I am Veronica.
And I was bored.
I spent my days staring blankly into space while cradling my child. The ladies-in-waiting, the wet nurse, and the mothers handled everything else. My only job was to keep my child close to me at all times, holding him against my skin. When we moved, I used a baby carrier. I held him and stroked him as much as possible, teaching him the warmth of another human being. I was told this would contribute to his future emotional stability.
Like the Lord Groom, I was part of the generation raised by child-rearing robots. My mothers had never actually raised me themselves. Back then, it was necessary to protect me from the threat of assassination and my father’s sexual abuse. I was whisked away immediately after birth to be raised by machines, and later I was entrusted to Pigetto.
I believe Pigetto and the others doted on me in their own way. I have memories of always having one of the Imperial Guard Knights by my side, and I remember being held often. I never imagined that I, of all people, would eventually become a parent myself...
"It is time for the milk, Your Majesty."
"Hmph."
Sayaka, the wet nurse, arrived. She was a baroness who had lost her husband in the Zork War—a wet nurse in the truest sense of the word. She had brought her own son along as well. He was a child who would likely grow up to be a pillar of support for my own son in the years to come.
I did not produce breast milk myself, even though my breasts had swollen. It was a common enough phenomenon among women of the Imperial nobility. The influence of Larval Fixation likely played a part, though I didn't suffer from irregular periods. Apparently, my mothers hadn't produced any either, so it might simply be hereditary.
And so, I entrusted my child to the wet nurse. I was truly glad to be the Empress; when I heard stories of how common mothers across the galaxy suffered through sleepless nights, I knew I could never emulate them. Even if people called it abuse, I could painfully understand the desire to rely on child-rearing robots. I, too, was broadening my horizons and growing every day!
My child’s name had still not been decided. Or rather, the temples and shrines were currently embroiled in a fierce dispute over the naming rights. Consulting with religious institutions to name the Imperial Family wasn't even mandatory; apparently the tradition had existed once, but it was a culture that had been dead for centuries.
My own name was something the AI had slapped on me at random. To be precise, it seemed Princess Luna, out of pity, had been the one naming all the members of the Imperial Family. It certainly would have been awkward if a child with a face as clearly non-Japanese as Thomas's ended up with a name like "Daigoro." The hardship she faced must have been immeasurable.
That same Luna had chosen to eventually gain a human body and die as a person. She said she would leave a copy of herself behind, but I knew I couldn't remain spoiled forever. This naming process was meant to be an act of independence from the Mother AI.
...And yet, why did they have to clash to such an extent?! Why was there a need for Molotov cocktails and tear gas grenades?! They had even brought out police-issue Humanoid Heavy Machinery that had been diverted to them, resulting in numerous serious injuries. Are you people truly men of religion?
When I questioned the leaders of the various sects, they told me through tears, "All the talented individuals with a noble sense of mission and superior intellect have already gone to Outer Space..."
...Was the Lord Groom the one at fault?! Anger welled up within me just thinking about it.
Consequently, I ordered Suematsu to handle the negotiations between the leader of the shrines and the leader of the temples. They were actually quite easy to deal with when I spoke to them directly. Many of them had the temperaments of scholars, and their meetings were logical—likely because many of them were natural science researchers by trade, and religion was merely a side job. I no longer care about the religious organizations of the Empire. Idiots, the lot of them!
In that regard, Claire’s child was much easier. She had the Chronos Religion provide several candidates. The Lord Groom apparently wanted the Japanese name "Taiyou," which was one of the options, but Claire settled on "Ark" because "Taiyou" was too difficult for people to pronounce here. The Lord Groom’s influence in our household was infinitely weak. That’s what he gets for usually doing nothing but nonsense.
Ark is my child’s brother, after all. I intend to see him raised with great care. Furthermore, Claire actually produces breast milk. I was quite envious...
Then there were Ren’s children, who were also siblings to my own. They seemed to be doing very well, though I didn't know exactly what "well" meant by Beast Race standards. The dispute over their naming, however, was an absolute nightmare. Presumably, one would become the future Great King of the Beast Race. The others would either marry into other countries or... well, they were desperately desired as kings for the beastmen.
Ren was completely livid regarding the idea of them becoming kings of the beastmen. However, I didn't think they could ever be simple civil servants for Chronos or the Galactic Empire. They would be soldiers, or perhaps hold even higher positions. They were the Lord Groom’s children, after all. Their influence would be immeasurable.
As for Ren herself, a documentary was currently being filmed about her. It was an educational film for the Empire, showing how the Beast Race was born and how they grew. It started from the period after birth, of course. Those children were born small and grew large rapidly. They were born with fur coats to protect them from the elements, and they gradually began to look more like human babies.
The filming was capturing that entire process. The general citizenry was far too ignorant of the Beast Race, which was why cases of child abandonment occurred. That was why we were producing this educational documentary. If people only knew the truth, there would be no need to fear. I met the children myself, and they were quite cute. Their bone structure was starting to look more human now. They would likely be able to move around freely soon.
Ren had already gone out for yakiniku with Uta and Leonidas. Our levels of stamina were simply too different; I still didn't have much of an appetite. Come to think of it, Claire was eating quite a lot too. When I asked her about it, she said, "Eating whenever you can is the fundamental rule for a soldier. Otherwise, you’ll collapse."
Was it just that I lacked stamina? Thinking about it that way, it seemed my child wouldn't be suited for the military. Hmph... while he would be expected to perform on the same level as the Lord Groom, I would have to set him on a path toward developing his intellect instead. I couldn't expect my child to have the inexhaustible stamina of the Lord Groom.
Nothing ever goes exactly as planned. Since I was so bored, I decided to start drafting an educational program. It didn't need to be finished right away; I just wanted to research which direction would be best.
"Music... The Lord Groom said he took a proper educational program and still failed... but I want to at least let the child touch a piano. It doesn't have to amount to anything, as long as they can play enough not to embarrass themselves. Come to think of it, the Lord Groom is a terrible singer! He’s tone-deaf to the point of being a borderline embarrassment. He even said, 'The Space Marine Anthem is easy because you just use volume to fake the pitch!'...I’m starting to get worried."
The more I researched, the more anxious I became. As I thought, a private tutor was the only way. A child of mine and the Lord Groom should be able to manage well enough not to be an embarrassment...
I must steer them away from plant cultivation as much as possible, and I must especially ensure they never touch a potato. No... knowing the Lord Groom, he would surely make them do field work under the guise of character education. If he did that, the galaxy would be overrun with potato-eating space monsters...
Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
I felt incredibly uneasy about my child’s future.