Chapter 8 – Childhood (3)
Childhood (3)
“Isabella, Marie~ What’s going on here? Didn’t you have a magic class today?”
Hehe, my sister and I came to have lunch with my brother.”
“This is a sandwich we made. We worked hard to make it, so give it a try~”
“Wow, thank you! I was already hungry, so I’ll eat well~”
Yuno looked forward to it and opened the lid of the basket they brought. However, the sandwiches that the princesses had made with their precious hands were completely ruined when they ran in, so Isabella and Marie’s faces instantly turned into tears.
“Ugh, the sandwich I made for you oppa broke.”
“This… It’s all because of Mari… I said I’d go slow… Ugh… Ugh”
Yuno was embarrassed to see her older sister and younger brother crying because of a sandwich, but she held them in her arms and consoled them.
“Thank you, Sister, Marie. Although it’s a little broken, it tastes better than any food to me. It’s a sandwich made by my sister and Marie, so how could it not be delicious?”
“Ugh. Really? Are you going to eat it even though it’s broken like this?”
“Don’t force yourself to eat it, Yuno… Ask the maids to make it again…”
Juno devoured Isabella’s sandwich before she even finished speaking. In any case, there was no food to cover, and Yuno’s body, which had just gone through a lot of training, was suffering from lack of nutrition, so Yuno ate the entire broken sandwich without leaving a single piece of bread behind.
“Mmm!! It’s delicious. It was really delicious. I think it’s especially delicious because my sister and Marie made it.”
As Yuno praised them, a blush appeared on Isabella and Marie’s cheeks. When the two saw their beloved younger brother and older brother, Yuno, eating delicious food, they even skipped class and felt rewarded after working hard all morning.
Hehe, I’m glad. My brother enjoyed the food, so I don’t think it was difficult at all.”
“Ah! But I ate it all, so my sister and Marie have nothing to eat. I’m sorry. I was so hungry that I ate it all without even thinking about it.”
“It’s okay, oppa. I’m full just from the delicious food you ate. Hehe.”
Isabella and Marie were so thankful and loving that Yuno ate the sandwich they had destroyed. Moreover, his older sister, Isabella, wanted to do even more for this lovely younger brother.
“Yuno, would you like me to make you a lunch box every day? If you enjoy it, I’m fine…”
At that time, Isabella’s words were interrupted by her maid Jean. It was a great act of disrespect to interrupt the Empress, but she had no qualms about it, as she was the most senior of her maids who had been by her Empress’s side for many years.
“Your Highness the Princess! No, that’s not right. Didn’t you promise us that you would just do this once today and let us go?”
“Oh my… Madeleine, please close your eyes. You know that I get good evaluations in all my classes, right?”
“If you really want to, please get permission from the Empress. If you do that, I will let you go.”
Isabella pouted her lips because there was no way that was possible. Her mother, Empress Yuria, was very strict when it came to her children’s education, so she even occasionally observed their classes.
“Phee~ There’s no need for social dancing or social conversation skills during morning classes… I’m not going to get married because I’m going to live with my mom, Yuno, and Mari for the rest of my life.”
“Your Majesty… What kind of big deal are you talking about? If His Majesty finds out, he will be shocked.”
It was common for princesses to enter into strategic marriages with royal families of other countries or with children of great nobles when they reached their age. However, Isabella and Marie did not want to live that kind of life, and requested Empress Yuria to learn magic and elemental arts, respectively.
Empress Yuria also wanted her daughters to live a different life than herself, so she actively supported this and found good teachers for them.
Because the talent of the two princesses was extraordinary, each of them had broken through the basic level and was learning the beginner level. They were even thinking of leaving the imperial palace when they became adults and mastered intermediate magic and intermediate elemental magic.
“If my father finds out, of course he will. He is already thinking about which country he should sell us to for profit.”
“You can’t say things like that!!”
The maid looked around her, worried that someone might hear her, but fortunately, no one heard her, and she let out a sigh of relief.
“Sleep~ Madeleine. Don’t be too angry. Sister, Marie. It’s only for today, right? Thank you for making me a sandwich, but you can’t miss class because mom will worry.”
When Yuno thought the story was going in a strange direction, he intervened appropriately and cut off the story.
“… Cheet. You said it was delicious… Okay. But are you going to eat dinner with us from today onwards?”
“That’s right, oppa. Do you have to come?”
Since Yuno often used the excuse of training to eat dinner at the knights’ restaurant, they took this opportunity to try to get a promise from Yuno. Although it was pressure from her sister and her older sister, who was not scared at all, Yuno smiled and answered that she would understand.
“So, I heard that the third princess is coming from the Kingdom of Leon today?”
“Yes, that’s right. That’s why Viscount Speyer said he was coming with an escort. There will be a welcoming ceremony later, so my sister and Marie should come too.”
“But you’re coming here as a hostage, so why bother holding a welcome ceremony?”
