Sister-in-law of the Heroine in a Childcare Novel - Chapter 181

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 181

Who knows.
Still, I had the sense that he wouldn’t fall silent without reason. There had to be a purpose to pressing it into my hands where others wouldn’t notice. I gathered my tangled thoughts and spoke.
“Thank you for the news. I’ve been curious.”
“No, it’s my duty.
Though some rather bewildering reports came along with it, the situation in the Capital didn’t seem to warrant serious concern.
Especially Adrian.
Brian—or rather, whatever nameless wretch wearing Brian’s face—along with Cleo openly targeting him, I wondered how he’d endure it. Yet somehow, he managed to resolve it anyway.
“It’s already late, and I’m afraid I’ve taken too much of your time. Wouldn’t it be better to retire and get some rest?”
“…Yes.”
Raymond rose from his seat with slight hesitation. Unlike me, who wore simple clothes—nothing quite like nightwear, but modest nonetheless—he hadn’t bothered changing out of the clothes he’d worn earlier. Watching the weariness pooled beneath his eyes, I made a soft clicking sound with my tongue.
“I know you have much to attend to, but… I still wish you’d care for yourself while working.”
“Are you concerned for me?”
“Yes. Just as others are.”
“That alone brings me joy.”
A subtle warmth settled across his steely features.
“Bibi and Rasper played merrily enough, yet they kept turning to gaze at the castle with long faces, saying that you stayed here alone doing nothing but work. Lisianthus, despite being just a child himself, wore the same weary expression—rubbing his face with tired eyes, though…”
Of course, Lucy beside him scolded Lisianthus for it. She demanded to know if he’d take responsibility if the children caught cold from his icy presence. Watching that scene unfold, I let out a soft laugh. It was peaceful.
“…It shames me that I couldn’t greet you properly when you graced us with your presence, Your Highness. As for the children…”
“It looked lovely—a close-knit family.”
At the mention of the Imperial Family on the verge of collapse, my own family in particular, Raymond’s expression grew complicated. There were moments, rare moments, when a sharp pang would cut through my chest. Yet the conclusion remained: it was lovely to watch. So lovely that anyone with sense would inevitably wish for such a scene to endure forever.
I had grown fond of the Castrain Family gradually and undeniably.
Which meant, perhaps, that little Titania’s childish wish—her prayer that her fiancé would go mad for her—was truly, utterly futile.
Anyone would want to protect a family like this. Any person with proper sense would have to agree with that wish. And on the other hand, that brought me peace.
“You’re a good older brother to your family, Raymond. Even if you couldn’t play with them because of your duties… that’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s something to be proud of.”
With a family like this, it was fine.
“It’s not that Rasper or Bibi are ashamed of how they appeared before you, Your Highness…”
Raymond hesitated slightly.
Bibi clung to me, calling “Sister, sister.” Lisianthus had been especially attached since I saved Bibi. The three siblings had shown me moments of closeness, but they’d rarely displayed their everyday selves together so openly before.
Perhaps that’s why, as I smiled with the serene contentment of a buddha, he looked momentarily young—like a youth his actual age.
A face caught between embarrassment and shyness.
“I simply wished to serve you myself, Your Highness.”
“……”
With so much to protect, it would be fine.
Precious people, one by one by one…
In the fairy tale of the Heavenly Maiden and the Woodcutter, the deer advised the woodcutter not to return the heavenly robe until the maiden had borne him three children.
After the maiden bore two children, the woodcutter returned the robe, and she ascended to heaven cradling both in her arms.
Had there been three children, she might have carried one on her back as she rose. But what of four? Five?
The heavenly maiden would never have ascended.
Orto, Lisianthus, Bibi, Rasper… This man had many family members to guard and love.
“Then perhaps next time we can all spend time together, yes?”
So one betrothed could be left behind without worry.
I merely smiled at the man who nodded in absolute agreement.

