45. Three Years of Time
45. Three Years of Time
[Chapter 45] - A Time of Three Years.
Time flew like an arrow, and three years had already passed.
The Queen Dowager, unable to stand me playing around with the princess while excluding her, threw work at me, telling me to learn at least something she gives me. That was three years ago, when I started learning the ropes from Vin Chaud.
Two years ago, the princess's dark and timid personality gradually brightened, and she started calling me 'Mother'. And one year ago, the princess set the kitchen on fire, claiming she wanted to make me delicious food.
And now...
"-The Foreign Minister has requested an audience this afternoon. How would you like to proceed?"
"Haven't I told you several times not to request audiences like this, but to just find your way to the office? You, Vin Chaud, and the Foreign Minister, neither of you listen to a word I say."
"Hehe, I find my way here just fine. Please don't lump me in with that man."
"You're both the same when it comes to not listening. I can guess why he's coming, so tell him to come when he has time. And tell him if he shows up right before work ends like last time, I'll unleash the dogs in the office-"
"Motheeer!!!"
Thud-thud-thud-
Along with the sound of footsteps kicking off the hallway and shaking the ground, the princess's booming voice came from behind. She had run so fast that before I could even turn my head, something heavy slammed into my waist.
Bang!
"Hic!"
This weight, which was now beyond heavy—it felt substantial. The princess, who had lunged at my back and hugged me tightly, wrapped her arms around my waist. She was strong enough now that I could even feel the pressure of her squeezing my waist.
Looking down at the heaviness on my waist, the princess, who was hugging my pelvis, looked up at me with a beaming smile. She must have collided with me quite hard, as her forehead was bright red.
"Titania... I told you not to run in the hallway. It's dangerous."
Her black hair now reached below her shoulders. The corners of her eyes, crinkled in a soft curve, were overflowing with playfulness. Even though she was being scolded, she looked so happy, her face filled with smiles.
Where did that timid child from the past hide?
I stroked the princess's hair and let out a chuckle before I knew it. The princess responded to my laugh with a bright smile.
"But, I saw Mother from far away!"
It meant there was no particular reason she came to find me.
As I tidied up the princess's hair, which had become disheveled from running, she raised both arms and looked at me. Since I had gotten her into the habit of being hugged since she was little, she still tried to get me to hold her even now that she was ten.
I slipped my hands under the princess's armpits, lifting her up like a baby, and held her in my arms, using my arms as her chair.
The princess, nestled in my arms, familiarly wrapped her arms around my neck, looked at Vin Chaud, and covered her mouth, giggling kyo-kyo-kyo-. Where on earth did she learn that laugh...
Vin Chaud saw the sight of me and the princess, bowed to the princess, and looked at her with a kind smile. The princess also waved at Vin Chaud, who had now grown old and become a grandfather.
"Long time no see, Princess. Have you been doing well with Her Majesty the Queen?"
"Yes! Have you been doing well too, Vin Chaud?!"
"Heh heh, of course. I've been doing very well."
Vin Chaud, seeing the princess for the first time in two months, smiled contentedly with the expression of a grandfather looking at his granddaughter. Meanwhile, the princess, who had been carefully observing Vin Chaud's head, shouted in surprise, her eyes wide.
"You said you were doing well, so why did it fall out even more?!"
At the princess's sudden personal attack, Vin Chaud looked startled and groped his head. As if there was anything to touch in the first place. Seeing Vin Chaud groping his head, I burst out laughing.
They say children are honest, and she certainly seemed to be. I hadn't been able to say anything out of pity, but the princess noticed the change in Vin Chaud after two months and spoke honestly.
"Pfft, you're telling me. Anyway, Vin Chaud, tell the Foreign Minister to come whenever. I have something to talk to the princess about for a moment."
"Yes... I shall do so."
Leaving the dejected Vin Chaud behind, I carried the princess to my room. Recently, quite a few people had been victims of the princess, who had become this honest and mischievous.
Not to mention Vin Chaud, when the princess found out the Foreign Minister was afraid of dogs, she went as far as to play a prank by hiding a stuffed dog in the Foreign Minister's office.
The scream of the Foreign Minister, who mistook the stuffed dog for a real one, was something I still couldn't forget. It was like the scream of a young girl.
The Minister of Education, having heard that scream, would tease the Foreign Minister by mimicking it every chance he got, which once even caused a childish fight between the ministers.
'To think that a minister who is still afraid of dogs remains a minister of this country...! Screaming like a little girl, kyaaaak...! Have some shame!'
'You must have truly gone mad, wanting to close the Academy down, you bastard-!'
Well... the one who told her about these secrets and pranks was none other than 'Ainsel' hanging around the princess's neck. Lately, Ainsel spent more time with the princess than she did with me.
I glared at Ainsel, who was giggling while being held in the princess's hand, and the princess nestled in my arms. I had something to scold her about anyway, and she had come to me herself...
"Ainsel, you told Titania where I hid the snacks in my room again, didn't you? How many times have I told you? Not to do that."
