It was addressed to Claudia.
There was no sender, but the words were my mother's.
"...What?"
To Claudia.
As of the receipt of this letter, you are no longer a member of the Cantor family.
You will no longer be allowed to call yourself Cantor.
You will live on your own with the help of the janitor of the villa.
No help will be given.
Your only chance of survival is to stay in the villa and continue to make heartfelt apologies to Alexandra-sama and Wolfgang-sama.
You must realize that you have done a foolish thing to both of them that will never be forgiven.
The child is Dietfried and you.
If you claim to be Wolfgang-sama's son, dispute it at birth.
Because of you, your father was stripped of his knighthood, reduced to a baronet and is lying on the floor.
The eldest and fourth sons will have to endure the abuse and end their lives as knights.
The eldest and second daughters were not disinherited, but their children were disinherited.
The second son was also dismissed from important posts and became a civil servant, never to see the light of day.
I have heard that the third son has left his post and will spend his days in prayer, never stepping out of the temple.
Because you betrayed Wolfgang-sama.
Because you conceived Alexandra-sama's fiancee's child.
And because you refused to admit it and could not even apologize.
House Kantor has fallen.
I would have died to apologize, but I have decided to live and atone for my sins in bringing you into the world.
As a mother, in the end.
Admit your guilt and accept your punishment.
From the woman who was your mother.
"Oh, my God! That sucks."
"What's with the shouting?"
She slept with the prince's fiancée and had a baby with her!
"Huh!"
"And they're letting her fend for herself in this villa. I'm going to die of suffocation in the same house as the scum who disrespected the Princess-sama."
Claudia, stunned by the shock of her mother's letter, did not hear the conversation between the girl and the big man.
"You say you want me to do everything, but you know what? You can't do it if you don't teach it at least!"
"She's known for being a flowery idiot, right? I bet he can't do anything."
"Really?"
"I have connections in the Order. I've heard a lot about them. I heard he was flirting with the princess-sama's ex-fiancé without even looking at her."
A scornful look came over Claudia's face.
She became angry, but did not argue loudly.
Anyway, food comes first.
Last night's dinner was a disaster.
I wouldn't call it a meal.
I'm thirsty.
I'm crying and I haven't had enough sleep.
At least eat! There's nothing wrong with thinking that.
"You have to eat. Your child won't grow up to be a chan. If you have a son who looks like Varufu-sama, the misunderstanding will be cleared up and you can live together... It's okay. I'll be fine."
I sat back in my chair and put my fork into the salad bowl, which was full of dressing.
But the salad bowl is stolen by a large man.
Claudia clutches her fork and looks up at the big man.
"This is not your food! You brought it to the Order, didn't you? Make your own!"
"...? The food was made by the cook, remember? I didn't tell you because if I brought it, everyone would be happy that I made it."
I at least neatly packed the food into the basket.
The cook was full of praise for my work, saying that it was important to look good.
"That sucks."
"I knew you'd say that! Hey, you... Why don't you come live with me for a while? I don't think I can stand to be alone with that scum."
"Are you sure? I'm happy to be with you."
"...until you teach that bum how to do the bare minimum of housework! Don't get me wrong!"
"Huh. But okay. As long as I get to spend time with you, I'll be happy to have a bum along for the ride."
The girl smiled at the big man and stared at Claudia, "You have a big heart...
"I'm only going to say this once. I'm not your servant. So I won't take any orders from you. I'll only teach you how to do your chores once. After that, do not rely on me at all!"
"That's terrible! Even Mother-sama wants me to help you!"
"That's why! I said I'd only lend her my hand the first time. She wants me to support myself. You'll never learn if you keep relying on me. Don't be so naive!
I couldn't help but raise my hand, and the big man grabbed my wrist.
"That's the master. Not you. You're a shameless sinner who is living in this villa at the mercy of the janitor. If you don't listen to me, get out of here!
My wrists are lifted as high as they can go and I'm thrown out of the kitchen with great force.
I moaned as I struck my lower abdomen as hard as I could, but he only looked down at me coldly.
"If you want to have a happy child. You'd better listen to him."
"Hey!"
"The kid's innocent. No?"
"...No."
The girl exhales loudly and shakes her head.
"The child is innocent. But your-sama has only sins. You must always be aware of that... first, clean up this burnt bacon. It's your fault it's burnt."
If the food is burnt, throw it away.
Such common sense doesn't seem to apply here.
"What if I don't eat it?"
"I'll throw it away. I'm a good cook. I don't eat bad food like this. But since the food will be thrown away because of your selfishness, there will be no other food... what will you do?"
"I'll eat..."
The smell of burning is in my nose.
I felt a rush in the back of my throat, but if I ate it, it would be no different than bacon.
It should be nourishing.
Speaking of which, who cooked last night's meal?
The girl was said to be a good cook, so it might have been one of them who had disappeared.
"...Eat, my dear..."
She swallowed without chewing well.
I was not warned about drinking the water from the pitcher.
"And?"
"Well? What?"
"...was a treat. Thank you for making it. I'm asking you if you can't say that!"
The words of gratitude that had come out naturally when I ate the delicious food got caught in the back of my throat.
Even if I was told to say them, they wouldn't come out.
If you are forced to eat bad food, you would not normally be able to say thank you.