* * *

“Emergency!”
Bells tolled in the dead of night.
It was after Raymond had left and I’d collapsed asleep in my assigned room. The loud sound came sometime past midnight.
Clang, clang, clang—clang, clang. The corridor erupted into chaos. I sprang from bed and seized my sword. The blade rattled with alarm. Before I could respond to the sword’s voice, someone pounded urgently on my door.
“Yes, come in!”
The door flew open to reveal Lisianthus, his face urgent. His clothes and the weapons hastily gathered about him suggested he could depart any moment. Even his hair stood wild as a bird’s nest—as though he’d readied everything within three minutes of hearing the alarm.
“Didn’t want you to be shocked, so I came by quick! Apparently a pack of Magic Beasts with unknown origins suddenly appeared at the northwest edge of the Territory, so I’m heading out in a hurry. It shouldn’t be too dangerous though…”
“Sure, go on. Be careful.”
“Don’t even think of coming outside, just in case! Don’t be too scared—it’s probably nothing serious!”
He’d come to keep me from being frightened, yet after delivering just those words, he bolted away without even closing the door. I dressed slowly in response.
Perhaps because this land fought Magic Beasts year-round, the wardrobe in my assigned room was filled with all manner of clothes.
Among them were quite a few comfortable, warm, and practical garments suitable for wearing up snowy mountains.
I selected one, recalled the basic layout explained to me earlier, and walked with purpose. With the sword’s help, I avoided other eyes and reached the front gate, knocking on the door. It opened without incident.
“Oh, you’ve come?”
Rasper greeted me with wide round eyes. Beside him stood Orto with an unmoved expression. Both wore casual clothes from having just woken, yet neither showed any surprise. They looked like people for whom this happened regularly.
“What, did I wake you? It’s nothing serious. Things like this happen daily in this Territory. Most are just small-fry Magic Beasts that don’t even breach the First Barrier before being dealt with…”
“Which direction of the Territory did we play in during the day?”
“Ah… well, if you had to pick a direction, it’d be the southeast. Why?”
Rasper tilted his head questioningly. Just as I thought—the exact opposite direction. I exhaled heavily.
“I think I need to go there.”
At my words, Orto looked at me as though I’d just spouted nonsense. Rasper’s expression mirrored his.
“But why would you go there in the middle of the night? Most of the forces have gone northwest to escort Your Highness, and there’s hardly anyone left to guard you…. Can’t you wait until morning?”
“You want to wander the Castrain Territory at night? Your Highness, are you asking to die?”
-But I’m telling you there’s a Divine Power signature… and it just appeared suddenly—
‘I shouldn’t have dismissed that Divine Beast Nest trace from earlier this afternoon…. Wherever I go, trouble erupts.’
-And besides, the Magic Beasts appearing in the opposite direction makes this whole situation suspicious!
‘Fine, fine.’
Why in the dead of night… without time to prepare… in the middle of someone else’s Territory… I no longer had the strength to object.
Divine Beasts were truly rare creatures blessed with Divine Power. Though calling them animals felt uncertain.
In contrast, Magic Beasts—their opposing concept—swarmed everywhere like noxious pests, while Divine Beasts were met with skepticism: ‘Do such things even exist?’
In the age of the Founding Emperor and heroes, Divine Beasts supposedly guarded their sides and bestowed blessings. But as Veloborg’s power weakened, Veloborg’s Divine Beasts had nearly gone extinct—what more needed saying.
Yet suddenly, I’d found traces of a Divine Beast Nest this afternoon, and now the sword kept insisting urgently that it sensed something presumed to be a Divine Beast’s trace in the middle of the night. Did I have any choice…
“And, Your Highness… there. The roads are too narrow for a carriage, and traveling at this hour would be difficult.”
“Right. We went by dog sled before…”
Lisianthus, who’d been driving the dog sled, had gone too. I recalled that exhilarating ride to the destination. Then I looked at Orto.
“…What is it? Your Highness, why are you looking at me like that?”
He’d spoken casually in front of Rasper just moments before, yet using such informal speech so freely before his young disciple and before a member of the Imperial Family as his employer seemed to prick his conscience. An awkward formal tone slipped out. Rather than address his change in speech, I simply stared at him.
“A sled just needs something pulling it from the front, right?”
“No matter how much of a genius mage I am, I can’t create a dog sled out of nothing for you.”
“But ships ride waves and fly across the sea, don’t they? So couldn’t a sled ride over snow if… well, if wind pulled it like a sail?”
“Your Highness, I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about, and honestly, you’re spouting complete nonsense.”
About an hour later, Orto began shouting like a madman. It was the sort of ranting about how he’d gotten tangled up with a mad princess and was now doing mad things—how could he possibly bear such a mad fate.

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