I’m an Ordinary Returning Student at the Academy

[Translator - Angel Dust]

[Proofreader - Prototype]

Side Stories 17

"Mommyyyyyy!!"

Pit-a-pat!—

A small girl ran as fast as her little legs could carry her towards the garden.

The head maid, who was nearby, worried that she might fall.

However, the Empress, Rikata, slowly shook her head.

"Let her be, Head Maid. Unless the Crown Princess is in serious danger of getting hurt."

"B-But..."

"I want my daughter to overcome small trials without crying."

She's still a two-year-old child. There's no need to raise her so strictly.

The head maid wanted to say this, but she quickly realized the child's status and closed her mouth.

She can't just be raised delicately. This little child isn't just a princess.

She's the Crown Princess. The future great ruler of this Empire.

There will be dozens, hundreds of times in her life when she will face setbacks.

She can't cry every time she falls. I want her to be able to get back up with a smile.

"And she's already doing very well, isn't she?"

As Rikata said, the Crown Princess ran without falling.

She then jumped into her mother's arms, chattering, ‘Mommy, Mommy!’

"Uncle Karl! When is Uncle Karl coming?"

"Uncle Karl is very busy right now."

"Whyyy?"

"He's always busy. When he's not busy, he makes himself busy with more work."

"Uncle Karl is weird!"

The Crown Princess puffed out her cheeks as she nestled in her mother's arms.

The head maid almost burst out laughing at the sight.

She's so cute. She bit her lip, holding back the words.

"Daddy is busy too! Being busy is no good! I don't like it! Can't Uncle Karl not be busy?"

"Let's ask him when he comes back. How about that?"

"Okay! Good!!"

The mother and daughter, seated in the garden, chatted about various things.

It was mostly the Crown Princess talking, with Rikata adding interjections to her daughter's words.

‘Oh my, is that so, my dear?’ or ‘Oh my goodness, our Crown Princess is so amazing!’ and so on.

"Mommy!"

The Crown Princess flapped her arms as if she had remembered something.

"I, I wanna know something!"

"What does our Crown Princess want to know? Mommy is so curious."

"What's malliade?"

[TL/N: Intentional mistake.]

"Malliade?"

Rikata blinked in confusion.

Then, the head maid next to her said, ‘It seems she's talking about marriage, Your Majesty.’ Rikata nodded in understanding.

"So, the Crown Princess wants to know what marriage is."

"Yes! Malliade!"

"Mar-riage. Try to say it. Mar-riage."

"Ma, mar-riage!"

"Mar-riage."

"Mar! riage!"

That's right, you're doing so well. My lovely daughter.

Rikata nuzzled her cheek against her daughter's.

"Marriage is when two people who love... um, who like each other very much, make a promise."

"Like each other? Two people? Two?"

The Crown Princess held up two fingers, one from each hand, in front of Rikata.

Rikata laughed and said, ‘Yes! Two!’ as she stroked her daughter's hair.

"It's a promise to live together forever."

"To-ge-ther? Fo-re-ver?"

"Hmm. It means you won't say goodbye and see each other later."

"Goodbye! I don't like goodbye! Uncle Karl said goodbye and left!"

At that moment, the word ‘marriage’ was perfectly formed in the Crown Princess's mind.

It's nice when Uncle Karl comes to see her. So nice.

But when it's time, he says goodbye and leaves.

She doesn't like that. She wants to stay with him, but she doesn't like goodbyes!

So, she'll get married to him so they won't have to say goodbye!

"Mommy! I-I wanna go!"

"Hmm? Don't you want to stay with Mommy a little longer?"

"I-I wanna go read a book!"

Even though she still struggled to read and understand difficult words, the Crown Princess was already very fond of books.

As the heir to the Empire, this was certainly a welcome development.

So, the Emperor and Rikata all encouraged her.

A wise emperor is always respected by everyone.

"Goodbye! No, no! No, no! Go, goo... dbye! Bye! Goodbye!"

"Welcome, Your Highness."

The librarian in charge of the archives bowed deeply, as if he were about to perform a ritual.

The Crown Princess smiled brightly and explained why she had come today.

"Marriage!"

"Your Highness? Could you please repeat that?"

