Chapter 104
Chapter 104
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: The Emperor's Lunchbox (6)
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The grand emperor's bedroom.
A commoner knight stood tall within it.
"First, may I ask how Your Majesty views your daughters?"
He spoke with his hands clasped together.
The emperor then opened his mouth with a bitter expression.
"They are always the children I feel sorry for."
He turned his head to gaze at the portraits of the imperial princesses hanging on the wall.
"When I was young, I was on the battlefield, and now in my old age, for the sake of fairness among the imperial family, I couldn't show kindness to any of them."
The emperor was surprisingly objective in his self-assessment.
If you ignored the lunchbox fiasco, he was a sage ruler.
"If you shower one with excessive affection, the others naturally grow anxious and wary. Especially that boy Leon..."
Baudouin IV closed his eyes tightly as he recalled the crown prince.
"Then, how about trying this?"
I raised a finger.
The emperor furrowed his brow.
"You have a way to solve this conundrum?"
"Yes, and it's simpler than you might think."
To hear that his worries could be easily resolved.
Leonhardt's blue eyes flashed with interest.
"Speak."
"You express the feelings you've kept hidden from your daughters all this time."
Hidden feelings.
At those words, the emperor scowled deeply.
"Express your affection as a father."
I approached the portraits of the princesses.
Then, pointing at them with my palm, I said,
"If you show it equally to all, none will feel jealous."
"But I haven't spoken to those children in years, let alone seen their faces. Do you think that would be easy for me?"
The emperor looked displeased at the ordinary suggestion.
But to him, I smiled brightly and said,
"That's exactly the point. Since you haven't seen each other in so long, even the smallest gesture of care will make your daughters overjoyed."
"Hmm... go on."
"Yes, let's start with Third Princess Lydia."
I pointed to the portrait of the haughty girl with twin tails.
"If I may be so bold, how much do you know about Lydia, Your Majesty?"
The emperor rested his chin on his hand.
His posture was as noble as a temple statue.
"She was an exceptional child. Unlike other duchesses who live comfortably after marriage... she aimed to become a ruler."
Leonhardt's lips curved upward just thinking about his daughter.
"I can still see her toddling into the command room, begging to learn tactics."
He looked satisfied that she had inherited his ambitious nature.
"She might one day break away from the empire to rule the eastern kingdoms. Her ambitions are enormous, despite her appearance."
Soon, he let out a short sigh.
His smile turned subtly bitter as a result.
"You look regretful."
"Yes, for my youngest—not even the first in line—to harbor such grand aspirations... I wish she had simply grown into a cute, ordinary woman..."
Surprisingly, the Conqueror King harbored many worries about the Third Imperial Princess.
Her ambition and thirst for conquest evidently troubled him.
"Do you know where Lydia's ambitions began, Your Majesty?"
"Probably from Vanessa. A woman with ambition great enough to force a political marriage with me. She must have raised her daughter the same way."
"Begging your pardon, Your Majesty, but you are mistaken."
"What...?"
He furrowed his thick brows as I contradicted him.
"In truth, the Third Imperial Consort and Lydia genuinely respect you."
"How can you be so certain?"
"Because I met them myself."
Leonhardt looked baffled at my firm answer.
The Third Consort was a woman who rarely showed herself in public, after all.
"You met Vanessa?"
"Yes, she personally invited me to dinner. From what I heard there, the Consort worries more about the empire's safety and Your Majesty's health than any ambition."
I bowed my head politely.
Then, as I lifted it,
I declared to him with sincere eyes.
"And Lydia doesn't simply want to become a 'ruler.'"
"Then what?"
No longer angry at having his assumptions proven wrong, the emperor instead propped his chin on his hand and looked down at me intently.
In response to his gaze, I gracefully opened my palm.
Then, carefully pointed at the emperor himself.
"The princess wants to become someone respected by the people, just like Your Majesty."
"Like me...?"
The emperor stared blankly at my fingertip.
