CHAPTER 9: Involved

"What is the meaning of this?!"

The Grand Duke's reaction cannot be determined as he watched those children play around.

The nostalgia hit him with the scenery where he could see the young lady when she was a child, with its bright smile along with the flowers in her hands and it's as if she had bewitched the petals that surrounded her image.

"Your highness, perhaps they're the young lady's visitors at this moment."

Freyr took a glance at Rayleigh, as if he judged his statement for the second thought before taking his step to the young lady.

She was surrounded by kids as well as the two people beside her. '... What is she doing here..?' Pertaining to the one who's familiar to him, he asked himself.

"Solene." He snapped for a moment before continuing with his statement. The fact that he called her daughter's name several times already, makes him feel uncomfortable. "Care to explain with the commotion here?"

The two people along with the children, as they turned their attention to the Grand Duke, got terrified.

"Y-Your Highness..!" The two people bowed their heads and the children began to hide themselves behind the young lady's back.

"Your Excellency, what brings you here?"

'Your Excellency?' Freyr looked at his daughter and attempted to read her eyes but he failed. It's indifferent. "Someone has told me you were having visitors..." He took a glance at them, "And I thought you were able to socialize that much in such a short time... Perhaps I must say I'm impressed." He said in a blank face.

"Oh.."

'Oh?'

The young lady held the delicate hand of a young boy beside him and kneeled as she faced the children. "I'll be back." She said as she stood up and nodded at her lady in waiting, before facing him. "Please, follow me."

Both of them watched the young lady walk away and walked after them.

The whole moment stayed in silence, as they walked through the guest room as the Grand Duke guessed.

Solene stopped at the front door and let the two people go inside first before them. She faced both of them.

"Young la—"

"Please head inside and I'll explain to you everything, your Excellency." His words were cut off when Solene interrupted him and gestured her hands.

"..." Freyr looked at Rayleigh before heading inside and immediately sat on the chair.

Solene sat as well in front of him and looked straight at the Grand Duke's eyes. "... You must be wondering why I haven't been able to dine with you, your highness." Solene stood up and bowed her head as a sign of respect, making Freyr more uncomfortable. "... I have forgotten that I have a crucial appointment today. My apologies."

The Grand Duke stayed silent as he watched his daughter sit back on the chair and looked back in his eyes. The tension between them can be uncontrollably seen everywhere, making the people inside feel anxious except for Rayleigh who's preparing a cup of tea for the both of them.

Freyr clenched his fists and cleared his throat before responding, "I understand what current situation you have, but..." He gracefully took the cup of tea and sipped it before taking a glance at her visitors, "Isn't it irrationally acceptable for such sudden decisions without my consent?"

"Though I have already sincerely apologized, I have no reasons to keep this a secret, Your highness."

'Your highness... Again..' The Grand Duke's brows arched.

"... I have made an appointment with a craftsman and a tailor." Solene continued, "They are the least people I could have to restore the damage I've yesterday."

The tailor stepped in front and greeted the Grand Duke as he expected. "Greetings, your highness..." She greeted with formality even though she had to go through being anxious and terrified.

"Greetings, your h-highness..." The craftsman also stepped in front and bowed in respect as he sweated in fear.

"..." Freyr looked at them for a second before looking back at his daughter. "For what kind of damage do you have to let them have control?" He asked her even though it sounds stupid but he goes for it.

"..." Solene's indifferent eyes also locked on him before responding to his questions. "... Well, I have them appointed not because to let them in control, your highness." She shrugged and gestured her hands to let them show what they got. "... I have appointed them to have back the brooch I have perfunctorily given it to someone."

The Grand Duke's eyes shaken a little with every statement she got. "But that's gratuitously needed."

He saw how his daughter's side lip rose up, "Indeed, however, I cannot just throw away something important." He stilled as he heard her say that.

Without knowing on the other side, Sean had planned to have multiple of it, just in case for some matters ahead. 'Also...' He looked at the tailor and continued with his subject to discuss with the Grand Duke.

"I appointed a tailor to give me other clothes."

"But you already have plenty of those."

Sean just looked at him and responded, "I do, but I need something new to wear."

