“…What?”
Aachen frowned as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard.
“I just received the news directly from His Highness the Grand Prince via the videocomm….”
It had only been a few months since Luan had beaten up a classmate, leaving Aachen to clean up the mess. He hadn’t listened when called to come home during the break, yet now, out of nowhere, he was abruptly announcing his withdrawal from school.
“Gaern, can you contact the Grand Prince again through the videocomm?”
Hilane glanced at Aachen, who sighed, then turned to ask Gaern.
“I’ll try right now, Your Highness the Grand Duchess.”
Gaern activated the videocomm to make the call, but within less than a second, the connection was cut off.
Beep, beep, beep…
At the steady sound, Gaern shook his head.
“He’s not answering.”
“That brat…!”
Aachen took an angry step forward, but Hilane gently calmed him.
“Your Grace, since the Grand Prince is coming to Hestur Castle, let’s send a few knights to wait for him.”
“…But.”
“There must be a reason. He wouldn’t make such a drastic decision without cause.”
“…….”
“Scolding him can wait. For now, we should listen to what he has to say.”
If they pressured him too much, he might become even more defiant.
‘The Grand Prince is only eight years old. He might just be missing his parents or struggling with life at the academy.’
“…Alright, Hil.”
At Hilane’s calm persuasion, Aachen took a deep breath to steady himself.
“Your Grace, fortunately, the Grand Prince’s withdrawal request has not been processed yet.”
Just then, Gaern, who had contacted Kimish Academy, delivered the good news with a relieved expression.
“You said he’s on his way to Hestur Castle?”
“He reported arriving at Robert Station, so he should be here soon.”
“…Send people to Robert Station immediately to bring Luan back.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
At Aachen’s command, Gaern bowed carefully and left.
At that moment, a thought flashed through Hilane’s mind.
‘Wait, could it be… because of my remarriage with the Duke?’
“Your Grace, how did you inform the Grand Prince before we remarried? Was he upset…? Did he oppose it?”
Concerned, she asked Aachen, who recalled the situation at the time.
When Luan heard about the remarriage, his reaction had been strangely indifferent.
“He didn’t show much interest.”
Aachen scratched his cheek as he answered.
“He… didn’t show any interest?”
Hilane was surprised and asked again.
Even Chevelyn hadn’t objected to the remarriage, but she hadn’t been happy about it either.
Usually, children reacted in two ways to their parents’ remarriage—either they tried to hide their sadness, or they threw a tantrum to stop it.
‘Was that really his reaction?’
The fact that he showed no interest at all seemed odd.
“let’s head inside for now. We’ll have him greet you properly when he arrives.”
Something about Aachen’s evasive manner made Hilane suspicious.
She had thought this before, but the relationship between Aachen and his son didn’t seem like that of a typical father and child.
‘Or maybe… they’re just not very close? They have been living apart for a long time, so it could be awkward for them….’
Just as her mind was swirling with questions, the castle gates suddenly swung open.
A boy with platinum blonde hair, shining like the sun, stepped inside.
‘Is that the Grand Prince?’
He looked nothing like Aachen. Their auras were similar, but there was not a single facial feature they shared.
Despite his young age, the boy walked with elegance.
“Luan.”
Luan bowed stiffly to Aachen with proper etiquette.
“You sent knights to Robert Station.”
“…Yes.”
“I told you I wouldn’t run away, but I didn’t expect you to send knights.”
From the context, it seemed Luan had managed to slip away from the knights and arrived on his own.
Turning his head toward Hilane, Luan placed his hand calmly over his left chest.
Despite having withdrawn from school without warning, his tone remained exceptionally composed as he spoke.
“I greet Your Highness the Grand Duchess, the Lady of Hestur Castle. My name is Luan Belzette.”
His ruby-like eyes quickly scanned Hilane, as if assessing her.
When their gazes met, Luan swiftly lowered his eyes as if nothing had happened.
That demeanor was far too mature for a child.
“It’s nice to meet you, Luan. You must be tired from the journey.”
“……!”
At Hilane’s warm greeting, Luan flinched, like a wary kitten caught off guard.
As she pondered how to ease the child’s tension, Aachen spoke up.
“Luan. I heard you withdrew from school.”
“…….”
“It hasn’t been processed yet, fortunately, but how could you make such a decision without discussing it with anyone…?”
