Baby Tyrant

Chapter 40 - Aiden’s Situation

40. Aiden’s Situation

I, the Emperor, said it was okay, but there was no reason to object the stand-in-Emperor and Marquis Gardenia.

“Isn’t Mabel too young?”

Duke Javier responded vigorously.

“Her Majesty is still young, but she has the discernment to decide what is for the Empire. I’m sure her Majesty thinks so too.”

“……”

If that was opposed, I would become a child with no sense.

The stand-in-Emperor’s expression was frighteningly stiff, perhaps because he understood the Duke’s inner thoughts.

Feeling the chilly atmosphere in the conference room, I looked around the blue-faced subjects.

‘It’s amazing how they get scared the same way every time he gets angry.’

If I were you, I’d have money, land and buildings. I would resign and go down to the estate to live. Is power that good?

Anyway, we had to finish the meeting quickly. Because I had something important to do today.

‘Melon cake is coming out today as a snack!’

I grabbed the stand-in-Emperor’s hem.

“Rowal Fawthe.” (Royal Father.)

My voice became like the warm weather in spring for his cool face.

A friendly smiling stand-in-Emperor kneeled and looked at me.

“Yes, Mabel.”

“Ah’m gwoing, wain witual.” (I’m going, rain ritual.)

“But Mabel. Please reconsider. If you faint again, dad will…”

The stand-in-Emperor took a short breath and continued.

“And besides, it’s very dangerous outside the Imperial Palace. It is important to soothe the people’s feelings, but we cannot neglect your safety.”

“No. Ith not dangewous ath all.” (No. It’s not dangerous at all.)

I answered firmly. Fainting was actually just me acting, and at worst, it wasn’t a problem because I only had nosebleeds.

The stand-in-Emperor, who didn’t know the truth, frowned weakly as if he were worried.

“Mabel.”

Tyre shook his head at once.

“Thewe’th Lithandwo. Othe knighth are coming too. Whaths dangewous?” (There’s Lissandro. Other knights are coming too. What’s dangerous?)

“I don’t want to expose you to any possible danger-.”

I cut off the stand-in-Emperor’s words.

“Rowal Fawthe will altho be thewe.” (Royal Father will also be there.)

The remark was made in memory of the fact that the stand-in-Emperor ran around on a battlefield and became a renowned swordmaster when he was a prince.

Who would attack when Lissandro, the stand-in-Emperor, and knights are present?

It was a calculating idea, but the stand-in-Emperor called my name as if he were touched.

“…Mabel!”

“……?”

What are you thinking? With a very impressed face, he grabbed my little hands.

My whole hand was squeezed in his big hands.

Having both my hands caught, I was sweating profusely.

The stand-in-Emperor’s blue eyes were serious.

“I won’t betray your trust.”

“Ung…?”

Without being embarrassed, the stand-in-Emperor put strength into his hands.

“No matter what happens, I’ll be the one to protect Mabel.”

“Uung…?”

“What you want so much. Let’s do it, the rain ritual.”

“Uuung?”

I didn’t do anything special, but everything went well. I looked up with confused eyes at the stand-in-Emperor who had sweet eyes.

‘Good things are good, right?’

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I was about to think like that.

Clap. Clap.

Someone applauded. I was distracted by the stand-in-Emperor, so I forgot that this was a meeting hall.

One person’s applause soon spread, and everyone but Marquis Gardenia and the stand-in-Emperor were clapping.

Clap, clap, clap, clap.

A shower of applause…!

“As expected, Her Majesty is full of dignity!”

“Her Majesty is probably the only one who can stop His Majesty!”

‘No, wait.’

Isn’t that sentence a little dangerous?

I was surprised and looked up at the stand-in-Emperor, but he was smiling at me with honey eyes.

Haa. My sigh was deep. I was at home, but I felt like I wanted to go home.

‘This country really is weird…’

Anyway, the desired purpose of holding a rain ritual was fulfilled.

All that’s left was watching Duke Javier eat his own sh*t.

***

Aiden’s accommodation was in a remote place located in the corner of the Imperial Fortress. It had been unused for a long time, so it was an old building but had everything needed.

