Chapter 24

The unprecedented emergence of the spirit stone mine caused the Empire to be rocked.

The nobles being tired of Duke Javier’s campaign, were almost festive. The news of break-up between families was busy shooting through the system.

That news soon reached the news of the stand-in-Emperor, Esteban. He summoned his former aide immediately.

“Suddenly, there was a mine I didn’t know of.”

“……haha. Congratulations.”

“Gustav.”

He tried to get away with it, but the stand-in-Emperor was not easy.

‘Damn it.’

The results were good, but if it’s found out that it was unknown before the results came out, he would definitely be shocked.

But what can he do? It has already happened.

“About that…… There was an approved document that I had also never seen before.”

“What?”

Esteban crumpled his face. In a reproachful glance, Gustav hurriedly shook his hands and make excuses.

“I never meant to! Doesn’t Your Majesty know that? I’m a perfectionist in my own way. Someone must have done it on purpose!”

Esteban’s expression was slightly loosened. This is because he admitted that his former aide is competent.

Worried that Esteban’s mood might go down again, Gustav hurriedly added an explanation.

“The document with handwriting I had seen for the first time was mixed between the documents that were approved. It was a document asking to buy the waste mines in bulk, which were not worth much.”

“How did you know there were Spirit stones in the mine?”

“Please wait a minute.”

Gustav rushed to present the document in question to Esteban.

After receiving the document, Esteban roughly looked over the document.

“The handwriting……”

“I think he is left-handed.”

“I suppose.”

Otherwise it couldn’t be more perverse.

‘Tch.’

Esteban clicked his tongue from the barely legible writing, and began to focus on the content again.

It was an ordinary document with good layout, except for the handwriting.

“Look at the writing in the corner on the next chapter, You’re Majesty.”

Esteban turned over the sheet of paper. There was small writing in the corner, as Gustav said.

-High possibility of spirit stones.

“It’s written as if he’s seen it.”

“Yes. A week after the mine was mined, spirit stones were found.”

Who would there be, just when Duke Javier was on a roll.

‘Marquis Gardenia?……That old man wouldn’t do a favor for me.’

There was no suitable figure in mind.

Besides, it was none other but a spirit stone mine. It would be natural to take the profits yourself than to hand them over to the royal family.

The fact that there is a mine owned by Duke Javier can dampen the momentum anyway.

“Just what the hell was in his head that he turned over a spirit stone mine to someone else?”

“I know. But isn’t it a good thing for the Imperial family?”

Several candidates came out, but all were rejected.

“Look into those who came by the Emperor’s office at that time.”

“As you know, it’s almost my own office, so there’s almost no one going in or out. A maid who comes by for tea and a maid who’s in charge of sleeping.”

“Look into them. We’ll have to make a thorough investigation without missing anyone.”

It seemed like the case of the spirit stone mine was over, but Gustav raised his head with an ‘ah!’ exclamation.

“There is one more.”

“Who.”

“The Emperor stopped by once.”

Esteban smiled and looked back at the papers.

No matter how much of a genius she is, a child who doesn’t even know how to write can’t write documents.

Suddenly, he remembered the day he saw Mabel in the office.

“Was it that day? The cute Mabel with her hair tied in pigtails gave me the rabbit doll.”

“……”

Gustav was speechless.

‘You remember all that?’

Gustav swallowed the question in his mind, fearing that he was around the daughter of the stand-in-Emperor for two days and one night.

Gustav would be surprised to learn that Esteban had found a glass case and even placed preservation magic on the rabbit doll.

“Anyway, look into the maids.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Then what about the Emperor……”

“Mabel? What kind of nonsense is that. What does a little child know?”

She was at an age that couldn’t be busy with size. what was she doing now?

He always missed her, but right now, Esteban missed her terribly.

“Then I’ll leave now. Work hard, Gustav.”

“Yes? Yes……”

After leaving Gustav who had the complexion of a dying man, Esteban headed straight to Mabel’s bedroom.

Upon arriving at the door, Lissandro appeared.

“I greet the stand-in-Emperor.”

“What about Mabel?”

“She is probably sleeping.”

It was a shame she wasn’t awake, but maybe it’s a good thing.

‘Cause if Mabel’s asleep, she won’t tell me to go even if I’m watching her.’

The bedroom was still. A tiny breath could be heard from all the silence.

He approached the bed, erasing his presence.

On an oversized bed, a small baby was sleeping quietly.

She was so small, at first glance, it looked like an empty bed.

With feverish, disheveled pink hair, Mabel was on a trip to dreamland without knowing the world.

“……she’s sleeping soundly”

Esteban sat on the beg and arranged the hair that was tickling the baby’s face. The white cheeks were fully exposed.

Suddenly there was a smile.

“Gustav is out of his mind. To include this child in the investigation.”

Was he senile? He’s still in his 20s.

Esteban, who thought he would give him a paid vacation after the urgent work, touched Mabel’s finger out of habit.

Maybe she felt the touch since she wriggled, but her fingers were so chubby.

She looked like a baby angel crouching with her eyes closed.

“Sleep well, Mabel.”

Esteban kissed the child’s forehead, hoping that tomorrow, the vulgar Mabel would give him a smile.

“Mm.”

Mabel who was eating ice cream till her stomach exploded in her dream, didn’t know anything.

***

Today was finally the day of the regular meeting.

‘Oh, just how much I’ve been looking forward to it!’

I couldn’t wait to see Duke Javier’s depressed face.

“Hihihi.”

I couldn’t stop laughing.

People looked at me and said a few words as I was laughing helplessly over and over again on the bed.

“Madame, Her Majesty keeps smiling. She must be in a good mood!”

Lalima spoke as if she were curious.

“She is.”

Xavier reached out to me at the nanny’s answer.

