Chapter 58

Today is the day to visit the central building of the main hall, the palace.

Last year, it was discovered that Her Highness the Consort had a soft side, or rather, a sympathetic nature.

Regular pressure was applied from her family, the Duke of Lucaios, to be cold if she was to become the Empress, and there was even more pressure from me, her rival for the throne, to protect her son from me.

(Terry was only exposed to information that portrayed me as the villain, surrounded by people influenced by the Duke of Lucaios, just like me. The twins were still young, so they were spared such talk.)

Her Highness, who once looked at me with suspicion, was overwhelmed with guilt upon seeing the undeniable neglect. Moreover, I heard that her guilt increased with each conversation we had.

She didn't know that the oval, lidded stand was for sweets, or that she didn't have a single portrait of her mother.

Each time it became clear that she wasn't living the minimum noble lifestyle she thought she should, she would cry, which left me a bit at a loss.

"Welcome, Asha. You must be tired from walking. His Majesty will be here soon, so please, make yourselves comfortable."

Before Her Highness could finish her greeting, Fiel and Werner, who had turned into a foursome, ran past her.

I spread my arms to catch them before they fell.

"Brother Asha, welcome!"

"Brother Asha, what will you show us today?"

"Hey, you look energetic. But it would be a shame to waste time getting hurt when we finally meet. If you want to see me sooner, you can sit and wait for me."

"Okay!"

Their innocent affection made my tear ducts a bit sensitive.

Despite the fact that I had made them cry once, they welcomed me with bright smiles.

It turned out that after Fiel vomited and calmed down, he realized he wasn't in pain and understood that I had helped him.

Werner, noticing that Fiel's condition was mild, tried hard to follow my instructions.

Because of this, I am treated like a hero by these young and adorable brothers.

That's why I look forward to our bi-monthly meetings.

Moreover, I continue to meet with Father alone.

Additionally, the brothers sometimes come to see me on their own, making this past year truly fulfilling.

"I want to become an alchemist too. But since I don't have a teacher, you can be my teacher, Brother."

Fiel, holding my hand and walking toward a chair, said this happily.

He has been enthusiastic about alchemy ever since I helped him with alchemical knowledge.

Maybe I got a bit carried away and showed them various things for entertainment?

"Using fire is dangerous, and it's too early for Fiel. Besides, you'll have more teachers soon. I think it's better to start with a hobby."

"I want to become strong! I want to protect Brother and Fiel!"

Werner, not to be outdone, raised his small hand energetically.

He was inspired by Terry's swordsmanship.

Waving the hand he held with me, Werner started demonstrating how he would fight.

Even after sitting down, they chattered away from both sides.

I was busy but happy to respond.

Then I felt a gaze and turned my head.

Terry was standing at the entrance to the salon and the next room.

"Terry, it's good to see you. How are you?"

"Yes, I'm fine. You look well, Brother."

He smiled brightly upon noticing me but quickly corrected himself.

Impressive for a six-year-old.

Terry needs to be a good example for the twins.

All of us in the imperial family were laughing and chatting warmly.

However, I was aware that the maids and attendants by the wall were watching my movements with caution.

I'm not pretending to be a battlefield photographer anymore, and the Duke of Lucaios can no longer be fooled into thinking I'm a dull prince.

If they realize I'm not stupid, they should understand that I wouldn't do anything bad in this situation.

But that would only breed suspicion.

As long as they suspect, I must appear to them as a demon or a monster in disguise.

"Sorry, I'm late."

"Father, I just arrived too."

Standing to greet Father, Fiel and Werner followed suit, and Terry, who had just sat down, also stood.

Her Highness naturally guided Father to his seat.

At the same time, a maid brought in a pram.

Inside lay our sister, who was born last year.

She seemed to be napping, and her closed eyelids with long lashes were clearly visible on her round cheeks.

Father beckoned me, and I moved to the pram.

Our sister has blonde hair and golden eyes.

She is so fussy that she would throw a tantrum if taken out of the room, but today we finally got to see her.

"Ah..."

Father and I sighed in unison.

Looking at each other, we both had downcast faces.

I'm sure I looked the same.

"She's so cute."

"Yeah, so cute."

Fiel and Werner whispered, trying not to wake her.

Terry, for some reason, seemed shy around family and kept his distance.

Perhaps he was still getting used to my presence, which was new to him.

"Terry, she'll grow up soon, so enjoy this while it lasts."

"Yeah, I know."

Despite his words, he responded to my call.

He probably knows about the twins, and while it's a bit envious, it's also heartwarming.

Surrounded by the five of us, we continued our hushed conversation.

Eventually, the maid took the sister to another room to let her rest.

Children's job is to sleep, so it's inevitable, though a bit disappointing.

Then we had a family tea party.

The attendants and palace guards were asked to leave the room, leaving only one page and one serving maid.

Both were chosen because they didn't glare at me as much.

"Today, we'll do an experiment with water."

"Yay!"

The twins eagerly expressed their excitement, and Terry, though quiet, had a look of anticipation.

"This is a potion that freezes water. Pour it into this water, but don't touch it, just look inside."

"It's not freezing? Did it fail?"

Terry, looking at the test tube from the side, pointed out that there was no change.

Getting the response I wanted, I carefully mixed the diluted potion with the water and poured it onto a plate.

The water, which was about to freeze but was still in a liquid state with randomly arranged molecules, froze into ice as it hit the plate, causing the molecules to realign.

"Wow!"

"Amazing. I've never heard of a water-using magician who can do this."

The experiment amused the children, but Her Highness, who didn't understand the science, was also amazed.

She clearly lacked scientific knowledge.

"Next, I'll drop water on a coin. What do you think will happen?"

"It will spill."

"It will get wet."

"Will the water fall?"

"But, given what we've seen so far, it won't, right?"

Your Majesty, please stop reading my mind.

I carefully placed the water on the coin using a rod, and it didn't spill due to surface tension.

Even such a simple trick makes me feel like a magician when I receive applause.

This level of experiment won't make them suspicious of my alchemy.

"Why?"

"Why?"

"I don't know."

The twins are honest, but Terry looks frustrated.

However, I don't mind being surrounded by my three younger brothers.

Of course, I'm not just doing meaningless experiments.

"This is a property of water. Next, I'll show you water that moves on its own. This device has a long, thin glass straw inside a glass container, which penetrates the bottom. If you put water in the container, it won't leak unless it reaches the top of the straw. However, if you place a glass tube over the straw..."

The water level in the container quickly drops as the water is sucked into and expelled from the straw.

I don't need to explain the complex pressure differences, but I plan to connect this experiment to the principle of a siphon and eventually to a coffee maker.

If I do this, I hope they won't cut my allowance, thinking I'm wasting time.

Regular Update

Next: Environmental Changes 5

Updated 9/6 (Inserted after Chapter 40)

Idle Talk 7: Asha