BTGDF 8

Chapter 8

Rousseau calmly replied toward the round, ball-shaped communication orb.

[What do you think? Is she worth meeting?] “I don’t think it was something she just blurted out in the heat of the moment.” […….] “And His Highness the Prince needs to take responsibility for his actions at least once.”

At the emotionless voice, Kael remained silent for a moment. Silence drifted across through the communication orb.

After a brief pause—

[Well, once is probably fine. See to it then.]

He answered casually. Perhaps there was even a hint of a chuckle mixed into it.

Ignoring the Grand Duke’s amused nuance, Rousseau replied. “Yes, understood.” [Ah, Rousseau.]

Just as he was about to wrap up the report, Kael called him back as if something had suddenly crossed his mind.

[Tell the young lady that I apologize.] “Pardon?” [I just want to see how she reacts, you see.] “…Understood.”

While Rousseau bowed his head once more and waited, the communication orb clicked off. Deprived of its light, the device turned into a transparent, ordinary crystal ball.

“Where on earth do the bloodlines go…….”

To blame the young prince when the Grand Duke possessed an equally twisted personality would be hypocritical; he simply hid it much better than the child.

“It’s going to get quite noisy.”

The voice, slipping out alongside a sigh, was laced with amusement.

Like lord, like aide—Rousseau Million, too, had a thoroughly skewed personality.

“Grand Duke Alphereon has asked me to convey his deepest apologies to you, Milady.”

Rousseau nodded blankly toward the young woman, whose eyes widened in surprise.

“And His Highness the Prince will be arriving shortly.”

The moment his words trailed off, a soft knock, knock echoed.

Following that, the door swung open smoothly to reveal a young boy of about seven or eight years old.

Golden hair and blue eyes. A boy who bore every distinct hallmark of the imperial family.

The child wore a sullen expression, clearly dissatisfied with his current situation.

‘My, what a killer expression. Does he walk around with a face like that all the time? Is he really eight years old?’

Seeing the obvious air of a child who had been dragged here against his will, Evelyn barely suppressed a burst of incredulity.

“This is Prince Damian, whom Milady may potentially be tutoring.”

At Rousseau’s sigh-laced introduction, Evelyn stood up from her seat and approached the boy.

As her shadow fell over his face, the boy casually lifted his head to look up.

“Greetings, Your Highness. I am Evelyn of the Viscount Libro family. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Snap!

Instead of a reply, the boy whipped his head away, prompting a dry laugh from her and a heavy sigh from the aide.

“Do you know why I requested to meet Your Highness directly?”

The boy shot her a sidelong glance with sharp eyes, his lips pursing as he snapped back:

“What did I even do wrong? Did you call me out just to lecture a kid who was just playing a little prank?”

Ha, look at this.

She could feel Rousseau Million’s gaze, watching intently to see how she would react.

It wasn’t just the boy’s attitude; the person she found even more unlikable was that aide standing over there.

Evelyn cast a subtle glare in his direction before shifting her attention back to Prince Damian.

She curved the corners of her eyes into soft arcs and wore a gentle smile on her lips.

“Since you seem well aware, I won’t beat around the bush. If you disliked me, you should have simply said, ‘I don’t like that woman.’” “……” “Because of Your Highness’s childish prank, things have turned out quite entertainingly.”

Damian’s gaze sharpened. He looked curious as to what she was going to say next, yet deeply displeased.

Evelyn smiled sweetly at the boy.

Now, little one. Shall we talk about what got all tangled up because of what you did?

If I had lost my temper or thrown a fit here, things would have gone exactly the way you wanted. But I didn’t, did I?

You should have factored this outcome in as well.

“Are you aware, Your Highness? Because of the mischief Your Highness stirred up, Baron Million had to bow deeply at my waist. And your uncle—the one and only Grand Duke in this land……”

Evelyn bent slightly at the waist to meet the boy’s eyes at eye level.

“He requested an apology from me, a mere viscount’s daughter. Not just an apology, but a formal one.”

Rights come with duties, and actions come with consequences.

Though it was an old-fashioned, archaic notion that had largely lost its meaning nowadays, fundamentally, it remained true.

[Subjects offer loyalty to the sovereign, and the sovereign protects the subjects who entrust their bodies to him. Treating them as separate is impossible, huh? Which one should take precedence? Uum… at this point, it’s no different from arguing over whether the chicken came first or the egg……]

“Grand Duke Alphereon has been delegated the authority and responsibility to rule this vast land by His Majesty the Emperor, and everyone within the Grand Duchy—including us, the Libro viscountcy—exists under his protection. And that applies to Your Highness as well.”

That was precisely why the Grand Duke had asked her for an apology.

