Book 4: Chapter 11


    My son is watching with me tonight, so make sure you perform splendidly. Show us your best performance. If I dont see my son smiling at the end, not only will you not be paid, Ill take your lives too, got it? The empress stood backstage and loudly warned the actors and actresses. Not one of them dared to raise their head. They just stood there and quivered. Perhaps they were feeling more nervous than their first ever performance. If they messed up in the past, it would just result in not earning anything. But if they messed up this time, it would be all over. Moreover, who knows what the hell the prince likes? If they couldnt put a smile on his face, they were done for.


    The actors and actresses replied loudly: Understood!


    Theres a theatre inside the pce, but its notrge. Thergest theatre in the royal capital is called the Golden Theatre. It can hold an audience of several tens of thousands. That is the ce where nobility enjoys their night life. After they finish watching ys, they go to bath houses that operate twenty-four hours a day to take a bath before returning home to enjoy some wine. The empress doesnt usuallye here. While the experience here is somewhat superior, the empresss appearance would cause a huge fuss, so mom rarely goes out to enjoy ys. Or rather, mom doesnt really like ys.


    The theatre in the pce isntrge. Only close retainers are permitted to ess it. However, there were only two people in the theatre of the royal pce tonight. The other people were all servants and Valkyries. I sat on the second floor in a daze, watching the stage. Nier stood behind me at the door with her hand on her sword handle. Next to her was the cute and petite Alice. Alice is really cute. Shes pretty like a Barbie doll and she looks like a kid when she smiles. She held a folding fan and looked quite stylish too.


    Unfortunately, I knew the loli could smash a boulder to smithereens with a single punch. And shes the same age as my mother


    Castell ced a te of fruit on the table by my side. Its not very easy to find fruit to eat in winter. Castell then ced a pile of snacks on the table as well as potato chips. I dont know if the potatoes here are the same as the ones back home. But Castell then quickly ced a small te of salt next to the chips.


    Is there anything else you want to eat, your majesty?


    Castell, who was by my side chuckled. I shook my head and said: No, thank you, Castell.


    I feel that you have something on your mind. Castells eyes were as brilliant as ever. He looked at me with a smile and continued, If it is about the matter we discussedst time, my suggestion remains the same. You wouldnt have gone to the church to dig for information, have you?


    Its not about the church. I didnt go to the church. Im concerned about something else.


    If you are concerned about something else, you can speak to me about it. I cannot guarantee that I can resolve it, but I can provide suggestions Mmm, your majesty.


    Castell cut himself off. I turned around and spotted mom sitting in a chair on the other side looking at me with a doting smile. She took some food and anxiously ced it in front of me. She then took the initiative to grab a bottle of wine, filled my cup with it and then excitedly said: This is the first time Im watching a y with you, son. What do you want to watch son? What do you want to eat? Just tell me and Ill see that its done. Oh, right, do you want a roast chicken?


    No, Im alright, mom.


    I raised my cup, looked at mom and then said: Thank you, mom.


    Ah Oh Uhm, no worries!


    Mom cheerfully raised her cup of wine and clinked it with mine before finishing it in one shot. Mommy giddily turned around and looked forward. The actors and actresses took to the stage to begin their performance. This y should be some traditional folk tale. In other words, one of those stories where the main protagonist achieves some grand feat, with a hero that never gives up and then the princess runs into his arms.


    Ive never seen a stage y. I used to only watch movies in the past so Im not qualified to judge the quality of the y. However, I noticed that mom who was beside me, wasnt paying any attention to the y. She was stealing nces at me the entire time. Every time I smiled or looked rxed, mommy would express her smile with her entire body. If I were to look gloomy, mom would look gloomy too.


    I felt that mom was much more interesting than the y. But in all fairness, the actors and actresses did their best. At the scene where the princess looked at the hero and cried, she was crying for real. Right, I should politely apud such a professional performance even if I dont really enjoy stage ys. Consequently, I did my best to concentrate on the y, but my mind kept wandering off.


    I couldnt stop thinking about the thirty-thousand gold coins matter.


    If I make mom happy and then talk to her about it, I might just be able to get thirty-thousand gold coins.


    I continuously tried interacting with mom for the sake of that. Honestly speaking, the chances for us to interact were very few. That was probably because we drank non-stop. As a result of that, my head started spinning before I couldnt even finish watching the y. Mom was cheerfully drinking non-stop as if though she really enjoyed having me pour her drinks. Hence, I gave it my best to forcefully drink until my body turned to jelly in my seat.


    Just as I was about to pass out, Castell stopped the empress who was about to pour more wine and whispered into her ear: Your majesty It looks like his majesty is drunk.


    The empress looked at I who had flopped into his chair and tedly eximed: Hurry then! Hurry and take him to my room. My son is drunk so I need to look after him. Take my son to my room! Wait, no! Ill carry him myself!!


    Wait! Wait! Wait! Arent the roles reversed in the wrong way here? Carrying someone drunk to the bedroom The roles are reversed in the wrong way here, arent they?!!


    I didnt have the strength to resist though. Mom happily kicked the small table between us away, leapt over and hugged me tightly before picking me up, princess-carry style. You know, it was a little embarrassing to be carried like that as a guy. However, my head naturally leaned onto moms generous bosom. A fragrance that numbed my entire body persuaded my body to stop struggling.


    Haa Haa My son.. my son is sleeping in my arms Ah holding my son Its the first time the first time Ive been able to hold my son like this


    Mom panted heavily. She couldnt possibly be any more excited than she already was. She stamped her feet and drummed with her hands like a kid that finally got the toy he wanted and while eager to y with it, was afraid of damaging it. Mom clumsily held me as though she were worried I couldnt sleepfortably. Her body froze up. She then lowered her head and carefully kissed me on my cheek.


    Your majesty, do you wish to continue watching?


    Castell smiled helplessly as he looked at the performers on stage shivering in their boots. Because the empress smashed the table, they thought they were about to lose their lives. However, they didnt see how excited the empress was. The empress hadnt been so excited in a very long time.


    Castell himself also felt that his question was pointless.


    Whats there to watch? My son is much more interesting than them. Pay them and let them go. I have to go and take care of my son! The empress cheerfully held her son and skipped out of the theatre like she was doing a small jog. She didnt wear her clothes. Instead, she covered me with it.


    I have to say mom doesnt really know how to look after children