“What a troublemaker.”
Gilbert said coldly to me and Theodore.
Theodore, who imitated Gilbert’s cold gaze and voice, overlapped, making it less frightening.
How nice is that?
My shoulders shrank. I had hoped that we could live quietly without me causing any problems, but now this has happened.
And now I’ve gotten Theodore involved.This is driving me crazy.
I experienced stomach churning for the first time during the carriage ride back to the Grand Duchy. It’s difficult to get motion sickness in Conler’s comfortable carriage.
I anticipated being reprimanded, but.
Everyone in the Grand Duchy’s faces darkened when they learned that Theodore and I had agreed to Cameron’s hunting bet.
I made an effort to persuade them that the bet wasn’t a bad deal, but I could tell that my explanation had failed to sway them.
I glared at Theodore next to me and begged him for assistance, but Theodore stood there looking so assured. I desired to acquire that level of shamelessness.
“What in the name of God does the First Prince have against us?”
“Do you ask because you don’t know, brother? Prince Cameron caused a controversy during the graduation ceremony when you questioned whether he is qualified to be a representative,”
“In the end, Cameron became the representative, and I didn’t even want to be the representative.”
“That’s why it was a shambles; if the magic tower doesn’t discriminate, shouldn’t the Grand Duke’s eldest son be the representative?”
Gilbert didn’t appear to comprehend despite Theodore’s explanation.
Gilbert’s response made it clear to me why Cameron felt such strong animosity toward us.
Gilbert doesn’t care about Cameron, which is why Cameron takes a jab at me, the only person in the Grand Duchy who stands up to him a little bit.
“Mary is one thing, but you, Theodore.”
I guess that’s what I was.
I couldn’t say anything because everyone was so upset.
Grand Duke Estin, who had been listening quietly, stood up and stroked Theodore’s head with a warm and large hand.
“You must have had faith in your hunting abilities.”
Grand Duke Estin sighed as he told us this.
Listening to that sigh, which seemed to contain a plethora of emotions, I felt sorry for causing him so much trouble in Tahata.
“The engagement between Lady Borneau and the first prince is something I can handle well.”
“What?”
“Theodore is unlikely to be easily imprisoned either.”
Grand Duke Estin stated that he would deal with everything on his own, negating the need for us to go hunting.
Yes, now that I think about it, there were issues that we could have addressed without making this bet by simply speaking with Grand Duke Estin.
But there are other issues as well. Theodore and I exchanged glances.
After a few moments of hesitating, Theodore finally spoke to Grand Duke Estin.
“There’s one more.”
“What?”
“The terms of the bet.”
When Theodore said those things, Grand Duke Estin crossed his arms. He exuded the impression that he could handle any issue as long as we discussed it with him.
He couldn’t fix this problem right away though; it was too hypothetical and oriented toward the future.
“When Gilbert becomes Lord of the Grand Duchy later on, he will have the opportunity to reject the Emperor’s demands…”
“What?”
“Ten times.”
Hey, it was 8 times
Theodore appeared to have forgotten, but there was no way he could have made such an error given his sharp mind.
He must have said it on purpose and will take it back later. He has a very sharp mind.
As I looked at Theodore in admiration, the expression on Grand Duke Estin’s face was strange. It was a look I had never seen before.
That cold stiff expression…… It even looked miserable for some reason.
Lucas, who had been sitting there looking as if he was about to collapse, even more so than when I mentioned the curse against the Lord of Conler, stood up and approached him.
Grand Duke Estin, who had been looking between me and Theodore with an expression I’d never seen before, suddenly grabbed Theodore’s shoulder tightly.
He grabbed his shoulder so tightly that Theodore cried out in pain.
“Why are you worried about that?”
Theodore’s eyes shook when he saw the angry expression of Grand Duke Estin.
“I just… I’m worried that he might make unreasonable demands on my brother later. The First Prince, um, how can I put it… doesn’t like Gilbert. He’s not as good as the current emperor.”
I’ve never seen Theodore stutter like that before. I was left with no choice but to hold my breath and witness the unprecedented scene.
Not just me, but everyone in the room was left with no choice but to hold their breath and observe.
Lucas placed his hand on Grand Duke Estin’s left shoulder. Grand Duke Estin closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself.
The hand that had been tightly holding Theodore’s shoulder released its hold.
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Father.”
“From this point on, I’ll handle everything.”
My heart was pounding.
It was clear that Grand Duke Estin was determined to bear all of the curses that hung over the Conler Family, and one of those curses was me.
Even for the god of the underworld, the Grand Duke was no simple foe. But would he stand a chance of triumphing if he truly was a god?
“Father, allow us to do it.”
It was Aiden who broke the silence.
Gilbert, who was sitting next to Aiden, seemed surprised when Aiden joined our side. I thought Aiden was going to explode at Theodore, but his calmness caught me off guard.
“Aiden.”
“I know what father is worried about. You don’t want to pass our family’s burdens on to us, and I know that forcing us into the Academy, emphasizing brotherhood, and bringing Rex to the castle on purpose were all done for our own good.”
Aiden continued to speak calmly.
“I’m sure Theodore knows about it. Father sometimes does overly intense work that strains his body. That’s why we should take every opportunity to refuse. Honestly, there is no guarantee that Cameron will ascend to the throne, and Father might even sever ties with the royal family, but Theodore put these silly and mischievous conditions on……. It must have been because he wanted to do what he could.”
I could feel Theodore’s hand shaking standing next to me. I didn’t know there was such a deep meaning…… I really didn’t know.
I don’t know about Gilbert, but Aiden and Theodore were not as naive as they seemed. I was the most naive person in this household.
“I know that Father is deeply worried. You always saw us as young and weak children. But now Gilbert is an adult, and I will graduate from the academy next year. Mary has also grown up to be a respectable lady…she is now fourteen years old.”
Aiden glanced at me and suddenly corrected his words. This is a little upsetting…….
“This may seem a little childish, but Father always walks in front of us and clears any obstacles on the way. I grew up watching such a father and wanting to be like him. But now, I want to stand by his side and protect him. This bet may be reckless, but it will be our first step. It will be the first step to becoming a true Conler.”
After Aiden’s long speech, Lucas, who was standing next to Grand Duke Estin, cautiously clapped a couple of times.
“I totally agree with young master Aiden. Your Grace, you have been carrying the burden alone for too long.”
When Lucas added a word, Grand Duke Estin closed his eyes again.
His expression was so blank that it was hard to read any emotion from it.
Grand Duke Estin slowly opened his eyes and smiled helplessly. The smile seemed literally powerless, but it seemed more natural and comfortable.
“Yeah, you’ve grown a lot.”
After ruffling Aiden’s hair playfully, Grand Duke Estin turned back to me and Theodore and placed his hands on our shoulders.
“Yes, I’ll leave this to you.”
With that, Grand Duke Estin turned and walked away, followed by Lucas, who gestured for us to follow suit.
We were copying the gesture, and suddenly Grand Duke Estin looked back.
“Aiden, let me correct one thing.”
“Yes?”
“I have never been lonely.”
After saying that, Grand Duke Estin turned around and left the drawing room. Gilbert, Aiden, Theodore, Rex, and I faced each other.
“You punks…….”
“Are you crying?”
Gilbert raised his right hand to cover his eyes.
Seeing Gilbert like that, Theodore grabbed his wrist to try and lower his hand. Aiden and Rex held onto my hand.
