The high-ceilinged interior was naturally imposing, and the gold decorations and ornaments placed throughout created an atmosphere similar to the Bios Imperial Palace.

This made Letitia shrink even more.

After all, she had been constantly intimidated by countless instances of dismissal and mistreatment while attending the Imperial Academy.

“Oh? It’s Princess Esol!”

“Princess Esol!”

“She really came? Where did she sleep?”

The noble children who had gathered earlier pointed at Letitia with familiar disdain.

“Hello.”

Letitia forced herself to greet them and sat at the edge of the sofa.

Unlike the tense Letitia, the children were comfortably seated on the sofa, giggling and chattering.

“Where did Princess Esol sleep?”

“We stayed at the Light villa! It’s really nice there!”

“Did you really stay at an inn? I heard the principality’s inns are trash.”

“Hehe. So you slept in a garbage dump?”

Letitia hunched her shoulders and bowed her head deeply.

This was the best approach, as she had learned through experience that reacting would only lead to greater conflict.

“Ahem. Everyone has gathered, I see.”

Just then, Mikelon, who was in charge of the Academy education, entered through the villa door.

Mikelon, who had a thin and slender frame for a man, wore a thin scarf around his neck.

He stood before the children, maintaining a dignified posture.

“You must have had a difficult journey to the principality. Now, I will explain the precautions for the wall village experience in two days.”

Mikelon distributed papers he had prepared to the children.

“Now, let me explain…”

“Teacher, I’m sorry, but I haven’t received a paper.”

Letitia carefully raised her hand and spoke.

Mikelon’s gaze turned sharp.

“I see. Come and get it.”

Mikelon mainly taught children from ancient and prestigious families among the imperial nobles.

Letitia was the opposite of the students he taught.

The only reason a mere princess from a minor border kingdom could attend his class was because of a request from the Count who headed the Academy.

Something about the Count’s wife being close friends with another princess from the Esolin Kingdom?

Mikelon clicked his tongue.

Even graduating from the Academy wouldn’t change the future of a princess from a minor border kingdom.

Rather, it would be better for her to look for a marriage partner now and cleanse her status by becoming an imperial noble’s wife rather than remaining royalty of a kingdom.

“Shall I begin the explanation?”

Mikelon spoke in a stiff voice.

The children already looked bored before the education even began.

Letitia quickly scanned the contents of the paper.

The content was about precautions regarding the Northern Wall village.

According to the explanation, the wall village, which lacked magic stones and was attacked by refugees, was home to very poor people who didn’t receive protection from the principality.

It said that these people might beg for money or threaten nobles when they see them, so they should bring as many guards as possible.

“Unlike the empire, the principality’s system is inadequate and its development level is far behind.”

Letitia’s lips trembled at Mikelon’s explanation.

The princess couldn’t say she fully understood the principality’s circumstances yet.

However, she had closely observed the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess while staying at the Black Mansion.

The mansion’s servants were favorable toward the Grand Duchess and sincerely respected her.

Moreover, Yuelina had asked the servants to separately accommodate the needs of Letitia’s nanny.

If her nanny hadn’t told Letitia about this, the princess would never have known.

“Is Phaenyx Principality worse than Esolin Kingdom?”

Just then, a boy with short orange hair asked Mikelon with a mischievous expression.

Letitia’s shoulders flinched.

“Good question, Lucian.”

Mikelon glanced at Letitia while crossing his arms.

“It’s true that the principality’s economic and cultural levels are far behind the empire.”

He continued speaking in a sharp voice while glaring at Letitia.

“However, the principality is under the great Bios Empire.”

“What about the Esolin Kingdom?”

“It’s a country unrelated to the Bios Empire. So there’s no need to even compare its level.”

Letitia bowed her head deeply while clutching her dress in shame.

It felt like tears would fall at any moment.

Lucian’s eyes sparkled as if he had found an interesting toy.

“Hehe. As expected, Princess Esol is backward.”

