Chapter 10
“Princess…!”
Sarah was startled.
In that time, you’ve already spoken another sentence!
Saying our princess is a genius, Sarah started bouncing Elonia up and down in a high-pitched voice, forgetting for a moment that the Emperor was nearby.
“…The princess really discriminates between people.”
At Artius’s low remark, Sarah finally regained her composure, cleared her throat, and answered in a dignified voice.
“Babies forget everything quickly. Your Majesty. Why don’t you try visiting the princess a bit more often? The important thing is emotional interaction with the child.”
‘Hey!’
Elonia, who had just shouted “Sarah, like”, yelled inwardly.
‘I squeezed out nonexistent aegyo and acted cute so that jerk would get lost on his own accord, so what are you saying!’
This nanny truly did not understand the pitiful and cute princess’s heart.
From Sarah’s perspective, it would be better for the baby princess if the Emperor visited often, but from Elonia’s perspective, she wanted to strongly refuse.
But there was no way Artius would be convinced by that…
“Let’s do that.”
‘He agreed.’
What’s with the “let’s do that” from a guy who’s already stamping a perfect attendance mark at the Imperial Princess Palace.
This cockroach-like thing.
‘A bastard worse than dog poop. A bastard useless even for medicine.’
Whether Elonia cursed inwardly or not, from then on, Artius went from visiting the princess once a day to three times a day.
“Does the princess speak a bit more than yesterday?”
Once in the morning.
“Does the princess speak a bit more than in the morning?”
Once at lunchtime.
“How is it? Do you think you’ll be able to speak a bit before bed?”
Once in the evening.
‘Such a persistent bastard….’
Elonia trembled with anger.
There’s nothing more disgusting for a tyrant to do.
‘Ah, maybe he’s a tyrant because he neglects state affairs and does useless things all day.’
Some say that Artius is finally getting attached to Elonia, but Elonia could tell.
That jerk is just trying to teach the cocky princess the hierarchy after discovering her usefulness.
‘A princess who dares to stand up to the emperor. Enough to go against that tyrant’s taste.’
Elonia let out a big sigh.
Stupid Artius.
Blockhead Artius.
As she was cursing him inwardly, her mouth opened by itself.
“Ba.”
“…!”
“…?”
Artius and Sarah were both surprised at the same time.
“The princess is trying to call Your Majesty right now…!”
‘What?’
Damn it, why is that babbling connecting like that?
Surprised by their reaction, Elonia opened her mouth again to explain that it wasn’t, but a big hand suddenly approached and covered Elonia’s mouth.
The culprit was Artius.
“Wait. Let’s hear that word tomorrow.”
‘Ah, shoot. Eww.’
Damn. She licked Artius’s palm.
Elonia quickly went “eww”, as if she had picked up something inedible.
“Call all the court ladies attending to the princess to this room at this time tomorrow. I’ll have to bring the Chroniclers and vassals.”
‘You crazy bastard!’
Babbling meaning “Why are you suddenly bringing the Chroniclers!” rose to the tip of her tongue but was quickly swallowed.
Because at that moment, a good idea flashed through Elonia’s mind.
‘I remembered. A way to make that bastard eat dirt…!’
She remembered when Artius was annoyingly acting up before.
“Why can the princess say that woman’s name but not mine.”
Even now, he probably thought the babbling “ba” meant “dad” and was spewing nonsense about bringing the Chroniclers and whatnot.
To clearly record that this cocky baby had finally grasped the hierarchy.
‘If you want to be called that so badly, I’ll call you that.’
But that title won’t be “dad”.
“…?”
As if sensing something, Artius flinched and turned his gaze to Elonia.
Outwardly, Elonia put on an innocent expression, but inwardly, she laughed wickedly like the former war demon of the continent.
* * *
The next day.
Many people gathered in the baby princess’s room.
Elonia sat indifferently on the cradle and scanned her surroundings.
Even so, because Elonia’s appearance itself was so incredibly lovely, no one thought that expression was a rotten one.
The vassals the Emperor brought, including the Chroniclers, looked at the princess who didn’t shed a single tear despite this many people as if it were amazing.
The Emperor gestured to Elonia with his chin.
“Try starting.”
‘Does he think I’m a clown?’
But just this once, there was something that connected with Artius.
‘As expected, it’s been 5 years, no, 6 years. If we fight that long, there are things that connect.’
Elonia’s mouth was also itching to make Artius eat dirt.
Elonia mumbled, moving her lips, then forcefully spat out,
“Ba!”
“Yes, princess. That’s how you call His Majesty! Come on, say daddy!”
“Princess! You can do it!”
Next to her, Sarah and the court ladies diligently cheered her on.
“…Ba!”
“Yes, that’s it!”
“Come on, princess. Try following along, daddy!”
“When on earth are you planning to speak?”
“Y-Your Majesty. Don’t be angry and please wait just a bit longer. Now, princess. Go on.”
‘Sigh. That bastard has no patience.’
Elonia was deliberately stalling for dramatic effect.
Elonia observed Artius’s face.
She felt sorry for those eyes that strangely harbored expectations without knowing their own future.
Can’t be helped.
Should I say it now?
Elonia finally spat out the pronunciation she had practiced hard for days.
“Idiot.”(babo)
“…”
As expected, the room was enveloped in silence.
