"...So you want to go out and play with Kafney?"
Dmitry stared at Annan, slowly repeating the question.
His brows furrowed even tighter.
Subconsciously, he rested the second knuckle of his right index and middle fingers on his chin, quietly contemplating something.
But his pupils, always indifferent and calm, still showed no hint of emotion.
Annan, even with his shoulder-length short hair, could easily be mistaken for a girl of steadfast disposition; but Dmitry, with his hair reaching his waist, could never be mistaken for a woman.
Not just because of his deep voice.
More so because of the heavy aura of a "bearer" that he exuded.
Annan pursed his lips and replied softly.
For some reason, the Dmitry in front of him overlapped somewhat with the memory of Ivan Rime who had taught Annan the Frost Sword Technique.
...Is it because the eldest brother is like a father?
Gazed upon by Dmitry’s imposing eyes—even Annan, for a moment, felt that his request might be hopeless...
A few seconds later, Dmitry answered calmly, "You may."
For some reason, he had easily agreed to Annan’s request.
Immediately after, Dmitry turned to Princess Elizabeth at his side and spoke politely and gently, "I must apologize for the trouble my younger brother has caused you."
"By no means... Kafney herself is rather solitary, so I am also happy to see her make a friend."
Princess Elizabeth’s smile was radiant.
Her appearance was luminous, making it hard to discern her exact age. Yet, her slightly squinted eyes sparkled with a cunning light that was not at all unpleasant.
She said to Annan with a beaming smile, "Prince Annan, you have a good brother."
"...Thank you, Your Highness."
Annan, somewhat clumsily, bowed to Princess Elizabeth and spoke in a gentle and polite voice.
There was a hint of weakness in his voice, yet it was clear, like a small flame in a cold wind.
Looking at him, Dmitry suddenly spoke up, catching him off guard, "Annan, remember why you came here."
...Why did I come here?
These words left Annan momentarily dazed.
But fortunately, he quickly came to a realization:
At this point in time, Dmitry had already lost the ability to bear children. This meant that it was Annan, not Maria, who had come to Noah with Dmitry. It was likely because Annan was here as the "heir to the duchy"—
In other words, it was not "Annan following Dmitry," but rather "Dmitry following Annan."
It was only because of Annan’s young age.
That was why Dmitry was assisting Annan... in a series of negotiations.
So, what would be Annan’s primary purpose here?
——The answer was on the verge of revealing itself.
He was here to gain experience.
Or rather... Annan was here to build confidence.
Dmitry, as the elder brother, acted decisively and appropriately, which was probably why Annan’s personality was comparatively weaker. That’s why, even when Annan made a rather preposterous request, Dmitry decided not to oppose Annan.
Because what he needed to do was to build Annan’s confidence—not undermine it.
Hurriedly putting his thoughts together, Annan contemplated and finished in the blink of an eye.
His youthful yet delicate face quickly took on a determined expression: "Of course I remember, dear brother.
"Thank you for your tolerance, Your Highness."
Annan’s voice still trembled ever so slightly, but it grew louder and clearer—just like Annan’s voice outside of the nightmare.
And at that moment, Annan noticed very clearly that Dmitry’s ever-furrowed brows also relaxed a little.
...Does this mean he’s pleased?
So, it seems, I made the right gamble.
Annan let out a silent sigh of relief.
Dmitry’s face still showed no expression, but he said flatly, "Remember to come back before dinner."
"You can also have your new friend show you around."
Princess Elizabeth added.
Whether she noticed something or not—this woman, known for her iron-blooded demeanor in the military, became gentler after she had put on a gown.
She revealed a gentle smile to Annan and lightly took hold of his hand, "Few people are willing to play with Kafney, but I know she’s a good girl... Will you accompany her, please?"
...Are you considering a marriage alliance?
Annan, with the wisdom of an adult, immediately perceived Elizabeth’s intention.
This woman was clever. She was not "allowing" Annan to interact with Kafney, but "requesting" that he look after Kafney more—a undoubtedly smart way to curry favor.
Did she realize that she was the true heir to the duchy?
No, that’s impossible. The fact that Dmitry was infertile at this time was a secret—if that were not the case, she would have made a more obvious overture.
Moreover, if she were aware of this fact, she would not have allowed Kafney and Annan to stay together right away.
After all, Kafney’s father was the fourth prince, and if the "future Grand Duke of Winter" could become the husband of his only daughter, Annan would become a powerful political bargaining chip.
If Elizabeth realized that Annan was the future grand duke... then she would definitely wait until she had established a de facto alliance with Albert before she would allow Albert’s power to expand.
—Because she was an intelligent person.
So there was only one possibility left.
The political situation at the top echelons of Noah had become so tense that a marriage alliance was needed to ease it? A need for an "outsider" to disrupt the status quo, forcing a reshuffle of various factions...
The unsuspecting Princess Elizabeth inadvertently provided Annan with a wealth of political intelligence.
Yet Annan showed no sign of anomaly.
He simply answered in a soft voice, "Yes, Your Highness."
Annan’s voice steadied... and faintly carried a hint of Maria.
This pleased Dmitry slightly.
Then Annan excused himself from the two of them.
Kafney led Annan to her boudoir.
She didn’t ask Annan how he managed to secure the consent of the two apparent "heirs to the throne."
As if she thought it was only natural.
Perhaps it was also because Kafney didn’t care about these things.
"...This is the secret passageway."
Kafney, holding Annan’s hand, walked towards her wardrobe, "Once you go out, you can directly reach the corner of the garden. I often sneak out from here..."
Her voice was light and airy, her face slightly flushed.
There was a clear difference between her and the Kafney who, years later, could confidently take Annan’s hand upon first meeting—today’s Kafney was still shy.
She seemed to care quite a bit about the somewhat intimate relationship two of them had developed.
Annan found himself somewhat exasperated.
...Hey, you’re only nine years old.
Though he knew girls might mature early... at this young age, was it really okay for her to understand so much?
"What do you plan to do?"
Before crawling into the compartment behind the wardrobe, Annan whispered to Kafney, "Without my voice, they might realize something is off."
Kafney answered without hesitation, "I’ll draw pictures for you."
"...But I won’t be here."
"You were here once."
Kafney replied softly, "I can remember."
In her inhuman, glaze-colored crimson eyes, it was as if they reflected another world that Annan couldn’t comprehend.
She answered softly, "I can see... your afterimage."