“At the party yesterday, Melody would run to King Martins whenever there was delicious food and personally put it in his mouth. But how can you, who can’t even eat dirt, give it to your father...”
Linel lamented, looking at Lily’s small fist leaking dirt.
“Don’t compare me to my father. And I didn’t put dirt in my mouth, did I?”
“Are you calling that an excuse?”
“Father, you usually eat a lot of delicious food. Why are you jealous of that?”
“Are you calling that comforting?”
“I was just telling you the truth...”
Lily’s voice trailed off, perhaps feeling a little guilty.
“Why do you keep bringing dirt?”
I asked Lily, walking to the bedroom door, opening it, and calling Sharon in.
Sharon, who had been waiting outside, entered the bedroom and was startled to see Lily.
“Oh, Princess. When did you get home?”
Sharon bowed her head, saying that this had happened while she was away briefly to use the bathroom.
Lily had been keeping watch near the bedroom and had entered during the gap.
“Why can’t I use that patience and meticulousness when I’m studying?”
“Mother, please refrain from personal attacks.”
Lily had picked it up somewhere, but she’d always said it whenever she found herself in a disadvantageous situation.
“I was just telling the truth, just like you.”
When I repeated Lily’s words, she was speechless, her nostrils flaring.
“Sharon, take the Princess out. We’ll have to beef up security in front of the bedroom.”
Linel said, pointing at Lily.
Linel lamented, looking at Lily’s small fist leaking dirt.
“Don’t compare me to my father. And I didn’t put dirt in my mouth, did I?”
“Are you calling that an excuse?”
“Father, you usually eat a lot of delicious food. Why are you jealous of that?”
“Are you calling that comforting?”
“I was just telling you the truth...”
Lily’s voice trailed off, perhaps feeling a little guilty.
“Why do you keep bringing dirt?”
I asked Lily, walking to the bedroom door, opening it, and calling Sharon in.
Sharon, who had been waiting outside, entered the bedroom and was startled to see Lily.
“Oh, Princess. When did you get home?”
Sharon bowed her head, saying that this had happened while she was away briefly to use the bathroom.
Lily had been keeping watch near the bedroom and had entered during the gap.
“Why can’t I use that patience and meticulousness when I’m studying?”
“Mother, please refrain from personal attacks.”
Lily had picked it up somewhere, but she’d always said it whenever she found herself in a disadvantageous situation.
“I was just telling the truth, just like you.”
When I repeated Lily’s words, she was speechless, her nostrils flaring.
“Sharon, take the Princess out. We’ll have to beef up security in front of the bedroom.”
Linel said, pointing at Lily.
“Wait, we need to hear who the new person who pushed Bellos out is. Don’t you think so?”
I raised my hand and shouted,
“Lily! Who is the husband you’re thinking of marrying?”
Linel snorted from the side as I asked, his expression asking why I was asking that again.
“Prince Rams!”
Lily quickly shouted, as if she had been waiting for it.
“Rams? Did you meet Rams?”
“Yes.”
Rosie was right.
She said Rams was coming because he had someone he wanted to see. Is that true?
Could that be our Lily?
“Yes. Much better than the Magic Tower.”
Linel nodded, letting out a sigh of relief.
“Then you’ll allow it?”
“I have no reason to object, but you’re both still young.”
“So?”
Linel, forgetting that Lily still had the clay in her hand, snapped, and Lily’s eyes nearly lit up. The clay would come out of her hand, too...
“If that doesn’t change by the time you're eighteen, then it’s not too late to seriously discuss national marriage again, right?”
“That’s ten years and a few months away!”
“You want to get married, and you can’t even wait that long?”
Linel asked, clicking his tongue.
“It’s not even close, it’s far away, that’s too far!”
“You can get engaged in advance.”
Lily stomped her foot, grabbed the hem of Sharon's dress, and made it tangle, and I blurted out something.
Lily's eyes lit up.
"Then please do it this time. Yeah? The in-laws are here, too. Yeah?"
She said it so casually. Does she even know what marriage is?
