195 The Ocean of Happiness
As the cold season approached, the sun, which had shortened considerably, disappeared without realizing it. A chilling wind blew and the shutters and curtains were closed on every window in the room.
The lady-in-waiting straightened her waist while trembling. The ladies-in-waiting of the empress’ palace must maintain a beautiful posture wherever they go. Even if no one is watching, the body should not be disturbed unsightly. I learned that.
A smile suddenly appeared on the maid’s face as she walked down the hallway.
Is it already that time?
A procession of demonic creatures supplementing the Emperor’s magical power in the heating and lighting magic tools continued in every hallway.
Mice and foxes that run fast and contain mana like art, birds of light that flap their wings toward magic tools placed in various places on chandeliers hanging in the air, and waddling penguins that run the slowest but are always eager.
All the people in the imperial palace greeted the familiar sight, saying good work.
Amidst such an ordinary sight, the new maid of honor at the empress’ palace sped up her steps.
Today, outsiders are prohibited from entering the depths of the empress’ palace. no one can enter
The emperor had already sent a message that the empress would not be able to meet in the afternoon due to business discussions and instructions with the ladies-in-waiting.
He also said that the empress was not ill, but that the child in her womb was frightened and that she could not attend her overnight.
It became something of a subtle tone, but I couldn’t help it.
If you say you are sick, of course there will be an uproar, such as calling a doctor, and if you simply say you want to rest, the emperor may offer to stay with you. That’s why such a subtle word came out.
‘Your Majesty is very kind to my mother. If you do something wrong, he might even offer to stay by your side until you fall asleep. But I can’t do that today.’
Among the aides who served the empress closely, the lady-in-waiting, who was the lowest, pushed her chest out while straightening her spine.
The woman whom the emperor of the most powerful empire in the world loves is his master. The emperor’s favor was deep enough that he did not have a single concubine. My heart naturally opened up in pride.
Rumor has it that the Empress of the Putegrin Empire is a bewitching beauty who drains men’s minds.
‘Well, it’s completely different from the real mama.’
Still, in a way, rumors penetrate the truth. It was an unmistakable fact that the empress was loved by the emperor enough to be unswayed by any woman.
The lady-in-waiting stood behind a pillar in the corridor and wrapped the bottle in a cloth so that it could not be seen. After putting a cleanly folded linen on top of it, she walked toward the empress’s room.
Normally, he bowed his head slightly to the knights who treated him like a stone statue, but as expected, the expressions of the knights guarding the room did not flinch.
‘As expected, these humans must not know what we do in the room.’
It looks like a human on the outside, but maybe it’s really a stone statue. To be honest, I’ve never seen these knights speak or move their expressions.
If you see that the face changes from time to time, they must be taking turns, but I have never seen when people change.
ok, perfect nobody knows about our night
The lady-in-waiting smiled with satisfaction and entered the door opened by the attendant.
The baroness must have bargained with the attendant to keep it a secret. I’m pretty sure the baroness said it’s okay to play tonight without worrying about anything.
When the ladies-in-waiting entered the room, the senior ladies-in-waiting giggled and accepted the bottle.
“Nice, you managed to bring it.”
“I thought I was going to die because my heart trembled. If anyone knew that such strong alcohol was going into the empress’ palace, I would literally run away.”
Of course this is an exaggeration. If drinking a little bit of strong alcohol would blow your throat, the empress’ palace would be teeming with headless corpses right now.
But no one pointed that out. Rather, they are treated as soldiers who have crossed the line of fire and returned.
Great, great, a veteran of the war, as she said that, the seniors grabbed her hand and pulled her.
Today is the ‘Bachelor’s Night’ of Taira, who is closest to the Empress Mama among the senior ladies-in-waiting. I’m already a married woman, but anyway, it’s the last bachelorette night.
Even with the permission of the baroness.
“Ah! That painting!”
The lady-in-waiting, lost in thought, was startled and ran away.
Isn’t that a nude picture of a male actor that I saw only once in a theater?
“My God! My God! Such wonderful!”
“Isn’t it? Look at those muscles. Besides, this.”
“Kyaa! I’m ashamed.”
