Chersion woke up when it was almost noon.

The jolting vibrations of the carriage were mostly absorbed by the soft cushions and blankets, leaving only a pleasant white noise.

Thanks to the heated stones placed to maintain warmth, the blankets were cozy, causing him to oversleep regardless of time and place.

“Sleep more.”

“Umm…”

Though he thought he really should, hearing Kardiel’s brief yet gentle voice made him not want to lie down any longer.

As he stirred and sat up, Kongsam, who had been sleeping with him in the blanket, whimpered and licked Chersion’s face.

“No, I’m getting up. Ah, Kongsam. It tickles!”

Wangwangwang!

Kongsam, who had become somewhat friendly by now, climbed onto Chersion’s lap and whimpered.

He couldn’t sleep in this situation.

Above all, the journey to Daiern Duchy is long.

There’s nothing to do inside the carriage, so new amusements must be found every day.

Elder brother Kar must be bored too! Thinking this, as he got up, Chersion realized something was strange about the atmosphere in the carriage.

Why is it so…

“I said sleep more.”

“La la la la, la la la la…”

Kardiel was peacefully reading a book while leaning against the carriage.

Euphemina had placed a flowerpot on the carriage table and was humming while examining the leaves.

The nanny was dozing off in the corner.

‘…Peaceful?’

It was an odd sense of discomfort. There was a chilling feeling that something was wrong.

As he blinked his large eyes like that, Kardiel took his eyes off the book and looked at Chersion, asking:

“Do you need something?”

“Huh? No. It’s just… it seems too quiet.”

“Ah.”

At those words, Kardiel buried his gaze back in the book and replied.

“Because Father isn’t here.”

“Ah!”

Chersion finally realized the identity of this strange tranquility.

Yes, come to think of it, carriage trips had always been a series of tension and fear for the children.

Normally, noble families don’t bother to bring children to the imperial capital before their debutante.

The reason was that the city of pleasure was not good for children’s emotional well-being.

Of course, that was an excuse.

In reality, in a place full of nighttime entertainment, the presence of children needing care was truly a hindrance.

But the three children of Daiern had always accompanied the social season in the imperial capital since they were able to walk.

It was due to the bizarre obsession of Carlos Nikolai, the Duke of Daiern.

He insisted that the children should always be under his control.

So, during the social season lasting as long as 6 months, he didn’t leave the children separately.

Naturally, the children always had to accompany the carriage journey that took over ten days.

That time was rather hell for the children.

At least when they had their own rooms, they only had to be tense when their father came looking, but not in the carriage.

The abhorrent time of facing the devil and sharing air with the devil.

They never knew when he would suddenly change, stop the carriage, and wield the leather belt.

Even when he married Lieselotte, the children were able to use a separate carriage, but…

‘Even then, the home tutor was watching inside the carriage.’

It felt as if invisible chains were wrapped around the children.

The air was so sharp that their lungs hurt with every breath.

The children had to act while being mindful of the watcher with every glance and every breath.

“Hehehe.”

A carefree laugh escaped without realizing.

Chersion hugged Kongsam tightly and rolled around in the carriage again.

‘I see, it’s because Father isn’t here.’

So that’s why we can be this relaxed.

There was a slight feeling of guilt.

Even so, is it right to feel happy when a person has died, and that person being one’s own father? That was the reason.

Well, even so, it was the siblings’ common opinion that they didn’t want to go to their father’s grave to apologize.

There was one regret. It was that Lieselotte wasn’t here in this serene time.

“It would have been nice if Mother could go home with us too.”

“Yes, that’s right!”

Euphemina, who had been humming and carefully caressing the plant leaves, perked up her head at those words.

“Mom is too much. I clearly said I would stay in the imperial capital a bit longer and go down with her!”

“Euphemina, don’t think about making things difficult for your stepmother. It was decided unavoidably because there was no suitable place to stay.”

“That’s right, and Yuphi sister, you also received that flowerpot from Sir Joseph.”

As Kardiel sighed and admonished, Chersion also added his words.

At that, Euphemina’s hand that was touching the leaves stiffened.

The plant she was caring for was a rare albo monstera with patches of half-whitened leaves.

