By Zephyria 
Our clever, spirited, mischievous yet kind baby fairy was a talent well-suited for the imperial throne. However, Ruben and I had never directly brought up the topic of succession to Titi until now.
A child must decide for themselves what kind of person they want to become. Only then can they avoid heartache later in life.
I always hoped that Titi would be completely happy in this world. And Ruben believed that spending a naive childhood was helpful for the formation of one’s personality. Separate from the various plans Ruben made for the child in advance, we had agreed not to force any dreams upon her.
The breathing of the adults subsided like receding ripples.
While everyone present remained speechless in surprise, Titi continued to smile brightly.
The drawing room of Duke Ernhardt’s residence was generally bright and airy.
The sunlight, filtered through light, fluttering curtains, seemed warmer than usual. To match the light beige sofa, various fresh flowers in glass vases were placed casually upon white shelves.
Perhaps that was why the declaration of the child, dressed up beautifully and smiling radiantly in the sun, was a dazzling light in itself.
I recalled Ruben’s expression when he saw Titi’s first steps. A sudden sense of regret washed over me, thinking it would have been better if Ruben could have seen Titi like this side-by-side with me.
Marianne gestured toward me with her eyes. Now it was my turn.
As I reached out my arms toward the child, Titi dove into them without a moment’s hesitation. I placed that small, cozy body on my lap and gently rocked her to soothe her.
“Last time, you said you wanted to be a swing.”
“Yeah, but now I want to be the Emperor.”
“…Why? Even though you can’t postpone your homework every day if you’re the Emperor?”
Thinking carefully, one thing came to mind.
Ruben, who had been very angry this time, had said something like this while scolding Titi.
‘You are my only successor. Tens of millions of lives depend on every single choice you make.’
I wondered how the clever Titi had interpreted those words. Of course, if the child had decided on her dream of her own will and intention, it was something to welcome. However, I was worried that she might be ‘eating olives’ again just to please Ruben.
But the child gave a bashful smile and buried her head snugly in my arms.
“Just… the more I think about it, the cooler it is.”
“…Hmm? Ah… Ruben Papa is?”
“Yeah. Originally, Ruben Papa is very, very weak. You have to hold him super gently, and he only has this much mana. But this time, he looked really strong. I realized again that being smart is a very strong thing.”
Titi had been able to see, feel, and move mana since birth.
And the people Titi spent time with were only me, Ruben, Marianne, and Benjamin.
I had reached the Life-Death Realm, Marianne had recently become capable of using 8-circle magic, and Benjamin was born with strong bones. Furthermore, that fellow had learned the Hip-Circle Light Cultivation Method in the same year as Rubel and had traveled to the Magic territory with me.
And Titi was a baby dragon born after eating a generous portion of my mana.
Now, several years after learning the Hip-Circle Light, Ruben possessed strength two or three times that of an average Sword Master, but his points of comparison were simply too formidable. Not only Titi, but I too treated Ruben as if he might blow away with a single puff of air, so he couldn’t really complain.
“Do you want to become stronger?”
“Yes!”
“Why?”
Titi playfully wrinkled the bridge of her nose and winked.
“Just… it’s a secret.”
* * *
Justitia, having gained confidence in apologizing and being forgiven, became even more lovely and cute.
The three elders, who were in charge of raising young disciples at the Magic Tower, and the two wizards responsible for the portal magic circle in Duke Ernhardt’s Territory, melted away at Justitia’s apology. They smiled and nodded at Titi’s polite apology, readily forgiving her.
“We were a bit surprised, but fortunately, nothing happened. Indeed, since His Majesty the King Consort is an extraordinary person, Her Imperial Highness’s talent is also great, yes. I have truly, truly never seen a talent so blessed with mana before.”
“That is correct. A 10-circle magic circle has its own mana rebound, so it is not easy for us to leave a mark. In the future, we may serve an Emperor who is an Archmage.”
“If I become an Archmage Emperor, will Mage Howard be happy too?”
“Of course I would be happy. Thanks to the current Emperor personally wielding a sword, the prestige of the current Imperial Knights has increased tremendously. As long as Your Highness does not forget the friendship and faith of our Magic Towers in the future, I could ask for nothing more.”
“Then, I’ll do that! I’ll keep the friendship and faith.”
Watching the child chatter excitedly, I waited for the right moment and carried out Ruben’s errand.
“I thank you for your understanding and dedication. His Majesty highly values the contributions of the departments that responded to this incident, and he said he would grant corresponding favors. If there is anything you desire, you may take this opportunity.”
“Ah. Then, perhaps I…”
A middle-aged woman among them, called Howard, looked at me with a polite demeanor.
“I know it is an impolite request, but would you allow me to witness Her Imperial Highness using mana just once?”
“…Witness her using mana?”
“Yes. After the incident, we independently tested the mana thirteen times, changing methods, but even with twenty wizards of the 7-circle or higher, we barely discovered that not only was the deformation of the portal magic circle impossible, but any other magic used near the circle simply scattered. I simply cannot understand it…”
“…Hmm. What did Marquess Philodendor say?”
“He said that since Her Imperial Highness is a descendant of the god, and the Emperor has practiced the Hip-Circle Light for a long time and possesses mana close to divinity, the influence must be great. However, for us, it is difficult to imagine the sight of divine power and magic power blending together…”
As expected, wizards were wizards, no matter how polite.
