On the way back from Grezekaia to the Kingdom of Saphers, Maximilian and his party decided to return to Sheridan by diverting from the kingdom’s army.

At his decision, Lysander, the beautiful King of Saphers, glared disapprovingly at his half-brother. 

“Is my Brother uncomfortable with the fact that he fought for me like this? Seeing as how you don’t even show up at the victory banquet.” 

Maximilian bowed deeply.

He looked like he was trying to apologize, but his face was still stiff.

“It is not like that.”

“If not, does that mean that you will not be able to come to the capital because you covet my position?”

Maximilian didn’t reply to the sarcastic remarks. 

“….” 

After waiting for a while, Lysander turned around and made a sound. 

“It looks like the half-blood waiting for you at Sheridan Castle is pretty. Do whatever you want.” 

While Lysander led his men and marched toward the capital, Maximilian and Sheridan’s knights stayed behind to see them off.

As the king’s head was barely visible, Quentin came over to Maximilian’s side and grunted. 

“Duke, if you don’t throw a proper banquet in Sheriden, everyone will be grumpy.” 

“I got it.” 

“Do you know why I can’t get married at this age? It’s because the Duke didn’t take me to the banquet in the capital! The capital city Ladies think I am a married man or a wooden stone!” 

“I didn’t affect your reputation at all. And Quentin Sinclair.” 

“Yes?”

“Why are you here?”

At the Duke’s point, Quentin immediately burst into tears.

In fact, he was carrying out the punishment (?) to ride in a carriage with Clarisse.

That became a punishment because everyone in Sheridan who followed Maximilian had a hard time with the little child. 

For some reason, they found it difficult to get close to the girl, who had to be killed when she was eighteen.

However, although she was a prisoner of war, he couldn’t let her ride the carriage alone.

No, even if she wasn’t a prisoner, what adult would leave a child alone in a carriage?

So the people of Sheridan drew lots. Except for the Duke, who must follow the king’s side.

It was the unlucky Quentin who was chosen here.

“Oh, I can’t do it anymore. Really.”

He cried a lot and complained.

“I’ve been staring out the window in a quiet carriage for an hour or two, and it’s so frustrating that I’m going crazy!” 

“Didn’t you say you would explain the life of Sheridan to the child?”

“Well, that’s what I was going to do at first!”

Since her status was changed from a princess to a sinner in an instant, there were many things he had to tell the child.

But Quentin hadn’t said a word to the kid sitting across from him who was fidgeting with her fingers.

“How on earth am I supposed to say this? You are no longer a princess. You are just a prisoner of war, a sinner!”

“And is there anything else you need to say?”

To Maximilian’s answer, Quentin nodded vigorously, “Of course!” 

“When we get to Sheriden, we have to tell her all the things from Grezekaia should be discarded.”

It was seen as a disgrace for a war prisoner who had been sent to another country.

“And?” 

“From now on, birthday parties are strictly prohibited. The reason is that you know better…! That’s what I have to say.”

It seemed to be harsh words for a child, so it was difficult to say this too.

“Is there more?”

“I should give her advice not to cause trouble or to listen carefully to the people in the castle. It’s annoying if she doesn’t even know the subject and acts like a nuisance.” 

Quentin, of course, thought that Clarisse wasn’t a spoiled child.

Rather, it was because she kept her mouth shut all the way from the kingdom of Grezekaia to here, as if she was paying attention.

Perhaps she noticed Quentin’s discomfort.

‘I don’t think it’s necessary to tell her not to cause trouble….’

The prohibition on her birthday party surprised Quentin as well. 

The fact that it’s not the child’s fault that the people of Sheridan Castle find the child’s birthday uncomfortable. 

“You know… Duke.” 

When he’s about to say, ‘It looks like the terms need to be adjusted.’

“I’m sure you heard it well, right?” 

Maximilian asked in a stern tone.

“…Yes?” 

Quentin was so surprised that he asked again.

But Maximilian’s eyes were only looking over his shoulder.

Quentin, feeling anxious, glanced back.

“….!” 

Clarisse was standing there, holding an old pouch.

The face of the child, small enough to barely exceed his waist, turned pale.

“N, no!” 

Quentin screamed without realizing it.

He didn’t mean to say such cruel things to a child.

In particular, there was room for rethinking about the birthday party. 

“Clarisse Lennon Grezekaia.”

But before Quentin had time to change his words, Maximilian stepped in front of the child. 

