BSGE 64

Although the misunderstanding that her family members hated her was all resolved, even so, she still couldn’t easily adapt to that kind of eyes.

She only lost consciousness for a moment like a nap at most, but getting such intense nursing like this is also….

‘I mean, it doesn’t even hurt that much either.’

At the still awkward atmosphere, Beatty pressed down the innocent white blanket only for no reason.

‘I’m not even some kind of dandelion spore, though….’

Worried that it’ll be crushed if one held it and fly away if one blew on it.

It really felt like she became a fluffy white spore that would fly away if one blew it.

Even at the sight of Beatty stumbling over her wrong foot when she got down from the bed, the family members reacted violently as if the Duke’s Castle had tilted.

Thanks to it, Beatty had to be helplessly locked up in her bedroom for days, but even so.

‘Worry… so this is how it feels to receive it.’

Even the excessive interest that someone would consider it frustrating, it felt good to Beatty, who had never actually felt the obvious thing called familial attention.

Beatty, whose cheeks somehow became burning hot, dry washed her face as if she was removing her shyness.

Knock, knock.

At that time, a knock sound was heard from the outside.

“A visiting guest has arrived.”

At the sound of the words, Beatty looked puzzled.

‘Just who is it?’

Unlike Beatty, who tilted her head because recalling whether there was anyone who’d come finding her, Carl bluntly crumpled his face as if he knew who the guest was.

“He really came because I told him to come? He’s annoying.”

Unlike Carl, who clicked his tongue while criticizing him openly, the Duke had his usual cold expression.

“Baby.”

“Yes?”

“If you are uncomfortable with the visit, you can reject it.”

“Huh? No, it’s alright.”

At the words which worried her, Beatty answered as her cheeks blushed, but the Duke’s face became darker, unlike usual.

“Are you really okay? If you’re uncomfortable, I won’t let whoever that is take even a step in.”

The Duke was still expressionless, but he very actively emphasized again saying that she can reject the visit if she was uncomfortable with it even a little bit.

Exactly like someone who wishes her to say rejects it.

‘No, I mean, why?’

Even if she doesn’t reject it, don’t they can’t even request a visit at all if Father doesn’t want it?

While the Aslan family was talking between themselves inside, the door was opened.

“Oh!”

Beatty’s eyes became round.

“Long time no see, Lady.”

The visiting guest who came through the open door, Ather greeted as he put on an eye smile towards Beatty who opened wide her eyes.

“….”

The Duke looked at the First Prince’s loafing face displeasingly, as he recalled the time when he had requested for a visit.

***

“Is the Little Lady okay?”

“Tsk.”

At Ather’s question—he used the cute ‘Little Lady’ title which suits Little Star as he wishes at places where Beatty can’t listen—Carl clicked his tongue before him.

“No, I mean, are you saying that she’s okay or is she not?”

“….”

Turning his head with a sour look, Carl showed no signs at all of answering his friend’s question.

In the end, Ather turned his head to the Duke and opened his mouth.

“Your Excellency the Duke?”

“What is it.”

“About Aslan’s Little Lady—”

“I saw the report that the First Prince brought to me well.”

The Duke cut off Ather’s unfinished words as he said.

“Aslan spare no repay on what we received. Please tell me what you want.”

Trying to reveal that it was a courtesy to the family’s benefactor, the Duke, who could talk informally to anyone other than the King, asked with honorifics.

“Uhm. No, the repayment is alright.”

However, this time, Ather neatly cut the flow of conversation that the Duke was trying to lead.

“It was purely a personal favor.”

That’s the thing, since he dislikes leaving a ‘personal’ favor that is associated with Baby, he’s trying to erase it with a huge reward, though.

“If you don’t want wealth, I can lend the Family’s power. Isn’t that what the First Prince needs?”

“Haha. It’s really alright.”

Pretending not to understand the Duke’s real intention, Ather said his request with a calm expression.

“Rather than that, I’d like to visit Aslan’s Little Lady.”

“….”

The Duke’s gaze at the First Prince became extremely cold.

‘Tsk.’

The Duke clicked his tongue inside at the attitude saying that he wouldn’t drop down after receiving the reward obediently. 

When the Duke saw him at the battlefield before, he did think that the First Prince was a decent lumber who had quite a military talent for the King’s son, but.

‘You insidious reptile.’

Either a snake or a dragon.

As expected, reptile shapeshifters can’t be trusted.

Looking at Ather who’s trying to be related to Baby, the Duke erased the good evaluation he had made before without a trace and his eyes were set ablaze with anger.

“Your Excellency the Duke?”

Smiling while urging permission to visit, Ather had already been downgraded to a persistent leech in the Duke’s eyes.

Anyway, he could never ignore his contribution which was bringing the report.

Grit.

In the end, the Duke, who had to conditionally accept the First Prince’s request, gritted his teeth.

