Chapter 128: Halfies (Luke’s POV)

Translator: Blushy

Editor: Sam

“Felicia, the children are fine, so you can just let them do what they want.”

“But Chris is naughty, so I don’t know what she’ll do.”

Mark gently stopped Felicia, who tried to follow after Christine. Felicia and Christine are just like Lei and I, and are perfectly 10 years apart, no wait, 11 years apart. They were only acquaintances because I wasn’t interested in them, but now that I think about it, Christine is the perfect age to be Lei’s playmate.

Like His Highness, I heard that she was a difficult child, but she doesn’t seem like a problematic child so far. But, Gill rebuked me even though I hadn’t done anything.

“Luke, you too. Lots of guards are with them, and I see the gardeners too. She’ll be fine.”

“But, I’ll miss the chance to see Lei’s cute figure trying to get the oranges.”

The oranges won’t fall like she wants them to, so she’ll be troubled on how to get them. So, I’ll be the gentle Onii-sama and say, “Nii-sama will help you.” But Gill stopped me.

“And, you’re basically the master of this mansion. Entertain us.”

“Entertain you guys?” I looked at Gill in amazed.

“When the pipsqueaks come back, they’ll definitely make a fuss about snacks. Let’s prepare some.”

I looked around the room, and people were starting to prepare snacks lead by Natalie.

“I couldn’t eat much at the party, so I want to sit down and eat something. The Albans’ chefs are famous,” Mark said, and everyone sat down. My attention was still on the greenhouse.

“Even so, Albans really dotes on his daughter,” Mark laughed.

“He can’t help but love her because he has such a cute daughter.”

“I think you’re at the most embarrassing age to say something like that.”

“If I keep her at a distance because you said something like that, then she’ll grow up in no time at all,” I stressed to the laughing Mark. We’ve already been apart for more than half a year. I don’t want to waste any more time.

“I wish my Okaa-sama would notice that too. Chris has gotten so big already.”

Felicia’s gentle face clouded over. We couldn’t say anything. Felicia was born to the Remingtons, and her eye colour matched with their House. Thus, they knew she had a lot of magic and was no longer worried about the next generation. It’s fine as long as she had enough magic to maintain the barrier like the current Remington head, Ange-sama.

But, Ange-sama gave birth to another child. The Four Marquises usually only had one child who inherited their eye colours no matter how many siblings are birthed. So, they didn’t care what eye colour the second child had. If a child with jade eyes had been born, then they might have struggled for succession.

The second child’s eyes resembled her Otou-sama. Naturally, she should be loved without pressure from being heir. But, Ange-sama lost interest in Christine when she saw that she had inherited her eyes from her Otou-sama, so she was neglected and grew up selfishly.

Ange-sama was similar to Otou-sama in that way. I love Otou-sama, but he wasn’t a perfect person. He had neglected Lei when she was younger and was okay with it. Recently, I understood that there might be something missing in him. But, like how I’m by Lei’s side, Felicia is by Christine’s side. This is important.

We had different opinions, but this was the first time the children of the Four Marquises were gathered together. Surprisingly, we were able to chat without getting into any quarrels, and the children came running back.

“Nii-syama! Orange!”

Lei looks so cute carrying two large oranges with both hands while tottering this way. My bad, she’s walking properly.

“One for Nii-syama. One for Otou-sama,” she said as she gave me an orange.

“So, you don’t get one?” I asked, and His Highness Nicholas and Chris suddenly looked at the oranges in their hand. They didn’t think of their portion.

“Nii-syama’s orange hawfiesh withh Lei. We geth awong weww.” (Nii-sama’s orange halfies with Lei. We get along well.)

“Halfies with Lei. That sounds nice.”

“Otou-syama’s orange hawfiesh with Lei.”

“That’s…”

So, only Lei will eat a whole big plump orange. It seems like something the gluttony Lei would think of. A cute way of thinking.

“Lei, that’s a good idea.”

“It’s brilliant.”

Prince Nico and Chris were impressed. But, the other side of the room was looking down and holding their stomach. It looked excruciating. Lei puffed out her chest.

“Of courshe! Lei picwed ith!”

“No, you just picked them off the ground…” Prince Nico immediately said, but Lei cut him off, “I cheered!”

I see I can picture how they got the oranges now. It’s a rare fruit, but it can be grown anywhere in a greenhouse, and it’s even sold in town. Everyone probably ate it in their houses a lot, but one picked by oneself might be exceptional.

“I’ll eat the orange with Otou-sama later. Come, Natalie prepared some sweets.”

“Sweethsh! Nico! Chrish!”

Lei’s attitude changed, and she invited Prince Nico and Chris to sit down.

“Say, Luke.”

“What is it, Felicia?”

“Lei is Prince Nico’s playmate, but I wonder how it really is,” Felicia said as she watched the three children eat and talk.

“They study together in the morning, have lunch separately, and play together in the afternoon. She goes to the castle happily every day.”

“So, they’re actually studying hard.”

So that’s what you were worried about.

“Gill and I visit the castle once a week to teach them.”

“I heard about that, but you’re teaching them? What’re you teaching them?”

“Magic circulation.”

I can probably tell her this.

“I see. Magic circulation.”

She seemed nervous.

“The Albans aren’t people who suck up to the royal family. Rather, they keep their distance from them.”

Oh, a sensitive subject has been brought up. I don’t want to be caught up in the expectations of adults.

“The only House that wants to get close to the royal family is the Remingtons,” Mark casually said so that the children wouldn’t hear him. If Otou-sama was here, he would probably say, “Why are the Remingtons trying to get close to the royal family? It’ll only be annoying.”

“Okaa-sama is panicking a little because the Albans offered their daughter as the Prince’s playmate even though they don’t want to get close to the royal family.”

“We didn’t offer her. We didn’t want to. The only reason we let her be his playmate is that she would have more fun there, than being by herself in this mansion.” I corrected her quietly.

“That’s just it. I wonder if Okaa-sama is pushing Chris to be Prince Nico’s playmate because she’s panicking.”

Mark, Gill and I looked at Felicia in surprise. Ange-sama aside, we didn’t think Felicia would say that since she didn’t seem to have any ambitions.