That Time Rimuru Got a Daughter!

Chapter 5: The Teddy Bear Incident

We were lined up in front of a large table, facing an empty throne that was on a higher floor. From this, it was pretty easy to deduce that Gaze hadn't arrived. Beside us, on another table, was Vesta, who was currently speaking to the person who is supposed to be our lawyer. As in the previous timeline, Vesta was covered in bandages from head to toes, which was supposed to be the result of our "aggressions" against him. Maybe I should turn those fake wounds into real ones; he did commit the unforgivable sin of making Reili cry, after all.

I moved my hands unconsciously, and... ugh, I remembered we were all cuffed except Reili. Of course, I could break the cuffs with minimal effort, but that would send the room into chaos, and I didn't want that yet. Now, why is Reili uncuffed? Well, let me tell you it was not because of the guard's generosity. Rather, when they tried to cuff her, I kindly asked them to refrain from doing so—because she is a little girl, after all, and there is nothing she could possibly do to consider her a threat—and they easily accepted.

Of course not.

I did say that, but the guards completely ignored me. However, after that happened, Ciel started glaring at them with a smile on her face—a sca~ry smile, let me add—and all the guards started shivering and eventually backed down. Kaijin's brother was not there, for some reason, which was unlucky, because I am sure he would have accepted my request peacefully and without Ciel's threatening glare if he was there.

Reili was lovingly hugging my left leg while grabbing her teddy bear in one hand. Yes, her teddy bear that looked completely new. Well, that was because it actually was a new teddy bear. Last night, Reili had been crying endlessly at the sight of her teddy bear being grinded by Vesta. Ciel and I carried her, patted her head, tried to play with her, but the tears didn't stop flowing. It was a heartbreaking sight. I created her an exact copy of the teddy bear, and that finally calmed her down a bit, although she still cried all the way until she fell asleep in Ciel's arms.

I smiled wryly while recalling that, and patted Reili's head. She turned up to look at me with her eyes—that were red from crying so much—and smiled, although it was not her usual bright smile, but one that was a bit cloudy. I was a bit saddened by this, and tried to cheer her up with the brightest smile in my arsenal. Seeing that, she giggled a bit and hugged my leg tighter—she seemed to regain a bit of her bright smile. Let's go eat something tasty after this, okay? I said to myself in my mind. I continued patting her head, and at that moment, the door behind the throne room opened, and a majestic figure emerged from it—the king of this country himself.

"On your knees! King Gazel Dwargo is in presence!" One of the nobles shouted, and everyone in the room kneeled on the spot, even Vesta who was supposed to be wounded in such a way that he definitely shouldn't be able to kneel. I know he is a genius researcher, but isn't he, like, actually very stupid?

"AAAAAAAh?! What do you think you are doing, you commoners?! You are in the presence of King Gazel, you should be kneeling!" One of the nobles shouted. That was because, of course, I wasn't kneeling. No, not only me; Ciel wasn't kneeling as well. And... Well, Reili was so bewildered that she looked around as she didn't understand what was going on. Now, back on topic. Ciel and I were obviously not bowing or kneeling because we didn't have any obligation to do so.

Even though not currently, I was the king of Tempest, and she—as my wife—was the queen. Compared to Gazel, we were equal position-wise. Of course, we couldn't really say that, and so to calm down the nobles yelling at us and the soldiers approaching us while pointing their weapon's toward us, I released a bit of my aura. At that instant, everyone in the room except Ciel and Reili started shivering. The guards who a few seconds had their weapons pointed at us, were now backing slowly with fear while their hands trembled so much that the weapons were about to fall to the ground. Vesta, the lawyer, and all the other nobles broke into a cold sweat. I turned to look forward and found Gazel with sweat dripping from his forehead, and a figure clad in black right in front of him, as if to protect him—Anrietta.