/
Nicholas stared indifferently at the trembling aide’s back, then looked at the list in his hand again.
Gerard Schmidt.
Of course, he must be Dos—.
Cheshire.
He already knew a lot about this kid.
The illegitimate son of the Marquis of Onyx.
And the boy Enoch brings in and takes under his care.
Perhaps Enoch recognized the child’s useful talents, so he brought him.
So it was already expected that it was not a normal bet. There’s no way he didn’t even know it was Dos.
However, they are not what matters now.
“Do I have to wait this long for an answer?”
“Your Majesty…”
At Nicholas’ urging, the aide cautiously got up, took a list from the file folder, and handed it over.
His hands were shaking.
‘It doesn’t matter if it’s not Dos.’
Some children are less capable than their parents. It’s an oddity that happens occasionally.
‘It doesn’t matter if it’s Quarto or Septima.’
Military law says that only people up to the third rank have to join the Imperial Army.
All she has to do is be in a rank that gives him the authority of the Emperor to move freely.
Nicholas soothed his nervous heart.
Lilith Rubinstein
Rank: Grade 4, Octava
However, his expectations were ruthlessly trampled.
“…What is this.”
“…”
“What is this!!!”
Nicholas shouted.
Clank, clank, clank!
All the windows of the office burst at his roaring with bloodshot eyes.
“Heuk! Ugh!”
The aide, who was crouching and croaking, hurriedly wrapped his mana around his body.
When the Emperor was angry like this, there were not one or two people who stayed by his side and died from the power that erupted uncontrollably.
“Y, Your Majesty, please calm down. It is said that Princess Rubinstein’s rank has been confirmed as Grade 4 Octava.”
“Do you think I asked for an answer like that?”
“Y, yes! I apologize… All the researchers in the training camp observed the measurement, and it is said that the rank of the princess was repeatedly measured with three generations of mana formal.”
“….”
“After receiving the report, I was also surprised, checked it myself, and returned. I’m really sorry to say this, but the princess….”
The aide, who closed his eyes tightly, added.
“…it’s correct that she’s Grade 4, Octava.”
Nicholas’ hand fell helplessly.
This is a variable he hadn’t thought of before.
That Enoch Rubinstein’s daughter is only a Grade 4.
“This, this…”
Nicholas stood up and shook his throbbing head.
This is ridiculous.
It was Enoch Rubinstein’s leash that he had worked hard on for years.
‘How could this situation….’
Nicholas’ eyes headed back to the map on the wall.
Enoch, who had promised to become a dog to get his daughter exempt from military service, would now change his mind.
Just like back then, when he was a little boy—.
He always said what was on his mind and he would interfere with everything in his path to becoming the King of Conquerors.
Damn it, that useless girl—.
“Aaaaaaaargh!!!”
Nicholas, who muttered as he recalled Lilith’s face, soon burst into anger and shouted.
* * *
“Heuk?”
I felt chilly for a moment. My body trembled involuntarily.
‘I wonder if my grade has entered the ears of the Emperor by now?’
He might be having fun cursing at me.
How pretty was the emperor? Because it was Dad’s only leash.
The Emperor who was busy taking care of me while attending the training center and my performance—.
‘To tempt me!’
I covered my mouth and giggled.
“Hnng. Don’t go….”
“Lilith, you can’t see me anymore?”
“Can’t we just hang out here for another month without taking classes? Hngg.”
Alicia, Diane, and Michelle hugged me as I packed and shed tears with a runny nose.
“I’m sad to parting ways with you guys, too.”
When they saw me wearing the 4th grade, Octava green badge, the children’s reactions at the training center were different.
The kids who tried to be friendly every day but then changed their attitude 180 degrees—.
The kids who want to talk to me but are hesitant because my grade is lower than they thought it would be—.
‘It’s probably the same even when I go outside.’
It was fortunate that I could filter people out just by looking at the way they treated me.
The children in my room were surprised at first when they saw my grade but regretted the idea of parting soon.
They were good friends.
“I hope you graduate soon too. When you come out, I will invite you to my house. Will you come?”
“Of course!”
Alicia sniffed and hugged me.
“I’ll buy a lot of pretty gifts and go there.  Please invite me.”
“Me too, me too.”
“Me too~.”
“Hee hee, yes!”
