CH 5

After one week has passed, Nicolette is already accustomed with  life inside of the palace. Though it can't be denied that Nicolette is a weird person, she was still cheerful. No matter what people said, she would not falter. Also, since she ate her food with great interest, her evaluation from the Maid and Butler were quite high. Furthermore, she wasn’t a haughty person, she almost never said anything that was selfish.

However, before long, that girl created some messes. As Wolfgang rushed around, Nicolette was cleaning the library. Just like always, she looked at Wolfgang with a smile.

"Ah, His Majesty."

Looking at that optimistic expression on her, Wolfgang felt a slight headache.

"...You, what are you doing?"

"I wanted to try some experiments, but I failed...sorry."

Nicolette dropped her head and bowed. It seems like she at least understood that what she just did was wrong.

The reading table has turned black. In her surroundings, soot is scattered everywhere, even Nicolette's dress is dyed black. On the top of the table, fragments of glass are pierced all over. The circumstances that she created look quite disastrous. Though Helma and Brahms the librarian had  amazed looks on their faces,  Marcus laughed amusingly.

"What did you do that it turned out like this?"

"Eeh...umm, I got interested in certain chemical reactions so I did some experiments. It seems that I've mixed the wrong quantity of chemicals."

"Aah, stop it. I can't understand what you’re saying."

Wolfgang, who really didn't understand what Nicolette was talking about, interrupted her, which caused her to become dejected. Somehow, it looked like even her hair became limp. If she had a tail, surely it would have drooped.

"...Nicolette, are you hurt?"

"Eh, yep. The book is also safe."

"I asked if you're hurt or not."

"Umm, I'm not though."

Looking at Nicolette who blinked her eyes in confusion, Wolfgang sighed. From her head to her cheeks, he stroked her hair.

"Then it's alright. Next time you want to experiment with something that has the possibility of causing an explosion, tell me first so you can do it outside."

"I understand...eh, you will not stop me?"

"It's better than you doing it in secret."

Again, Wolfgang sighed. It wouldn't be funny if a part of the palace exploded when he wasn’t aware.

However, Wolfgang glared at Nicolette.

"If I judge that it's too dangerous, I'll stop you."

Probably, Wolfgang couldn’t judge whether the experiments were dangerous or not. So, he will give the job to the prime minister and some scholars.

"Understood. Well, even in the monastery you need a license to do these kinds of experiments..."

"Wait. If it was restricted in the monastery, why did you do it here without consulting me first?"

"Well, I think you would have stopped me if I told you about it."

"Even so, do you have to experiment indoors, can you not think by using common sense!?"

One had to be extra careful if they use fire inside a closed room. Since there is always the possibility that the fire will spread instantly.

Perhaps his wording for his rebuke was too harsh, Nicolette once again felt dejected. Well, if she is still smiling then that means that she didn't reflect on itafter all, so this much is fine.

Wolfgang grabbed and slightly pushed on Nicolette's shoulder.

"For now, let's change first and have tea together."

"Uh, okay. Ah, but, the cleaning."

"I will do it, Her Highness. Don’t worry about it."

Brahms said that with a smile to Nicolette. She has already adapted to the library apparently.

"Umm, is that okay with you?"

Nicolette turned around and asked him.Thus, Brahms said, "Of course, I don't mind." kindly.

"Well, I'll be happy if Her Highness doesn’t cause another accident at the library next time."

"...Sorry..."

As far as Wolfgang saw it, Nicolette really looked like she regretted it. Wolfgang clapped her shoulder a little, and while at it, he spoke of the thing that was already on his mind for quite some time.

"Alberto, Marcus, Helma. Don't make those grins."

Especially Marcus who kept showing that grin on his face from the start till the end. Don't give that warm gaze.

△

(TRIAWNGLEE!)

Nicolette finished changing her charred black dress and returned back to her room, recently it's become custom to have the tea parties here. Though, it's really late to mention this, this place was the Empresses room. Though, deeper in there was a room that connects her room to the Emperor's, but Wolfgang often took a nap in that room.

Looking at Nicolette's face that was happily eating cake as usual, her mood returned, and so Wolfgang felt relieved. At the same time, a doubt grew inside of him.

"Nicolette."

"What? Also, His Highness can call me Nicola or Nicole."

"Let's set that aside...What kind of experiments do you do at the monastery?"

Nicolette said that she was doing experiments with her mother at the monastery where they were held.What kind of experiments did she do there?

As Nicolette took a sip of her tea, she slowly opened her mouth.

"Umm. Since I'm pretty much free, I do a lot of things. Crossbreeding vegetation for example, Astronomical observation too. I also like to do historical research. There is a lot of cases where I do Natural Science type of experiments, eh. Physics, chemistry, and such."

"I somehow understood chemistry, but Physics?"

"Well, to put it simply, it was an experiment related to the laws of the world. For example, why we are able to stand on top of the land, but..."

"Wait, I can't understand it even if you explain it, so it's alright." (ED: XD This Emperor doesn’t understand most scientific and educational things despite probably being highly educated)

"Eeeh~ Is that so?"

Once again getting interrupted, Nicolette showed a sign that she was dejected. It's a fact that he didn't understand any of what she said. If she wanted him to understand, she had to explain everything from the start.

