“What have you done?”
“It’s a match.”
“Match?”
“A match to see who imitates His Highness better.”
“Are me and the children a show?”
“It’s not like that. Originally, children learn by imitating.”
Seeing the displeasure spread across Elliot’s face, the witch waved her hand and laid out her theories.
“I think it would be more effective to have them follow the table manners while watching rather than telling them one by one.”
Seeing that the tablecloths and children’s clothes were clean, Elliot couldn’t argue with her statement that was effective.
“Kids do it very well when it comes to play. Also, since His Highness’ dining etiquette is impeccable, it’s good to set him as a role model.”
“Hmm… There is no example like me.”
“Oh right. The winner is chosen by His Highness. The award is also given by His Highness.”
“…”
To leave the most difficult and embarrassing thing to him without asking permission in advance…
“I’ve never seen such an impudent nanny.”
A smile was smeared on her. Elliot gave the witch a light glance and went back to the table.
“Well then, shall we determine the winner of tonight’s dinner table?”
Elliot clasped his hands on the table, rested his chin on it, and looked at them with rather serious eyes.
“It was great to see both of you taking the fight seriously.”
Since it was a match, he tried to pretend to be formal, so the tone he used to congratulate his knights came naturally.
Luna sat with her back straight and smiled proudly, as if she was confident that she would win. Meanwhile, Luca looked sullen as if she was worried about the Brussels sprouts he had half eaten.
“Grand Princess Lunabelle Blaine.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
She used honorific words, perhaps because the normally sloppy child was absorbed in role-playing.
“Today’s good behavior of enduring what one disliked without complaining set a good example for all nobles in the empire.”
Although there was no way that all the noble families in the empire knew that Luna ate her brussels sprouts today without muttering. Anyway, after being praised at her table for the first time in a while, Luna looked very happy.
“And Grand Prince Lucas Blaine.”
“Yes.”
“You did really well today for having the courage to taste something you don’t like without ever dropping your fork. I’m proud of you.”
He deliberately praised Luca in words that were easy to understand rather than formal. There was no other angel that the sullen guy laughed straight away.
“But the problem is that all the contestants are so good that it’s hard to rank them.”
Both of them were so good that it’s hard to pick first place. He had to say it again to Luca, who tilted his head, not understanding the word superiority and inferiority.
“So, as we pledge our next confrontation, today you both will inevitably win.”
“Wow!”
Luca clapped his hands and cheered. But Luna, who was not as naive as Luca, shrewdly took care of her interests.
“Award? Oh no. Your Highness, what should we commemorate the glory of victory?”
Elliot laughed at Luna’s sly words.
‘She should be the head of household.’
She was a child who never lost. Besides, how bright-headed and how well-spoken she was when she was only seven years old. She already showed the qualities of a great family head. However, it was truly regrettable and angry that Luna could not inherit her title due to meaningless political strife.
It’s not a good idea to do that in front of his twinkling younger siblings. Elliot shook off his wrath and smiled softly again.
“Yes, I have to give the prize. What do the Grand Prince and Grand Princess want?”
“Uh… ”
“Oh, no chocolate. Because you ate it yesterday. You can’t sleep late either. You can’t even skip class.”
“Cheese… ”
Luna puckered her lips, as if she wanted something Elliot quickly banned.
“Then how about something like this?”
The witch, who had been silent all this time, intervened.
“Tonight, His Highness the Grand Duke will read a fairy tale for you two.”
“Isn’t that a babysitter’s job? Why would you want to offload your own work to your employer?”
“Isn’t it like that? It means spending time together warmly before you leave tomorrow.”
Then Luna got down from her chair and she ran to Luca. After a long exchange of whispers between them, Luna urged Luca.
“Talk. Quickly.”
It seemed that the two of them had agreed on what award they would receive.
Why on earth did Luca have the role of speaking? Considering Luna’s shrewd personality, when she said this, she had a strange hunch that she was going to be scolded.
‘I can’t help but think they will ask for the witch to be kept as a babysitter… No, they don’t know it’s a short-term contract. By any chance, did the witch go against her instructions and speak to them?’
Perhaps because Elliot’s face was getting hard, Luca hesitated and began to twist her body. When that wasn’t enough, he put her thumb in his mouth and tried to suck on it, but the witch standing behind him quickly approached and stopped him.
Whatever it was, she should have listened to it first.
Elliot loosened his expression and patted Luka’s head affectionately.
