[Translator – Angel Dust]
[Proofreader – Prototype]
Chapter 179
I once again soothed my niece and handed her back to Rika.
As soon as she left my arms, my niece seemed to be on the verge of tears, but when I stayed close, she decided to hold it in, as if saying, ‘I’ll let it slide this time!’
“It seems our daughter already adores her uncle.”
Your Highness, you’re not jealous, are you? Don’t worry, I haven’t stolen your wife’s heart. I’m just good at soothing a baby.
“I’ve heard. After Hyzens and the Holy See, it seems Lasker will be next.”
“Yes, Your Highness. For Lefia’s sake, I think it’s right to visit at least once.”
“I understand your intentions, brother-in-law. But there’s no way to avoid diplomatic issues entirely.”
I nodded in agreement with the Crown Prince’s words.
Hyzens and Lasker both acknowledged the Empire’s superiority and bowed before it. There’s also Avileshti, but there’s no reason for me to visit there, so let’s set that aside.
Anyway, at first glance, they might seem similar, but there are differences if you look closer.
Hyzens formed an alliance with the Empire against the common enemy Luzernes and shed blood together.
On the other hand, Lasker, although the Empire won a decisive victory, did engage in a war with the Empire. They were the ones who caused bloodshed.
While both are currently cooperating with the Empire, the atmosphere is different.
In that situation, if Lefia, who could have threatened the current Lasker Queen’s position, and the son of an imperial soldier who nearly destroyed Lasker, were to visit together, it would surely cause another uproar.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed their concerns about that.”
“Don’t blame them too much. They’re just doing their job.”
“Of course. How could I blame the hardworking officials of the Empire?”
If they weren’t doing their job well, I would criticize them. But since they’re doing a good job, there’s no reason to.
And I also understand that from Lasker’s perspective, my visit with Lefia would be burdensome.
Even though I’m not a Count yet, I can still think politically to that extent.
“But you still intend to go, don’t you, brother-in-law?”
“Yes. I apologize, Your Highness.”
“It’s fine. She’s a woman who must miss her homeland, and if she marries you in the future, she’ll have even fewer chances to visit. It’s better for her to go now while she can.”
It’s times like these when I’m thankful that the Crown Prince dotes on his wife.
Even though my visit would require the Empire to make some concessions to Lasker, he’s saying it’s better for me to go.
“When are you planning to go?”
“I’m thinking of going on the summer break.”
“Summer break. So, about a month or two? A month and a half left?”
“Roughly around that time.”
“Then we should inform Lasker of your visit through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by next week.”
I cautiously asked the Crown Prince what kind of reason they were planning to use.
The answer I received was both absurd and befitting of the future emperor of the Empire.
“Honestly. A woman who was once your royalty wishes to form a bond with a noble of our Empire. Before that, the noble of our Empire wishes to inform them of this as her future husband and son-in-law. That’s what we’ll say.”
“Um…”
“Why beat around the bush? It’s true that our Empire is making a concession, but that doesn’t mean we have to be submissive. So, brother-in-law, act confidently. We’re only yielding out of courtesy, not because we’re inferior in terms of justification or power.”
In short, he was telling me not to back down, even if it meant causing another incident like my previous visit to Lasker.
Touched by the Crown Prince’s words, I expressed my gratitude.
“Don’t mention it, brother-in-law. You’re not only my brother-in-law and the princess’ uncle, but also the pride and honor of the Empire. So you can afford to be a little more assertive.”
The Crown Prince patted my shoulder, encouraging me not to worry.
I was about to reply that I would serve the imperial family with even greater loyalty in the future.
“That being said, brother-in-law.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Do you have any special methods?”
“Sorry?”
Suddenly asking such a question without any context left me wondering how to respond.
I blinked, waiting for him to complete his question.
“Well, whenever I hold our princess, she cries, but when you hold her, she immediately stops and stares intently.”
“Ah.”
“I was hoping you could share any tips you might have. Is that possible?”
