‘...I wonder if Aila is doing well.’
Winfred stared out the window, lost in thought. It had been quite some time since Aila had returned home, and he hadn't seen her since.
Of course, it's not like he hadn't heard the news at all.
Rumors had it that the Duchess had invited a famous designer to her mansion to buy her daughter some clothes, and that she had officially begun training her daughter to become her successor.
'But I still want to see you...'
He lowered his head with a sullen look.
Noah must have grown a lot, too. It's been several months since he has seen the baby, who grows so fast that he wouldn't recognize him even if he hadn't seen him for a month.
"Why don't we go see Noah? And while we're at it, why don't we take a look at Aila's face too?"
The Duke's house said they wouldn't be accepting guests for the time being until Aila gets used to it, but if he keeps nagging, he might be able to go once.
Winfred pouted.
'No. I decided to be more mature.'
He clenched his fists with a determined expression.
It had been so long since he promised himself that he would become an adult and earn Roderick's trust, but he couldn't afford to lose points by being stubborn like a child.
They were going to meet anyway once things settled down. After all, Aila had personally asked him to do something for Scott and Debbie.
'Since she said she was grateful to people, she'll definitely visit me someday.'
Aila's personality was such that she would leave her benefactor in someone else's care and ignore him.
So Winfred, who had been trying to be patient, thinking that she would contact him soon, tilted his head at the sudden sense of discomfort.
"What? Something's bothering me."
There was something strange, but she couldn't remember what it was.
He scribbled incomprehensible doodles with a fancy quill, and his mind wandered for a long time, trying to find the source of the discomfort.
And then, a little later.
“Huh?”
The identity of the inexplicable sense of unease finally dawned on Winfred.
‘...The timing is not right.’
It was during a chance encounter in the Inselkov Kingdom that Aila asked him for a safe place to hide her benefactors, and it was after she returned to the Empire that she met Debbie and Scott.
If the couple hadn't lied, this was their first time meeting Aila. Didn't Aila, as if she knew everything, prepare a plan to save them in advance?
"There's no way my uncle would have told her in advance... And did Aila figure out the plan on her own? No, even if that were the case... Aila clearly said they were people she was grateful to. There's no reason to be grateful to people you haven't even met yet."
His head became confused.
Could Aila possibly possess the ability to foresee the future? As the daughter of the brilliant sorceress Ophelia, she might have been born with magical abilities, but even the most gifted sorceresses could never accurately predict the future.
It was while Winfred was sorting out his mind, which was full of questions and confusion.
“Ahem, ahem.”
A familiar cough came from the doorway. It was from his father, Hiram, Emperor of the Peles Empire.
“Ah, Father. You’re here.”
“What are you thinking so deeply about that you can’t hear me even when I knock?”
His father grumbled, his lips pursed, as if he had been waiting for him for a long time.
“It’s nothing. What brings you here?”
When Winfred, who was feeling unnecessarily embarrassed, asked in a deliberately calmer voice, Hiram opened his mouth with a mischievous grin.
"The painting that this father said he'd give you as a birthday present just arrived. When you're done, would you like to go see it together?"
“Wow, really?”
He had promised to get him a painting by his favorite artist for his upcoming sixteenth birthday. At the news that the painting had arrived at the palace, joy spread across Winfred's face. He felt ready to run to the painting at any moment.
But he sighed deeply as if trying to calm himself down, and soon returned to a calm expression.
"Now that our schedule is over, it would be nice to look at the paintings together for once. Let's go, Father."
It was a sight that was perfectly in accordance with etiquette, without a single flaw.
Although it would have been gratifying to see the Crown Prince, who could be called an exemplary figure, Hiram looked at his son with a bewildered expression.
It was because it was such an unfamiliar sight.
Of course, up until now, whenever there were visitors to the palace, his appearance wasn't much different from his current one. To outsiders, he had always presented himself as a polite and respectable Crown Prince.
But in private, like now, his son was always lively and innocent.
If it were any other day, he would have jumped up and run over to see the painting by his favorite artist, but what kind of wind suddenly blew and made him walk so leisurely?
Hiram watched his son's side profile as he walked calmly, worried that something might have happened to him.
'It's not really leisurely... absolutely not.'
Winfred was clearly trying to suppress his urge to hurry and pretend to be calm.
Hiram pondered this awkward scene. Come to think of it, Winfred's attitude had seemed a little different recently.
It was funny how he would quickly get angry and flinch whenever he teased him, but lately he's been trying to act gentle and not lose his temper.
At the time, Hiram thought maybe his pranks were too formulaic and he needed to develop a new repertoire, but now that he looks back, it doesn't seem to be that problem.
“Ahem. Winfred.”
“Yes, father.”
"It seems you don't like your father's gift as much as I thought. If you really liked it, you'd be jumping for joy by now."
Hiram asked with a sullen look on his face, his shoulders slumped, and a feigned look of disappointment.
