#Side Story 1. Baby Angel Edwin 2023.11.
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8. The princess consort’s office. Sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows filled the broad desk. Olivia slowly looked around her office. From the ebony bookcases exuding a subtle fragrance, to the porcelain and flowers on the side tables that combined practicality with beauty. The table where simple meetings could be held, and even the balcony Edwin had supposedly decorated himself. Ever since she had become the princess consort and been given this office, Olivia had secretly been looking forward to the day she would begin handling affairs of state. But then……. Knock, knock—. At the sound of knocking that broke through her thoughts, Olivia quickly straightened her posture. She was certain it would be Hannah, who had said she would bring the medicinal decoction. But the one who actually opened the door and came in was. “Edwin!” “What is it, Liv? Is something wrong?” She had clearly called him in delight, yet Edwin, holding a tray, approached in alarm. Her voice had been the same as usual, so had some faint look of desolation shown on her face? At the sound of his gentle, coaxing voice, she found herself complaining first for no reason. “I thought there would be some, but there isn’t.” “There isn’t? Whatever it is, we can just buy it.” “Work.” “……
Goodness.” Olivia, never imagining that the seemingly suppressed sigh was in fact him barely holding back laughter, wriggled her hand into Edwin’s. Only when his familiar embrace wrapped around her did Olivia poke out her lips like a chick’s beak and begin chattering about trivial things. . . . In other words, today was none other than the morning she was to begin state affairs. Reports on everything from the progress of the palace construction to the various facilities should have come in, but the expressions of Sobel and Shurn, who had requested an audience, were grave. “My apologies, Your Highness. I failed to take into account when Vykander’s frozen ground would thaw, so it seems the materials will arrive late.” “No, Your Highness. This happened because I failed to calculate the workers’ pace and placed the material orders in several separate batches. The quality of winter limestone was poor, so I let my greed get the better of me…….” Hearing their somber voices, Olivia realized her mistake. The period when the frozen ground thawed. It was something even Olivia herself had overlooked. In the northern part of the continent, before true spring arrived, there was said to be a time when the breeze stirred gently and melted the frozen soil into mud. She had only ever heard of it; this was her first time experiencing it. So it was not something she could blame Sobel and Shurn for as they bowed their heads as though they had no excuse. But apparently, Winster did not feel the same. “Goodness. To think you’d forget even the thawing season after being away from Vykander for a few years. What a blow to the dignity of Vykander’s head chamberlain, Head Chamberlain Sobel Valois.” At Winster’s smug interjection, Dian silently nudged him. At the same time, Sobel, who had been hanging his head low in self-reproach, slowly straightened. “……
Your Highness. In the future, may we redirect the excess manpower from the castle construction to paving roads over the frozen ground?” “Of course, Head Chamberlain.” “May I also request that His Highness the Prince’s second aide accompany us on that construction?” “What! Sobel—no, Head Chamberlain Valois!” Winster, who had been chuckling, belatedly turned pale and called out to Sobel. But Sobel looked only at Olivia, explaining why the second aide, Winster Kalter, needed to work with him. “Your Highness, at this crucial time when Your Highness’s own aide has yet to be appointed, I wished to be of help to you, even if only for a while……!” Winster, who had been overwhelmed by the weight of his position ever since being appointed the prince’s second aide, grew anxious, but he was no match for Sobel’s bloodshot eyes. Your Highness, the Princess Consort—! Remembering Winster’s last, pitiful cry as he called out to her, Olivia let out a small laugh. Then, when her gaze fell on the desk again, the corners of her lips drooped glumly. The schedule delayed by the thawing ground was not limited to the palace construction alone. Her plan to visit the south before the farming season had also been pushed back, and even the noble young ladies who had volunteered to become the princess consort’s ladies-in-waiting found it difficult to come to the palace as the frozen earth melted into mire. Come to think of it, young ladies……. The debutante ball for the children of the nobility was the best way to conciliate the nobles of the territories incorporated from the empire. “……
Shall I prepare for the debutante ball in my spare time?” The empire’s debutante ball would be reduced in scale like never before, so it seemed like a good idea to hold a splendid banquet in Vykander and break the empire’s spirit while they were at it. “A debutante ball……. That sounds fun.” Seeing Edwin smile and agree, Olivia suddenly felt upset. Unlike her, who had at least endured the worst debutante ball possible, Edwin had not even had the chance to attend one. And yet he could say so blandly that it sounded fun. Olivia calculated in an instant. Roughly three weeks until the frozen ground froze again and the materials arrived. It was terribly short notice to plan a banquet that would be Edwin’s first debutante ball, belated though it was. Before the ground froze again, she would have to master every trend on the continent and throw him the most wonderful debutante ball in the world. Would he like it? No, he would like it, wouldn’t he? “……
You should be glad.” “Pardon?” Olivia’s eyes widened in an instant. Had she spoken the thoughts in her head out loud? “If there’s no work, you should simply be happy about it. You were busy thinking about what else there might be to do and didn’t even hear me, did you?” At the hand that lightly pinched the tip of her nose, Olivia smiled bashfully. Ah, so that was what he meant. “I’ve already rested enough beforehand, so I’m in just the right state to handle a schedule. I’m even drinking medicinal decoctions like this.” Olivia lifted the bowl and drank the decoction. Perhaps her threshold for bitterness had risen, because it was not as repulsive as before. But she could not help wrinkling the corners of her eyes. With a hearty laugh, Edwin held a candy to her lips. Olivia rolled the candy in her mouth until her cheek bulged, then added, “And my stamina is incredibly good.” “……
