Selling alcohol at eight, suspected of assassination at nine... Isn't that too turbulent? My life.
But I don't mind.
Because good things kept happening after that.
"You look happy, Dinker. I feel like you've been in a better mood every time we meet since last year."
Molly, who was supposed to just sell alcohol but had gotten into brewing, was saying this to Herkov.
"More like a lucky accident—my father's remarriage partner softened up. My treatment got better."
I'm currently at the alcohol factory as Dinker.
The location is a corner called the mixing room, where a space was set up for me to try making alcohol, and right now I was making samples for tasting.
"Ah, so that's why you've been coming here less often. Don't tell me you're going to stop making alcohol?"
The yellow bear cub Terenti asked with his round ears perked up.
"I have a contract with Molly for that, so I'll do it properly. It's just that with more people around, I have fewer chances to slip away."
"Come to think of it, it's been almost a year since we met. You're nine now? Huh? Wait, isn't it bad that we're letting you make alcohol..."
The orange bear cub Renato realized.
Yeah, my presence gets overlooked because there are triplets here who look like bear cubs but are adults.
"I started this, and I don't plan to quit until it gets on track. Ehehe."
"You really are in a good mood, or rather, you're relaxed. There must be something else besides your treatment getting better."
The purple bear cub Erast pointed with a clawed finger emerging from his fluffy paw.
"Actually, I've become able to meet my younger brother."
Hear that? My great leap forward!
That's what I thought, but for some reason, everyone fell silent.
"...Herkov, didn't you say something about his mother's family being powerful and his father not being able to protect him?"
"The father is proper, and he loves Dinker. They meet about twice a month."
"""So few!?"""
The bear cubs turned to Herkov in unison.
"But my younger brothers started coming to my room. Also, I occasionally get called to the main mansion now."
Fer and Werner, who had recovered their health, cried when I made them cry [context suggests emotional tears], but when we met next they smiled and accepted me so much that they hugged me saying it was thanks to me.
And Terry is apologizing for saying terrible things.
It seems they were afraid of me because they were told by those around them that the First Prince would target the imperial throne and attack them.
Furthermore, it turned out they didn't realize that the person they met three years ago was me.
They apparently had memories of meeting a kind older brother, but couldn't connect that with the First Prince who they were told had nothing but malice.
"...Dinker, you didn't look like that at all, but you were actually suffering quite a bit of misfortune, huh?"
"I thought my uncle was strangely attentive, but it wasn't because you were an illegitimate child or anything, just a situation he couldn't overlook, huh?"
"Wait, not being able to go to the main mansion, or having them come to you, basically means Dinker himself couldn't walk freely around his own house, right?"
The triplets spoke up one after another, but didn't Terenti just voice some terrible suspicion?
"Meeting only twice a month, is that really loving him? You were ignoring his misfortune until now, right?"
"Well, you see. The father also grew up in a somewhat special family environment, so he's a bit clumsy."
Herkov glossed over his words while covering for his father to the accusing Molly.
If you think he's just a noble, it can't be helped, but he's actually an emperor who shouldn't move the country based on personal likes and dislikes.
Since bloodlines are entangled with political strategy regarding family as well, it's certainly special.
I also think it's wrong to blame Father.
"Molly, w-well, Father is close to being an adopted child or a stepchild? He's someone in that position, and probably doesn't have an ideal image of a father to aim for. So he doesn't know what he should do or what's lacking as a father."
Various things are lacking, and because he's not attentive, I was able to deceive him until this age.
If he was raised indifferently in that Count Nistaf's family, he probably can't even imagine a parent who observes their child's condition?
Father didn't worry about my studies or what kind of relationships I had.
I think that's because he doesn't remember having that done to him when he was small, so it never occurred to him from the start.
Terry, Fer, and Werner are probably growing up healthy because they have the Princess Consort.
I saw after I started interacting with them that she pays attention to the children and tells Father to do the same.
So with me, Father was also not negligent.
"Somehow, that sounds like you have an image of a father, Dinker?"
"Me? Ah, that's right. Yeah, well, I do."
Of course, it's not my father from my previous life.
I think he's probably close to Count Nistaf in type, and if you removed my previous life's father's quick temper and nagging, he'd become Count Nistaf.
And my eyes naturally turned to Herkov.
The triplets lined up in front of me across the workbench also followed my gaze and turned back to Herkov once more.
