“Nia, what’s wrong with your face? Are you feeling unwell? You can’t be unhappy… What’s the matter?”

Noticing Veronia’s dark expression belatedly, the director asked worriedly.

It was understandable, as he had worked with Veronia for over a year, but this was the first time he had seen such a gloomy expression.

“If something’s wrong, tell me. Is there something you don’t like?”

“…Of course not.”

Veronia deliberately composed her expression and put on a minimal, professional smile.

“This is great news! The Imperial Palace, it’s an honor.”

“That’s right, isn’t it? So I was thinking, Nia…”

“But I can’t participate.”

Before the director could finish speaking, Veronia cut him off. His expression and tone were so firm that the director was momentarily stunned.

“Why… why not? This project is your brainchild. If you don’t take it on, who will?”

“I think I’ve made the proposal quite detailed. That should be sufficient. And for any additional or changed parts, I’ll provide written support.”

“…”

“I can’t do work that involves going on-site. For this project, I’d prefer if there were no tasks where I need to be at the forefront.”

“Nia… don’t be like this…”

The director called her name plaintively, showing his displeasure. It was an attempt to appeal to her emotions.

However, Veronia had already made her decision. When it came to emotional appeals, no one could match her.

She fired her final weapon.

“Look at my face. This flawed face.”

She raised her chin, showing the director the burn marks and tattoos that stretched from under her cheek to her neck.

The director, taken aback by Veronia’s uncharacteristically combative response, hunched his shoulders.

“Your, uh, face, what’s wrong with it? It was just an unfortunate accident.”

“That’s what colleagues and patients at the medical institute think. That it’s an ugly scar, but it was an unfortunate accident, a pitiful life that needs to be embraced. It’s the same with colleagues I met at the Magic Tower research institute.”

“…”

Veronia moistened her throat and raised her voice by an octave. She also put force into her eyes, quickly squeezing out tears.

“But the Imperial Palace is different. The nobles I’ll have to face there are different. They’ll surely try to drive me out. They’ll be suspicious, saying I’m dubious, and start investigating.”

Most of it was sincere, but there was a bit of exaggeration.

“Why would I willingly enter the Imperial Palace to face such discriminatory, demeaning, and humiliating treatment? I refuse.”

Veronia said flatly. The director didn’t fully agree with her words, but he had no choice but to back down for now.

“If that’s really how you feel, Nia… I guess there’s nothing to be done…”

His shoulders, which had always been proud, now slumped dejectedly.

Veronia, who had been watching the director’s reaction, let out a sigh of relief, feeling that her emotional appeal strategy had worked properly.

Jonathan visited the Empress’s Palace. Sandra’s expression as she greeted him was not particularly pleasant.

“I came by briefly, wondering if Mother might be lonely since Father went on vacation alone.”

Sandra let out a snicker at Jonathan’s polite words.

“He may have gone on vacation, but he’s not alone. You know he went with that Brienne woman, don’t you?”

Sandra said this as she gulped down wine. Though it was midday, she seemed to have already drunk quite a bit, her face flushed with intoxication.

“Is there anyone in this palace, in noble society, who doesn’t know he always has two or three lovers hanging around? If there is, that person must be a fool and an idiot.”

“Mother…”

Sandra downed another glass of wine in one go.

“Until now, he only rolled around with them in secret. He was hiding. He must have been ashamed. But this time, to bring her along on an official schedule! How… how can this be a reasonable situation!”

Finally unable to contain her anger, Sandra threw the wine glass she was holding onto the floor. With a crash, the glass shattered against the marble, making a sharp sound.

Still not satisfied, she started shouting at the top of her lungs.

“Aaaaargh! Aaaah!”

Jonathan frowned at the piercing scream that hurt his eardrums. Unable to bear it any longer, he finally stood up, approached Sandra, and gently took her hand.

“Mother, please calm down.”

“…”

After some comforting, the screaming finally stopped.

Jonathan spoke slowly and deliberately with a smile on his lips, hoping that Sandra would understand his true intentions, at least a little.

“I am always on your side, Mother. I wish you would be more confident. I wish you wouldn’t ignore the rights you should naturally enjoy within the Imperial Palace.”

“Crown Prince…”

Tears welled up in Sandra’s eyes, which had been hazy with drunkenness.

“You’re very drunk today. I’ll take my leave now. Please call for me again when you’re a bit more sober.”

“…Very well.”

