58. Children's High Society (3)
58. Children's High Society (3)
[Episode 58] - Children's Social Circle (3)
The moment the adults were laughing and chatting haha hoho in the background.
Titania was truly having a hell of a time. The theme of the tea party was 'the pets we raise,' but between the puppy that hadn't arrived yet and the children starting to cry because they were scared of this place...
And the biggest problem was...
"Apologize to Pugi right now!"
"Y-you, I told you to put that down! Heuaang!"
"Emily...! Put that turtle down right now! Mom said you shouldn't shove a snapping turtle at people because they bite!"
It was all because of six-year-old Emily, who had turned the tea party into a complete mess.
When a young lady who had brought a large parrot that looked like it was wearing a crown told the snapping turtle Emily had brought, 'Turtles smell terrible, you know? How can you raise something like that?', Emily had brought her nose to the turtle and sniffed.
'Hmm... It's frustrating, but she's right...'
Having said that, Emily puffed up her cheeks in a fit of rage and started shoving the snapping turtle, which was smaller than a palm, at that young lady. The startled young lady told her to get the snapping turtle away, but it was no use.
'But it's frustrating!!'
It was no use even when Caroline tried to stop Emily. Emily was busy slipping away like a fish every time she was caught by Caroline, despite her small stature—who knew where that strength came from?
Caroline, who had been trying to catch her, got tired first, and then the young lady who was being chased by Emily got tired. Eventually, the young lady fell flat on the floor and burst into tears, and Emily, as if satisfied, snorted through her nose and glared at the young lady who had collapsed on the floor.
"Apologize to Pugi!!"
"Hiccup, hiccup! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, okay!!"
How on earth was she supposed to handle this?
Was she going to ruin the tea party that Mother had prepared like this? Since this was the first tea party Titania had ever experienced, she had prepared diligently so as not to ruin it. But...
'What on earth am I supposed to do in a situation like this...?'
Titania, who had never imagined it would be ruined in such a way, felt like the world was going dark. She glanced at the maids standing to the side with eyes pleading for help, but the maids made no move other than to carry out their duties even in this situation.
Was it because of the order Mother had given the maids before the tea party started: 'Under no circumstances should you interfere with the children's social circle.'? The maids only provided the bare minimum of service and did not help Titania.
Just as Titania was wiping her face in frustration and helplessness, Ainsel began to call out to Titania in a trembling, terrified voice.
-P-p-Princess...! Behind you...!
"B-behind...?"
The moment the Princess glanced back, she saw the Education Minister running toward her with a bright smile. The Education Minister was running over with something that was panting with loud, heavy breaths, holding a large leash in his hand.
"Haha, Princess! Sorry I'm late! These puppy rascals suddenly stopped listening to me, hohoho!"
"Pant, pant, pant, pant."
They were still far away, but everyone at the tea party couldn't say a word after seeing that sight. The leash the Education Minister was holding with a bright smile was too big to be called a leash, and the animal standing on four legs next to him was also too big to be called a puppy.
No, it wasn't an animal that could be called a puppy in the first place. Titania had never seen that animal before, but with the knowledge she had learned from books, she knew immediately what kind of animal the 'puppy' standing next to the Education Minister was.
And there wasn't even just one, but two.
"Wolves...?"
The wolves standing on either side of the Education Minister. One was a gray wolf with shiny, soft fur, and the other was a white wolf with fur as white as snow. The Education Minister, who had approached Titania with those wolves, smiled bashfully and handed the leashes to Titania.
And then he said...
"I've made them remember the Princess's scent, so these puppy rascals will think of you as family! Originally, seizing the initiative is most important at tea parties like this! I've brought the most dignified and cool ones, so rest assured!"
The Education Minister winked as if asking if he had done well. Titania tried to lift the corners of her mouth at that sight and looked at the wolves standing on either side. Wolves that were taller than her while standing on four legs, panting with their long tongues lolling out.
Looking closely, their teeth were sharp, and they smelled strange, too. Titania felt like she would cry right away, but knowing that the tea party would be completely ruined if she cried here, she forced a smile and grabbed the wolf leashes the Education Minister had thrust into her hands.
