ODEN 10

Chapter 10

The education room was large enough for Rubelin to run around in, but all it had was a single table in the center and a sofa.

The inside felt cold and empty, but then I remembered Rubelin’s monstrous strength and quickly accepted it.

It was better to have nothing than to have things she could just break anyway.

What is this? That almost sounded like a famous line. I tilted my head, lost in thought.

Before I knew it, Rubelin had trotted over to the table and sat down with her legs stretched out.

“Momma! Here!”

Rubelin waved her hands above her head.

“Okay, okay. I’m coming.”

But unlike my plan, Mebern arrived in the education room, and a big problem appeared.

“Paper folding?”

Mebern, holding a tray full of forks, frowned deeply.

“Yes. Today we’ll do paper folding and read a storybook.”

As I reported the lesson plan, Mebern scoffed and looked around at Rinel and the servants.

He seemed to be asking if this made any sense, but everyone just kept their heads down with blank expressions.

“Ahem.”

Even Ken coughed and turned his head away. Good thing I let him off lightly before.

Realizing no one was on his side, Mebern looked back at me awkwardly.

“Anyway, no. The princess must first learn how to use a fork. Did you not see how she snapped one in half yesterday?”

“You need to be patient and give her room to grow. Rubelin is still a child, so she also needs education suited to her age.”

“Lady Lucina, if you want to be recognized as an educator, you must focus on controlling the princess’s strength. This kind of childish nonsense is not proper education.”

Wait, there’s a contradiction here? When did I ever say I wanted to be recognized? I was confused, but I stayed quiet.

“Right. There’s no time. Let’s begin with what I prepared.”

Mebern shook the tray back and forth, and the forks inside clattered loudly.

“I also prepared something.”

I shot back without backing down, and Mebern made an irritated face. Our educational philosophies were clashing sharply.

“Haa.”

After a brief stare-down, Mebern stepped back.

“Fine. Go ahead and try.”

But his expression clearly said he was waiting for me to fail.

I avoided his sharp gaze.

Still, it was too sad for little Rubelin to only receive stiff, harsh lessons every day.

If not now, when would she ever get to freely try paper folding?

“Don’t keep the princess waiting. Go on.”

Mebern leaned against the wall on purpose, holding his tray. His eyes were so cold I felt a chill run through me.

“Momma!”

“Okay, I’m coming!”

Only after hearing Rubelin call did I turn around.

“H-how dare you speak so casually to the princess….”

Mebern’s flustered voice followed my informal tone.

When I glanced back, he looked completely stunned.

I’m going to get an earful later. My neck already felt prickly, but I couldn’t keep Rubelin waiting.

I walked over to the table and sat beside Rubelin on the sofa.

“Yay! Momma’s paper!”

Rubelin held out a yellow sheet of paper.

I took it and placed it neatly on the table. Rubelin quickly followed with a purple sheet.

So cute. I gently patted her head.

“Shall we start, Rubelin?”

“Yeah!”

“First, let’s fold a paper airplane.”

“Airplane?”

Rubelin blinked blankly.

Right. Airplanes probably don’t exist here. Maybe I should say bird instead.

Tapping my chin, I decided it might be better to fold a frog instead.

“Rubelin, should I make you a frog?”

“Frog…?”

She rolled the word around in her mouth, then nodded hard as if she recognized it.

“Frog!”

“Okay, I’ll make you a frog.”

Good. At least she knew frogs. I started folding the paper into a frog.

Rubelin rested her chin on the table, watching my hands with sparkling eyes.

Soon I finished and placed the frog on the table.

When I pressed its back, the paper frog sprang forward as if it were alive.

Rubelin’s red eyes slowly widened.

“A-a real frog!”

“Yep. A frog.”

I handed her the yellow paper frog. Rubelin’s eyes sparkled as she admired it.

She lifted it high toward the others.

“Frog!”

A small wave of admiration spread through the room.

It wasn’t anything special, but I still felt a little embarrassed.

Mebern stroked his chin and studied the paper frog carefully. Our eyes briefly met, and he quickly looked away with a cough.

“Hm. Well… it is interesting.”

“It’s not just interesting, Momma is amazing!”

Rubelin leaned her head on my shoulder and wrinkled her nose.

“Right!”

Mebern slumped his shoulders, looking a little left out.

“She’s never said anything like that to me even once….”

Seeing him like that made him seem a bit pitiful.

I picked up Rubelin’s purple paper and handed it to her.

“Want to try folding too, Rubelin?”

“Yeah!”

She nodded enthusiastically and grabbed the paper.

“Momma, don’t move!”

As I reached for the paper, she raised her hand to stop me. She wanted to do it herself.