"Well, it's okay. It's just weird to be thanked. Let's get you and me started on our meals. You can have the salad."
"Oh!"
I stare at the big man as he munches away at his salad.
Claudia's delicious looking salad was gone in an instant.
"...Don't you get it unless I tell you? You can't just sit there and watch me eat! Why don't you show me what you're cooking next to me?"
"Huh?"
"...Huh. Don't you stupid ex-aristocrat ladies understand? Do you have to be told every time to come over so I can teach you?"
That's how it was until now.
I'm paying you a wage.
Of course you do.
Teaching a nobleman requires a minimum of courtesy.
Even if you don't have the status of a nobleman, you should pay your respects to those who continue to be proud of themselves.
"Don't say unnecessary things!"
The girl cursed, and it seemed that the big man was right.
Reluctantly, Claudia walks next to the girl.
"You're in my way if you just stand there! If you really want to watch, stand back where you won't be disturbed!"
"You're the one who should stand back! Change your attitude!"
If you raise your voice in response to his bad attitude, you will be silently pushed away by a big man.
Claudia landed on her butt on the floor and looked up at the big man with a shocked expression.
"Next time, why don't you say something rude to him? I'll have you thrown out without question!"
I wonder if he doesn't realize that Claudia is pregnant.
Tears of frustration well up in her eyes, but she tries to hold them back.
I don't want these people to see me cry.
I'm a nobleman.
Claudia is silent, staring at the cooking process from a distance.
A commoner girl is doing this.
Claudia could easily recreate it once she saw it.
The big man lets out a sarcastic sigh.
The girl cowers her shoulders at the big man, then quickly finishes cooking a nutritious-looking dish.
As he shuffles his head in silence, I assume it's Claudia's turn to cook, so I stand in the kitchen.
They began to eat happily behind her.
The first dish that she had no doubt she could make well was a charred fried egg.
A salad without even a sprinkle of salt, made only from discarded parts.
A soup that contained only vegetables with their cores left in the white water.
The same hard, sour black bread I had yesterday.
It was only for a few days that the girl and the big man showed Claudia their example.
After that, she was only allowed to call on them once a day.
In the beginning, I tried to call her many times, but each time she was abusive and violent, so I gave up.
The girl, who had been oppressed because of her bruises, seemed to have a past where she had somehow survived with Alexandra's help, and her treatment of Claudia was the worst from beginning to end.
The big man was very much in love with the girl, and disliked Claudia as much as she did him for disrespecting the girl's benefactor, so Claudia had to keep her distance as much as possible to protect herself.
She cooked meals that never tasted better, wore clothes that smelled bad and dried out, cleaned dirty places, and repaired the tattered equipment she was allowed to use.
I had never done any of these things before, so it took me a long time to do anything.
There were many things that I didn't understand, but I couldn't be taught directly, so I learned somehow with the minimum of old books that were given to me.
When she was able to finish the minimum amount of housework she had planned to do in a day, Claudia gave birth.
Despite the harsh environment, the child in her belly was growing well.
She was kicked in the belly many times, and thought that the overly healthy child did not resemble Wolfgang, but when she realized that it resembled Claudia, she was flattered and could forget her rough days for a moment.
If only a child could be born.
She believed that if her son, who looked like Wolfgang, was born healthy, all misunderstandings would be cleared up and the three of them, Wolfgang, her son, and Claudia, would be able to live together in harmony.
It was because she believed that she was able to give birth safely in such a poor environment.
The baby was born after a long struggle on a fragile bed, watched by a big man and not well cared for by the girl, with a few silver hairs on its head.
As she waited patiently with trembling arms, her eyes opened slightly, and they were red, just like Dietfried's.
With the forgiveness of Alexandra, who never lost her sweetness to others even when she was oppressed, her guilt might be mitigated to some extent.
Apparently, the emperor loved Alexandra very much.
I think this is too convenient considering his past behavior, but Gottfried is not so tactful as to interfere in the conversation between a real parent and child, and there are many more matters to be concerned about.
Perhaps, even with Alexandra's permission, the current Bartolomeus would have condemned her mercilessly.
"Well, I won't let that man, who stole my rightful position just because he is my eldest brother, condemn anyone..."
The muttered curse did not seem to reach the ears of the bot, who was already feeling forgiven.
As he walked unhurriedly through the large temple, he caught a rare glimpse of a figure.
Ferdinand, Gottfholt's own son, whom Gottfholt does not see except on official occasions, stops in front of Gottfholt and opens his mouth, which he does not often open.
"...If you do not wish to incur the wrath of God, it would be better for you not to go to the palace."
"It is unusual for you to speak to me, Ferdinand. It's not what I expected."
The seeds were supposed to be the best, but the fields were bad.
He glares at his son who never listens to his parents.
"Your sister told me not to do it, sir."
He has always obeyed only his twin sister, Sylvia.
I don't need to raise my eyebrows now.
I can't help wondering what value there is in a woman who is ugly, fat and always looking down on those around her.
The mystery of twins, you might say.
"Are you saying you've received an oracle?"
"Your sister's word, sir."
"Yes. If you're going to argue with your parents, all the education you've given them is meaningless!
I had sent her to the palace, but I didn't want her to gain unnecessary wisdom, so she was always educated in the temple.
The royal family, who belonged to the temple, stayed in the temple more than the royal family, so there was no problem in that regard.
