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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Grandfather
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‘Sigh.’
Jusielia clicked her tongue and swallowed a sigh.
Duke Jetar looked exactly like Claude, just with glasses.
The problem was that the uncle and nephew were also identical in their eccentric behavior and way of thinking.
‘Why quit being the Regent? It comes with power, and it’s great!’
Jusielia felt frustrated.
Besides, Ekiel needed a regent like Jetar.
Of course, Ekiel was a perfect and powerful emperor.
But with a seasoned regent like Duke Jetar, who cared for the emperor, the Rilberg Empire would be much more secure.
Especially until the Dark Beastmen were dealt with.
He could just help a little longer, until then.
‘Should I turn into a tiger and bite him every time he tries to quit?’
It probably wouldn't be much of a threat, but Jusielia felt she had to do something.
Just then, Ekiel let out a heavy sigh and spoke.
“Stop it, Jetar. I have a lot to do. Until then, I'd appreciate it if you could help a little with the politics and administration of the Rilberg Empire.”
Ekiel finished drying his hair and tossed the wet towel into the laundry basket.
But frustrated by Jetar's lack of response, he finally turned toward them and asked irritably.
“Regent, why do you keep submitting your resignation and trying to run away? Where on earth do you want to go that you...”
But Ekiel couldn't finish his sentence.
When he turned his head, he saw Jusielia.
Not just Jusielia, but Jusielia standing side-by-side with Regent Jetar, affectionately holding his hand.
As Ekiel took in the scene, fury flashed in his eyes.
‘What is this?!’
He was gripped by the delusion that the two of them were about to flee from him to the ends of the earth.
He knew it was a crazy thought, but Ekiel wasn't in his right mind. His heart sank, and he even felt dizzy.
‘Gasp!’
Ekiel felt his breath catch in his throat, but he managed to compose himself, scowling deeply as he raised his voice.
“Jusielia!”
Startled, Jusielia blinked and answered reflexively.
“Y-Yes? What is it?”
“Where are you going?”
“Where would I be going? I was just...”
“I told you. Regent Jetar only looks young; he's old.”
The jaws of the dumbfounded Jetar and Jusielia slowly dropped open.
And they shouted at the same time.
“Your Majesty, it's not what you think.”
“What are you talking about, Ekiel!”
The Regent and Jusielia scrambled to explain, trying to stop the agitated Ekiel from his strange misunderstanding.
The more they tried to clarify, the more absurd it felt.
How could he possibly have such a bizarre misunderstanding?
Jusielia let out a hollow laugh, thinking that sometimes, Ekiel's way of thinking was even stranger than Claude's.
Well, it was true that the Regent's appearance was unusual, having maintained his youth due to a potion he took by mistake as a child.
A face that, to anyone, looked like that of a handsome young man.
But after seeing him often, his true self became visible.
Behind the young man's face, one could glimpse maturity and experience.
A veteran mage, a brilliant politician, the great regent protecting this nation, Duke Jetar.
So such a worry was completely absurd.
‘Silly Ekiel. Does he really think I'm a child?’
Pouting, she glared at Ekiel as he strode toward her and the Regent.
Ekiel crossed his arms and stood there, blocking their path.
Quite menacingly, in fact.
‘What's with him?’
Flustered, Jusielia looked up at Ekiel.
By the way, she'd only not seen him for two days, but it felt like Ekiel had gotten taller.
‘He's not even an adult, so why is he so tall? Does he eat something special because he's the emperor?’
Thinking about it, Ekiel seemed a bit taller than Claude, who was two years older, so Jusielia tilted her head as she looked at him.
‘I want to be taller, too.’
While she was lost in such thoughts, Ekiel sighed and spoke.
“Why are you and the Regent holding hands?”
“Huh?”
As Jusielia asked blankly, Ekiel turned his question to Regent Jetar.
“Your hands, I said, your hands!”
Jetar didn't answer.
Instead, without letting go of Jusielia's hand, he slyly hid it behind his back.
As Ekiel gritted his teeth in disbelief, Jusielia giggled.
