Chapter 47
Let's Go on a Picnic
He was, in his own way, a thoughtful man.
That is, he knew that if he approached her daughter recklessly, he wouldn't be able to achieve the comfortable relationship he initially aimed for.
So, he even brought in Princess Charlotte for external events and used his friend's brother card.
Thanks to that, he managed to get permission to properly introduce himself today, and he planned to win Nia over in earnest.
Of course, it would be even better if the foolish scenario he and his father had concocted actually came to fruition, but Airen thought that wouldn't be enough.
He once again went over his own dramatic plan that he would execute today.
-Ding-
"Ah, is it already this late? What a shame. See you later, Berl. Good work, everyone!"
"Yes, Your Royal Highness."
As Crown Prince Airen, who had been grinning, quickly disappeared, Berl, who had confirmed his departure, shouted.
"From now on, we will confirm the formation! To your positions!"
At the vice-commander's words, the members mounted their horses to go to their assigned positions.
However, in the middle of that movement, there was an empty spot like a bald patch.
"That spot is..., Gillianna! Vernon! Heath! What are you doing?!"
With the supervisor gone, they were lounging lazily on the platform where Lucia was sitting.
"Ah, we've already checked five times, isn't that enough? Vice-commander."
"That's right. The kids probably won't notice much of a difference."
"I don't want to, it's annoying."
Heath, with a particularly displeased expression, seemed unhappy that Nia was coming during his time with Lucia.
"How can you say that! How much are the children looking forward to it? You must show them a wonderful performance!"
The earnest Berl shouted at them with a look that said it was absurd.
"Oh, come on, a wonderful performance now? Even if the sky falls, no one will see us in a good light, you know?"
"That's right, you should watch the Ugly Duckling fairy tale. If the little swan had ganged up on the ducks with its big size, it could have enjoyed life. Even if we get some flak like that. Hahaha."
Berl's face contorted at their leisurely behavior.
"What kind of sophistry is that...! Anyway, you haven't changed even after becoming formal royal guard. Why did you risk your lives to become royal guard if you were going to live like that?"
Berl turned away, genuinely angry, and only then did the aces start to get up slowly, looking around.
Lucia, who had been watching the situation from earlier, sighed softly.
After observing them closely since morning, she realized that what the Prime Minister wanted was impossible.
These people, who don't even have a shred of expectation from others, are now going to be the subject of goodwill and recognition from many people? No way.
Lucia soon got up and carefully moved her steps.
"Huh? Director? Where are you going?"
"You're not going to see Nia, are you?"
"......"
The aces, who were getting on their horses, spoke as they watched Lucia's turned back.
She knew she would be caught given the atmosphere, but they were truly beastly perceptive.
"Am I going somewhere I shouldn't? Eventually, when the children come to the Training Grounds, they'll know I'm the Director."
It was a reasonable reason for her.
But at her words, Gillianna's eyes widened as if it were absurd.
"What are you talking about? Director! Why do you think we're wearing these stuffy helmets!"
That's right. The introductory performance prepared to welcome the children today was a mounted battle with everyone completely covered in black armor from head to toe.
She knew it in her head, but Lucia couldn't easily turn her steps.
Vernon, puzzled by her appearance, asked.
"Director, there are many people who will warmly welcome them even if it's not you. Why are you being like this today?"
At that question, she briefly recalled what had happened last night.
.
.
.
The light from the lamp was dimmed, and the close mother and daughter were lying in bed as night fell.
After a long time, she looked at the child who was tossing and turning, and their eyes met.
Then, the child looked around as if she had done something wrong and said.
"...Nia can't sleep. We're going to the Imperial Palace tomorrow..."
The child's tone was full of worry, but her hidden face had a smile full of anticipation.
Lucia looked at that face and thought of Mia.
The happy face she had when she was told she would be introduced to a job at the Imperial Palace.
'Ah. I see. I should have shown them around at least once...'
Seeing Mia and Nia, she realized that the children had a fantasy about the Imperial Palace.
And she soon blamed her own insensitivity.
The feeling of missing something like this every time was a regret that was not easy to endure.
But then.
Nia gently tugged at the hem of Lucia's pajamas, turning her head.
The child was staring at her mother with golden eyes that sparkled even in the dark room.
"Mommy is in the Imperial Palace. So Nia will see Mommy tomorrow. That's so, so great...!"
"......"
Since when has only one person existed in these clear eyes?
She suddenly felt burdened when she met this straight gaze.
And on the other hand, what kind of irony was it that she was looking forward to the situation where she would meet a child who could smile so beautifully?
.
.
.
"...Nia wants to meet me today."
At that moment, all the members' actions stopped at Lucia's words.
In this place filled only with the sound of hooves waiting for orders, the red mark visible on the turned Director's cheek.
Even the aces were dumbfounded at the sight, but soon regained their senses and handed the Director a helmet,
"Here. No, Director."
"Yeah, Director. Please avoid the picnic day for now."
"......Rejected!!"
In front of Eldarion Affiliated Kindergarten.
For the entire grade's large-scale outing, more than 150 children were lined up like chicks.
The fresh and cute appearance of the children brought a warm smile to the faces of people passing by near the fence.
However, in that warmth, a sigh that did not match the age was heard from somewhere.
"Ugh, boring."
"Is something wrong? Princess Charlotte?"
The source of the sigh was Charlotte, and Cezar, who was standing right next to her, asked worriedly.
