“But…”

After I nagged him a bit about not being so inflexible and rigid, Carlyle tried to object but trailed off.

“I want to be someone who can contribute to the imperial family.”

After hesitating for a moment, the boy raised his voice as he fidgeted with the sleeve of his garment.

“There’s no need for that.”

Unlike usual, he didn’t immediately become dejected and lower his tail, but showed persistence. However, no matter what Carlyle says, my opinion won’t change. Of course.

Even I, who has lived for hundreds of years, am trapped in the body of a 3-year-old princess and there’s a mountain of things I can’t do. What could a 6-year-old child in their first life possibly do?

“I know that I’m still too young to be of help. But still…”

My goodness, this child’s loyalty to the country is not just overflowing, it’s flooding. As I cut him off coldly, Carlyle’s barely mustered courage faded and he hung his head low like a drooping wheat stalk. I grumbled inwardly.

‘Is someone demanding responsibility from him?’

My mouth was itching to speak, and considering his recent behavior, it didn’t feel right to just let it go. So I decided to ask him directly.

“Carlyle.”

I closed the book I was reading with a snap and placed it on the table.

“Answer the questions I’m about to ask honestly and sincerely.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

As I crossed my arms and set the mood, Carlyle looked at me with serious eyes.

“As you know, you’re still young.”

I emphasized once again, having no intention of withdrawing my initial assertion.

“But you’re showing excessive loyalty that doesn’t match your age.”

Finally, I sighed once and leaned back against the chair.

“What’s the reason? Is that how they teach you in House Fleur?”

Carlyle, who had been listening quietly, flinched at that moment.

“Tell me honestly. I’ll keep it between us.”

If I don’t address this now, he’ll keep acting like this, and I can’t get irritated or lecture him every time. So I tried my best to coax him gently.

“Duke Fleur cherishes me… like his own child. He’s truly a good person.”

After giving him time to think, Carlyle, who had maintained silence for a moment, carefully opened his mouth.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes! The Duke would never give me strange education!”

Goodness, I was startled. He spoke so loudly it was as if something had pierced my ears with a ‘pshh’ sound.

“Alright, I understand.”

Originally, I shouldn’t be startled by a child raising their voice a bit, but being reincarnated in the weak body of a princess, I showed signs of being a weakling in various situations.

“So you’re saying it’s not because of the education methods?”

“No. I swear it’s absolutely not.”

Then why did you unnecessarily shout when you could have just said so calmly from the beginning? I massaged below my left ear with one hand, still feeling the ringing.

“The Duke takes care of me and the Fleur children without discrimination.”

Although I hadn’t particularly asked, I let him ramble on as he spoke without being prompted.

“He took me in when I became an orphan, and he always tells me to think of him as a mother. But no matter how hard I try, I can never be his real child.”

That’s not wrong. Carlyle lost his parents as a newborn, and House Fleur took charge of Carlyle on Hecate’s orders.

“Someday I’ll have to leave his shadow, so I’m always trying not to become a stain.”

Carlyle, who said he didn’t want to burden Duke Fleur, clenched his fist tightly.

“Although I’m young and powerless now, I will definitely become someone who can be a great help to the Duke later.”

Carlyle, who had calmly organized and expressed his thoughts, gradually regained his composure. The slightly pale complexion he had when I was speaking forcefully had also returned to normal.

“But… honestly, I’m not sure if I can do it.”

Confessing that he had been struggling with complex emotions, Carlyle also expressed the pain created by others’ gazes.

“I thought I just needed to learn and master many things, but people think I’m a burden that the Duke was forced to take on. Every time I feel that sentiment repeatedly, I…”

Carlyle, who suddenly became gloomy, had tears in his eyes.

“I feel like I’m such a useless person.”

The feeling of drifting alone on a vast sea, sensing the snickering of many noble adults looking at him – Carlyle seemed to have been considerably stressed by issues stemming from his origins and background.

