Chapter: 595
After a long time, I had a one-on-one with the Emperor, but he looked even more haggard than before.
However, I didn’t ask what was wrong. It’s not a臣’s duty to pry into the personal life of the Emperor—and especially the royal family.
“Don’t you have anything to say?”
“Nothing, Your Majesty.”
“Well, that’s good.”
To maintain his pride and privacy, the Emperor, and I—as a faithful臣—engaged in a conversation that only needed these three lines to be perfectly ideal.
“Soon, there will be joy in the royal family.”
“Didn’t you just say you have nothing to say?”
“As a noble of the Empire, how could I turn a blind eye to the great royal family’s celebrations?”
At my words, the Emperor clicked his tongue, leaning back in his chair as if collapsing into it.
Right, I’m not prying into his personal matters; I was just congratulating him in advance for the upcoming celebration in about ten months. If you don’t like it, then you should’ve become a father of multiple children like me sooner!
“I wonder how it would have been if I had walked the path of a warrior like the ministers.”
The Emperor, lost in thought and staring at the ceiling, murmured with a wistful tone.
“I suppose there wouldn’t have been much difference to what I am now.”
“Ah, so you mean no matter how hard you try, you’d end up in the same place?”
At that, I gently shook my head. Ainter had only recently begun serious sword training but had already shown significant achievements, and even the second prince, who was probably experiencing hellfire in the afterlife, could handle the sword quite well. Looking at those two, it’s likely the Emperor has talent in martial arts too.
Of course, Ainter and the second prince had the blood of Aeshilon flowing in them, but honestly, the royal blood is probably more potent than that of a mere noble family. Plus, isn’t it thanks to Levnoman’s lineage, known for its strong constitution, that the Emperor passed away from overwork?
Yet, the reason the Emperor couldn’t surpass the Empress is simple.
“The Empress is the daughter of the Nuren Duke, isn’t she?”
“That’s true.”
The Emperor was convinced by my flawlessly logical argument.
Indeed, it’s true that Levnoman is a strong and martial family. However, objectively speaking, the blood of Nuren, which shook the battlefield, is fiercer and stronger than that of Levnoman. Therefore, in a match between the Emperor and the Empress, the Emperor has no chance of winning.
…But thinking about that makes me look forward to the Crown Princess’s future. What kind of child will grow from the combination of Levnoman and Nuren?
“She’ll grow up healthier than her father.”
The Emperor seemed to have a similar thought as he chuckled softly and adjusted his posture.
“But being healthy and having cavities are two different issues; the minister should be careful.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
And with the subtle jab, I lowered my head slightly. The Emperor had certainly heard about my chocolate smuggling operation with the Crown Princess and the subsequent times I got caught trying to sneak in some more.
Of course, if the Emperor had his way, he would probably love to spoil the Crown Princess with chocolate. However, the upbringing is already under the Empress’s control. Hence, he is giving me a warning to restrain my exploits as a godfather.
‘What a petty fellow.’
I lowered my head, accepting my due punishment, but I also felt a bit annoyed.
While I could understand the Empress being concerned for the Crown Princess’s dental health, his concern was half jealousy over an indulgence he himself couldn’t have. It was by no means a pure-hearted warning.
But I didn’t express that annoyance. After all, I brought this upon myself.
“By the way, Minister.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“At the year-end service, you and I will be sitting in the front row.”
“…Excuse me?”
The year-end service, a significant event marking the end of the year, led by the next saint with the Emperor in attendance, and I was instructed to sit in the front row.
How could I possibly accept that? My forehead wrinkled in disbelief. Sitting there would obviously attract every pair of eyes in the place.
“Don’t frown. Were you going to let the next saint’s acquaintance and the Blessed sit at the back?”
With the Emperor’s brutal facts, I quickly forced a calm expression back on.
That’s correct. It’s a terrible thought to sit in the back with a title.
However, reason and emotion often move separately. I can understand it intellectually, yet my heart refuses to accept it.
‘I just want to live a life that isn’t well-known and spends money freely…’
Not a life where there’s no time to spend money because I’m so famous.
The year-end service was fast approaching.
– Long time no see, brother.
Suddenly, Tannian reached out to me.
“It’s been a while. How have you been?”
I flinched at the sight of Tannian’s face after three years at the Academy but quickly regained my composure since there was no longer any need to fear.
Plus, Tannian is a fantastic totem that blesses our children. I could gladly welcome a sudden call from him.
– Yeah, thanks to the various conveniences provided by the Empire, I’m able to pilgrimage the holy sites comfortably.
“Glad to hear that.”
– Recently, I also met your maternal uncle, the Wise Duke. He treated me lavishly as the friend of his niece.
