After a long journey back to the palace, they finally arrived. As the horse-drawn carriage door opened, Magdalene stepped out first.
She looked delighted and beamed with a smile. "Hurray! We're home! Mr. Teddy is waiting for Magda!"
The little girl seemed fine. However, it wasn't the case with her father.
Even the coachman, who opened the door, noticed how pale his master's face was as he stepped out.
"Y-Your Majesty?!" he exclaimed.
"Oh... we've arrived," Aliester said weakly. He seemed to have endured mental torture throughout the journey. Of course, it was due to his little daughter's strange conversation.
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Earlier, while they were still on the journey...
"How can I grant that wish of hers?!" Aliester couldn't think calmly now.
The coachman sitting in front also overheard a bit of the conversation. Of course, he himself was panicking, but he tried to pretend he hadn't heard it.
"I must stay quiet. Whatever is said by His Majesty and the Princess is none of my business."
Magdalene still insisted on her wish. Actually, there was something that made her think that way.
"I have to do this."
"I expected as much, that a king without a partner would quickly become an easy target for noblewomen and noble families who want to get into the government."
"Aliester does seem firm and calm, but we don't know how everyone will view him in the future."
"Besides..."
Magdalene looked at her father. Her gaze was deep, she stared at her father very seriously.
"Aliester must be lonely. Queen Helene might still be in his heart, but I think it would be better if he found a new partner to accompany him."
"The real Magdalene would also be happy if her father was happy, right?"
Meanwhile, Aliester, who was being stared at seriously by his little daughter, could only swallow his saliva. In his mind, there were many questions that he didn't dare ask his daughter.
It seems like Magdalene's words have left Aliester puzzled and curious!
"What's going on? When did my 5-year-old daughter become so mature?"
"Wait, she said she wants to find me a good partner? Why does my daughter sound like a matchmaking agency?!"
"Uh? Wait a minute. Earlier, she also said she wants a new mom? Does she no longer care about her late mother?"
Aliester's inner turmoil is growing! He's struggling to understand his daughter's sudden maturity and her surprising words.
"What does this mean, that children in this world grow up and mature so quickly?"
"I was just thinking that she might be lonely and I should consider her feelings, but..."
Aliester smiled with his handsome face to hide all the heavy thoughts he had. He tried to calm down first before asking his daughter.
Of course, Aliester is struggling to keep up with Magdalene's sudden maturity! He's trying to compose himself before asking her more questions.
"Magdalene... my dear Magda, wh-what kind of woman do you... um... want me to find?"
With spontaneity, the little girl said, "She has to be like mom!"
"Uh-huh!"
Magdalene's response is so innocent, "She has to be as beautiful as mom!"
"Um…" Aliester seems taken aback, unsure of how to respond.
"She has to be gentle like mom!"
"Yes... that's right..."
"And she has to love daddy and Magda..."
"Huh?" Aliester was slightly taken aback by his little daughter's last sentence.
"Love... daddy and Magda?" The little girl hugged her father, "Magda doesn't like Lady Bernadette! Earl Ventela is also not nice!"
"But Magda wants daddy to not be lonely. Mom would also be sad if daddy gets close to a flirtatious woman who only likes daddy's wealth."
Aliester froze, "Huh? Why did it become about daddy's wealth?"
Magdalene looked even more serious, "Isn't that right?! Daddy is the king. If daddy marries, that woman will become the queen. Magda doesn't want a bad queen!"
"Besides, if daddy marries a woman like Lady Bernadette and has a daddy-in-law like Earl Ventela, the daddy-in-law will take advantage of his son-in-law's wealth and position!"
"Huh? So–son-in-law? Da–daddy-in-law?! Wh–where did that come from–"
"Anyway, daddy must not have a daddy-in-law who takes advantage of his son-in-law's wealth!"
Aliester was increasingly bewildered by his little daughter's behavior and words. Who would have thought that his innocent little daughter could say things about marriage, even discussing in-laws and son-in-law?
"Alright... so? Daddy should marry a woman that Magda likes?"
The little girl looked like she was thinking like an adult, "Hmm? Magda hasn't found her yet, but Magda will hold a meeting with Mr. Teddy~"
"Mr. Teddy will definitely be able to help Magda~"
Aliester could only smile while wondering who this Mr. Teddy was that his daughter was referring to. "My child... growing up too fast..."
After that, Magda continued to say that Aliester had to marry a good woman and so on. All of that made him increasingly stressed because his little daughter was discussing this nonstop, repeatedly, and circling back to it until he didn't know what to do anymore.
That's why he looked like someone who had just suffered a mental breakdown.
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After returning to the palace, his little daughter immediately ran to her room to hold an important meeting with the Mr. Teddy she mentioned. Of course, Aliester accompanied his daughter. Ryan and Magdalene's two maids, Viona and Selina, also joined them.
In front of her room door, Aliester asked, "Daddy can't join the meeting with Mr. Teddy?"
"No, daddy can't. Magda and Mr. Teddy will discuss the woman who will be daddy's future wife~"
"Huh?!"
Magdalene said it very clearly. Ryan and the two other maids even glanced at their lord with questioning gazes.
"Your Majesty?"
"Future..."
"Wife..."
Magdalene immediately closed her room door and didn't want to be disturbed. Before Ryan could ask, Aliester asked him to accompany him to his study to drink some hot tea.
---------
In Aliester's study, the king and his head butler chatted about a few things that happened at the party. Nothing bad really happened, except for the part where Lady Bernadette grasped Aliester's hand as if she were his partner at the party.
Ryan listened to the king's story, but the part that caught his attention was about Aliester's encounter with his new guest.
"Was Prince Karez of the Varseil Kingdom also present?"
"Yes. Honestly, I didn't expect that Earl Ventela had a close relationship with King Karl Alucard of Varseil. This is a bit... unexpected."
"So, did Your Majesty talk to Prince Karez about many things?"
Aliester shook his head, "No."
"I only spoke briefly and left because I didn't want to get involved in trouble. I don't care at all if Earl or Lady Ventela want to attract the attention of all the nobles by inviting me."
"But Lady Ventela's attitude made me uncomfortable. Especially if strange rumors start spreading. All of that will only become another problem for me."
Ryan smiled thinly and poured tea into his master's cup.
"I understand, Your Majesty. It would be better if you slept earlier tonight."
"I think you're right, Ryan. Thank you. You can also rest tonight."
While tidying up the tea cup, Ryan stepped out to let his master rest. However, there was one thing that he had just remembered.
"I forgot to ask Your Majesty about the new potential wife mentioned by Princess Magdalene. Was there something else that happened?"
Ryan's curiosity is piqued! He's wondering about the conversation between Aliester and Magdalene regarding the potential new wife, and whether there's more to the story.
To be continued...