“The purpose is to invite guests and study abroad. You can’t just say welcome when a princess from another country is coming to save the empire, right?”
“Well… Then we’ll have dinner at the welcoming ceremony tonight. I guess Yuno is looking forward to it? I heard the third princess of the Kingdom of Leon is so pretty. She’s the same age as Yuno, right?”
“Sister! Marie will be holding her brother’s hand tightly because he might get possessed by that princess!!”
“Yes, Mari… Yuno is still young, so you have to protect her because she could be fooled just by looking at her face!! She will hold her right hand, so you hold her left hand.”
Yuno had to sigh because her older sister and her younger sister were particularly polarizing today. After lunch, Isabella and Marie headed back to the empress’ palace with tears in their eyes due to their class schedule, and Juno resumed her training.
As the sun was setting, Yuno, who had finished her training and was smiling as she felt her muscles becoming stronger, received a message telling her to come to her main palace. After returning to her own palace and quickly washing up, Juno changed into clean clothes with the help of servants, then boarded the carriage and headed to the main palace where the emperor resided.
When we arrived at the main palace and entered the Emperor Hall, the official residence where the emperor conducted business, many ministers and members of the royal family had already arrived. Yuno went next to his brothers who were lined up in front of him and bowed to them.
Then Crown Prince Prinz, who saw Yuno greeting her, was the first to speak to her.
“You’re a little late, Yuno.”
“I’m sorry, brother. It took me a while to wash up because I trained too hard.”
“Physical training is good, but from now on, do it in moderation on the days when official royal events are scheduled and make it a habit to come in advance.”
“Yes, I understand.”
The crown prince, who had been treating Yuno harshly for a while, relaxed her frozen face and smiled at her, stroking Yuno’s head.
“Hehe, is your training going well these days? Since I am weak, sometimes I envy your young stamina.”
“You will get well soon. Aren’t many doctors making excellent elixirs for your health every day?”
“Those elixirs didn’t improve my stamina. Haha. But I have no worries because I have such great brothers.”
Prinz hugged Juno and Heinrich’s shoulders and smiled, but Prince Heinrich frowned at her. And when Juno left the room for a while after being called by Yuria, Heinrich openly verbally abused her older brother.
“Why is your brother so pretty that you treat him so well? After all, he’s just the offspring of a lowly concubine.”
“Heinrich!! Although she is not our biological mother, she is definitely the empress of the Balkan Empire! Be careful of your words! And Juno is also our brother born to the empress!”
“Tch, I can’t accept a mother younger than me.”
Heinrich’s voice reached even Juno. Since the emperor had not yet arrived, it was a noisy reception by several nobles, but Juno, whose hearing was at the human limit, could clearly hear Henry’s voice, so Juno frowned at her.
‘Chet, the 2nd Prince’s brother has a filthy personality… It’s impossible for him to become Prime Minister under his rule… Wouldn’t that actually lead to a rebellion later? I wish you would let your guard down a little bit for me.’
The 2nd Prince Heinrich was 31 years old, 5 years older than the current Empress Yuria, and the Crown Prince was 33 years old. Heinrich usually did not treat Juno, Isabella, and Marie as royal family members, so Juno was annoyed, but decided to do so. Because of her initially rough personality, Heinrich was not on good terms with her older brother, the Crown Prince, and her younger sister, Princess Diane.
“His Majesty the Emperor enters”
No fuss for a while. When the emperor appeared, the palace became quiet. Along with him, Prime Minister Marquis Marc ascended the podium located below the throne and announced the start of the cabinet meeting.
“Hmm~ It’s been a while since I’ve attended a cabinet meeting. That’s right. You said that you must attend today, right? Today’s… Wow! The third prince also attended? Are you that old already? Time flies so quickly. Haha,”
When Yuno was mentioned by the emperor, he put his fist to his chest and bowed slightly to show his respect.
“Yes, yes, I heard that you have been studying hard these days. Is your training already comparable to that of the Imperial Guard Knights?”
“Your words are too much, Your Majesty. I can barely keep up with the trainees’ training.”
Yuno did not want to stand out, so he lowered himself to the emperor and spoke to him. However, the emperor, who had already received a detailed report on Juno’s physical abilities from Count Liechtenauer, smiled and said…
“Hehe, I’ve already seen and heard everything from the Commander of the Knights of the Guard. The Third Prince is working so hard, so I should give him a reward. The Prince said he’ll start practicing mana in a little while, so I’ll give him a fragment of the Dragon Heart that was handed down to the imperial family.” Br〉
“Your Majesty! That is an excessive reward!!”
When Emperor Heinrich stood up and opposed her, several nobles also started making noises and public opinion began to split.
“Hmm… Even though the Third Prince has excellent physical abilities… Wouldn’t it be too early to award him a Dragon Heart?”
“That’s because His Highness Prince Lee and you are civil servants and don’t know anything about the practice. The mana stones and mana grass that you eat when you just start the practice are really helpful!!”
