Lucian’s eyes welled up with tears.

After trying so hard not to get taken away by the Grand Duke, to meet him like this…

It felt unfair, so unfair.

“Are you crying?”

“Hiccup!”

“What, should I call your dad? Or mom?”

“Hiccup!”

“No, just tell them all to come. It’s bothersome to deal with them separately.”

Theo spoke coldly while looking at Lucian. Lucian trembled while tears streamed down his face.

The child’s face grew increasingly pale. His fingernails looked bluish as if bruised from lack of blood circulation.

Theo clicked his tongue and sharply turned his head away. It was obvious the child would faint if he kept looking.

“Princess.”

Letitia raised her head at Theo’s voice calling her.

Theo’s eyes went to Letitia’s dress.

The wrinkles were particularly prominent where she had been gripping the hem of her dress so tightly.

Why is she holding back so much?

Theo didn’t like Letitia’s attitude.

He stretched out his arm pointing towards the door. Letitia followed his arm with her gaze.

“Go out quickly.”

“Yes?”

“Big sister is waiting outside.”

Letitia blinked her large eyes with a blank face before slowly opening her mouth as if realizing something.

The child nodded vigorously while smiling brightly.

* * *

Yuelina was waiting in front of the villa for Theo to come out.

Since he hadn’t come out yet, it seemed Letitia’s class was still in full swing.

The village children who were at Letitia’s age would be busy at this time.

They would be busy running around and playing in the mountains.

But Letitia was alone, far from her parents, studying in the distant empire and now in the faraway principality.

Yuelina could hardly fathom how difficult it must be for such a small child.

So Yuelina had already asked Chef Hans to showcase his skills for Letitia.

Also, since she couldn’t say “have a good day” to the child because she overslept, she really wanted to at least tell her “you did a good job studying.”

Just then, the villa door opened and familiar flowing golden hair peeked out.

Yuelina smiled brightly, preparing to greet Letitia.

She could already envision Letitia walking calmly towards her with a polite demeanor to give her greetings.

“Letitia!”

She called Letitia’s name loudly. She stretched her arms high in the air and waved them welcomingly.

“…Big sister!”

“Oh?”

Contrary to Yuelina’s expectations, Letitia ran energetically towards her.

The child who ran without pause threw herself into Yuelina’s arms.

Yuelina also bent down and embraced Letitia snugly in her arms.

“Letitia. What’s wrong? Are you alright?”

“Big sister… sniff.”

“Oh my! What happened? Hmm?”

Letitia began crying sorrowfully in Yuelina’s embrace.

The child’s face was instantly covered in tears and snot.

Yuelina’s heart sank.

“Letitia. Look at me. Okay?”

Yuelina took out her handkerchief and carefully wiped Letitia’s face.

Letitia gradually began to calm down at Yuelina’s gentle touch.

The child’s eyes and nose were swollen red from crying.

Apart from being worried about the crying child, Yuelina thought this current appearance was very cute.

She gently stroked Letitia’s cheek and carefully asked.

“Letitia. Why were you crying?”

“…I suddenly felt relieved.”

“You cried because of that?”

“Yes… When I saw you, I just felt so relieved.”

Letitia began to tear up again. Yuelina patted Letitia’s back.

It seemed the child’s pent-up emotions from her long stay in a foreign country had reached their limit and burst.

Feeling sorry, Yuelina stroked Letitia’s hair again and again.

“It’s okay, Letitia. We’ll go to the mansion and take a hot bath, eat something delicious, and you’ll feel better.”

Letitia finally stopped crying at Yuelina’s comfort.

Yuelina smiled seeing the child’s bright sparkling eyes.

“By the way, you’re calling me big sister now?”

“…Is it rude?”

“No. I’d like it if Letitia were my little sister.”

“…I wish you were my big sister too!”

Letitia’s appearance as she spoke shyly with blushing cheeks was adorable.