***

‘If it weren’t for that only.’

If only he had figured out what happened to Baby first.

Originally, it was information that could be figured out even from the Aslan Family, which has long potential.

However, the problem was the discharge, which spread too wide during the Great War.

In order to grasp the trend of the enemy kingdom which come in groups, the information network, which they had, had to spread outside the kingdom.

Moreover, the Capital, in which as much as the Royal Family held a position in there, is even originally a place with many secrets, so it takes a considerable amount of time to investigate.

Since he had to order the informants, who were out in various places over the Continent there, to return and deploy them, it took much more time.

Although eventually, no matter how it was, if he got on the wrong side of the King for this once only, the First Prince, who was the eldest son whose biological mother was from the East Continent’s Imperial Family and based in the Capital, couldn’t do anything else but to take the lead in the speed of information gathering.

Since it’s investigating his own front yard.

Although he hates to give permission, he extremely hates it. Since he has contributed anyway, which was discovering Baby’s situation first.

‘But that’s that.’

The Duke, who couldn’t help but give permission to his visit, attached conditions to that.

Maintain a proper distance.

Contact is absolutely not possible.

An unnecessary conversation is forbidden.

Immediate leave in circumstances of giving discomfort to Baby, etc.

Feeling the energy that came out from the Duke’s body, who poured out precautions one after another in a low voice, Ather muttered, “Murderous energy?” with an absurd face, but he didn’t even remember anything like that.

‘After he broke even one of it….’

While recalling the conditions which are all difficult even to remember, the Duke watched the First Prince closely with a sharp eye.

He was fully willing to stretch the meaning of the range of the precautions.

The appropriate distance is outside Baby’s sight, and contact is, of course, a hand kiss, also including a handshake, and unnecessary conversation is all words that others, who are not family, talk to Baby.

Especially, unacceptable things are the act of giving discomfort to Baby.

Doesn’t a person squint their eyes when they feel uncomfortable?

Although seeing Baby’s figure, it seems that she was still only surprised by the First Prince’s visit, who came to find her unnecessarily.

‘If Baby’s eyes squint even a little bit, I’ll kick him out immediately.’

If there is a frowning sign as big as a fingernail only wherever it is on Baby’s eyebrows, forehead, and pupils, the Duke intended to kick him out right away.

As such, Ather was in a crisis of being kicked out of the room just by Beatty sneezing.

“Lady. I’m here to see the face I haven’t seen in a while.”

But, unaware of his critical situation, Ather approached Beatty as he smiled brightly.

For Ather, due to the tight watch of the lions who didn’t leave Beatty’s side, who’s sick—the Duke and Carl thought so—it was Beatty whom he couldn’t visit even with his shapeshifter appearance and saw her after a few days.

“How’s your body?”

“Ah.”

Since it was an unexpected concern which is mixed in his voice, Beatty blinked once and opened her mouth.

“I’m alright now. Thank you for your concern.”

Bow. Ather hurriedly stopped her from trying to lower her head.

“Surely it’s a natural thing to worry about a sick person.”

‘Is that so?’

Beatty, who had never seen anyone who worries about her being sick besides the Duke and Carl in her life until now, tilted her head.

“I heard that the Capital’s matter was also been told by Your Highness.”

Embezzlement of the childcare cost. The Employee’s torment was done by Aunt’s control.

If the misunderstanding had not been resolved like this, she would never even known that she was being treated unjustly and would overlook it.

‘No, even more than that….’

Because she knew the true feelings of her family through this time’s matter, Beatty felt grateful to Ather who gave her the opportunity.

It’s still awkward, but the perception of being a ‘person she’s thankful for’ has been added to what she had thought of only as Older Brother’s friend.

Beatty delivers her thank which is from the bottom of her heart.

“Thank you very much. Your Highness Ather.”

The black eyes, which he thought it was like the night sky with stars, folded and gave off a sun-like impression.

At the smile that came closer more intensely than the sunlight, Ather hardened for a moment.

The boy, who was lost in Beatty’s smile and couldn’t even think about his usual shameless reaction, soon closed his eyes.

“Don’t mention it.”

It was the first time he had heard such a sincere thank you like this from someone and not the ones that included some kind of calculations or scheme.

‘Little Star surely has always been like that.’

The girl, Little Star always gave him the first one.

The fact that she looked directly into his eyes, showed fearless eyes, and also showed an expression which is full of sincerity only.

It was all his Little Star.

The boy’s smile, which showed pure happiness, had a tremendous ripple effect.

Blink, blink.

While reacting like when she saw something dazzling without realizing it herself, Beatty blinked.

It was an unrealistic sight as much as it made her want to rub her eyes, wondering whether it was a real masterpiece.

“The Lady’s smile is my joy.”

Fortunately, at the sly word for it to be a boy inside a masterpiece, Beatty quickly returned to reality.