Chapter 08….

How to Live as the Favorite of the Constellations

The Circumstances of Adults (3)

Kaelus opened his eyes.

The reddish light created by the slowly setting sunset filled the entire room.

“Fuuuuah.”

Had that much time already passed?

He must have slept far longer than usual during his nap, as his body felt extremely drowsy. It felt like he had slept twice as long as normal.

“Uuuung.”

When he turned his head, he saw Arvian was awake. Those light green eyes—so similar to their mother’s—were looking right at him.

Kaelus grinned. Arvian thought that smile was exactly the same expression the Count often made.

“Arvian, did you sleep well?”

“Au!”

Arvian shouted energetically.

Kaelus laughed and lay down beside him, resting his chin on his hand while looking at Arvian.

Soft, warm, small, and neatly formed—no matter how many times he looked, it was just too cute.

‘As expected, my little brother is the cutest.’

When summer comes, he wanted to go to the southern sea, and also go to the snowy northern region to build snowmen. Every time he heard such bragging stories, he had always felt so envious.

Creak.

While he was thinking that, the door opened and someone came in. Kaelus and Arvian both turned their heads at the same time.

“Kael, you’re awake?”

“Mother.”

The person who entered was the Countess.

“You’re both awake. I was just about to wake you if you hadn’t gotten up soon.”

“Don’t tell me people from the ducal house have already come? I told the nanny not to inform the ducal house.”

“The nanny didn’t report it. I did. The Duke must be worried.”

“Hmph.”

Kaelus pouted and turned his head away sharply.

To him, it was an expression of dissatisfaction, but Arvian could clearly see it.

Right now, Kaelus was nervous that he might get scolded for leaving the ducal house and coming here on his own.

‘So he is still a kid after all.’

It was all too obvious. Completely obvious.

Seeing Kaelus like that, the Countess suppressed a laugh and carefully asked,

“My son, are you very angry? I was planning for us to have a family meal together after a long time.”

“…Father is here too?”

“Of course. He rushed over immediately after hearing you came. I even told the chef to prepare lots of delicious food.”

Kaelus swallowed hard.

The ducal house chef was excellent, but Kaelus still thought the food at the Count’s estate tasted the best.

The boy, who had been turning away as if sulking, slowly softened.

After hesitating as if thinking, Kaelus glanced sideways at Arvian.

“Then what about Arvian?”

“Hmm?”

“Arvian is coming to eat too, right?”

While quietly listening to the conversation, Arvian’s eyes lit up at those words.

Arvian had never once been to a dining hall. He had always eaten and slept in his room.

He had assumed he would only go after fully weaning off milk.

‘The dining hall is on a different floor, right?’

As it went, reception rooms were for guests, and dining rooms were for meals.

One could understand a family’s nature from its dining hall. And from the food served, one could estimate where the count’s territory lay within the empire.

“Auung! Aung!”

Kaelus is doing something great!

Thinking that, Arvian eagerly waved his hands. The Countess, after a brief moment of thought, smiled and said,

“Right. If the whole family is eating together, Arvian can’t be left out.”

“Of course.”

“Only the older brother thinks of the younger sibling.”

“Of course it is.”

Kaelus proudly puffed out his chest.

The Countess stroked Kaelus’s head, laughing, then lifted Arvian into her arms.

“Arvian seems like he might be able to go outside soon. Shall we go to the garden tomorrow?”

“Really? I can go outside now?”

“Yes. You’ve been eating well lately and gained some weight. It should be fine.”

“Then let’s pack a lunch and eat in the garden!”

“Shall we?”

Arvian’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Kyaaa!”

Kaelus had often been weak as a child, catching colds or fevers even from the slightest breeze.

So Arvian had been raised very carefully—but now it seemed that might have felt suffocating to him.

‘Even when he went outside the room last time… he seems to like the outdoors.’

The three of them headed toward the dining hall.

Arvian memorized the path while observing his surroundings.

Perhaps because he now knew that the Count had been the Inosilene Grand Duke’s heir, the mansion looked somewhat different than before.

‘The atmosphere is definitely different from new nobles.’

Soon they arrived at the dining hall, and when the door opened, a delicious aroma wafted out.

Arvian quietly admired it and looked inside.

Then his eyes widened.

Kaelus did the same.

Kaelus frowned deeply and said,

“Why is Grandpa here?”

In the dining hall were the Count and his father—the Inosilene Duke.

Seeing the Duke, the Countess’s eyes widened. She quickly walked over and greeted him warmly.

“Father! When did you arrive?”

The Count approached her, leaned in, and whispered softly into her ear.

“He arrived just a moment ago without notice.”

“Alone?”