"No way. It's a painting I've always wanted. I'm sixteen now, and I can't act like a child forever. I need to grow up."
Winfred shrugged.
As he grows older, he must mature. It wasn't wrong. But it was clear to see that he was barely able to suppress the urge to run.
“...Ahem.”
Hiram, feeling uneasy for no reason, cleared his throat.
It was natural for him to grow older and mature. He also knew that Winfred couldn't remain a bright, cheerful child in his arms forever.
However, the changes that were happening to Winfred now were a little different from the natural aging process.
He felt bad because it felt like Winfred was covering himself up with a false image, something he'd worked hard to create, rather than something genuine. Becoming an adult and letting go of one's true self were two different things.
Hiram watched silently while his son admired the painting. Even as Winfred was about to exclaim in admiration, he looked around and wore a strange expression, as if he was suppressing an itch.
“Thank you so much, Father. The picture is so beautiful.”
"Well, I'm glad you like it. You said you were done with work, right? Then why don't you have a cup of tea with me?"
Hiram asked with a gentle expression. His usual playfulness was gone, and his demeanor was serious.
“Oh, yes. I’ll have them prepare the tea.”
Although he felt strange seeing his father like that, Winfred nodded and gave the order to prepare refreshments.
And after a while, a tea table was set up.
Even as he sipped his tea, Winfred kept studying his father's face. Judging by his gentle expression, he wasn't angry, but he couldn't understand why he had suddenly become so serious.
“Excuse me... Father, is there anything you would like to say to me?”
When he finally couldn't contain his curiosity and asked this question, Hiram put down his teacup, still smiling affectionately.
"Winfred, I don't know why you're suddenly trying to act so mature, but... I hope you don't get impatient. There's no need to suddenly become mature just because you're sixteen."
“...”
Winfred put down his teacup and closed his mouth tightly.
It wasn't really because he was trying to become more mature by getting a year older.
But it's not like he can say, 'I like Aola, so I want to be trustworthy to be recognized by the Duke of Weishaffen.'
“I just want to be a trustworthy person.”
After thinking for a moment, he opened his mouth, leaving out the story about Aila and Roderick.
"But that doesn't mean you suddenly have to hold back on the things you want to do. Wouldn't it be frustrating to hold back like that? You'll end up sick."
“...But.”
Winfred, who knew what his father was saying, still felt the need to grow up, pouting and mumbling.
At that sight, Hiram smiled brightly and asked.
"Hey, Win. What do you think of this father? Does he seem like a grown man?"
Winfred stared out the window, lost in thought. It had been quite some time since Aila had returned home, and he hadn't seen her since.
Of course, it's not like he hadn't heard the news at all.
Rumors had it that the Duchess had invited a famous designer to her mansion to buy her daughter some clothes, and that she had officially begun training her daughter to become her successor.
'But I still want to see you...'
He lowered his head with a sullen look.
Noah must have grown a lot, too. It's been several months since he has seen the baby, who grows so fast that he wouldn't recognize him even if he hadn't seen him for a month.
"Why don't we go see Noah? And while we're at it, why don't we take a look at Aila's face too?"
The Duke's house said they wouldn't be accepting guests for the time being until Aila gets used to it, but if he keeps nagging, he might be able to go once.
Winfred pouted.
'No. I decided to be more mature.'
He clenched his fists with a determined expression.
It had been so long since he promised himself that he would become an adult and earn Roderick's trust, but he couldn't afford to lose points by being stubborn like a child.
They were going to meet anyway once things settled down. After all, Aila had personally asked him to do something for Scott and Debbie.
'Since she said she was grateful to people, she'll definitely visit me someday.'
Aila's personality was such that she would leave her benefactor in someone else's care and ignore him.
So Winfred, who had been trying to be patient, thinking that she would contact him soon, tilted his head at the sudden sense of discomfort.
"What? Something's bothering me."
There was something strange, but she couldn't remember what it was.
He scribbled incomprehensible doodles with a fancy quill, and his mind wandered for a long time, trying to find the source of the discomfort.
And then, a little later.
“Huh?”
The identity of the inexplicable sense of unease finally dawned on Winfred.
‘...The timing is not right.’
It was during a chance encounter in the Inselkov Kingdom that Aila asked him for a safe place to hide her benefactors, and it was after she returned to the Empire that she met Debbie and Scott.
If the couple hadn't lied, this was their first time meeting Aila. Didn't Aila, as if she knew everything, prepare a plan to save them in advance?
"There's no way my uncle would have told her in advance... And did Aila figure out the plan on her own? No, even if that were the case... Aila clearly said they were people she was grateful to. There's no reason to be grateful to people you haven't even met yet."
His head became confused.
Could Aila possibly possess the ability to foresee the future? As the daughter of the brilliant sorceress Ophelia, she might have been born with magical abilities, but even the most gifted sorceresses could never accurately predict the future.
It was while Winfred was sorting out his mind, which was full of questions and confusion.
“Ahem, ahem.”