Education by one's real parents should be more effective than that by one's ostensible parents, but the results were not good.
"...Do you insist on going?"
"Of course!"
"Then, it can't be helped... you may go."
"Yes! You can't talk to your father like that!"
Suddenly, Ferdinand's divine energy pressured me.
I've only been appointed temple chief once.
Cold sweat broke out all over Gottfried's body as he felt the same extrahuman presence that he had felt when something like a god had come down to him.
This was the first time he had learned that cold sweat was something that broke out.
The last time, he had only broken out in a slow cold sweat.
"No vessel, no soul, no matter how trivial, is good enough for my brother. Foolishness."
Ferdinand's distinctive tone of voice faded, and as if he had a god in his body, he spat out words that were nothing but a curse.
When Gotthold was finally able to breathe, he choked back loudly.
"...I thought he had no talent for divination..."
In fact, Gotthold had never heard the voice of the gods, as he had always pushed through his own will under the guise of an oracle.
Some temple heads have heard the voice of God, others have not.
The gift of divine descent is rare, and people have long been treated as if they had such a gift.
In Gottfholt's generation, the right to speak was taken away, but he still kept some of them, and only the ones that seemed to come true were passed on to him as oracles.
It was not a bad feeling to own the predictions that were spun as if to say, in a voice as clear as another person's, but...
That was different.
Ferdinand's voice, his presence, overwhelmed Gotthold.
He realized that there was no way he could own it.
I still can't stop shaking.
"Hmm. This is ridiculous! There's no need for me to be afraid!"
Only when my sister is involved, Ferdinand becomes both intelligent and stupid like a different person.
He must have been so dedicated to his sister's opinion that he ended up talking about God.
"Well, in that respect. She may be closer to me than Sylvia."
If she can control her divine energy, it might be a good idea to keep her close to me.
Sylvia may not like to talk about it, but she is still a child who yearns for her father and mother.
With a mother like that, the person she will cling to will be her father.
Sylvia will easily fall in love with him if he behaves in a hawkish manner.
Then Ferdinand would obey her.
"Hmm. Not bad. Not bad!"
Gottfholt, who had become the head of the temple without any training, just by his bloodline and the emperor's mercy, easily forgot how much he feared Ferdinand, who seemed to have a god in him.
The servant carefully wiped away the dripping sweat beside Gotthold, who walked on, breathing heavily through his nose.
Perhaps unable to endure the outpouring of divine energy, the passers-by turned their faces down and hurried past each other.
The lack of greeting was annoying, but it was not like the Temple Chief to raise his voice in the palace, so he only gave instructions to his servants to be careful.
"Well, Mr. Gotthold. I'm surprised to see you here."
Boniface approached Gottfholt briskly, bowing his head to all who passed him.
"Brother..."
Next to Boniface, Edeltraut tugged on his sleeve in a troubled but friendly manner, as if they were close brothers.
"If you have come to see His Majesty, I would ask you to refrain for now. He is enjoying his time with his sister-sama."
"There's not much time left before she marries into the Voltunyu Empire. After all, it's a month later, isn't it?"
"It's the anniversary of your first meeting! As a person who has met Emperor Voltunyu several times, I can only say that it was unexpected."
"That's how much you think of your sister, isn't it? She should be happy because she has been unfairly treated until now... So, Mr. Gotthold, please return to the temple. Please return to the temple until the day of your sister's death."
"You're free to struggle with nothing, but there's nothing you can do now. I don't expect your voice to reach the gods, but I hope you'll spend your days in prayer with the impious. Perhaps the Prime Minister will visit soon. It seems that his wife and children have abandoned him."
The two of you are ostensibly of higher rank.
The son of an emperor has more power and duties.
-Despite the rumors, they were highly regarded by the people around them as having fulfilled their duties as members of the royal family.
Therefore, I could not simply accuse them of disrespect here. I can't blame them.
"...Gentlemen. I'm his brother, the head of the temple..."
I'm also an elder.
Aren't you supposed to be respectful?
He was supposed to continue.
"So what?"
"If you don't do your duty and only claim your rights, what can you do but explain?"
He took the end of my sentence with a cold attitude.
"What is your duty as Temple Head?"
You haven't done your duty, have you?
You're just out of control, aren't you?
I was frustrated by his unwillingness to listen to me.
I was about to scream, when...
"You guys really like Alexandra, don't you?"
"Not as much as you."
"And your sister?"
"No, no, you're no match for her, Boniface. Don't worry about Alexandra. Wolfgang and Annemarie are with her. They asked me to take care of them. That's how I came to see you, Edeltraut."
The emperor appeared.
He smiled serenely, as if he were a different person from the emperor Gottfried knew.
Even when Eleonora was still alive, I don't think she was as soft as this.
"Now, you may go. Alexandra is waiting for you with her new pastry."
"New pastries? I'm looking forward to it."
"Hmm. I see. I didn't know you liked sweets so much."
"I'm surprised too. Your sister's creations please my taste buds as if she knew everything about me."
"When I eat what you make, the rest of the meal is tasteless."
"Yes, that's my only problem. I know it's a luxury. Well, Your Majesty. If you'll excuse me.
"Please hurry back. Your sister's waiting."
"Of course. We'll just get this over with. Come, Gottfold!"
The emperor turned on his heel without waiting for Gottfried's reply.
