Chapter 556
Since Trixie gave birth, the number of visitors to the mansion has increased.
To be precise, guests have been approaching the guarded front gate, offering a short prayer before heading back.
And naturally, all these guests were wizards.
“Is this a pilgrimage or something?”
Of course, from the wizards’ perspective, they were truly coming with the spirit of a pilgrimage. Their respected senior in the magical community had just given birth, so they wanted to offer their congratulations without bothering her right after labor. Thus, this strange pilgrimage culture was born as a compromise.
They don’t just pray and leave, either; they hand out some pocket money to the guards to ensure they keep a good eye on the Duke and his daughters. Truly a bizarre affair.
“It seems crazier than when our Pedi was born.”
“Uoo?”
“Well, after all, they’re lovely little sisters that Pedi has to look after. No room for jealousy, right?”
“Aww!”
As I playfully pinched Pedi’s cheek, he responded with a grin.
So adorable. Logically speaking, he probably doesn’t truly understand my words, but from a father’s heart, he looks like a solid big brother caring for his little sisters.
Right, if it’s our Pedi, he’s bound to grow up to be a cool and dependable big brother. If he takes after me and Mar, he’ll surely become just that.
‘The Duke’s big brother will be the Imperial Count.’
However, there is one worry gnawing at me; he’ll inherit a title lower than his sisters. What if they end up in a squabble, and one of them says, “I won’t listen to someone with a lower title than me!”?
I believe it won’t happen, but still, that insecurity bubbles within me. After all, Pedi has the bloodline of a duke and is set to inherit the title of Imperial Count, but the Duke is an unbeatable title no matter the lineage.
‘Maria, please grow up to be a nice kid.’
So, our Maria, our firstborn.
For the peace of the family and the Empire, please grow up to be a kind and gentle child. Your name, Ha-neul, is of the primordial god known for his gentleness.
“Aww—”
“What’s wrong? Do you want to see your little sisters?”
“Uoo!”
With a smile at Pedi’s sudden whimpering, I headed toward where the triplets were.
I might be imagining things, but I think Pedi loves watching his siblings. He even stared intently at their twitching ears while they slept.
‘Honestly, it’s cute.’
I too could watch those little ears for hours on end. If elves had ears like that, it would mean a hundred times more touching.
After Trixie regained some energy—
“We’ve prepared rooms for the little lords since last year.”
Count Sicilia, the butler of the Katoban family, made a bold proclamation.
“Right now, the Duke and his wife are enjoying their newlywed life, and the little lords are still very young, but eventually, they will need to stay in the Duchy, won’t they?”
And thus began the debate about the residences of the triplets.
Upon hearing that, my head felt like it had been hit. It was a problem I should’ve thought of much earlier, but only just realized now.
‘Where should they live?’
If both dad and mom are landholders, where should their children reside?
In principle, the triplets should stay in the Servette Duchy. They’ve already declared their surname as Katoban instead of Krasius, so it makes sense for the children of the Katoban family to reside in the Servette Duchy—it’s the “obvious choice” for the vassals and nobles. It would be odd for the heir that will govern them to grow up in a different place.
But my heart couldn’t accept it. Send my precious daughters away to another territory? To a place where they could be fussed over even more by the many people in the mansion?
“…Can’t they just stay here?”
“Our vassals can come to the palace anytime, but the nobles haven’t welcomed a little lord in over a hundred years.”
With the nobles’ sentiments in mind, the notion that they must move to the Servette Duchy slipped out from my mouth.
I hate to admit it, but the truth of the matter hit me hard. Nobility heirs focus only on fellow nobles, while the heirs of a lord’s family are crucial to their regional potentates.
After all, if the lord’s house gets severed with no heirs, other families will swoop in. Nobles would be all over a territory abandoned without a master. Then, their home could suddenly become a battlefield for those power-seeking nobility.
Thus, thinking of the peace in the Servette Duchy that Maria will inherit, it makes sense for them to reside there rather than at the palace.
‘Servette…’
With a heavy heart, I imagined the triplets living apart from me.
Triplets surrounded by vassals showering them with cuteness, embraced by the affection of the nobility, and under the blessings of the Dukes of Servette.
Triplets who grow to find me a stranger, bursting into tears when I visit, and awkwardly greeting me as they hide behind their retainers.