Molly also looked next to her, so naturally everyone's gaze focused on Herkov.
"No, really, please don't say that to my father? He's really depressed about this matter."
"Are you saying something to Herkov? I also stayed silent, and I thought I'd be scolded for staying silent instead."
There are people who won't understand even if you tell them, but the human heart is such that you won't understand unless you speak.
So if I had said I was suffering, that I was lonely, Father would surely have set aside being Emperor and responded to me.
That's why I didn't say it.
In other words, I was the one who disregarded Father's feelings first.
"Well, at first I heard about it subtly from the wet nurse but didn't think deeply about it. Also, we knew and stayed silent, so I got scolded about that too."
"The time I asked you to stay silent?"
"I said it. I finally said that my son is much more capable than you."
What are you saying to His Majesty the Emperor?
You know how hard I worked arguing with the Finance Ministry about my annual allowance and with Count Nistaf's family, right?
"Well, spreading rumors that the eldest son who can't inherit the house has talent would only sow seeds of family strife. Dinker understood that."
Molly said with exasperation, glancing at me sideways.
"Are you sneaking around to hide that you have talent?"
"If Uncle already said it, then it's out, right?"
"Then put more effort into brewing, no, this time into making snacks that go with alcohol!"
"I won't. I haven't told them I'm making alcohol either. I'm only providing ideas."
I poured cold water on the triplets' rising expectations.
I pretended not to see Molly looking slightly disappointed.
"I'll slip away in the evenings like before when I can come. Contacting Herkov the day before is the same as always too."
"It's good that you got along with your stepmother and younger brothers, but the maternal relatives might not be happy about it. If something bad happens, you can come running here without an appointment. I'll gladly take in Dinker's talent."
Molly offered something quite ominous with a wink because she didn't know [the truth].
"I seem to be blessed with good people. Herkov, when you talk to Father next time, tell him I'm glad I was born as your son. Because the connections around me are people Father prepared for me."
I said, and before the atmosphere became strange, I placed a glass down.
It was a cocktail made in a glass so the vivid orange and pure white foam looked beautiful.
"This is Bitter Orange, made with beer and orange."
Next, I presented a cocktail with beautiful carbonation rising in lemon yellow.
"This is Panache, made with beer and lemonade."
I lined up another cocktail with a thick amber color.
"This is Shandy Gaff, made with beer and ginger ale."
Next, I placed a dark, blackish cocktail with a thud.
"This is Beer Spritzer, made with dark beer and white wine."
And I prepared what looked like ordinary beer with mint leaves mixed in.
"This is Mint Beer, scented with beer and mint."
All were topped with lemon, and lined up, the colors really looked good.
Using glasses was the right choice, but I wanted to make the Mint Beer green with food coloring.
Should I make it?
"There are various flavors even without distilled spirits... hey, there's enough for everyone so don't fight!"
While I was thinking for a moment, I raised my voice at the useless adults swarming the alcohol.
Regular update
Next time: Changes in Environment 2
Wait, I need to check the line "聞いて僕の大躍進！" - This is "Hear that? My great leap forward!" or "Listen to my great progress!"
And "ちょっと皇帝陛下に何言ってるの？" - "What are you saying to His Majesty the Emperor?" or "What are you saying to the Emperor?" The protagonist is the First Prince, so Herkov is talking to the Emperor (their father).
Also "家継がせられない長男" - eldest son who cannot inherit the house/family (because he's the prince but maybe not in line? No, he is First Prince but maybe they mean he can't inherit the brewing family? No, context suggests they mean the imperial family, but as First Prince he would inherit... unless there's some political reason he can't. Anyway, "eldest son who cannot inherit" is the literal meaning.)
Actually, looking at context: "家継がせられない長男に才能あるなんて言いふらしても" - spreading rumors that the eldest son who can't inherit the house has talent... This refers to the protagonist being the First Prince but perhaps unable to inherit the throne? Or perhaps referring to the Nistaf family? No, the protagonist is the First Prince. Maybe he means that as the First Prince, if he shows talent in brewing, it causes political problems? Or perhaps "cannot inherit" refers to the fact that he's already being treated as a political tool and can't inherit the "family" warmth? I think it's safer to translate literally: "eldest son who cannot inherit the house."