I could not let my child be a spectacle for them. Thinking it would be better to ask Ruben about this later, I shook my head for now.
“Right now, she only handles mana on an instinctive level, and from what I see, she doesn’t seem to be mixing divine power and magic power. Since the Princess has not yet properly learned magic and has no spell formulas she can use, let us discuss this again after her fifth birthday.”
“…Yeeees…”
“Is there anything else you desire that is not related to the Princess?”
“…”
It was funny to see them glancing at each other. They had come wanting only this one thing from the start.
I gave a benevolent smile and blinked a couple of times to convey a sense of embarrassment and gratitude. Meanwhile, I wondered for a moment if wizards were also proficient in such etiquette.
“It is fine if it is a new research project you wish to start, or if you need funding. Please submit a report in a numbered format. Could you also convey the requests of those who worked hard that day to me?”
“Yes. I shall do so. Thank you for taking the time today, Your Majesty the King Consort, Her Imperial Highness.”
“That is something I should say. Our Titi is truly very sorry and worried, so please convey that to the others who were at the scene as well.”
As if to confirm my words, Justitia, clutching her tiny two hands together, nodded her head, “Mm-hmm.” The wizards burst into laughter once more, finding the sight utterly adorable.
As they left the drawing room, Titi asked secretly.
“Papa. When using magic, do you always have to use it according to a spell formula?”
“Well. I’m not a wizard, so I don’t know much. Ask Aunt Marianne or Godmother Peter later.”
“Then why didn’t you show them just now? I could have done it.”
“I thought it wouldn’t be right to give away your talent as a price for a debt of heart in a place where you are apologizing for your mistake. Wizards suddenly lose their minds when they see something marvelous.”
“Hmmmm… Aunt Marianne isn’t like that?”
“No. You just don’t know, but she also shows a passion that is surprising at times. Anyway, unless it’s something you truly need, I’d like you to save your mana for a while.”
“Because I could be in danger?”
“That’s right.”
“Mm.”
Titi nodded maturely.
Five knights of the Duchy, led by Hugh Benson, also came to accept Titi’s apology.
The knights of Duke Ernhardt’s Territory were generally young, as the order had been newly formed not long ago.
The oldest were around Hugh Benson’s age, and the majority were fellows in their twenties and thirties who admired me. Because of that, except for Captain Hugh Benson and Vincent Lancaster, who had transferred his registration to follow me in excitement, the other three were mere fledglings who had barely turned twenty.
The woman who looked the youngest among them exclaimed in surprise as soon as she saw Titi.
“…Wow. Really, she looks exactly like His Majesty.”
“Martin.”
“Ack. I-I’m sorry!”
The one growling and reprimanding her was Hugh Benson. Lately, even though I was staying in the same Duchy as him, I was so busy taking care of the child that we rarely crossed paths.
Has he gained a bit of weight? It’s good to see that both Ruben and Hugh look healthier every time we meet.
Titi, smiling kindly—unbelievably kindly—at the flustered knights, chirped.
“It’s okay. I also think I look a lot like my papas. Which of the two Majesties do you think I resemble more, Sir Graham?”
“Hmm. Ah, uh. You… you look very much like the Emperor. Not just the eye color, but the features and… also the way you speak…”
“Really? I’ll take that as a compliment. Thank you.”
“Yes. Of course, of course. I am not in a position to dare evaluate Her Imperial Highness, but…”
She did seem to be imitating Ruben exceptionally much today.
The sight of that little thing acting cunningly to imitate her papa was beyond cute. As I stood there grinning, Hugh Benson’s incredulous gaze landed on my face.
His smile, which looked like a sneer from one perspective and benevolent from another, made me burst into laughter again.
Once the laughter subsided, Titi politely apologized and thanked them as well. She said she wouldn’t do it again, thanked them for helping her then, and so on. At that, the knights melted away.
Even to my eyes, Titi, clutching her small hands together and saying “I’m sorry,” looked completely harmless. Amidst the male and female knights competing to say it was fine and that they would protect her next time, Titi let out a long sigh of relief and stroked her chest several times.
I wonder who she’s imitating now.
I offered them the same reward I had given the wizards.
“His Majesty highly values the contributions of the departments that responded to this incident, and he said he would grant corresponding favors. If there is anything you desire, you may take this opportunity.”
“I will gratefully accept that favor. Thanks to Her Imperial Highness, I’ll even get a special bonus.”
“Is gold the best after all?”
“Of course. Would you want dormitory improvements for the new knights, or a change in the shift schedule? Simple and clean is best. Besides the knights who worked overtime, there are a few others who suffered due to the shift changes, so I would be grateful if you could tell him that I will submit a list of those in need within a week.”
“Ahem. I would like to make one impudent request.”
The beaming Vincent Lancaster had a very cheerful impression today as well.
“If Your Majesty allows, may I give Her Imperial Highness a piggyback ride for a moment? My shoulders might look like this, but I’m told they’re quite a comfortable seat.”
“…Hmm. May I sit on them first and then decide if I’ll allow it?”
“What?”
“I’m joking. What do you want to do, Titi?”
After thinking for a moment, Titi primly tidied her skirt and swayed.
“If it’s just for a little while, okay.”
Her dark eyes were already sparkling as she spoke so well. Thanks to the child’s charms, laughter never left the room.