“Then if you want to take my daughters away, you’ll have to kill me first.”
“Y-yes?”
Count Sicilia was startled by my sudden outburst.
Still, my determination stands firm. I cannot accept becoming an estranged family. I can’t bear being a stranger to my kids, especially not to the little ones I prayed so desperately for. That is simply unacceptable.
“Fathers must protect their children! They’ll be with me until they enroll in the academy!”
With my desperate cry, Count Sicilia’s eyes trembled.
I can understand how he feels. Considering his allegiance, he’s in a tight spot: on one hand, he thinks the children should move to the Duchy, but on the other, he’s facing a emotionally volatile father.
But every warrior faces a battlefield at least once. For me, this moment is that battlefield.
“…Uh, Carl?”
Trixie, who had been silent, finally spoke.
“Actually, my mother also suggested raising the kids in the Elf Residential Area.”
“…”
Hearing that, my fiery passion fizzled out like an extinguished flame.
Facing my mother-in-law feels a bit overwhelming.
It wasn’t some ridiculous conclusion like, “Let’s have one in the palace, one in Servette, and one in the Elf Residential Area”—
Rather, someone wishing to avoid becoming estranged from their children agreed to Count Sicilia’s suggestion, while Count Sicilia conceded to my motherly wishes solely considering the nobility’s awareness of the children, leading us to a conclusion of “Let’s have them spend part of the year between Servette and the Elf Residential Area.”
Honestly, I didn’t want to concede any part of that timeline, but just like how I cherish my daughters, I believe the vassals and my mother-in-law have the same sentiment. It’s for our mutual benefit to give a little.
Well, that’s surely the case…
“Wait, we’re supposed to live apart?”
I cried inwardly. I was worried about waking the slumbering kids, who were curling their tiny hands, but my heart felt like it was being torn apart.
How can I separate from these kids? How crucial is a father’s presence in a child’s life as they should be growing up under a loving parent—
“It’s not like you’re sending them away right now; they’ll be five years old at the earliest. It’ll only be a month or so.”
Trixie’s words sealed my lips.
Unfortunately, I was the only one upset. If Trixie had backed me up, we could have pushed for ten years or a week instead of just a month.
“Carl, that’s a little pathetic.”
Yet, it was Mar’s soft remark that really struck me down.
If Mar thought I was being pathetic, just how much of a miserable creature was I, that made me afraid of looking in the mirror?
Damn it.
*
Amidst my depressing thoughts looking at Maria, Cecilia, and Catlea, a smile broke through.
They say fathers are weaker in front of daughters than sons, and looking at Carl, it’s certainly true.
‘They’ll be independent someday, too.’
Is that why I’m already worried? Servette isn’t too far from the palace since it borders Tailglehen County. Moreover, the Elf Residential Area in Chenness Duchy isn’t that far thanks to teleportation.
Yet Carl is this beside himself over the thought of being apart. One can only imagine how he’ll faint when they get married.
‘…Will they even enroll?’
He claims he’ll keep them near until they enroll in the academy, but by that time, will he be too busy holding on to them, saying he can teach them everything himself?
That would be a bit much. I can’t afford to call the future Dukes of Servette and their sisters preschoolers.
“Trixie.”
“Ah, yeah? What’s up?”
While I was deeply worried about the children’s future, I quickly turned at Carl’s voice.
“It seems like they don’t want to be apart from me, given how tightly they’re holding on.”
I glanced over at Carl and the kids. It was true; Cecilia was clinging onto Carl’s finger.
‘They’ll grab anything given to them.’
But kids will grab whatever comes their way, be it dad’s finger or a maid’s toy. Instead, only Carl’s pitiful side was highlighted.
It was sad yet amusing. At least it seems that Carl won’t skimp on giving love to our children.
Even if the kids might shudder from their father’s heavy love, I don’t think they will ever yearn for affection.
“Catlea’s holding on too…”
Murmuring in awe, I approached Carl and gently stroked Maria’s cheek.
Look at how as an elder sister, she’s also giving up her father’s finger for her little sisters. How commendable!
‘May they continue to grow like this.’
Surrounded by love, and while sleeping, holding each other’s hands, may they thrive as lovely sisters.
A darling child that their father, vassals, and great-grandmother each want to dote on and raise.
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