#34

Early spring in the Voreoti territory was still a snow-covered land of white.

“Nooooo!”

But the sun, shining down persistently, began to melt the snow bit by bit, and beneath it, the green sprouts wriggled to stretch and rise.

Just like Belleani, who clung desperately to Leonia, who was heading down to the capital for the new semester at the Academy.

Belleani had been perfectly happy until breakfast that morning.

Her stylish father personally lifted her into her chair at the table and tied her bib in a pretty bow.

The strongest mom in the house kissed her cheeks and told her she loved her.

And her most beloved sister gave her a big hug and praised her for finishing her vegetable juice without leaving a drop.

The baby beast of the Voreoti family had been in an excellent mood.

She even thought that today, she might finally win at hide-and-seek against her sister.

But then, the household staff started moving busily.

With her sharp intuition, Belleani sensed unease and began trailing after them.

That’s when she saw them carrying luggage out of Leonia’s room.

The bags were taken out to the entrance hall and began to be loaded one by one into the waiting carriage.

That’s right.

Today was the day Leonia would leave for the capital, as the new semester began.

“Waaahhh! Sisterrr!”

She had planned to leave quietly, but that plan had obviously failed.

“Sister, don’t go! Don’t gooo!”

“J-just wait! Muscley, wait a second!”

“Waaaahhhh!”

Belleani gripped Leonia’s leg with both hands as she was trying to board the carriage.

Leonia screamed in pain, feeling like her leg was about to be ripped off.

“This is what happens when you give them a nickname like that.”

Unable to watch any longer, Ferio personally pulled Belleani away.

“Waaahhh!”

Her face was a mess of tears, snot, and drool.

“...So our daughters only get uglier when they cry.”

Ferio clicked his tongue in disbelief.

Realizing he was insulting her, Belleani cried even harder.

“Daddy idiot! Poop-head!”

“Tsk, Belleani.”

Varia gave a stern warning.

“Who taught you to say such awful things to your father!”

At her mother’s harsh tone, Belleani barely managed to stop crying.

“M-my sister did...”

And in that moment, she pointed to the one who had taught her the foul words.

“You’ve ruined our family values, eldest daughter.”

Ferio glared resentfully at his firstborn, recalling the ‘Proper Speech Period’ he had revived not long ago.

He had originally implemented it to support Leonia’s emotional development as a child—and just like back then, she had ruined it again.

“You’re the one who raised me like this, Dad.”

Leonia replied as she rubbed her still-throbbing leg.

“You’re not off the hook either, Leo.”

Varia scolded her as well.

“How many times have I told you to be careful with your words? If you're going to be the next duchess, you need to gossip with grace and elegance.”

She warned her sharply not to use such vulgar language.

“...I’ll reflect on it.”

Leonia pouted but obediently apologized, since she knew she was in the wrong.

“......”

Speechless at the ridiculous discipline, Ferio let out a short sigh.

Then, when he looked down, there was his second daughter still clinging to his chest, sobbing, “Don’t gooo...”

“Lea.”

Ferio whispered gently.

“Your sister’s leaving to study.”

“No...”

He patted her trembling back.

“We’ll go see her later.”

“Let’s go nowww...”

“But Daddy still has work to do...”

“Daddy poop-head!”

Wail! Belleani’s crying exploded again.

Taking advantage of the moment, Varia gave Leonia a firm push into the carriage.

If Belleani started throwing a fit, even the three of them together wouldn’t be able to handle her.

But Leonia’s feet were weighed down by her little sister’s tearful outburst and wouldn’t move easily.

“Can’t I just say goodbye to Lea first?”

By now, even Leonia’s eyes were starting to glisten with tears.

“Even lovers parted by war wouldn’t be as heartbroken as you two.”

Varia forcibly shoved Leonia into the carriage.

“Someone might think you gave birth to her yourself, Leo.”

“I was in pain during Mom’s labor, so I contributed at least a little.”

“Of course you did, my dutiful daughter.”

Varia, impressed by her daughter’s absurd logic, showered her with kisses on both cheeks.

“So for your poor mother’s sake, just go now, will you?”

See you in the capital, okay?

After closing the carriage door, Varia exchanged a glance with Ferio.

“Move out.”

Ferio commanded.

“Departing!” Meleis, positioned at the head of the carriage, echoed the order.

As the black horses began to move, the wheels of the carriage slowly started to turn.

“Sisterrrr!”

Belleani screamed out a lament toward the departing carriage.

Ferio winced at the sheer volume of her sorrowful high note.

“We need to get our second daughter some vocal training.”

The first tormented him with art, the second with her voice.

He pulled Belleani into his arms before she collapsed backward, and endured the sharp smack to his chin from her tiny hand.

“Waaahhhh!”

Only after the carriage disappeared from view did Belleani break free from Ferio’s arms and start running.

But the carriage was long gone.

The baby beast took only a few steps before collapsing on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

Whatever grief she was feeling, the little lump of a girl pounded the ground with her fists and cried her heart out.

