This Goblin Won't Give Up!

Chapter 20

Hmm? This man was the king? He didn't look like it. He wasn't even wearing a crown. To be honest he just looked like an average older-looking man.

"Your majesty please, we didn't even get to announce your presence," an older-looking gentleman said, running up behind the "king". "And please, you must wear your crown. This is no place to be dressed without it."

'Albert, you are ever the nitpicker," the man said, taking the crown of the older man and placing it on his head.

"I must be your majesty. I have been taking care of you since you were a child, after all," the man said, looking pleased as he said it. "It is my job to make sure that you present yourself properly in front of others.

"Y-your majesty?" Damien nervously said, drawing the king's attention again. "What are you doing here?"

"Hmm, I was unaware that there were places that I couldn't go," the king said arrogantly, smiling at Damien. "I didn't know that I had to inform my own subjects of my whereabouts. Should I have to answer you? "

"N-no your majesty. I was merely surprised to see you here is all. It is an honor to be in your presence. Though I am quite insulted that you would refer to me as the former heir." Damien was sweating profusely. The king talked to him in a relaxed expression, but even I could feel the weight of his words.

"I see no issue with what I said, seeing that it was the Duke himself that just declared it. I do see an issue that you would dare question his command. Despite it not being formally submitted yet, my witness to this statement alone is more than enough to prove its legitimacy. Meaning that you are no longer recognized as the current heir."

"Your majesty, please, there is no way that this can happen," Damien said, still arguing with someone he definitely shouldn't. "She is a child of unknown origins and has no achievements to back up her claim. Please inform the duke that he is mistaken.

"If you have issues with this, then do as you said before and take it up with the vassals. Now, if you would, I would like to great the new heir to the duchy of Vst." The king didn't even bother to wait for Damien's response, but inside, he just pushed past him as if he was nothing. To be honest, I almost felt sad for him, but since he put me in a state where I was having trouble breathing, I didn't.

"Your majesty, it is a pleasure to see you here today," my grandfather said bowing his head. "If I would have known that you were coming I would have done better than to show you such a display." Grandfather looked over at Damien, who was already storming away. He was in his thirties, maybe even forties and he was acting like a child.

"Worry not old friend, there are always things that you can't account for," the king said, looking back to see that Damien had already fled. "Just as I didn't account for you to have a great-granddaughter. It is so curious how much she looks like you daughter, well apart from her pointy ears."

Upon getting a closer look at him, I could tell that the king was quite old. He was not as old as my grandfather, but I could see the signs of white in his blonde hair and the rustic wrinkles on his face. I have to admit he was quite handsome. ...And I'm just stating that, as a fact, my heart and spirit are still that of a man's.

"I do believe that these are yours," the king said in a warm tone, as his attendant picked my necklaces of the ground, handing them to the king who in turn placed them around my neck, making me instantly feel better. I needed to make sure not to take these off again. I wish I could thank him, but the best I could do right now was just smile to show my thanks.

"Lady Sara, it is a pleasure as well," he said, turning over to face Sara, who had already sheathed her blade and hid it under her dress. I never would have expected that she would have even brought a blade in the first place.

"You are too kind your majesty," Sara said bowing to him. "May I ask how is the queen."

"Quite well, she is eager to see you again, and perhaps you can bring this one along with you. She would most definitely enjoy it. She has been longing to let out some steam."

"Yes, you majesty," Sara said, taking a few steps away from the king. "It will be nice to meet again; it has been far too long."

"Thank you once again for helping me deal with that unfortunate display." My grandfather was very humble towards the king, as was Sara. I could see that there were several people talking in the back, but other than that, the room was silent. "Damien has always been far too arrogant for his own good. It is a shame that he lacks patience, which is why I never wanted him as the heir in the first place. Though since Sara had already sworn he fidelity to the duchy, such things were out of my hands until now."

"Instead, based on his display, it might be best for you to look into his so-called "achievements." However, I do believe that it would be best to discuss that later. There are too many prying ears, and this isn't a party for me right now. I mustn't continue to interrupt the flow of the party for much longer. I merely came here today to discuss the information you gave me in your letter. I shall wait for you in your office."

"Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty. I will make sure to properly explain everything when the time comes." I could feel my grandfather's hold on me tighten as he talked to the king. Was he scared?

"Very well, I shall be waiting," the king said, not wasting any more time, leaving the room. As he left, the tense atmosphere that filled the room vanished, but my questions did not. What were they talking about, and why did it sound serious?

What was... wait... is that the cake!? I was trying to figure out what the king and my grandfather were talking about, but I instantly got distracted when I saw the size of the cake that was just wheeled in. It was gigantic, nearly twice the size of my grandfather. Not to mention that it looked so good. Covered in white frosting and colorful flowers, I just knew that I had to taste it. I could think about the harder things later~. This was supposed to be my birthday; after all, it was fine to think like a child from time to time.

"Hehehe~. It looks like she likes it," Sara said, bringing back the happy atmosphere of the room.

While I was quite happy to eat the cake, I was facing a new problem. The cake was sliced into pieces and distributed to all the guests, but I couldn't eat it. I have never once fed myself in this body, and I doubt that I could even live the utensils with my weak baby arms. Wait, was this why babies ate with their hands? Did I have to do that to eat?

"Fufufu~. It seems that someone is having a bit of trouble~," Sara said, picking up a piece of my cake and holding it out in front of me. While it was embarrassing to be fed in front of all these people I decided that tasting this cake was worth a lot more than my pride right now. Besides I'm a baby, if someone has anything to say about this then they're just being petty.

"Mmmmm~!!!" What the hell is this!? It tastes amazing! How did them make it so that it is practically melting into my mouth!? Even in my old life I never tasted anything this good.

"I'm glad she likes it~," my grandfather said to me, wiping a small piece of cake off of my lips. His hands were gentle, and she was kind. I could tell that they were a loving family. Would my mother and uncle have lived like this if things were different? They were the ones responsible for taking my family away, but at the same time, they were my family. Could I ever forgive them for what they've done?

"Uncle you know why the king came here don't you?" Sara asked, seeing that everyone was busy talking to themselves, and thinking that I was too busy eating eat to notice.

"It would be better if I didn't, but this is a problem that needs to be dealt with sooner rather than later, for her sake. He was kind enough to let us have this moment as it is. What comes next won't be easy. As a child, her only obligations are to learn and grow; no one can deny that right from her, not even the king. I will make sure that he sees things my way."