Chapter: 636
On the day I kindly taught the Crown Princess how to write the numbers from 1 to 200, a heartfelt thank you from the Emperor came flying my way. Seriously, he was so enthusiastic with his gratitude that I could feel his sincerity all the way through the communication device!
Thinking back on that moment still makes me smile. Giving the Crown Princess hope that she’d soon have a little sibling, and teaching her about the monumental number of 200, was truly the best choice I could make as her guardian. The Emperor must have realized that too, which is why he praised me so highly.
‘Let him sweat a bit.’
I couldn’t help but cover my mouth slightly, grinning like the ultimate schemer. There’s no one nearby, but my reflection in the window looked suspiciously villainous.
But how could I hold back? Thanks to my little nudge, the Emperor’s load was about to get a whole lot heavier.
‘He’s going to be tormented every day until the second child is born.’
From now on, the Crown Princess would be pestering the Emperor day in and day out, and even when the second one arrives, she would be wishing for a third or fourth. The burden of those desires will solely rest on the Emperor’s shoulders.
For him, it’ll be a real tear-jerking situation, but there’s no alternative. Honestly, I spend way more time playing with the Princess than the Emperor does. Even if I sneak in a comment like, “If you plead with the Emperor, lots of siblings will come,” the Emperor won’t have a way to stop it.
If he’s feeling particularly annoyed, he can just lament about his fate. If only he could be a dad like me, having fun with kids wherever and whenever!
‘In the family, I’m the boss.’
Eventually, the laughter I had been holding in burst forth. Within the Empire’s bureaucratic hierarchy, I can’t deny that I’m below the Emperor. That fact is as clear as day.
However, considering family dynamics, I’m the undisputed champ. I can take control of my kids, including the Crown Princess. Compared to the Emperor, who’s buried in work, I’m just a dad enjoying every single moment.
‘Here they come.’
As I laughed to myself, I spotted the Crown Princess and her head maid through the window.
Time to play with them again today!
*
But then, a strange turn of events occurred.
The Crown Princess, covered in rice cake dust, scampered down the hallway. She giggled while squishing pastries and shared chocolate with Pedi, guiding the triplets in a merry roundabout.
Everything appeared just as normal until one simple phrase changed the atmosphere in our peaceful mansion.
“Can’t we put Pedi and Alina in the same place?”
The Crown Princess didn’t just enjoy running through corridors or gardens; she loved peeking into Friedrich’s room or Alina’s. And now, she suggested that they should all be together!
“Same place?”
“Yep! They’re siblings!”
Seeing the Crown Princess nod vigorously made me stroke my chin thoughtfully.
Truth be told, there’s no reason we can’t do that. Both are little ones who can’t walk, let alone crawl. So, storing them in the same room, same bed, shouldn’t be a problem at all. In fact, having them in one place might be more efficient than having them separated across two rooms.
But the reason we keep them apart is simple. Kids are unpredictable no matter how much adults supervise. One could erupt into tears at any moment, and if one starts crying, there’s a good chance the other will join in.
That would be quite a hassle. Trying to soothe two crying babies at the same time is no small task.
“I want to see them together! They’re both so tiny and adorable!”
However, saying a firm “no” to the starry-eyed Crown Princess was a different kind of challenge altogether.
Is it really right to disappoint a child full of hope? Would having Friedrich and Alina in the same place help their emotional development? It’s definitely a plus for siblings to grow up together, right?
‘Besides, calming down crying kids is just parenting 101.’
When you think about it, kids cry at three, at five… They even cry when they’re around dozens of other kids at daycare or preschool.
So, saying that they’ll both cry if they’re together seems like a weak excuse. It’s just that we’ve gotten so accustomed to putting kids in separate rooms that considering a shared space never crossed our minds—thinking that way makes things easier.
“Is it not allowed…?”
Seeing me momentarily silent made the Crown Princess droop her shoulders with a pout.
“Dad! I want to see them together too!”
Pedi, beside the Crown Princess, earnestly made his case to me.
“Me too! Me too!”
“Let’s see! Let’s see!”
Even Maria and Cecilia, who had been sitting on the floor chatting, jumped in to support the Crown Princess.
They might not even know what it meant, but they were following the Crown Princess and Pedi.
‘Looks like some of them have already fallen asleep.’
Meanwhile, Catrina was peacefully snoozing in Titi’s arms. She looked so relaxed that I wondered if she was awake at all.
“Fine. Friedrich and Alina probably prefer being together too.”
“Really!?”
At my words, the Crown Princess’s previously gloomy face brightened instantly.