"Yes, and ultimately, she wants your personal recognition."
"To seek my recognition... Lydia is already my fine daughter!"
Leonhardt's voice rose as if my words were nonsense.
But...
Undaunted by his growing intensity, I boldly asked the continent's strongest man.
"So, have you ever told her that yourself?"
At my sharp retort, the emperor furrowed his brow.
Dark shadows deepened under his eyes.
"That is..."
"Lydia's goal isn't to rule the empire."
I pierced through his hardened heart.
"She hoped that you—who had been distant—would acknowledge her, just once."
I clasped my hands together.
Then, with a genuine smile, I said,
"That as Your Majesty's daughter, she is growing up well and diligently."
"..."
The emperor fell silent at my words.
It was some time before he spoke again.
"She didn't want to surpass me and take the empire... she just wanted the bond of father and daughter."
"Yes, Your Majesty. As expected of your wisdom."
"Ha... I never even considered that. How did you know?"
He snorted at me.
But his gaze no longer dismissed me.
It was more like marveling at an extraordinary creature.
"In truth, I am a commoner orphan. I grew up in a monastery with many children."
I placed my hand over my left chest.
Then, as politely as possible, I said,
"As the oldest among them, I raised those children and faced dilemmas much like yours, Your Majesty."
I regretted comparing orphans to the emperor's children.
Fortunately, he nodded in understanding.
"Ha... so you've raised a horde of children at a young age."
"Yes, and they get fiercely jealous if I favor one over the others."
"Tsk tsk... children are all like that."
The emperor chuckled in empathy.
Then he squeezed his eyes shut, wondering why he was having such trivial talk with this fox-like fellow.
As if he'd been tricked.
"Enough of that. Now tell me about Lea."
Leonhardt composed himself coldly once more.
He inquired about his difficult eldest daughter.
As if to test whether I could rattle off about her too.
In response, I calmly opened my mouth.
"Understood. What do you think of Lea, Your Majesty?"
"She's remarkable. I heard she built her own independent faction without yielding to Leon."
The emperor knew everything that had happened during his coma.
"She's so responsible she even leads them personally. If she were a man, she surely would have become emperor!"
He looked proud of Lea.
At that sight, I...
"In truth, Lea is quite timid."
Splashed cold water on it neatly.
"What...?"
At those words, a murderous aura began emanating from the emperor's entire body.
"You're truly courting death... How dare you call my daughter a coward..."
"P-please wait a moment!"
I frantically waved at the emperor gathering lightning at his fingertips.
"In truth, Lea planned to secede from the empire with her faction if Your Majesty never awoke."
"What...?"
"It wasn't from ambition. She foresaw that if the emperor passed, the empire would fracture into factions and enter an age of chaos!"
Leonhardt exhaled deeply.
He resembled an aging lion pride leader.
"She planned to protect the people who remained loyal to Your Majesty until the end, in that time."
I bowed my head sharply.
Then, like a loyal vassor making a bold statement, I declared,
"While everyone else scrambles for power, she alone intends to preserve the empire's legacy. That is Lea's will!"
In truth, the First Imperial Princess's actions thus far bordered on treason.
So with the emperor awake now, this was the only way to spin it!
'Lea... you owe me big time.'
"Is that so..."
"Yes, Lea desperately hoped for Your Majesty to awaken!"
"I misunderstood her briefly."
The emperor dispersed the white lightning from his palm.
The bedroom fell silent once more.
"So, after announcing your recovery, I recommend meeting Lea privately."
"What should I do when we meet?"
"Just play a game of chess together."
His lips twitched at the out-of-left-field chess suggestion.
"And reassure her that an era of peace has arrived. That alone will satisfy Lea."
I closed my eyes and inwardly praised myself.
Even I thought it was a solid proposal.
But...
"I see. However... something feels off."
He opened his eyes again.
At that moment,
His intense face loomed right in front of my nose, nearly stopping my breath.
