Chapter 5 – Episode 5. Astrid Is Desperate
Even after achieving the great achievement of consuming most of the continent, Kreuz von Einhafen did not do such a meaningless thing as rebuilding the Imperial Palace. He only changed the name to the Imperial Palace as it was, and is using it as it is.
And at the back of the palace, there was a small garden that only those who had permission from the emperor could enter.
There, Kreuz and Leopold were sitting across from each other at a small table.
“Leopold.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Aren’t there just two of you?”
“Yes, Father.”
Something like formality is fine.
Kreuz was not particularly of the sort of formality.
Originally, he had a simple, bold, and reckless personality, but even after becoming the emperor, that personality did not change.
“So, are you satisfied now?”
“What do you mean?”
A puzzled light appeared on Leopold’s face.
There was nothing to pinpoint at all. He never had any complaints about anything, and he never really thought about it.
When Kreuz asked if he was satisfied with that, Leopold couldn’t understand his intention.
“Are you satisfied with letting Asti come to the academy?”
Kreuz smiled sinisterly and looked at his son with his hands clasped.
“It has been said since ancient times that there is no man who rejects a beautiful woman. I’m not saying that he’s my friend’s child, but isn’t Asti the best? Besides, as my daughter-in-law, if you stop using force… No, not enough, but enough to overflow.”
‘That’s what I was talking about… ‘
Leopold tried to straighten his self-frowning face and forced a smile.
“Father, I think you have misunderstood something. I’m really asti… Not that I don’t particularly like Astrid. In the first place, women aren’t all characters.”
“If not all characters, what more do you need?”
“For example… “
But when I said that, I was speechless.
No matter how much Leopold thought about it, there was nothing that Astrid could claim as disqualifying as her crown prince.
Speaking of family, she is the eldest daughter of the Grand Duchess of Mitterien, and while Mitterien is a founding contributor, she is a prestigious family who has distanced herself from power by receiving the northern territory, which is not the capital, but rather a remote area.
Speaking of her appearance, as Kreutz said, her appearance is as close to perfection as it is praised for being of the highest quality.
Speaking of military power, thanks to the fact that he received two blessings from the stars, his own military power is already insufficient and overflows.
“… Is there something wrong with your personality?”
“You mean personality?”
Hmmm— Kreuz brushed his beard.
As a king, and now as an emperor, he went through many social events.
Thanks to this, Kreuz was also very aware of Astrid’s reputation in the social world.
A cynical and straightforward way of speaking due to not being able to turn the words around, and words and actions that seem more reckless because they pursue practicality rather than formality.
“But isn’t that kind of personality more suitable for a crown princess?”
“Yes?”
“You are stubborn and do not easily listen to what others say, and if you do not believe it with your own eyes, your personality does not easily yield to the slanders of treacherous officials, and speaking straight about what is right and wrong will make you, the future emperor, make good choices. To the role of guide. It is certain that he will be the best companion for you.”
At Kreuz’s resolute words, Leopold was dumbfounded.
“… The bean pods are tight, father.”
“I’m leaving, Your Majesty.”
“Okay, go in carefully.”
As he left the garden and retreated from the palace, Leopold let out a sigh as he tried to calm the irritation that was welling up inside him.
He said that if a person looks pretty, he just looks pretty no matter what he does or says.
Right now, his father and Emperor Kreuz was just that.
Like a snake whose insides are unknown, and whose appearance is like a lofty leopard, why on earth do they like a woman who is like a snake who is deceived by the subject?
I don’t know what kind of wind blew to the academy he hated coming to so much that he would come along, but Leopold hated even that.
4 years.
He figured that after four years of separation, he would be able to find a good excuse to break off the engagement.
Perhaps, at the academy, he might be able to find a young lady whom he had not known before, perhaps a young lady more suited to the crown princess than Astrid.
And doing so may turn his father’s heart and lead to a breakup.
Even if that’s not the case, somehow he will be able to break off the engagement. Yeah, somehow
However, that plan also collapsed due to Astrid’s change of heart.
How did Astrid find out about Leopold’s ulterior motive, they declared their entry into the academy in the presence of each other’s fathers.
And as a result, the result that Kreutz was even more satisfied with—
‘Snake bitch… !’