"Marriage! I wanna know 'bout marriage!"

The librarian looked at the head maid, asking if he had heard correctly.

With a look that said, ‘Is she really talking about marriage?’, the head maid nodded.

"Your Highness, could you perhaps look into what you're curious about later..."

"Whyyy?!"

"The book is very thick. It might be difficult for you to read..."

"No, I'm not! I'm not!"

She probably meant to say it wasn't difficult.

The librarian looked at the head maid again.

His eyes asked if she could stop the Crown Princess.

But the head maid shook her head, and he had no choice but to give up.

In this place, only two people could defy the Crown Princess's wishes.

The Emperor and the Empress…

'Well, there is one more outside the palace.'

In any case, the librarian decided to find the book the Crown Princess wanted.

Of course, within reason. Something lightweight and not dangerous.

'But it's still the thick Imperial Law Code.'

The librarian handed the selected books to the head maid.

They were the thinnest ones, but that was relative, not absolute.

"This! I wanna read this first!"

"As you wish, Your Highness."

"What should I find?"

"Since you're curious about marriage, it would be best to look for the Marriage Law, wouldn't it?"

"Mar... riage?"

"Marriage Law. It's written like this."

The head maid wrote the word ‘Marriage Law,’ and the Crown Princess stared at it intently.

Then, with a shout of ‘I got it!’, she started diligently searching through the law book.

The letters were very small. Even most adults would find it difficult to read.

But the Crown Princess's eyes sparkled as she searched and searched.

As if she were on a treasure hunt, playing a fun game.

"Ah! Found it!"

The Crown Princess finally found the exact same word as the one the head maid had written.

She showed that part to the head maid and asked, ‘Is this right?!’ with a giggle.

"Yes, it is, Your Highness. You're amazing."

"Right? Then I can read it!"

The content is very difficult. I wonder if she'll understand it.

The head maid was a little worried but waited patiently.

When the Crown Princess didn't understand a word, she answered her questions one by one.

Two hours passed like that, and it was late afternoon.

"...Marriage?"

"Y-Yes, Your Majesty."

Coming to find his precious daughter, the Emperor found her fast asleep among the books.

As he carried her back in his arms, the head maid gave him a report.

"She was reading the Imperial Law Code, Your Majesty. Not even a picture book."

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I'll make sure this doesn't happen again..."

"I'm not blaming you. It's just... hmm. I think the Crown Princess is a little different."

She'll be three next year, but she's still a child.

Yet, she's already trying to read such a thick book.

It's heartwarming and makes him proud, but also a little worrying.

There are behaviors appropriate for each age. It's called innocence.

Excessive innocence can sometimes lead to problems, but otherwise, it's necessary.

"She'll need a peer of her age soon..."

"Your Majesty?"

"Never mind, Head Maid. Let's go."

He had heard that Karl's wife, Selena, was pregnant.

It was still early, but the baby would be born sometime between late spring and early summer next year.

'Maybe the Crown Princess will regain her childlike innocence when she has a cousin?'

Thinking this, he wondered if he should give her a real sibling.

For the sake of the imperial family, they needed at least a few more direct descendants.

But when he thought that far, the Emperor couldn't help but groan.

'Now I understand why my ancestors didn't have many children.'

He had no time. No energy. He felt like he was being drained every day.

There was a mountain of work to do. The workload was unimaginable compared to when he was Crown Prince.

He had to wake up at dawn to handle state affairs and review documents until late at night.

As the Empire's power grew, so did the Emperor's responsibilities.

It was a joy to become a powerful nation, but the thought of the work involved made him unable to smile.

He now understood why even the strongest of people became ill once they ascended to the throne.

'This is why I'm even more grateful to my brother-in-law.'

He could still manage for now, thanks to the elf elixir that his brother-in-law, Karl, had procured.

He wished he could get more of it since it was quite effective, but the main production area for the elixir was unfortunately a major battleground in the previous war.

The production methods and ingredients weren't completely lost, but production wouldn't be possible until next year at the earliest.

This made him even more appreciative of his brother-in-law. If it weren't for him, he would be in much worse shape.

'I hope the Crown Princess and my brother-in-law's child will become good siblings.'

[Translator - Angel Dust]

[Proofreader - Prototype]