"Lea and Lydia have never gotten along well. How do you know so much about both?"
"Y-Yes...?"
"Especially Lea—she shares no private words with anyone. Yet you know she plays chess."
Faced with the massive lion's visage.
His aura suggested he'd tear my throat out any second.
"You... what exactly is your relationship with our Lea...?"
Relationship.
At those words, memories flashed through my mind like a montage.
We'd visited each other's bedrooms alternately.
She'd been half-naked while I treated her back.
And moreover...
Her lying in bed wearing my dress shirt.
'Damn, why is that scene the one that sticks out the most...!'
I forced my facial muscles upward.
Then, flashing a perfect smile, I said,
"W-we're just ordinary chess friends, Your Majesty."
"Friends? You expect me to believe that?!"
A thunderous roar.
My hair whipped wildly as a result.
"My territory is right next to the princess's villa! Neighbors can play chess, can't they?"
Neighbor cousins.
Only then did the emperor relent his suspicion.
"Right next door, you say?"
"Yes, truly! H-here's the territory grant document...!"
I showed him the precious territory grant I always carried.
"..."
The emperor stared intently at the text.
Only after seeing solid proof did he step back from me.
"That had better be the truth."
"O-of course!"
I strained to maintain my forced smile.
Shifting topics, I continued the lecture.
"Fi-finally, what do you think of Irina?"
The calmed emperor snorted like a dragon.
Then, with a serious expression, he recalled the Second Imperial Princess.
"Irina... she was a pitiful child."
Unlike when thinking of the other two princesses, his eyes held unique sorrow.
"After my wife died, she barely survived thanks to the care of a few ministers."
The emperor felt deep guilt for not tending to her himself.
If he'd officially cared for Irina, other imperial kin would have targeted her for sure.
Without a consort's backing, she couldn't have withstood their attacks.
'That's why I suffered so much in my past life!'
"But things are different now. Irina has her own knight order."
"Yes, I heard she formed one."
Leonhardt nodded silently.
But he didn't seem expectant.
'No wonder—he's only heard the surface level.'
But what if the instructor there was me and Camille?
"Do you know its scale?"
"At best, it's a fledgling knight order."
"No. It has fully 80 lower expert-level knights. And 30 of them are mid-level!"
That's on par with the empire's 6th Knight Order, the Water Defense Division.
"And the princess raised them personally."
This time, I smiled with genuine sincerity.
"Irina is no pitiful figure. As Your Majesty's blood, she has grown strong on her own."
The emperor gazed at me as I delivered my impassioned speech.
Then, with sharp eyes, he said,
"Yes, so you must have helped her."
Quick on the uptake...
He's by far the trickiest opponent I've faced.
"The Sacred Knights lack talent, so you scouted prospects and trained them yourself. With your skills, you could raise them quickly."
"Nothing escapes Your Majesty."
"No false modesty. Spill every detail on why you helped Irina."
The pride leader's eyes gleamed.
The princesses were renowned for their beauty.
But Irina, with her weak faction, had drawn many lecherous nobles.
The emperor, aware of this, eyed me with suspicion.
"Surely she's not just another 'friend'?"
"Haha, no way. I had absolutely no such intentions!!"
I answered him firmly.
"I'm not so foolish as to lose sight of my place over appearances."
I responded to the emperor as quickly and decisively as possible.
Leaving no room for doubt.
But...
"What?"
His face grew colder at my swift reply.
"Does that mean my daughter lacks that much appeal...?"
His thick lips ground together.
I'd thought I'd handled it well!
Instead, the emperor's lips only drooped further.
As if offended by me.
"You saw Irina's doe-like eyes and felt no stir in your heart?"
The emperor praised the charms of his daughters, including Irina.
Watching him, I thought,
"Are you really a monk?!"
'How did he hide this side from his daughters all these years...'
I forced a smile at the solemn emperor.
And spent quite a while persuading him.