Chapter 46
46
===
After instructing the Chamberlain to find a room for the Priest of Derato, the Grand Duke was about to leave the banquet hall in search of a place to rest for a moment.
He found the Princess in the hallway.
'Is she not feeling well...?'
His daughter's gait seemed somehow listless.
Even the bird she always carried on her shoulder seemed to have been left behind for some reason.
The Grand Duke cautiously approached and lowered himself.
"Are you bored, little one?"
The Princess seemed startled and took a step back, then suddenly opened her mouth, tearfully.
"C-Celestial Steed..."
"Celestial Steed?"
The Grand Duke asked, flustered, and the maid standing beside her explained instead.
"I apologize, Your Highness. I heard that the Princess rode the Celestial Steed Carriage a few days ago. Since then, she has mentioned wanting to see the Celestial Steed a few times."
The Grand Duke smiled gently and replied to the maid.
"If the Princess wants to see the Celestial Steed, she can come to me."
"T-Thank you."
Then he knelt down completely in front of his daughter.
"Did you like the Celestial Steed that much? Did you want to see it?"
"......Un."
The Princess kept flinching.
The Grand Duke easily picked up his daughter and said to the maid.
"Let's go see the Celestial Steed. Unless there's something else to do at the banquet, I'll take the Princess to her room myself."
Rosa's maid, Chelsea, asked awkwardly.
"Your Highness, should I not accompany you?"
He thought he had improved quite a bit in handling his daughter lately.
The Grand Duke chuckled and shook his head.
"No need."
The Grand Duke truly hoped so.
He wouldn't need the maid's help to go see the Celestial Steed with his daughter.
However, things in the world sometimes don't go as planned at unexpected moments.
* * *
―Heeheeheeheeheeing!
The Grand Duke frowned as he watched Ibiza, who was raging in the wide-open Celestial Steed-only stable.
At the same time, his daughter in his arms burst into tears.
"Hng, hng, hwaaaah...!"
"Ah, little one, don't cry. Hmm? It seems Ibiza is not in a good mood today."
"Waaaaaaaah...!"
The Grand Duke immediately regretted not bringing the maid, but it was already too late.
All he did was take one step into the stable with the child in his arms and come back out, and Ibiza flapped its wings, snorting roughly.
'No, why is that guy doing this...'
Although they were fierce Magical creatures, the Celestial Steeds had been the Grand Duke's wings and feet for nearly twenty years.
It was also the first time in about 20 years that the Celestial Steeds had become angry enough to flap their wings in front of the Grand Duke.
Someone hurriedly approached the bewildered Grand Duke.
"Your Highness, I apologize, but calming the Celestial Steeds is the first priority."
It was Count Chessware, who was in charge of managing the Celestial Steeds.
'That's right.'
Although they were tamed now, the Celestial Steeds might fly away somewhere and never return.
He almost forgot that important fact because of the child in his arms.
"......I see."
The Grand Duke reluctantly replied and briefly set the still sobbing Princess outside the stable.
"Little one, can you wait a little while until Daddy calms Ibiza down?"
"Hng..."
The child grabbed the Grand Duke's sleeve with her small hand, as if frightened, but still let go, wanting to see the Celestial Steed.
"Good girl..."
But the moment the Grand Duke tried to move, the Princess grabbed his sleeve again.
"B-But the ground..."
"The ground?"
Looking down at the floor, Job's Tears Flowers, which the Celestial Steeds liked, were scattered outside the stable.
The Grand Duke regretted not bringing the maid and had to ask again.
"The ground, why? Is it hard to stand, little one?"
The Princess continued, tearfully.
"Too, hng, dirty and... hwaaah."
Then she blocked her nose with her short fingers.
The Grand Duke tilted his head in confusion for a moment, then chuckled.
'She must not like the smell of unfamiliar animals...'
The Celestial Steeds hardly smelled of excrement, so the stable smelled more of flowers.
'It was okay last time...'
It seemed that she was very surprised because Ibiza suddenly made a loud noise.
At that moment, Count Chessware, who had been watching from the side, cautiously interjected and held out his hands.
"Your Highness. If you are uncomfortable standing because the floor is dirty, may I hold you for a moment?"