Alicia asked as she looked at Jem she was packing.
“Are you coming too?”
“Eung?”
“Lilith, are you going to invite Jem too?”
I laughed and nodded in response to the cute Alicia’s question, who couldn’t even see Jem leave.
“Of course! Let’s all get together and eat delicious things, and then go out to buy pretty things and see fun things! How is it?”
“Good!”
“I like it, too!”
“Kyaa, I’m looking forward to it!”
Jem smiled and rubbed the tip of her nose when she saw her friends chattering like baby birds.
“To do that, everyone should graduate soon!”
“Hng, I’ll graduate if I collect 200 more points!”
The voices of Jem and Alicia, who were bickering, were friendly.
It was a heartwarming last day at the training center.
* * *
I ate two bowls of dinner and went for a walk with Cheshire while stroking my chubby belly.
The last meal…
It was good…
The training center meal, which I thought would be filthy and tasteless, wasn’t bad when I think about it now.
“Take off the badge. Why are you wearing it?”
Cheshire said, looking at the green badge I wore all day proudly.
“Why? It’s pretty.”
“Everyone is looking at you.”
Indeed.
I could see the kids passing by, glancing at me.
Today’s training center hot issue was me.
Of course, the kid they thought was in Dos class was actually wearing an Octava badge and walking around the neighborhood.
“Cheshire.”
“Eung.”
“Are you also disappointed that I’m a bit low class?”
“What?”
Cheshire had a rare expression on his face.
This is a little rare. That Cheshire is frowning.
“Do you think I would?”
“No, I was just asking…. Why do you make a scary face?”
When I said that I was scared, Cheshire quickly relaxed his expression.
Then he said.
“I honestly thought it was fortunate.”
“Eung?”
“Uncle was always worried. He sighs whenever he talks about you.”
“Aha, my Dad?”
“Eung. He said that everything was his fault. It’s not like you could choose your parents, but he said he was very sorry that you had to live as a soldier because you were Dos when you were born.”
“It’s not Dad’s fault….”
“That’s what I said, but he didn’t change his mind.”
I’m sure it was.
Cheshire nodded and added.
“Uncle will like it the most. You don’t have to go to the battlefield, so you won’t get hurt or die. You are safe.”
“Hehe, that’s right. And you? You need to go hunting for monsters now, is that okay?”
“It’s all right. No, it’s not all right, it was great. Because it’s Dos.”
“Did you like it?”
…Is it an unexpected desire for power?
Interested, Cheshire stared at me.
“Because it’s not strange to be next to you now. At least people won’t curse at you for hanging out with someone like me.”
“….”
I lost my words and went blank.
Why did Cheshire come in without warning from the last time?
‘Isn’t this a complete confession?’
The good reason for getting the Dos badge is that you can be by my side.
“Come stay with me. Continue.”
“Yes?”
“I will always be by your side. I will protect you so that no one can bother you.”
I swallowed my saliva at the serious Cheshire’s words.
I was ashamed of myself for putting a romance filter on this.
‘C, come to your senses!’
What Cheshire says purely just because he thinks of me, without any other intention—.
‘Phew, what should I do?’
Stop running.
I glanced at Cheshire’s face and pressed down my beating heart.
‘This is a bit difficult….’
Cheshire should soon be officially registered as an adopted son in our family.
He has a rank, but he is still eleven years old.
He has a long way to go before he can establish his major and receive a title, and until then, there must be a clear fence.
‘Cheshire will soon be my older brother. What should I do if I have such a sinister mind inside? Stop!’
I quickly changed the topic.
“Ah! But will everyone think of me like you when I go home? Didn’t Bruce say earlier that when I return, my family will treat me like an insect?”
“Why do you care about that? You still don’t know your family?”
Of course, I don’t care at all. I just brought it up to change the topic.
“Eung, Bruce said something stupid….”
Someone found me in the distance and strode towards me with surprised eyes.
It was my Uncle.
“Wow! Hello, Uncle!”
I gave him a warm greeting, but my Uncle, who came at me like a bolt of lightning, didn’t answer.
He just stared at the green badge on my chest and laughed bitterly.
“U, Uncle…?”
I didn’t like the expression for some reason, so I got scared.
My Uncle pointed at my badge and said coldly.
“…What is this?”