~Chapter 42~
Flash!
Ivan woke up suddenly that day.
He kicked off the blanket and immediately headed to the bathroom, not hesitating for a second. His movements as he got ready were as natural as flowing water.
By the time he finished getting dressed, he heard a knock on the door.
“Your Highness, it’s time to wake up.”
It was the voice of Ivan’s personal servant.
“I’m already up. Come in.”
The servant opened the door, and upon seeing Ivan, his face showed surprise.
“My goodness, what’s happening? Your Highness woke up by yourself?”
Ivan usually wasn’t a morning person. He often felt down in the mornings, and waking him up was a difficult task. It could even be said that every morning was a battle between the servant and Ivan.
But today, Ivan had woken up on his own, and it was such an unusual sight.
Seeing the confused look on the servant’s face, Ivan felt a little awkward.
“Don’t exaggerate. I can wake up on my own if I want to.”
“But Your Highness never seemed to want to before.”
The servant had been taking care of Ivan since he was very young and knew how difficult it was for Ivan to wake up on his own. He stared at Ivan suspiciously.
“Why? What’s wrong?”
Ivan was buttoning up his shirt, trying to act as if nothing was unusual, but he was worried that the servant might see through his thoughts.
Sure enough, the servant, who had known Ivan for so long, quickly figured it out.
“Aha, I see. You’re excited about today’s schedule.”
“It’s not like that.”
Ivan immediately denied it.
“I haven’t even told you about my schedule yet.”
The servant gave a subtle smile and said, “You’re excited to go to Grand Duke Lux’s mansion, aren’t you?”
Ivan realized that he had been caught in a trap and regretted his overreaction. He bit his lower lip in frustration.
“Hmm, you’re looking forward to it so much, huh?” the servant teased.
“I’m just preparing early so I don’t miss the meeting time,” Ivan replied quickly.
“But the meeting is still at lunchtime, isn’t it?”
Ah, Ivan realized his mistake once again.
“I have some morning lessons to take care of first.”
“You’re talking about the math class you hate, aren’t you? Looks like you’re really eager about it.”
“As the Crown Prince of the Balder Empire, I must attend all my lessons, and I’m preparing for them willingly,” Ivan said with a serious look.
The servant, seeing Ivan’s over-the-top attitude, quietly chuckled.
“Yes, Your Highness, that’s a great idea. Should I tell them to extend your lesson time?”
Ivan’s face immediately scrunched up in frustration.
“If I want to make it to the lunch appointment on time, I should only attend the lesson for the scheduled amount of time.”
The servant shrugged. “Just wait a bit. After all, you’re the First Prince. I don’t think anyone will mind if you’re a little late.”
“No, being the prince means I can’t be late. I have to set an example,” Ivan said firmly.
Ivan wasn’t planning to cut his time at Grand Duke Lux’s mansion short. The sense of duty to be on time for the meeting was just an excuse. The truth was, he was excited to spend time there.
It wasn’t that he was excited about the luxurious mansion. According to the Empire’s laws, buildings in the capital couldn’t be more extravagant than the Imperial Palace, so Grand Duke Lux’s mansion would be less grand.
What made Ivan excited was the fact that he had never visited another noble’s mansion before. In fact, the only people Ivan had met were those at the palace. No noble child had ever invited him to their home.
Most of the nobles who invited him wanted to visit the palace at least once, thinking their mansions were too small compared to it. That’s why this visit was so special to Ivan.
Additionally, Ruby and her siblings had been in Cardonia for a while, so it had been a long time since Ivan had seen her.
Though Ivan had met other noble children, their conversations didn’t have the same excitement as when he talked with Ruby. The other kids were too careful around him because he was the prince, and they acted as if they couldn’t speak freely. But Ruby was different. She was straightforward and confident, even with him.
Ivan couldn’t really remember how the morning lessons went. He had made so many mistakes that the teacher had asked, “Is something wrong?”
But Ivan just replied that everything was fine, though he kept messing up the same problem.
His mind wasn’t focused on the lessons. All he could think about was visiting Grand Duke Lux’s mansion.
“I need to get ready quickly if I want to make it on time,” Ivan urged his servant.
“The preparations for Prince Theo aren’t done yet. Please wait a little while,” the servant said, looking at Ivan with a troubled expression.
Ivan, sitting in the carriage, waited for Theo, but he was getting frustrated. He hadn’t considered that he was ready much earlier than Theo and started to get annoyed with how slowly Theo was preparing.
So when Theo arrived, rushing to the carriage ahead of time, Ivan snapped.
“Can’t you hurry up?”
Theo, looking pale, immediately bowed.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness.”
“Tch.”
Theo hurried into the carriage, and they started heading to Grand Duke Lux’s mansion. The whole time, Theo kept looking nervously at Ivan, who was staring out the window, arms crossed.
Eventually, the carriage stopped.
“We’ve arrived at Grand Duke Lux’s mansion,” the driver announced.
Ivan looked out the window and saw the mansion and the people waiting for them. His heart began to race with nervousness. His eyes locked with Ruby’s, who had a soft smile on her face.
When the coachman opened the door, Ivan and Theo got out of the carriage.
“Welcome, Your Highness, the First Prince. Welcome, Your Highness, the Second Prince,” Grand Duke Lux greeted them.
“Thank you for the invitation, Grand Duke Lux,” both princes replied politely.
“I’ll step aside now. Please enjoy your time with the children,” Grand Duke Lux said, making sure the princes could relax with the kids.
Ivan immediately turned his gaze to Ruby. The moment their eyes met, Ivan swallowed hard. He didn’t know why, but he was nervous.
Trying not to show it, Ivan made an effort to stay composed.
“It’s been a while,” Ruby greeted him, smiling warmly.
“It has. How have you been, Prince Ivan? And Prince Theo, how have you been?” Ruby asked, switching between looking at both princes.
Ruby kneeled slightly to match Theo’s eye level. Theo, feeling shy, greeted her.
“Yeah, I’ve missed everyone.”
Theo said honestly, his face softening.
“I’ve missed you too, Prince Theo. Maria says she missed you too,” Ruby said, holding Maria out to Theo.
Theo stretched out his hand toward the baby, who reached out to him.
“How can Maria know that?” Theo asked, surprised.
“She knows everything,” Ruby replied, smiling. “Say hi, Prince Theo.”
Theo gently waved his hand at Maria, who smiled and giggled. Ivan felt a little irritated watching them, especially since Theo was blending in so naturally with Ruby and her siblings, while Ivan still felt awkward.
Clearing his throat, Ivan tried to distract himself.
Ruby, meanwhile, was happily watching the kids interact.
“Shall we go to the dining hall? You can tour the mansion after the meal,” Ruby suggested.
“Sounds good,” Ivan agreed, following Ruby into the mansion.
Grand Duke Lux had made sure not to join them for the meal, wanting the princes to have a relaxed time with the children.
On the way to the dining hall, Ivan didn’t get a good look at the mansion. He was too busy sneaking glances at Ruby, who was holding Maria in her arms.
“Everyone missed me,” Theo’s honest words echoed in Ivan’s mind. Ivan thought the same thing, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud.
His pride and not being used to expressing his feelings kept him silent. After a long pause, Ivan finally blurted out, “It’s so humble.”