My mouth is so stern, so stern.
"Lily, have you talked to Rams?"
He, too, was flustered and asked a ridiculous question.
"Is that okay? You just met a little while ago,"
I'm a ventriloquist.
"Then what on earth makes her decide to get married?"
"I think she only looks at faces."
Judging by Lily's abrupt abandonment of Bellos, Rams must have grown up well.
"Please arrange a proper meeting with the in-laws. If you don't, I'll ask Moiya to take you."
Lily thumped one foot on the marble floor, speaking in a half-threatening tone.
I placed a hand on my forehead and opened my mouth.
"That's not difficult, but I'm not sure they'd like her. They'd be against a daughter-in-law who walks around with dirt in her hands like that."
"Mother, do you know what Empress Rosie likes?"
Lily asked quickly, politely.
"I know."
"What does she like?"
"Books."
“...Are you joking?”
Lily looked incomprehensible.
“There are so many good things in this world, why books? She likes books?!”
“Why are you joking, Lily?”
“Who likes books?”
“Even Her Majesty Empress Rosie likes them, and I heard that Theo and Mao of the Kingdom of Aklatto also like books.”
“Oh my, there are so many things for children to do, and how come they are reading books at such a young age...”
Lily seemed to genuinely pity the twins.
“This is a big deal. Empress Rosie is a person who loves books, so how could she like a daughter-in-law who can’t even read and write yet?”
“...What if she really hates me because of that?”
“She wouldn’t hate you. She's just against your marriage to Prince Rams.”
Linel was amused, teasing her daughter.
“W-what then?”
Lily’s expression hardened as if the world was about to end, and she even stuttered.
At times like this, she was just like a child.
“Go and study right now. Who knows? If you can read and write by the end of the day, maybe they’ll look at you kindly.”
“Father, no, Your Majesty! Isn’t there another way?”
“I don’t know.”
Linel shrugged, as if he didn’t know what to do.
Then.
“Then... I guess it would be better to marry the Lord of the Tower, who doesn’t have in-laws...”
Lily muttered to herself, and the blood in Linel’s forehead flared.
“Daughter, how can your heart change so suddenly? I know you two might object, but I’ll still make a place for you.”
He promised, taking a step back.
“Then I’ll have to gather some dirt.”
...And why dirt?
“Y-You’re not going to throw dirt in their eyes, are you?”
“...”
Since she didn’t say no, I guess she meant to do that.
“If they object,”
Lily answered quietly.
Oh my god. My head was starting to hurt.
“Lily, if you do that, not only will we not get married, but we might even go to war with the Pasha Empire. Please don’t ever do something like that,”
Linel urged, and Lily nodded with a grin.
“Yes. Then you promised! You must make sure they have a place for me!”
“Yes.”
Linel collapsed on the bed, complaining of a headache.
“Sharon, pull Lily out.”
I quickly rubbed the back of his neck and ordered Sharon.
Meanwhile, in the drawing room, the competition among the young ladies surrounding Bellos was fierce.
It seemed that Bellos was starting to like Linel a little from today.
He doesn’t know what they really looked like, but they all looked pretty and kind.
Five young ladies were chatting together in the drawing room today.
Linel told Bellos that they would spend time like this with five people a day for a week.
Don’t you hate me?
A question suddenly occurred to Bellos.
It was already seven years ago, but what had he done to Emperor Linel?
He made her drink a potion that would erase her memories of Zelda.
Of course, it was Roxana's threats and schemes that led to this, but if he had risked his life to oppose it, it wouldn't have been easy.
At the time, even Bellos himself had been harboring the vain dream of taking Zelda as his wife, so he couldn't help but be greedy.
Seven years ago, one hundred days after Zelda gave birth to their first child, Lily, Bellos sat down with the imperial couple and confessed to Roxana's request at the Continental Hunting Tournament. He should have confessed sooner, but several unexpected events had delayed the timing, and he knelt and apologized.
I raised my hand and shouted,
“Lily! Who is the husband you’re thinking of marrying?”
