Chapter 161: Take Care of Things That Matter (Prince Albert)

The larger dragons surrounded the smaller one with the basket and ran.

“Kyee.”

“Kyee.”

The remaining dragons also seemed to be saying goodbye.

“Did dragons cry this much?”

“I’ve rarely heard them cry.”

“Kyee!” The Rug Dragons cried as if they wanted to go too. Then, the dragon with Nico on it got further and further away.

“Your Highness. Are you alright with this?”

Earl Coulter ran up to me in a hurry.

“I didn’t think they’d really leave. I just assumed that she was throwing a tantrum. I can’t understand. Why are the Rug Dragons listening to a baby? There’s no way a baby can leave with a Rug Dragon since she’s just a baby!”

He was running his mouth in frustration, but I also want to say the same thing. What’s with that audacious baby?!

“Your Highness, we have to go after them quickly! There shouldn’t be any bandits around, but it’ll be too late if something happens! Neville! Aren’t you worried about your grandchildren?!” Earl Coulter’s frustrations were also directed at Earl Neville who was happily seeing his grandchildren off.

“I am worried, but…” Earl Neville didn’t seem worried at all and was just looking at the dragons with squinted eyes.

“I gave Lei the small dragon and basket on her 2nd birthday the other day. I knew that she could ride well, but I didn’t think she could board it so brilliantly. She really is Claire’s child.”

“It’s not time for you to act like an idiotic grandfather! I’m telling you it’ll be dangerous if we don’t bring them back quickly!”

“Well…” Earl Neville clasped his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky.

“My duty is to escort Prince Albert to his marriage interview. I can’t leave his side freely even if it’s for my beloved grandchildren.”

That means that no one will move unless I go after them myself. But, if I make a move before the other side whines, then that means I’ve lost to a toddler.

Why does that baby’s brother and Lisburn listen to what she says without saying anything? I was torn between Nico’s safety and not wanting to move since I would lose and couldn’t do anything. It was irritating to see those around me looking at me with eyes that were saying that I shouldn’t let them go.

“Luke said that the first time he met Prince Nicholas, the Prince asked to be carried,” Earl Neville said something surprisingly.

“What?! Nico did?! That polite boy would ask a stranger to carry him?”

“I heard that Lei bragged that her Nii-sama was good at holding people and giving hugs. Hahhahha.”

It’s not funny. Right now, Nico is trying to go back to the royal capital without enough guards with him.

“That baby…”

“She’s not that baby. Her name is Lei, Your Highness. You can call her Lei if you’d like.”

“Mm, sorry. She’s your grandchild.” For some reason, I don’t want to call her name. I had no choice but to apologise when he gently pointed out my feelings.

“The royal family’s education is strict. Lei was chosen as a playmate for Prince Nicholas since he had no playmates in his age group. And I believe that she correctly conveyed how an infant is supposed to be like to him.”

“How an infant is supposed to be like, you say? There is no such thing.” I snorted. Royalty must be brought up strictly from a young age to care for their citizens. Both my brother and I have been well educated since before we were three years old. There is no such thing as a playmate, is there?

“Eat well, play a lot and sleep a lot. Say what you want. Your mind and body will grow up healthy if you can do this. But I wonder how Prince Nicholas was during this journey.”

“During this journey…”

The life of a royal should be well managed on a regular basis regardless of whether they are travelling or not.

“I’m sorry that we didn’t notice this, but he got dragged into socialising, didn’t eat enough, and we forced the children to continue on without giving them time to play even if they didn’t complain. On top of that, he was almost attacked by a Hollow.”

“Neville. You’re saying too much.” Earl Coulter quickly stopped Earl Neville. Earl Neville shook his head and then looked straight at me. His eyes weren’t criticising me.

“Why did you bring Prince Nicholas with you on this trip, Prince Albert?”

“I wanted Nico to see various places while he was still young.”

“So that was why you were frustrated that extra people came along with you on this journey and he had more fun with them than with you?”

“That’s…” I tried to refute but stopped. At first, I only wanted to take Nico. From there, other people heard about my plan and other small children came along. When we finally started our journey, I couldn’t do what I had planned to do, and that baby took all the good parts away from me.

Things like making Nico smile widely and playing with him in the water, they were all things I wanted to do with him.

“You have to learn from Prince Nicholas.”

“Learn what?”

“You have to say what you want.”

“Excuse me?!”

Earl Neville looked at me and then at the group that was getting further away.

“Prince Nicholas said that he was happy to be with his beloved uncle, didn’t he?”

He certainly said that at the end.

“Prince Nicholas didn’t want to leave. But…”

“Did he follow that baby because he thought he would be a nuisance?”

“I will tell you this Prince Albert, I don’t think my curious and energetic granddaughter, who is so cute and adorable, wanted to go home.”

I don’t know if she’s cute and adorable. Why did that strange baby, who confronted me head-on, bring Nico back with her then?

“That little dragon is as mobile as it is small. She’s fast. But for some reason, we can still see them.”

I bit my lip and looked down. In the end, it’s like that baby predicted. Everyone stared at me to see what I would do.

“Who is losing something just because they lost?”

I looked up in surprise. Is it worth it to weigh my frustrations against Nico’s safety and spending time with him?

“Get me a dragon!”

“Yess!”

“Kyee!” The guard aside, why did the dragon reply happily?

“We’re catching up to the group that’s moving slowly even though they said they’ll take the shortest way home!”

“Yes!”

“Kyee!”

“Kyee!”

And this time, I’ll spend a lot of time with Nico so that I don’t lose to that baby.

“Dear me, His Highness is still young.”

At that time, I was so caught up in the baby’s pace that I had completely forgotten that I was going to the north for a marriage interview.