The watching adults felt a deep pang in their chests.

Ferio, watching quietly, finally spoke.

“How about some pudding?”

At the very moment he said “pud–,” Belleani’s head shot up.

Her cheeks were soaked with tears, and snot streaked down her philtrum, her bright red face wobbling from the crying.

“...Pudding?”

Her pitiful eyes blinked.

“But pudding is... after lunch, sniff, as a snack...”

“Today is special.”

“Then what about snack time?”

Belleani asked if she could still have pudding during snack time too.

Before answering, Ferio glanced at the supreme authority in the household.

“Today is special.”

Exhausted since early morning, Varia repeated Ferio’s words without objection.

There was no way she could deny pudding to that tiny tyrant right now.

“...Hehe.”

Belleani broke into a goofy smile, despite her messy face.

Now in a good mood, the baby beast grabbed her parents’ hands with both of her tiny ones.

“Let’s go eat pudding!”

She declared boldly.

Ferio and Varia watched her — a child they wouldn’t trade for the world — with tired, heavy eyes.

“...I never thought these words would come out of my mouth, but...”

Ferio quietly stared at the baby {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} beast running off to the parlor ahead of them.

“She’s worse than Leo.”

When they first raised Leonia, they had learned over and over how hard and exhausting parenting was.

But that had been a delusion.

Leonia was merely the appetizer.

No, not even that.

Only now, raising the second daughter, did they realize:

Their firstborn had been such a gentle, obedient, and well-behaved child.

“She’d love to hear that if she were here.”

You always wait until they’re gone to give praise.

Varia gave Ferio’s annoying lips a light smack.

***

Thus, peace was finally restored in the Northern Voreoti household — through pudding.

“...My goodness.”

But the capital was in shock.

“What on earth is going on?”

Emperor Chrisetos couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

He had come in person to greet the Academy students — including Leonia — who had passed through the Northern Gate.

He called it a “greeting,” but really, it was a favor to his younger brother, who had spent his entire vacation clearing out bandits and hadn’t had a chance to rest.

But something was off about Leonia as she stepped down from the carriage.

The Emperor glanced sideways.

Scandia, who had been waiting like a devoted puppy, was absolutely devastated.

Normally, he would’ve mocked the display, calling it pathetic, but this time, he fully understood the guy’s feelings.

Because he, too, had never seen Leonia look so heartbroken.

The moment she got off the carriage, Scandia rushed to her.

He reached out and pulled the trembling black beast into his arms.

“What happened to you?”

To his eyes, it looked like she might collapse at any moment.

The Emperor, watching from a little distance, frowned like he’d seen something unnatural.

‘Did something really happen?’

Normally, she’d have made a flashy show and showered his brother with kisses and affection.

Honestly, the Emperor didn’t feel particularly worried for Leonia.

Even while she appeared so fragile, there was something about her that felt eerie — like a devil crying crocodile tears.

Still, for the sake of their shared past, Emperor Chrisetos dismissed the attendants and knights standing behind him.

He felt Leonia’s vulnerable side shouldn’t be revealed too carelessly.

Even for his own protection.

“Are you all right?”

The Emperor approached and asked.

Leonia, out of character, was dabbing her eyes gently with a handkerchief.

The somber expression actually suited her surprisingly well, and the Emperor was visibly startled.

“Lea didn’t want to let go of me. She was crying so hard... And yet I had to leave her behind and come to the capital alone...”

“Hm...”

The Emperor couldn’t find an easy answer.

It depended on personality, but toddlers usually forgot quickly once someone was out of sight.

He knew — he had a younger sister of that age once too.

“I’m sure the little lady already misses you.”

In truth, that “little lady” had already devoured a full pudding before lunch and was now licking her plate clean with her tongue.

“Boom-Boom, do you think so too?”

Leonia asked Scandia.

The Emperor, having been ignored despite his big attempt at comfort, simply let it go.

“Of course.”

Scandia kissed the corner of Leonia’s eye and whispered softly by her ear to stay strong now.

‘I wish both of you would just disappear.’

The Emperor swallowed his curses behind a forced smile.

Having barely recovered from her sorrow, Leonia now gazed at the attendants and knights standing back.

“I see some familiar faces.”

Several members of the Revoo Knights, who had come north for joint training the previous summer, were here.

“We’re still replacing people.”

One of the first major actions Emperor Chrisetos had taken after ascending the throne was to purge the Imperial Knights.

A large portion of the corps had been appointed under Olor’s influence, and thus most had to be replaced.

In the process, old factional disputes came to light.

Those who had failed to show loyalty to the Imperial family and had committed serious offenses were executed, while the rest lost the use of their sword hands and were exiled.

“That’s how I got nicknamed the Blood Emperor.”

He said it jokingly, but there was no joy in his expression.

“Your Majesty.”

Leonia spoke up.

“When a farmer sees barley sprouts grow, do you know what he does? He steps on them. Do you know why?”