Imperial Calendar Year 795.
The current imperial family’s rule has reached its 10th anniversary. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the society, which had settled into a new discipline, had reached a point where everything was stable.
This abundance was all thanks to the hard work of the two rulers responsible for the empire’s domestic demand and heralding its prosperity.
In this way, the empire welcomed peace.
Sometime in May.
The Empress was reviewing documents in her office.
The imperial budget for the year had been completed, but there was no end to the issues she had to review.
As she looked down at the documents and engrossed herself in them, a knock came. A small knock was heard one after another.
The Empress’s lips, which had been furrowing her brows and scanning the imperial language, slowly relaxed.
“Come in.”
There was a smile in the voice that pretended not to know. The Empress did not ask who was on the other side of the door.
She already knew who was speaking that voice.
“Mother!”
The door opened wide, and a small child in a blue dress rushed into the office.
The child with black hair that reached just below her shoulders and blue eyes called out to Sepia in a cheerful voice.
Erhi Drodian.
The only Princess of the Beastkin royal family and Sepia’s precious love.
Erhi, who had been maturely singing to Sepia, diligently moved her pink-shoe-clad feet and fell onto the carpet.
“Ugh!”
“Erhi!”
Startled, Sepia got up from her seat and approached the child.
Fortunately, the child didn’t seem to be hurt anywhere from falling on the soft carpet.
“Easy, it’s okay.”
Sepia helped the child up.
Tears welled up in Sepia’s blue eyes, as if she were even more saddened by the support.
“Huh, Mom!”
The little body dug into Sepia’s arms, where she had been called “mother” earlier.
Sepia had to pat Erhi’s back and secretly suppress her laughter.
“Are you okay now?”
“Ugh, yes.”
Sniff. In the meantime, the reddened tip of her nose and her furrowed brows slowly relaxed.
Sepia kissed the child’s bulging forehead and sat her down on the sofa.
While the child was rolling her feet on the sofa where her feet couldn’t reach, the Empress ordered her maid to warm up some milk.
“Ah, drink.”
When she handed Erhi some milk mixed with sweet honey, Erhi drank it without even realizing that she had cried.
She was six years old this year. Sepia patted the head of her daughter, who she could have put in her eyes, and asked,
“Is it delicious?”
“Yes! Yes! It’s delicious. Mommy, try some too.”
Erhi smiled brightly and held out a glass of milk.
Sepia wiped her daughter’s mouth and took a sip. The rich and sweet milk had a similar scent to her daughter.
“It’s really delicious.”
“Isn’t it?”
Hehe. Her flushed cheeks looked so chubby that she couldn’t stand it.
Sepia hugged the child tightly and rubbed her soft cheek against her own.
“It tickles!”
The current imperial family’s rule has reached its 10th anniversary. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the society, which had settled into a new discipline, had reached a point where everything was stable.
This abundance was all thanks to the hard work of the two rulers responsible for the empire’s domestic demand and heralding its prosperity.
In this way, the empire welcomed peace.
Sometime in May.
The Empress was reviewing documents in her office.
The imperial budget for the year had been completed, but there was no end to the issues she had to review.
As she looked down at the documents and engrossed herself in them, a knock came. A small knock was heard one after another.
The Empress’s lips, which had been furrowing her brows and scanning the imperial language, slowly relaxed.
“Come in.”
There was a smile in the voice that pretended not to know. The Empress did not ask who was on the other side of the door.
She already knew who was speaking that voice.
“Mother!”
The door opened wide, and a small child in a blue dress rushed into the office.
The child with black hair that reached just below her shoulders and blue eyes called out to Sepia in a cheerful voice.
Erhi Drodian.
The only Princess of the Beastkin royal family and Sepia’s precious love.
Erhi, who had been maturely singing to Sepia, diligently moved her pink-shoe-clad feet and fell onto the carpet.
“Ugh!”
“Erhi!”
Startled, Sepia got up from her seat and approached the child.
Fortunately, the child didn’t seem to be hurt anywhere from falling on the soft carpet.
“Easy, it’s okay.”
Sepia helped the child up.
Tears welled up in Sepia’s blue eyes, as if she were even more saddened by the support.
“Huh, Mom!”
The little body dug into Sepia’s arms, where she had been called “mother” earlier.
Sepia had to pat Erhi’s back and secretly suppress her laughter.
“Are you okay now?”
“Ugh, yes.”
