🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 31
“Swinton?”
Thinking about it, it was strange. The power that comes with the title of the Northern Grand Duke of Reston is by no means light, yet he was handing it over.
‘That too, but it’s also weird that he inherited the Swinton family. There’s no way he wouldn’t know the ways of politics.’
Among the many things she learned as part of the imperial family’s upbringing, the list of nobles she had studied did not include Swinton. If the family wasn’t on the list of nobles, the only reason was that it had been wiped out.
“The Swinton family wasn’t in the list of nobles I studied… Were they wiped out?”
“It seems you don’t know. Claude’s… that is, the original Grand Duke Reston’s mother was from the Swinton County family.”
“Is that so?”
“The Grand Duke of Reston and the Swinton young lady married, and due to this and that, the family line was cut off. They used to be the most famous family in the north after Reston.”
A complicated look crossed Alex’s eyes as he recalled memories while explaining to Kylian. Alex shook his head as if to shake off the thoughts and smiled lightly.
“It’s an old story you don’t need to worry about. Now, the former Grand Duke Reston has passed his title to me and has succeeded to the position of Count Swinton.”
At Alex’s words, Eloise tilted her head.
“Isn’t the Grand Duke title a higher position? Why did the former Grand Duke choose to inherit the Swinton family?”
“Maybe he found the work bothersome and went for a more leisurely position.”
Alex hesitated for a moment, then retorted playfully, steering the conversation away.
“There’s no way that’s true!”
Kylian blocked Alex, who was trying to move on to another topic.
“…Why are you doing this, Kylian?”
Alex was taken aback by Kylian’s action and widened his eyes.
“The title of Grand Duke Reston is different in nature from other Grand Duke titles! It’s absurd to say he passed it on just because it was bothersome.”
Kylian, who had seen and learned things as a member of the imperial family in the palace, exclaimed firmly.
“Why? Isn’t it the same Grand Duke title?”
“It’s different!”
Kylian’s face was flushed as he firmly refuted. It was because a chance to look impressive in front of Eloise had just appeared.
“It’s said that 90 percent of the gem mines mined in the Empire are concentrated in the north! To be precise, it’s hard to gauge, but there are even rumors that their wealth surpasses that of the imperial family.”
“Really?”
Encouraged by Eloise’s response, Kylian raised his voice.
“That’s not all! The Grand Duke of Reston holds autonomy over the north. That means he doesn’t need to be constrained by central politics. Which, in turn, means he is free from the Emperor’s grasp.”
“So even the Emperor can’t easily lay a hand on him?”
“Exactly!”
Kylian shrugged and nodded, then turned his head to Alex.
“I’m right, aren’t I!”
“……”
Alex was speechless at the sight of Kylian, whose eyes were shining proudly.
‘For children to be talking about the shady dealings of political strife…’
At that moment, a monotonous compliment was heard.
“For your young age, you have an excellent grasp of the political situation. Well done, young master.”
As Cain, stiff as a machine, gave a rare compliment, Kylian’s shoulders, which were already shrugged up, rose even higher.
“Of course, this is easy for me!”
“In that case, it seems it’s time for you to start your lessons as well, young master.”
At Cain’s following words, Kylian’s raised shoulders slumped back down.
“Eh, that’s… no! I’m busy with swordsmanship training right now.”
Kylian hastily spat out words, trying to escape the suddenly looming crisis.
“You learned things while in the imperial palace, and you just said it was easy, so it shouldn’t be difficult at all.”
But it was useless against Cain, who was like an impregnable fortress.
“Ugh……”
“Young lady, are you preparing well for your exam? It’s tomorrow.”
“I know……”
Alex, who had escaped the political topic thanks to Cain, comforted the children with a relieved expression.
“I told him in advance to take it easy and not make it strenuous. So don’t worry.”
Seeing the children’s still gloomy faces, Alex looked concerned.
‘I left matters related to studies to Cain, but aren’t they both too young? They should be out playing…’
He was already worried about Eloise, who was too engrossed in her studies. Thinking that he needed to discuss the children’s lessons again, Alex brought his coffee cup to his lips. Then, the faint scent of coffee reminded him of the earlier situation, and he paused. Swept by an anxiety of not knowing what other difficult situation he might fall into, Alex stood up.
