Chapter 278
EP.278
The battle against the Grand Duchy of Warsaw is over and the order to return home has been issued, so most officers and soldiers take long leave and return to their hometowns.
When you go back to your hometown, you brag to your family and friends about how you performed in the war, or you get a treat from the reward money and spend quality time with your family.
As the Commander-in-Chief, I must meet with His Majesty first, give a detailed report on this expedition, and discuss what the empire’s strategy should be after the expedition.
However, this time I was given a special day off before meeting His Majesty.
This is because during the battle in Warsaw, the good news that Louise was having a child was delivered, and His Majesty’s special consideration came with a message telling him to meet Louise first when he came to the imperial capital.
When I think about now seeing Louise with my child, my steps become lighter and something warm and proud fills up deep in my heart.
“When you sent the letter, you said it had been about 3 months, so it must have been about 6 months now. “During pregnancy, I need to be with you as a husband and father.”
“Wasn’t it inevitable? You received news of your pregnancy during the war. Both the baby and Louise will understand. You can stay with me from now on and take good care of me, master. “I’m sure they will be happy because you personally prepared gifts for them, Master Friedrich and His Highness Louise.”
At those words, I looked at the leather bag containing the wooden sword to give to Frederick and the blanket to hand to Louise.
“You said Laura and Anya went to pick out gifts for Friedrich and Louise, right?”
“Yes, I think you two will probably be home by the time we get to the mansion.”
“Let’s hurry, Louise will be waiting.”
After saying that, I hurried my steps, but out of consideration for Charlotte, I adjusted my pace to a moderate pace.
No matter how precious Louise and her unborn child are, it doesn’t mean that Charlotte next to her is any less precious.
As I was about to pass through the gate and enter the living room of the mansion, Friedrich, now 6 years old, ran towards me with his arms outstretched.
He looks a lot like me, with bright, sparkling red eyes and black hair.
“Wow, it’s Dad! dad!”
He has grown so much in the time I haven’t seen him that I thought he was just a baby when I saw him before, but now he looks quite like an older brother.
He hugged me tightly and asked sweetly.
“So, Louise, were you listening to what Mom said? Did you have any pain? “Are you eating well?”
“yes! My father said that since he was far away and working hard for the empire, I should eat well here, study hard, and exercise hard. “I’m my father’s son, so I’m good at everything!”
My son, who was good at everything, looked up at me with an expression asking for praise.
It was so pretty… I reached out my hand and stroked its head, and the bright smile on its face as if it owned the world was so cute.
Such a cute and lovable being, I think this is why fathers make fools of their children.
Looking behind Friedrich, I saw three people, including Anya and Laura Louise, sitting on the sofa.
Anya was touching Louise’s protruding belly and looking at it with curious and envious eyes, and Laura was covering her with a blanket, saying that she should not let her stomach get cold.
“Her Majesty Louise, when you have a child, you must not tighten the waist even slightly when wearing a dress. You shouldn’t let your lower body get cold. Also, if a pregnant woman gets angry, it’s not good for the unborn baby…”
“I heard Laura is really worried. As soon as he heard that I was pregnant, His Majesty Michael sent a maid to take care of me. I’m OK.”
“… I also want to have the captain’s child like your highness…”
In other families, this kind of affectionate sight is very rare as the main wife and concubine fight an invisible and fierce battle to receive the love of the head of the family. But it is a very natural thing in our family.
While watching this heart-warming scene, I lowered Friedrich, who was holding me, and sat him down next to Laura. I gave my son the wooden sword I had prepared as a gift, and gave Louise the finest blanket for pregnant women.
As soon as she received the blanket, Louise put the newly-received blanket on her stomach with her signature lovely smile, and Friedrich’s eyes sparkled as if he liked the wooden sword.
“How is Louise?”
“Yes. I’m fine. Friedrich also takes care of him and often counts the Jaeger Counts, or now the Marquis family. As the dutiful wife of the marquis family, I occasionally attended salons and social gatherings.”
“Thank you for protecting my family while I was away.”
“My mind and body were busy, but my heart felt very lonely because the driver was not by my side. So, as long as you stay in the system, you will stay with us.”
Like other officers, I won’t be able to rest immediately after my vacation ends, but if urgent matters are taken care of, I will get reward vacation time of about a month to a month and a half.
Then, the whole family should go out to a tourist attraction near the islands.
Last time, Laura said that she wanted to go to a place called Lake Victor, about a day away by carriage from Reichburg, because it was so beautiful.
It would be a good idea to stay at a good inn near the lake and rent out a certain area around the lake to enjoy.
Let’s all play in the water together and have an outdoor barbecue, something we’ve never done before in Korea.
After making up my mind, I called Friedrich.
“Would you like to go to the lake with your moms next month? “Go on a boat, eat grilled meat, and have fun.”