For a moment, I almost looked at him with eyes full of pity.
Oh dear. A father already feeling neglected by his daughter, or perhaps even worse.
I felt so sorry for my brother-in-law that I wanted to offer him some comfort.
But there was a problem. In fact, it was the most important issue.
“Your Highness, I apologize, but I don’t have any special methods.”
“No special methods?”
“No, Your Highness. I don’t do anything in particular when I hold the princess.”
After all, I don’t have any children. I’m not even married yet.
It’s not right to ask me, ‘How can I hold a baby properly?’
The Crown Prince must know this. In fact, he’s probably well aware.
But for him to ask such a favor, it must mean the situation is quite urgent.
“Your Highness.”
Rika, holding my niece, gave me a look of disapproval.
But this time, the Crown Prince didn’t give up and asked me again.
“Are you really sure there’s nothing? Even the smallest, most trivial thing would be helpful.”
“Your Highness.”
“Every time I hold her, she cries so pitifully that it breaks my heart. I want to see my daughter peacefully nestled in my arms too!”
“…”
At this rate, the Crown Prince might start crying before his daughter does.
In the end, I agreed and told him everything I could think of.
I wasn’t sure if it would actually be helpful or not.
“That’s enough, Your Highness. Karl needs to leave soon… Karl?”
“Ah, you’re right. I’ll be late if I don’t go now. Your Highness.”
“I’ve kept you too long. I apologize, brother-in-law. You should head back.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Then—”
Waaah! Waaah! Waaaah!—
Oh dear, niece. Why are you crying again?
You’re making it hard for your uncle to leave…!
Rika gestured for me to go.
But seeing my niece who showed no signs of stopping, I couldn’t bring myself to leave.
“Sis, wait a moment.”
In the end, I had to hold and soothe my niece once again until she calmed down.
* * *
Ministry of Education, Department of Historical Records.
“…It’s done.”
“Finally!”
The officials, with dark circles under their eyes, jumped up from their seats in unison.
Two years of hard work and tedious overtime had finally come to an end.
“Quickly contact the Minister! Tell him we’re ready to publish!”
“Yes, sir!”
As someone rushed out, the Chief of the Department of Historical Records slumped back in his chair with his colleagues.
It had been a long and tiring battle, filled with immense pressure.
This was no ordinary task, and any mistake could lead to major problems.
That’s why, for the past few months, they had camped out in the Ministry of Education, even giving up their time off.
They ate, washed, and slept there, leading the work from the front lines.
“Chief! We have a magic communication from the Minister!”
“Connect it immediately.”
‘Look at that, the communication device rang right after we sent someone. The Minister must have been working too, but to respond this quickly, he must have been waiting for the news.’
[ I heard the news, Chief. The work is finally done. ]
“Yes, Minister. We’ve completed thorough verification and proofreading. We’re ready for distribution.”
[ Send a few copies to the Ministry of War’s Public Affairs Department first. If they find no issues, we’ll start distributing them to the Imperial Academy and other places. ]
“Yes, sir!”
[ Oh, and one more thing. ]
The most important part. The words that everyone in the Department of Historical Records had been waiting for.
[ You and the Department of Historical Records staff will receive a month’s paid leave as a reward after all the work is finished. ]
“Wow! Minister!”
[ Of course, you can’t all leave at once. Manage the staff so they can take turns. ]
“Yes, sir! Thank you so much!”
A month of paid leave. This wasn’t just a simple break.
Such a long vacation as a reward meant they had received significant additional points for their work performance, which would greatly impact their promotions.
With this joyful news, the Department of Historical Records was in a festive mood.
It felt like their hard work was finally paying off.
“Then quickly send a few copies to the Ministry of War’s Public Affairs Department! We need to check their response!”
“Yes, sir!”
The item they were all busily carrying under their arms.
– Imperial War Heroes ?Latest Edition? –
– (Sergeant Karl Adelheit Section Added) –
[Translator – Angel Dust]
[Proofreader – Prototype]
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