But actually, in context of imperial succession, the First Prince would be the heir. Unless there's a reason he was disinherited or passed over. Given the earlier mention of "第一皇子は帝位を狙って襲ってくる" (First Prince targeting the throne), he is in line for it. So "cannot inherit" might be ironic or refer to something else. I'll keep it as "eldest son who cannot inherit the house" or "eldest son barred from inheritance."
Actually, looking at the Japanese again: "家継がせられない" = made to not inherit / prevented from inheriting. So "the eldest son who is prevented from inheriting."
But I think for flow, I'll use "eldest son who cannot inherit the family" or similar.
One final check: "黄色い子熊" - yellow bear cub. "橙色" - orange. "紫" - purple. These are the three colors of the triplets.
"もふもふ" - fluffy/fuzz.
"爪がつきだした指" - clawed finger.
"継母" - stepmother.
"弟たち" - younger brothers.
"本館" - main mansion.
"外戚" - maternal relatives.
"アポなし" - without appointment.
"人に恵まれてる" - blessed with good people.
"縁" - connections/relationships.
"妙な空気" - strange atmosphere.
"ビターオレンジ" - Bitter Orange.
"パナシェ" - Panache.
"シャンディ・ガフ" - Shandy Gaff.
"ビア・スプリッツァー" - Beer Spritzer.
"ミント・ビア" - Mint Beer.
"食用色素" - food coloring.
"蒸留酒" - distilled spirits.
"駄目な大人" - useless adults.
The translation seems complete and faithful. Selling alcohol at eight, suspected of assassination at nine... Isn't that too turbulent? My life.
But I don't mind.
Because good things kept happening after that.
"You look happy, Dinker. I feel like you've been in a better mood every time we meet since last year."
Molly, who was supposed to just sell alcohol but had gotten into brewing, was saying this to Herkov.
"More like a lucky accident—my father's remarriage partner softened up. My treatment got better."
I'm currently at the alcohol factory as Dinker.
The location is a corner called the mixing room, where a space was set up for me to try making alcohol, and right now I was making samples for tasting.
"Ah, so that's why you've been coming here less often. Don't tell me you're going to stop making alcohol?"
The yellow bear cub Terenti asked with his round ears perked up.
"I have a contract with Molly for that, so I'll do it properly. It's just that with more people around, I have fewer chances to slip away."
"Come to think of it, it's been almost a year since we met. You're nine now? Huh? Wait, isn't it bad that we're letting you make alcohol..."
The orange bear cub Renato realized.
Yeah, my presence gets overlooked because there are triplets here who look like bear cubs but are adults.
"I started this, and I don't plan to quit until it gets on track. Ehehe."
"You really are in a good mood, or rather, you're relaxed. There must be something else besides your treatment getting better."
The purple bear cub Erast pointed with a clawed finger emerging from his fluffy paw.
"Actually, I've become able to meet my younger brother."
Hear that? My great leap forward!
That's what I thought, but for some reason, everyone fell silent.
"...Herkov, didn't you say something about his mother's family being powerful and his father not being able to protect him?"
"The father is proper, and he loves Dinker. They meet about twice a month."
"""So few!?"""
The bear cubs turned to Herkov in unison.
"But my younger brothers started coming to my room. Also, I occasionally get called to the main mansion now."
Fer and Werner, who had recovered their health, had cried when I made them cry, but when we met next they smiled and accepted me so much that they hugged me saying it was thanks to me.
And Terry is apologizing for saying terrible things.
It seems they were afraid of me because they were told by those around them that the First Prince would target the imperial throne and attack them.
Furthermore, it turned out they didn't realize that the person they met three years ago was me.
They apparently had memories of meeting a kind older brother, but couldn't connect that with the First Prince who they were told had nothing but malice.
"...Dinker, you didn't look like that at all, but you were actually suffering quite a bit of misfortune, huh?"
"I thought my uncle was strangely attentive, but it wasn't because you were an illegitimate child or anything, just a situation he couldn't overlook, huh?"
"Wait, not being able to go to the main mansion, or having them come to you, basically means Dinker himself can't walk freely around his own house, right?"
The triplets spoke up one after another, but didn't Terenti just voice some terrible suspicion?
"Meeting only twice a month, is that really loving him? You were ignoring his misfortune until now, right?"
"Well, you see. The father also grew up in a somewhat special family environment, so he's a bit clumsy."
Herkov glossed over his words while covering for his father to the accusing Molly.