The two of them happily walked to the room where Alexandra and the others were waiting for them.
"What are you waiting for? Come quickly!"
The emperor's legs are fast, even though he doesn't do any exercise.
He always has been.
"...my body can't move as fast as yours. But I'm in a hurry..."
"Huh? My eyes are not blind. Push yourself to the limit. No need for the others to follow."
With that, the servants stopped.
Even when Gotthold raised his eyebrows in displeasure, the servants did not move another step.
Instead, they clicked their tongues and quickened their pace.
Sweat slipped down my forehead annoyingly.
I don't have a handkerchief with me as I have my servant wipe it off.
He has no choice but to wipe the sweat with his cuff.
I couldn't stand to see the Emperor wrinkle his forehead in disgust.
"I'm surprised you can get so fat in the service of a god."
"Both Sylvia and Ferdinand have the same figure, sir."
"...Sylvia must have grown out of rebellion against you and Ziege, and Ferdinand out of pity for his sister. I pity her too much to be lumped in with you-sama, who likes to go overboard. If she is your child, why don't you take care of her a little?"
I don't want to be told by the Emperor, who sighs deeply.
His treatment of Alexandra was terrible until recently.
She had been unkind to the other children as well, so I guess you could say she was an equal.
Even now, when she tries to take care of them, she is rejected at every turn, and Gottfholt has a strong desire to give them a proper education.
At least, when he was a child, Gottfholt had given him a strict education.
It was in the audience chamber that the emperor stopped.
"This is not something I wish to discuss in the audience chamber..."
"I don't want to invite you to my room. It's rude to other guests in my room. I've cleared the room. There'll be no problem."
The emperor, in the midst of his disrespectful tone of voice, sits comfortably on the opulent throne that Gotthold has always wanted and that only the emperor is allowed to sit on.
Gottfhild, who was too angry to take the courtesy of his subjects, somehow dragged a heavy chair from the wall and sat down.
"And here you are," he said. You're the same as ever, you sama."
"I didn't want to talk to you in the audience room. It's a very private matter. You obeyed your brother, so it shouldn't be a problem."
There's a hint of a man, but he's probably from the dark side.
They're not people.
They're tools.
Since the emperor was the only one who would listen, Gotthold deliberately changed his tone.
"Why do you keep Alexandra now? You said that she would remain in the temple until she married her fiancé."
"I can't explain to you why the betrothal is null and void now that it has been annulled. Alexandra is to be married as the first princess of Mysia. Not as a temple maiden princess. She will be welcomed back as the rightful queen of the Volturnine Empire. She won't be treated well in the temple, will she?"
"That's not true! The Temple has always given her a proper education, not just as a priestess, but as the First Princess."
"Then why can Alexandra cook? Can she even make pastries? It's impossible for an Imperial Princess to be a good cook."
"...even Annemarie stands on the battlefield as a woman, doesn't she?"
"That's what she wanted. She chose it because she could not tolerate the same sex and blood as Ziege. He even asked for my permission."
"What?"
I didn't think the emperor had given his permission.
No wonder he was unfazed by Gotthold's repeated sermons.
I had avoided taking a strong stance because it might have angered the generals who were buying his track record, but it seems I was right.
"I have already talked to the one who is said to be my son. I won't let my own father or mother do what they want."
What do you mean...
"Your sons were the most twisted. The others wanted to stay by Alexandra's side, but Sylvia and Ferdinand chose to die with their country."
"What?"
"Foolish man who wished to be king while in charge of the temple. Rejoice. With my child as collateral damage, you will be a king in exile."
I don't understand what the emperor is talking about.
A country can't be destroyed.
The Empire of Mysia is a nation protected by the gods.
The priestesses and maidens in Gotthold's care were not so incompetent that they would miss such an important prediction.
"My father bowed to the gods in order to keep the young sama alive, who, despite her lack of talent, thought she was superior and went to the limit of tyranny..."
A lie.
My father, the former emperor, never praised Gotthold no matter how hard he tried.
Every time he made a report, he would let out a deep sigh and say in a disgusted tone, "Why do you misdirect your efforts? He just said in a dumbfounded manner.
Did you bow to the temple?
No.
The temple bowed and asked Gotthold to lead the temple as its future head, and he was forced to take the position.
"...They wondered if he was possessed by a demon, but he was not. It seems that Takasama's haughty nature is innate. With the right environment, Father and the former Temple Chief would have thought."
None of this is true.
How far does the emperor have to go to underestimate himself?
Didn't his father and the former temple chief die young because they disrespected Gottfried?
"Not only was all this in vain, but the noble-sama was also a detriment to his children. If you claim that you are part of the royal family, then you should know that your most important duty is to bring forth the next generation of excellence!"
"I am! I'm not a part of the royal family! If it weren't for you, I would be the king!"
"Huh! No. It is said that the kings of the Mysurian Empire are determined by the royal code, but the truth is that this is not the case. This country is beloved by the gods. A god-friendly successor is always prepared and passed down through the generations. If Alexandra had become queen, it would have continued as before, but no. Now that she's going to marry into another country, this country will have to die."
"Liar! It's not true! It's a lie! You're always lying! You're full of lies!"
He raised his head and pointed at the emperor, impeaching him.
The head of a nation should not be allowed to accept unjust destruction without a fight.