Sniff. In the meantime, the reddened tip of her nose and her furrowed brows slowly relaxed.
Sepia kissed the child’s bulging forehead and sat her down on the sofa.
While the child was rolling her feet on the sofa where her feet couldn’t reach, the Empress ordered her maid to warm up some milk.
“Ah, drink.”
When she handed Erhi some milk mixed with sweet honey, Erhi drank it without even realizing that she had cried.
She was six years old this year. Sepia patted the head of her daughter, who she could have put in her eyes, and asked,
“Is it delicious?”
“Yes! Yes! It’s delicious. Mommy, try some too.”
Erhi smiled brightly and held out a glass of milk.
Sepia wiped her daughter’s mouth and took a sip. The rich and sweet milk had a similar scent to her daughter.
“It’s really delicious.”
“Isn’t it?”
Hehe. Her flushed cheeks looked so chubby that she couldn’t stand it.
Sepia hugged the child tightly and rubbed her soft cheek against her own.
“It tickles!”
Her clear voice seemed to push away the air that had been stagnant in the office.
Sepia, who had been tickling the child for a while, sat down next to him. Her delicate hands braided Erhi’s hair. The child kept chattering to the Empress, feeling so good about those hands.
“Mom, by the way, I saw a pink bird on my way to the office. The bird said hello to me.”
“Really? The bird must have liked Erhi, too.”
As they talked back and forth, pretty pigtails were soon braided.
Sepia took her hand off, finishing the decorations with a red ribbon. She didn’t forget to hold out a mirror for the child to see.
“Wow, it’s pretty!”
Sepia opened her mouth as she looked at Erhi, who kept shaking his head and laughing.
“By the way, Erhi. Isn’t it class time right now?”
The small mouth that had been chattering away with a smile closed tightly.
Soon, Sepia, who almost laughed when only her eyes blinked wide as if asking how she knew, barely managed to control her expression.
“The ancient language class time has changed, starting today, right?”
Erhi, who had been watching closely, smiled slyly and playfully.
“How did you know?”
The royal family was required to take essential liberal arts and classes starting at the age of five.
There were social etiquette, basic academics, and horseback riding, but Erhi did not like any other classes besides active horseback riding.
The scholar who taught Erhi ancient languages was a professor at the academy and had recently seen her first grandchild.
It was impossible for Sepia to not know that the professor had changed the class time to the morning so that he could leave work early.
“There’s nothing that Mom doesn’t know about Erhi. You’ve neglected the nanny again? Madame Remody is having a hard time.”
Remody, who was the Empress’s maid, was transferred to the position of the children’s nanny when the twins were born.
Erhi, who had shown her unique playfulness since she started rolling over, had a knack for making Remody nervous by causing all sorts of troubles as soon as she started walking.
It seemed certain that Madame Remody would come to the office, out of breath, to find Erhi soon.
The Princess of the beastkin Empire was a mischievous child.
Erhi nodded to the Empress’s calm tone, but stuck out her small mouth.
“But ancient languages aren’t very interesting.”
As Erhi had said, it wasn’t an interesting class for a six-year-old.
The Empress knew this well and reduced the three-time class per week to two, but the cheerful Princess seemed dissatisfied.
“But I have to keep the class time, right? The scholar will be upset.”
“...Yes.”
Erhi, who didn’t feel sorry for the scholar who was teaching him, looked down at the floor sullenly, even though the class wasn’t fun.
The ancient language scholar loved the little Princess very much.
Every class, he would bring Erhi’s favorite sweet desserts and other things that would win her favor.
It wasn’t just the scholar.
Anyone who met Erhi even once fell for the bright and lovely Princess.
Sepia looked down at her sullen daughter and smiled faintly.
Although she was playful, she was a good-natured child who knew how to take care of others and quickly admitted her mistakes.
“Mom will tell the scholar, so let’s go to the next class. Yes?”
“...Yes! I’ll definitely work hard next week!”
Erhi quickly regained his energy at the Empress’s generous voice.
Erhi’s face brightened even more after she linked her little fingers.
She was very happy that she could spend the morning with Sepia instead of attending ancient language classes today.
However, the little Princess’s happiness did not last long.
“Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has come to see you.”
Erhi covered her mouth with both hands at the maid’s voice coming from beyond the door.
Then, she looked up at Sepia and shook her head.
“Please tell him I’m not here.”