Yuelina finally felt the reality that Letitia was an eleven-year-old child.

“The class is over.”

Just then, Theo came out after finishing the cleanup inside.

Theo’s eyebrows twitched seeing Letitia snugly held in Yuelina’s arms.

What’s this…

Why are they so affectionate?

Yuelina stood in front of Theo with a bright smile.

“Theo! Letitia called me big sister!”

“Really?”

Theo lowered his gaze to look at Letitia’s face.

Seeing her swollen eyes, she must have had a good cry in front of Yuelina.

Big sister…

If Letitia called Yuelina big sister, would that naturally make him, Yuelina’s husband, big brother?

Hmm…

Theo thought Letitia calling him big brother wouldn’t suit her at all.

Of course, Theo’s worry was unnecessary.

Letitia had absolutely no intention of calling Theo big brother.

Rather, seeing Theo’s face, Letitia’s sense was gradually returning.

What had happened in the villa, and how Theo had dealt with the child who had been teasing her…

She tried not to be indebted anymore, but ended up owing another debt like this.

“Well then, shall we go home now?”

Yuelina asked Theo and Letitia. Theo nodded briefly.

It seemed better to leave before the children and that so-called teacher came out of the villa.

Just then, Letitia hesitantly held something out to Theo.

“What is it?”

“This is what I received during today’s education, Your Highness the Grand Duke.”

Letitia spoke to Theo, returning to her polite manner.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“It’s about precautions to take when visiting the wall village, and I thought you might need to check if it’s accurate.”

Theo took the paper with an indifferent expression.

He wasn’t particularly interested in whatever was written there.

“Theo. If they’re precautions, are there things we need to prepare? What does it say?”

Yuelina asked Theo with a curious face.

His wife was leaning close to him with sparkling eyes.

He unfolded the paper and quickly scanned its contents.

“It says poor humans struggling with poverty live in the Northern Wall, and there are many pickpockets, so be careful not to get kidnapped.”

“What?! Kidnapped?”

Yuelina was shocked.

She hadn’t expected the Northern Wall village field trip to be such a dangerous affair.

Unlike her worried appearance, Theo maintained a very calm face.

“Don’t worry too much. Nothing will happen.”

“But still…”

“I promise.”

Yuelina nodded with effort.

She couldn’t show her anxiety when Theo was speaking with such certainty.

She crouched down to meet Letitia’s eyes.

“Then Letitia, let’s go to the mansion and eat something delicious with big sister.”

“Yes, Your High– no, big sister!”

“After eating something delicious, we’ll take a walk too.”

Theo glanced at Letitia and Yuelina chatting intimately.

Eating delicious things and taking walks with Yuelina were originally his things.

It was my pleasure alone.

Theo consoled his regretful heart alone while clicking his tongue.

He couldn’t complain to Letitia, who was like a well-cooked, properly steamed potato, not to play with Yuelina.

He also didn’t want Yuelina to misunderstand him as a narrow-minded husband.

Though he wasn’t sure if it would be a misunderstanding…

But Letitia had already noticed that Theo was protesting with his whole body, kicking the dry ground.

“Um, big sister.”

“Yes, Letitia.”

“You mentioned there’s a delicious dessert shop in the plaza? That time in Lady Emily’s garden?”

“Yes, that’s right. Their lemon cake is famous.”

“Big sister, could you buy that for me?”

Letitia glanced at Theo while holding onto Yuelina’s sleeve.

Theo stared at Letitia’s fingertips with narrowed eyes.

After taking away his walking and dessert time, now she was trying to take away his plaza viewing time too — Letitia seemed a bit vexing.

“You want to eat lemon cake?”

“Yes. I heard eating something refreshing makes you feel better.”

“Hmm… Okay! If we go quickly now, they should still have some.”

“Then, please.”

Letitia bowed politely to Yuelina with her hands clasped together.

Yuelina tilted her head.