“Your Majesty. Why are you so happy?”

“Oong? Joost…… eberyting!” (Huh? Just…… everything!)

Then Lalima’s eyes shone.

“Everything? then what about me?”

“Like!”

Lalima screamed and made a fuss.

‘Oh, it’s loud.’

The nanny, who usually scolded her for being noisy, was quiet for some reason.

I stopped rolling and looked at the nanny. She was staring at me with wishful eyes.

‘What? It, it’s not……?’

“Your Majesty, what about me?”

Ah, it was.

“L-like.”

The nanny turned around hurriedly covering her mouth. I think you’re trying to save your dignity, but I’ve already seen it.

‘I already saw your mouth go up……’

I was only able to get away after even Xavier asked and I said I liked them.

“Sigh……”

It’s hard to play with adults.

As soon as I finished breakfast, I got ready to go out for the meeting.

It’s easy to work, but I was only done when I wore a gorgeous and pretty dress and a bonnet on my hair.

“It really is a problem. You’re already lovely, but you keep getting more adorable……”

“Dat’s nwot it……” (That’s not it……)

“I’m already about to cry……”

I left the nanny in the bedroom.

I had some time left until the meeting, so I decided to have a snack in the garden.

“Hmm~!”

I’ve been walking a lot these days, so I’ve been having a lot of fun because the frequency of falling has decreased.

‘I have to become adult soon.’

As I was walking with a solemn pledge, someone popped out from behind the post.

“Your Majesty!”

“Enwique!” (Enrique!)

It was Oscar’s sword mate, Enrique Javier.

I was glad to see Enrique, who was brilliant and cute today too. But if Enrique had one disadvantage, would that be his name…..?

‘It’s so hard to pronounce. Who’s Enwique?’

Anyway, Enrique was bright again today.

“Wha dwid you cwome? (Why did you come?)

“I came with my father today. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you.”

Sting.

“Ah, I thwee…..” (Ah, I see…..)

The word ‘father’ that popped out of Enrique’s mouth stabbed me unconsciously.

Because I was happy that I had given a blow to Duke Javier.

I felt guilty, so I couldn’t just let Enrique go.

I pulled the hem of his clothes.

“Woud you wike to hab cake wid me?” (Would you like to have cake with me?)

“Gasp. Is that okay?”

“Ob couse!” (Of course!)

“It’s an honor to my family.”

When I arrived at the garden with Enrique, snacks were set up as if they were waiting.

“I’ll have to prepare some more snacks.

The nanny soon ordered Enrique’s share of snacks.

‘Chocolate cake…..!’

The chocolate cake made by the patissier directly under the imperial family boasted a tremendous taste.

It’s a heavenly taste that is incomparable to any cake I had during the leap year.

‘I’ve never had such an expensive cake in the first place.’

I took a clumsy hold of a baby fork and took a big bite of the cake.

Let’s put it in my mouth all at once……

“Dewicious…..” (Delicious…..)

The taste of soft chocolate that blends with a moist sheet. It disappeared from my mouth before I could admire its sweetness.

I moved my fork so many times that my plate was quickly emptied.

‘The amount is too humanly small.’

Even if I’m a baby, I can normally eat a half. One fourth a piece is too little.

A plate popped out in front of me when I was agonizing at the absurdity.

It was a plate of an untouched cake.

“Go ahead, Your Majesty.”

“No. Enwique eat.”

“I came after eating a meal so I’m full!”

Enrique patted his stomach with exaggeration. I stared blankly at his performance.

‘He also has a hard time against a baby…..’

His effort was fantastic, so I was willing to accept his cake.

Enrique’s share was much larger than mine.

As I was eating the cake without thought, I suddenly realized that Enrique’s cheeks were red.

“Hewe. Wat?” (Here. What?)

Pointing to his cheek, Enrique smiled openly when I asked.

“Ah. This is a mosquito bite. You know mosquitos, right? it’s a bug.”

“Bwug.”

“Bug.”

“Oong. Bwug.”

Enrique laughed slightly as if my pronunciation was funny. But I stared at his cheek without laughing.

‘No matter how I see it, it looks like he was hit…..’

But even if I looked at Enrique’s exposed flesh, nothing was wrong except that one swollen cheek.

‘Was he really bitten by a strong mountain mosquito?’

Enrique’s smile was so bright that it didn’t even occur to me that he was lying.

But for a long time, my gaze did not fall off Enrique.

***

The regular meeting has begun.

There was a man who stayed silent while the rest of the subjects were voicing their opinions…..

It was Duke Javier!

I glimpsed at Duke Javier in the middle of my remarks to see if other people thought the same.

“What do you think, Lord Javier?”

“I agree with you.”

On top of that, he somehow complied with other people’s opinions. There were quite a few points to watch from the meeting.

Duke Javier who was obviously reserved, while the rest of the aristocrats who look much more comfortable.

As expected, peace is the best. I hope it’s peaceful forever.

It was then when I was content with the peace I brought.

I met eyes with Duke Javier.

“…..?”

I smiled and watched. I won’t spit on your smiling face. By the way-.

Oh.

‘You’re smiling?’

I don’t think it’s time for you to laugh.

You’re supposed to be heartbroken because I’ve taken away all the merit of your spirit stone mine monopoly, but you’re smiling?

The smile disappeared from my face from being flustered, but Duke Javier kept smiling.

‘I’m nervous for some reason.’

I longed for this peace to last forever.

It was my vain wish…..

***

That night, an official letter arrived from the Javier family.

Gustav’s eyes, which inadvertently opened the letter, grew so big that his eyeballs popped out.

“…..Crazy bastard!”

Frightened, the thrown letter fluttered down.

.

.

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[I would like to ask Her Majesty, Mabel Winter Gardenia Ermano, to marry Enrique Javier.]