The child’s eyes were speaking to her.
She felt sorry for her rather desperate reaction, but this time, she could not grant Erhi’s request.
“Please come in.”
The door opened at the same time as her daughter’s tearful complaint.
A boy with soft-looking blond hair and golden eyes that resembled the Emperor’s entered the office.
His expressionless face relaxed a little when he saw Sepia.
“Mother.”
“Come on, Drohan.”
Sepia got up from her seat and hugged Drohan.
The children, who were born as twins but had different surnames, were born with different personalities from head to toe.
If Erhi was mischievous, Drohan was calm and thoughtful.
If Erhi liked horseback riding, Drohan was absorbed in learning from the moment he started writing.
Since the two had different interests and hobbies, they were like enemies when they argued.
The Crown Prince, who was in the Empress’s arms and whose lips were parted, turned his gaze to his sister.
Soon, he let out a long sigh that was unusual for a six-year-old.
“Sister, Scholar Rubinson grabbed me and made me cry. The nanny did the same.”
It seemed that the ancient language scholar had poured out his sorrow to the Crown Prince.
For Drohan, who had just finished another class, the sighs of the scholar and the nanny were a bolt from the blue.
He went to find his sister himself.
Erhi made an excuse, perhaps feeling stung by her brother’s sigh.
“That... It’s not that the class isn’t fun, it’s that the ancient languages aren’t fun!”
“That’s it. Since he's still waiting, go listen right now.”
At his brother’s words, Erhi shrugged his shoulders like a cat facing a dog.
“I don’t have to listen today!”
Perhaps because Sepia had agreed. Despite her rather confident answer, Drohan didn’t back down.
“Even though I said I’d wait until you got here?”
“...Did you really?”
The hand that was tightly holding onto the hem of Sepia’s dress visibly flinched.
It seemed that her already sorry feelings were getting worse.
The Empress patted Erhi’s shoulder, who was watching the situation without knowing what to do.
“Then there’s nothing we can do. Go.”
“...Yes.”
Even her small, drooping shoulders were cute.
Drohan took a step back, perhaps because of the sad-looking corners of her eyes.
“I’ll go with you.”
“Really?”
Erhi’s eyes suddenly sparkled.
Erhi’s steps became lighter as she held Drohan’s hand tightly.
“I’ll go!”
“I’ll go.”
Sepia smiled at their different greetings and saw the twins off.
“Yes. Let’s have lunch together.”
Sepia’s gaze turned back to the documents, thinking that she should instruct the cook to make something the children would like.
Her bright expression darkened as she looked at the lovely children.
The documents she was looking at were about friendships between countries.
It will be summer soon. The Beastkin Empire was planning to hold an exchange meeting with the Huron Empire, the Empress’s home country.
Sepia, who had been tickling the child for a while, sat down next to him. Her delicate hands braided Erhi’s hair. The child kept chattering to the Empress, feeling so good about those hands.
“Mom, by the way, I saw a pink bird on my way to the office. The bird said hello to me.”
“Really? The bird must have liked Erhi, too.”
As they talked back and forth, pretty pigtails were soon braided.
Sepia took her hand off, finishing the decorations with a red ribbon. She didn’t forget to hold out a mirror for the child to see.
“Wow, it’s pretty!”
Sepia opened her mouth as she looked at Erhi, who kept shaking his head and laughing.
“By the way, Erhi. Isn’t it class time right now?”
The small mouth that had been chattering away with a smile closed tightly.
Soon, Sepia, who almost laughed when only her eyes blinked wide as if asking how she knew, barely managed to control her expression.
“The ancient language class time has changed, starting today, right?”
Erhi, who had been watching closely, smiled slyly and playfully.
“How did you know?”
The royal family was required to take essential liberal arts and classes starting at the age of five.
There were social etiquette, basic academics, and horseback riding, but Erhi did not like any other classes besides active horseback riding.
The scholar who taught Erhi ancient languages was a professor at the academy and had recently seen her first grandchild.
It was impossible for Sepia to not know that the professor had changed the class time to the morning so that he could leave work early.
“There’s nothing that Mom doesn’t know about Erhi. You’ve neglected the nanny again? Madame Remody is having a hard time.”
Remody, who was the Empress’s maid, was transferred to the position of the children’s nanny when the twins were born.
Erhi, who had shown her unique playfulness since she started rolling over, had a knack for making Remody nervous by causing all sorts of troubles as soon as she started walking.