Ekiel's expression was both cute and funny.
Jusielia decided to push it further.
“...We were on a walk. With my grandfather.”
‘Grandfather!’
Jetar was on the verge of fainting, never having known the word 'grandfather' could be such a sweet title.
As if that weren't enough, Jusielia beamed and said.
“Thank you for walking me here.”
She placed the back of Jetar's hand against her cheek and smiled brightly.
Jetar said blankly.
“This old grandfather can die happy now. I've already had a coffin made, so please bury me in it.”
“Live a long, long life!”
“If that is our princess's command, well... I shall do so...”
‘They're messing around.’
Ekiel's face crumpled as he thought this to himself.
He didn't know why he was so irritated.
So he acted on his feelings.
He forcibly separated Jusielia's and Duke Jetar's hands.
“Ouch!”
Jusielia cried out in surprise.
At Jusielia's cry, Ekiel froze in shock.
In truth, Ekiel hadn't used enough force to hurt her, but Jusielia cried out loudly out of mischief.
Hearing the pain in Jusielia's voice, Jetar also wore a flustered expression and looked down at her hand.
A startled Ekiel's eyes widened as he hurriedly examined Jusielia's hand.
“D-Does it hurt?”
“Yes.”
“Let me see, Jusielia.”
“No. I won't show you, Your Majesty.”
When Jusielia tried to run away, hiding her hand behind her back, a helpless Ekiel chased after her.
“Ah, to be young.”
Jetar chuckled as he watched them from behind.
“Out.”
A vein popping on his forehead, Ekiel scowled and flicked his finger, sending the Regent out into the hallway.
In an instant, Regent Jetar found himself standing in the red-carpeted hallway of the Imperial Palace, blinking blankly.
As the servants and royal guards passing by the emperor's room bowed to the suddenly appeared Regent, he scratched his head.
“Got kicked out, I see.”
Well, he had expected it.
After all, Princess Jusielia had said she had business with His Majesty the Emperor.
He grinned and hurried toward his office.
There was just so much to write in today's volume 76 of *The Growth Diary of Princess Jusielia*!
He would stay up all night, crafting beautiful sentences with great care.
His eyes gleamed with madness.
“Ah, that's right.”
The Regent, who had been hurrying away, stopped and looked back.
“His Majesty's expressions have become much more varied than before. It's a relief he's learning his emotions well.”
He smiled softly.
The face of the child who had always been too mature was finally starting to show his age.
Remembering the faces of the couple who had held Ekiel and smiled so brightly in the past, Jetar felt his heart ache with emotion.
“Isn't that right, Rodion, Lilia?”
Jetar asked quietly, speaking to his deceased friends.
Ekiel now possessed many emotions.
And the reason was probably...
‘...thanks to the princess.’
After the previous emperor, Tantitus, Duke Luke Jetar was the one who had watched over and cared for Ekiel most closely since he was a child.
Because of Ekiel's special genius, he struggled to learn emotions and was in danger of losing control, so Jetar had always watched him carefully.
But it seemed that would no longer be necessary.
Ekiel had someone he had to protect.
By spending time with Princess Jusielia, he was naturally learning various emotions like affection, desire, sadness, frustration, joy, and so on.
As long as the vessel of his emotions continued to grow and complement his genius, Emperor Ekiel would never explode or break down.
‘So please, take good care of our Emperor, my angelic princess.’
Remembering the lovely voice that had called him grandfather while holding his hand, Jetar skipped back to his office.
Several people saw the Regent acting this way, but they all pretended not to notice.
Geniuses, after all, sometimes go a little crazy.
Meanwhile, back in Ekiel's bedroom, Jusielia, who had been playing a game of tag, was quickly caught and was now sitting obediently in a chair.
With a sullen expression, Jusielia grumbled as Ekiel used healing magic on her.
“My hand is fine. You're wasting your magic.”
Jusielia's hand was, in fact, fine. Aside from being a little red.
But to Ekiel, even that was an eyesore.
“Still.”