There was no sender, but the words were my mother's.
"...What?"
To Claudia.
As of the receipt of this letter, you are no longer a member of the Cantor family.
You will no longer be allowed to call yourself Cantor.
You will live on your own with the help of the janitor of the villa.
No help will be given.
Your only chance of survival is to stay in the villa and continue to make heartfelt apologies to Alexandra-sama and Wolfgang-sama.
You must realize that you have done a foolish thing to both of them that will never be forgiven.
The child is Dietfried and you.
If you claim to be Wolfgang-sama's son, dispute it at birth.
Because of you, your father was stripped of his knighthood, reduced to a baronet and is lying on the floor.
The eldest and fourth sons will have to endure the abuse and end their lives as knights.
The eldest and second daughters were not disinherited, but their children were disinherited.
The second son was also dismissed from important posts and became a civil servant, never to see the light of day.
I have heard that the third son has left his post and will spend his days in prayer, never stepping out of the temple.
Because you betrayed Wolfgang-sama.
Because you conceived Alexandra-sama's fiancee's child.
And because you refused to admit it and could not even apologize.
House Kantor has fallen.
I would have died to apologize, but I have decided to live and atone for my sins in bringing you into the world.
As a mother, in the end.
Admit your guilt and accept your punishment.
From the woman who was your mother.
"Oh, my God! That sucks."
"What's with the shouting?"
She slept with the prince's fiancée and had a baby with her!
"Huh!"
"And they're letting her fend for herself in this villa. I'm going to die of suffocation in the same house as the scum who disrespected the Princess-sama."
Claudia, stunned by the shock of her mother's letter, did not hear the conversation between the girl and the big man.
"You say you want me to do everything, but you know what? You can't do it if you don't teach it at least!"
"She's known for being a flowery idiot, right? I bet he can't do anything."
"Really?"
"I have connections in the Order. I've heard a lot about them. I heard he was flirting with the princess-sama's ex-fiancé without even looking at her."
A scornful look came over Claudia's face.
She became angry, but did not argue loudly.
Anyway, food comes first.
Last night's dinner was a disaster.
I wouldn't call it a meal.
I'm thirsty.
I'm crying and I haven't had enough sleep.
At least eat! There's nothing wrong with thinking that.
"You have to eat. Your child won't grow up to be a chan. If you have a son who looks like Varufu-sama, the misunderstanding will be cleared up and you can live together... It's okay. I'll be fine."
I sat back in my chair and put my fork into the salad bowl, which was full of dressing.
But the salad bowl is stolen by a large man.
Claudia clutches her fork and looks up at the big man.
"This is not your food! You brought it to the Order, didn't you? Make your own!"
"...? The food was made by the cook, remember? I didn't tell you because if I brought it, everyone would be happy that I made it."
I at least neatly packed the food into the basket.
The cook was full of praise for my work, saying that it was important to look good.
"That sucks."
"I knew you'd say that! Hey, you... Why don't you come live with me for a while? I don't think I can stand to be alone with that scum."
"Are you sure? I'm happy to be with you."
"...until you teach that bum how to do the bare minimum of housework! Don't get me wrong!"
"Huh. But okay. As long as I get to spend time with you, I'll be happy to have a bum along for the ride."
The girl smiled at the big man and stared at Claudia, "You have a big heart...
"I'm only going to say this once. I'm not your servant. So I won't take any orders from you. I'll only teach you how to do your chores once. After that, do not rely on me at all!"
"That's terrible! Even Mother-sama wants me to help you!"
"That's why! I said I'd only lend her my hand the first time. She wants me to support myself. You'll never learn if you keep relying on me. Don't be so naive!
I couldn't help but raise my hand, and the big man grabbed my wrist.
"That's the master. Not you. You're a shameless sinner who is living in this villa at the mercy of the janitor. If you don't listen to me, get out of here!
My wrists are lifted as high as they can go and I'm thrown out of the kitchen with great force.
I moaned as I struck my lower abdomen as hard as I could, but he only looked down at me coldly.
"If you want to have a happy child. You'd better listen to him."
"Hey!"
"The kid's innocent. No?"
"...No."
The girl exhales loudly and shakes her head.
"The child is innocent. But your-sama has only sins. You must always be aware of that... first, clean up this burnt bacon. It's your fault it's burnt."
If the food is burnt, throw it away.
Such common sense doesn't seem to apply here.
"What if I don't eat it?"
"I'll throw it away. I'm a good cook. I don't eat bad food like this. But since the food will be thrown away because of your selfishness, there will be no other food... what will you do?"
"I'll eat..."
The smell of burning is in my nose.
I felt a rush in the back of my throat, but if I ate it, it would be no different than bacon.
It should be nourishing.
Speaking of which, who cooked last night's meal?
The girl was said to be a good cook, so it might have been one of them who had disappeared.
"...Eat, my dear..."
She swallowed without chewing well.
I was not warned about drinking the water from the pitcher.
"And?"
"Well? What?"
"...was a treat. Thank you for making it. I'm asking you if you can't say that!"
The words of gratitude that had come out naturally when I ate the delicious food got caught in the back of my throat.
Even if I was told to say them, they wouldn't come out.
If you are forced to eat bad food, you would not normally be able to say thank you.
"Well, it's okay. It's just weird to be thanked. Let's get you and me started on our meals. You can have the salad."