I respected her wish and let go.

Rubelin folded the paper in half with her tiny hands. After that, things didn’t go as planned, and she bit her lip in concentration.

Watching her serious expression made the corners of my mouth twitch. So cute.

“Hm?”

Rubelin seemed to have forgotten what to do next and paused. I almost laughed but reached out to help.

“Rubelin, next you—”

“Momma, don’t move!”

Alright, fine. I pulled my hand back under the table.

Rubelin continued thinking hard, letting out small groans.

She kept folding and unfolding, but the paper slowly lost its shape and became a crumpled ball.

“Strange….”

Rubelin looked like she might cry as she stared at the ruined frog-shaped paper.

It’s not that bad. Even I failed the first time I tried folding a frog as a kid.

“No, Rubelin. It’s a very pretty frog.”

“It’s trash….”

“Trash?!”

I quickly grabbed the crumpled frog and examined it.

“Wow, it’s a frog. I actually want it.”

I was bad at lying, so her face darkened.

“It got squished… I wanted to make it nice for Momma….”

“No, it’s really pretty. Can I keep it?”

Rubelin pouted and snatched the crumpled frog back.

“No. I’ll make a proper one next time.”

“It’s okay, Rubelin. That one is pretty too.”

Rubelin looked up at me with teary eyes.

“No… it’s not pretty. I’m happy you made a frog for me. So I wanted to… I wanted to make Momma happy too….”

She sniffled and lowered her shoulders.

“I wanted to make you happy….”

Oh… she wasn’t sad because she failed, but because she couldn’t make me happy?

I covered my mouth with both hands, overwhelmed.

How is this child supposed to become a villain later? Everyone, do you really believe that?

Look at my sweet child… no, someone else’s child’s kind heart!

I wanted to shout out loud right now.

“Phew….”

Rubelin, unaware of my emotions, sighed deeply with a gloomy face.

“I see… so that’s why you’re upset….”

I forced down my smile and gently patted her shoulder. I couldn’t smile in front of her serious little face.

“Rubelin, I’m already happy, but I’ll look forward to the next one you make even better.”

“Okay….”

She nodded weakly and threw the crumpled paper aside. It bounced and landed on the edge of the table.

Rubelin stared at it, then looked away.

“Can I… keep this?”

She pointed at the yellow frog in her hands and glanced at me.

I just kept patting her head.

“Of course.”

“Hehe.”

Rubelin hugged the yellow frog like a precious gift and rubbed her head against my shoulder.

“Momma, I really like you….”

Ugh, my heart.

I grabbed my chest and collapsed forward onto the table.

“Momma?”

I lifted my head and pulled another sheet of paper closer.

“Rubelin, just say it. I’ll make you a lot of frogs—”

“Frogs?”

A cold voice suddenly cut into the room.

I snapped my head up.

Leaning against the open door with folded arms stood Calix.

Mebern flinched in shock.

“Y-your Majesty!”

Clatter—

Mebern dropped the tray, and forks scattered across the marble floor.

“Ah, no!”

He hurriedly knelt down to pick them up while Rinel and the servants calmly bowed and helped him.

“We greet the Sun of the Empire.”

Ken also bowed, but Calix waved them off and walked into the room. The air tightened instantly.

Rubelin quickly hid behind my back and peeked out.

Soon the servants and Mebern stepped aside, leaving a heavy silence.

Mebern stood frozen, holding the tray.

“Y-Your Majesty… what brings you here…?”

Calix ignored him and casually looked around the room before walking forward.

Why… why is he coming this way?

I stared blankly as he approached, his presence overwhelming.

He sat on the sofa and elegantly crossed his legs.

“I will observe.”

My eyes widened.

“Ob-observe?”

“Is there a problem?”

“N-no, not a problem, but….”

Rubelin moved away from me, sliding to the far edge of the table.

Calix frowned slightly. She was clearly avoiding him.

That expression… he’s about to get angry.

I slowly moved too, hiding behind Rubelin as if protecting her.

“Hah.”

Calix let out a short laugh. He almost sounded offended.

His red eyes landed on the yellow paper frog in Rubelin’s hands.

“Frog?”

Rubelin flinched when she realized he noticed it.

She looked between the yellow frog in her hand and the crumpled frog on the table, then made a decision and nodded.

She pushed the crumpled frog across the table.

Roll—roll—

It stopped right in front of Calix.

“Here.”

Rubelin pointed at it as if saying, Take it.

“……”

Calix looked between the two frogs silently.

Sensing danger, Rubelin quickly hid the yellow frog behind her back.

“No.”

Calix let out a quiet laugh.