Just thinking about it makes my teeth gritty.
No matter how much she sharpened her sword behind her beautiful face, she was able to solidify her position as the Crown Princess in one go.
‘I got hit… ‘
All the way back to the crown prince’s womb, Leopold’s anger began to grow more and more.
Angry and cynical
‘On a topic that has nothing to promote except appearance, family, personal power, wealth, and honor… ‘
Now, the academy’s initiation ceremony is right around the corner next week.
I want to run to Kreuz again and ask him to revoke his admission to the academy, but I can’t.
‘Damn it, damn it, damn it!’
*
“Oops… How can my lady do all this by herself… “
Of course, the academy was located in the capital, Persant, but it took a full week by carriage to reach the academy.
Since it was a long distance and she would not return home until after vacation, the nanny was wiping Astrid’s tears while packing her things.
Meals were provided by the academy, but it was the academy’s rule that cleaning the room, washing the clothes, and other minor chores had to be done by oneself.
Astrid, of course, since she was born with a noble body, she would have done nothing on her own, but the current Astrid was not like that.
‘I have been self-employed for over 10 years… There’s nothing I can’t do alone.’
Astrid has plenty of experience in washing, cleaning, and even cooking.
But even that was something she couldn’t say openly, so Astrid sat with her legs crossed and flipped through the academy entry guide.
Three days have passed since Wolfgang and Ashley set out to intercept the aliens who invaded the territory.
Now that all the books in the Grand Duke’s residence have been searched and no more records of Astrid can be found, now he was just wasting time meaninglessly day by day.
“Miss.”
“Huh.”
“Can’t you just follow me at least?”
Even though she is already in her seventies, she is a nanny who has thought of Astrid like her real daughter.
Unfortunately, the girl is in a state of change now, but the nanny can’t know that, and she just lost her mother right after she was born, and she is over ten years old, wandering around the battlefield and living a life of an ordinary girl. She should look like a young lady who has lived a distant and rough life.
“Nurse.”
There was no need to say that, so Astrid closed the handbook and hugged the nanny.
“I am not going to die. I’m just going to school. I’ll be back when I’m on vacation. Don’t worry too much Because His Highness Leopold is there too.”
“I’m even more worried now that His Highness is here… Miss… “
“Huh?”
She thought she would be relieved if he said that he was by the prince’s side.
She did, but the nanny said that she was more worried about it, so Astrid was embarrassed as well.
“Why? The Crown Prince is by your side, so why are you worried?”
“How many evil foxes are there trying to take the position of Crown Princess… Lady, even if those wicked foxes bared her teeth to you, she would not be able to resolutely strike them down with your tender nature, and this old man would not let go of her spirit… “
Eventually, the nanny picks up her handkerchief and steals her eyes.
I roughly understood.
Once the first emperor of Einhafen, the great empire, establishes the foundation, the next emperor will receive the halo.
And since the empress, who was by the side of the emperor, would be the center of power comparable to that of her emperor, those who were aiming for her position would be innumerable.
‘Under… Should I pretend to be sick?’
Ganggol, Astrid, who didn’t even catch a cold.
When he wakes up, Astrid said he had been knocked down just once.
If I lie down sick now, it would upset me again, and I could cancel my admission to the academy, but on the other hand, it was obvious that there would be a fairly big commotion.
“Nanny, don’t worry. I’m not that weak Come on, stop crying. You can pack again tomorrow, so let’s call it a day, huh?”
“Whew… Miss, yes… Yes, I showed ugliness. The young lady said she was going a long way, so I stopped… “
“No, no. I know you worry about your nanny. Yeah, don’t know everything. So stop. Let’s do it tomorrow Understand?”
“Whew… “
After pushing the nanny out of her room and shutting her door, she could barely breathe.
Then she removed her admission guide from the table and picked up her curriculum guide from underneath.
“… Comprehensive battalion tactical training, emergency dispatch preparation training, squad-level combat capability measurement, combat capability maintenance training in preparation for hot weather, combat capability maintenance training in preparation for severe cold weather, position simulation combat training… “
These are all familiar words.
Twice the real army.
It’s not enough to do these again, so 4 years?
To do this for four years?
“… Let’s just be female. That would be better.”
Despair bloomed on Astrid’s face.