“Oh, I see…”
I awkwardly smiled at the sudden mention of the Wise Duke.
Lavishly? Given Tannian’s personality, it’s likely he’s being modest, but thinking about the Wise Duke’s personality, there’s also a chance he overdid it.
– Not just the Wise Duke, but your husband and the Young Lord also welcomed me warmly. It was heartwarming to be treated like a friend by a priest I hadn’t seen in a while.
“The Young Lord will surely warmly greet you for the unforgettable memories you share.”
– Haha, just hearing that makes me happy.
I continued the conversation, chuckling lightly alongside Tannian.
He probably didn’t contact me just to chat about everyday life, but from the small talk, it seemed like a topic that wasn’t easy to bring up. So, it was wise to wait until Tannian was ready to speak.
– …Brother?
“Yes, go ahead.”
After exchanging a few more words, Tannian opened his mouth with an awkward expression.
– I heard that your family has had a double celebration since I left. Congratulations belatedly.
“Being blessed by you is a big part of it. It was thanks to the Lord’s grace that we could enjoy such joy.”
A faint smile passed across Tannian’s face at my words, despite the awkwardness.
– So, if it’s alright with you, I’d like you to join us during the year-end service, to celebrate your joy. I’ll grant my blessing once again.
“That’s an honor. Thank you once again.”
I accepted without hesitation since it was something I wanted to ask for anyway.
If it were a blessing for me, I would refuse. No matter how friendly he is, receiving too many extravagant gifts can turn into a debt.
However, if it’s a blessing for my adorable little sister and son, I can’t say no. If it’s a debt for my family, I’ll gladly repay it.
‘So that’s why he hesitated to ask.’
Now I understood why Tannian had danced around the topic, allowing a smirk to peek out on my face.
The child born after Tannian visited is Rizie’s son. For Tannian, who once had unrequited feelings for Rizie, it might have felt awkward to ask to meet him. Everyone knows including myself, and Rizie that Tannian moved on from those feelings and became a good friend. But asking to meet the child of his first love is a whole different ballgame.
‘He also just left when he came to the mansion last time.’
That too was probably Tannian’s consideration. He must’ve wanted to avoid making an expecting mother, sensitive to external and internal changes, feel uncomfortable.
“Your mother and Rizie will be happy too.”
At that, Tannian softly smiled.
He may lack common sense at times, but he’s definitely a good-natured guy. I hope he meets a good partner someday.
The news that the next saint would grant a blessing to Teresa made my mother beam brightly.
“Our little one. Thanks to your brother’s friend, she’ll grow up healthy.”
“Ah- Oww-”
I stroked Teresa’s cheeks as she lay in bed, and she babbled as if responding to me.
Seeing that made both my mother and I smile. There’s no better way to treat an ailment than to prevent it in the first place. While the Holy Magic isn’t a cure-all for diseases, with the next saint’s blessing, surely she wouldn’t catch any minor illnesses. I bet she won’t even sneeze after rolling around in the snow in the middle of winter!
“Still, if the next saint is blessing her, doesn’t that mean we ought to prepare some kind of reward? Given how close the service is, it feels like we should hurry to prepare something…”
“I’m already preparing it, so don’t worry. Isn’t that the patriarch’s role to handle?”
In truth, that was a lie. I hadn’t prepared anything yet, but I said it to avoid my mother’s fluster.
Moreover, Tannian didn’t expect a reward for the blessing. Had he been someone who sought a reward, when he blessed our children, he would have already returned with a handful of gifts.
“My body may be one, and I can’t bless everyone, but it’s a priest’s responsibility to spread the Lord’s grace. It’s only natural I perform my duty without expecting rewards.”
“Even duties come with rights–”
“Is there a right more certain than being the future saint?”
And with that, he even wielded logic that could potentially make one feel like a heretic, making it impossible to offer him a reward. No matter how much the Council may officially recognize heresies, one can’t just arbitrarily declare, “the saint and that material reward nonsense!”
“Ah! Oooh-”
I carefully lifted Teresa, who was blinking and reaching out to me.
Since I couldn’t offer a material reward, I decided to surround myself with this adorable little one and Friedrich. Some things that can’t be filled with material can be filled with spiritual happiness.
I generally don’t let my children get passed around, but I’m willing to make an exception for Tannian.
‘Anyone who would go on a pilgrimage to an orphanage probably doesn’t dislike kids.’
Besides, it’s rare to meet someone who enjoys children but has a bad mood.
Tannian seems quite soft-hearted too—aside from his atrocious social skills—so I can trust him with the kids.
Just for about a minute, though.
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