Translator: Blushy
Editor: Sam
âFelicia, the children are fine, so you can just let them do what they want.â
âBut Chris is naughty, so I donât know what sheâll do.â
Mark gently stopped Felicia, who tried to follow after Christine. Felicia and Christine are just like Lei and I, and are perfectly 10 years apart, no wait, 11 years apart. They were only acquaintances because I wasnât interested in them, but now that I think about it, Christine is the perfect age to be Leiâs playmate.
Like His Highness, I heard that she was a difficult child, but she doesnât seem like a problematic child so far. But, Gill rebuked me even though I hadnât done anything.
âLuke, you too. Lots of guards are with them, and I see the gardeners too. Sheâll be fine.â
âBut, Iâll miss the chance to see Leiâs cute figure trying to get the oranges.â
The oranges wonât fall like she wants them to, so sheâll be troubled on how to get them. So, Iâll be the gentle Onii-sama and say, âNii-sama will help you.â But Gill stopped me.
âAnd, youâre basically the master of this mansion. Entertain us.â
âEntertain you guys?â I looked at Gill in amazed.
âWhen the pipsqueaks come back, theyâll definitely make a fuss about snacks. Letâs prepare some.â
I looked around the room, and people were starting to prepare snacks lead by Natalie.
âI couldnât eat much at the party, so I want to sit down and eat something. The Albansâ chefs are famous,â Mark said, and everyone sat down. My attention was still on the greenhouse.
âEven so, Albans really dotes on his daughter,â Mark laughed.
âHe canât help but love her because he has such a cute daughter.â
âI think youâre at the most embarrassing age to say something like that.â
âIf I keep her at a distance because you said something like that, then sheâll grow up in no time at all,â I stressed to the laughing Mark. Weâve already been apart for more than half a year. I donât want to waste any more time.
âI wish my Okaa-sama would notice that too. Chris has gotten so big already.â
Feliciaâs gentle face clouded over. We couldnât say anything. Felicia was born to the Remingtons, and her eye colour matched with their House. Thus, they knew she had a lot of magic and was no longer worried about the next generation. Itâs fine as long as she had enough magic to maintain the barrier like the current Remington head, Ange-sama.
But, Ange-sama gave birth to another child. The Four Marquises usually only had one child who inherited their eye colours no matter how many siblings are birthed. So, they didnât care what eye colour the second child had. If a child with jade eyes had been born, then they might have struggled for succession.
The second childâs eyes resembled her Otou-sama. Naturally, she should be loved without pressure from being heir. But, Ange-sama lost interest in Christine when she saw that she had inherited her eyes from her Otou-sama, so she was neglected and grew up selfishly.
Ange-sama was similar to Otou-sama in that way. I love Otou-sama, but he wasnât a perfect person. He had neglected Lei when she was younger and was okay with it. Recently, I understood that there might be something missing in him. But, like how Iâm by Leiâs side, Felicia is by Christineâs side. This is important.
We had different opinions, but this was the first time the children of the Four Marquises were gathered together. Surprisingly, we were able to chat without getting into any quarrels, and the children came running back.
âNii-syama! Orange!â
Lei looks so cute carrying two large oranges with both hands while tottering this way. My bad, sheâs walking properly.
âOne for Nii-syama. One for Otou-sama,â she said as she gave me an orange.
âSo, you donât get one?â I asked, and His Highness Nicholas and Chris suddenly looked at the oranges in their hand. They didnât think of their portion.
âNii-syamaâs orange hawfiesh withh Lei. We geth awong weww.â (Nii-samaâs orange halfies with Lei. We get along well.)
âHalfies with Lei. That sounds nice.â
âOtou-syamaâs orange hawfiesh with Lei.â
âThatâs...â
So, only Lei will eat a whole big plump orange. It seems like something the gluttony Lei would think of. A cute way of thinking.
âLei, thatâs a good idea.â
âItâs brilliant.â
Prince Nico and Chris were impressed. But, the other side of the room was looking down and holding their stomach. It looked excruciating. Lei puffed out her chest.
âOf courshe! Lei picwed ith!â
âNo, you just picked them off the ground...â Prince Nico immediately said, but Lei cut him off, âI cheered!â
I see I can picture how they got the oranges now. Itâs a rare fruit, but it can be grown anywhere in a greenhouse, and itâs even sold in town. Everyone probably ate it in their houses a lot, but one picked by oneself might be exceptional.
âIâll eat the orange with Otou-sama later. Come, Natalie prepared some sweets.â
âSweethsh! Nico! Chrish!â
Leiâs attitude changed, and she invited Prince Nico and Chris to sit down.
âSay, Luke.â
âWhat is it, Felicia?â
âLei is Prince Nicoâs playmate, but I wonder how it really is,â Felicia said as she watched the three children eat and talk.
âThey study together in the morning, have lunch separately, and play together in the afternoon. She goes to the castle happily every day.â
âSo, theyâre actually studying hard.â
So thatâs what you were worried about.
âGill and I visit the castle once a week to teach them.â
âI heard about that, but youâre teaching them? Whatâre you teaching them?â
âMagic circulation.â
I can probably tell her this.
âI see. Magic circulation.â
She seemed nervous.
âThe Albans arenât people who suck up to the royal family. Rather, they keep their distance from them.â
Oh, a sensitive subject has been brought up. I donât want to be caught up in the expectations of adults.
âThe only House that wants to get close to the royal family is the Remingtons,â Mark casually said so that the children wouldnât hear him. If Otou-sama was here, he would probably say, âWhy are the Remingtons trying to get close to the royal family? Itâll only be annoying.â
âOkaa-sama is panicking a little because the Albans offered their daughter as the Princeâs playmate even though they donât want to get close to the royal family.â
âWe didnât offer her. We didnât want to. The only reason we let her be his playmate is that she would have more fun there, than being by herself in this mansion.â I corrected her quietly.
âThatâs just it. I wonder if Okaa-sama is pushing Chris to be Prince Nicoâs playmate because sheâs panicking.â
Mark, Gill and I looked at Felicia in surprise. Ange-sama aside, we didnât think Felicia would say that since she didnât seem to have any ambitions.