Translator: Reo
Editor: PalenMisha
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 79 – Like Father – Toki
After finishing our meal, Assam and I enjoyed some tea as we watched the revue.
I sat down on the rug pedestal in Assam’s room where we always sat and Assam placed what looked like a round, rubber mat on the table in front of me. Tsugura took out a card and placed it over the large mat.
“I’m starting it,” Assam said, settling down next to me.
A separate, three-dimensional space rose up from the black rubber. The image looked real enough to touch. A bit curious, I stood up and walked behind the image only to see the back of the figure being reflected.
“All small children do that at least once. We could watch it from behind as well, but for today let’s sit together and watch it like this,” he told me, trying to hold back his laughter, and I got embarrassed.
A beautiful sound rang out and an image of me appeared.
I could recognize that it was me, but, perhaps because of the clothes that I was wearing, it almost looked like a different person. Was it because I’d gained some weight?
Is this what I look like when I smile?
The projection of me smiled a lot.
The revue described the start of the romance between Assam and myself, how we saw each other in our dreams, and how I was summoned to this world. It spoke about my illness and about our marriage. About Assam’s disability and the shiromiko1. About His Majesty and about my staple food. And, lastly, about how I’d been healed.
It showed a lot of different footage. I’m not sure when they filmed all of it.
“This is a very emotional piece. Your good points shine through.”
Assam turned his gentle gaze to me, looking for my reaction.
Ah, this… I might cry.
“Assam, like father. Also protect.”
I was a bit abashed to talk about someone else’s intentions.
“Also?” The confused Assam looked cute.
It’s hard for the person involved to notice something like this.
“Majesty useless, everyone rely Assam. Everyone Assam side. Same way Assam protect me, no?”
I guess he hadn’t realized this until I pointed it out.
Even if Assam was a prince, he was still a seventeen-year-old kid. There were bound to be people who disliked him because he was younger than them. If the thoughtless king had been known as a wise ruler, I’m sure there would have been some stubborn people who would have followed him regardless of his womanizing ways.
However, if His Majesty had simply wanted to birth more children, two or three consorts would have been plenty. There was no need to increase the number of consorts by dozens. His actions were a kind of performance meant to ruin his own reputation.
That way, when the time came and Assam officially succeeded the throne, he would have been involved in government affairs for a long time and his position wouldn’t be shaken even if the people found out he couldn’t bear children. The citizens would continue to follow Assam, who had led them until that point. So, if something major happened, Assam would be able to take on the responsibilities of the king right away.
As His Majesty had hoped, the people thought of Assam as the “rightful heir to the throne” and the “true king.”
With his many accomplishments behind him, Assam would be able, now and in the future, to protect himself. It was forward-planning like this that made it possible for me to be accepted as his partner.
The thing with the siblings as well. His Majesty probably wanted to leave a lot of children behind so that Assam could adopt a blood relative, one that would stand in place of the child he couldn’t have.
Realizing the true meaning behind his father’s action, Assam looked shy but smiled happily.
It was the first time since I came here that I saw him with a childish smile appropriate for his age.