The other children burst out laughing at Lucian’s words.

“Should we call her Backward Princess?”

“Backward Princess! Are you crying again? Want me to call your mommy?”

Lucian got up and ran in front of Letitia, who was hanging her head.

“Are you crying? Are you crying?”

Lucian bent down to try to see Letitia’s expression.

Letitia felt even greater humiliation at Lucian’s actions.

Though she bit her lips and strained her eyes trying not to cry, her vision kept blurring.

“Ah, it would take quite a while to call your mother, wouldn’t it?”

“……”

“Should I call your nanny?”

Lucian smiled brightly while looking at Letitia.

“But if the nanny comes, I’ll beat her first. Such a vulgar woman couldn’t dare set foot in the villa, right?”

“……”

“Ah, is that the same for your mother too? She wouldn’t dare think of entering an imperial villa, right?”

Lucian frowned at Letitia’s lack of response. The child pushed Letitia’s shoulders repeatedly.

Mikelon just watched quietly without stopping them.

“Hey. Answer me. This isn’t fun.”

“……”

“Really, this won’t do, okay?”

“Yes, this really won’t do.”

“?”

Lucian turned his head at the low voice coming from afar.

The other children and Mikelon did the same.

And Mikelon’s composed expression instantly froze.

Lucian tilted his head at the man.

“Who are you?”

“Her guardian.”

“The Backward Princess’s?”

Lucian rudely pointed at Letitia with his finger.

Letitia’s only guardians were her nanny who always looked tearful and the coachman who did miscellaneous chores.

But the man standing before him was a face he’d never seen before.

The man was extremely tall and had such a massive build that he looked like a bear.

Moreover, the way he looked at him was strangely familiar.

It was similar to the face his father showed when handling servants.

“Ah, are you a mercenary hired because of the wall village?”

“Lu-Lucian! Shut that mouth!”

Just then, Mikelon raised his voice for the first time while looking at Lucian.

He bowed to Theo.

“Y-Your Highness the Grand Duke. I-I-I am honored to meet you. I-I…”

“Hey.”

Mikelon closed his mouth.

Theo’s low and quiet voice penetrated Mikelon’s skin. It was a voice filled with such killing intent.

Theo, who had been looking at Lucian with an ice-cold face, reached out one arm and grabbed Mikelon’s neck in an instant.

Blood began rushing to Mikelon’s face that had been pale.

Trembling in fear, he could only make choking sounds without being able to shout.

“What are you doing as a teacher?”

“…Y-Your High-Highness.”

“Letting a brat spout nonsense to my talent.”

Theo threw Mikelon down. The children gasped and climbed onto the sofa.

Mikelon lay prostrated on the floor, unable to raise his head.

His instinct told him that if he caught his attention now, it would be difficult to keep his life.

Mikelon’s instinct was accurate.

Theo felt like he wouldn’t be able to calm his anger unless he destroyed someone.

How dare some imperial brat intimidate and bully my talent?

When the principality’s future, our couple’s precious time, depends on the princess’s advice?

Above all, Letitia was a child that Yuelina cherished and loved.

Yuelina had even stamped her feet in frustration because she couldn’t see Letitia off to the Bios villa.

His crow-tit wife didn’t stamp her feet just anytime.

Only when dessert was late, or when she spotted a small squirrel while taking a walk.

Moreover, it was completely intolerable.

Those vulgar and filthy words directed at Letitia…

If Theo hadn’t entered the villa early to check if the class was over, Yuelina would have heard these words too.

How dare they speak words that would pollute his wife’s ears.

Theo grinded his teeth and strode toward Lucian.

Lucian had already been terrified since Theo grabbed Mikelon’s nape.

Moreover, Mikelon had called Theo ‘Your Highness the Grand Duke.’

“If you don’t listen, the Grand Duke will take you away!”

The man his mother had warned about whenever he threw tantrums was now standing right in front of him.