# 42
"…What?"
Aachen frowned as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard.
“I received the news directly from His Highness the Grand Prince via videoconferencing…”
It's only been a few months since Luan assaulted a classmate, leaving Aachen to repair his mess.
Luan didn't listen when he was called home for vacation, and now, suddenly, he's withdrawing from school.
“Garen, can you contact the Grand Prince again via video call?”
Helen looked at Aachen, who sighed, then turned to ask Garn.
“I will try now, Your Highness the Duke.”
Garn turned on the video call device to make the call, but in less than a second, the connection was cut off.
Whistling, whistling, whistling...
Hearing the continuous sound, Garn shook his head.
“He doesn't answer.”
“This bastard...!”
Aachen came forward angrily, but Helen calmed him gently.
“Your Majesty, since the Grand Prince is coming to Hestor Castle, let’s send some knights to wait for him.”
"…but."
"There has to be a reason. He wouldn't make a hasty decision like that without a reason."
“…….”
“We can hold off scolding him. Now, we have to listen to what he has to say.”
If they pressure him more, he may become more rebellious.
“The Grand Prince is only eight years old. Perhaps he misses his parents or is having difficulty adjusting to life at the academy.”
“…Okay, Hale.”
After Helen's calm persuasion, Aachen took a deep breath to gather his composure.
“Your Majesty, fortunately, the prince’s withdrawal request has not been processed yet.”
At that moment, Garn, who had communicated with Kimmich Academy, conveyed the good news with a relieved expression.
“You said he was on his way to Hestor Castle?”
“He reported arriving at Robert Station, so he should be here soon.”
“…Send men to Robert Station immediately to bring Luan back.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
At Aachen's command, Garn bowed carefully and left.
At that moment, an idea occurred to Helen.
“Wait a minute, could this be... because of my second marriage to the Duke?”
“Your Highness, how did you inform the Grand Prince before our second marriage? Was he upset…? Did he oppose it?”
Helen Aachen asked anxiously, remembering the situation at that time.
When Luan heard about the second marriage, his reaction was strange and indifferent.
“He showed little interest.”
Aachen scratched his cheek as he answered.
“He didn't show… any interest?”
Helen was surprised and asked again.
Even Sheveline did not object to the second marriage, but she was not happy with it either.
Children usually react in two ways to their parents' second marriage
They either try to hide their sadness, or they get angry to stop it.
“Was that really his reaction?”
That he showed no interest seemed strange.
“Let's go in now. We'll have him receive you properly when he arrives.”
Aachen's evasive manner aroused Helen's suspicions.
I had thought about this before, but the relationship between Aachen and his son was not like the usual father-son relationship.
‘Or maybe… they’re not that close? They've been living apart for a long time, so it might be embarrassing for them…'
While her thoughts were boiling with questions, the castle doors suddenly opened.
A boy with platinum blonde hair, shining like the sun, entered.
'Is this the prince?'
It didn't look like Aachen at all. Their auras were similar, but their facial features had nothing in common.
Despite his young age, the boy walked elegantly.
“Luann.”
Luan bowed formally to Aachen, adhering to etiquette.
“You have sent knights to Robert's Station.”
"…Yes."
“I told you I wouldn’t run away, but I didn’t expect you to send knights.”
From the context, it seemed like Luan had managed to sneak away from the knights and arrived on his own.
Luan turned to Helen, and calmly placed his hand on his left chest.
Even though he suddenly withdrew from school, his voice remained very calm as he spoke.
“Greetings to Her Highness the Grand Duchess, Lady of Hestor Castle. My name is Luan Belzeit.”
His ruby eyes scanned Helen quickly, as if he were assessing her.
When their gazes met, Luan quickly lowered his eyes as if nothing had happened.
That was very mature behavior for a child.
“Nice to meet you, Luan. You must be tired from the trip.”
“……!”
Luan shuddered at Helen's warm welcome, like a wary kitten caught off guard.
While she was thinking about how to calm the child, Aachen interjected:
“Luan, I heard you dropped out of school.”
“…….”
“Fortunately, the matter has not been decided yet, but how could you make such a decision without discussing it with anyone...?”
