REDA | Chapter 26

~Chapter 26~

“The royal palace?”

“Yes.”

Duke Lux pulled out a fancy envelope from the pile of letters stacked on his desk and handed it to Ruby.

“May I look at it?”

“I wouldn’t hand it to you otherwise.”

Ruby accepted the envelope. In the center was the luxurious seal of the empire — the twin-headed dragon, symbol of the royal family.

Her heart pounded.

She opened it. After a long, formal greeting, the letter invited Duke Lux’s new grandchildren to the royal palace.

“So, the palace has learned of our existence.”

“You’ve been searching for tutors so loudly, it would be harder for them not to know. By now, the nobles are surely buzzing with rumors about you all.”

After all, the Lux ducal house was one of the most powerful families in the Baldur Empire. And now new heirs had suddenly appeared. It was only natural that people paid attention.

Except for Maria, the children were all legitimate heirs. Even if Duke Lux never acknowledged any of them as successors, the nobles would still take notice.

“That was faster than I expected.”

Ruby had already anticipated the royal family would eventually invite her. That was the reason she had asked Mark to teach her royal court etiquette.

But she hadn’t expected it to happen this soon. They hadn’t even had enough time to properly master noble etiquette yet.

“Well? Do you want to go?” Duke Lux asked.

Ruby was more shocked by the question than the invitation itself.

“You’re giving me the choice?”

“Of course. If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to.”

It was astonishing. An invitation from the palace was something nobles would never dare refuse — and yet Duke Lux was saying they could decline if they wished.

“No, I’ll go.”

Ruby didn’t use the option he gave her. From the moment she successfully entered the Duke’s household, she had set a plan. One of her main goals was to enter the palace.

There was someone she needed to meet there.

“There’s still some time, but until then, the children must perfect their etiquette.”

“Yes. I’ll take responsibility and make sure they don’t cause offense in the palace.”

Duke Lux gave her a doubtful look.

He knew very well how troublesome Calix and Sasha could be.

Ruby also understood why he reacted like that. Thinking that those two would sit quietly in the palace after learning a bit of etiquette was like saying a dragon could perform a ballroom dance.

Still, she trusted them. With proper guidance, they wouldn’t cause major trouble — at least, she hoped so.

“Well, even if they cause some trouble, I can handle it. Don’t worry. You may enter the palace.”

His reassurance made her feel steadier.

“Thank you, Grandfather.”

Ruby smiled brightly at his words.

For a moment, she thought Duke Lux’s face looked a little softer than usual. She blinked and rubbed her eyes — but no, his face was the same expressionless mask as always. She must have imagined it.

Duke Lux turned to Balt.

“Prepare everything for the children’s visit to the palace.”

“Yes, understood.”

Ruby looked down again at the invitation. The emperor’s intentions seemed to seep through the elegant handwriting. Ruby smirked slightly to herself.

***

Preparations for the visit to the palace moved quickly.

The children had luxurious outfits custom-made to fit them perfectly. The Duke hired professional tailors to come directly to the mansion.

Calix looked uncomfortable in his formal clothes, awkward and stiff.

Sasha, on the other hand, showed no sign of fatigue even after trying on several dresses. She seemed to enjoy it, as if she herself were a doll being dressed up.

“Sis, do I look pretty?”

“Yes, Sasha, you look the prettiest.”

Ruby herself felt awkward too, but she couldn’t show it in front of the children. They couldn’t wear casual clothes to the palace — they had to look proper.

Finally, the day came.

The children rode in the carriage with Duke Lux.

“Please return safely,” Balt and the servants said as they saw them off. Their faces were filled with worry.

But Calix and Sasha didn’t notice their concern at all. They waved happily.

“We’ll be back!”

“Me too, me too!”

“Kyaa!”

Inside the carriage, Ruby held baby Maria in her arms.

She had debated whether to bring Maria or not, but in the end, she decided to take her. Even if she wasn’t related by blood, Maria was still Duke Lux’s granddaughter, and Ruby wanted that to be clear.

Fortunately, Duke Lux hadn’t told her to leave the baby behind. He seemed indifferent, or simply didn’t care.

Maria was a quiet baby, unlikely to cry much, so she probably wouldn’t cause problems.

“Hyah!”

With the coachman’s loud call, the carriage departed for the royal palace.

Calix and Sasha, having no idea what the palace was really like, weren’t nervous at all. They just played around noisily.

“It’s dangerous to play rough in the carriage,” Ruby warned preemptively.

Luckily, they listened. They only teased each other about their fancy outfits instead of fighting.

“Hey, today you look so covered in lace, I can’t tell if you’re a person or a pile of fabric,” Calix teased Sasha.

“You’re ugly!” Sasha snapped back.

Calix was in a neat navy suit with his hair combed back and a tight bow tie choking his neck.

“It’s because of these weird clothes,” he muttered, tugging at the bow tie.

If Ruby hadn’t stopped him, his outfit would’ve been ruined already.

“You have to keep it on until after the palace visit.”

“But Sis, I can’t breathe!”

Ruby loosened it just a little.

“Don’t touch it anymore.”

“Tch.”

Clicking his tongue, Calix turned on Sasha again.

“Want me to loosen yours too, ugly?”

Sasha was also wearing a dress with lace wrapped around her neck.

“No! Sasha’s pretty right now.”

“Hah, anyone who sees you will laugh and roll on the floor.”

“No, Sasha’s a princess today!”

At that word, Ruby quickly grabbed Sasha’s shoulders and scolded firmly.

“Sasha, you mustn’t say ‘princess’ in the palace.”

“Why?”

“Because the real princes and princesses live there. Since you’re not a real princess, using that word would be very rude.”

“Rude?”

“Yes. And if you make such a mistake, they might throw you in prison. In prison, you won’t get good food, and you’ll never see your brother and me again.”

Sasha’s eyes welled with tears.

“I don’t want to be without you, Sis.”

Ruby quickly pulled out her handkerchief and wiped her tears.

“So then, in the palace, you won’t say things like ‘princess,’ right?”

“Sniff… okay.”

Sasha nodded obediently.

Ruby glanced at Duke Lux, who had silently watched the whole scene.

She had confidently promised that the children wouldn’t cause trouble at the palace, but moments like this made her anxious.

If they did make mistakes, how would Duke Lux react? Would he cover for them, as he’d said? Or would he stand aside, indifferent?

Perhaps sensing her gaze, Duke Lux turned his head toward her.
“What is it?”

“Sorry, Grandfather. The children are being noisy.”

But his reply was unexpected.
“Children are supposed to be like that, aren’t they?”

Instead of being annoyed, he sounded almost understanding.

“Well… yes, they are.”

Ruby was so surprised she stumbled over her words.

But Duke Lux simply glanced over the children once, then turned his head back toward the window. His attitude clearly said: I won’t mind even if they’re a little noisy.

Had he gotten used to them already, after living together for a while?

Ruby smiled softly and focused on looking after the children.

And soon—

“We’ve arrived.”