A familiar cough came from the doorway. It was from his father, Hiram, Emperor of the Peles Empire.
Winfred, who had intended to exchange affectionate greetings like a wealthy man in an ordinary household as usual, composed himself and offered a formal greeting.
“What are you thinking so deeply about that you can’t hear me even when I knock?”
His father grumbled, his lips pursed, as if he had been waiting for him for a long time.
“It’s nothing. What brings you here?”
When Winfred, who was feeling unnecessarily embarrassed, asked in a deliberately calmer voice, Hiram opened his mouth with a mischievous grin.
"The painting that this father said he'd give you as a birthday present just arrived. When you're done, would you like to go see it together?"
“Wow, really?”
He had promised to get him a painting by his favorite artist for his upcoming sixteenth birthday. At the news that the painting had arrived at the palace, joy spread across Winfred's face. He felt ready to run to the painting at any moment.
But he sighed deeply as if trying to calm himself down, and soon returned to a calm expression.
"Now that our schedule is over, it would be nice to look at the paintings together for once. Let's go, Father."
It was a sight that was perfectly in accordance with etiquette, without a single flaw.
Although it would have been gratifying to see the Crown Prince, who could be called an exemplary figure, Hiram looked at his son with a bewildered expression.
It was because it was such an unfamiliar sight.
Of course, up until now, whenever there were visitors to the palace, his appearance wasn't much different from his current one. To outsiders, he had always presented himself as a polite and respectable Crown Prince.
But in private, like now, his son was always lively and innocent.
If it were any other day, he would have jumped up and run over to see the painting by his favorite artist, but what kind of wind suddenly blew and made him walk so leisurely?
Hiram watched his son's side profile as he walked calmly, worried that something might have happened to him.
'It's not really leisurely... absolutely not.'
Winfred was clearly trying to suppress his urge to hurry and pretend to be calm.
Hiram pondered this awkward scene. Come to think of it, Winfred's attitude had seemed a little different recently.
It was funny how he would quickly get angry and flinch whenever he teased him, but lately he's been trying to act gentle and not lose his temper.
At the time, Hiram thought maybe his pranks were too formulaic and he needed to develop a new repertoire, but now that he looks back, it doesn't seem to be that problem.
“Ahem. Winfred.”
“Yes, father.”
"It seems you don't like your father's gift as much as I thought. If you really liked it, you'd be jumping for joy by now."
Hiram asked with a sullen look on his face, his shoulders slumped, and a feigned look of disappointment.
"No way. It's a painting I've always wanted. I'm sixteen now, and I can't act like a child forever. I need to grow up."
Winfred shrugged.
As he grows older, he must mature. It wasn't wrong. But it was clear to see that he was barely able to suppress the urge to run.
“...Ahem.”
Hiram, feeling uneasy for no reason, cleared his throat.
It was natural for him to grow older and mature. He also knew that Winfred couldn't remain a bright, cheerful child in his arms forever.
However, the changes that were happening to Winfred now were a little different from the natural aging process.
He felt bad because it felt like Winfred was covering himself up with a false image, something he'd worked hard to create, rather than something genuine. Becoming an adult and letting go of one's true self were two different things.
Hiram watched silently while his son admired the painting. Even as Winfred was about to exclaim in admiration, he looked around and wore a strange expression, as if he was suppressing an itch.
“Thank you so much, Father. The picture is so beautiful.”
"Well, I'm glad you like it. You said you were done with work, right? Then why don't you have a cup of tea with me?"
Hiram asked with a gentle expression. His usual playfulness was gone, and his demeanor was serious.
“Oh, yes. I’ll have them prepare the tea.”
Although he felt strange seeing his father like that, Winfred nodded and gave the order to prepare refreshments.
And after a while, a tea table was set up.
Even as he sipped his tea, Winfred kept studying his father's face. Judging by his gentle expression, he wasn't angry, but he couldn't understand why he had suddenly become so serious.
“Excuse me... Father, is there anything you would like to say to me?”
When he finally couldn't contain his curiosity and asked this question, Hiram put down his teacup, still smiling affectionately.
"Winfred, I don't know why you're suddenly trying to act so mature, but... I hope you don't get impatient. There's no need to suddenly become mature just because you're sixteen."
“...”
Winfred put down his teacup and closed his mouth tightly.
It wasn't really because he was trying to become more mature by getting a year older.
But it's not like he can say, 'I like Aola, so I want to be trustworthy to be recognized by the Duke of Weishaffen.'
“I just want to be a trustworthy person.”
After thinking for a moment, he opened his mouth, leaving out the story about Aila and Roderick.
"But that doesn't mean you suddenly have to hold back on the things you want to do. Wouldn't it be frustrating to hold back like that? You'll end up sick."
“...But.”
Winfred, who knew what his father was saying, still felt the need to grow up, pouting and mumbling.
At that sight, Hiram smiled brightly and asked.
"Hey, Win. What do you think of this father? Does he seem like a grown man?"
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