First of All, I’m Drinking - Chapter 7

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 7

I returned to the residence.

I’m exhausted from playing and chattering at the children’s level – I feel like I’m going to lose my mind.

It’s not my body but my spirit that feels haggard.

‘I need to rest a bit.’

I opened the bedroom door and went inside.

“Ta-da!”

Someone I never expected was sitting on the bed, smiling brightly and waving their hand.

A woman with long black hair flowing down to her waist.

The Third Empress of the Argent Empire and this body’s biological mother.

It was Ellia de Argent.

As soon as I saw her, I frowned and spoke in a voice dripping with irritation.

“Why is Your Majesty here?”

Ellia looked hurt.

“How mean! Mother came because she naturally wanted to see Cael!”

“You must have a lot of free time. Seeing you come all the way to my residence at this hour to slack off. Don’t you have any work to handle?”

I don’t know much about what an empress does, but looking at the First and Second Empresses, they always seem busy.

The Third Empress shouldn’t be without things to do either.

“Mother doesn’t work originally.”

“…Excuse me?”

Ellia scratched the back of her head sheepishly and laughed.

“Um… well, actually His Majesty did assign mother some work, but mother just said she wouldn’t do it.”

“…Why not?”

“My son doesn’t need to know. It’s adult business.”

Adult business, she says.

‘She was definitely of commoner origin.’

Naturally, the faction supporting her within the imperial palace is overwhelmingly lacking compared to the First and Second Empresses.

In this situation, if Ellia had taken on the important responsibility of governing the state according to the Emperor’s command, it wouldn’t be strange for various checks and schemes to unfold behind the scenes.

If things went wrong, the sparks might even fly to me, her son.

‘Could it be.’

Is she doing this to protect me?

“I missed you, Cael!”

Ellia jumped up from the bed and rushed toward me.

She hugged me so tightly it hurt all over and launched a kissing attack on both my cheeks with smacking sounds.

“Ah, please get away from me!”

What disgusting behavior is this.

Damn it.

I was saying exactly the same thing Seria had said to me earlier.

“Didn’t Cael miss mother? Mother thought she was going crazy from missing you!”

“I missed you! I missed you, so please stop it!”

Finally, after struggling for a while, I was able to stop her terrible display of affection.

“Phew, Your Majesty really.”

“Yes. I really what?”

“…It’s nothing.”

I gazed at distant mountains.

I can’t even nag her to maintain some dignity.

My feelings as the person involved are shit, but anyway, they all do this because they love me, don’t they.

‘…Parents.’

Demons don’t have parents.

Since sexual desire exists, they do have relationships and bear children, but that bond doesn’t last long.

Most individuals become independent from those who birthed them within less than a month of being born.

I was the same.

I’ve lived all this time without knowing emotions like paternal love or maternal love.

For over thousands of years.

But now.

‘…I think I understand a little.’

That’s when it happened.

“Is there no one here!”

A booming voice echoed through the residence from outside the door.

‘Who dares.’

To shout so rudely in a prince’s residence.

It’s something that couldn’t even be dreamed of without considerable nerve.

Thud thud thud thud.

Soon someone came running down the corridor with urgent footsteps.

Before long, the door burst open with a knock.

“Your, Your Majesty!”

The human who entered the room with a pale expression was one of my personal attendants.

“What’s wrong?”

Ellia asked calmly. The attendant also soon regained his composure and reported in a firm voice.

“The Second Empress has come to visit.”

Second Empress Fiore de Argent.

The mother of Seria and Killian.

Excluding the Emperor himself and the First Empress who is his legal wife, she could be considered the person with the greatest power within the Imperial Capital.

Such a person had personally come all the way here.

The reason is clear even with eyes closed.

‘Maybe I should have beaten him more moderately.’

It seems I trampled Killian too violently and touched her nerves.

“Tell her to come in.”

Ellia commanded the attendant.

The attendant bowed his head toward Ellia and me, then left the room with quick steps.

A moment later.

“What a neat building.”

Second Empress Fiore entered the room, leisurely looking around the corridor.

Beautiful silver hair that automatically brought Seria and Killian to mind.

Beauty that hasn’t lost its luster even at her considerable age.

Befitting her high noble birth, elegance oozed from her every movement.

“…”

Beside her stood Killian, his face bruised and swollen in various places.

Killian’s shoulders trembled with shame when our eyes met.

‘He woke up earlier than expected.’

I thought it would take half a day.

That guy’s recovery ability seems better than I anticipated.

“There’s nothing particularly wrong with it, and it’s quite beautiful. It doesn’t seem to suit such a violent owner though.”

Fiore stared at me and Ellia.

I showed proper respect toward her.

“I greet Your Majesty the Empress.”

Ellia also showed courtesy, though not as politely as me, but concisely.

Since it was clear she hadn’t come for good purposes, Ellia’s face was filled with wariness.

“…What brings you here?”

Fiore replied coldly.

“Ask that son of yours over there about that.”

“…Do you mean Cael? Has this child done something wrong?”

“Yes. And a very grave wrong at that. He dared to turn our Killian’s face, who will be the next Emperor, into such a bloody mess.”

Fiore said while pointing at Killian’s mangled face.

Trembling.

Killian, receiving people’s stares, began shaking his body once again.

His face was even flushed bright red.

That woman is killing the kid twice over.

His pride must already be in tatters from getting beaten like a dog by me.

“What? Cael… did that to Young Master Killian?”

Ellia was quite flustered.

