Surviving As The 5Th Prince Of Hellman Kingdom [EN]: Chapter 188

<188>

Today is June 16th.

It’s my birthday.

Last year, my birthday coincided with numerous celebrations, including Lanua’s childbirth and Fran’s Horizon Medal award, so a grand festival was planned. However, it was completely canceled due to the war with the Arya Kingdom.

Fortunately, this year I was able to celebrate my birthday safely without any major issues.

I boarded a lavish carriage with Reina and Lanua, holding the prince and princess in my arms.

“Long live His Majesty Evan!”

“Long live!!”

Escorted by the Knights, we paraded through the royal capital, Barona. The people waved the flags of the Lionel Kingdom, celebrating my birthday. I waved back enthusiastically, responding to their support.

“Congratulations on the upcoming birthdays of the Prince and Princess!”

“Congratulations!”

“You’re both so adorable!!”

Coincidentally, the children’s birthdays are also all in June.

First Prince Ian Lionel is on the 18th.

First Princess Lua Lionel is on the 20th.

The birthday celebration banquet lasts for five days, starting on the 16th and ending on the 20th. The children’s birthdays fall during the banquet period.

It’s a bit unfortunate, but the children’s birthdays are treated as minor side events.

It can’t be helped.

If they feel wronged, they can become king themselves.

It’s not something to worry about right now, though. They can’t even speak properly yet. They wouldn’t know what a birthday is.

Two-year-old Ian can communicate simply using two or three words, and Lua is just at the stage of toddling around.

“Ian, you have to wave like your father.”

“Okay, I will! Umya mya!”

Ian, who had been frozen in the unfamiliar environment filled with people, followed me and waved to the people.

“Lua, you have to do it like your brother.”

“Ma?”

Hugging Lua in her arms, Lanua also flailed her tiny hands at the people.

Both children are growing up healthy without any minor illnesses.

A smile naturally spread across my face.

After circling the royal capital and returning to the palace, the children fell asleep in the arms of their nannies, exhausted.

There was still time before the banquet was held at Rasayu Palace, so I took a break with the queens, enjoying simple snacks and tea.

“Lanua, thank you for your hard work preparing the banquet.”

“It’s nothing. I only approved the documents.”

The queen has a lot to do.

The queen decides on most matters related to my birthday event.

Here, a question arises.

What if there are multiple queens?

It’s simple. Whether it’s the power of the family or the king’s favor, the most powerful woman among the queens takes on the important tasks.

But why did Lanua prepare my birthday in the Lionel Kingdom? Is it because my birthday isn’t that important? Is it because Lanua receives more of my love than Reina?

Neither is true.

“No, I would have definitely missed many things.”

“You flatter me.”

Just by looking at Lanua’s humble attitude as she bowed her head at Reina’s praise, you could immediately grasp the power dynamic between the two.

8-Star Knight.

The kingdom’s shield.

The mother of the First Prince.

The hero of the Battle of Caros.

Lanua is from the Kan tribe, whom the Lionel people once openly treated as barbarians. It is nearly impossible for her to be above Reina.

Nevertheless, the reason why Lanua manages the major and minor affairs of the royal family is simple.

Because there is nothing more inefficient than Reina putting down her sword and focusing on the queen’s duties.

Reina oversees the kingdom’s Royal Knights, which have been reorganized into three knight orders. She holds the authority to wield the sharpest sword in the kingdom.

“The other day, Lua threw a tantrum, asking to go play with Ian.”

“Oh dear… Why didn’t she come to play?”

“It was because Ian was taking a nap at the time.”

The two queens have developed a common interest in childcare, which has greatly reduced the awkwardness between them.

Honestly, I still find it very awkward to gather and talk like this. But it’s necessary, so we regularly gather for tea time.

Most of the king’s direct descendants end up having worse relationships than strangers. I hope my children won’t be like that.

I sipped my tea, focusing only on listening to the conversation between the two queens. The thought of the banquet starting soon so I could get up from my seat flashed through my mind.

***

The banquet began.

Exhausted from listening to the nobles’ congratulatory remarks, I went to the terrace with Alfonso to get some fresh air.

In the brightly lit garden of Rasayu Palace, Jidragon and Harry, who had come to celebrate my birthday, were popular with the children.

A stoic-faced girl was riding on Harry’s back, bossing around the children surrounding her.

It was Chloe, the daughter of Clian and Miloa.

“Me too! Me too!”

“Papa papa papa!”

Ian was also trying hard to get on Harry’s back, and Lua was cheering him on.

The nannies and guards of both were naturally on edge.

“Every time I see Chloe, I feel like she looks exactly like Duke Miloa, but her expression and atmosphere are just like Duke Clian’s, don’t you think?”

Alfonso’s question made me wonder if he had read my mind. I was just thinking that.

As Alfonso referred to Clian and Miloa, both the White Duchy and the Christie Duchy became ducal houses.

It’s hard to find a case anywhere in the world where a married couple are both heads of different ducal families.

Usually, the woman would hand over the authority of the head and be incorporated into the man’s family, but Miloa was so capable.

Still, the heir issue was resolved well.

“Are you two talking about us right now?”

Speaking of the devil, Clian and Miloa approached me.

Miloa’s belly was quite large.

She was five months pregnant. It’s their second child.

According to her, their future plans are now over. She said that Chloe and the child in her womb will amicably inherit the White Duchy and the Christie Duchy…

We’ll have to wait and see how it actually turns out.

“I was just saying how much you two have been through.”

“Well, we have been through a lot. Look at our Duke Clian. He’s been working overtime for almost a year, which he never used to do, and he’s getting stressed out, so his forehead is getting wider.”