With a piercing rebuke asking whether he understood the weight carried by his status and name, and the responsibility trailing behind his words and actions, not only Damian’s expression, but even Rousseau’s—who had been watching the scene with glee—froze instantly.

“Do you truly have nothing to say to me?” “……”

Though nominal, a young lady belonging to a family serving as vassals to the Grand Duke of Alphereon had been drenched head-to-toe right in the middle of Claustra Castle, the very heart of the Grand Duchy.

And it was caused by his nephew, who had grown up under the Grand Duke as his primary caregiver.

Yet, a young child like Prince Damian couldn’t possibly be expected to take full accountability for the consequences of his reckless behavior, could he?

Sure enough, a generous consolation sum—separate from the compensation for the jewels the cat had gulped down—was handed to her, along with an apology for having to endure such an ordeal.

‘That’s why I intended to let it slide if at all possible……’

Pulling the corners of her mouth all the way up, Evelyn slowly opened her mouth toward Damian, who was glaring fiercely at her.

“I honestly expected you to offer at least a word of apology out of consideration for the Grand Duke, who stepped up to take responsibility for Your Highness’s immature actions, but I suppose my expectations were far too high.” “Ahahahaha, the weather is certainly lovely. On a day like this, perhaps a stroll—” “This matter might be wrapped up for today, but what about the future? Ah, but I suppose the Grand Duke will just keep stepping in to handle things for you, so it won’t be a problem, right?” “N-Now, Milady Libro, I think—”

As a flustered Rousseau tried to continuously cut in, Evelyn blocked him with a chilling smile.

Why are you stepping in now when you were perfectly content just watching the show?

“Your Highness may think of your actions and words as meaningless, but they will always bring about far greater consequences than you anticipated.”

Evelyn kept her gaze fixed solely on Damian, not even bothering to turn her head toward Rousseau.

[Make sure you always keep in mind that rights and duties, actions and consequences can never be cleanly divided. A true aristocrat does not merely enjoy rights. In that sense, our Libro family truly fulfills the nobles’ duties… W-Wait, Evelyn, you mustn’t touch that! The thesis I’m about to publish……!]

“I truly hope you understand that rights and duties, actions and consequences can never—and must never—be separated.”

The higher one stood, the heavier the duties and responsibilities one was required to carry.

It was something she had heard her father repeat until her ears were practically ringing while her mother was still alive.

Did this child—who might one day end up ruling this empire—truly understand his own position?

Filled with an inexplicable sense of bitterness, Evelyn sighed inwardly as she signaled the end of her long lecture.

“I will take my leave now. Before I do, I wish to see the head butler, where should I—” “Why are you saying such things to me? By what right do you presume to?”

It was then that Damian, who had maintained a stubborn silence, finally opened his mouth.

Evelyn’s eyes widened in surprise, as she had not expected the boy to strike back at her.

Faced with a face flushed red with anger, she barely managed to swallow a dry laugh that threatened to slip out.

If anyone has the right to be angry, it’s me—why are you the one getting mad……

The boy made no effort to conceal his displeasure. Instead, he glared back at her with eyes brimming with blatant rebellion, as if daring her to challenge him.

“Did you even come here for a tutor interview in the first place? Because from where I’m standing, it sure doesn’t look like it.” “Your Highness, your choice of words is a bit—” “What’s wrong with what I said, Baron Rousseau? It’s not like I’m saying something that isn’t true.”

Until now, no one had ever spoken to her like this. People had only ever laughed it off as a child’s prank or thrown a fit of anger.

The former were people trying to curry favor with his uncle, the Grand Duke, while the latter were people who dismissed him simply because he was a child.

“You probably just used the interview as an excuse to catch a glimpse of my uncle’s face, didn’t you?”

Though he had a nagging suspicion that his prank this time might have gone a bit too far, he still didn’t think it warranted being hauled in like this.

Every person who had come for a tutor interview up until now never paid any actual attention to the student they were supposed to teach. This woman was undoubtedly no different.

She hadn’t had the courage to approach his uncle directly, so she dared to use him as a stepping stone—hence why he had taken it upon himself to give her a personal punishment.

Damian rationalized his past pranks and shot back defiantly.

“I have no reason to listen to such lectures from you.”

At his unexpected retort, the corners of Evelyn’s lips curved upward into a subtle smile.

To have enough wits to grasp the implication that he acted in a way unbecoming of his status in a single breath. Not bad.

Even so, business was business, and this was entirely separate.

“If that is how Your Highness wishes to think of it, I suppose it can’t be helped.”

Given the other party’s status, the proper course of action was to quietly let it slide without a word. There was no way a mere viscount’s daughter could openly lock horns with a member of the imperial family.

However, this time is an exception.