“I should get going now……”
He trailed off, having forgotten his usual morning greeting in his haste to leave quickly.
“Eloise, Kylian, I love you. Have a good day today.”
The look in Alex’s eyes as he gazed at the children softened like the warm comfort of the spring sunshine.
“I love you too! Have a good day, Your Grace.”
“…Yes, m-me too.”
Eloise responded with a bright smile.
Kylian stammered, his face bright red.
Alex let out a light laugh at the children’s different reactions.
He acted nonchalant during the greeting, but the moment Alex left the Arden Garden, he plopped down. The parenting books said that anything could happen, but…
If they were going to write that in the book, shouldn’t they also write exactly what would happen? Or at least write down how to deal with it. Shifting the blame to the poor author of the parenting book, Alex let out a deep sigh.
“Sigh… I never thought I’d face hardship because of coffee.”
The political issues were troublesome, but the most troublesome thing was the coffee. When he saw the children lovingly reaching out their hands, he wanted to give them not just mere coffee, but the most precious things. But he couldn’t just do as he pleased.
‘It said that giving gifts without setting rules could ruin their sense of financial responsibility…’
Recalling the underlined sentence from the parenting book last night, Alex swallowed hard.
‘Then, to what extent should I give gifts?’
Complaining about the parenting book’s lack of detail, Alex fell into deep thought.
“Both are of a young age, so it’s natural for them to be curious about things adults enjoy. You can just deflect it appropriately.”
Not knowing that Alex’s worries had already strayed from coffee to a different direction, Cain comforted him.
‘Appropriately! Right, just like the last time I gave a gift, I should give it appropriately.’
Taking a hint from Cain’s words, Alex shook off his worries and stood up abruptly. Having resolved his dilemma, Alex was about to head to his office when he clutched his forehead.
“Your Highness, are you alright?”
From coffee to political issues, and even the scale of gifts… Alex’s head was protesting from fatigue after all the hardships since morning. It hadn’t even been half a day, but it felt like he had stayed up for three days and nights.
“I’ll just stop by the training grounds for an hour.”
Alex headed to the training grounds to clear his head.
“Your Excellency, you’re here? Let’s spar! I was waiting for you.”
“Sure, that should definitely clear my head.”
Responding to the messed-up honorifics, Alex rubbed his tired eyes. Even without looking, he knew there was only one person who would greet him like that.
“…What is it?”
Alex’s trudging footsteps halted abruptly at an ominous scent.
‘This ominous scent that reminds me of the difficult breakfast time, it can’t be…’
Alex cautiously raised his head. Riena, leaning against a wooden sword stuck in the ground and drinking coffee, looked extremely relaxed. Unlike himself, who had just been through a series of hardships.
“What do you mean, ‘what is it’? It’s coffee. Want some? You look so busy? You look exhausted.”
Riena retorted, raising her coffee cup. On the ground, knights who had been sacrificed under the pretext of sparring to relieve Riena’s stress were already lying scattered.
“Coffee!”
Alex suddenly shouted, causing Riena to scowl fiercely.
“Shut up! If you want coffee, tell the servants! What’s with the fuss since morning?”
“Coffee is now banned in Reston Manor!”
“What nonsense is this! Are you crazy?”
At Alex’s thunderous declaration, the knights sprawled on the ground hurriedly tried to get up. But they couldn’t possibly talk back like Riena. For the first time, the knights fervently cheered on their always self-centered superior, Riena.
“It’s an order from your lord!”
“It’s a retort from your subordinate!”
Cain, who was sitting and resting in a corner of the training grounds, spat out a sigh at the scene before him.
“Ah……”
The coffee he had received early by ordering a servant, intending to wait for Alex, was in his hand. Cain looked at the coffee cup for a moment, then without hesitation, poured the coffee onto the ground.
‘I should have gone to the office first… Then I could have had at least one more sip, why of all times…’
Cain looked at the discarded coffee with a gaze full of regret. But, being the loyal aide that he was, Cain did not stop the act of discarding the coffee.