It was a luxurious facility for a resident who was once a hostage and a key figure watched by the stand-in-Emperor.

There were several opinions opposing the unconventional treatment, but they were ignored by Esteban.

A palace located at the end of the Imperial Fortress. That alone satisfied Esteban.

Because it’s the farthest building away from Mabel.

Esteban did not blink, despite the opposition that there was a possibility of escape because it was close to the gate.

It was because his daughter’s safety was more important than a hostage’s escape.

‘Is that how much you don’t want me to meet her?’

Sitting on the bed, Aiden looked out the window. The surveillance forces surrounding the detached house were seen.

It was so strict that a whole squad of knights were deployed to monitor only one person.

Aiden had never met Mabel since he moved from the prison to a separate palace.

He couldn’t even go out of the palace in the first place.

What was needed was brought after gaining permission and making sure that there was no danger.

Aiden found this treatment to be sufficient.

It was also a kind of warning that he would not let him go if he deviated from the surveillance network. But Aiden didn’t care.

‘This much is okay.’

The closer he got to Mabel, the more comfortable he felt, but even now, there was no risk of losing his mind even though she’s so far away.

In fact, Aiden had never been in a rush since he stepped into the Imperial Fortress.

This proved perfectly that if Ermano’s Emperor was around, the mind control would not work.

Aiden recalled the last time he saw the baby in prison.

“Wait a lwittle. Ah’ll gwet you out. Okway?” (Wait a little. I’ll get you out. Okay?)

In fact, the stand-in-Emperor, Esteban, came afterwards and Aiden was able to escape from the prison.

That was his first night at the annex.

Aiden felt a faint presence within his radius.

It was such a small presence that it was nerve-wracking, but not one or two of them wandered around him.

Aiden, who had been patient at first, eventually used his dark energy and captured the uninvited guest.

“Squeak!”

“Squeeaak!”

The uninvited guests struggled mournfully and cried. Aiden, who confirmed its existence, was speechless for a moment.

“…squeak?”

Fewer than ten mice caught in the creeping darkness were looking up mournfully with their red eyes wide open.

“Ha.”

He laughed.

Although there was no talent for understanding animals’ words, he could understand the rats desperate eyes asking for saving.

The behaviour of the mice seemed irregular.

Aiden easily predicted that someone was watching him through the mice.

“Squeeek…”

He didn’t mean to kill innocent animals.

Instead, Aiden opened up his energy a little and pressed the rats by the neck.

“Squeak, squeeak!”

The rats began to cry urgently, feeling threatened.

When it was judged that he had delivered the meaning of his warning, Aiden collected his energy.

“Squeak? Squeeeaaak-!!!”

Suddenly, the rats, who were free and puzzled, ran away as soon as they met Aiden’s eyes.

The mice couldn’t have known that Aiden was tracking them.

‘Let’s take a look at who’s trying to spy on me with animals.’

A long dark energy trailing the mice ran off somewhere. After confirming its destination, Aiden was speechless.

“…The baby Emperor’s bedroom?”

Unbelievably, the mice arrived at the bedroom where Mabel stayed.

When he was in Devlin, Veron had Aiden memorize the map of Ermano’s castle. His memory couldn’t be wrong, so it was definitely the Emperor’s bedroom.

‘I knew she wasn’t a normal baby, but I never thought she would be able to control animals.’

If Mabel had heard that, she would have argued that she’s being ripped off rather than controlling them.

That’s how Aiden had unexpectedly learned of Mabel’s abilities.

And he was able to deduce that Mabel wasn’t just an innocent baby.

When he got used to Ermano’s Imperial chipper life, Aiden listened to the conversations from the servants who managed the palace had spilled while passing by.

“Today, the nobles were raging about giving the Emperor as many gifts as she wants.”

“I understand. I also want to give her everything. I would even cut my hand off for her…!”

“Oh my! Are you crazy?”

“Why? You don’t think so?”

“I do! I would take my organs out for her!”

Aiden unintentionally overheard the conversation and was speechless.

“So, what was her Majesty’s favorite gift?”

“Um, that… it was the same as usual.”

