They claimed the reason why angelic Amelia behaved badly ‘only’ in front of the Little Lady was because the count’s family were assassins who killed her husband. That’s why Amelia couldn’t control her anger only in front of the Little Lady. This was Amelia’s secret signal to the people.

All sorts of speculative articles decorated the newspapers.

“These bastards……”

Furious, Viett immediately wanted to severely punish the newspapers. He could tolerate them treating him as an unqualified king, but he couldn’t tolerate them defaming his wife.

If Minister Hinler hadn’t almost begged him to stop, he would have caused an incident, unable to break his habits from his days as a prince.

One day, as his smoking increased due to rising anger.

While walking down the corridor with Second Lieutenant Peter, Viett witnessed Amelia stamping her feet on the terrace.

She wasn’t alone. The maid who was always scolded by her was also present. The two were standing side by side, looking at a newspaper with childlike dejected expressions.

“What should we do! We failed again!”

Amelia suddenly buried her face in the newspaper and burst into tears.

“You told me slapping your cheeks would work! You idiot!”

“I know. It’s strange……”

The young maid she constantly tormented murmured in a regretful tone. Amelia raised her head abruptly, her face covered in tears.

“Again, only good articles were published!”

“Should I try having you pour tea on my face next time?”

“Are you crazy? Do you want to get seriously hurt before you come to your senses?”

Viett and Second Lieutenant Peter exchanged bewildered glances. The article in that newspaper must have been defending Amelia’s misconduct and asserting the guilt of the Cochrun family.

Yet Amelia was sighing with a disappointed face. Even the maid who had been bullied all this time was comfortingly patting her shoulder.

Just then, Amelia turned her head and spotted Viett standing at a distance. Her tearful face instantly hardened. She hurriedly wiped away her tears and barked at the maid.

“Why are you standing there like an idiot! Get out of here right now!”

The maid looked momentarily confused but soon spotted Viett and Second Lieutenant Peter and quickly fled. Viett strode toward the terrace with a frown.

“Wh-what were you d-doing here?”

“Why should Your Highness care?”

Amelia turned away with a sulky expression.

“Damn it! Don’t pretend to be disgustingly nice when you don’t care even a tiny bit about my problems!”

Then she fled the scene. Second Lieutenant Peter, who had been watching from a step back, muttered in a daze.

“What on earth is she plotting……”

* * *

Phenelity’s first official appearance as the crown princess-to-be was a visit to the royal orphanage. Fortunately, Viett accompanied her, and security was thorough enough that no journalists were seen lurking around the orphanage.

Viett couldn’t sleep all night worrying that his wife might get hurt. He worried about the children’s innocent malice. What would children know? They’re innocent enough to laugh loudly at the stuttering prince.

It was actually less painful to face a child clutching their stomach with laughter. Parents of such children would silence them anyway.

The truly painful moments came when facing children who innocently asked, “Why does the prince stutter when he’s a prince?”

Moreover, today his wife was with him. Westenian children grow up naturally exposed to the Little Lord novels from a young age. Phenelity, in particular, was the first Little Lady. It was natural that she would receive great interest from girls. He was afraid children might say strange things about his wife, like calling her a psycho or something.

“Wow, it’s really Pepe!”

Contrary to his worries, however, the orphanage children adored Phenelity. They loved her so much that they showed no interest in Viett standing beside her.

As soon as the couple got out of the car, the children pressed against the windows and immediately cheered for Phenelity.

Especially the girls, who followed her around like chicks, trailing behind her in her pale yellow formal suit.

“Pepe! You look just like a princess!”

Many children cheered that Phenelity looked like a princess. Children are indeed honest. Viett nodded as he crammed his large body into a chair brought by a teacher.

“This is our gift for you, Your Highness the Crown Princess.”

Girls standing on tiptoes presented a bouquet to his wife with shy faces. Though it was a crude bouquet made from flowers picked from the garden, Phenelity accepted the gift with genuine joy.

“Thank you, ladies!”

