Chapter 582
The birth of my younger sister, who is about 20 years younger than my husband.
This amazing and sudden event had everyone, from the ladies of the mansion to the prospective ladies who had been sifting through the Inspection Department, rush to the Tailglehen County.
“Everyone, come quickly! I know you’re busy, but thanks for making the time.”
As we arrived at the castle, we were greeted by our mother, sitting calmly on the bed with a serene expression, holding the baby presumed to be my younger sister.
I couldn’t even open my mouth in shock. My past experiences with childbirth were close to a battlefield: a wife screaming her head off; the husband anxiously waiting outside; hours of labor before the baby was finally born; and then a worn-out mother.
But mother? She had only taken two hours from labor to delivery! And here she was, already taking care of the newborn as if it were just another day at the market!
“Um, are you alright?”
After a while of gaping, I finally managed to speak.
I had planned to express my disappointment for not being called, or to lament that a son couldn’t be present for his sibling’s birth. But her calm demeanor held me back from saying anything.
Was childbirth really just another meal for her? Maybe it wasn’t such a big deal after all, hence why she hadn’t bothered to call us but just wanted to show us the results.
“See? I’m perfectly fine. Our little one was just too eager to meet her big brothers and rushed out.”
With a smile, mother looked down at the little sister with eyes full of love.
Strange, seeing how a newborn could be so quiet after just entering the world. What kind of speedy arrival was this?
“When I gave birth to you, it wasn’t particularly difficult, but this one was exceptionally quick.”
Glancing over at Dad, I noticed he wore a dazed expression and shook his head.
So it wasn’t about mother being special; it was my sister who was one-of-a-kind.
‘Good things are good things.’
Either way, it was a relief to hear both mother and the baby were doing fine. Honestly, I was a bit concerned given that mother was over forty now and there were worries about complications, yet here she was, breezing through childbirth like it was a walk in the park! If that’s not divine blessing, then what is?
“Can I hold the little one too?”
“Of course. Come closer.”
With my worries eased, I approached to take a look at my little sister.
She looked just like any other newborn, scrunched up and reddish. Maybe akin to a shriveled sweet potato.
But that didn’t matter. What mattered was that she was healthy—her appearance would change over time anyway.
‘My little sister.’
Seeing her peacefully sleep made me smile uncontrollably.
Babies are irresistibly cute, and being family only makes it cuter.
“…What’s her gender?”
“She’s a lovely little sister.”
My smile grew even wider. Even if my little brother had come along, he would have received all my love, but three boys in a row? Nah, having one girl among them helps keep the balance.
‘Impressive.’
I gently stroked my sister’s cheek with my finger.
She didn’t cause mother any trouble, was born healthy, and happened to be a girl. She’s already managed to be thoughtful three times right out of the gate.
“By the way, her name is Teresa. Teresa Krasius.”
“Teresa Krasius.”
As if she recognized her name, little Teresa wrinkled her nose, causing both mother and me to chuckle softly.
With Carl and Erich, there are now three siblings: Carl, Erich, and Teresa. The age gap with the boys is significant, and there’s also a niece one year older, but that doesn’t matter. She’ll grow up loved and happy, unlike me and Erich, who are stuck rolling with the fate of the Krasius family… but this little girl? She’s destined to become the dream of a wealthy slacker.
“May we hold the little lady too?”
“A sister… a little sister who resembles Carl…”
As the ladies approached cautiously, mother’s smile deepened.
“Don’t overthink it. She’s not some lady; just consider her as your daughter or niece.”
Despite mother’s heavenly words, the ladies hesitated, unable to respond.
I understood. They were nobles who valued blood ties above all. When age and lineage clashed, of course, lineage would come out on top.
So for them, Teresa was both an adorable baby and a precious lady they had to pamper. They were probably feeling a conflict in their long-held beliefs.
“When this little one starts attending the academy, I’ll be approaching 60, and who knows what might go wrong then. So, you should treat her—”
“Of course! We’ll absolutely treat her like a daughter!”
“We’ll cherish her like our own! Please don’t say such things, Mother!”
But how could they defy mother’s grave words, even when logic was hanging by a thread?
Honestly, if managed well, someone could be healthy at 60, but who could just casually brush off statements like, “60 is still the prime of life”? The only thing to do was to panic and bow.
