Chapter 415
Realizing the peculiar discrimination I had been showing towards Mar left my mind in a jumble. I was so distracted that even the Emperor’s speech was merely background noise—like a stream flowing through one ear and out the other.
Of course, it was probably just a ceremonial speech filled with platitudes, so tuning it out wasn’t really a problem.
“How upsetting that my son-in-law came all this way and the child isn’t with him,” the Emperor said.
“I feel the same. I can’t wait for the break, so we can all be together,” I replied.
Anyway, though inside I was a tangled mess, I kept a calm facade. It was a rare moment for the family of the in-laws to gather and exchange pleasantries, and it wouldn’t look good if the son-in-law was the only one wearing a serious face.
Even now, I could see the jovial face of Iones, Marquis and father of Erzebet, my fifth father-in-law, beaming at me.
“Even so, it seems you two keep in touch often. Please continue to do so,” he encouraged.
“Of course, Father-in-law,” I nodded repeatedly, holding his hand. Erzebet was the one who contacted us first if there was a lull, so I had no reason to worry, but I didn’t want to embarrass my father-in-law by saying that out loud.
“Luise being a student is a relief. Even though it’s too bad she’s not right next to me, I feel secure knowing she’s with a dependable son-in-law,” he mused.
“Must be my fault for having her too early,” chimed in my third father-in-law, sporting a smile which elicited a slightly annoyed reaction from my fifth father-in-law with a non-student daughter.
It was funny. Even though they were technically part of the same extended family through me, a Baron and a Marquis were chatting comfortably. Were they keeping in touch behind the scenes? If not, I couldn’t explain their camaraderie.
‘Well, getting close isn’t a bad thing.’
I chuckled quietly, reassuring myself as I observed the in-laws laughing together.
Yeah, if my in-laws get along, that’s a win for me as the son-in-law. After all, if tensions existed in my wife’s family, I’d be pressured to take sides too.
I was indeed worried about my third father-in-law being “the Baron caught between a Duke, a Marquis, and a Count,” but seeing them now made me realize my worries were unwarranted.
‘Is he like the original capybara or something?’
Now that I think about it, he is Luise’s father. If the pink capybara trait runs in the family, then he’s the original—no contest!
Suddenly, my third father-in-law appeared in a different light.
—
The banquet that had lasted for days wrapped up smoothly. The Emperor successfully accomplished a normal succession under the nobles’ loyalty oaths, and the nobility had no intention of crossing the Emperor’s mood. In fact, they bowed lower to avoid being “slashed” by the peak of imperial power.
Fortunately, I was able to share in that tranquility. Already, as the Emperor’s cherished plaything, I was rushing through the checks of the Information Department, management of Wyridia, and formation of northern factions among several other tasks. Keeping that in mind, I hadn’t been bothered with anything else.
“Ah—Ooh—Ah!”
“I’m glad to see you’re well today, Your Highness.”
“Uuh—”
The only work I did have was to visit the increasingly fluent babbling of the Crown Princess. As her godfather, that was obviously a duty I had to accept without complaint.
However, I wished she’d stop grasping my fingers for several minutes on end. More than once, I’ve gone just to show my face, only to get trapped.
“You really do seem to recognize your godfather, don’t you,” sighed the head maid with a smile.
“Are you talking about me?” I asked.
“Yes. Other than His Majesty the Emperor, Her Majesty the Empress, and His Highness the Crown Prince, the baby quickly releases everybody’s fingers…except for yours.”
“Is that so?”
At that comment, I couldn’t help but smile knowingly. If what she said was true, it meant this little baby recognized her godfather, thinking of me as family…
—
“Will Your Highness be coming too?” I asked, accidentally mentioning something I was about to let slip. Was the Crown Prince also a sacrifice to the Crown Princess’s finger-holding?
“He comes often. Last time, he tried to hug her but ended up getting his beard caught,” the head maid added.
I was left speechless as she elaborated that it took an hour of stubbornness for him to pry himself loose.
Here was a man who led the empire for decades, his beard now snow-white from years of hardships. To think he stood there for a whole hour, stuck with his granddaughter at the other end! That kind of cognitive dissonance was hard to wrap my head around.
‘The hand that held the Crown Prince’s beard…’
It was remarkable. No one on this continent could achieve such a feat that was now encapsulated in that tiny hand. Kagan and the Pope, who stood at the apex of the continent, could never have pulled that off.
And now that little hand had caught my finger, too, which means I shared an indirect touch of the Crown Prince’s beard!
“His Highness seems to really adore you,” I commented.
Of course, that was a rather treasonous thought, so I quickly exchanged that for a more mundane remark.
“Uuh—”
Just then, the Crown Princess babbled back, responding as if proclaiming her timeless achievements as a hero.
‘Thank goodness there’s no beard.’
If there had been, it would’ve fallen into one of her little heroic deeds.
What a terrifying thought.
—
Finally, I returned to the Academy. It felt like an eternity since I’d been out for so long that I could hardly remember my last trip.
Now that my assignment at the Academy was wrapping up, I wouldn’t have another reason to head back outside for a while. The north had quieted down, and with the new Emperor on the throne, there was no way I’d be dragged back into the system.