"Oh!"
I stare at the big man as he munches away at his salad.
Claudia's delicious looking salad was gone in an instant.
"...Don't you get it unless I tell you? You can't just sit there and watch me eat! Why don't you show me what you're cooking next to me?"
"Huh?"
"...Huh. Don't you stupid ex-aristocrat ladies understand? Do you have to be told every time to come over so I can teach you?"
That's how it was until now.
I'm paying you a wage.
Of course you do.
Teaching a nobleman requires a minimum of courtesy.
Even if you don't have the status of a nobleman, you should pay your respects to those who continue to be proud of themselves.
"Don't say unnecessary things!"
The girl cursed, and it seemed that the big man was right.
Reluctantly, Claudia walks next to the girl.
"You're in my way if you just stand there! If you really want to watch, stand back where you won't be disturbed!"
"You're the one who should stand back! Change your attitude!"
If you raise your voice in response to his bad attitude, you will be silently pushed away by a big man.
Claudia landed on her butt on the floor and looked up at the big man with a shocked expression.
"Next time, why don't you say something rude to him? I'll have you thrown out without question!"
I wonder if he doesn't realize that Claudia is pregnant.
Tears of frustration well up in her eyes, but she tries to hold them back.
I don't want these people to see me cry.
I'm a nobleman.
Claudia is silent, staring at the cooking process from a distance.
A commoner girl is doing this.
Claudia could easily recreate it once she saw it.
The big man lets out a sarcastic sigh.
The girl cowers her shoulders at the big man, then quickly finishes cooking a nutritious-looking dish.
As he shuffles his head in silence, I assume it's Claudia's turn to cook, so I stand in the kitchen.
They began to eat happily behind her.
The first dish that she had no doubt she could make well was a charred fried egg.
A salad without even a sprinkle of salt, made only from discarded parts.
A soup that contained only vegetables with their cores left in the white water.
The same hard, sour black bread I had yesterday.
It was only for a few days that the girl and the big man showed Claudia their example.
After that, she was only allowed to call on them once a day.
In the beginning, I tried to call her many times, but each time she was abusive and violent, so I gave up.
The girl, who had been oppressed because of her bruises, seemed to have a past where she had somehow survived with Alexandra's help, and her treatment of Claudia was the worst from beginning to end.
The big man was very much in love with the girl, and disliked Claudia as much as she did him for disrespecting the girl's benefactor, so Claudia had to keep her distance as much as possible to protect herself.
She cooked meals that never tasted better, wore clothes that smelled bad and dried out, cleaned dirty places, and repaired the tattered equipment she was allowed to use.
I had never done any of these things before, so it took me a long time to do anything.
There were many things that I didn't understand, but I couldn't be taught directly, so I learned somehow with the minimum of old books that were given to me.
When she was able to finish the minimum amount of housework she had planned to do in a day, Claudia gave birth.
Despite the harsh environment, the child in her belly was growing well.
She was kicked in the belly many times, and thought that the overly healthy child did not resemble Wolfgang, but when she realized that it resembled Claudia, she was flattered and could forget her rough days for a moment.
If only a child could be born.
She believed that if her son, who looked like Wolfgang, was born healthy, all misunderstandings would be cleared up and the three of them, Wolfgang, her son, and Claudia, would be able to live together in harmony.
It was because she believed that she was able to give birth safely in such a poor environment.
The baby was born after a long struggle on a fragile bed, watched by a big man and not well cared for by the girl, with a few silver hairs on its head.
As she waited patiently with trembling arms, her eyes opened slightly, and they were red, just like Dietfried's.
With the forgiveness of Alexandra, who never lost her sweetness to others even when she was oppressed, her guilt might be mitigated to some extent.
Apparently, the emperor loved Alexandra very much.
I think this is too convenient considering his past behavior, but Gottfried is not so tactful as to interfere in the conversation between a real parent and child, and there are many more matters to be concerned about.
Perhaps, even with Alexandra's permission, the current Bartolomeus would have condemned her mercilessly.
"Well, I won't let that man, who stole my rightful position just because he is my eldest brother, condemn anyone..."
The muttered curse did not seem to reach the ears of the bot, who was already feeling forgiven.
As he walked unhurriedly through the large temple, he caught a rare glimpse of a figure.
Ferdinand, Gottfholt's own son, whom Gottfholt does not see except on official occasions, stops in front of Gottfholt and opens his mouth, which he does not often open.
"...If you do not wish to incur the wrath of God, it would be better for you not to go to the palace."
"It is unusual for you to speak to me, Ferdinand. It's not what I expected."
The seeds were supposed to be the best, but the fields were bad.
He glares at his son who never listens to his parents.
"Your sister told me not to do it, sir."
He has always obeyed only his twin sister, Sylvia.
I don't need to raise my eyebrows now.
I can't help wondering what value there is in a woman who is ugly, fat and always looking down on those around her.
The mystery of twins, you might say.
"Are you saying you've received an oracle?"
"Your sister's word, sir."
"Yes. If you're going to argue with your parents, all the education you've given them is meaningless!
I had sent her to the palace, but I didn't want her to gain unnecessary wisdom, so she was always educated in the temple.
The royal family, who belonged to the temple, stayed in the temple more than the royal family, so there was no problem in that regard.