Linel snorted from the side as I asked, his expression asking why I was asking that again.
“Prince Rams!”
Lily quickly shouted, as if she had been waiting for it.
“Rams? Did you meet Rams?”
“Yes.”
Rosie was right.
She said Rams was coming because he had someone he wanted to see. Is that true?
Could that be our Lily?
“Yes. Much better than the Magic Tower.”
Linel nodded, letting out a sigh of relief.
“Then you’ll allow it?”
“I have no reason to object, but you’re both still young.”
“So?”
Linel, forgetting that Lily still had the clay in her hand, snapped, and Lily’s eyes nearly lit up. The clay would come out of her hand, too...
“If that doesn’t change by the time you're eighteen, then it’s not too late to seriously discuss national marriage again, right?”
“That’s ten years and a few months away!”
“You want to get married, and you can’t even wait that long?”
Linel asked, clicking his tongue.
“It’s not even close, it’s far away, that’s too far!”
“You can get engaged in advance.”
Lily stomped her foot, grabbed the hem of Sharon's dress, and made it tangle, and I blurted out something.
Lily's eyes lit up.
"Then please do it this time. Yeah? The in-laws are here, too. Yeah?"
She said it so casually. Does she even know what marriage is?
My mouth is so stern, so stern.
"Lily, have you talked to Rams?"
He, too, was flustered and asked a ridiculous question.
"Is that okay? You just met a little while ago,"
I'm a ventriloquist.
"Then what on earth makes her decide to get married?"
"I think she only looks at faces."
Judging by Lily's abrupt abandonment of Bellos, Rams must have grown up well.
"Please arrange a proper meeting with the in-laws. If you don't, I'll ask Moiya to take you."
Lily thumped one foot on the marble floor, speaking in a half-threatening tone.
I placed a hand on my forehead and opened my mouth.
"That's not difficult, but I'm not sure they'd like her. They'd be against a daughter-in-law who walks around with dirt in her hands like that."
"Mother, do you know what Empress Rosie likes?"
Lily asked quickly, politely.
"I know."
"What does she like?"
"Books."
“...Are you joking?”
Lily looked incomprehensible.
“There are so many good things in this world, why books? She likes books?!”
“Why are you joking, Lily?”
“Who likes books?”
“Even Her Majesty Empress Rosie likes them, and I heard that Theo and Mao of the Kingdom of Aklatto also like books.”
“Oh my, there are so many things for children to do, and how come they are reading books at such a young age...”
Lily seemed to genuinely pity the twins.
“This is a big deal. Empress Rosie is a person who loves books, so how could she like a daughter-in-law who can’t even read and write yet?”
“...What if she really hates me because of that?”
“She wouldn’t hate you. She's just against your marriage to Prince Rams.”
Linel was amused, teasing her daughter.
“W-what then?”
Lily’s expression hardened as if the world was about to end, and she even stuttered.
At times like this, she was just like a child.
“Go and study right now. Who knows? If you can read and write by the end of the day, maybe they’ll look at you kindly.”
“Father, no, Your Majesty! Isn’t there another way?”
“I don’t know.”
Linel shrugged, as if he didn’t know what to do.
Then.
“Then... I guess it would be better to marry the Lord of the Tower, who doesn’t have in-laws...”
Lily muttered to herself, and the blood in Linel’s forehead flared.
“Daughter, how can your heart change so suddenly? I know you two might object, but I’ll still make a place for you.”
He promised, taking a step back.
“Then I’ll have to gather some dirt.”
...And why dirt?
“Y-You’re not going to throw dirt in their eyes, are you?”
“...”
Since she didn’t say no, I guess she meant to do that.
“If they object,”
Lily answered quietly.
Oh my god. My head was starting to hurt.
“Lily, if you do that, not only will we not get married, but we might even go to war with the Pasha Empire. Please don’t ever do something like that,”
Linel urged, and Lily nodded with a grin.
“Yes. Then you promised! You must make sure they have a place for me!”
“Yes.”
Linel collapsed on the bed, complaining of a headache.