‘Is it really that big of a deal?’
Just lying the kids down together, and the joy it brings them seems slightly amazing and adorable.
“I want to see them together! They’re both so tiny and cute!”
And then I remembered the Crown Princess’s earlier words and couldn’t help but chuckle.
She’s saying that despite being a little one herself, both Friedrich and Alina are cute because they’re smaller. It’s a heartwarming sight when a small child admires even smaller ones.
“Are you serious?”
Maybe that’s why I unconsciously reached out to pat the Crown Princess’s head.
“Your Highness.”
“Yes!”
“I’m glad that you’re the sister of my kids.”
Upon hearing that, her eyes grew wide, and she flapped her arms in delight.
“I’m so happy I have lots of little siblings!”
What an absolutely perfect response—I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.
*
I moved Friedrich, who was lying in bed watching the mobile, closer to Alina.
“Oops?”
Suddenly shifted, Friedrich blinked in surprise, turning his head this way and that until his gaze landed on Alina.
Then he looked at me, looked back at Alina, then back at me, and then back again, exclaiming, “Wooah!”
He stretched out his tiny hand and poked Alina’s cheek.
“Ugh…”
Naturally, the poor Alina, woken from her sleep by the poke, scrunched up her face. No matter how tiny his hands are, they still have some strength!
“Owie?”
All the while, seeing Alina squirm made Friedrich quickly withdraw his hand and focus his gaze completely on her.
I can only assume he’s fascinated that Alina isn’t reacting like everyone else he bumps into. So far, whenever he touched someone else, they would respond with radiant smiles and playfulness. Even his older siblings usually reacted to his pokes, so it must be quite a first for him to encounter someone who remains utterly unfazed.
I’m relieved that this seems to spark Friedrich’s curiosity about Alina. I was worried he’d start crying just because he was put in a different bed than usual.
“Aw-oo-ow.”
“Friedrich. You mustn’t disturb your sleeping sister.”
Yet, it seemed his curiosity had gotten the better of him, as he attempted to poke Alina repeatedly.
‘And she’s not waking up at all.’
Alina, undisturbed by the incessant poking, merely frowned a little but remained steadfast in her sleep.
Our Alina. It seems you’re tougher than I thought. This dad is genuinely thrilled to see our daughter growing up to be so strong.
“Friedrich, since you’re the big brother, you have to take good care of her.”
“Uuh?”
Looking at peaceful Alina made me let out a sigh of relief, and I gently reminded Friedrich.
I wonder if he can understand my words, even though he can’t crawl yet. But every time he pokes his sleeping sister, I still hope my words may sink in. After all, repetition is key to learning.
“That’s right! You’re the big brother! You’ve got to take good care of her!”
“Uuh?”
The Crown Princess nodded eagerly at my words.
Friedrich may be tilting his head in confusion, but that’s perfectly fine. I didn’t expect him to understand everything I said.
‘This is nice.’
Meanwhile, the Crown Princess, who had attached herself to Friedrich and was chattering away, Pedi, who was inching closer to Alina in admiration of her repeatedly poked cheek, and Maria and Cecilia, who lounged on Titi’s belly enjoying their nap. Finally, there’s Friedrich and Alina lying in the bed together.
I stepped back a little to take it all in. I wanted to capture this moment of all seven kids gathered together.
‘Cherry blossoms and the sea.’
I suddenly realized that the names I had chosen for the two lying next to each other were surprisingly well-matched.
The big brother with pink hair is like cherry blossoms, while the little one with blue eyes represents the sea. What a beautiful thing.
‘And here’s our little miracle.’
Seeing Pedi expertly poke Alina’s cheek made me smile again.
Once Maple is born, our mansion will become a place where all four seasons exist.
*
Today was a great day filled with fun at our place!
“Charlotte, did you have fun today?”
“Yes!”
“I had so much fun! I want my dad and mom to come along with me too!”
“Of course! You had fun, right?”
“Yep! Yep!”
“It was super adorable! It was fun with Pedi, Maria, and Cecilia, but I liked that Pedi and Alina are little, making them even cuter!”
“After 200 nights, will I get a little sibling too?”
“Definitely! You’ll have your own adorable little sibling, dear.”
“How many!?”
“Pedi will have a bunch!”
I also wish I could have lots!
“Hmm, I think you should have at least three siblings.”
“Three! Sounds good!”
“How about four?”
“Even better!”
Mom rocks!
“Charlotte, make sure you tell Dad you want four siblings.”
“Got it! Four!”
“Five works too.”
“Woooah!”
Mom is just awesome!
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.