/
After a long moment of astonishment and confusion, the emperor looked at the young prince.
The eyes that were looking at the prince, who went through a lot of hardship this whole day, were tender, but it wasn’t a gaze looking at a son.
It was similar to when he looked at me when I entered the palace for the first time to have an audience with him.
A person between numerous people of this nation that he should take responsibility for.
No more than that.
The emperor, although he didn’t wear the face of a father, but the face of a wise king, asked.
“What do you think of it, Prince?”
The prince looked at me again.
Since I already knew that he had a rather big misunderstanding, I thought he would say that he would stay at the palace.
On top of that, didn’t Zen and Bertin threatened him using murderous words like ‘eliminating or whatever’ it was?
And I was close enough with those two people.
In addition, looking at the repulsion he showed toward Orion’s attitude now, it seemed like the story he told me in the forest was true.
There was no doubt Orion didn’t really care about his student, the prince.
While everyone’s gaze was focused on me, the eyes of Young Duke Bolton were directed at me for the first time.
The flat eyes that weren’t expressing any emotion made me terrified.
“I’ll . . .”
The prince’s lips, which had been tightly closed the whole time, opened with difficulty.
As if he was awkward with the gazes swarmed at him, he looked down and slowly nodded his head.
The prince’s nape turned red.
“I’ll do that. I want to recuperate in Miller Duchy and receive lessons from Master, Your Majesty.”
Everyone looked surprised at the unexpected answer.
Meanwhile, Orion looked at me triumphantly as if that was to be expected.
I said nothing to his gaze and quietly looked at the prince.
The gaze of the father-son that called each other Prince and Your Majesty met in a very short time.
“You want to stay in the Duchy and recuperate for a while?”
“Yes.”
The prince answered in earnest.
“I want to get a little stronger through the life lesson given by Master.”
“I see that Young Duke Miller cares about the prince more than I thought. I didn’t realize that you two are this close.”
“Master has been a genuine teacher as always.”
I was sure he was praising the close relationship between Orion and the prince, but the emperor’s gaze looked at me.
Even the prince answered while looking at me.
Orion also kept looking at me.
Why are the three of you only looking at me?
I felt it unfair.
I still hadn’t said anything to Orion.
I couldn’t understand why they looked at me when he only invited the prince to the Duchy as he pleased.
If I am the one who invites him, then I wouldn’t feel wronged . . .
I believed the emperor knew about that.
The fact that there was no teacher-pupil affection between the prince and Orion.
Nevertheless, the prince insisted that Orion was a genuine teacher and wanted to serve him by his side.
“Ah, I am also thinking about seriously giving lessons to the prince. I think I will do that. To do that, I’ll try to brace myself together.”
Orion also volunteered to take care of the prince with words that didn’t contain any sincerity.
The nobles that were watching the ridiculous play with no sincerity of the involved parties, were looking serious and whispered.
Perhaps they were analyzing the reason Miller Family took care of the second prince, or the cause of his movement.
It was fortunate that there were no nobles that could come closer here thanks to the impenetrable guard of Young Duke Bolton.
“I see.”
I couldn’t know whether the simple answer of the emperor was his approval to Orion’s request or simply meant he understood the prince’s opinion.
“It’s funny to argue about this issue for a long time over countless victims.”
The emperor’s gaze headed far away.
The place his gaze reached was the bodies that were still being recovered and the nobles whispering.
“I will respect the Prince’s opinion. For the time being, stay at the Miller Duchy and take good care of your injured body and mind.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
With a pale face that had not yet recovered, the prince bowed with courtesy.
The emperor’s gaze that soon turned to Young Duke Bolton, didn’t turn to the prince ever again.
The talk ended lightly and neatly.
Even though this was an issue about the imperial prince leaving the palace and staying in the mansion of a high-ranking noble.
While the prince walked to the carriage accompanied with the guard and boarded it, Orion came closer to me and patted my shoulder.
As if comforting me that if I waited a bit more we could go home.
“Why did you ask for the prince to stay at the Duchy?”
He answered the question, which I asked after hesitating, with confidence.
“Because you look like you want to do that.”
“. . .”
“I don’t think you’ve ever been truly happy with things I do for you because you don’t really want anything from me.”
He looked at me and smiled affectionately.
“But you were making a face like you’re worrying about the prince, so I decided to take the chance.”
Orion’s words made me speechless.
Orion then looked at me with an innocent face and asked.
“What do you think? This time, I’m correct, right?”
I only touched my skirt and crumpled it once without giving him an answer.