"Also, unless you explain the details later when we have the time for it, I can't understand it you know. Rather than that, the explosion from your experiment earlier, it means that you have a knowledge about gunpowder right? "

"Hmm~ If I had to say, that was my mother's speciality. My mother was the revolutioner of the gun after all." (ED: Haha, Author really likes their Mother considering the Mother in this novel basically invented the gun)

Due to her words that flowed naturally, Wolfgang almost spit out his tea. Though he was somehow able to swallow it, he choked a little bit. Nicolette, who sat in front of him, moved to sit beside him with a worried expression on her face she said, "You okay?" while stroking Wolfgang's back.

"It's okay, I'm fine...so that's it. Your mother is the one who brought revolutions to the gun..."

"That's right. The one who developed the sniper was my mother, you know."

Nicolette said that with a carefree smile. Wolfgang wouldn't understand a thing like the laws of the world, but he still somehow knew if it's about military laws.

The sniper was something that was developed ten years ago. The range was twice  that of a normal gun, the penetration power was also higher. However, since rapid fire was impossible and the usage was hard, the army members that used it was scarce. Wolfgang tried to also experiment by bringing in about ten snipers for his army but no one could use them.

Rather than that.

"Why did you do these experiments at the monastery...?"

"We had a lot of free time, you know."

"Considering all that, you seem quite fond of it though."

"Well, I was raised there after all."

As Nicolette said that with a smile, she tried to leave and return to her seat. Her shoulder was grabbed by Wolfgang and he stopped her from leaving her seat.

Nicolette, who was obediently sitting beside Wolfgang, looked up at Wolfgang with a confused look. That innocent expression on her, Wolfgang felt like he had to bear something, and then he put a pastry into her mouth. Though Nicolette opened her eyes wide, she didn't falter, and after chewing the cake, she swallowed it.

"Can you also do improvements for the gun?"

"I can, you know~ Ah, it will be amazing if His Majesty could show me the Empire armies training next time."

Receiving the new teacup from Helma, Nicolette said thank you with a smile. Though she was quite weird, Nicolette is polite, and so she was regarded highly among the servants.

"...Military training, what are you going to do by seeing that?"

Though Wolfgang had intentions for Nicolette to take a look at the Empire armies gun, but he never thought to show her the training. Or rather, what will she do by seeing the training.

"I am just interested in it. While I am at it, I also want to know about gunmanships."

"So, you have any knowledge about the military?"

Though Wolfgang thought that he wouldn't be surprised anymore even if she did nod at his question, but Nicolette shaked her head in response.

"No, I don't. Though I've read some books about the art of war. It's just out of curiosity."

Nicolette hit her own chest with her fist while saying that. Curiosity. Though Wolfgang thought that because Nicolette was a researcher she was always curious but he didn’t expect for her to admit that she was curious. "...Well, I will bring you there sooner or later, just don't go there as you please."

"Alright, I understand."

Looking at Nicolette, who was smiling as usual, Wolfgang felt  slight worry. If there wasn't anyone monitoring her, he wouldn't know what she will do next. In the first place, if she tried to do anything that was deemed dangerous, Marcus should be able to stop her... maybe.

Why did everything around Wolfgang only cause him to worry.

△

(TWIWANGLE!! )

"Yaa~h, it was heartwarming right. Well, Her Majesty was always charming, but His Majesty is too."

"Shut up Alberto. I'll kill you!"

As Wolfgang glared at his attendant that always followed him, Alberto shrugged his shoulders while saying, "Ooh, scary." He didn't look scared at all. Alberto, who was also Wolfgang's childhood friend, was already able to fully understand his lord's personality because of their long relationship.

"But well, isn't it the first time for His Majesty wanting to monopoly someone that much? "

"..."

"Look, you didn't deny it."

"Shut up!"

While thinking whether he should really give him a smack in the head for real, Wolfgang remembered about Nicolette.

She always had a smiling expression in abundance, she wouldn’t falter from the small things. The first time they met, Nicolette, who wasn't scared of Wolfgang, who was called the Cruel Emperor,  was the first. Though there was a possibility that she just didn't know how the world goes, but seeing from her attitude toward the servants, he thought that it was just her natural attitude.

Whenever he talked with her, he always dragged into her pace. Though, whenever she talked about technical things that he never understood, fundamentally, she was a good talker.

Happily chomping the cake, eating the dish deliciously. Looking at this Nicolette, somehow, Wolfgang felt somewhat happy. Though her curiosity was so high that it tended to become dangerous, she is nice, which is what Wolfgang thought.

When she sat beside him and looked up at him, he was about to extend his arm. Before long, he wanted to know if she had that knowledge or not.

Wolfgang made a face that Alberto, Marcus, and even the Prime Minister, who Wolfgang looked up to him  like his own older brother said, "Your face slackened." Why, because every time Wolfgang thought about Nicolette, his face always became loose by itself. Perhaps, her carefreeness infected Wolfgang too... 

It might be wrong but if he actually admitted it he felt that he wouldn’t be able to hold it, so he left it alone.

"His Majesty."

He was called by Alberto, "What" Wolfgang returned in a daze, thus, this sentence flew toward him.

"You went too far."

As he turned back, he already walked passed the office's door. He was told, "You're much too excited" by Alberto, but Wolfgang returned with, there's no way that's true.

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