Just at that moment, right after Teresa was crowned as the ‘daughter-like lady’…
“Mother! Little sister!”
Erich, who should have been rolling around in the Imperial Council, burst in rather noisily.
“Waaaah!”
Too loudly indeed.
“Hey! You’re waking the little sister!”
“I didn’t expect her to be sleeping… uh-oh!”
As I instinctively choked Erich by the neck, he offered a pitiful excuse.
Yeah, that wasn’t a valid excuse! No matter how unaware he was, he had no right to wake up our precious Teresa in her first sleep! What an inconsiderate and shameless brat…
“Our Teresa was just so happy to see her second brother! Now, shh and go back to sleep.”
“Waaaah…”
Luckily, under mother’s careful soothing, Teresa slowly calmed down from her earlier cries.
Their first meeting was somewhat chaotic but heartfelt.
Since Teresa’s birth, I’ve been going to the castle every day.
Even though she was born safely, she hadn’t even opened her eyes yet. If one didn’t worry, they might as well be heartless! I needed to show up every day until Teresa opened her eyes and babbled.
“It must be hard to come every day during your busy time.”
“Pfft, I’m on leave. I can’t afford to skip this time.”
Though mother asked with concern, her face was beaming with an unwavering smile.
A newly married son visiting daily to see his little sister? A proud parent can’t help but bask in that joy.
“Oh, by the way, Erich will be a little late. He says he can’t find the time since he’s busy with the little one.”
“I know the council is busy, but he doesn’t have to push himself to come.”
“Well, I don’t know. I think he’s itching to slip away from work.”
“Yeah, that makes sense.”
Mother chuckled at that remark.
“Billy, when you first became a councilman, you insisted on coming back here for lunch, right?”
Then she mentioned a quite surprising slice of history.
I could hardly believe it. Dad seemed like he was stern and serious all along, but even he must have started out as a rookie in over his head, crushed by work and old-timers.
‘See? Being a councilman is not for humans.’
Choosing the executive branch over the imperial council confirmed I made the right decision. Or perhaps it was the executive branch that chose me, but whatever, I was right!
Had I chosen the imperial council, I could see myself serving close to thirty-year-olds while being burdened with all sorts of tasks. Just thinking of it made my head spin.
‘…Hmm, I should give that position to Pedi someday.’
Just the thought of it brought tears to my eyes. While Erich grappling with the Krasius family fate was just par for the course, visualizing my precious son rolling around in the council filled me with bitterness.
Damn it! Should I just pass the imperial count title to Erich or a future niece? But unless Erich was insane, he wouldn’t accept it!
“Hey, I’m here!”
Just as I was fretting over Pedi’s future, Erich clumsily waddled in.
“Yo.”
“Yeah?”
“Are you thinking of becoming the Imperial Count?”
I knew it was a pointless question, but I still asked.
“Are you nuts?!”
Of course, the answer was prompt and resolute.
Yeah, sorry. I should’ve known better than to ask.
“Speaking of which, bro. Didn’t you send something weird to the council a few days ago?”
“Weird thing?”
Surprised by the abrupt query, my head tilted.
What weird thing? I’m not the type to randomly send strange stuff to my sibling’s workplace!
“This thing! What’s this seal doing here?”
As I reacted, Erich pulled out a seal from his pocket and fumed.
“Oh, that.”
Despite feeling annoyed at his contempt, I nodded since it was indeed something I sent.
It was one of the things I’d obtained when sent to the Leon Kingdom. There had been a few hiccups at first, but after months of tweaking, it was finally in order.
“It’s a marquis seal. Now that the territory is normalized, it’ll bring in revenue even without making a fuss.”
“Why pay attention to what it is, I want to know why you gave it to me! You’re the Imperial Count, and I’m the marquis! Doesn’t that sound absurd?!”
“A kingdom marquis is on the same level as an imperial count, so what’s the big deal?”
If it were a ducal seal in Erich’s hands, that might be a bit tricky, but a marquis seal is okay. It’s customary to view the difference between imperial and kingdom titles as roughly a tier apart.
However, instead of feeling grateful, Erich was trembling in indignation, about to raise his voice again.
“Waaaaah…”
But before he could get out another word, Teresa, who had been sleeping, burst into tears.
As if she had recognized the culprit who disrupted her first slumber.
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