It seemed certain that Madame Remody would come to the office, out of breath, to find Erhi soon.
The Princess of the beastkin Empire was a mischievous child.
Erhi nodded to the Empress’s calm tone, but stuck out her small mouth.
“But ancient languages aren’t very interesting.”
As Erhi had said, it wasn’t an interesting class for a six-year-old.
The Empress knew this well and reduced the three-time class per week to two, but the cheerful Princess seemed dissatisfied.
“But I have to keep the class time, right? The scholar will be upset.”
“...Yes.”
Erhi, who didn’t feel sorry for the scholar who was teaching him, looked down at the floor sullenly, even though the class wasn’t fun.
The ancient language scholar loved the little Princess very much.
Every class, he would bring Erhi’s favorite sweet desserts and other things that would win her favor.
It wasn’t just the scholar.
Anyone who met Erhi even once fell for the bright and lovely Princess.
Sepia looked down at her sullen daughter and smiled faintly.
Although she was playful, she was a good-natured child who knew how to take care of others and quickly admitted her mistakes.
“Mom will tell the scholar, so let’s go to the next class. Yes?”
“...Yes! I’ll definitely work hard next week!”
Erhi quickly regained his energy at the Empress’s generous voice.
Erhi’s face brightened even more after she linked her little fingers.
She was very happy that she could spend the morning with Sepia instead of attending ancient language classes today.
However, the little Princess’s happiness did not last long.
“Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has come to see you.”
Erhi covered her mouth with both hands at the maid’s voice coming from beyond the door.
Then, she looked up at Sepia and shook her head.
“Please tell him I’m not here.”
The child’s eyes were speaking to her.
She felt sorry for her rather desperate reaction, but this time, she could not grant Erhi’s request.
“Please come in.”
The door opened at the same time as her daughter’s tearful complaint.
A boy with soft-looking blond hair and golden eyes that resembled the Emperor’s entered the office.
His expressionless face relaxed a little when he saw Sepia.
“Mother.”
“Come on, Drohan.”
Sepia got up from her seat and hugged Drohan.
The children, who were born as twins but had different surnames, were born with different personalities from head to toe.
If Erhi was mischievous, Drohan was calm and thoughtful.
If Erhi liked horseback riding, Drohan was absorbed in learning from the moment he started writing.
Since the two had different interests and hobbies, they were like enemies when they argued.
The Crown Prince, who was in the Empress’s arms and whose lips were parted, turned his gaze to his sister.
Soon, he let out a long sigh that was unusual for a six-year-old.
“Sister, Scholar Rubinson grabbed me and made me cry. The nanny did the same.”
It seemed that the ancient language scholar had poured out his sorrow to the Crown Prince.
For Drohan, who had just finished another class, the sighs of the scholar and the nanny were a bolt from the blue.
He went to find his sister himself.
Erhi made an excuse, perhaps feeling stung by her brother’s sigh.
“That... It’s not that the class isn’t fun, it’s that the ancient languages aren’t fun!”
“That’s it. Since he's still waiting, go listen right now.”
At his brother’s words, Erhi shrugged his shoulders like a cat facing a dog.
“I don’t have to listen today!”
Perhaps because Sepia had agreed. Despite her rather confident answer, Drohan didn’t back down.
“Even though I said I’d wait until you got here?”
“...Did you really?”
The hand that was tightly holding onto the hem of Sepia’s dress visibly flinched.
It seemed that her already sorry feelings were getting worse.
The Empress patted Erhi’s shoulder, who was watching the situation without knowing what to do.
“Then there’s nothing we can do. Go.”
“...Yes.”
Even her small, drooping shoulders were cute.
Drohan took a step back, perhaps because of the sad-looking corners of her eyes.
“I’ll go with you.”
“Really?”
Erhi’s eyes suddenly sparkled.
Erhi’s steps became lighter as she held Drohan’s hand tightly.
“I’ll go!”
“I’ll go.”
Sepia smiled at their different greetings and saw the twins off.
“Yes. Let’s have lunch together.”
Sepia’s gaze turned back to the documents, thinking that she should instruct the cook to make something the children would like.
Her bright expression darkened as she looked at the lovely children.
The documents she was looking at were about friendships between countries.
It will be summer soon. The Beastkin Empire was planning to hold an exchange meeting with the Huron Empire, the Empress’s home country.
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