Miloa said, laughing heartily.

Unconsciously, my gaze turned to Clian’s forehead. It had noticeably widened compared to a year ago. The incurable disease that nine out of ten men in the White Duchy have, hair loss, was progressing.

Just a year ago, he, who had boasted a full head of hair, probably thought he was one in ten. But crisis always comes when you’re off guard.

Feeling my gaze, Clian’s eyes twitched relentlessly.

I cleared my throat and quickly averted my gaze.

“There will be no more overtime in the Ministry of Finance and Economy. My hair will soon return to normal. It’s just stress-related.”

Clian declared firmly.

“Give up, give up. No matter how you look at it, it’s not stress-related, okay? I know because I’ve had stress-related hair loss before.”

“Mil, lo, a.”

Clian called out her name, pausing between each syllable, and Miloa quickly turned her gaze to me.

“I just had a conversation with the Queen of Arya. Every time I see her, I feel like she’s still young, but she’s very bright.”

She was talking about Yuria Arya.

She succeeded Otto as the Queen of Arya. Of course, she has almost no real power.

She has less authority than the king of a constitutional monarchy that may appear in the world someday.

“What did you talk about with her?”

“I was telling her that Prince Ian is handsome like His Majesty.”

Miloa covered her mouth with a fan and laughed again.

“Nuna! Together! Me too! Together!”

From below the garden, Ian’s empty cry was heard, asking Chloe, who had occupied Harry’s back, to give him his spot too.

I shook my head, and then I saw Julian approaching from afar. I came out to the terrace to rest, but somehow everyone was coming to find me.

“I was wondering where everyone had gone, and you were here.”

“Oh my, our Marquis Julian. Welcome. We were talking about His Majesty and Queen Yuria.”

“I see.”

“How is Ayra doing? Her due date is this month, right?”

Julian and Ayra’s wedding, which had been temporarily postponed due to the war with Arya, was held immediately after Julian’s promotion to marquis after the war.

Julian was appointed as the Governor-General of Arya, so they started their married life there. And soon after, their child was conceived, and the due date was already near.

“Thank you for your concern. Ayra is fine except that she can’t sleep well at night.”

“Is the child being born in Arya?”

“Ah, no. She came with me this time. It seems like giving birth at her parents’ home, the Merton County, would help Ayra’s mental and physical stability.”

“You did well. Our Marquis Julian, you seem indifferent but you have a strangely meticulous side.”

I remembered the time when we were racking our brains to retake the Northwest. Back then, this group gathered almost every day and stayed up all night.

The Lionel Kingdom back then and now were as different as heaven and earth.

Just from the outside.

Lac K and Stella.

In my previous life, it was like commercializing room-temperature superconductors and discovering alternative energy that surpassed petroleum.

Enormous support from countries around the world is flowing into the Lionel Kingdom. The faltering national finances were normalized in just three months.

The Lionel Kingdom had already surprised world economists with unprecedented economic growth during the Red Star Fever.

But for nearly a year, it recorded an economic growth rate more than three times higher than during the Red Star Fever.

So, has the kingdom’s coffers become a little richer?

‘…It’s still not enough.’

Money is a strange thing.

No matter how much you earn, there are always more places to spend it.

For example, a huge amount of money was spent to win the hearts of the Arya people.

Rice and meat were the best weapons to melt the hearts of the Arya residents who viewed the Lionel Kingdom with wary eyes.

Money is also being poured in real-time into the repair, improvement, and construction of ironclad ships and airships. Not to mention the Titans in the secret laboratory.

It was safe to say that the coffers would not be filled with money for at least 2-3 years.

In other words, the kingdom should focus on strengthening its foundations during that period.

But as things always are in life, things don’t always go as planned. Unexpected situations tend to arise.

Julian happened to bring up a topic related to that.

“Ah, does Duchess Miloa know the details about that news?”

“Are you talking about the possibility of the 11th Princess and the 19th Prince getting married?”

“Yes. Since I’m living in Arya, the information from the Hamel Empire is not very good…”

“I know more than others. It doesn’t seem like this is the place to talk about it, so visit the Royal Secret Service Department after the banquet.”

Consanguineous marriage [marriage between blood relatives].

Although it has decreased a lot since the harm caused by frequent birth defects became known, it is still a form of marriage that is sometimes practiced in some countries.

There were widespread rumors that the 19th Prince Charles, who had achieved tremendous feats during the civil war and become an irreplaceable force, would marry the 11th Princess.

It’s not just a simple rumor.

With the [Library], I already know that even the specific date has been set. And that the 11th Princess actually loves Charles.

The best financial investment is marriage…

There is no way to stop their marriage, and we must prepare for what comes after.

With a high probability, the 19th Prince, who has absorbed the power of the 11th Princess, will reveal that he owns the National Seal. He will try to gain the support of the Hamel Empire’s people by claiming that he is the prince chosen by the National Seal.

‘Hmm…’

I opened the [General Store] for the first time in a while.

━━━━━━━━━━━━×

[National Seal]

Grade: Legend

A jade seal made by melting down the treasures of a forgotten god.

.

.

.

Price: 4,999,999 RP

━━━━━━━━━━━━

The price is more than double the price of the Titan’s blueprint, which I worked hard to collect.

I glanced at my RP holdings.

The enormous amount of RP accumulated from entering the 9-star rank, conquering Arya, and the development of the Lionel Kingdom over the past year pleased my eyes.

Even if I buy the National Seal, I’ll have some left over.

…But is buying that the best option?

Now that I can actually buy the item I’ve been eyeing, I’m thinking about it again.