“Sharon, pull Lily out.”
I quickly rubbed the back of his neck and ordered Sharon.
***
Meanwhile, in the drawing room, the competition among the young ladies surrounding Bellos was fierce.
It seemed that Bellos was starting to like Linel a little from today.
He doesn’t know what they really looked like, but they all looked pretty and kind.
Five young ladies were chatting together in the drawing room today.
Linel told Bellos that they would spend time like this with five people a day for a week.
Don’t you hate me?
A question suddenly occurred to Bellos.
It was already seven years ago, but what had he done to Emperor Linel?
He made her drink a potion that would erase her memories of Zelda.
Of course, it was Roxana's threats and schemes that led to this, but if he had risked his life to oppose it, it wouldn't have been easy.
At the time, even Bellos himself had been harboring the vain dream of taking Zelda as his wife, so he couldn't help but be greedy.
Seven years ago, one hundred days after Zelda gave birth to their first child, Lily, Bellos sat down with the imperial couple and confessed to Roxana's request at the Continental Hunting Tournament. He should have confessed sooner, but several unexpected events had delayed the timing, and he knelt and apologized.
Bellos was willing to accept any punishment Linel imposed.
After remaining silent for a while, he dismissed Bellos, saying they would discuss it again the next day.
That night, Bellos couldn't sleep.
It wasn't because he was worried about what punishment he would receive. It was because he was overcome with regret for his past mistakes.
It might have been an excuse, but the reason he couldn't confess sooner was that Zelda was about to give birth.
Having personally witnessed Pecilini's death in childbirth, he hesitated to speak out, fearing the shock it would cause Zelda.
After remaining silent for a while, he dismissed Bellos, saying they would discuss it again the next day.
That night, Bellos couldn't sleep.
It wasn't because he was worried about what punishment he would receive. It was because he was overcome with regret for his past mistakes.
It might have been an excuse, but the reason he couldn't confess sooner was that Zelda was about to give birth.
Having personally witnessed Pecilini's death in childbirth, he hesitated to speak out, fearing the shock it would cause Zelda.
He considered telling Linel first, but since they were such a loving couple, there was a good chance she would eventually find out.
After a long night, he sat down with the imperial couple the next afternoon.
Emperor Linel said with a blank expression,
"You wouldn't expect me to just pass by, would you?"
"Of course."
"I plan to throw you in jail."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Resolve, Bellos obediently accepted.
Linel's stern order continued.
"You will be the attending doctor for the children to be born until they grow up."
"Yes?"
"Here. The Lapion Imperial Family will become your prison."
"What do you mean...?"
"That is the punishment I am giving you. Leave the Magic Tower to Logan as it is now, and you will stay at the Lapion Imperial Family and be responsible for the health of my wife, me, and my children."
"Why do you forgive me so easily?"
"Who said I would forgive you? You have big dreams. There will be no salary. I will only provide food and lodging, so understand that."
"Your Majesty..."
"You may only take a vacation when everyone in my family is healthy and free of illness. Do not exceed three days."
The Emperor's expression and voice seemed like someone handing down severe punishment, but compared to his crimes, the punishment was absurdly light.
Linel kept saying "punishment," but it wasn't punishment; it was rather an honorable treatment.
That day, Bellos shed tears.
Zelda tried to comfort him, flustered, but Linel was all over the place, saying Bellos's crying made him look like a bewitching demon.
And so, Bellos lived for seven years, trapped in the Lapion Imperial Palace.
Fortunately, Lily and Mathias grew up well, free of any ailments.
But while they were free of illness, they were also prone to accidents, which meant Bellos was constantly on the go.
Several nannies were caring for the Princess and Prince, but Bellos dealt with the siblings' accidents the most. He was Lily and Mathias's personal doctor, their knight, and their teacher.
Perhaps Emperor Linel recognized his hard work and was rewarded with this reward, Bellos thought.
After seven years of caring for children, he'd thought he'd been numb to the opposite sex, but he was sorely mistaken.
"But I think I've seen some of you before,"
Bellos began, carefully studying the young ladies' faces.
