As I squirmed, the Regent held me even tighter. Meanwhile, the meeting continued.
"A drought in the western region has led to requests from the western territories for the dispatch of water-element mages."
The Regent, who had been tapping his fingers on the armrest, turned his gaze to the minister.
"Dispatch them according to the severity of the damage. However, do not send any to Terrafer. They already have a mage there, so it's likely just a ploy to get more manpower."
I couldn't understand why I was here. Despite the fuss over the emperor's mandatory attendance at regular meetings, I felt like a mere straw dummy, ignored and forgotten.
'Even if I can't speak properly, they wouldn't give me any real work, so I expected others to handle it. But I didn't expect to witness it firsthand.'
I scanned the room. The only familiar face was that of my grandfather, the Duke of Gadenia, who looked at me with a pleased expression while everyone else kept their heads bowed.
It seemed he wasn't attending the grand assembly. In a way, that was fortunate, as I didn't have the courage to face my father's ex-wife yet. The meeting proceeded smoothly. A sharp-eyed minister reported with his head bowed.
"Yesterday, the 'Devil of Devlin' appeared again at the border skirmish."
I flinched involuntarily at the unexpected name. The Regent stroked my head gently and then turned his attention to the minister.
"However, this time he exhibited unusual behavior."
"At first, he acted as he usually does, losing his mind and massacring the troops, but then he suddenly stood still, as if he had come to his senses."
The word 'massacre' made my body stiffen.
Yet, it still felt shocking. The grand title 'Devil of Devlin' seemed out of place for the blood-soaked child I had seen, who looked no older than a fifth-grader. I hadn't helped him escape; I had merely turned a blind eye. But I wondered if I had made a mistake.
'No, if I had cried then, he might have killed me.'
He had said he would kill everyone, friend or foe. As I was lost in thought, the meeting moved on to another topic.
"Count Vincent's wife has filed for divorce again..."
"Count Vincent has... again..."
While listening to the tedious meeting, my gaze fell on the large hand holding me.
I clearly remembered the time when this man, who I now knew as my father, had completely ignored me. Yet, he acted as if he didn't know me at all. I had thought he wouldn't care anymore and wouldn't look for me, but here he was, making me the emperor and coming to see me every day.
'He really did make me the emperor and now comes to see me every day?'
It was so natural that I hadn't noticed. I didn't want to be the emperor anymore, but crying wouldn't help. I needed a new approach.
'I'll make him regret making me the emperor!'
I looked around for an opportunity to cause trouble. My options were to throw the documents on the table or burst into tears. The first was impossible due to my short arms, and the second would likely get me kicked out.
'I guess I'll just have to let it slide for today.'
Just as I was about to settle for observing, the meeting content caught my attention.
"Count Vincent's wife's divorce petition."
The document, passed from hand to hand, finally landed in front of me.
Looking at the paper wouldn't help, as it was just white paper with black ink. When I raised my head, I saw the Regent's stern expression.
"This is the third divorce petition."
"Tell me, what did Count Vincent do this time?"
"He moved his pregnant wife to an annex and then the old, dilapidated stairs collapsed, causing her to miscarry."
'What kind of monster is he?'
But Count Vincent's actions didn't stop there.
"The count has also decided to give the surname Vincent to the illegitimate child he had with his mistress."
'He even had a child? What a despicable human being!'
I slammed my fist on the table in anger.
All the ministers looked at me. Their gazes were incredibly burdensome, but my anger made me blind to everything else. I tried to sound as dignified and weighty as possible.
I wanted him dead for his indiscretion and for causing his wife to miscarry. But the ministers' reactions were far from what I expected. The sharp-eyed man asked, confused.
"Your Majesty...? What do you mean by 'death'?"
Oh, how frustrating! I pounded my chest with my fists. The ministers still didn't understand.
I enunciated each word carefully after taking a deep breath.
One of the ministers suddenly exclaimed, "Execution?!"
I nodded vigorously, feeling a great sense of accomplishment that my meaning had finally been understood. I expected them to either accept the execution order or object. But...
For some reason, the ministers started laughing heartily.
'What, what? Why are they laughing?'
Execution isn't something to laugh about. Confused, I blinked, and then one of the ministers laughed and raised his arms.
What is happening? And it wasn't just one minister; they all joined in.
"I'm dead, Your Majesty!"
They all pretended to be dead. Even my grandfather, who I trusted, joined in with a hearty laugh. After all the ministers had finished their act, I shut my mouth tightly. My 'execution order' had turned into a pretend death game. I ignored the ministers pretending to be dead.
'Indeed, this country is doomed.'
Even the ministers were not in their right minds. ***
After the execution fiasco, the Regent made the decision on Count Vincent's case. He approved the divorce and ordered the count to pay a substantial compensation. It was a fairly clean decision, but it didn't fully satisfy me.
'He should have been executed.'
Even now, I felt it was a waste. Still, I diligently stamped the divorce petition with the seal the Regent had given me, fearing he might revoke the decision. The ministers clapped at my actions, making my face turn red, but...
I flopped onto the bed. After just one meeting, my whole body felt drained, and my eyes grew heavy.
'Babies sleep too much...'
With a sense of resignation, I closed my eyes and fell asleep immediately. ... ...
If it wasn't time to wake up, the nurse would have made everyone leave to keep it quiet. I opened my eyes with a sense of annoyance and was startled by the unfamiliar face in front of me.
Lustrous golden hair. Curious amber eyes looking at me.
I was momentarily stunned by the appearance of this adorable, unfamiliar young master.
'Who is he? This boy with such a distinguished face...'