The adults’ expressions were all worth seeing.
Among them, Artius’s expression was especially worth seeing.
“…What did the princess say just now?”
“Idiot.”
“…”
Once again, the word “idiot” flowed accurately from the baby princess’s mouth.
He probably didn’t expect the word “idiot” to come out.
Titles like the fallen sage king or the merciless tyrant were too good for Artius.
He was just an idiot, a moron, an imbecile, a son of a bitch.
“Idiot!”
“…Now, me. An idiot.”
“Yes!”
Elonia pointed and emphasized it again.
Today was the historic day when the continent’s princess called her father for the first time.
A very historic day when it was officially recorded that Artius was an idiot.
How refreshing was this?
“…”
“Y-Your Majesty!”
While the Chroniclers were slyly recording, Artius approached Elonia.
The court ladies tried to stop him in case that tyrant harmed the baby, but to no avail.
“Who is in charge of the princess’s education?”
“…Did you call for me?”
Sarah stepped forward and bowed deeply.
Artius glared fiercely at Sarah.
“Do you properly understand the meaning of the word the princess used to refer to me just now?”
“I apologize. But I swear, no one has ever uttered such an impudent word in front of the princess.”
That was true.
Which court lady would be crazy enough to say the word “idiot” in front of the princess and make the baby understand its meaning?
Unless there was a grown adult inside the child’s body, there was no way she could say the word “idiot” without having heard anything.
Artius quietly glared at Elonia.
Elonia also fearlessly met his gaze.
Flinch.
Artius’s nose tip slightly wrinkled.
That was a habit that appeared when Artius was angry.
‘You’re getting angry now?’
Then who told you to play around with the last wish?
What Elonia hated the most was playing around with people’s lives.
‘The princess is…’
‘Countering His Majesty the Emperor’s pressure…!’
The vassals, who were always threatened with murder by Artius, looked at Elonia with unbelieving eyes.
The one who lost the staring contest was Artius.
“We wasted pointless time.”
Artius turned around abruptly.
‘Yes. Go, go. Don’t come back. Just try showing up in front of me until I leave the Imperial Palace. I’ll really kill you.’
Elonia attached all kinds of curses she picked up on the battlefield to Artius’s back.
But Elonia had forgotten.
“I will come again tomorrow. Make sure you can utter a title of respect for the Emperor then.”
‘What?’
No matter how many times he was pushed back by Cheron in the past, Artius got up like a roly-poly and charged again.
…Artius was quite stubborn.
* * *
After that historic day when the tyrant emperor was ridiculed, no, recorded as an idiot in the history books legally,
Artius continued to visit the Imperial Princess Palace as he had announced.
“Today, you must properly utter my title.”
“Ba-”
“Yes. Keep saying it.”
But Elonia was by no means easy either.
“Bowagi (gourd).”
“…”
“Bageuni (basket). Badam (wind).”
“…”
“Badi (pants), Baneu (needle), Bahiriheukkeu (basilisk).”
“…”
Recently, Elonia started a silly word play against the tyrant.
The court ladies, who trembled at first, were now used to it, and it had become a daily routine for them to say “Our princess is a genius” with tearful, moved faces.
“Could it be that the princess only knows how to speak words starting with ‘ba’?”
“Yes, no.”
“…Hmph.”
Now Elonia knew how to say yes and no too.
As soon as the word “no” came out of the baby princess’s mouth, Artius couldn’t hide his dumbfounded expression.
On top of that, she spoke bluntly.
‘What are you looking at? It won’t come out even if you look more.’
I’m telling you there are no more words starting with “ba”.
As if she had nothing more to say to Artius, Elonia boldly lay down in front of the Emperor.
Artius lamented, holding his forehead.
“I can’t believe such a stupid princess is the successor of the empire.”
‘This stupid princess surprisingly has half your blood, you imbecile bastard.’
When should I really kill that bastard?
Elonia ignored Artius and turned her head sharply.
Elonia was going to go.
That dog bastard Artius could stay here.
Even so, Elonia was the one staying here since she couldn’t get out of the cradle, but anyway, Elonia turned her head sharply with that feeling.
The sight of the tyrant emperor being ridiculed by the baby princess was quite spectacular.
Especially Aaron Archer, the tyrant’s advisor who had suffered so much under the tyrant, suppressed his laughter and reported with a struggles to be calm.
“Your Majesty. It’s almost time for you to attend the grand council.”
“…”
Artius glared at the advisor.
The poor advisor kept a straight face as if he had never laughed, like a slave of the Imperial Palace.
‘You’re clumsy even when trying to act like a tyrant, Artius.’
I told you that gullible personality of yours wouldn’t disappear.
When Elonia sent a mocking gaze, Artius uncannily noticed and glared at Elonia.
Elonia also kept a straight face as if nothing had happened, so Artius left the baby room with a very sulky face.
“Tomorrow, a title befitting to address me must come out of the princess’s mouth.”
‘What a bluff.’
Elonia snorted.
But Artius was really stubborn.
Until Elonia ate solid food instead of milk, ate toddler food instead of baby food, and started walking.
This daily routine of the Emperor forcing the baby princess to call him “Your Majesty” every time and being ridiculed by the baby princess continued.
He getting what he deserves