'In fact, I have donated almost everything to everyone who needed it the most.' He thought.

"I understand." For an unexpected reason, Sean felt surprised by the calmness of the Grand Duke. 'Welp... Maybe he thought it would be best to give his daughter money instead of paying any more attention to her...'

"... Yes, Thank you." An awkward silence conquered them. 'I was waiting for him to leave, anyway. How long is he planning to stay here?'

"Ah.." The Grand Duke cleared his throat once again then asked, "May I know what kind of dresses it is?"

'Could it be for something occasional, since she had started to socialize?' The Grand Duke thought.

"Dresses?"

Both Sean and the Tailor looked at each other before looking at the Grand Duke. "... Actually, fa— I mean, Your highness–! There's no such dresses I've ordered." He responded as he secretly wiped his sweat. 'Dude, that was close...'

The hint of confusion controlled the Grand Duke's eyes. "No dresses? Then, for whom is it meant then?"

Sean immediately answered. "For me"

"... What?"

"What?"

The sound of whoosh was left when they both stayed silent while looking at each other's eyes. 'What the f*ck was that?' Sean thought.

While Grand Duke blinked his eyes before taking his last sip on a tea after the awkward conversation with his daughter. 'What was that..?'

"Then, what kind of clothes is it if it's meant for you, young lady?" Suddenly, Rayleigh decided to break the silence between them.

Fortuitously, Sean answered quickly as he finally recovered. "Well, it's kind of similar to what you guys wear."

"Pardon?" The Grand Duke almost fell off his cup and immediately tightened up his grip on it. '..Similar to what we wear–?'

"Do you mind explaining to us what kind of similarities it is?" Rayleigh asked on behalf of it the Grand Duke who seemed to be troubled for the first time. '... Perhaps it could be the same design as us–'

"It doesn't even sound so hard to understand." Sean whispered under his breath before responding to Rayleigh's question. "Well, I ordered dozens of different styles of clothes the same as what you guys wear." He said, "To be specific, I ordered a man's clothes for me to wear comfortably."

Suddenly, Grand Duke Freyr puts his cup on the table, "..."

Rayleigh thought the same thing too.

The Grand Duke stood up from his place and found a way to excuse himself. "I'll be–.. I'll be sending the amount of your allowance to your room tomorrow." He said as he cleared his throat. "I'll be off."

Sean just looked at them as they walked away and for some reason, he felt somehow awkward and anxious. '... Did I do something?'

Meanwhile the Grand Duke was just having an argument secretly in his head with every statement his daughter gave.

'It's not... She can't be and way too impossible..'

The thoughts of him having self made decisions for his daughter, makes him feel anxious. To the point he has to question himself about his daughter's choices.

"Greetings, father."

A sudden greet, meet them outside and it's Leo.

"Leo..." Freyr called his son's name. "What brings you here?"

"I was looking for you to provide some information I have discovered just lately, father." Leo said as he took a glance at Rayleigh, who's somehow amazed by his liege of being calm despite having those awkward conversations with the young lady.

"... Give me the content." He ordered his son and started to walk as they followed after him.

"I heard Solene has visitors today, father."

"That's correct."

"..And I must say taking everything into account, they are related to the incident that happened."

"..." The Grand Duke had a second thought at the moment.

"There are many children in the young lady's chamber. Perhaps, that's the answer." Rayleigh interrupted.

"Is it?" Leo asked him with his blank face and looked at his father's back, "Father, unequivocally those children are the ones Solene has saved from invidiousness."

"Thought so..." Freyr calmly responded.

"Then, what's your judgement with these, father? Should I place those children to the West border for better guidance?"

"..." Grand Duke had a second thought again, "I understand your concern about this matter, Leo. But I'd prefer not to get involved in whatever choices the young lady will have."

"..." Leo had a single thought. 'Could father be...'

'Somehow it feels unpleasant to be concerned either with what matter Solene has...' Freyr thought. 'Somewhat it feels illegal to be involved in any cases she has when we couldn't even do back then.'

A heavy sigh came out from the Grand Duke and continued to their next destination with heavy thoughts in his head.

...