Chapter 35

Leonhardt sighed deeply with each step he took.

He was happy he brought Lizzy from the Duke’s house, but he hadn’t thought about the aftermath.

Even his thought was getting more shallow as he got younger!

With another sigh, Leonhardt headed to the Emperor’s study, where his father would be waiting.

At the age of ten, the biggest crisis of his life was about to come again.

“Your majesty, the Crown Prince has arrived.”

“Let him in.”

The grand door of the large study opened. Leonhardt sighed one last time and settled down his heart before coming in.

As soon as he entered the study, the door closed without a sound.

Leonhardt greeted the figure in the study, which at first glance, was a little less old than in his memories.

“Crown Prince.”

Leonhardt tensed up, straightening his back even more and pulling his chin up.

The emperor’s voice was so low that his hair stood on end at once.

“I sent a letter to the duke a while ago. What do you think was written in that letter?”

“… Is it about title deprivation?”

“Unfortunately, you only got half of it right.”

The emperor took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead.

“In addition, to express regret for the recklessness of going to the dukedom without contacting them beforehand in the morning, and as compensation for forcibly separating the young lady from her parents, as well as an early dowry, part of the territory confiscated from the ducal family several generations ago is returned. That was the content.”

Leonhardt held his breath.

In his memory, the ducal couple only had the title itself that was valuable, but if this happens, they would prosper rather than fall.

“They aren’t going to force Lizzy back one day, are they?”

“Now is not the time to think about that child.”

“It was you, father, who taught me to protect your own woman as a man. The family has no other title than the Duchy itself. If they continue to threaten the imperial power using this as an excuse…”

“… It’s not something for a 10-year-old to worry about, Leonhardt.”

Leonhardt huffed at that and quickly regained his composure.

At the moment, he was not an emperor who ruled an empire, but a 10-year-old kid who was busy playing around.

Leonhardt swallowed his saliva. 

‘But how could I act like a child at times like this?’

“The adults will take care of that, so don’t overthink anything.”

Fortunately, the emperor no longer rebuked him, but changed the topic.

“I’m going to let this slide on because we have to save the child. But Leonhardt…”

“Yes, father.”

“You saved the child as a result, but do you really think the process was reasonable and righteous?”

“But if I hadn’t done that, Lizzy… No, Elizabeth would have continued to have rough days at the duke’s residence.”

“There may have been another way. Even if it took a little longer, we could have issued an official imperial order and formally brought the child to the palace, or forced the duke and wife to change.”

“Father thinks they’re going to change as soon as an imperial order is delivered, but if they could really change that much, they wouldn’t have treated Elizabeth that way in the first place!”

“Keep your voice down, Crown Prince.”

Leonhardt frowned. The Emperor took a deep breath as he collapsed his hands on his desk.

“Just because the outcome is right doesn’t mean the process is too. The prince must heed my words. You are the heir to the throne of this empire. Always think twice before making a decision. There is a saying that it would already be too late when you regret it.”

‘I know, father.’ Leonhard bit his lip.

He had personally experienced it to know it too well.

“… I will act more carefully in the future.”

The Emperor then relaxed his face, closed his eyes, and leaned back in his chair.

“Has she gotten used to the imperial palace?”

“I gave her a puppy.”

“Puppy? Ah, those puppies? It will be a good friend to the little girl.”

The emperor’s expression softened slightly. It was only then that Leonhardt was able to relax his body.

“Take care of your girl. But it’s not good for people to change too much. You may go now.”

“Is father worrying about me?”

Leonhardt asked back with a surprised tone.

The Emperor rose from his seat, lifted Leonhardt, and put him down directly outside the door.

“Even if I worry about you… I’ll be busy making your brother for the time being, so don’t come to my bedroom.”

And with that, the door to the study closed again. Leonhardt smiled slightly at the absurdity.

‘The younger brother he mentioned was never born anyway… ‘

On the way back from the study, Leonhardt spotted a familiar blond.

“Sir Bern!”

“Your Highness?”

Albert Dietrich Bern, the commander of the Imperial Knights Division, who was enjoying a leisure stroll under the pretext of patrolling the Imperial Palace, stopped in his track when he saw the Crown Prince come running towards him.

“How great. Just in time I have a young lady to introduce to you.”

“Pardon?”

Leonhardt, praising himself for the thoughts that had passed through his mind, grabbed Albert’s hand and pulled him away.

Albert was dragged away by the Crown Prince, dumbfounded by what was happening.

No, precisely, he pretended to be dragged but walked by himself.

“Where are we going?”

“My place.”

“What do you mean to introduce a young lady?”

“Elizabeth.”

“Elizabeth… Are you talking about lady Elysium?”

“Then who else is there beside her?”

“There are many other knights besides me, so may I ask why you are taking me?”

He worked as the knight commander, followed by the role of the young prince’s swordsmanship teacher, and now he wanted him to escort the young lady?

His instincts somehow whispered that he should decline the offer.

“Since you have the best swordsmanship skill in the Imperial Palace. Isn’t that right?”

“… It’s embarrassing to admit it, but denying it is like telling lies, so I don’t know how to respond to this.”

“Father taught me that a real man would protect his own woman. But as you can see, I’m currently weak. I can’t protect Lizzie on my own.”