“Yes. Alone. Without any notice.”

The Count rubbed his forehead as if in pain and sighed.

He had wondered who Kaelus took after, and now he seemed to have found the answer.

The Duke, looking at Kaelus, spoke in a blunt voice.

“Someone disappeared from the ducal residence. How could I sit calmly? Even an old body must be used when needed.”

“Kaelus has caused you worry. Thankfully, nothing happened on the way here, so please don’t be too angry.”

“Hmph!”

The Duke still looked displeased with Kaelus.

The Countess gently pushed Kaelus forward.

“Kaelus, go apologize. Do you know how worried your grandfather was to come all the way here himself?”

“Hmph.”

Kaelus still glared at the Duke with sharp eyes, clearly dissatisfied.

The Countess pressed him again.

“Kael. Arvian is here too. What did you say a good older brother should do?”

“…I understand.”

Kaelus glanced at Arvian and reluctantly bowed to the Duke.

If he wanted to be a good older brother, he had to admit mistakes—even if only slightly.

‘Of course, this time it’s Grandpa who’s wrong!’

I am a wonderful and great older brother.

“I apologize for acting on my own. I will be more careful in the future.”

“It is good that you understand. I trust you will act properly on your own, so I will not reprimand you further.”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

Kaelus bowed in perfect etiquette.

Arvian, who had been nervously watching in case Kaelus might retort sarcastically, widened his eyes.

As the Duke gestured for them to sit and turned away, Kaelus smiled brightly at Arvian.

‘Wasn’t I cool?’

It felt like he was asking that.

Arvian nodded slightly and then turned his gaze to the Duke.

The Duke gestured inward.

“Stop standing and come in to eat. It has been a while since we all gathered like this.”

“Yes. When was the last time?”

“It has already been two months. That is why Kaelus was so restless.”

The Duke sighed again, mirroring the Count’s earlier expression as if his head hurt.

Arvian quietly observed the Duke from his mother’s arms.

Throughout the meal, there was no conversation between the Duke and Kaelus.

However, the Duke, the Count, and especially the Countess conversed warmly as they ate.

Arvian actually found this unexpected.

‘I thought relations would be bad since he rejected an arranged marriage chosen by the Duke.’

Considering how many political interests noble marriages carried, the Duke must have lost far more than he gained by accepting the Countess.

Yet he still treated his daughter-in-law with courtesy.

‘It’s not just politeness… he seems to genuinely care for her. That’s even more surprising.’

Tilting his head, Arvian stared at the Duke.

Feeling his gaze, the Duke looked back at him.

Seeing that Arvian didn’t avert his eyes, he murmured in a low voice,

“Come to think of it… you are not crying.”

“Pardon?”

When she asked in confusion, he spoke again.

“Did you not cry and scream last time you came here?”

“Ah, that’s true.”

Arvian had been so quiet and well-behaved recently that she had completely forgotten.

As he said, Arvian had been extremely afraid of the Duke two months ago.

“Hm. Perhaps Arvian recognizes Grandfather? Having met him twice, instinct may tell him we are related. Isn’t that so?”

“Children especially have strong survival instincts. Their senses are sharp, so they naturally perceive my presence as a threat.”

“Father…”

The Countess sighed deeply at his firm tone, as if denying any other possibility.

“Not just Arvian. Every child I’ve met has been like that.”

Not only Arvian and Kaelus, but even his own child, Eliphas. Especially unnamed children.

Even passing children would cry upon making eye contact with him.

So a child simply looking at him without crying was far stranger.

‘That makes sense.’

Arvian stared at the Duke.

The Inosilene Duke was the undisputed greatest swordsman on the continent.

The aura of a Swordmaster was like a blade itself. No matter how restrained it was, to a child it would only feel sharp and threatening.

‘But to me, it’s nothing special.’

In his past life, he had endured far greater killing intent. If he were too weak for even this, he would never have been part of a hero’s party.

“Father, would you like to hold him?”

“…Me?”

“Who else? Arvian seems to like Grandfather too. Go on.”

“If he starts crying, I’ll get a headache.”

“You can soothe him then.”

The Duke hesitated noticeably, then slowly stood and approached.

Arvian looked at him and chuckled.

Despite pretending to be calm, his beard was slightly trembling from tension.

“Now, hold him like this.”

“Like this?”

“Yes. Support his head and bottom.”

The Duke carefully took his grandchild into his arms.

Despite having two children of his own, his posture was awkward and stiff, as if he had never held a baby before.

It was an uncomfortable and unrefined posture.

If it had been any other child, they would have started crying immediately.

But Arvian did not fuss at all.

A faint smile formed on his face—unlike the cold expression of Inosilene that always surrounded him.