family’s ire even if we just breathe.
Thus, becoming the godfather was good news. It means the royal family guarantees my children’s safety, which is indeed comforting.
Let’s just think of it that way. I’m bound to be a godfather anyway, so I might as well fire up my happy circuits about it.
The location for the Crown Prince’s appointment ceremony was decided where the Emperor delivered his New Year’s address. You could feel the Emperor’s sincerity in trying to bestow legitimacy and authority upon the Crown Prince.
Even duchies that were enjoying a peaceful life in their territories were dragged in – or rather, they were said to be attending. While it wouldn’t see all noble ranks gathered like at the New Year’s ceremony, the attendance of all five dukes alone would lend significant weight to the appointment. Honestly, one duke is worth ten or twenty counts in this Empire.
As high-ranking nobles and officials gathered one by one, I headed to the Imperial Palace to get ready.
“I greet Your Highness. It is an honor to be the godfather of Your Royal Highness, Cal Krasius of Yuris.”
Yes, my preparation consisted of greeting a baby who’d barely been alive for a week, but hey.
The Crown Prince, nestled in the Crown Princess’s arms with his eyes closed, slowly opened them at my greeting. It was quite the sight—though barely squinting, you couldn’t even really see his eyes.
“The Crown Prince seems happy to meet his godfather.”
“It is indeed an honor.”
Of course, I wasn’t genuinely expecting a response from a newborn, so the Crown Princess smiled gently and spoke up.
Thank the stars! He didn’t cry upon seeing a stranger—
“Ah—”
Huh?
‘What was that?’
Who made that noise?
I was startled by the unexpected sound, and the Crown Princess looked even more surprised, her eyes round as she stared at the Crown Prince in her arms.
…Could it be him?
“Is he already babbling?”
“That seems to be the case.”
“Ah—”
In tune with the Crown Princess’s reply, the Crown Prince babbled again. It sounded like air escaping his mouth rather than actual words, but that was definitely the sound of a newborn.
But can a baby babble after just one week? Are people in this world just different?
“To think he’d already be talking to greet his godfather, how impressive!”
Seeing the Crown Princess gently caressing the Crown Prince’s cheek with eyes full of affection, it felt like the norm in this world. I mean, it’s a world with mana and divine power; babbling is probably nothing major. If the Crown Prince crawled away right now, I wouldn’t be surprised at all.
Then the late-arriving Crown Prince heard that the little one had babbled and got excited! But the baby remained quiet.
Seeing the Crown Prince with such a comical expression felt strangely satisfying.
*
Standing on the platform, I looked down at the nobles. It was a familiar sight but today I was swept up in a different wave of excitement.
‘Finally.’
The day had finally come. Unlike me, who had to wear the shackles of being a cadet my whole life, someone undeniably worthy had just been born into the royal family.
I had truly achieved everything. After crawling through endless darkness, I had finally reached the light. Leaving behind the human Corporis, I had become Emperor Ainter XVI, ushering in the revival of the royal family and the Empire.
‘That took ages.’
It truly was long. Years that felt like centuries. Every time I saw the decades of misguided emperors destroying the Empire and the fallen prestige of the royal family, I felt like giving up, yet I persevered.
…And now, my role was over. Once I appointed the Crown Prince here, I would finally have achieved everything I could do.
“Listen closely.”
Thus, I boldly opened my mouth. This was the last command I would be giving as the Emperor.
“The glorious royal family that flourished by the name of the Great Emperor lost its way at some point, failing to heed the will of heaven and the voices of the people—something to be lamented by the Great Emperor.”
My words acknowledging the faults and failures of the royal family stirred unrest among the nobles, but I didn’t care. I had the right to speak those words, having borne the weight of failures alone. Even the great ancestors would acknowledge this.
“Yet, the multitude of nobles and the common folk have not abandoned their reverence for Livnoman, and it is because of this that the royal family is now able to rise again and achieve this present prosperity.”
