喵绅HCMOIC士网页版

Chapter 42

Chapter 42

“Mmm.”

Count Friedrich, House of Adelheit, the current head of the Adelheit family, has been suffering from headaches lately.

Fortunately, it’s not a health problem…. No, I’d rather it was.

At least then there wouldn’t be all this trouble everywhere.

“You. Even though you trust the children, isn’t this too indifferent?”

When my wife looked at me with a smile on her face but her eyes were cold.

I felt an intense desire to just sweep everything aside and run away somewhere.

It’s understandable why my friends had secretly bought a vacation home.

I don’t think they felt comfortable being themselves, but they pretended to be.

Men produce the best results when they are silently trusted.

In fact, my son Karl was a living witness to that method.

But the heart of a father and the heart of a mother cannot be the same.

Surely, my wife, who had once shared my ambitions, now seemed resigned.

She was even suggesting calling our son and giving him a proper scolding.

I can’t really blame her.

Neither our daughter nor our son was forced into anything. Never, not even once.

Everything they did was their own decision, and we just trusted them.

For example, when our daughter Rika, the heiress and eldest daughter of the family, joined the Special Operations Executive.

And when our eldest son, Karl, suddenly enlisted as a soldier, turning the Count’s orders upside down.

‘Up to that point, yes. My wife seemed to be trying to understand somehow. But….’

I never thought it would be like this, that he would continue to do so after he was discharged.

I was so proud of him when he got the Medal of Honor for his service.

I wanted him to go back to where he belonged. I wanted him to come home and show his face.

I assumed he would, especially since my mother was secretly burning inside.

Suddenly, this son of a bitch is a hero for taking down terrorists.

And not only that, but he’s also assisting the special forces, according to rumors.

He’s not even a soldier anymore. Just a regular nobleman, a common student!

‘Karl, this boy. He should just come home and behave…!’

I hadn’t expected my wife to be so perceptive.

Watching her squeeze her eyes shut from the newspaper made me nervous.

Apparently, something happened at the academy this time.

The exact details will be known in due time, but one thing is certain for now.

Karl is involved in that too. Deeply, like the train bombing.

Otherwise, my daughter, who was preparing for the next succession of the head of the family, wouldn’t have suddenly acted like this.

“Father. No, sir. I’m preparing for the succession. Please postpone it a little longer.”

“Rika? Why all of a sudden?”

“Something came up that I have to finish. I can’t do anything else until that’s done.”

Parents know their children better than anyone.

And I was already convinced why my daughter Rika was suddenly acting like this.

‘It’s related to her brother. There’s nothing else.’

As befitting the Adelheit family, my daughter Rika was always rational and pragmatic.

But when it came to matters concerning her family. Especially about her brother, she couldn’t help but be emotional.

They had been close since childhood. They were different from ordinary siblings.

Rika took good care of Karl, and Karl stuck to his sister even more.

Perhaps Rika felt like Karl was hers to take care of.

As time passed and Karl grew older, the days of fooling around together almost disappeared.

So, I thought Rika would be less like that now, but she wasn’t. On the contrary, she changed more. She actively intervened with her brother.

When she heard the news that Karl was going to the front, she flew in like a bolt of lightning and said this.

“Father. Shouldn’t I go to the front too?”

“Speak sensibly.”

“But! Karl! He’s suffering because of those damn Kanfra bastards!”

Goodness. How did my daughter, who always spoke so nicely, end up like this?

Is it because of Kanfras? Or because of Karl? I had to seriously consider it.

And this time too, it’s probably for similar reasons.

“You.”

Ugh. Eventually, it had to come to this. I sighed inwardly and turned my head.

There stood my wife, wearing her usual beautiful smile.

“Welcome, my dear.”

“Have you heard the news? Rika, our daughter, has gone to see the princess.”

“What? No… that rascal…!”

“You know better than anyone why she did that.”

Of course, there was no doubt. Rika had never been one to seek out the princess unless there was something important.

Although she was friends with the princess, she didn’t want to get too close for fear of causing trouble.

But even so, if she went to see the princess, it meant there was something only she could help with.

“With this, we’ll have to put the succession process on hold for a while.”

“Rika said the same thing.”