However, before she could answer that short question,
"Wow! So excited! Picnic with Nia! Eating Imperial Palace food!"
"Roy too! Roy too!"
The children near Charlotte, who was in a bad mood, Ivanne and Roy, excitedly wiggled their feet.
"Ugh, the dust is flying. Can't you stop running?"
Charlotte waved her hand in dissatisfaction,
"What, aren't you having fun, Your Highness? I like picnics!"
"Roy too! Roy too!"
"Ugh, you don't think about me at all. I just came out of the house and I'm going right back in, how great is that."
Charlotte shook her head with her characteristic bored face.
At the princess's lament, Ivanne pointed to Nia next to her.
"Is that so? But Nia is excited for once!"
As Ivanne said, Nia, who was holding her usually pale cheeks, was now rosy.
The child shyly sparkled her eyes and said.
"Uung...! Nia is going to meet Mommy!"
At the shy child's words, Princess Charlotte's eyes filled with curiosity.
"Ah? Nia's mother works at the palace?"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
"I see. What does she do?"
"My mommy is...!"
Nia, who was about to speak happily, suddenly remembered Gedarin's story and became tight-lipped.
What if a fight breaks out like that time if she says she's a royal guard?
Behind Nia, who was suddenly looking around with a sullen face, someone appeared and cast a large shadow.
"Charlotte, Nia's mother works in the wonderful royal guard and protects the empire."
"Brother!"
As Charlotte ran to hug that someone, the children focused on the target and exclaimed.
It was because he was wearing luxurious clothes that only someone with a special status would wear, and he looked exactly like Princess Charlotte.
He smiled, making eye contact with Nia in particular among the children looking at him.
Nia blinked her eyes at the unknown smile.
"We greet the second sun of the Eldarion Empire. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
An elderly graduating teacher approached, greeted the Crown Prince, and introduced him.
"Okay. Everyone, pay attention. This is Crown Prince Airen Asir Eldarion. Shall we greet him?"
The noble children politely moved their short arms as they had learned from their parents yesterday.
The Crown Prince gave an awkward smile at the rigid appearance and said.
"I didn't come to receive such a grand greeting, haha. Thank you for welcoming me. I'm just here to say hello as Charlotte's brother today, so you don't have to treat me so formally."
A noble status they were seeing for the first time, the empire's one and only Crown Prince.
His handsome appearance and benevolent generosity made the children feel even more mysterious, and they soon whispered and sparkled their eyes.
"Um, Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince. I heard that you requested a palace attendant to guide the Director."
"Ah, that's right. So I have something special prepared. Come on, introduce yourselves! Today's Imperial Palace guides and the symbols of the empire!"
As the Crown Prince raised his hand and signaled, the teacher raised her glasses and carefully observed the unusual silhouette revealed beyond the fence.
And soon the silhouette approached the children from behind,
"Noble Lion!"
"Brave Eagle!"
"Wise Owl!"
"We are! The honorable of the Eldarion Empire...!"
That is, a lion, an eagle, and an owl.
They were mascot costumes of animals that were the guides for today's picnic and the symbols of the empire's imperial power, military, and government.
However,
"Waaaaah! It's a monster! Scary!"
"Aaaah! Save me! Waaaaah!"
Before they could even finish their introduction, the terrified children began to hide behind their respective teachers.
As many children moved violently, the front of the kindergarten was truly a battlefield, and the teachers in front were flustered and didn't know what to do.
Sharp teeth and claws, even glass eyeballs with realistic pupils drawn on them.
If they took off the masks, they would look like taxidermied animals, no different from the corpses of dismembered animals.
Charlotte was also terrified and hugged her brother, and the Crown Prince, who was embracing his sister, was dumbfounded.
Where did it all go wrong?
He had ordered the royal guard to make mascot costumes that the children would like, but all he saw were realistic beasts that even flies would land on.
Among them, the bizarre lion standing on two legs looked like it would actually perform its role properly.
Airen, disgusted, began to spew tremendous curses at the mascot costumes with his golden eyes, with electricity sparking from them.
The mascot costumes, cowering at the sight, tried to soothe the children with a more friendly appearance, but as anyone could have predicted, it caused even more chaos.
At that time, a man appeared like a comet in the midst of that chaos.
The children, who were crying mindlessly, began to raise their heads one by one at the elegant silhouette.
Because,
"White, White Wizard! Come to defeat the Monsters!"
That's right.
The beautiful silver-haired White Wizard. The appearance of Leon Luwins.
Leon smiled brightly at the children and naturally waved the flag he had brought as a staff.
And soon, the colorful light emanating from the end of the staff began to sweep over the mascot costumes with tremendous force.
As the children exclaimed at the magnificent sight, Leon said quietly.
"The purification is complete. They are good Monsters now. Will everyone welcome them?"
"Waaaaaa! Yeeeeees!!!"
Amidst the children's cheers, Leon slowly stood next to the Crown Prince.
"L, Director Leon, why are you here?"
"I'm not the Director today. I'm a picnic guide, the White Wizard."
"What...?"
Leon, who was smiling softly, gave a handkerchief to Nia, who was wiping away tears nearby, and said.
"Wipe with this."
"S, surely...!"
A kind uncle for some reason and a fierce friend's brother.
Nia looked back and forth between them, who had the same golden eyes, and blinked her tearful eyes as if she was amazed.