I don’t think so.” Contrary to the indifferent words he tossed out, the corners of Edwin’s lips slowly rose. Seeing Olivia tilt her head as though she did not know what he meant, a trace of desire surfaced on his face, and Edwin kindly added an explanation. “If you were a young lady with good stamina, last night, you wouldn’t have left me and gone off alone—” “Edwin!” No more! Olivia, horrified, covered Edwin’s mouth with her palm. Then she glanced around the room where there were only the two of them, as though afraid someone might hear. In the meantime, both her cheeks flushed red like camellia petals. Unaware of Edwin’s eyes curving mischievously, Olivia narrowed her eyes primly and made an excuse. “That was because you kept…….” But Olivia could not finish her sentence. The kiss that touched her palm tickled. When she tried to pull her hand away from the yearning, covetous sensation, it was already too late. Edwin’s hand, gently wrapped around her wrist, did not budge. “Ed…win.” Was she soothing him, or urging him on? At the call, moist enough that it was hard to tell, Edwin exhaled a deep breath. The breath that touched her palm must have been lukewarm, and yet Olivia started in surprise and wriggled her small hand. “It’s daytime right now, day…….” “Then is it fine if it isn’t daytime?” Even at that terribly languid temptation, her lovely face merely flushed red and gave no reply. It was cute, and also rather impish. Edwin lightly bit the tips of all Olivia’s fingers. Only after seeing her fingertips tinged pink did he slowly lace their fingers together and say, “Why don’t you take this chance to rest properly for once? So your stamina can improve.” “Let me emphasize, my stamina is……!” Olivia, who had been about to cry with her face bright red that she would not lose to anyone in that regard, changed her words as Edwin languidly licked his lips. “……
With sufficient rest, balanced meals, and medicinal decoctions, it will surely improve much more.” Seeing the handsome curve of his mouth lift in a grin, Olivia scrunched the bridge of her nose. The fingertips he had bitten tingled strangely. It was still daytime……. Olivia tried to ignore the strange heat spreading through her whole body. “That sounds good. Sufficient rest. Even so, if Liv is bored, I’ll give you a choice.” Even in the midst of this, Edwin spoke in a gentle voice. “You can make use of me without lifting a single finger. Or you can make use of me by lifting just one finger.” Though he had phrased it indirectly, he was telling her to put him to work, and Olivia let out a small laugh. “How could I make a prince do anything without lifting a finger?” “From what I can see, you seem to have more than enough talent for it. Hm?” At some point, the face she had thought was beside her was looking down at Olivia. His eyes, holding heat, curved into crescents, and then sweet kisses repeatedly traced down her cheek. In an instant, the lips that had been affectionate enough to redden her cheeks climbed higher and grazed down the rim of her ear. At the damp sound by her ear and the slow, deep sensation, Olivia’s fingers gradually curled inward. Her breathing, too, was disturbed by his sharp gaze that seemed to dig into her. And when the firm hand that had been supporting the back of Olivia’s neck slid to the delicate nape of her neck. Ah……. Out of habit, Olivia wrapped her arms around Edwin’s neck. Edwin, staring intently at her face as she swallowed dryly, murmured with eyes grown even darker. “……
See that, Your Highness? You can make use of me without lifting a finger.” “……
I used my arms instead of my fingers.” Her protest was so poor that Olivia squeezed her eyes shut. Soon, a wonderful laugh poured over her face. Sweet laughter spread over the place where their breaths mingled. * * * Sometimes a serious dilemma is resolved more easily than expected, in an unforeseen direction. The words Olivia suddenly heard by chance, while she was agonizing over what to do with her spare time, were one such case. “……
When you were truly young, you were like a baby angel. Now not a single cute corner of you remains.” At the king’s sigh-like words, Edwin laughed lightly. “I’m not six years old anymore. I’m over twenty now, so it would be a problem if I were only cute. And Father, don’t stall. Take your turn.” The king, who had been excited to play a card game after so long, shook his head at his son’s cold words. He certainly had not been like this when they played cards ten years ago. While the king was soaking in old memories, Olivia tilted her head. Then she glanced at Edwin. Perhaps he had a good hand, because the right corner of his mouth was lifted in a grin, and his face was unbearably cute. At that moment, their gazes tangled in midair. His narrowed eyes curved mischievously. Feeling for no reason as though she had been caught peeking, Olivia deliberately did not avert her eyes and acted shamelessly. Edwin mouthed something. ‘What are you looking at?’ Olivia, who read his lips at once, answered triumphantly. “Mine.” “Hm?” At the sudden, out-of-place words, the king lifted his head. Ah……. Olivia froze for a moment, then smiled bashfully and asked, “Your Majesty, what was His Highness like when he was six that you regret it so much? He’s plenty cute even now…….” At Olivia’s question, Dian, who had been standing in attendance, clenched his fist tightly. Why, of all days, had everyone gone out to work, leaving only him here? The maids standing in attendance also kept their heads bowed, their ears alone turning red. At her clear face, without a single trace of falsehood, the king merely flicked the innocent cards in his hand, then laughed softly. “Yes. Well…… he is cute even now.” It was true that even a fully grown child was cute……. Drawing out one fragment of old memory, the king murmured with an affectionate face. “When he was six, he was very, very much like an angel.” The baby angel of the Grand Duchy of Vykander. The moment his splendid past was unearthed, Edwin shrugged. He had heard the words so often that they were ingrained in him, so there was no reason for him to feel embarrassed. Meanwhile, as the story progressed, Olivia’s eyes began to sparkle. I found it. Something for me to do.