“She came to me too. She asked me to help her if you say anything.”

Kid, you’re up to no good, huh? Why did I never stop you?

I, feeling nervous, glanced discreetly at my wife.

“….”

The serene figure of my wife. Always graceful and beautiful, a model for all women.

Of course, that aspect alone was charming enough to captivate one’s heart.

But besides that, there was a separate reason why the I had proposed to her.

“I’m not feeling quite well at the moment.”

“Why not? Is something wrong?”

“Father just contacted me.”

“Father?”

My father-in-law was one of the elders of the military. To receive a message from him―

“He said they’re seriously discussing the possibility of receiving multiple honors from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice.”

“Multiple honors?”

“Yes. Technically, they’re talking about duplicating the Medal of Honor.”

“….”

Receiving multiple honors is rare and difficult. To receive one while alive is a miracle in itself.

And now, suddenly, they’re discussing receiving multiple honors from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice at the headquarters.

And if you couldn’t figure out who the reason for that was, honestly, it would be strange.

“How long does our Karl have to stay on the front lines?”

“My dear. That’s….”

“It’s enough already. He’s come home, but it seems like he’s still being pulled in. He should behave himself and go back to being the ‘ordinary student’ he wanted to be.”

Her eyes glimmered slightly, and within them, a fiery gleam flashed. I couldn’t help but tremble at my wife’s appearance.

There was a time when Karl murmured like this in secret, even from his family. Goodness gracious. Of all people, his mother was the one with the fiery eyes!

Countess of House Adelheit, Ceylon Ceoren Adelheit.

A quiet lady and a good wife. She is a woman who lives quietly as a good mother.

However, buried within her was the strongest head of the Imperial Special Operations Executive.

* * *

“….Rika. I’m sorry to interrupt.”

The First Princess, Miquella, opened her mouth before finishing her drink properly.

“You’re talking about returning, right? Are you seriously planning to go straight into the field?”

“Yes, Your Highness. That’s what I must do.”

“You’re really out of your mind, aren’t you?”

There was a time when Rika was active in the Special Operations Executive.

But then and now are different. Didn’t Rika say she was preparing to be the next head of the family?

If the heir of a family were to act so recklessly, it would be a big problem.

It wasn’t just any nobleman from a small rural estate, It was Count Friedrich. The Adelheit family, which devotedly served the imperial family, and the connections they had.

One wrong move could shake them all, and no one in the imperial court would be happy.

What’s more, the Empire hasn’t suffered enough to warrant her return.

The Luzerne’s leadership, hidden within the Empire, had been almost eradicated. The rest was just a matter of time.

Hyzens is working diligently in the elven territories, and I’m sure they’ll have a positive answer.

“Enough. Go quietly and prepare to take your place as the head of the family.”

“Your Highness.”

“This is not a request from a friend but an order from the princess.”

“But!”

Even in front of me, Rika raised her voice.

“Karl! That boy! He helped with the Special Operations in secret! What could that possibly mean!”

What could it mean? Obviously, he kept it a secret from you because he didn’t want to burden you―

“This sister is worried that something troublesome might happen. He’s stepping forward to handle it himself! He’s suffering so much for me! How can I just sit back and do nothing, knowing that?!”

“….”

No, girl, it’s not like that. That’s not how I see it!

Karl is doing it for himself, not for your sake? It’s obvious that he’s going to do things like this, wandering around here and there, talking about returning to the field!

“Sigh….”

I don’t understand how a woman who is usually so rational and cold can be so emotional about her brother.

No, that’s not just an emotional issue. Regardless of emotions, it’s just a reflex. How can she not control herself?

“…As you know, I’ve completely withdrawn from politics now, so I can’t easily intervene.”

“I know. That’s why I came to tell you. I’m going to return. I’ve already met with His Highness the Crown Prince this morning.”

She’s such a crazy woman. She didn’t come for help or to ask for a favor.

She just came to inform me! She wants me to know that she’s going back! Seriously, Rika, you!

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“You’re asking the obvious.”

Actually, I have a pretty good idea what she’s going to do. I’m just asking, just to be sure.

“I plan to eliminate the root so that Karl can enjoy his student life again.”