“As expected of her Majesty. She’s arrogant and cute!”

“I heard that her Majesty likes shiny things, like gold and jewels…”

The sound of the conversation grew farther and farther away.

‘Birthday present.’

Aiden’s preparation of Mabel’s birthday present was almost impulsive.

When he came to his senses, he handed the rats a big cheese and gave them a note.

It was late, but the note was already sent.

‘I got a cake last time. It’s just to pay her back.’

Aiden sneaked out of the palace to keep his promise.

The troops surrounding the palace did not even notice whether Aiden had passed by or not. It was an act of joking around the surveillance.

Standing on the balcony and placing a pocket full of jewels and gold coins in one corner, Aiden looked into the window for a long time.

‘…looks like I won’t be able to meet her.’

Since he wasn’t even allowed to get out for a second.

So on Mabel’s birthday, a guest who shouldn’t have come went out for a bit.

.

.

.

Aiden’s time passed slowly. He liked the complacent routine in the annex.

Above all, he could sleep deeply. And when he woke up, he was more satisfied with the fact that his head was clear.

‘I’ve only ever woken up blankly.’ (T/N: With no thoughts and no emotion.)

Aiden didn’t want much. It was enough that he could maintain this distance with the Emperor.

At least he wouldn’t lose his mind and be crazy about killing people.

Aiden stared blankly out the window again today.

Unlike the static interior, the scenery outside the window, which was slightly different everyday, was always new to watch.

Sometimes, when he was killing time, he could hear the conversations from the knights talking outside the palace.

“Have you seen the Emperor today? It’s no joke.”

“No. I didn’t…”

“Hey, it’s no joke. It really isn’t a joke. I thought my heart was going to stop.”

Most of the conversations could be summarized as ‘Her Majesty is so cute.’

And every time, Aiden would think about the last time he saw Mabel and lightly agreed with the conversations.

It’s true that she’s too cute.

Aiden imagined Mabel with the fragmentary information he heard from others.

“Her Majesty didn’t cry today and took the bath so well.”

“The Emperor suddenly collapsed during her meal with His Majesty and His Highness the Prince.”

“I saw her playing with the divine beast and animals in the garden.”

“Did you see her Majesty take care of the bird by herself?”

In contrast to Aiden’s time, which lingered like a calm lake, Mabel’s time passed busily.

At one point, Aiden realized that he was waiting for news about Mabel.

It was really strange for him to want to see her in person.

But he did not intend to break the boundaries of the stand-in-Emperor. If he did that, the little freedom he had might be crushed.

Looking out the window, Aiden saw a noble pass through the gate.

“Viscount Targo?”

The man, dressed in neat clothes, was one of the nobles from Devlin. He had memories of several encounters in the castle at Devlin.

“Why is he here?”

Actually, the reason was obvious. Veron Arthur Devlica succeeded in pushing a spy.

Aiden, without hesitation, found some paper and pen. And when he was writing his own name down, he felt a presence nearby.

Aiden opened up a shroud of darkness and caught a mouse hanging around him.

Knock knock-.

“Do you need anything?”

Aiden answered briefly to the maid’s question outside the door.

“Cheese. As much as possible.”

“Again…? I-it’s nothing. I understand.”

The maid left the door with her head lowered.

‘You sure love cheese…’

Aiden became a big cheese lover.

Aiden tried to finish writing the note after unraveling the darkness. But the frightened mouse was faster than he thought.

“Squeak, squeak!”

“……?”

The mouse ran with the unfinished note.

[Viscount Targo.]

A note with just one line.

He tried to catch another mouse and send a corrected note, but no mouse was hanging around.

And that night, a note from Mabel arrived to Aiden.

It was his first note from Mabel.

Squeak.

Aiden’s expression changed vaguely when he opened the note the mouse spat out.

[?] (T/N: This could translate to ‘oh,’ but since I’m not sure, I left it as it is since the translation called it a symbol.)

“……?”

A mysterious symbol with two sticks intersecting.

“…what does this mean?”

Aiden fell into chaos from the mysterious note.

He didn’t even know if she was swearing or not…