“Please rest comfortably and think about it slowly, Mother. Father’s vacation schedule still has quite some time left, doesn’t it? There’s plenty of time.”

“…”

Having said what he needed to say, Jonathan bowed and left immediately.

Left alone, Sandra suddenly found herself deep in thought.

‘There’s still a lot of vacation time left? There’s plenty of time?’

What could that cunning Jonathan have meant by saying such things? Sandra’s mind was spinning like a whirlwind.

She needed to figure out what ulterior motive he had for saying those words.

“Ah… my head…!”

But her alcohol-soaked brain was no longer functioning properly. Sandra pressed her temples and shouted.

“Go and call for the palace doctor!”

“Yes, I understand, Your Majesty.”

Watching the maid scurry away, Sandra’s bright red lips curled up involuntarily.

Inside the principal’s office of the Royal Ordinary Academy’s Kindergarten.

Accompanied by two aides, Killian was bombarding the principal with various questions.

“What is the daily schedule like?”

“What kind of classes do you mainly conduct for such young children?”

“Do you have criteria for hiring teachers?”

Killian’s questions seemed endless. The wrinkled face of the elderly principal answering his questions was beaming brighter than ever.

It was understandable. How often does one get the chance to converse with a top nobleman?

Moreover, this top nobleman was asking for the principal’s knowledge and opinions, so the principal had every reason to be in good spirits.

The only ones suffering were the aides. They had to keep their hands moving constantly to record every detail of the Q&A session between Killian and the principal.

After over an hour of questioning, a brief break was given. Instead of voices, the sound of sipping tea filled the principal’s office.

“I had no idea the Prime Minister would personally attend to such minute details.”

The principal said with a satisfied expression, his eyes half-closed.

“I wanted to start the project with my own hands. I felt that seeing with my own eyes, hearing with my own ears, and feeling with my own skin would allow me to make proper judgments in the subsequent work.”

“As expected of the Prime Minister. What an excellent thought!”

The principal let out a hearty laugh at Killian’s straightforward answer.

After a short break, the Q&A resumed and continued for about an hour. Afterwards, a tour followed.

Killian observed art classes, music classes, and so on in turn, then sat down to have lunch with the children.

Perhaps it was the comical sight of the large-bodied Killian and his aides crouching at small tables that made the children giggle while looking in Killian’s direction.

It was then that a child came running up to greet Killian.

It was Jediel.

“You’re Uncle Killian, right? Uncle, do you remember me? I’m Jediel!”

“Of course I remember. Hello, Jediel.”

“Wow, hello!”

The child was so happy that Killian remembered him and called his name that he started hopping up and down.

“Can I eat here with you, Uncle?”

“Of course. Sit here.”

Jediel sat down next to Killian with a joyful smile. However, Windler was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the child.

‘Uncle Killian…? How do they know each other? No, more than that, how dare he call the Duke ‘Uncle’! And by his first name, no less!’

Even if he was a child, he was a commoner. Calling the Duke ‘Uncle Killian’ was clearly disrespectful behavior.

He was studying at a royal educational institution, so he should know better.

‘If he doesn’t know, he needs to be taught properly! Yes, that’s right!’

Ahem, Windler cleared his throat and opened his mouth.

“Little one?”

“Yes, Mister! My name is Jediel. What’s your name? Are you friends with our Uncle Killian?”

“Uh… what?”

Again! He called him Uncle Killian again! And what? Friends with Uncle Killian? Windler was shocked.

He had to correct this firmly and clearly. A solemn expression and grave voice were needed.

But facing the child’s round face with its bright smile, he couldn’t muster either a solemn expression or a grave voice.

“Uh, well. My name is… Windler.”

“Windro?”

“It’s Windler.”

The child seemed to have difficulty pronouncing the unfamiliar name, opening his mouth and slowly closing it as he tried again.

“Wind, ler! Your name seems a bit difficult.”

“No, it’s not difficult at all. Try saying Windler.”

“Wind, ler.”

“Try saying it a bit faster. You can do it. Windler, Windler, Windler.”

“Windro, Windro, Windro.”

“No, that’s not it…”

Meanwhile, Killian was absentmindedly chewing on a boiled egg. In his mind, Jediel’s words “our Uncle Killian” were playing on an infinite loop.

‘Did Jediel just say “our”? Our… really.’

It was surprising how much joy a single word could bring.

Killian couldn’t help but smile at the warm, fuzzy feeling of being included in the “our” of a child he had only met a few times.