“What is it? Tell me.”
“My brother and… ”
“Me?”
If it was not about the witch, was his prediction wrong?
“Big brother would play with Luna and me…”
“What… ?”
Elliot was speechless at him.
It was nothing grandiose, but they only wanted that as a prize. Besides, why did he have such a hard time coming up with trivial words to play together?
They didn’t even want a big game. Aside from the toys piled up like mountains in the playroom, it was all about ‘exploring the cave infested with monsters’ by putting a blanket between the furniture.
“My brother is a knight. I will dress up.”
“Sister, I am a witch!”
“You are a man.”
“Huh, is a man can’t be a witch?”
“Luca, male witches are called wizards.”
“Then I will be that.”
“Great! Horrible monsters are lurking ahead! Sir Elliot, charge!”
It was humiliating to crawl on the carpet in front of the nanny as an adult, a Grand Duke. However, it has been a long time since he spent a lot of time with his siblings. He was glad that Luca kept coming into his arms. But what made him even happier was Luna being carried on his back. It felt like a warm spring atmosphere was finally circulating between the three, who had been cold for so long.
Tired of playing, Luna fell asleep before turning through three pages of the storybooks. Elliot smiled at her face, who was soundly asleep.
‘They are only angels when they sleep.’
The blanket was carefully covered and the curtains on the window were tightly drawn so that the moonlight would not wake her up. As he went back to his office and walked toward the door, the witch who had been standing quietly watching him spoke to him.
“What the children wanted was not great. Right?”
Elliot gave her a short nod and looked back at the sleeping Luna.
“To be honest, I was surprised. It’s been a while since they didn’t ask me to play with them. I’m a boring adult, because I’m the nagging demon king.”
The witch laughed softly when he self-deprecated spit out the word, “Nagging Demon King.”
“So I thought they didn’t like spending time with me anymore…”
“The children also love spending time with the Grand Duke. But they know you’re busy, so they must have put up with it.”
“The word ‘endure’ really doesn’t go well with my younger siblings.”
The witch did not laugh at Elliot’s light joke.
“Kids are smarter and more considerate than we adults think. The children knew that His Highness kept looking at the door or the clock while playing today. Did you know that the two of them were looking at His Highness every time you did that?”
“…”
He had no idea. Looking back, it was only then that he noticed something.
“Brother, are you busy?”
“I’m not going to sleep later, so go to work then.”
Why did the children keep saying something like that even though they were playing well? He then realized clearly what he had done. Even while spending time with the children, in the corner of his head, he pointed out over and over again the things he had to finish before leaving tomorrow. Somehow, it was displeased that the witch kept covering the watch with her head. Now that he thought it, it was on purpose.
Elliot was momentarily stunned.
He brought up the words to play hard, but he kept showing that his heart was somewhere else, how anxious both of them must have been.
“I see…”
Today, he thought he was a good older brother, but he was conceited. Feeling sorry for the children, he let out a sigh.
The witch asked Elliot, who was sweeping his face roughly.
“Have you ever asked them what they want to do?”
He had no close memories. When their parents were alive and had time to spare, he asked them every day. How did it become like that? He had become the one who dictates what to do without asking what they wants to do.
“But I can’t do what I want to do. Isn’t it the right way to raise children to do what they have to do and learn what they have to learn?”
“A child needs to grow up right, but they needs to grow up with love too.”
“Miss Hazel, I don’t know why I should defend myself against a new babysitter, but there is no one in the world who loves them more than I do.”
“Your Highness, I have a great masterpiece, would you like to buy it? I think it would be nice to hang it in the children’s playroom.”
The witch suddenly changed the subject.
“Why are you talking about that all of a sudden?”
“I suddenly remembered.”
“That is absurd… Okay, show me and we’ll decide.”
“Can’t you see it?”
“Where is it?”
“It’s in my head.”
“What?”
Elliot was a little taken aback. She was a witch. Could it be that she, who was an expert in deceiving, was still an old woman that had become senile?
“You claim that something you haven’t painted is a masterpiece.”
“There are people who insist that it is love without expressing it.”
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Translator Note:
Hello there! This is RJR. Thank you very much for reading! 😀
If you like my work please support me with Ko-fi or Patreon to read the chapter before is released.
Next post will be released on January, 30. See you then!
Amo o jeito que ela ensina, até mesmo ao grã duque. ☺️☺️☺️
i love the last sentence ❤️