Because the Duke had a much superior physique than the average adult male, the child in front of him looked unusually smaller and thinner.

Even towards the pitiful-looking child, Maximilian spoke in a tone that wasn’t mixed with the slightest bit of sympathy.

“Doesn’t get treated like a princess, throw away things from your kingdom, don’t have birthday parties, and be quiet. Will you abide by these four points?” 

“….” 

Instead of answering, the child merely fidgeted with her pouch.

The knights and soldiers nearby were quietly watching this stark confrontation.

“I’m not… a princess.”

The child raised her head after a long time and answered Maximilian calmly.

“I’ve never been the princess. And my birthday party….” 

Quentin was about to shout, ‘Let me do it!’ However, Clarisse’s answer was a little faster.

“I’ve never done it before.”

She never had her birthday party? For a while, the surroundings were noisy.

At Sheridan, the children’s birthdays until they turn eighteen are very important. 

On that day, they became the main character of the village and had a happy day as everyone congratulated them.

It’s very natural.

“Being quiet is something I can do well.”

The child clenched her clattering pouch. 

“I will never bother you. So please.” 

There was a hint of desperation in Clarisse’s voice.

“Grezekaia’s things… Please don’t throw it away.”

“….”

“Just one thing is fine. P… please have mercy on me.” 

“Are you going to miss your hometown?” 

Longing for a prisoner of war was a luxury. Above all, this child was a princess. 

When she thought about the past, it was hard for her to dream of rebuilding the kingdom.

“No!” 

She shook her head and held out the pouch she was holding to him.

“This, only this one….” 

It was a pouch the duke thought might contain jewels or gold coins.

“Prisoners of war shall not possess private property.”

“It is not property.”

The girl answered quickly and opened her pouch slightly. It contained several round pebbles smaller than a child’s fist.

“It’s…a friends.”

“….” 

As Maximilian just stared into her pouch, Quentin, who was watching this, quickly poked his arm and approached. 

“Phew, the Duke doesn’t have friends, so he doesn’t know what that is. It means a person who shares friendship.”

Looking back, Quentin was constantly squinting one eye. Apparently urging Maximilian to do something.

“I see. If the opponent who shares a friendship with….” 

Quentin hurriedly interrupted Maximilian’s words with an ‘Ouch’ sound. 

“It can stay in Sheridan! As long as there is permission from the generous Duke!”

Clarisse’s gaze at Maximilian became more earnest.

At the same time, Quentin’s active demands followed.

“Isn’t pebble not going to have a birthday party anyway? I’m sure you’ll do better than anyone else to stay quiet. It’s a rock at best.” 

At his story, Clarisse’s shoulders twitched for a moment. Watching this, Maximilian held out his hand to the child.

“Give me that.”

Clarisse begged, clutching her pouch.

“I, I’ll make sure to stay quiet! I won’t even have a birthday party! That’s why!” 

“Give me that.” 

The child, who had been staring at him, hesitated but eventually gave him the pouch.

The knights who were watching this sighed and made a small noise.

Our Duke is too strict. What’s wrong with the kid taking some rocks? 

Despite this atmosphere, the Duke didn’t blink an eye and poured the stones from the pouch onto his palm. 

Four brown pebbles tumbled onto his large palm.

The Duke looked at this carefully and asked.

“What’s the name?” 

“I, it’s Mallang.”

“Mallang.” 

Clarisse cautiously nodded at the answer that came back slowly as if to confirm it.

The Duke soon stretched out his hand, holding the pebble.

“Mallang and Mallang. Another Mallang and the last Mallang.” 

“Ah…T, the four of them come together to form one Mallang.”

“I see. I apologize for the wrong title.”

At the child’s point, he calmly apologized to the pebbles and called them again.

“Mallang, I allow you to enter Sheridan as a friend of Clarisse. But birthday parties and raucousness are prohibited.”

After his earnest declaration, he put the pebble back into the pouch and placed it in the child’s hand.

The soldiers and knights were shocked when they looked at the Duke, but he didn’t seem to care.

“If you have nothing more to ask, go back to the carriage. Quentin will continue to take care of Clarisse’s protection during our journey to Sheriden.”

“Yes? Me, me?!”

Quentin cried, hoping to change his duty.

The Duke, perhaps recognizing his thoughts, quickly corrected his order by saying, “No.”

“You will be in charge of protecting Clarisse and her friend Mallang.”

“Ah really, Dukee!”

Quentin sobbed.