The Emperor Who Was Chapter 32 : Chapter 32

Chapter . 32

“That child is still an apprentice mage.”

“Do you think I don’t know that? She isn’t even wearing a mage robe.”

But that child had a talent that none of the others here possessed. Anti-magic, which nullifies magic, sothing only I could recognize.

My guess is that among the famous knights who led the mage hunts until the second dragon following Calamitia awakened, there were anti-magic users.

“How is that child’s skill?”

When the Duke asked, one mage answered.

“She has the least skill, so she is becoming a hindrance to other mages as well. Therefore, we were planning to send her back to the orphanage next month.”

“I thought so.”

I said without missing the beat.

“A child whom no one cares for; my heart goes out to her because she is just like

in my childhood.”

It was intended as an excuse, but after saying it, it really was true.

“I want to take care of her like a younger sister.”

My nanny’s daughter died when she was a baby. If she had lived, she would have been my milk sibling. Though she would have only suffered.

“If you truly insist, there is no helping it. Since Your Highness is weak to affection.”

Saying that, Grimiati gave

one of Mother’s portraits as a gift.

However, I could not leave without having a al with the Duke. Since the Duke kept his promise regarding the price of the bet, refusing would be disrespectful. Also, I was curious about stories of Mother.

Although I rejected his words first, since he is a person who only talks about what he wants anyway, I intended to pretend to lose and listen if he brought up stories at his own whim again.

The dining hall of the Duke’s mansion was the largest after the Imperial Palace. However, only the Duke and I were seated.

The nobles among the Duke’s vassals all greeted , but they did not dine together. Only the highest-ranking ones remained to serve.

“My vassals are people who know how to be considerate of the cozy ti between a maternal cousin and his first cousin once removed.”

Would it have been like this even if Maximilian ca? The Duke, who didn’t want to hold a banquet for , spoke shalessly.

“I have prepared special food for Your Highness the Prince.”

Perhaps to make up for that point, Grimiati’s attitude toward

was extrely polite.

Nobles of high status, no less than the Emperor’s chamberlains, personally brought food, drinks, and water for washing, so them serving

directly was hospitality enough.

However, the Duke received the food from them and served

directly. Even though originally, the host only needs to pour the first glass of drink and share only the most important dishes.

Even during the al, without signaling a servant because a glass was empty or a servant approaching first, the Duke did everything himself from beginning to end.

It was suspicious why a person completely unsuited for such service was acting so politely.

“It is a swan I hunted myself for Your Highness. How is the taste?”

It is standard hospitality for a lord to serve at from a beast he hunted himself, but I am a person who wouldn’t notice even if served dostic duck instead of wild swan.

“It is very good. I thank you for your sincerity, Duke.”

“It seems it does not suit your taste; I will have it removed.”

I originally rarely encountered delicious cuisine, so I didn’t know taste. However, whether wandering or when I ascended the throne, I ate food without complaint, so no one noticed. By then, any delicacy tasted the sa once it entered my mouth.

Even I don’t know if I consider this food tasteless or not, so how did this guy know?

Still, since he offered other food and I was eating it for now, he said sothing strange again this ti.

“Her Majesty the Empress enjoyed this dish very much when she was pregnant with Your Highness the Prince, and you like it as well, Your Highness.”

It just feels easier to digest than swan at, not more delicious. My expression hasn’t changed from before or now.

“Did you want to find that out until now?”

I stared at him in disbelief, but the Duke continued speaking nonchalantly.

“It is an exquisite dish of the Roncer Empire.”

“There were those who presented

with clothes of the Roncer Empire, and now there are those who treat

to its cuisine.”

I retorted with the intention that you and Rhiannon should just date each other and leave

alone, but Grimiati said sothing unexpected.

“Roncer’s clothes suited you well. To the extent that it would be flawless even if you claid the throne of Roncer as is.”

“…What do you an?”

Roncer and Armatia fought countless tis over succession rights, and when it was severe, they fought for a hundred years.

Since the damage to both countries was imnse, they now tried to resolve it through prenuptial negotiations if possible. In a way that gives more dowry for the Imperial Princess but confiscates the succession rights passed down through the maternal line.

The Mother Empress did so as well, so neither Maximilian nor I had succession rights to Roncer. And Roncer didn’t lack candidates for imperial succession either.

“What aning do secular negotiations have over the sacred imperial throne? It depends on the holy will of the God Traneha, not the lowly greed of people. Since you are soone who has received a revelation, you should be able to guess enough.”

The very person in charge of those prenuptial negotiations said without batting an eyelid.

“If I receive a divine revelation to ascend to the throne of Roncer, you would be removing a competitor for Maximilian?”

“Removing, you say. Who would dare use such disrespectful words to Your Highness. As for , I simply wish to see Her Majesty the Empress’s two sons ascend to the throne side by side.”

“…Then send Maximilian.”

Or you go, Roncer. You are also a collateral relative on that side for now.

“Your Highness resembles Her Majesty the Empress more than Maxim.”

“Thank you for inviting , Grimiati.”

I imdiately kicked back my chair and stood up.

Grimiati was too skilled in machinations to be ignored as soone whose head was filled with vain delusions. I shouldn’t get swept up in the conspiracies he creates.

If he stirs up Roncer using , and I get assassinated by maternal cousins I’ve never even seen while swept up in it, it becos advantageous for my brother, so he has nothing to lose.

“Thank you for coming. I hope you will recognize my loyalty toward Your Highness soday.”

“Until such a day cos, please keep your life intact, Duke Grimiati.”