She enjoyed smelling the flowers, then glanced at Viett who was sitting still like a statue.

He flinched, feeling uneasy at his wife’s mischievous gaze. That’s when she caught him off guard, linking her arm with his and pulling him toward her.

He reluctantly rose from his chair. As he straightened his bent legs and back, the children’s fearful gazes slowly moved upward. Phenelity smiled as she pushed him, who was standing awkwardly, toward the children.

“Don’t you have any gifts prepared for His Highness the Crown Prince?”

The children’s attention focused on Viett. The girls who had brought the bouquet showed signs of fear and backed away.

“No. We’re sorry, Your Highness……”

“……It’s, it’s all right.”

Viett tried his best not to appear threatening as he calmed the children. Most of the children were too scared of Viett’s large build to even approach him.

Finally, the orphanage director awkwardly approached and pushed the children toward Viett.

“Children. You should also properly greet His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Just then, a child who had been observing Viett with wide-open eyes raised his hand and shouted loudly.

“But Uncle Bill from the bakery said that His Highness the Crown Prince is a scary fight……”

“Stop!”

One of the teachers, face pale, covered the child’s mouth.

The previously warm atmosphere instantly froze. The director and teachers, as well as the security guards standing outside the window, all rolled their eyes slightly as they watched Viett’s reaction.

“Oh my, did Uncle Bill say His Highness the Crown Prince is ‘scarily’ impressive?”

Phenelity tried to lighten the mood with a bright smile. The boy nodded, watching the director who was glaring at him fiercely.

“Shall we start the class now……”

The director spoke awkwardly while wringing his hands. The teachers eagerly seated the children and began the observation class. The event prepared by the orphanage was an art class observation. The children used colored clay to make small animals and sweets.

Phenelity also sat crammed in a child-sized chair, kneading the clay. Children quickly gathered around her with her good handiwork.

“Wow! The princess’s cake looks just like a real one!”

“She’s not a princess, she’s Her Highness the Crown Princess!”

“Wow, a teddy bear!”

The children, excited by Phenelity’s amazing skills, began shouting out what they wanted.

“Please make me a rose!”

“I want a lion!”

“Everyone line up and wait.”

Phenelity responded to each child’s request while kneading the clay. Only her face popped up above the children gathered around her. Second Lieutenant Peter, in charge of Phenelity’s personal security, watched her with anxious eyes.

The observation class concluded smoothly under Phenelity’s leadership. Next came gas mask training. Viett watched with bitterness as young children put on gas masks with the familiarity of child soldiers.

Children barely six or seven years old began reciting air raid procedures like nursery rhymes.

The children had memorized not only the addresses of nearby shelters but also international conventions on the protection of child prisoners.

“According to the International Humanitarian Convention, armies around the world must not target victims of armed conflict under the age of 14 for inhumane attacks such as murder, assault, r*pe, torture, etc.!”

Phenelity looked surprised when she heard the clause the children recited in unison. She looked at the children with bewildered eyes, then whispered in Viett’s ear.

“Why do children need to memorize such terrible words?”

Viett glanced toward the window. A government agent was standing outside, exchanging subtle glances with the orphanage director. When the agent nodded with satisfaction, the director, who had been tense throughout, showed an expression of relief.

‘It was all a script written by the Prime Minister.’

Child prisoner protection was a clause only recently added to the convention. The Prime Minister seemed to have specially prepared ‘lines in the novel’ to make citizens aware of this.

He had informed readers about the convention through the mouths of young children and through Phenelity’s eyes and ears. Furthermore, it was also a warning to the enemy who would read the novel.

But unable to say “they used you,” Viett avoided Phenelity’s question by silently staring straight ahead.

“Children who can’t even wipe their own noses…… It’s so sad.”

Phenelity murmured in a melancholy tone. Viett nodded quietly with a rigid face.

After all the observation classes were finished, Phenelity and Viett left the orphanage, sent off by the director and children. The children, who had already let down their guard, followed them outside the orphanage.