If you think he's just a noble, it can't be helped, but he's actually an emperor who shouldn't move the country based on personal likes and dislikes.
Since bloodlines are entangled with political strategy regarding family as well, it's certainly special.
I also think it's wrong to blame Father.
"Molly, w-well, Father is close to being an adopted child or a stepchild? He's someone in that position, and probably doesn't have an ideal image of a father to aim for. So he doesn't know what he should do or what's lacking as a father."
Various things are lacking, and because he's not attentive, I was able to deceive him until this age.
If he was raised indifferently in that Count Nistaf's family, he probably can't even imagine a parent who observes their child's condition?
Father didn't worry about my studies or what kind of relationships I had.
I think that's because he doesn't remember having that done to him when he was small, so it never occurred to him from the start.
Terry, Fer, and Werner are probably growing up healthy because they have the Princess Consort.
I saw after I started interacting with them that she pays attention to the children and tells Father to do the same.
So with me, Father was also not negligent.
"Somehow, that sounds like you have an image of a father, Dinker?"
"Me? Ah, that's right. Yeah, well, I do."
Of course, it's not my father from my previous life.
I think he's probably close to Count Nistaf in type, and if you removed my previous life's father's quick temper and nagging, he'd become Count Nistaf.
And my eyes naturally turned to Herkov.
The triplets lined up in front of me across the workbench also followed my gaze and turned back to Herkov once more.
Molly also looked next to her, so naturally everyone's gaze focused on Herkov.
"No, really, please don't say that to my father? He's really depressed about this matter."
"Are you saying something to Herkov? I also stayed silent, and I thought I'd be scolded for staying silent instead."
There are people who won't understand even if you tell them, but the human heart is such that you won't understand unless you speak.
So if I had said I was suffering, that I was lonely, Father would surely have set aside being Emperor and responded to me.
That's why I didn't say it.
In other words, I was the one who disregarded Father's feelings first.
"Well, at first I heard about it subtly from the wet nurse but didn't think deeply about it. Also, we knew and stayed silent, so I got scolded about that too."
"The time I asked you to stay silent?"
"I said it. I finally said that my son is much more capable than you."
What are you saying to His Majesty the Emperor?
You know how hard I worked arguing with the Finance Ministry about my annual allowance and with Count Nistaf's family, right?
"Well, spreading rumors that the eldest son who can't inherit the house has talent would only sow seeds of family strife. Dinker understood that."
Molly said with exasperation, glancing at me sideways.
"Are you sneaking around to hide that you have talent?"
"If Uncle already said it, then it's out, right?"
"Then put more effort into brewing, no, this time into making snacks that go with alcohol!"
"I won't. I haven't told them I'm making alcohol either. I'm only providing ideas."
I poured cold water on the triplets' rising expectations.
I pretended not to see Molly looking slightly disappointed.
"I'll slip away in the evenings like before when I can come. Contacting Herkov the day before is the same as always too."
"It's good that you got along with your stepmother and younger brothers, but the maternal relatives might not be happy about it. If something bad happens, you can come running here without an appointment. I'll gladly take in Dinker's talent."
Molly offered something quite ominous with a wink because she didn't know [the truth].
"I seem to be blessed with good people. Herkov, when you talk to Father next time, tell him I'm glad I was born as his son. Because the connections around me are people Father prepared for me."
I said, and before the atmosphere became strange, I placed a glass down.
It was a cocktail made in a glass so the vivid orange and pure white foam looked beautiful.
"This is Bitter Orange, made with beer and orange."
Next, I presented a cocktail with beautiful carbonation rising in lemon yellow.
"This is Panache, made with beer and lemonade."
I lined up another cocktail with a thick amber color.
"This is Shandy Gaff, made with beer and ginger ale."
Next, I placed a dark, blackish cocktail with a thud.
"This is Beer Spritzer, made with dark beer and white wine."
And I prepared what looked like ordinary beer with mint leaves mixed in.
"This is Mint Beer, scented with beer and mint."
All were topped with lemon, and lined up, the colors really looked good.
Using glasses was the right choice, but I wanted to make the Mint Beer green with food coloring.
Should I make it?
"There are various flavors even without distilled spirits... hey, there's enough for everyone so don't fight!"
While I was thinking for a moment, I raised my voice at the useless adults swarming the alcohol.
Regular update
Next time: Changes in Environment 2