Aachen rebuked him in a firm voice.
‘I asked him not to scold the boy…’
Helen was about to intervene, but she waited and watched.
“As you know, withdrawing from Kimmich Academy means social isolation.”
Aachen intended to inquire about Luan's reasons first, as Helen had advised him, but controlling the tone of his voice was difficult.
His words came out hastily.
And firmly, not gently.
“Re-enrolling is not easy. If your studies were difficult, you could take a leave of absence.”
“My father is right.”
Luan, who had been listening quietly, suddenly interrupted.
“If I, an illiterate commoner, fail to graduate from Kimmich Academy, I will struggle to gain the support of the subalterns.”
“Luan, I have repeatedly asked you not to talk like this...”
Aachen rubbed his temples at Luan's cold, matter-of-fact tone.
“It's not a mistake, is it? No matter the place, time, or circumstances.”
“…….”
“I cannot change the fact that my blood is mixed with that of the common people.”
Regardless of place, time, or circumstances.
Luan emphasized his words, as if showing full awareness of his situation.
'Is he really only eight years old?'
Helen could hardly hide her shock at his frankness.
Aachen, still massaging his temple, exchanged glances with her.
She motioned for him to stop with her eyes.
Luan went up to the third floor without saying a word.
Helen touched Aachen gently, who was rubbing his face in frustration.
“Your Highness, you were very upset.”
“I'm sorry, I tried to stay calm, but as I was talking, I became more and more upset...”
Aachen pursed his lips in remorse, as if realizing that he had overreacted.
Helen stared at the spot Luan had just passed.
“His eyes...seemed lonely.”
The expression she had seen on Luan's face a moment ago reminded her of her childhood.
That's why she couldn't simply ignore it.
As Luan was walking down the corridor on the third floor, he came across a strange little girl.
She was accompanied by a maid, with a strawberry cake in her hands.
“I salute His Highness the Grand Prince.”
The maid recognized Luan and greeted him, making the little girl blink curiously.
“Is she the daughter of the Grand Duchess?”
He had vaguely heard that she had a daughter.
She was smaller and more beautiful than he imagined...
‘No, enough. What trivial thoughts.'
As he was about to pass by without saying hello, the girl suddenly stopped him.
“Big brother, your eyes are like rubies. They shine with an enchanting brilliance.”
Luan was surprised that she did not use her voice, but only moved her lips to form the words.
However, he somehow understood what she was trying to say, so he stopped walking.
“Ruby...are you talking about the jewel?”
Before leaving Kimmich Academy, he was nicknamed “Cursed, Filthy Eyes.”
Hearing the little girl say she was beautiful made him want to laugh.
A slight smile appeared on his lips, then he resumed his walk and entered his room without saying a word.
The girl did not try to stop him again, but merely watched him in silence.
[Elisha, who was that?]
Shevelin stared at the boy who had just entered the room.
“That was Prince Luan.”
[So… he's my older brother?]
“Hmm, yes. Since he is Your Highness’s son, that makes him your older brother, Princess.”
[My older brother… I want to give him my strawberry cake.”
“What?”
[Do you think we can be friends?]
Shivalin hurried to her room and brought out a bundle of colored origami paper that she kept in a safe place.
She was panting and breathing hard, lost in thought about what to write.
When Elisha saw this, she asked her:
“Princess, do you like the Grand Prince?”
"Yes!"
His eyes were ruby red, jewel-like, beautiful.
Luan reminded her of her stuffed bunny that she always needed to cuddle to feel safe.
There were many reasons not to like him.
And more than anything else…
“For my mother to be happy here, Sheri has to get along with everyone.”
After thinking for a while, Shevlin finally made up her mind and moved her hands carefully.
[“Elisha, I will be back!” ]
After she finished writing her letter, she placed the cake in front of Luan's room.
She lifted the lid slightly, smelled the cake, and smiled with satisfaction.
I knocked on the door
Knock, knock
Then I ran away.
For some reason, she felt embarrassed, and a chuckle escaped her lips.
At that moment, she ran to Helen and threw herself into her mother's arms.
"Honey, why are you so excited? Did something fun happen?"
Shevlin buried her face in Helen's waist and hugged her.