Chapter 361

Chapter 361

After a productive workday, Poliana returned home and was greeted by two children.

“Poli~!”

“Mother!”

Poliana picked up Princess Luminae with one hand and Gerald with the other. Because they were getting big, Poliana could only pick them up for a few seconds, but the children laughed excitedly. Princess Luminae was heavier than Gerald because she carried a sack that was filled with various items she picked up from everywhere. Gerald was wearing an alligator hide.

Poliana said to her son, “Gerald Winter, you know how that hide will shock your father! Take it off right now.”

“Mother, I am going to become her highness’s alligator dog when I grow up! Woof woof!”

Gerald barked a few times like a dog and ran in circles. Poliana and the maids asked him to stop, but he refused. Princess Luminae, the heir to the throne, held her forehead as if dizzy and said to Poliana, “He has been doing that all day today. Hey, Gerry, you need to stop.”

“Yes, your highness! Woof woof!”

“See?”

Princess Luminae said to Poliana as she shook her head in resignation. Poliana, knowing how her husband hated reptiles, decided to get rid of this alligator hide as soon as possible before the emperor got home.

Princess Luminae sighed, “Duke Seki came by today and watched Gerry practicing his sword. Since then, Gerry has been acting like that.”

“Duke Seki came by?”

“Yes. Sir Mahogal asked him to come by.”

“Woof woof! Woof woof woof!”

“Gosh, you are so noisy! Gerry, fetch!”

Princess Luminae, annoyed how Gerald was interrupting their conversation, took out a ball from her sack and threw it. Gerald, excited, ran after it immediately.

Princess Luminae looked genuinely concerned and asked Poliana, “He won’t really bring the ball back in his mouth, will he?”

“I am sure he will bring it back in his hand. Your brother isn’t that stupid.”

So Duke Seki visited today? Poliana wanted to talk to Sir Mahogal. After excusing herself, Poliana left Princess Luminae to talk to the knight.

Sir Mahogal explained to Poliana, “Prince Gerald has a true talent.”

“Gerald? Even though he is my son?”

“Yes, even though he is your highness’s son.”

“Hmm.”

When Poliana seemed unconvinced, Sir Mahogal continued, “Duke Seki said so.”

Duke Seki. He was the man who claimed he was the strongest and best man in the world. He was the man who declared that everyone else in the world was weak compared to him.

In a word, he was a jerk.

So if Duke Seki said that her son had a talent for swordsmanship, then… Poliana gasped in surprise. It seemed that although she wasn’t gifted with this talent, her son was going to be spared.

“F*ck… I mean, good.”

Poliana, the empress of Acreia, coughed to hide her reaction and asked Sir Mahogal, “So the reason why Gerald is insisting on becoming the alligator dog is…”

“Duke Seki apparently told the prince that he should become the head of the First Division when he grows up, and you know the symbol of the Knight’s Order is the alligator dog.”

“I assume Duke Seki gave him the alligator hide then.”

Sir Mahogal nodded silently. It was obvious what happened. Duke Seki most likely brought the hide to scare the emperor. When he saw Gerald’s talent, he probably gave the hide to the boy. Lucius the First and Duke Seki were both fathers, but it seemed that they would never tire of teasing each other.

After her conversation with Sir Mahogal, Poliana returned to her quarters and saw the brother and sister pouring over something. She walked to them and realized that they were looking at the map of the continent Poliana gave to Princess Luminae on her seventh’s birthday.

This map was created by all the information Poliana gathered from trusted sources. It was the first sample of what was going to be a comprehensive military map of Acreia. Although it was only a first draft, it was accurately made with all the roads, waterways, and cities marked in detail. It wasn’t the kind of thing that should be shown to everyone, but it seemed that Princess Luminae has been carrying it around in her sack.

‘I am going to ask her not to do that.’

If she told Princess Luminae not to do this right now in front of her younger brother, it was going to weaken the future heir to the throne’s authority in front of Gerald. Poliana decided to talk to the princess later in private.

Meanwhile, the two children continued to chat seriously.

“So the land up to this ocean and the ocean itself is all mine.”

“Your highness, what about the islands over here?”

“Those are someone else’s lands.”

“Your highness, your loyal subject Gerald Winter will conquer those islands for you!”

Poliana covered her mouth to hide her laugh. Because the children lived in the castle, the way they talked was too mature and formal for their ages sometimes.

Princess Luminae replied, “There is no need, Gerry. When I become the next ruler, you will be busy taking care of those who oppose me just because I am a woman.”

There was no need for Gerald to go all the way south. In about 20 years, their powerful cousins, Marin and Martin, were going to take care of everything anyway.

Gerald insisted, “But that would be Park’s job.”

Park was Duke Luzo’s son. For the first time during their conversation, Princess Luminae became angry, “Why do you call Park by his name, but you call me your highness?! Why won’t you call me by my name?”

“You are your highness and my sister, but it would be too hard for you to be both. So just be your highness!”

“No! I am going to be both! So you be both as well! You be my brother and my loyal subordinate!”

“It’s too hard!”

Gerald insisted that since Princess Luminae was going to be the next ruler, he was going to serve her as such beginning now. Luminae, on the other hand, was always annoyed that Gerald refused to call her his sister. This was an ongoing fight between the brother and the sister.

But they were only children for now. Just as they began to fight, they quickly began to laugh and play together again. Poliana ushered them to their rooms for bedtime.

When Gerald was in his bed, Poliana said to him, “Gerald, if it’s too hard for you to be both all the time, you can alternate. Since you were her loyal subordinate today, you can be her brother Gerry tomorrow.”

“What if I become her subordinate again tomorrow?”

“Then you can be her brother for two days after tomorrow.”

“Alright…”

Gerald finally nodded and fell asleep. Poliana caressed his forehead gently. Thanks to the changes to the legal system, a woman could now inherit family title and wealth. Only the first-born son used to be able to inherit everything, but now, the firstborn, no matter whether it was a male or female, was to inherit everything.

People often asked Poliana if she felt disappointed that her own blood son wasn’t going to be the next emperor. The child of another woman was going to take over the throne, so did Poliana feel unhappy about it?