‘It seems more nobles than expected are wary of the reconstruction of House Bergamot.’

I could be certain of this from what I had heard from Lilith during military lessons and what Hecate and the Duke had said during the previous teatime with House Fleur.

“Anyway, the Duke is a good person.”

“I see.”

Life is truly arduous. I roughly played along. If I were someone skilled at comforting children or listening well to others, I might offer warm words of consolation, but I was far from being such a person.

‘Reality is so cruel. Trampling on Carlyle from a young age to prevent him from reviving his family, all for the sake of profit and power.’

In a way, it’s a troublesome method that requires constant bullying, but for the nobles who despise Carlyle and are hostile to him, it’s probably the easiest way.

“Let me give you a piece of advice.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

By the way, if something goes wrong with the kid I’ve marked as my future subordinate, I’ll be the one to suffer. Since I didn’t want to lose a potentially useful talent, I decided to be especially generous.

“First, you need to learn how to protect yourself. I mean you should learn swordsmanship.”

I knew that since he was a smart kid, he would proceed smoothly with just a few words of guidance.

“Ask the Duke to find you a master to teach you the sword. Since he cherishes you like a mother, he’ll gladly grant your request.”

Finally, I added while resting my chin on my hand.

“And climb to the peak of swordsmanship with the determination to die trying.”

“The peak of swordsmanship…”

Carlyle, who was now muttering the key point, had become serious, and I was pleased that he was listening attentively to my words.

“If you hone your academic skills, you’ll gain abundant knowledge, but that’s not enough. That’s why I’m saying this. No matter how much you know, you need to have the strength to protect yourself.”

In other words, you need to be well-rounded in wisdom, virtue, and physical ability to survive in noble society.

‘Being good at just one thing is meaningless.’

This was something I had personally felt while leading the country as a conqueror emperor in my previous life, so I was certain.

“Of course, it won’t be enough if you only reach the peak of swordsmanship. While keeping in mind what I said earlier, there’s something else you should prioritize.”

“What is it?”

Your attitude in listening to your superiors is excellent. I continued speaking, feeling satisfied.

“It’s about making people who will follow you. In human society, the more numbers you have, the more advantageous it is.”

This should be enough for him to understand well. I shrugged as I finished speaking. I couldn’t suddenly talk about political science to a little kid, so I explained it as simply as possible.

“Thank you so much, Your Highness!”

Then Carlyle’s face lit up as if he had received a priceless treasure that would never exist in the world again.

“I will never forget the advice I heard today!”

He couldn’t hide his joy, saying he would engrave it deep in his heart.

“Alright, do that.”

By the way, it’s getting chilly being out for so long.

“Carlyle, let’s go back inside now.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Suddenly, I heard the voices of Ronowe and Berith calling for me, so I hurried. If they misunderstand that I’ve disappeared leaving only them behind again, the aftermath will be too troublesome to deal with.

And as time passed, that evening.

“You’re going to see a prototype of the cooling device?”

“Yes.”

After a chaotic afternoon with Carlyle and others, I had just woken up from a nap when Jeff came to visit with Asian.

The purpose was to go see the cooling device I had asked about during the teatime with Hecate and the others before.

“Daddy~”

I insisted on walking, but he stubbornly wanted to carry me, so I gave in. As we were going along fine, Jeff suddenly made a face as if he was cringing, saying I was too cute.

“I’m so happy to be able to go sightseeing with the cutest and most lovable Darjeeling in the world!”

I didn’t see or hear that. I tried to ignore it by looking away. If I made eye contact, I felt like I would shout for escape, unable to bear it.

‘I must safeguard my cheeks in advance!’

Anticipating that Jeff would try to kiss me next, I quickly extended one hand and pushed his approaching face away with all my might.

“Are we going just the three of us with Asian?”

To divert Jeff’s attention, I changed the subject. It was because Hecate, who would never miss such an occasion, was nowhere to be seen.

“That’s right. Mom is very busy today.”

