Chapter 12

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Chapter 12: Freeloading the Freeloading King

"Your Highness the Regent, why did you suddenly visit so late at night?"

Sophia looked serious as she saw Leader One coming out of Mrs. Bismarck’s room, feeling strange.

And timid Aini hid behind Sophia, peeking out sneakily from behind her.

"Oh, so you came to discuss government affairs with Mrs. Bismarck." Sophia remained cautious.

Leader One’s expression at this moment was very unbecoming. He was excitedly rubbing his hands, his eyes glowing green, and even drooling, looking nothing like the loving father of the nation.

Hmm… Catherine hasn’t been home for months, always fighting in the Apennine Peninsula, and Anna only gives Leader One one chance each month. This month, she’s not giving it because she’s angry.

Elizabeth was a dedicated Christian.

Leader One watched closely the two personal maids of Anna in front of him…

Fearless, serious, competent, slightly disdainful of her own self, Sophia had a noble and subtly cute air about her.

Aini has a great figure! And blushing shyly, makes people really want to tease her a little.

"Won’t you invite me to sit down? I think, as the prince regent, I have the right to do so." Leader One swallowed slightly and said seriously.

Sophia pointed to the sofa beside her.

"Um… Your Highness the Regent, please sit." Aini said softly.

Leader One sat on the sofa with a dignified posture as the prince regent, completely losing his previous lecherous expression.

But soon he dropped his guard.

Sophia quickly prepared a hot cup of coffee and served it to Leader One. He sniffed the fragrant aroma and thought it must be good, so he took a sip…

"Yuck~"

This black coffee was so bitter, like a mixture of bile and bitter melon juice, with an added bitterness, even worse than Uncle Hans’s coffee at the small restaurant near Berlin University.

Not only was it bitter, but it was also so sour it made him feel nauseous.

Leader One frowned, "Can’t I add some sugar and milk?"

Sophia wrinkled her nose, "If you add sugar and milk, is it still coffee? Only black coffee is the best taste."

The Regent Highness looked at the servant girl, then at the black coffee in his hand. Hmmm… he really didn’t know how Anna could drink this stuff regularly. This was not something a human could drink.

The answer is: Mrs. Bismarck never drinks coffee; she prefers red wine.

Leader One picked up his cup and asked the timid Aini to add some milk to his coffee.

Aini panicked and covered her vital spot, "I…I didn’t do it!"

Teasing the cute and fragile maid was really fun, her face turned red.

"Aini, you go rest first." Sophia pushed Aini out and faced Leader One alone.

Leader One was surprised by how things unfolded, the cute and easy-going maid was pushed out, leaving only a tough-looking Sophia.

"I actually came today because I need some help, Anna can’t assist me, can you?" Leader One asked tentatively.

Sophia replied, "If it’s something you can handle yourself, why ask for others’ help."

Leader One said, "I’m at a loss for words to counter you."

She knew exactly what he meant, but she didn’t avoid it.

Leader One had her sit next to him, and Sophia, without much resistance, really sat beside him. Leader One was captivated by her white stockings and garter, unable to take his eyes off.

Strap socks were invented as early as the 16th century, made of fabric materials like cotton and silk. Initially worn by men, strap socks, like high-heeled shoes, originated from men’s clothing accessories like chain leg armor and boots worn by knights, gradually evolving into women’s fashion later on.

The white strap socks on Sophia’s body are made of velvet fabric, with some elasticity, slightly thick, and feel really nice to the touch, not prickly.

And Sophia’s reaction was… she already had one hand on the sword hilt, carrying a swift sword by her side.

"Your Highness, please behave," she said.

Believe it or not, the Regent His Highness is actually a fashion designer, who designed the white semi-formal uniform of the Guard Cavalry Army. Now, the prince regent is also drawing inspiration from it, paying attention to the materials and design of the socks.

Sophia didn’t make any more extreme moves, she just placed her hand on the sword hilt.

It’s actually easy to see that Sophia admires Anna, like her habit of carrying a sword, and her tough-looking demeanor. She idolizes Mrs. Bismarck’s achievements and hopes to have power like Mrs. Bismarck.

Leader One asked, "Do you have any dreams?"

"I want to join the Prussian Military Academy’s artillery department. I have taken the exam twice, but each time I passed with no further progress."

Leader One nodded and asked Sophia to show him her grades.

Last year and the year before, Sophia applied to the military academy and got good scores, around 92-95 if converted to a percentage. She should have been accepted into the academy.

However, Sophia, a girl from a small Junker family in Mainz, was not accepted into the academy, despite her good grades. She was still waiting for a response.

Women had very few rights in those days. They couldn’t work in proper businesses, government offices, or join the military.

Currently, there were only four women in the Prussian military. They all came from powerful aristocratic families and had exceptional skills and strong magic energy. It took exceptional abilities like theirs to break the prejudices and enter the military.

Except for Catherine, the other three women were formidable and intimidating, with sturdy builds resembling those of bodybuilders.

Sophia had weak magic energy, excellent grades but not top-tier, and came from a small Rural Junker family with a less imposing build, which made her unable to pass the military academy selection.

"I understand your situation. Since you have good grades, you can be admitted to the academy. I will put in a good word for you," said the prince regent.

Sophia replied, "I believe the prince regent keeps his promises and is a trustworthy person."

"Of course, I, Redel, always keep my promises."

After Sophia nodded her thanks, she got up to leave. She actually wanted to freeload at the palace, how could that be possible? Leader One reached out and brought the child back.

Sophia remained calm, and casually said, "Today is my menstrual period, the prince regent, do you want to fight in blood?"

Leader One???

You sneaky servant, how dare you try to deceive me, wanting to freeload a spot at the artillery academy.

But who is Leader One? How could he let Sophia go? Not this week, and next week I will come find you too. Want to freeload off me? Impossible.

Sophia let out a long sigh, "Okay, okay, let’s talk about it next week. Anyway, I’ve escaped this week."

Anna, rubbing her eyes, walked out of the bedroom and scolded, "What’s going on! Why aren’t you asleep at this late hour? Go rest now!"

Leader One quickly slipped away, and Sophia also relaxed, getting up to prepare to rest.

The cold evening breeze blew gently, and the Prince Regent switched into wise mode. He pondered a question: how many people couldn’t show their true worth because of their gender? This question is really important.

Women only had limited job options like shop assistants or textile workers. Other fields didn’t allow women to work, such as in the military, government offices, or formal companies.

This not only restricted women’s rights but also tied down men. Whenever there was a war, if the prince called for mobilization, the country would come to a standstill. Many jobs could be done by women, and this was their right. But in the first half of the 19th century, this issue was difficult to address.