“But in reality, His Highness the Third Prince, there is no achievement worthy of a reward, is there?”
“No~ Are you alto beggars who barely make a living through mercenary business because our empire has no money? Or are you Mexican hybrids who still make a living by hunting? Why is it so difficult to invest that much in a prince with a promising future?”
“When did I tell you not to invest? There aren’t even a few Dragon Hearts in the empire, so shouldn’t we use them in times of emergency?”
“This is why I’m talking to the desk bastards… It’s not a heart taken from a freshly dead dragon, it’s a piece that has been rotting in a treasure trove for decades!! It’s not as great a treasure as you think!! Moreover, as time goes by, the mana it possesses decreases. Will continue to scatter! It’s better to just give it to the prince!”
Bang bang bang!!!
“Quiet, quiet!! This is your royal court!! Refrain from speaking!!”
In the end, the commotion caused by Yuno’s award quieted down only after the Prime Minister started banging on the podium and shouting. When the hall became quiet, the smiling emperor opened his mouth again.
“Yes, I roughly understand your opinions. Since everyone seems to have split opinions, I will leave the decision to the crown prince. Prinz. What do you think?”
At the emperor’s words, the eyes of the ministers focused on the prince’s mouth. Then the crown prince stood up with a gentle smile and spoke.
“Of course, I think I can give Yuno that kind of reward. My younger brother is said to be training hard with the goal of becoming a knight who will protect the safety of our imperial family, so I think I can provide that level of support as an older brother.”
“Well said. Don’t you brothers have outstanding talents in each field? If you three brothers unite as one, the empire will become even more powerful in the future, and in your era, Prinz, you may even be able to destroy Tesseito.”< Br>
“Indeed, Your Majesty’s words are correct. His Highness Prince Prinz is well-versed in human relations, politics, and administration, and the Second Prince Heinrich has a firm grip on the economy. If the Third Prince Juno takes charge of the military sector, the empire will be There is no need to worry”
When Marquis García, the emperor’s secretary and closest confidant, flattered him, the royal court became noisy again as his ministers expressed sympathy, and the emperor’s smile grew even deeper as he imagined the three brothers uniting as one to lead the empire.
“I think what you said is wrong, Marquis García.”
However, the friendly atmosphere of the royal palace was shattered by Yuno’s words. Then Marquis García spoke to Juno in a trembling voice.
“Four… Third Prince. What do you mean by that? Your Majesty…”
“That’s right. I have no intention of being in charge of the military field. Being in charge of the empire’s military means wielding the greatest power in the empire! That is the domain of my brother, who will ascend to the throne in the future, and I, who will be a mere subject, should not overstep it. “
“But now, Your Majesty, you will receive the Dragonheart… Then you will be able to become the first sword of the Empire like Count Liechtenauer…”
“There is no law that says one’s strength is good enough to lead the army well. In fact, the current Imperial Swordsman, Count Liechtenauer, only holds the position of leader of the Knights of the Guard. Just like that, the only reason I train my body is to protect my family, as my name suggests. This is for protection, so please refrain from telling me to seize military power.”
Of course, the scope of Yuno’s family was a bit narrow, but the Emperor and Prince Prinz, who did not know that, seemed to be moved. That’s why a loud laugh immediately burst out of the emperor’s mouth.
Haha, yes, what the third prince said is indeed correct. The emperor is the only person with military authority in the empire, and from now on, the crown prince will have to take over that position. Haha.”
“I am devastated, Your Majesty”
“However, there is something that the Third Prince is still not aware of. The Emperor’s workload is not so small that he has to take care of every single thing, including the affairs of the military. In order to run this large empire, you have to handle numerous tasks every day. You still don’t know how helpful each and every confidant is, so the third prince should work hard to improve his military skills and assist the crown prince.
“Yes, I understand, Your Majesty!”
“Then, speaking of which, we will add military science classes to the third prince’s education starting tomorrow. Do you understand, Empress?”
“We will take such action, Your Majesty.
“And let Prince Lee learn how to care for her family from her younger sibling! When her younger sibling receives a small reward, the older brother gives it to her in a pitiful manner, so why bother to use it?”
“I apologize, Your Majesty!”
Yuno answered that he understood the solemn command of the emperor, but when classes were added for no reason, he grumbled inwardly.
The Crown Prince smiled benevolently as he looked at his younger brother, who said he understood what he was saying but had his mouth sticking out, and although Heinrich harbored resentment on the inside, he smiled leisurely on the outside.
‘Whew~ I have more things to study for no reason, but since I said this, the older brothers won’t keep me in check for no reason, right? Brother Prinz was always good to me… Brother Heinrich also had a good expression, so I think it helped resolve some of the misunderstandings.’
Heinrich’s hatred for his brothers deepened, but Juno, who had little social experience even in his previous life, had no way of knowing what Heinrich was up to.
*The 3rd princess of the Balkan Empire and Yuno’s younger sister. Marie Erika Windrage von Balkan Illustration
