12 CHAPTER X -- NEARLY 8 (2/2)

Also, I got a new 'Mushin'.

This, as you might have guessed, I found out when I checked after Shelley left.

＜Mindlessness Lv.2.

You can be absent-minded.

The higher the level, the more unmoved by anything.

Lv.2... can make a poker face unless it's a very good one.

Now, the plan is to go to the Imperial City for your 8th birthday party.

Aristocrats in the Empire usually hold their birthday parties at their mansions in the capital and invite other noblemen of the same or lower class as themselves.

That's why, as a duke, I'll be inviting a huge number of people to my party.

So I want to run away from them now: .....

And although I was born in July, my grandfather and grandmother will train me in the imperial city from January until school starts.

So I will live in Teito from the age of 8.

I can't wait to see what kind of training is waiting for me!

＜One week later.

I finished getting ready to leave for the Imperial City .

Well, I put all my stuff in that backpack, so it wasn't long before I was ready.

Then let's get going.

Yeah, okay.

Don't be so lonely. You'll be back home again.

It's not that I'm lonely: .....

I just hate parties!

＜In those days, in Teito.

'Dad, I want to go celebrate Leo's birthday!'

Shelley said as she ran up to the Emperor.

But who told you that...

That's not important. I want to go!

No. That's why I didn't tell you.

Then the emperor puts his head in his hands.

'Why not? That's nice.

'If I only attend Leo-kun's when I haven't attended any of the other noblemen's parties, it would mean that the royal family is favoring the Forster family, wouldn't it?

It's true.

Oh, yeah? And if they did, if Shelia goes this time, you're going to have to admit it.

Yeah, I want to go.

So why don't you invite Leo-kun to the castle unofficially on the day before or after his birthday?

Then the Emperor grinned.

How can you do that?

Shelly shot the Emperor a half-doubting look.

In short, just call me a friend of Shelia's and I won't care about the royal family.

Okay, I'll take it.

All right, now all that's left to do is wait for Leo-kun to get to Teito.

The carriage heading to the Imperial City in those days

(shuddering)

Huh? I'm getting chills all of a sudden.

'Oh, I don't want to go to the Imperial City!

I couldn't help but say it out loud.

Don't say that. I haven't seen my sisters in years.

You know, I haven't seen my sister in two years and I haven't seen my brothers since my first birthday.

Are they all grown up?

I had a little fun going to the Imperial City, but I can't get over how much I hate the party .

Haha, that's really depressing: .....

About a week later, we finally arrived in Teito.

Maybe it's because I experienced a carriage ride when I was five years old, but I didn't get sick this time.

But it was really boring.

There was nothing else to do but look around.

But just before arriving at the imperial capital, I kept calling in my head ”I want to go home, don't arrive yet.

But I arrived safely at the imperial residence .....