After Retirement, Living a Stud Life in Another World - 188

Chapter 188: As Expected, It Turns Out Like This

“Really, what a troublesome stud.”

The person who gives me this reproachful look is, unfortunately, the Queen. Well, I haven’t done anything wrong this time, right?

Of course, the Queen knows that. That’s why, despite it being the middle of the day, she has already finished two bottles of wine and is breathing heavily like a dragon just awakened from hibernation.

After the baptism ceremony, as expected, I wasn’t allowed to go home and was dragged off to the royal palace. I was taken straight into the Queen’s office without being asked for my opinion… and here I am now. On either side of me, sitting with me like two statues, are Beatrice and Clara.

“I never imagined Luize would be the legendary ‘dual-attribute’ type…”

“Mother, I’m sorry. It’s my fault…”

“This isn’t Clara’s fault. The one to blame is this man.”

The Queen points at me sharply. I’m relieved that Clara isn’t being blamed, but isn’t this a bit unfair to me?

“Your Majesty… did I really do something so bad?”

“Not even realizing how bad it is makes it even worse. You should never have seduced and slept with your sister-in-law. And now, you’ve brought this troublesome child into the world…”

Well, I can’t say that what happened with Clara was something to be proud of. But it wasn’t just my decision, either… it was Beatrice’s order. Though, I can’t deny that it felt good, and I might’ve gone a bit further than I should have.

And now, this child is being treated like a troublemaker, which feels wrong. At the baptism ceremony, everyone was praising her. Besides, I didn’t know a dual-attribute mage was even possible. I didn’t intentionally try to do anything extraordinary; it just turned out this way—by accident.

Sigh… “Tomorrow, the Prime Minister and the nobles will likely swarm us. They’ll say, ‘We should make the legendary sage the king.'”

Hmm, so what they mean is that they want to remove Beatrice from being the Crown Princess and make Clara the next queen. That sounds like a hassle, but…

“Well, it’s fine. We could make Luize the queen. I don’t need my daughter to be the successor if I take the throne for now. If Luize shows her ability once she’s an adult, we can pass the throne to her and retire in Baden.”

Beatrice says this without changing her expression. Now that I think about it, she has mentioned something similar before. Both of these sisters have no attachment to the throne at all. Beatrice only agreed to be Crown Princess because she took on the responsibility, knowing Clara was unfit to be king.

“Then I could live with Lutz. I’m looking forward to it.”

Beatrice says this playfully, but there’s a serious look in her eyes. Yeah, I know… every time we leave the capital, she cries because she feels lonely. Even though Beatrice tries to appear composed in the royal palace, she’s actually quite laid-back. A slow-paced life in a rural territory like Baden might suit her more than she realizes.

“Even if Beatrice feels that way, the nobles won’t accept it. Their goal isn’t to make Luize the king; they want to make Clara a puppet monarch who will do whatever they say.”

At the Queen’s words, Clara’s brow furrows in a sad expression. If Clara weren’t so weak and timid, the Queen would have no problem naming her as the successor and would appoint Beatrice, with her ‘Spirit’s Eyes,’ as a support.

“Clara, what do you want to do?”

“I don’t want to be used by others anymore. And I don’t want Luize to be used as a tool for a power struggle. With the magic Lutz gave me, I want to serve the people. If Luize truly is an extraordinary mage, I want her to have the freedom to pursue her own path. I don’t think being queen would make her happy.”

This surprises me. Clara, who has always been calm and modest, is now clearly expressing what she wants for herself and her child. I guess it’s true what they say—when a woman has a child to protect, she changes.

“I see. If you say that, Clara, then it’s good. In that case, we should settle this clearly.”

Beatrice says this with a slight smile, then rings the bell on the table twice. The door to the office opens, and standing there in a black military uniform, as usual, is my dear sister Liese, standing straight at attention. Hmm, Liese really suits this military uniform.

“Liese, we’re going to crush the Prime Minister and his men. You’re ready, right?”

“Yes, perfectly prepared!”

“Then let’s call the actors to the capital. Adel, make the arrangements.”

“Understood.”

Adel responds briefly and bows. She was standing in the corner of the room up until now. She’s supposed to be giving birth around the same time as Beatrice, but why does her belly not show? She turns gracefully, as always, and heads off to carry out the orders.

“And this time, Clara will also be an important cast member. We need her to play her part well.”

“…Yes, I will do my best.”

And so, our counterattack begins.