The ladies-in-waiting squealed and slightly covered their eyes as they stared at the painting. All fingers were slightly apart.
Empress Mama tilted her head and muttered.
“Where’s the cool one?”
“Ahem,” said the Empress Mama politely.
“Lou is much cooler. There are three long, long, like this lines drawn on Lou’s belly. Even if you press it with your fingers, it won’t go in.”
oh my, oh my The ladies-in-waiting gathered around the empress with twinkling eyes. The naive Empress Mama is doing all the adult talk.
someone turned a glass After taking a sip of the strong drink, one of the maids said Winnie the Pooh and spit it out.
Another lady-in-waiting laughed and poured wine into the drink, while another lady-in-waiting served fruit and snacks filled with sweet honey.
Stories about actors, officials at the imperial palace, and brave knights poured in, and the Empress Mama sometimes dozed off while interfering with the stories.
As the night deepened, Empress Mama finally fell asleep with her face on this side, curled up like a shrimp on the bed.
A thick coat of fur hung over Empress Mama’s body.
Even after putting warm magic tools near the bed to keep the empress mama from getting cold, the women’s stories continued without stopping.
Occasionally, Tyra checked on Empress Mama’s condition. It’s like a mother bird taking care of her chicks, making sure she doesn’t have a fever, doesn’t feel sick, or frowns.
someone muttered.
“Very good, something like this.”
Alas, it really is. An empress’ palace with such an atmosphere would probably not exist anywhere else in the world.
The lady-in-waiting drank from the glass and lowered it to the ground to make a sound. The stories I wanted to tell the seniors poured out.
The lady-in-waiting, laughing and chatting with the others, suddenly saw Tyra lightly kissing the empress’s forehead while no one was looking.
To dare to touch the body of the empress was unacceptable in normal times. Although Tyra was closer to the empress than anyone else, she was not one to act like that in front of others.
But just…
Tyra was looking at the empress with wet eyes, her lips lightly pressed as if she were doing it for someone she loved.
I feel like I’ve seen something I shouldn’t have seen.
The maid quickly looked away. Strangely, a part of my heart ached. Regretful. It felt like my heart was tightening. Could it be forbidden love…?
After tying Empress Mama’s fur blanket well up to her neck, Tyra joined the ladies-in-waiting again.
After talking nonsense about this and that, the maid turned to Tyra. I felt like I couldn’t be alone. I want to say something to reassure her.
“Congratulations on becoming a baroness, Lady Tyra. Be happy! Don’t worry about the empress. Please leave it to me with confidence.”
I don’t know much about how to do it, but I’ll do my best to serve the empress, and it’s okay to relax. Tears came out for some reason when I said that.
Tyra was strict at work but always fun. The thought that she would now become a baroness and go far away made her feel sad. Even though he is the youngest member who doesn’t know how to do anything, he has renewed his determination to work hard even as senior Tyra.
Tyra said with a smirk.
“Thank you. But, I’m coming tomorrow too.”
“Oh, are you going to work until tomorrow and go down to the manor?”
“no.”
“…uh?”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not retiring. I’ll continue to eat 50 and eat 60, and even if I become a papa grandmother, I’ll work at the empress’ palace.”
“What, that’s too much. If the seniors don’t fall out, I’ll always be the youngest.”
“hahahaha.”
Tyra and the seniors laughed.
It’s like these rotten old people.
I was so angry that I had two more strong drinks.
The next day, the maids of the empress’ palace all had blue faces like corpses.
“It’s good to play, but in moderation. What are the faces like?”
The baroness’s eyes were raised to her forehead. Winter hadn’t even come yet, and a cold blizzard seemed to rage through the room.
But please lower your voice. My head is pounding and I am dying of pain.
***
One day in early winter when the first snow fell, 35 boxes were moved one after another to the ship and placed in a large chest.
A box containing the heads of Arubaso’s captain and manager.
Rudy watched the scene from a little distance and drove the horse forward.
The captain spotted Rudy and came forward.
“Your Majesty, are you here?”
“Yes, it’s been a while. How is the ship? Is it manageable?”