In this winter, it must not have been easy to obtain a foreign plant like this, but Sir Joseph remembered his previous promise and gave it to her.

Thanks to this, Euphemina was able to find a compromise point with Lieselotte at an appropriate level.

To move this rare plant to the greenhouse in Daiern Duchy as soon as possible, she couldn’t stubbornly stay in the imperial capital.

“…It would have been fine to just stay at the detached palace. The garden there is spacious too.”

“It was you who told us what kind of advances the Crown Princess was making towards our stepmother, Euphemina.”

“Then how about a hotel?”

“Well, they say rooms are scarce at this time.”

“…So annoying!”

Mom is annoying, the Crown Princess is annoying, Kar oppa who acts so smart is annoying, and you too, slow-talking dummy Chelsie, you’re annoying!

Euphemina raised her voice in a burst.

Of course, at fourteen, she was old enough to know most things.

Therefore, she understood that the situation wasn’t favorable, and thus the siblings had no choice but to return to the duchy first.

Still, it’s unavoidable to feel uneasy. If the only way to express it is through irritation, that can’t be helped either.

Kardiel noticed that even in the midst of this, Euphemina was careful not to damage the albo monstera as she expressed her anger.

So there was no need to worry.

Of course, Chersion’s situation was a bit different.

He was overwhelmed with shock, his eyes wide open, looking as if he might burst into tears at any moment.

“Am I annoying because I talk slowly?” he said, while Kongsam showered his gaping jaw with kisses.

“Tch, we could just chase out Baron Baden. We could stay at that house, couldn’t we?”

“Hmm. That opinion is valid. I’ll speak to stepmother about it separately later.”

Still, the last opinion was certainly plausible.

Even so, the carriage wouldn’t turn back towards the imperial capital.

“Ah.”

Then, as if he just remembered, Kardiel placed a bookmark in the book he was reading.

“Now that Chersion is awake too, there’s something you two should know.”

Chersion looked up at Kardiel while offering his cheek to Kongsam.

Euphemina, still not having calmed down, puffed her cheeks and focused on the voice.

When the younger siblings’ attention was gathered, Kardiel suddenly opened the carriage window.

The cold air of December seized the opportunity to push its way in.

“It’s cold!” The children shrank from the chill, their gazes reflexively turning towards the open carriage window to express their discontent. And then…

“Huh?”

“That’s the Kalandt Imperial Family’s coat of arms.”

What the children saw was Prince Raphael’s carriage.

“Until the next social season, Prince Raphael will be staying in Daiern.”

When the children first encountered Prince Raphael, who was as big as a bear, their reactions were varied.

First, Chersion’s eyes sparkled with the joy of meeting a new person.

“Wow, Your Highness! You’re so big. Much bigger than Sir Joseph!”

“Actually, I’m bigger than my father… I mean, His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“Wooooow!”

The existence of a new friend who would be staying at Daiern Duchy for a full ten months excited Chersion.

And he was incredibly big, cool, and an adult. Kardiel is like that too, but he’s sometimes too cold.

Though I know his heart is warm!

“…”

And Euphemina observed Prince Raphael with her characteristic blank face, tilting her head.

Embarrassed by that gaze, Prince Raphael cleared his throat and asked Euphemina.

“Lady Daiern. Do you perhaps have something to say to me?”

“Umm.”

It was the city where the party returning to Daiern Duchy would stay on the first night.

At the hotel they arrived at before the short winter sun had fully set, the children finally exchanged their first greetings with Prince Raphael.

It was thanks to having quite some free time before dinner.

Euphemina, who had been quietly tilting her head and staring at Prince Raphael, suddenly asked.

“Your Highness. Do you perhaps like our mom?”

“Wh…what?”

“Euphemina.”

“Yuphi sister!”

All three men were shocked by the sharp question from the beautiful young girl with an innocent and pure white face.

Only Euphemina, who had devastated her surroundings, smiled brightly.

“I just asked. I think it would be better if you don’t.”

It was a beautifully creepy smile, but somehow there was something chillingly cold about it.

Prince Raphael instinctively trembled at his fingertips, feeling his hair stand on end.