The thick leashes held in both hands were so thick that she couldn't even grip them fully. When Titania looked up at the young ladies, Emily and the young lady who had been fighting until just a moment ago were also busy trembling like aspen trees while huddled together on the floor, staring at the wolves.
"Now! Princess! Introduce the puppies!"
When the Education Minister urged her, Titania's brain stopped working properly. She was just filled with the thought that she had to introduce the pet? as the Education Minister said and continue the tea party. Really, she couldn't think of anything else besides that.
"H-here are the puppies..."
"Pant, pant."
"The ones I raise..."
"Pant, pant."
However, no matter how much she tried to introduce them, the sound of the wolves panting next to her was louder than Titania's voice. Still, she had no choice, and just as she was continuing the introduction of the wolves somehow—
Lick-
The gray wolf standing next to her, which had been sniffing Titania's scent, licked Titania's face with its tongue. The moment the hot, slimy tongue that smelled of wolf saliva licked Titania's face, Titania finally burst into the tears she had been holding back.
"Heuaaaaang!!! Heueooo!!!"
"Heueeeeng!! Heuaaaaang!!!"
"W-why is everyone crying...!"
As Titania wailed, the tea party turned into a scene of chaos in an instant. The young ladies, who had been holding back tears just like Titania, were also busy scrambling to run away because they were scared of the wolves. Tables were overturned, and trays fell to the floor, making sharp, clattering sounds.
The maids grabbed the other young ladies who were collapsed on the floor crying and managed to escape, but they couldn't get close to Titania, who was crying between the two large wolves. Just as the maids were at a loss, the surprised parents and Vivian behind them saw the chaotic tea party and were horrified.
"W-what is that...!"
"Heueooo!!! Mom!!! Momma!!!"
As Titania wailed while clutching the wolves' leashes and calling for Vivian, Vivian picked up a tray that had fallen to the floor and strode toward Titania. She quickly pulled Titania behind her, then strongly smacked the head of the Education Minister, who was standing to the side looking at a loss, with the tray.
"You crazy bastard! You said they were puppies!!!!"
"Aack!!"
Clang!
The Education Minister, who was hit so hard that the silver tray dented, shed tears from the pain. Fortunately, the wolves seemed well-trained and just stood there panting, while the Education Minister looked at Vivian with a look of injustice, rubbing his throbbing head.
"N-no...! These children are very well-trained...! I raised them with care after finding them as cubs in the Northern Highlands...! So they would never bite people...!"
"Get hit one more time!"
Clang!! Clang!!
She said one more time, but the sound from the Education Minister's head was two. For a moment, the face of the Minister of Foreign Affairs flickered before Vivian's eyes. She instantly understood why the Minister of Foreign Affairs hated the Education Minister and was afraid of 'puppies,' so she frowned and glared down at the Education Minister, shouting.
"Get your head down right now! You crazy human!"
*
And so, judging that the tea party could no longer continue, I bowed my head to everyone and apologized. The young ladies couldn't even think of letting go of their parents' arms and were busy crying heueo-heueo. Of course, the same went for Titania, who was held in my arms.
"...I am sorry, everyone. I never imagined the puppies the Education Minister was bringing would be like that. No, it is my fault for not checking properly and blindly trusting the Education Minister and waiting. As the Queen of this country, and as a parent of a child, I sincerely apologize."
As I bowed my head, the ladies pleaded for me to lift my head quickly. I couldn't lift my head because I felt genuinely sorry, wondering if I had given the children trauma like the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Really... I should have paid a little more attention...
"It is alright... Usually, there are many cases where rare animals appear at events like this... The wolves of the Northern Highlands... I really never imagined, though..."
"Phew..."
I bowed my head and glared at the Education Minister, who was in the 'attention' position with his head buried in the floor next to me. Such a man is the Education Minister? I thought he was at least one of the more sensible humans among the country's ministers, but he was not at all.
"This is too painful a punishment for an old man..."