Aachen scolded him in a stern voice.
‘I told him not to scold the boy….’
Hilane was about to intervene, but instead, she waited and observed.
“As you know, dropping out of Kimish Academy would mean social isolation.”
Aachen had intended to ask for Luan’s reasons first, as Hilane had advised, but controlling his tone was difficult.
His words came out stiff and firm rather than gentle.
“Re-enrollment is not easily granted. If your studies were difficult, you could have taken a leave of absence.”
“Father is right.”
Luan, who had been listening quietly, suddenly interrupted.
“If I, who already have a commoner for a birth mother, fail to graduate from Kimish Academy, I will struggle to gain the vassals’ support.”
“Luan, I’ve told you many times not to speak like that….”
Aachen rubbed his temples at Luan’s cold, matter-of-fact tone.
“It’s not wrong, is it? No matter where, no matter when, no matter what.”
“…….”
“I cannot change the fact that my blood is mixed with that of a commoner.”
No matter where, no matter when, no matter what.
Luan put emphasis on those words, as if to show his complete awareness of his position.
‘Is he really just eight years old?’
Hilane barely managed to hide her shock at his bluntness.
Aachen, still massaging his temple, exchanged glances with her.
She signaled him with her eyes to stop.
Without another word, Luan went up to the third floor.
Hilane lightly touched Aachen, who was rubbing his face in frustration.
“Your Grace, you were too agitated.”
“…I’m sorry, I tried to stay calm, but as I spoke, I became more upset….”
Aachen pressed his lips together in regret, as if he knew he had gone too far.
Hilane gazed at the spot where Luan had just passed by.
‘His eyes… they looked lonely.’
The expression she had glimpsed on Luan’s face just now reminded her of her own childhood.
That was why she couldn’t simply brush it off.
***
As Luan walked down the corridor on the third floor, he came across an unfamiliar young girl.
She was accompanied by a maid and held a strawberry cake in her hands.
“I greet Your Highness the Grand Prince.”
Recognizing Luan, the maid greeted him first, making the young girl blink in curiosity.
‘Is she the Grand Duchess’s daughter?’
He had vaguely heard that she had a daughter.
She was much smaller and cuter than he had imagined….
‘No, stop. What useless thoughts.’
Just as he was about to pass by without acknowledging her, the girl suddenly stopped him.
[ Big brother, your eyes look just like rubies. They shine so brightly. ]
Luan found it odd that she didn’t use her voice but only moved her lips to form the words.
Yet, somehow, he understood what she was trying to say and paused in his steps.
‘Ruby… is she talking about the gemstone?’
Before leaving Kimish Academy, he had been called “cursed, vulgar eyes.”
Hearing the little girl say they were beautiful made him want to laugh.
A small smirk crossed his lips, and he resumed walking, entering his room without another word.
The girl didn’t try to stop him again and simply watched in silence.
***
[ Elisha, who was that? ]
Chevelyn stared at the boy who had just entered the room.
“That was Grand Prince Luan.”
[ Then… he’s my cherry brother? ]
“Hmm, yes. Since he’s His Grace’s son, that would make him your elder brother, Princess.”
[ Cherry… I want to give him my strawberry cake. ]
“What?”
[ Do you think we could be friends? ]
Chevelyn hurried to her room and retrieved a bundle of colorful origami paper she had been keeping safe.
She huffed and puffed, deep in thought about what to write.
Seeing this, Elisha asked her,
“Princess, do you like the Grand Prince?”
[ Yes! ]
His jewel-like ruby-red eyes were beautiful.
Luan reminded her of her stuffed rabbit—the one she always needed to hold to feel safe.
There were too many reasons not to like him.
More than anything….
‘For Mom to be happy here, Cherry has to get along with everyone.’
After pondering for a while, Chevelyn finally made her decision and carefully moved her hands.
[ Elisha, I’ll be back! ]
With her finished note and the cake in hand, she placed them in front of Luan’s room.
Lifting the cover slightly, she sniffed the cake and grinned in satisfaction.
She knocked on the door—knock, knock—and then quickly ran away.
For some reason, she felt embarrassed, and a giggle escaped her lips.
Just then, she ran into Hilane and threw herself into her mother’s arms.
“My dear, why are you so excited? Did something fun happen?”
Chevelyn buried her face into Hilane’s waist and nuzzled against her.
***
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