This wasn’t even a set-up or wishful thinking; it was pure common sense. If another event of this scale came up, it would truly be a curse from the gods.
‘…A curse.’
Now that I thought about curses, old wounds flashed in my mind, but I quickly shook my head to dispel them.
‘There is no such thing.’
I was a priest marked by the divine, not some cursed being. The divine—none other than God—had said so directly.
So yes, I had no curse hanging over me. Only the divine mark remained, and I believed a peaceful and calm daily life would welcome me ahead. It absolutely would.
So with those self-reassuring thoughts, I moved forward. There likely wouldn’t be anyone in the clubroom, and Beatrix had expressed she would head off quickly for class. So my destination was automatically decided.
‘Vice President’s Office.’
I was headed to see the first lover whom I had unwittingly discriminated against.
—
I found myself sitting on the Vice President’s office sofa, idly staring at the ceiling. It was odd for the guest-prepped sofa to have its owner lounging on it, but these days it felt strange not to care about such trivialities due to the sense of emptiness hanging over me.
I understood well why this emptiness had descended upon me. But knowing the reason brought no solutions.
‘There’s nothing to do.’
The emptiness I felt came from having nothing to engage with. It was a feeling I couldn’t shake, not unless I created my own tasks to fill the void.
If I were my usual self, this simply wouldn’t be happening. It’s not like I had all this free time just because I was the Academy President—there should never be a time when I had nothing to do.
Nevertheless, with the end of my junior year approaching and having no plans to continue along a bureaucratic path, this bizarre situation unfolded.
“President, your graduation is coming up soon and you need to take it easy. We’ll handle the work for you.”
The Vice President chimed in, offering to take on tasks since it was sad for someone about to graduate to keep struggling.
“That’s right. There’s no big event left, so one person can slip away without it being a problem,” Amelia supported the Vice President’s point.
They weren’t wrong. The Academy had no significant schedule until the graduation ceremony, and it wouldn’t cause issues if the President took a breather.
Still, previous presidents had always worked until the last moment because it could give them a slight edge when it came to bureaucratic exams or interviews. Graduating with a casual attitude wouldn’t earn the favor of any recruiting officer.
“Thanks, I’ll trust you with it then.”
And so, under the gentle coercion of my executive team, I was forced to retire unceremoniously.
Honestly, it was nice to not have any responsibilities weighing me down. After being so dedicated to those tasks, it wouldn’t be a lie to say I felt light on my feet now.
However, that sense of liberation didn’t last long. If I had escaped from something terrible, I’d be euphoric, but without work and weapons, that kind of routine felt suffocating.
‘At least I showed up today.’
With that thought, I lowered my blank gaze from the ceiling to the front. This dreaded emptiness loomed over me, but knowing Beatrix, Erzebet, Luise, and Irina were around helped me cope.
Plus, today was the day when Carl was returning. Carl was coming back to the Academy after his absence.
What a relief! If he had been even a little late in returning, I might’ve already plunged into depression.
– Knock, knock
“Mar? Are you there?”
Then just as I was thinking of Carl, a knock was followed by that familiar, nostalgic voice.
I reflexively smiled. This must be Enen, taking pity on my day-by-day sluggishness.
“Yes, come in!”
I hurriedly replied, springing up from my slouched position.
My heart raced. It was still early, and lunch hadn’t even rolled around yet. Beatrix would just now be starting her class, so I’d have Carl all to myself until Erzebet’s surprise visit.
My hollow heart began to swell with happiness. A void-less time with Carl—truly the best.
“I’m here—”
As Carl burst into the office, I pulled him into a sudden hug before he could finish his sentence. It was a shock to him at first, but soon he reciprocated, wrapping his arms around me and patting my back.
“It’s been too long since I got to see you!” he exclaimed.
With those words, Carl placed his lips on my forehead.
I felt so happy. True happiness isn’t just about comfort but lies in moments shared with loved ones.
“Apologies, but once you graduate, we’ll be able to attend these events together. Just bear with it a little longer,” Carl gently soothed, making my smile broaden.
As happy as I was, there was a small, nagging urge to assert a different story, but with such words, I found myself at a loss for a comeback.
“That’s fine. It’s not too far off now, so I’ll be patient.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
With that, he kissed my forehead again.
Instinctively, I tightened my embrace around him. In such a short span, we’ve undergone multiple intense moments of physical intimacy—and if I let my guard down, I might just lose my balance and collapse from it all…
—
“Now, with such a big-hearted Mar, can I ask just one thing?” he continued, barely able to gather his thoughts.
“Wait, that sounded odd. Not a request, more like a notification,” he corrected.
“Huh?” I blinked in confusion at his unusual phrasing. Notification? Carl could never be so rude!
In my bemusement, I gazed at him, and Carl wore a deep smile.
“Given we’re about to get married, it feels too stiff to treat you like this. From now on, I’ll talk to you more casually,” he declared.
“…Huh?”
Another kiss landed on my forehead.
“Is that alright with you?”
My mind felt like it was about to float away.
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