"If you want to step down from your ministerial position, then get up."
"Heueo..."
Fortunately, the large wolves were being handled by the knights stationed at the royal castle. After I finished apologizing to the ladies and young ladies and took a moment to soothe the children, one lady approached me and whispered.
"Her Majesty the Queen is amazing... To think you would move yourself and resolve the situation when everyone else was at a loss..."
"What...?"
"The wolves. No one could approach the Princess who was surrounded by wolves... But in such a situation, Your Majesty approached the Princess without hesitation, didn't you? I really thought that was amazing."
...I was just out of my mind.
Did I subconsciously think it would be safe because they were leashed? By the time I came to my senses, I had already hidden the Princess behind me and hit the Education Minister's head with a tray.
Looking at the Princess, who was sobbing with her face buried in my shoulder, it felt a little real now. How dangerous the situation was, and how dangerous an action I had taken.
The lady who was watching the Princess held in my arms and me smiled gently.
"The Princess growing up under Her Majesty the Queen will surely be happy."
I knew that what the lady said to me with a gentle smile was the answer to the question I had been agonizing over earlier: 'Can I, as an adoptive mother, make the Princess happy?' I smiled gently back at the lady and nodded in gratitude.
"That aside... they are excellent wolves. They look like they'd be good at hunting."
"Hoho... They are indeed very good at hunting. Why else would they be called the hunters of the Northern Highlands? Sometimes when we let them loose at the hunting competition, they are very..."
"Education Minister, shut your mouth."
"Heueo..."
When the lady muttered in admiration as she glanced back at the wolves held by the knights, the Education Minister, who was burying his head next to me, answered with a goofy smile. I ordered him to shut his mouth because I couldn't stand the sight of the Education Minister answering as if his own children were being praised.
"If... if it is alright with Your Majesty the Queen, how about attending the 'Hunting Competition' held next month with the Princess and those excellent wolves? It will surely be fun."
"...Hunting Competition?"
"Yes, it is a 'Hunting Competition' that our family hosts every year. In the forest owned by our family-"
I couldn't help but be surprised by the lady's sudden proposal. There was an event in the game where one could go to the 'Hunting Competition,' but to go to the hunting competition, the Princess's 'Social Evaluation' had to be quite high. So I thought it was a story for next year...
"Ah, if it is difficult because the Princess is afraid of wolves..."
"No. It is fine. However, if Titania is afraid of wolves, I would like to attend without the wolves... would that be alright?"
"Of course! We are just happy that the Princess is attending!"
I couldn't miss an opportunity like this, so I immediately nodded that I would attend the hunting competition. Even if it was a coincidence, it was good to do the 'Hunting Competition' early. I felt sorry for the Princess, who was sobbing in my arms, but it couldn't be helped.
'I'll finally be able to meet them...'
In the game, there is a 'guaranteed event' that always happens in the forest where the first hunting competition is held. An event where the Princess, who was wandering the forest to find prey, gets lost in deep fog.
And, there is a very small 'cottage' that she discovers while wandering the forest after getting lost. A cottage so small that it's difficult for one adult to enter. And the one she meets there...
The Princess's first dwarf.
'Unlike the game, this time I can just wander the forest with the Princess. I have Ainsel, and I've learned some magic too.'
Since all the dwarves lived in different regions, it was impossible to gather all seven dwarves, but the first dwarf she met was a 'fairy' I definitely wanted to keep by the Princess's side.
I smiled gently and answered that I would attend the 'Hunting Competition,' and showed a smile while looking at the ladies gathered around. It wasn't a situation to smile, but I had to smile somehow right now.
"I will look forward to the invitation. And... I think we should end today's tea party here. I will prepare properly and invite you all again next time... will you come again?"
""We would be delighted to, Your Majesty.""
"...I am glad to hear that."
Today's tea party was ruined because of me, who hadn't prepared properly, and someone who was face-down on the floor, but I planned to open the children's social circle again next time, being careful not to make such mistakes. The children might not know... but I had come to quite like the ladies gathered here.