“It can’t be helped.”

There’s a saying that two is better than one, but for me, having just one Jeff is better than two, so I felt relieved.

“It’s a shame that Mom disappeared, but I get to spend proper time with Darjeeling after a long while.”

“That’s true.”

I’m already getting a headache thinking about how Hecate might be jealous, envious, or complaining later.

‘Wait, this is the way to the underground?’

I was confused because if the purpose of the cooling device was to improve the efficiency of grain storage, we should be heading to the storage warehouse, but we were taking a different path.

“There are many interesting doors like this in the imperial palace.”

I know that too. I wanted to say that despite appearances, I was the late emperor who took you in in my previous life, so how could I not know? But I had to keep quiet since I couldn’t reveal it.

Creak−

Soon after, Jeff lightly touched a book on one side of the bookshelf, and one of the secret spaces I used to use occasionally in my previous life appeared.

‘No cobwebs and clean. It’s been well maintained.’

I scanned the interior starting from the arched entrance. Looking down at the gray stairs leading to the depths below, I swallowed hard once in tension as saliva pooled in my mouth.

It’s not like there’s some abyssal monster down there, but the air was cold, the atmosphere unnecessarily eerie, and my breath rose like a thin haze.

Grrrr−

‘What was that? I just heard a sound.’

As we were going down the stairs for a while, I was startled by the sound of a beast growling lowly in my ear.

“Isn’t it fascinating, Darjeeling? You’ll be surprised when we enter through the door later!”

Jeff seemed to misunderstand that I was just very impressed by the new space, as if he hadn’t heard that sound earlier that only I seemed to hear clearly.

‘He walks so well with those short legs.’

Meanwhile, Poppy was following along without showing any signs of fatigue, waddling with even shorter and stubbier legs than mine, not falling behind at all. As expected of a doll specially made by Jeff to escort me.

Thud−

‘This can’t be!’

After walking endlessly as if advancing on a path with no destination, what awaited us at the center of the underground space we finally arrived at was an unexpected encounter.

‘You, you are…’

On the ceiling was a hexagonal object that Jeff had described as a magic box, but it was far larger than expected. Below it, on a massive altar, was a blue dragon curled up and sleeping.

‘Isn’t this the dragon I used to ride around on when I was a primordial human?’

And the identity of the blue dragon was a mysterious being and friend deeply connected to my first life.

“Actually, that box has other functions besides cooling.”

I was at a loss for words as I watched the cooling device embedded in the chandelier-like metal contraption absorbing energy from the dragon’s body. Jeff’s explanation didn’t even register in my ears.

“It absorbs the dragon’s power and converts it into resources needed for the empire.”

I had just imagined a sight full of grains like wheat or barley, but I never expected to see a being I had been as close to as my relationship with Ulrika being exploited for its energy in a state of living death.

‘How did you end up like this after escaping from the land of the gods?’

My mind is melting black like dark chocolate. Wondering if the dragon before my eyes might react, I reached out my hand, and the naive Jeff, thinking I wanted to touch it out of curiosity, helped me get closer.

Swish−

It was when my hand touched the scales of the dragon, Yongyong, which had no trace of warmth.

‘Ugh, my ears hurt!’

Suddenly, there was a ringing sound, and in an instant, I arrived in a white space.

The sky was snow-white without anything, and where I stood was a space that looked like the Milky Way had been embedded.

‘Where is this now? I was definitely with Jeff and Asian…’

Grrrr−

As I was stomping my feet, utterly confused about why I was experiencing this, I heard the low growl of a beast in my ear once again. Feeling strongly that it was calling me, I immediately turned in the direction of the sound.

“Yongyong! Did you call me here?”

Answer me, you bastard! I ran, making a pitter-patter sound.

“Aaaaahh!”

Suddenly, the flat ground gave way, and I lost my balance and fell. In the situation where my vision was spinning dizzily, I didn’t know what to do and lost consciousness.