It didn't seem like they'd met at Lily's birthday party yesterday.
They'd seen them much earlier.
The young ladies smiled, congratulating Bellos on his discerning eye.
"Actually, we're the former concubines..."
After a long night, he sat down with the imperial couple the next afternoon.
Emperor Linel said with a blank expression,
"You wouldn't expect me to just pass by, would you?"
"Of course."
"I plan to throw you in jail."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Resolve, Bellos obediently accepted.
Linel's stern order continued.
"You will be the attending doctor for the children to be born until they grow up."
"Yes?"
"Here. The Lapion Imperial Family will become your prison."
"What do you mean...?"
"That is the punishment I am giving you. Leave the Magic Tower to Logan as it is now, and you will stay at the Lapion Imperial Family and be responsible for the health of my wife, me, and my children."
"Why do you forgive me so easily?"
"Who said I would forgive you? You have big dreams. There will be no salary. I will only provide food and lodging, so understand that."
"Your Majesty..."
"You may only take a vacation when everyone in my family is healthy and free of illness. Do not exceed three days."
The Emperor's expression and voice seemed like someone handing down severe punishment, but compared to his crimes, the punishment was absurdly light.
Linel kept saying "punishment," but it wasn't punishment; it was rather an honorable treatment.
That day, Bellos shed tears.
Zelda tried to comfort him, flustered, but Linel was all over the place, saying Bellos's crying made him look like a bewitching demon.
And so, Bellos lived for seven years, trapped in the Lapion Imperial Palace.
Fortunately, Lily and Mathias grew up well, free of any ailments.
But while they were free of illness, they were also prone to accidents, which meant Bellos was constantly on the go.
Several nannies were caring for the Princess and Prince, but Bellos dealt with the siblings' accidents the most. He was Lily and Mathias's personal doctor, their knight, and their teacher.
Perhaps Emperor Linel recognized his hard work and was rewarded with this reward, Bellos thought.
After seven years of caring for children, he'd thought he'd been numb to the opposite sex, but he was sorely mistaken.
"But I think I've seen some of you before,"
Bellos began, carefully studying the young ladies' faces.
It didn't seem like they'd met at Lily's birthday party yesterday.
They'd seen them much earlier.
The young ladies smiled, congratulating Bellos on his discerning eye.
"Actually, we're the former concubines..."
Just as one young lady was about to speak on her behalf, the reception room door opened, and an unexpected figure entered.
"His Majesty Martins... What brings you here?"
"His Majesty Linel said it would be good for me to join you, so I came. Did I bother you?"
Of course you did. Do you mean that? Bellos answered with his eyes, but Martins's gaze was already fixed on the young ladies. The young ladies were momentarily flustered, then all rose and bowed to Martins.
Thanks to the young ladies' gentle greetings, Martins was able to sit down naturally. The attention of the young ladies, previously focused on Bellos, suddenly shifted to Martins. Martins had begun to court their favor by subtly hinting at his power as King.
'This is ominous, isn't it?'
Bellos was growing impatient. The young lady he'd been attracted to kept locking eyes with Martins. He felt a sense of crisis.
'If this continues, it's dangerous.'
It was time to showcase his unique charm. Bellos thought quickly.
"Do you want a peaceful death? Then give me a chance."
The atmosphere suddenly became tense.
'Isn't this it?'
As he spoke, he realized it had become a funeral director's sales pitch. He wouldn't have said it in the first place if Martins hadn't interrupted. But Martins subtly attacked him, poking him in the right direction.
"I want to live while we both grow old. Wouldn't it be sad to see only one of us age?"
King Martins placed a hand on his left chest and spoke with innocent eyes.
"Your Majesty, when your wife grows old, you'll take a young concubine."
This time, Bellos interjected. The young ladies were in an uproar, as if Bellos's counterattack had worked. It was a story so realistic it couldn't be ignored.
"Huh, is that how you're going to act?"
Martins glanced at Bellos and snorted inwardly. From then on, the two began to slander each other with all their might.
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