Side Story Episode 4
<Niyan Adrien Okhee Uncle>
Childcare was very difficult.
You’re asking what could possibly be difficult for me, the Empress, when I have maids and even a wet nurse?
It was because of a father who was jealous of his own son!
They say that after giving birth, maternal love surges up strongly.
Even though there were many people helping me, my heart was full of the desire to be with the baby—but Raymond kept coming and interfering.
After giving birth, I had a three-month recovery period, and once that ended, he began approaching me again at all hours.
“Your… Your Majesty.”
“Do you know how much I endured even during the pregnancy?”
“But little Luca still needs his mother.”
And that was true. When Luca was with someone else, he would cry so loudly it felt like the entire Imperial Palace would lift off. But the moment he was in my arms and heard my heartbeat, he would stop instantly.
“Why is Luca so attached to the Empress?”
“That’s how babies are.”
“He needs to grow up quickly.”
Judging by the way Raymond acted, Luca must have inherited his father’s blood. But would things really change just because he grew a little?
I only thought that to myself and didn’t say it out loud.
He seemed to be enduring quite a lot for his son.
More precisely, he was enduring quite a lot after listening to me, since I was the one thinking about our son.
Whenever I was with Luca, he would say things filled with jealousy.
“Luca. You’re lucky. You get to be held by Eileen whenever you want.”
“Oh my. Your Majesty. Hohoho.”
At times like that, the wet nurse standing beside us would laugh as if it were adorable.
Once, while I was nursing, he approached quietly and even said this:
“Hoo. That belongs to me.”
When I first heard that, I was so startled that I looked around in a panic. Fortunately, the wet nurse was far away fetching a handkerchief, so she likely hadn’t heard.
“Your Majesty! You must refrain from such embarrassing remarks…!”
“But it’s the truth. Luca. Hurry up and grow so you can give up your place.”
“….”
Out of embarrassment, I lightly smacked Raymond’s arm.
Time passed quickly, and just as all the citizens of the Empire and Raymond had wished, Luca grew up rapidly and soon turned six years old. In the meantime, I had completed my second and third childbirth as well.
I had suffered terribly from morning sickness, but the reason I was able to decide on having many children was largely thanks to cold noodles. Raymond and the head chef of the Imperial Palace kitchen worked hard for me during each period of morning sickness. Moreover, because I ate cold noodles so deliciously, word spread throughout the Palace, and a shop was even opened in the capital. In recognition of the chef’s hard work, we allowed it to become his property.
Great cold noodles….
As I paused my chopsticks for a moment, Luca, sitting beside me, slurped up his cold noodles. Watching him skillfully use chopsticks at such a young age after copying the way I ate made me feel strangely emotional. A Westerner using chopsticks so deftly—it was almost like watching a child from a mixed marriage who could speak two languages.
“Luca. Is it good?”
“Yes. It’s really delicious.”
He nodded, pausing his chopsticks for a moment.
Luca was completely attached to his mother. He followed me everywhere. He tried to do whatever I did, and he liked the foods I liked.
That used to be Raymond’s role. Seeing that his place had somehow been replaced by our son made life feel mysterious and beautiful. Especially since they had identical faces.
Of course, that was only my sentiment. Raymond did not find it beautiful.
Raymond, who had been very busy lately with affairs of the Empire, would only come to me late at night. He could no longer call me at any time as he used to, because of the children. As bedtime approached, he would look extremely impatient.
“Let’s go to the room at once, Empress.”
“W-Wait a moment, Your Majesty.”
He suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled, and as I flustered and struggled, Luca suddenly jumped out and shouted loudly.
“No! Father. I’m going to sleep with Mother tonight.”
“Luca. You’re always with Mother during the day. And now you’re old enough to sleep alone.”
“I don’t want to. You’re always the only one who sleeps with her. I want to sleep with her too!”
Raymond and Luca each grabbed one of my hands and pulled from both sides.
Why does this feel familiar?
Two men fighting to have me.
Is it my fate to forever remain a scarecrow caught between them?
“Um….”
I suddenly felt exhausted, but they were both the men I loved most, so I couldn’t take either side. Fortunately, our second and third child, who were born afterward, were quietly behaving in the wet nurse’s arms.
“Then… shall the three of us sleep together?”
“I refuse.”
“I refuse.”
Their possessiveness was exactly the same…. They say people who are alike end up fighting, and the father and son truly resembled each other.
Time passed, and the children grew.
Luca was ten, Jenny was six, and Leho was five.
When babies become children, playing with them becomes the big task. The one saving grace for Raymond and me was that it didn’t necessarily have to be the parents who played with them.
“Uncle Niyan!”
“Uncle Adrien!”