“But I understand the young master is a Second-rank Knight. Cael hasn’t even received his baptism yet and hasn’t been taught swordsmanship, let alone basic self-defense… How could he possibly do that to Young Master Killian?”

“Who knows. He must have used some dirty trick though.”

“I… I cannot understand this. How could Cael do that to Young Master Killian…”

Ellia fervently defended me as if she couldn’t believe it.

“Are you saying you don’t believe my words right now?!”

Fiore let out an angry roar.

In truth, I found this whole situation of bickering with her uncomfortable.

Though it’s a truth unknown to everyone present here.

That bastard was one of the prime suspects who tried to assassinate me.

There were four direct imperial family members in total.

Of those, two were born from Second Empress Fiore.

From her position, my existence was certainly bothersome enough.

‘Though it’s still just speculation.’

The possibility couldn’t be ruled out.

Her personality also seemed to be the ambitious type.

At that moment.

Slap!

A sharp sound rang out like thunder.

“You… you insolent wench…!”

The highly agitated Fiore had struck Ellia’s cheek.

Ellia’s pupils trembled as she clutched her left cheek.

“How dare a mere commoner like you ignore my words?! Fine! I’ll personally teach you what manners are!”

“W-wait a moment! Please calm down first…”

“Calm down? Do you think I look like I can calm down right now?! My son came back after being beaten by some random nobody! And the mother is avoiding responsibility and turning a blind eye to the wrongdoing!”

Fiore raised her right hand as if to strike again.

My thoughts turned coldly calm.

I looked at the Empress and narrowed my eyes.

‘She needs to know when to stop.’

If she hits one more time, then I really won’t let it slide.

“Mother!”

Killian’s cry cut between the two.

The gazes of both Empresses and the attendants focused on him.

“That’s enough… that’s enough. If you’re doing this for my sake, you can stop now.”

Killian spoke weakly.

Though his eyes looked straight at Fiore as he said it.

‘That bastard.’

How unexpected. I didn’t know that scumbag could stop someone.

“…”

Fiore slowly lowered her hand while looking at her son.

“Fine.”

“…”

“Since our son is saying this much, I should listen. But!”

Fiore turned her head.

Her blazing eyes glared at me venomously.

“That child must receive punishment equal to what he committed. If we only coddle him without properly scolding him despite his wrongdoing, won’t he commit the same mistake again next time?”

A roar like a battle cry shook the residence.

“Guards!”

Hearing her voice, a knight who had been waiting outside entered the room.

He was Second Empress’s personal guard.

Fiore pointed at me with her index finger and spoke to the knight.

“Strike his bottom ten times with the sword sheath.”

The knight who heard the command flinched.

“His Highness Cael… you mean?”

“Yes.”

The knight swallowed and bowed his body.

“…I am Your Majesty’s guard, but I am also a citizen of the Empire. I find it difficult to accept an order to lay hands on the sacred body of royalty. Please show mercy.”

“Why are you thinking so complicatedly?”

Fiore’s expression turned coldly serious.

“This is education. Since the mother is turning a blind eye to her child’s crimes, shouldn’t I at least correct that child’s behavior for his future?”

“…”

“This is also related to the imperial family’s dignity. Hurry and follow the order. Ten strikes to the bottom. That should be enough to engrave the wrongdoing in his mind.”

With the Empress speaking to this extent, the knight had no choice but to comply.

“…I will follow your command.”

The knight approached me slowly with steady steps.

I scratched my head.

If we’re talking about fault, Killian was also at fault, but such trivial things wouldn’t enter her field of vision.

‘I don’t want to just quietly take a beating though.’

What should I do.

Step.

Ellia spread both arms and blocked the knight’s path.

The knight hesitated between Fiore who gave the order and Ellia.

“Step aside.”

Ellia spoke coldly.

She turned to look at me with a stern expression.

“Cael.”

“Yes.”

“Did you really do it?”

At Ellia’s frosty expression, I momentarily wanted to lie.

But thinking it would be meaningless, I soon answered truthfully.

“…Yes.”

At my answer, Ellia’s eyes wavered.

“I see, so that’s how it is.”

She didn’t ask anything more.

“I apologize. Our son has caused trouble. I will educate Cael properly.”

Ellia bowed her head at a right angle toward Fiore.

Fiore’s expression changed completely.

Though there was a status difference between Second Empress and Third Empress, they were still both classified as Empresses.

“…Ha.”

Since the other party had bowed this low and yielded.

No matter how unreasonable Fiore was being, I couldn’t afford to be more stubborn here.

“…Fine. I’ll keep watch.”

Eventually, she turned away coldly.

“I do hope you’ll keep the words you’ve spoken yourself.”

Fiore left the room with Killian.

The knight bowed to us mother and child, then followed after them.

Only Ellia and I remained in the room.

“Cael.”

She calls my name.

“I won’t ask for reasons. Obviously, young master Killian must have done something wrong first. But resorting to violence was still too hasty. Never do that again.”

Ellia sighed while pressing her forehead.

“If my Cael were to become like young master Killian… this mother would be very sad.”

A madman who routinely beats not only servants but even his own younger sibling.

Was she worried I might develop a taste for such thuggish behavior like that bastard?

“I’m sorry.”

I simply apologized without saying anything else.

Then Ellia smiled, showing her white teeth.

It was a radiant, beautiful smile without a trace of shadow.

“Mother believes in Cael.”

Along with those words.

Behind her, the dim twilight light streamed brightly through the sliding window.

To receive someone’s unconditional trust.

The simple resonance of that feeling left me speechless with its overwhelming weight.

‘…Was this what it felt like.’

Family.

Family…

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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