The captain smiled at Rudy’s question.
“Yes, Your Majesty. The repair was completed quickly as there was not much damage. The sail handling is not perfect, but I am used to it. The crew of Arubaso are doing a good job.”
“I’m glad.”
Rudy dismounted and climbed into the boat.
This ship is the ship the commander of Arubaso was riding. It was also the ship that received the most damage because Rudy completely split the captain’s room with his magical shield.
The sailors looked at Rudy and each bowed their heads.
A skinny boy, who was on a rope that stretched like a spider’s web between mast and mast, raised his hand at Rudy. The shaking form is somehow uneasy.
“That child is a boy who was held as a slave and was rescued by Jumbo. He is currently working as a carpenter’s assistant, and his skills are considerable.”
“Looks like your legs are all healed. But isn’t it falling somewhere?”
When Rudy asked anxiously, the captain laughed loudly. The sailors around them also grabbed the boat as if they were having fun.
“It’s all right. He’s like a squirrel. I’ve seen many sailors, but I’ve never seen one as nimble and natural on a boat as he is.”
Rudy gave the boy a small hand. Perhaps it was a joy, this time the child hung upside down with his legs hooked on the net and waved his arms.
“Captain, isn’t that a bit dangerous?”
“It’s okay. Even if the string breaks, that guy won’t fall.”
It can’t be.
As Rudy frowned, the captain grinned.
“If the net falls, that guy will hold on to the sail next to it and fly off to another place. It’s as nimble as that. Don’t worry.”
It would be fine if the captain said so, but the heart of the viewer is terrifying. Rudy looked around the boat occasionally, checking the boy’s figure.
It’s been a while since this ship was completely submerged and broken in places, but it’s so clean that I wonder if it’s some kind of witchcraft.
“Did you find a boat to deliver the crate from the ferry?”
“Yes, the last interpreter said he once traded on the ferry. He said there was a ship he was familiar with going to and from the ferry and Arubaso. I’ve heard that ship would do the job right.”
“okay.”
It was decided to send Captain Arubaso and the crew’s heads via a third-party ship that was not directly involved.
Of course, it was Arubaso who tried to invade Putegrin.
However, Rudy met Arubaso’s fleet far away from Putegrin’s waters. It was difficult to claim to have invaded Putegrin.
On the contrary, there is even a concern that Putegrin will be accused of pirated Arubaso’s ship.
It’s funny, but I won so much that it became difficult to blame the opponent.
The most plausible way is to claim that they encountered it at sea and that Arubaso was attempting to piracy.
The box containing the severed head is sent to the king of the country without any message. By the time they panic and find out what happened, it will be after rumors have spread that Perrier [Arubaso tried to piracy, but was instead killed by Putegrin].
It’s a stupid story, but whatever the truth, this world is all about what you see. If you don’t dress up properly, you’re the one to blame. Anyway, all the enemy ships are on our side.
The captain raised his hand and pointed to the ship in the distance.
“Those ships are merchant ships that depart together this time.”
The ship the captain pointed out was constantly being visited by people. Carts full of flour and sacks of grain were moved to the stretching boat.
not a single There were several merchant ships departing. Several ships move together at once. It is much larger than before. The size of the profit will increase, but the risk will also be maximized.
Rudy watched the ship for a while and then looked at the captain.
“You don’t have to touch it from here, but never forgive those who come at you. Let’s destroy it thoroughly so they don’t cross our boat again.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I am familiar with it.”
Arubaso was not the only enemy. Most of the countries on the continent across the sea were looking for the new continent with red eyes, and they were plundering every ship they met.
Indeed, the present sea is a wolf’s den that sucks sheep’s blood.
It was a fluke that nothing had happened so far. Perrier Putegrin’s opulence had begun to spread, so it would only be a matter of time before they were plundered.
In such a situation, Putegrin’s merchant ships going to ferries for the spice trade in the future will be operated together with armed battleships.
If you meet a pirate at sea, you will become a pirate too. I will take all the cargo of the opponent’s ship and sell the healthy ones as slaves.
Of course, I decided to use magic weapons as well.