The children excitedly welcomed the two men who had come to visit the Imperial Palace after a long time. With Niyan and Adrien, there was no need to worry about stamina, so we could entrust the children to them with peace of mind. It just so happened they arrived on the same day, so they were wary of each other—but from the children’s perspective, the more people to play with them, the better.
“Uncle Niyan.”
“Our little Princess. Have you been well?”
“Yes!”
Niyan cast magic as Jenny ran toward him, lifting her gently along her path so that she floated smoothly before catching her in his arms.
“Uncle!”
“Uncle!”
“Our Princes.”
Adrien lifted Luca and Leho, one in each arm.
“You’ve come.”
“It has been a while, Your Majesty.”
When I approached, the two bowed politely.
“That’s true. If it’s been a week, it is a while.”
“Only a week? The Magic Tower must be quite idle.”
Adrien spoke sharply to Niyan. Even now, whenever they met, the two would bristle and growl at each other. Usually, Adrien started it.
“We magicians are efficient. We don’t need to waste all our time using our bodies like swordsmen do.”
“Excuses. It just means you’re not as diligent as swordsmen.”
“Now, now. Don’t fight. Let’s go to the table and enjoy tea time.”
Used to such situations, I lightened the mood and led everyone to the garden.
Tea and desserts had already been prepared there.
We sat around the table.
Jenny sat on Niyan’s lap, while Luca and Leho each sat beside Adrien. They liked both uncles, but each had a preference. Especially Jenny—she simply refused to leave Niyan’s side.
“By the way, uncles.”
Leho, who had been quietly watching the two bicker, suddenly raised his hand high and asked,
“Which one of you is stronger?”
“Obviously me.”
“Obviously me.”
The two adults answered simultaneously.
“Do you think a swordsman can defeat a magician?”
“You never know until you fight.”
“You’ve arrived.”
“We greet the Sun of the Empire.”
Just as the two began growling again, Raymond appeared at the perfect moment and drew their attention. The rising tension settled back down. Raymond paid little attention to anyone else and reached toward his daughter, who was in Niyan’s arms.
“Our Jenny.”
“Hi, Daddy.”
But Jenny greeted him coolly and simply wrapped her arms tightly around Niyan’s neck.
“…Won’t you come to Daddy?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“I like Uncle Niyan. I’m going to marry Uncle!”
Jenny’s words were like a death sentence.
Of course, a death sentence for Niyan.
Raymond’s eyes flashed dangerously, and he grabbed the sword from the waist of the guard standing beside him.
“You must have a death wish. What did you do to my daughter? Did you cast a spell on her?”
“As if I would.”
“Stop it, Daddy. Don’t bully our uncle.”
“J-Jenny.”
Raymond froze on the spot in shock.
‘Ha….’
If only our firstborn had been a daughter.
Of course, that wasn’t something I could control, but remembering the times Luca and Raymond had fought over me, I couldn’t help feeling a sense of emptiness.
“Your Majesty. The children are watching. No swords.”
“Hmph.”
When I stopped him, Raymond obediently stepped back. Then, as if to show off, he wrapped his arms tightly around me from behind.
So instead of his daughter, it was his wife.
But perhaps the provocation worked, because strange sparks flickered in Niyan’s eyes.
“This is hopeless. We’ll have no choice but to find a good bride for the Magic Tower Master.”
“No! I’m Uncle’s bride!”
“Yes. Of course, Your Highness.”
Adrien spoke to Jenny as if coaxing her. After all, once she grew a little older, old uncles wouldn’t even enter her sight. We only had to endure this phase.
I leaned toward Adrien’s ear and whispered,
‘The Magic Tower Master already has someone.’
‘Really? Who?’
‘Koa.’
“R-Really?”
How long had it been since the two of them started dating? His news was far too slow.
Then again, Adrien had probably been too busy with his own romance and marriage to pay attention.
“Ok-ok-ok.”
Just then, the sound of flapping wings was heard, and another welcome guest appeared.
“Okhee!”
With her round eyes shining brightly, Okhee soared bravely across the distant sky and landed on me. But she lightly pecked my arm, as if something displeased her.
“Ok-ok.”
“Ah, no. Midragon, right. Haha.”
Even though we had decided to change her name, it never quite stuck to my tongue. It was a routine I had repeated for years.
“Wow, it’s Okhee!”
“Okhee, Okhee.”
Because I kept calling her that, the children had completely fixed the name in their mouths as well. Well, Okhee was easier to pronounce and remember than Midragon anyway.
As expected, to children, animals were better than parents or uncles. When the owl appeared, they all rushed over with sparkling eyes.
“So cute.”
“Let’s play together!”
“Ahh!”
The children jumped up and down, trying to grab Okhee’s legs. Okhee deliberately floated up and down at a teasing distance, just out of reach. Watching the scene, it was hard to tell whether she was playing with them or being bullied….
I had been wondering why Okhee hadn’t been visiting much lately. Now I thought I understood why.