Friedrich, who had just turned 6, was so excited that he jumped up and down when he heard what I said.
He looked at me with a smile as if he had everything in the world and kept saying “I like it, I like it”.
Seeing him so happy at the mere suggestion of going out with his dad made me feel sorry for not being able to play with him as much, and I thought about taking more vacation days from now on.
Since I’ve already been promoted to captain anyway and can’t move up until my father-in-law retires, I don’t have to work excessive overtime just to get promoted.
“Are you sure, Dad?”
“Then let’s go and take a boat ride and do whatever you want, Friedrich. Instead, can you wait a month or thirty nights?”
“yes! “Can I brag to my friends when I go to school tomorrow?”
“You can brag as much as you want. “Do you get along well with your friends at Friedrich School?”
In the Reich Empire, or rather on the Europa continent, all children of noble families attend childhood school, which can be considered a preparatory course for elementary school, from the age of five.
Since it is an early childhood school, you receive education at a slightly more difficult level than kindergarten, so studying is not that difficult.
However, the childhood school that Friedrich attends is a place where you have to be in the top 0.1% in Korea to get into, so all of his friends come from wealthy aristocratic families.
I wondered if my child, Friedrich, who had just risen to prominence in just a few years, might be left out, but…
“Yes! I decided to go to Dyke’s house the day after tomorrow. I heard there was a nice sword at Dyke’s house, so I promised to go see it with Otto and Prinz. And I took first place in the last exam!”
I’m glad that she’s adjusting to school well and that Louise seems to be teaching her studies well, so I don’t have to worry.
Like when I was attending the academy, I was worried that there might be someone who used his noble birth as a weapon to harass or ostracize Friedrich.
If I think about it carefully, my title is marquis and my military rank is captain, but I don’t think there’s any crazy person who would try to ostracize Frederick when he didn’t do anything wrong first.
By the way, isn’t it a great pride to show a cool sword to boys of this age…
We don’t have a treasured sword decorated with gold and jewels that nobles would like, but the sword I used to kill Khan or the sword I swung on Richen Hill There is.
Moreover, according to what I heard from Louise in the past, it was said that noble children have a social element in playing with the children around them from their childhood…
“Then, next time, please invite all those children to my house. If you let me know two days in advance, Dad will be home that day. And I’ll show you the cool sword Dad has.”
Friedrich’s eyes sparkled at those words, but Anya and Laura Louise Charlotte sighed at the same time.
“Captain, you’re not trying to show me the sword you used when you killed Khan or the sword you used on Richen Hill, right?”
“Since they’re kids around Friedrich’s age, wouldn’t they all like it if I showed them a knife like that? “It’s not like it’s worn out or anything.”
Also, nobles are people who are impatient because they cannot boast to each other anyway, so it is not a big problem to show the children who come to my house to show evidence of my legitimate achievements.
The only thing I have to worry about is that Friedrich might become arrogant under my banner, but that child…
Perhaps because he received a good education from Louise, he treated the commoner children who bumped into him at church in a friendly manner, so there is no need to worry about being out of line. That is.
Louise sighed after hearing what I said.
“No matter how much I try to be nice to my son and his friends, it’s not possible. It’s okay to show it to children, but after that, rumors will spread. He said he saw the knife that Captain Jaeger used to kill Khan. “Then other families will be lining up to show me that sword?”
… Imperial nobles are people who are jealous of and admire others’ great martial arts skills, so if they hear that I showed the children the sword I used to kill Khan.
It is true that everyone will come to see the sword used to kill Khan or the sword used on Richen Hill, as if on a pilgrimage.
Then, there will be an endless number of heads of noble families that Louise, Laura and Charlotte will have to treat.
“Then just tell your dad a few days before your friends come over and I’ll make sure he’s home on those days.”
“yes!”
While we were chatting warmly, we heard the maid calling us from the kitchen.
“The meal is ready.”
After a delicious meal, I played with Friedrich until it was a little late at night and slept with the three of us except Louise.
I guess everyone had a lot of things piled up, so I had to feel a crisis in my back today again.
Fortunately, it’s over enough that there won’t be any problems with going to work tomorrow.
**
And the next day, I went straight to the imperial palace to have an audience with His Majesty the Emperor.
On the way to the throne room of the imperial palace, I happened to meet His Excellency Kaitel, whose face was half crumpled and had an expression that looked like it could put a person in danger.
I tried to run away under the pretext of an audience, but His Excellency grabbed my shoulder and did not let me go.
Fortunately, I was not criticized for sending a request to provide enough food to keep 2 million people from starving.
You brought up a very annoying story.
“Try to stop His Majesty. “When was the last time we won a major victory against the Warsaw bastards, and many of the staff members of the Chief of Staff are calling for a new war to Your Majesty?”
…. Many thoughts passed through my head, but I can summarize them in one word.
‘Fuck.’
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