Education by one's real parents should be more effective than that by one's ostensible parents, but the results were not good.
"...Do you insist on going?"
"Of course!"
"Then, it can't be helped... you may go."
"Yes! You can't talk to your father like that!"
Suddenly, Ferdinand's divine energy pressured me.
I've only been appointed temple chief once.
Cold sweat broke out all over Gottfried's body as he felt the same extrahuman presence that he had felt when something like a god had come down to him.
This was the first time he had learned that cold sweat was something that broke out.
The last time, he had only broken out in a slow cold sweat.
"No vessel, no soul, no matter how trivial, is good enough for my brother. Foolishness."
Ferdinand's distinctive tone of voice faded, and as if he had a god in his body, he spat out words that were nothing but a curse.
When Gotthold was finally able to breathe, he choked back loudly.
"...I thought he had no talent for divination..."
In fact, Gotthold had never heard the voice of the gods, as he had always pushed through his own will under the guise of an oracle.
Some temple heads have heard the voice of God, others have not.
The gift of divine descent is rare, and people have long been treated as if they had such a gift.
In Gottfholt's generation, the right to speak was taken away, but he still kept some of them, and only the ones that seemed to come true were passed on to him as oracles.
It was not a bad feeling to own the predictions that were spun as if to say, in a voice as clear as another person's, but...
That was different.
Ferdinand's voice, his presence, overwhelmed Gotthold.
He realized that there was no way he could own it.
I still can't stop shaking.
"Hmm. This is ridiculous! There's no need for me to be afraid!"
Only when my sister is involved, Ferdinand becomes both intelligent and stupid like a different person.
He must have been so dedicated to his sister's opinion that he ended up talking about God.
"Well, in that respect. She may be closer to me than Sylvia."
If she can control her divine energy, it might be a good idea to keep her close to me.
Sylvia may not like to talk about it, but she is still a child who yearns for her father and mother.
With a mother like that, the person she will cling to will be her father.
Sylvia will easily fall in love with him if he behaves in a hawkish manner.
Then Ferdinand would obey her.
"Hmm. Not bad. Not bad!"
Gottfholt, who had become the head of the temple without any training, just by his bloodline and the emperor's mercy, easily forgot how much he feared Ferdinand, who seemed to have a god in him.
The servant carefully wiped away the dripping sweat beside Gotthold, who walked on, breathing heavily through his nose.
Perhaps unable to endure the outpouring of divine energy, the passers-by turned their faces down and hurried past each other.
The lack of greeting was annoying, but it was not like the Temple Chief to raise his voice in the palace, so he only gave instructions to his servants to be careful.
"Well, Mr. Gotthold. I'm surprised to see you here."
Boniface approached Gottfholt briskly, bowing his head to all who passed him.
"Brother..."
Next to Boniface, Edeltraut tugged on his sleeve in a troubled but friendly manner, as if they were close brothers.
"If you have come to see His Majesty, I would ask you to refrain for now. He is enjoying his time with his sister-sama."
"There's not much time left before she marries into the Voltunyu Empire. After all, it's a month later, isn't it?"
"It's the anniversary of your first meeting! As a person who has met Emperor Voltunyu several times, I can only say that it was unexpected."
"That's how much you think of your sister, isn't it? She should be happy because she has been unfairly treated until now... So, Mr. Gotthold, please return to the temple. Please return to the temple until the day of your sister's death."
"You're free to struggle with nothing, but there's nothing you can do now. I don't expect your voice to reach the gods, but I hope you'll spend your days in prayer with the impious. Perhaps the Prime Minister will visit soon. It seems that his wife and children have abandoned him."
The two of you are ostensibly of higher rank.
The son of an emperor has more power and duties.
-Despite the rumors, they were highly regarded by the people around them as having fulfilled their duties as members of the royal family.
Therefore, I could not simply accuse them of disrespect here. I can't blame them.
"...Gentlemen. I'm his brother, the head of the temple..."
I'm also an elder.
Aren't you supposed to be respectful?
He was supposed to continue.
"So what?"
"If you don't do your duty and only claim your rights, what can you do but explain?"
He took the end of my sentence with a cold attitude.
"What is your duty as Temple Head?"
You haven't done your duty, have you?
You're just out of control, aren't you?
I was frustrated by his unwillingness to listen to me.
I was about to scream, when...
"You guys really like Alexandra, don't you?"
"Not as much as you."
"And your sister?"
"No, no, you're no match for her, Boniface. Don't worry about Alexandra. Wolfgang and Annemarie are with her. They asked me to take care of them. That's how I came to see you, Edeltraut."
The emperor appeared.
He smiled serenely, as if he were a different person from the emperor Gottfried knew.
Even when Eleonora was still alive, I don't think she was as soft as this.
"Now, you may go. Alexandra is waiting for you with her new pastry."
"New pastries? I'm looking forward to it."
"Hmm. I see. I didn't know you liked sweets so much."
"I'm surprised too. Your sister's creations please my taste buds as if she knew everything about me."
"When I eat what you make, the rest of the meal is tasteless."
"Yes, that's my only problem. I know it's a luxury. Well, Your Majesty. If you'll excuse me.
"Please hurry back. Your sister's waiting."
"Of course. We'll just get this over with. Come, Gottfold!"
The emperor turned on his heel without waiting for Gottfried's reply.
