~Chapter 35~
The reason Ruby decided to take the children with her to the Cardonia territory was because she wanted to give them some relief.
At home, Calix and Sasha had always been wild like little foals, running around the whole village. But ever since moving into the Lux mansion, they had obediently stayed indoors, only leaving when they were taken to the palace.
That must have been terribly suffocating for children like them. So Ruby thought this trip would give them some fresh air, while also letting her personally check on the problems of Cardonia.
Of course, she had asked Grand Duke Lux to come along because the children needed an adult guardian. Even if Ruby’s mind was that of a twenty-year-old adult, her body was still that of a ten-year-old child. If something serious happened, she wouldn’t be able to take full responsibility.
She had asked him on the off chance he’d agree, and surprisingly, he had accepted without much resistance.
And so, just like when they first went to the palace, Grand Duke Lux now sat across from the children in the carriage. But this time, they would be together for an entire day.
“Wow, Ruby, look outside!” Calix shouted excitedly as soon as they got in.
He was clearly thrilled just by the thought of leaving the mansion.
Sasha, not wanting to be left out, climbed up on the seat to lean her body toward the window.
Ruby, worried she might fall, quickly sat next to her.
“Calix, keep a close eye on Sasha. If she falls, catch her right away.”
Since Ruby was holding Maria in her arms, she couldn’t catch Sasha herself. All she could do was watch.
“Don’t lean. Just sit,” Calix said, pushing Sasha back onto her seat as if to stop her from falling.
But Sasha wasn’t the type to give up so easily. She pushed back against Calix’s strength and stood up again.
“No! Sasha wants to see too!”
“You little brat, never listening.” Calix shoved her down again.
This time, Sasha puffed her cheeks in anger and swung her fist at him.
“Don’t, Sasha!” Ruby cried out in alarm.
Thud.
But the small fist didn’t land. A large hand caught it mid-air.
The children’s eyes turned toward the same spot.
“Both of you, sit still and look outside quietly,” Grand Duke Lux said in a low, commanding voice.
That one sentence was enough to completely freeze the children.
Calix, sulky, sat upright in his seat. Sasha rubbed her little hand where his large grip had been, glancing nervously at the grand duke.
“Thank you, Grandfather,” Ruby said gratefully. If he hadn’t stepped in, she might have once again had to throw herself between the two to stop them.
But the grand duke’s sharp gaze also fell on Ruby.
“Don’t step in if you can’t handle it.”
“Yes.”
It was clearly meant as a warning not to act rashly—but to Ruby, it sounded strangely like “don’t hurt yourself.” She shook the silly thought away.
After Grand Duke Lux’s intervention, the children behaved and sat quietly, watching the scenery go by.
Soon, drowsiness overcame them, and despite trying to resist, they eventually nodded off.
Ruby gently laid small blankets over their bodies. Maria, too, had fallen asleep in her arms, so now only she and the grand duke were awake in the carriage.
“Grandfather, do you visit Cardonia often?” she asked.
“I go regularly,” he replied.
Ruby already knew a lot about Cardonia from the reports she had studied, but since she couldn’t think of another topic, she pretended not to know.
“I heard the climate is harsh there. Isn’t there a food shortage?”
“Every year. We cover what’s missing by supplying food from other territories.”
That wasn’t a real solution. Ruby silently noted that she’d need to deal with this issue in the future.
“Does Cardonia have anything it’s known for?”
“Not really. The land was reclaimed from barren soil, so there are no specialties, no ruins, and nothing particularly beautiful to look at.”
That meant developing tourism would also be difficult.
First and foremost, they would need to create a way for people to survive there. Without that, no outsiders would move in.
“What about the people there?”
“You’ll see for yourself.”
The reports hadn’t described the personality of the locals, so Ruby grew curious. Judging by the serious situation, she imagined them to be rather gloomy.
It took a full day of travel before they finally reached Cardonia.
When the fortress came into view, Ruby gently woke the children.
Calix rubbed his eyes, then gasped.
“Wow. It’s huge!”
Even from the small carriage window, the fortress was massive. No wonder it was called a castle instead of just a manor.
“The best thing about Cardonia is its size,” Grand Duke Lux explained. “Unlike in the capital, there’s no rule limiting the height of buildings compared to the imperial palace. So they could build this as large as they wanted.”
The children’s eyes sparkled with excitement. To them, the giant fortress looked like a grand playground.
Ruby gave them a firm reminder.
“The castle is big, so never wander off alone. Always go with someone who knows the place.”
“Got it.”
“Shasha knows too.”
They answered quickly, though their eyes never left the window, so Ruby wasn’t entirely sure they were listening.
At the entrance, the carriage stopped, and Grand Duke Lux stepped out first.
The castle staff were already lined up to greet him.
“Welcome, Grand Duke Lux,” they said.
They also bowed to the children as they got out.
“Welcome, Lady Ruby, Master Calix, Lady Sasha, Lady Maria.”
It seemed news of the duke’s grandchildren had already spread to the staff here—likely thanks to Balt.
The servants glanced curiously at the children. Since they had never seen these young heirs before, it was natural they’d be curious.
Ruby didn’t mind their stares.
The man standing at the front, a middle-aged steward, introduced himself.
“I am Raphel, the steward of this castle. If you need anything, please come to me.”
Unlike Balt, his appearance was sharper, his smile edged with a faint air of caution in his eyes.
“Pleased to meet you, Steward Raphel,” Ruby said politely, then guided the children to greet him one by one.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Ni to meetchu.”
“Ah-bu-bu.”
Even baby Maria babbled as if copying them.
Grand Duke Lux naturally went to his office, while the children were shown to their own rooms.
The rooms were just as grand as the castle itself.
“Ruby, can I explore the castle?” Calix asked, already bursting with energy.
“Steward, is there someone who can show him around?” Ruby asked.
“Of course. I’ll summon a servant for Master Calix.”
Raphel clapped, and a servant stepped forward.
“This way, young master.”
“See you later!” Calix grinned and ran off eagerly with his guide.
Ruby turned to Sasha. “Surprising you didn’t ask to go with him.”
But Sasha yawned, rubbing her eyes.
“I’m sleepy…”
“Still tired, huh? Come on, I’ll put you to bed.”
Ruby led her to her room and tucked her into the huge bed, staying by her side until she drifted off.
When she came out, a maid was waiting.
“Shall I put Lady Maria to bed as well?”
“Thank you, but I’ll do it myself.”
Ruby went to Maria’s room, which was furnished with a small crib. Luckily, Maria was a calm baby—she fell asleep quickly once Ruby patted her back.
After laying her down, Ruby stretched her sore shoulders from carrying the baby for so long, then headed straight to the grand duke’s office.
As she arrived, the door opened, as if he had been expecting her.
“What brings you here?” he asked.
It seemed he had sensed her presence outside before she even knocked.
“I want to take a look around the Cardonia territory,” Ruby said.
He glanced around her. “And the children?”
“Calix is exploring the castle, while Sasha and Maria are asleep. So I thought I’d use the chance to look outside. May I have your permission?”
“That’s what we came here for. Of course you’ll see it. I’ll go with you.”
Ruby blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to join her personally for the inspection.
“Really?”
“Have you ever seen me go back on my word?”
“No… I just thought it might be tiring for you, Grandfather.”
He snorted. “This is nothing.”
“Then, shall we go?”
Ruby stepped aside, letting him walk out first.