“I guess… that’s the natural? Unless Your Highness is a mythical hero… ”

“But I have the authority to appoint Sir Albert as Lizzy’s escort knight.”

Upon hearing this, Albert bit his lip.

He heard that lady Elysium was only eight years old now. But what about an eight-year-old girl…?

As he traced his memories to the daughter of his friends, who got married early, Albert bit his lip even harder.

Often, she cried hard, lay down and threw a tantrum whenever she’s displeased. That’s what happened when a young girl grew up being pampered with love in an aristocratic family.

It might have been better for him to just bite his tongue and die here.

“Why do you look like you’d rather die?”

“Um, what if the young miss doesn’t like me once we meet?”

“Don’t worry, so rest assured.”

‘Rest assured my a**!’ Albert, lamenting inwardly, followed Leonhardt into the room where Elizabeth Isolde von Elysium was staying.

“Nice to meet you, lady Elysium. My name is Albert Dietrich Bern, Commander of the Imperial Knights.”

As soon as the door opened, Albert closed his eyes tightly and bowed down deeply. He was earnestly wishing that she would just throw anything she could get her hand on and kick out the uninvited guest so he could get out of this quickly.

“Woof!”

“On the order of His Highness the Crown Prince, the lady’s escort knight would be… woof?”

Albert reacted half a beat to a reply that was not at all like a nobleman’s daughter.

“Bailey! No!”

Albert Dietrich Bern, the commander of the Imperial Knights of the Espedor Empire and in charge of the security of the Imperial Palace, rolled aside with the Crown Prince, the heir of the Empire’s throne, in his arms to avoid the beast rushing toward him.

“Your Highness! Are you all right?”

Albert, drawing out his sword with a sharp movement, tried to figure out the identity of the ferocious beast that was about to attack him. It was then that he had a proper look at the beast in front of him. It had white fur, black sparkling round eyes and… 

“(whimper)… ”

He watched as the pink tongue licked Leon’s cheek, who had been lying on the floor until then.

“I’m sorry, I’m truly sorry, Leon! Bailey! You shouldn’t do that!”

“Bailey? It’s a pretty name, suits him well.”

‘What on earth is going on?’ Albert stood up calmly and scratched the back of his head in a  dumbfounded state.

But all in all, the Crown Prince was safe. And when he looked closely, it was a white dog, not a beast that ran towards them.

For some reason, Albert felt a sense of relief, so he first closed the door to prevent the dog from escaping.

And what made the dog that bravely dared to show its teeth toward the heir of the Empire?… His guess was the young lady of Elysium in question.

“Let me reintroduce myself. I am Albert Dietrich Bern, the commander of the Imperial Knights. And as of today, I have been given the honourable opportunity to escort and guard  lady Elizabeth Isolde von Elysium…”

“Guard?”

Elizabeth asked, holding Bailey, who was struggling to bite off Sir Bern’s pants.

“I want to protect you myself, but… I can’t always be by your side. And Bailey? Bailey is still young. I think you should have at least one trustworthy person to help you… Why, don’t you like it?”

“It’s not like that… uh… in that case…! Nice to meet you, I am Elizabeth Isolde von Elysium. Please take good care of me in the future, Sir Bern.”

Elizabeth pondered for a moment about what to do with Bailey, and she finally bent her knees to greet him as she held the puppy with one hand and lifted the hem of her skirt with the other.

“You may call me Albert, lady Elysium.”

Albert hastily and secretly canceled his wish when he first entered the room.

The child with the puppy in her arms, looking up at him with blue eyes wide open like a frightened little rabbit. She was so small that he had to lean down to hold her hand, and her every move was so cautious and elegant.

The spoiled and arrogant kind of kid that he mentioned earlier, the one that lay down and threw a tantrum at anything they found unpleasant, compared to the little miss, was different like earth and heaven. 

“Albert…?”

“Yes, lady Elysium.”

“Lady… you don’t need to call me ‘lady’! Just call me Elizabeth! Like everyone else…”

Elizabeth’s face was strangely flushed. Leonhardt looked at Elizabeth and Albert alternately, his eyebrows twitched.

“As the commander of the Imperial Knights, and as a knight serving a lady, pardon me for I cannot do that.”

Albert knelt down on one knee and raised his hand before his chest as if he was knighted before Elizabeth.

Her child’s hand was so small that it looked like it would crumble like a fallen leaf if he grabbed it.

Albert lightly kissed the back of the young lady’s hand.

“I swear by my sword, I, Albert, will protect milady no matter what happens.”

Elizabeth had almost forgotten to breathe from the moment Albert held her hand.

The white uniform suited the knight, who was so tall that she could only see his face once Elizabeth lifted her head high. Along with his sturdy stature were his sky-blue eyes and gorgeous blonde that seemed like threads made out of pure gold.

His drooping eyes gave the first impression that he was quite friendly, but contrary to the eyes, the raised eyebrows were straight and distinct, as if proving that he was the most solemn and elite among the knights.

With a different feeling than when she saw Leonhardt, her heart began to pound, and when he knelt down before her, kissed her on the back of her hand and treated her preciously, Elizabeth stiffened.

No one had ever taught her how she should behave in a case like this.

Elizabeth threw a look at Leonhardt asking for help.

‘Leon?’

However, Leonhardt was looking at Albert with his arms crossed and a sullen expression, full of dissatisfaction.