At my words, the princess's shoulders flinched. Ainsel also avoided my gaze, covered her face with both hands, and started making excuses, tteobeol-tteobeol.
-W-well, what can I do? You're cutting down on the Princess's snacks... The Princess is at an age where she's growing rapidly, right...? So just one...
"Why do you think I cut down on the snacks? It's because lately, the maids keep saying Titania is cute~ so cute~ and keep giving her snacks behind my back, so I reduced them. Titania? What do you think?"
"B-but..."
"Buts and buts, what's not allowed is not allowed. If you keep eating snacks behind my back, I'll have to tell the chef not to make any more snacks. I'll also punish the maids who give them to you."
"M-mom...! Don't do that!"
Now calling me Mom, the princess hugged my neck tightly.
In the past, I would lose to this cute charm and listen to the princess a few times, but now it seemed her habits had gone bad. I firmly shook my head and turned away from the princess.
"It's no use calling me Mom. From now on, eat snacks in moderation. If you keep eating snacks behind my back, you might get all fat and turn into a pig. Then I won't be able to hold you like this, right?"
As I tried to put the princess down on the floor, the princess, who was hugging my neck tightly, struggled and refused to go down. As she ended up dangling from my neck, I let out a sigh without realizing it.
"So, from now on, refrain from snacks. If you touch the snack jar in my room on your own again, I will really scold you. Especially, Ainsel. You're really going to get it. I'm not joking."
-S-sorry...
"Titania, what about you?"
"I understand... I'm sorry..."
I hugged the princess, who was dangling from my neck, back into my arms and started walking down the hallway again. The princess, perhaps distressed by having her snacks restricted, pouted her lips and looked dejected.
My heart wavered when I saw the princess's expression like this, but I couldn't help it. It would be a real problem if her teeth rotted. I had to be even more careful because her baby teeth were falling out lately.
Glancing at the princess again, she started to tear up as if she would cry at any moment. Was having snacks restricted really something to be that sad about...? I sighed again and patted the princess's back.
"...Haa, just this once. I'll have to go tell Ellie to bring some snacks from the kitchen."
"Ehehe, I knew Mother was the best!"
With those words, the princess smiled brightly and hugged my neck tightly. Really... even if I steel my heart, it crumbles like a sandcastle before a wave in the face of the princess's teary expression.
Is this what a parent's heart is like...?
*
After enjoying a very modest tea time with the princess and returning to the office, I made eye contact with the Foreign Minister, who was sitting on the sofa eating cookies. The Foreign Minister jumped up, swallowed the cookie in his mouth, and bowed.
"Long time no see, Your Majesty the Queen."
"...Yes, was the foreign country you went to on a business trip good for eating and playing?"
"Heh heh, it wasn't that great. As expected, home is the best."
The Foreign Minister reached for the complimentary cookies again. Vin Chaud, who I didn't know when he had entered the office, slapped his hand away! The Foreign Minister dropped the complimentary cookie he was holding onto the desk.
"Do you have no conscience? That snack is one I prepared for the Princess who visits here often. It's not something prepared for the likes of you to eat."
At those words, the Foreign Minister smirked and pointed at Vin Chaud's head.
"I may have no conscience, but you have no hair on your head."
"You bastard...!"
"Stop, stop! What kind of childish things are you doing!"
Is this really the argument of this country's ministers? It was too childish to even watch anymore. I sat in my chair, sighed softly, and gestured for the Foreign Minister to come closer.
"Really... please, stop teasing Vin Chaud. He just got hit by the princess a moment ago. Anyway... the fact that you've returned means all the envoys have returned as well, I suppose."
"Kehehe, by the Princess? Anyway... yes, that is correct. The envoys dispatched to the neighboring country have all completed their return as of yesterday. And..."
The Foreign Minister handed me the documents he was holding. I took the documents, opened them carefully, and started reading the papers written inside one by one. And, without realizing it, I frowned.
'As expected... is it impossible to avoid the game's major story?'
Currently, the princess's spring is over, and it is the time when 'summer' begins. There was an important 'sub-event' that was just as important as the 'main event' at the time when summer begins.
This event was one of the forks in the road leading to the ending.
I read the document once more and sighed again. Whether the Foreign Minister knew my heart or not, he began to explain the documents he had prepared calmly.
"As written in the documents, about three months after our delegation returned, that kingdom promised to dispatch an 'envoy' to our country."
"......Yes, thanks to this 'person' included in the delegation, we will have to prepare grandly."
"Yes, no matter what, we shouldn't prepare normally. We might have to pull quite a bit of the country's finances. Well, Vin Chaud will handle the finances."
"...Yes."
In the game, there is a 'sub-event' that opens first when summer begins. It is a very important event in the game, and an event where a person who is important, if not the most important in 'Snow White', comes to meet the 'Princess'.
The Foreign Minister sighed softly, shook his head, and continued.
"...It will be a big event. It is a marriage interview between the 'third prince' of the neighboring country and our princess. If it goes well, the prince of the neighboring country could become the princess's 'fiancé'."