The two of them happily walked to the room where Alexandra and the others were waiting for them.
"What are you waiting for? Come quickly!"
The emperor's legs are fast, even though he doesn't do any exercise.
He always has been.
"...my body can't move as fast as yours. But I'm in a hurry..."
"Huh? My eyes are not blind. Push yourself to the limit. No need for the others to follow."
With that, the servants stopped.
Even when Gotthold raised his eyebrows in displeasure, the servants did not move another step.
Instead, they clicked their tongues and quickened their pace.
Sweat slipped down my forehead annoyingly.
I don't have a handkerchief with me as I have my servant wipe it off.
He has no choice but to wipe the sweat with his cuff.
I couldn't stand to see the Emperor wrinkle his forehead in disgust.
"I'm surprised you can get so fat in the service of a god."
"Both Sylvia and Ferdinand have the same figure, sir."
"...Sylvia must have grown out of rebellion against you and Ziege, and Ferdinand out of pity for his sister. I pity her too much to be lumped in with you-sama, who likes to go overboard. If she is your child, why don't you take care of her a little?"
I don't want to be told by the Emperor, who sighs deeply.
His treatment of Alexandra was terrible until recently.
She had been unkind to the other children as well, so I guess you could say she was an equal.
Even now, when she tries to take care of them, she is rejected at every turn, and Gottfholt has a strong desire to give them a proper education.
At least, when he was a child, Gottfholt had given him a strict education.
It was in the audience chamber that the emperor stopped.
"This is not something I wish to discuss in the audience chamber..."
"I don't want to invite you to my room. It's rude to other guests in my room. I've cleared the room. There'll be no problem."
The emperor, in the midst of his disrespectful tone of voice, sits comfortably on the opulent throne that Gotthold has always wanted and that only the emperor is allowed to sit on.
Gottfhild, who was too angry to take the courtesy of his subjects, somehow dragged a heavy chair from the wall and sat down.
"And here you are," he said. You're the same as ever, you sama."
"I didn't want to talk to you in the audience room. It's a very private matter. You obeyed your brother, so it shouldn't be a problem."
There's a hint of a man, but he's probably from the dark side.
They're not people.
They're tools.
Since the emperor was the only one who would listen, Gotthold deliberately changed his tone.
"Why do you keep Alexandra now? You said that she would remain in the temple until she married her fiancé."
"I can't explain to you why the betrothal is null and void now that it has been annulled. Alexandra is to be married as the first princess of Mysia. Not as a temple maiden princess. She will be welcomed back as the rightful queen of the Volturnine Empire. She won't be treated well in the temple, will she?"
"That's not true! The Temple has always given her a proper education, not just as a priestess, but as the First Princess."
"Then why can Alexandra cook? Can she even make pastries? It's impossible for an Imperial Princess to be a good cook."
"...even Annemarie stands on the battlefield as a woman, doesn't she?"
"That's what she wanted. She chose it because she could not tolerate the same sex and blood as Ziege. He even asked for my permission."
"What?"
I didn't think the emperor had given his permission.
No wonder he was unfazed by Gotthold's repeated sermons.
I had avoided taking a strong stance because it might have angered the generals who were buying his track record, but it seems I was right.
"I have already talked to the one who is said to be my son. I won't let my own father or mother do what they want."
What do you mean...
"Your sons were the most twisted. The others wanted to stay by Alexandra's side, but Sylvia and Ferdinand chose to die with their country."
"What?"
"Foolish man who wished to be king while in charge of the temple. Rejoice. With my child as collateral damage, you will be a king in exile."
I don't understand what the emperor is talking about.
A country can't be destroyed.
The Empire of Mysia is a nation protected by the gods.
The priestesses and maidens in Gotthold's care were not so incompetent that they would miss such an important prediction.
"My father bowed to the gods in order to keep the young sama alive, who, despite her lack of talent, thought she was superior and went to the limit of tyranny..."
A lie.
My father, the former emperor, never praised Gotthold no matter how hard he tried.
Every time he made a report, he would let out a deep sigh and say in a disgusted tone, "Why do you misdirect your efforts? He just said in a dumbfounded manner.
Did you bow to the temple?
No.
The temple bowed and asked Gotthold to lead the temple as its future head, and he was forced to take the position.
"...They wondered if he was possessed by a demon, but he was not. It seems that Takasama's haughty nature is innate. With the right environment, Father and the former Temple Chief would have thought."
None of this is true.
How far does the emperor have to go to underestimate himself?
Didn't his father and the former temple chief die young because they disrespected Gottfried?
"Not only was all this in vain, but the noble-sama was also a detriment to his children. If you claim that you are part of the royal family, then you should know that your most important duty is to bring forth the next generation of excellence!"
"I am! I'm not a part of the royal family! If it weren't for you, I would be the king!"
"Huh! No. It is said that the kings of the Mysurian Empire are determined by the royal code, but the truth is that this is not the case. This country is beloved by the gods. A god-friendly successor is always prepared and passed down through the generations. If Alexandra had become queen, it would have continued as before, but no. Now that she's going to marry into another country, this country will have to die."
"Liar! It's not true! It's a lie! You're always lying! You're full of lies!"
He raised his head and pointed at the emperor, impeaching him.
The head of a nation should not be allowed to accept unjust destruction without a fight.