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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Canceled Training
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As the two stood side by side, trying to suppress their laughter, Jusielia frowned.
“I can understand Uni, but Sir Xaviet Skoten, do you really think that strange laugh suits your face? I've been meaning to say this, but don't laugh like that in front of other women. You'll never get married.”
“Your Highness! I agree!”
Uni shot her hand up, and Xaviet secretly glared at her.
Xaviet was handsome, capable, from a great family, and had a decent personality, but that strange laugh of his was a problem.
Even Uni called it a flaw. Worried about Xaviet's future, Jusielia shook her head.
“How are you ever going to get married?”
“Well. O-once our young princess gets married first… Ahahahaha.”
“Kya, kyahahaha! Isn't the young master of the Continell family just adorable? Ah, really!”
In the end, Uni and Xaviet disobeyed Jusielia's command and burst out laughing, clutching their stomachs.
If Jusielia had been a strict royal, this would have been absolutely impossible.
To Jusielia, they were like an aunt and an uncle.
This kind of atmosphere was common for them, who got along harmoniously like family.
Giving up, Jusielia asked Sophie for another cup of cocoa and grumbled to herself.
*‘Go on, laugh all you want.’*
There’s not much to be happy about anyway.
Isn't it a good thing to laugh a lot?
If my cherished lady-in-waiting and royal guard are so happy they're laughing out loud like that, then well...
*I suppose this is what you’d call true ‘welfare’ provided by their superior,* she thought.
*‘I’m so benevolent.’*
Jusielia praised herself as she leisurely sipped the cocoa Sophie had prepared, generously topped with fluffy white marshmallows.
It was sweet and warm.
Watching the spring blossom trees, beautifully illuminated by the magical streetlights, sway gently in the light breeze, Jusielia rested her chin on her hand.
*‘Claude, really.’*
Down below, he had set up a small table and asked if she would let him be her escort to the party.
At that, Claude had stared at her blankly before his face suddenly turned bright red.
-Your Highness.
-Yes?
-Please marry me in the future. I will become a wonderful husband!
The problem was that Sophie, Uni, and Xaviet were all right there next to them.
*Seriously, don't people usually propose when they're alone?*
Jusielia recalled a book she had once read and clicked her tongue at Claude's lack of romantic sense.
Not that she had any intention of marrying Claude.
She decided she should tell him to consult a book next time he proposes to another woman.
*‘What a funny kid.’*
Jusielia chuckled and leaned back leisurely in her chair.
*‘Did I get prettier in my human form? Still, what's with proposing right off the bat?’*
But that attitude was so typically Claude that she didn't find the proposal dreadful or unpleasant.
In fact, she was grateful.
It gave her the confidence that her appearance wasn't strange, but was even perceived as 'attractive' to a human boy like Claude.
Besides, Claude's feelings would change once he grew up.
They would both find someone they loved by then.
*‘We’re still young.’*
Jusielia considered her and Claude's ages and shook her head.
Moreover, Claude was human, and she was a beastman.
Of course, there were occasional cases of beastmen and humans marrying.
*‘It was actually common in the past.’*
Jusielia carefully recalled her past life as Anash.
Before the continent was divided into east and west, beastmen and humans all lived together in harmony.
Unions between beastmen and humans were also natural.
Though called half-breeds because their parents were of two different races, their children would be born as either a beastman or a human.
They might possess special supernatural abilities or magic, but there were also cases where they had no abilities at all.
*‘It’s a rare case now.’*
Marriage.
It was still a distant topic for her, but for Claude or Ekiel, who would become adults in just a few years, it probably wasn't such an unfamiliar subject.
Especially Ekiel, since he was the Emperor.
No matter how much the Rilberg Empire didn't need a royal family, his original family, the 'Isles,' was a famous line of mages.
So, the citizens of the empire would surely want the Emperor to take an Empress soon.
Hoping for the birth of another exceptional mage.
*‘Are you also searching for your future Empress?’*
Claude had long since been erased from Jusielia's mind.
She thought of the kind boy who would often come to the spot beneath the blossom tree to take walks with her, the White Tiger.
The master of this place, the boy who could visit her anytime.
*‘Ekiel.’*
Without realizing it, Jusielia glanced at the magical communication device on the table.
She heard that these magical communication devices were now widely distributed in the Penterin Empire as well.
As interactions between beastmen and humans become more frequent, marriages between the two races will naturally start to happen again.
Just like how Claude had wanted to marry her.
*‘What do you think?’*
For citizens of both empires, and for different races to become family through marriage, a new administrative system would be needed.
Was he perhaps preparing that with the Penterin Empire as well?
His position was already heavy with responsibility, and now that he'd begun new exchanges with another nation, his workload must have increased.
Is that why he's so busy?
Jusielia grew sullen as she recalled the morning's events.
Early this morning, a servant had come from the Emperor's palace.
He had relayed that Ekiel was canceling today's training, something he hadn't skipped even once in the past five years.
For Jusielia, who had been excitedly preparing since early morning for her first training session in human form, the news was deflating.
She decided she had to see Ekiel before her promised time with Claude and went to the Emperor's palace.
However, his servant bowed his head apologetically, saying that Ekiel had already entered a state council meeting and couldn't be seen.
Jusielia was taken aback.
Right, Ekiel was the Emperor.
He was a busy person. He had deliberately set aside time for her to help with her training.
She had always wondered if it was okay to keep taking up His Majesty the precious Emperor's time like this.
*‘But still!’*
Jusielia suddenly recalled the moment she had transformed.
Ekiel, who had congratulated her but couldn't properly meet her eyes and wore an awkward expression.
His stiff lips and the gaze that avoided hers.
Is he really avoiding me?
“We're not too keen on marrying humans either. Don't you think humans would also hate marrying beastmen?”
“That's true. Because of that damn Dark Divine Beast, the image of beastmen has gotten worse for no reason.”
“Is that so?”
While Jusielia was lost in thought, the other two had started talking about human-beastman half-breeds.
*‘Sigh.’*
Jusielia swallowed a sigh.
Why did Claude have to go and propose?
It had stirred her heart in so many ways.
“Let's go inside now.”
Jusielia led her attendants and returned to her room.
She had to wake up early tomorrow to start training again.
***
But then.
“What? Today too?”
Jusielia, who had woken up early, had already changed into her training clothes and was ready to train with Ekiel.
But once again, the Emperor's servant came to inform her that the training was canceled.
The servant relayed that His Majesty the Emperor's state council meetings had become too long and busy, and that he hoped she would train on her own, before leaving.
Jusielia was left standing there blankly, blinking her eyes.
Uni, sensing the mood, cautiously approached her.
“Hahaha! Your Highness, this is great! Weren't you just grinding your teeth, wishing you could skip training just once!”
“I... I was.”
“Since it's come to this, just get some rest. How about lounging around and eating macarons? I'll set up a hammock for you outside.”
“Okay…”
Jusielia lay in the hammock that Xaviet and Uni had hung between two trees, eating macarons as flower petals danced down on her in the breeze.
Ha.
What is this feeling?
It's like... being stood up for a date. I shouldn't be feeling this way, so why am I?
She felt awful.
Jusielia scowled deeply and thought of Ekiel.
He may be the great Emperor, but he is my collaborator and partner.
In other words, we have a cooperative relationship.