Once we exchanged farewells, I took the child and got into the carriage. Thinking about it after getting on, I felt anger surge because I didn’t even get to hear stories of Mother due to Grimiati talking nonsense.

However, since my expression was bad, the child riding with

looked terrified, so I forcibly suppressed my anger. Even if I wanted to say sothing, I didn't know how to treat a young girl. It was more difficult than talking to a dragon.

Eventually, both of us kept our mouths shut until we arrived at the Imperial Palace. Still, we couldn't keep doing that.

“What is your na?”

When I asked her na first after returning to my quarters, the girl answered sharply even while trembling.

“I don’t sleep with n. n who try to sleep with

are bad!”

To think like this in an era where it doesn’t violate the law for noble ladies to sleep with their husbands if they are over twelve… Even if she can’t do magic, she was smart.

I was about to nod and praise her saying she was right, but the girl burst into tears, crying “Waaaaah.” At the sa ti, she sank to the floor.

I was completely bewildered.

The girl who burst into tears soon covered her mouth with her own hands and held it back, hiccuping.

What should I do? Talk to her? What should I even say?

Since I couldn't find my teacher anyway, seeing the young anti-magic user being sent back to the orphanage reminded

of my childhood, so I just brought her along as well. Am I raising this kid too?

Michelon is a dragon at least, but how am I supposed to raise a girl? The woman I’ve talked to the longest isn’t even my teacher but Rhiannon? A man like that shouldn’t raise a girl!

“Sob… H-hic… Sob sob…….”

The child continued to cry, and I watched blankly, then poured a glass of milk, which was now provided in my room, and placed it in front of the child. I also placed a handkerchief.

After that, I also sat on the floor. It wasn't fitting for a Prince's dignity, but I was ntally and physically exhausted so I couldn't stand, yet I didn't want to sit on a chair alone in front of a crying child.

“Sob sob…….”

The child tried to hold back her tears while glancing at

like that. While biting her own hand.

“You may cry as much as you want.”

“Waaaaah!”

I regretted it imdiately. Is this not it? As expected, I shouldn’t have spoken.

My nanny used to hug and soothe

when I cried. But if I touch this child, she will be more afraid.

The child cried for a long ti. As if she had many accumulated tears during that ti.

I also had many things I had held back, so I wanted to cry together. But I held it in because I was afraid the child would be flustered and unable to focus on her own crying. I missed my nanny. Did my nanny also have many tis when she wanted to cry together when I cried?

After listening to her cry silently for a long ti, the child finally stopped barely.

“Drink the milk.”

I should comfort her first, but I was in a hurry because I was afraid the child would beco exhausted.

The child drank obediently. She wiped her face with the handkerchief even without being told.

“…I am sorry…….”

Then she apologized with a subdued voice.

“Your words are correct, so you do not need to apologize. Also, such a thing will not happen, so do not worry.”

“Yes…….”

“Who taught you to say that?”

I didn't know what to say, so I asked anything, but the girl shut her mouth tight. She was brighter than

when I was young.

“…I cannot do magic.”

After a long while, she said that. With a discouraged voice.

“It is fine if you cannot. If you stayed there, you would have returned to the orphanage. Do you want to do that?”

The girl shook her head.

“Was it good staying at the Duke’s mansion?”

She shook her head again.

“Everyone said I had no talent… That they were deceived.”

“That is not so. You have your own talent. You will co to realize it gradually, so do not worry.”

The girl looked like she didn’t believe it.

It was no wonder. Since an anti-magic user received training among mages.

Anti-magic users have sensitivity to magic power, so they are considered material for mages when young, but because of their disposition opposing magic, they cannot perform magic.

‘Expecting that they will be able to do it soday, they only pass ti, growing old without becoming a mage or having any other occupation.’

However, I think anti-magic is incredibly useful if used properly.

The Portrait Ring only interferes with other artifacts, but anti-magic disrupts a mage’s magic. Being a living obstacle in the magic field, it nullifies or weakens a mage’s magic. Although a circle mage like

isn't affected regardless of the external environnt since the circle is an internal magic field itself.

“…I think Your Highness is thinking wrongly… Everyone mistreated . Because I was so bad at it, even those watching felt like their magic wasn’t working well.”

Since she is still young and has no concept of anti-magic, the influence must have stopped at that level.

“Let’s just get one thing straight. Do you want to beco a mage?”

“No.”

The child’s voice beca clear again.

“Even though I said I didn’t want to because mages are scary, they dragged

forcibly, then scolded

for not being able to do it; I’m sick of it!”

The resentnt contained in her voice.

Surprised by her own loud voice, the child beca discouraged again and shut her mouth.

“Then was it good being at the Duke’s mansion?”

Because it was awkward, I kept making her talk. Whether the child got angry or cried, it was much better to listen to the child’s story than for

to speak.

“…I didn’t starve like in the orphanage. Are you going to send

back to the orphanage?”

“No.”

But the child had a face of disbelief.

“Really, no.”

“…….”

“I will absolutely not send you.”

“…Thank you, Prince. If I have real talent, I will work really, really hard…….”

Combined with my age before regression, I am old enough to be this child’s father, but let alone raising her, I don’t even know what to say.

“It is fine if you cannot.”

“…Do you also think I won’t be able to do it?”

“You can accomplish it. You can do other things too. I just an that I won’t kick you out for not being able to do it, so there is no need to be scared.”

A face that looked even more scared.

It’s frustrating, but I understand. A child who has suffered from a young age under the pressure of having to prove her worth sohow while living on others’ charity.

How should I treat her to make her feel at ease?

“You resemble my dead nanny.”

“…Pardon? ?”