Once the direct line of Livnoman was severed, the nobility didn’t attempt to establish a new royal line but instead sought the cadet branches. As a result, the Empire of Livnoman was restored, surely a sign that heaven was smiling upon the Livnomans.
“Thus, the Great Emperor rejoices once more, bestowing great blessings upon the Livnoman.”
With those words, I turned my head back, and the Crown Princess stepped forward, holding the Crown Prince.
While she could have handed him off to the maid, she insisted on doing it herself. However, it was a good decision—it demonstrated the Crown Prince’s love from the royal family, showing that the maternal house, the Duke of Nüren, was also firmly supporting it.
“The Great Emperor, in his favor, has seen the birth of the Crown Prince. This is a testament to the royal family’s prosperity, and I shall name the Crown Prince in honor of his first Empress, Charlotte.”
The name of the first Empress, who led the royal family to prosperity as the Great Emperor’s wife and the royal family’s matron, was truly befitting for the Crown Prince.
This child will mark the beginning of the royal family reclaiming the glory of the Great Emperor.
A glory greater than I had achieved.
An even more resplendent glory.
*
After announcing the Crown Prince’s name, the Cardinal of Ausen Archdiocese, Cardinal Richiuko, came forth to perform the baptism.
This baptism was conducted by the highest-ranking priest of the Dawn Sect in the Empire. This way, the Crown Prince would also be blessed with religious authority. To deny the authority of a baptized Crown Prince would be to oppose the will of the Cardinal—and ultimately, the Pope who appointed him.
“—Under the blessings of Enen and the favor of the Great Emperor, I hereby appoint the one and only Crown Prince, Charlotte Livnoman, as the Crown Prince.”
With that, the Emperor wasted no time in wrapping up the formalities of the Crown Prince’s appointment.
“Long live the Empire! Long live Livnoman!”
“May the Great Emperor bless the Crown Prince!”
Given that a newborn baby was becoming the Crown Prince, it was a spectacle that could raise eyebrows. But the nobility’s cheers were immediate. The Emperor had probably anticipated this moment the second he called all five dukes to join him.
In fact, considering how imminent the Emperor’s abdication was, he probably would have gone ahead with the event even if these dukes didn’t show up. After all, the routes through the Crown Prince—the Crown Princess—the Emperor were far superior to those of a Crown Prince—the Crown Princess—the Emperor.
“May you shine brightly, Crown Prince!”
And amidst the endless echoing of cheers, the Crown Prince quietly squirmed.
‘Magic really is handy.’
Seeing that, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.
To witness strangers shouting in jubilance? Any baby would probably be scared into wailing. However, for the Crown Prince to cry at his own appointment would be deeply embarrassing. The nobility would go from celebrating to being labeled as traitors.
So, the mages had cast noise-blocking magic around the Crown Prince. Not that they completely silenced him; rather, it made it so that even the loudest noise was no more than background noise.
‘Is he sleeping?’
It seems the magic worked so well that amidst all this ruckus, he fell asleep.
“Amid the blessings of loyal and capable subjects, the Crown Prince has been enthroned. This is surely the Crown Prince’s blessing.”
As the cheers gradually subsided, the Emperor spoke softly.
“And so, I shall now select one among those who witnessed the Crown Prince’s baptism to become the Crown Prince’s godfather.”
With those words, the Crown Princess approached me.
She carefully handed me her precious bundle, the Crown Prince.
‘Wow.’
As soon as I held the Crown Prince, I felt all eyes on me. If gazes had a physical pull, I’d be shredded apart at this point.
“I hereby name the Executive Manager Cal Krasius of Yuris as the Crown Prince’s godfather.”
Although the Emperor offered a lengthy explanation as to why I was chosen, to be honest, I didn’t even hear half of it. I suspected other nobles were drowning it out too.
Who cares why I became the godfather? The important thing is that it just happened.
“Ah—”
In the midst of that, the Crown Prince started to babble again.
If that babbling came across as a welcoming gesture, was that just my imagination?
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