To replenish magical power, as before, use demon creatures. They can close the distance in an instant no matter how far away they are.
It was necessary to move while checking the position of the ship, but it wasn’t difficult since demonic creatures could give each other magic. You will have to move with one on the boat.
Rudy sighed lightly.
‘In the end, they become pirates.’
It may be inevitable that it is more than advancing to the distant ocean. But it got pretty depressing. It may sound romantic in the movie, but pirates in real life are just thieves of the sea. Not romance, only blood flows.
Suddenly a loud shout rang out from all the ships.
When I looked up, Jumbo was flying in the sky with his ears flapping.
“Is he doing well without making trouble?”
Rudy asked, and the captain opened his eyes slightly wide.
“Trouble. Jumbo-sama is doing well enough as a spirit.”
“You’re not going to jump into the boat?”
“Of course. You’ve learned that you shouldn’t climb into a boat. When you want to jump, you go into the sea. Sometimes the fish faint from the impact and float up.”
Then the festival is said to take place. People who have flocked to the port either drive small boats out, or jump into the sea with a colander one by one to catch fish.
The boy Jumbo wanted to save and take is now hanging from Jumbo’s nose. If my eyes weren’t wrong, I was obviously flying low in the air.
“No, wait!”
When Rudy moved in surprise, the captain laughed and stopped him.
“it’s okay.”
Meanwhile, the boy jumped off Jumbo’s nose and fell into the sea. Let’s swim like a fish, this time the boy who went out with an adult in a fishing boat to retrieve the fish waved at Jumbo.
As Jumbo drew closer, the boy clung to his nose and moved some distance across the sea. The boy also plunged into the sea.
And another boy…
“I’m glad you seem to be adjusting well.”
As Rudy said, a sailor nearby suddenly showed his face.
“It started with toothed mice and sailors. Sometimes people get hurt by falling on ships.”
Another sailor chuckled and continued.
“But Jumbo-sama got used to it right away. Now, no one falls on a boat or on the ground.”
Are you okay though?
The captain opened his mouth as if such an expression appeared on Rudy’s face.
“Because sailors are strong.”
As if remembering, one muttered.
“Oh, sometimes they come too far away.”
“At that time, we go to the rescue in a small boat.”
“…”
Rudy opened his mouth at the sight of Jumbo flying around with his ears flapping.
“I’ll give you a jumbo when you go out to sea.”
“It’s an honor to do that. Everyone will be delighted.”
It is said that dog poop can also be used for medicine. There is nothing wrong with the old saying.
Rudy laughed at the sight of Jumbo flying and dropping people into the sea. Jumbo’s face looked very happy as he turned his nose and tail.
‘That’s good. You too have found a place to be happy.’
Jumbo, who was flying towards Rudy, plunged into the sea happily. It seems that I couldn’t hide my excitement because I met you after a long time. Maybe the fact that he flew all over the place and drowned the children in the water was because he wanted to show his cool side.
As Jumbo hit the sea, a roaring spray splashed in all directions, making the boat wet. Jumbo’s voice was heard in the invisible state.
[Master, I am wonderful! Now the owner and mom can ride too! Jumbo will make you fly!]
As expected, it seems that he wanted to show Rudy how he was active.
Levin, who was behind him, said while hiding his laughter.
“You’re all wet, Your Majesty. It’s winter and you’ll catch a cold. First of all, change your clothes.”
“okay.”
Jumbo shouted again at Rudy, who quietly headed for the cabin.
[master! Praise! am i cool It’s cool, isn’t it?]
“…”
Jumbo looked up at Rudy’s face, eyes twinkling in the air directly above. Jumbo’s nose creeped over Rudy’s head.
[But why are you wet, Master? Did you play with water? Master is like a child. You shouldn’t play like that. I mean I caught a cold!]
I was stunned and laughed involuntarily.
Jumbo laughs happily along.
[Master, you are happy! Laughing is a happy deal.]
“Yes. I’m smiling thanks to you.”
[Jumbo is great! Make your master happy! Jumbo is great!]
Rudy stroked Jumbo’s hair and headed for the cabin. A small sneeze came out as I felt a chill in my body.
