CHAPTER 76……………………….
. Another Birthday Approaches (1)
After the three children had happily finished making molasses candy,
Lete glanced toward the fireplace and covered her mouth.
“Oh my.”
Callion, Elysion, and Ares were sprawled out flat on the floor in that order.
After being given warm drinks to heat their bodies, they had fallen asleep right away.
Callion’s arm was serving as a pillow for Elysion.
Ares was curled up on Elysion’s left side, fast asleep.
When Minte arrived, Lete pointed to the scene before them with a radiant smile.
“They’ve all fallen asleep so sweetly together. Isn’t that right, Minte?”
“True enough…”
“Hm? Why the long face?”
“I just wonder if this is really okay.”
Minte recalled what had happened when they went to catch the boar.
“The young lord and the prince trained together, and even the princess has been mixing freely with them…”
“Mm.”
“I can’t help but worry… if that will turn out well in the future.”
Hearing her heart, Lete smiled tenderly.
“What the future holds… that’s not for us to know.”
“Yeah…”
“But at the very least, childhood should be beautiful.”
For royals and nobles, the years of innocence are fleeting.
That was why she hadn’t told them about overly cruel matters, such as Count Stenel’s execution.
The sisters quietly watched over the peacefully slumbering children for a while.
Then Minte finally spoke again.
“Lete. The capital’s clean-up has all been finished, they say.”
“…I see.”
Lete quietly nodded.
It was time to return to Kore.
Back to the royal palace where Erebos awaited.
When his daughter Elysion was still at the Autumn Palace—
“The South has lost all its persimmons, it seems.”
Erebos was reading a report sent up from Count Terraine’s territory.
“I made it clear that my heir would be the princess, yet they still refuse to understand.”
The high nobles listening bowed their heads deeply.
His tone was calm, but each word weighed heavily—
as if stones were pressing down on the back of their skulls.
“Though Elysion handled it well, the families that lent ear to such nonsense must be punished according to their degree of complicity.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
“The Stenel family will be punished in its entirety. Their name is henceforth forbidden from mention anywhere.”
His collected voice carried a sharpened edge of menace.
It was only natural—they had insulted the queen and, blinded by greed, tried to sell off bloodstone.
Even Phobos, usually more casual, now wore a grave expression.
“Your Majesty. If the Halkion lot are seeking bloodstone, their intent must be to invade us again.”
“…”
What else would they do with material to forge weapons that could oppose holy knights?
Analyze it? Retaliate against the demonfolk?
Phobos’s eyes gleamed.
“We must show them another lesson. Even if it means using force.”
War again.
No one failed to catch his hidden meaning.
But then—
“Ahem. Your Majesty. The duke’s point has merit, but…”
“Marquis Epikus.”
The Marquis Epikus cleared his throat.
The duke and the marquis were the Demon King’s closest confidants.
But while the ducal house followed the Demon King with blind zeal, the marquis’s house took a more rational stance.
“Please reconsider the timing.”
“And why is that?”
“Tartarus itself, after the last war, is only just beginning to recover its vigor, is it not?”
“…”
“If we immediately prepare for war again… this time, our own morale will not be what it was.”
There was sense in his words.
Tartarus had been the victor, yes.
But it was a painful victory, with many fallen.
Erebos was silent for a moment.
“…Both arguments have weight.”
“Your Majesty!”
“Duke. Retaliation will come one day, but for now I will choose another path.”
“…As you command, sire.”
Phobos, in the end, yielded his argument.
Erebos declared to all in his steady voice:
“Inform the Alcyone royal house that we will levy additional taxes as punishment.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“And as for their request to hold a crown prince’s investiture, that too will continue to be denied.”
The Alcyone royals could not hold an official crown prince’s ceremony without Erebos’s approval.
He intended to drive them to the point of desperation, until they were forced to beg.
Still, something had been gained from this incident.
Erebos picked up the ornate silver-embossed letter from the south.
“The Kingdom of Iliod says they will adjust tariffs to favor Tartarus.”
Clearly, Iliod’s royal family also wished to avoid escalating matters.
The Burten trading company had, of course, been banned from commerce, and would be punished at home as well.
In the end, Tartarus gained vast financial profit from this matter.
And yet—
Erebos lifted his clouded gaze.
On the wall before him hung the queen’s portrait.
Lia.
His beloved wife had told him to live seeing the good in people.
But that seems impossible now.
Hadn’t this affair made it clearer than ever?
Humans could always unite as one to threaten the demonfolk.
And what of the Veled District incident?
He had crushed the northern humans, capturing most of the hidden mercenary bands.
But the ringleader had eluded them.
Erebos gripped the armrest of his throne.
When would this searing hatred in his heart ever cease?
Only when that cursed Halkion Theocracy was consumed in fire…
Only when the humans were driven from this land entirely—
would that day finally come?
At year’s end, we returned from the Autumn Palace to Kore.
And now, I too could invite guests to the Perseon Palace.
Since I’d grown close to many at Count Terraine’s estate.
For example, a tea party with just the girls.
And so today I sat among the girls, serving as their drawing model.
Selina and a few others had insisted on sketching me…
Because of this gathering, I was dressed splendidly, even though it wasn’t a formal event.
The sleeves of my pale pink dress were adorned at the upper arms with silver ribbons shaped like flowers.
One side of my hair was decorated with a matching silver ribbon.
And all the girls wore black rose brooches.
I deliberately tilted my gaze toward the ceiling, silently praying.
Ares… Callion… please take as long as possible in training before coming back.
Teia glanced down at her sister’s drawing and frowned.
“You should have made the eyes bigger, Selina. And the lashes fuller.”
“Ah—!”
“Put more care into it, so it resembles Her Highness properly.”
“Yes, sister!”
No, really, the eyes are already big enough.
But just then, another girl shyly asked:
“Your Highness, your birthday is soon, isn’t it?”
“Ah… right, yes.”
“Then, will you be holding a birthday festival this year too?”
“Haha, no.”
Absolutely not, child. Don’t speak such frightening things!
“Th-then… how will you celebrate?”
“This time, simply. At Perseon Palace, with Father.”
“Oh…”
At my words, all the young ladies present fidgeted uncertainly.
Even Teia let slip a fleeting look of disappointment.
But upon meeting my eyes, she quickly smoothed over her expression.
Why are the girls acting like this?
Strangely, the rest of the gathering ended on a subdued note.
Good grief, I can’t understand kids these days.
Just when I thought I’d finally won them over, they get sulky over something I can’t even guess.
When the meeting ended, Lete, who had been waiting for me, approached with a gentle smile.
“Did you enjoy yourself today, Princess?”
“Yes. Ah, but when my birthday came up, things got odd.”
“Pardon?”
Hearing the whole story, Lete chuckled softly.
“They probably all wanted to present their gifts to you in person, but when you said there’d be no event, they felt let down.”
“Oh? Is that it?”
“Yes. Unless Your Highness invites them, they can only send greetings by letter.”
“Hm.”
So, they all want to meet me directly to celebrate.
I was planning something small originally…
Alright, maybe I should reconsider.
“More importantly, Lete.”
“Yes?”
“I want to do something more befitting a princess.”