He was already wondering if he should entrust the Princess to him.
But just as the Grand Duke was relieved, the Princess screamed, almost like a shriek.
"Get away!"
The small Princess left the two large adults standing blankly and commanded in short pronunciation.
"A servant! How dare you reach out to someone!"
A moment of silence flowed.
Even though he was dressed casually because of the Celestial Steeds, the person the Princess had in front of her was a high-ranking noble of Nigel.
He was a loyal subject who mobilized his family and followed Ruelle every time after the Grand Duke's marriage, and he was the Grand Duke's closest aide, who had been in charge of managing the Celestial Steeds for more than 10 years.
Count Chessware was momentarily embarrassed, but quickly regained his composure and opened his mouth.
"Haha, indeed, you are the Princess. You are indeed the daughter of Lord O'blin, who is said not to bow his head even before the Emperor of the Empire."
However, such words could not be comforting to the Grand Duke at this moment.
Even if the person who reached out was truly a servant, the Princess's rudeness would not change.
"......She is young and still lacks teaching. I will formally apologize separately for today's events, Count."
"Please don't say that, Your Highness."
But the Princess seemed to have heard the word 'Count' in the meantime.
As soon as she did, she changed her attitude quite childishly and reached out to the Count.
While the Grand Duke was dumbfounded, Count Chessware knelt on one knee, his face brightening.
"May I hold you, Your Highness?"
"......If you see me for the first time, you should introduce yourself first."
"That's right, Your Highness. I am Count Hayek of the Chessware family of Nigel. I apologize for not greeting you in time because the Celestial Steeds made a fuss."
However, just because the Count pretended to be nonchalant did not mean that the Grand Duke's heart was lightened.
He was the Grand Duke's longtime friend, and his daughter's attitude, though young, was certainly disappointing.
―Heeheeing!
Inside the stable, Ibiza cried out loudly again.
The Count urged instead.
"Your Highness, please calm Ibiza down quickly."
"......I see."
The Grand Duke gave a belated reply once again and moved his reluctant steps.
* * *
―Heeheeheeheeheeing!
Ibiza had been panting all along, but when he saw the Grand Duke appear alone, he finally took a deep breath.
The Grand Duke sighed.
"You rascal, you have to act your age. You're an old man, so why are you being so fickle and scaring our little daughter? You even gave her a ride in the carriage a few days ago, what is this all about?"
―Heeheeing…….
Ibiza rubbed his nose against the Grand Duke's palm as if he understood the scolding.
The Grand Duke stroked Ibiza's nose a few times and thought.
'Well, Ibiza has hardly met any strangers...'
Maybe he was quiet that day because of Yan?
The Grand Duke thought so and asked again.
"You guys, were you quiet that day because of Yan? Are you afraid of that little bird?"
―Heeheeheeheeheeing!
Ibiza cried out as if he was wronged, but at least he didn't rage like before.
The Grand Duke clicked his tongue in disbelief.
"......Ha, Ibiza, you rascal. Our daughter seems to like you. Get along well. Hmm?"
But Ibiza did not erase his wariness and shook his head, stepping back.
It was as if he was imitating Yan, and the Grand Duke couldn't help but chuckle.
"You're friends with that little bird, right?"
―Heeheeing!
Ibiza didn't seem to welcome the bird's story.
The Grand Duke stroked his mane and muttered.
"Is that not so? Well, he's so fragile that he'll die as soon as you touch him wrong. It was a good thing that you treated him well that day."
―Heeing…….
The Grand Duke didn't know, but Ibiza was really wronged.
In the past 20 years since he followed the Grand Duke, there had never been such a wronged moment.
However, the Grand Duke fortunately recognized Ibiza's unpleasant mood.
"You don't want to meet our daughter today?"
―Heeheeheeheeheeing.
"......Okay, I understand. I'll come again next time. I'll bring Yan with me."
―Heeheeheeheeheeing!
Ibiza was strangely uncooperative.
The Grand Duke let go of Ibiza and stroked the other Celestial Steeds equally.
"You guys, you can't do this next time."
He tried to make a promise in good words, but he didn't know if the Celestial Steeds would listen.
There was only the matter of disappointing his daughter left.