A few days later: The Evanair Mansion
One sunny morning, Ciel walked into the dining room, yawning. Erin was close behind him, holding Theresa's doll, his red eyes glinting with a bit of anxiety.
Hearing her two sons walk in, Lanae cheerfully lifted her head.
"Good morning~ Oh!"
Lanae looked at Ciel's white hair.
"Jadiel, are my eyes malfunctioning? Why is our child's hair white?"
Wasn't it said that only those who suffered from an extremely traumatic event would have their hair whiten overnight?
Her eyes blazed.
"Who did this to you?"
Before Lanae could draw her husband's sword, Jadiel popped a grape in her mouth, pushing her back into her seat.
"It was always white. He just changed it back."
Ciel looked at them nervously.
White hair in Acyuta was a symbol of the empress, but here in the colorful Anatol, with many eves of all shapes and sizes, white hair was not uncommon.
But his previous stubbornness in keeping his hair black was indeed strange. In the future, if what Theresa said about his growth was true, he wouldn't be able to continue hiding anymore.
But he really didn't want to admit his identity. Wasn't it fine to just be the second son of Evanair? If possible, he really hoped that his past would stay buried in that dark, isolated tower, and treat it as if the youngest prince had never really existed at all.
To guard his family, to stay with his elder brother and sister in this lifetime, and occasionally watch gossip from the sidelines.
His current lifestyle was more than he could ever ask for.
Erin patted his head soothingly, about to divert the topic.
Knowing that no one had done anything to her children, Lanae was back to her cheery self, smiling at the both of them.
"Well, I think Ciel looks great with white hair. Black hair always makes you look too frail. White complements your skin tone perfectly!"
Jadiel hurried to add onto his wife's words.
"Of course, you look cute like this! Like a snowball human!"
Kierra choked on her breakfast.
…In fact, he could have gone without that last sentence. As expected, even a rise in status wouldn't help her capt–family head's descriptions.
Lilian, having long disproved of Ciel's actions of dying his hair, gave his nod of approval.
"It's good that you aren't taking those potions anymore, you didn't even know what was in them."
Mason fluffed up Ciel's hair. "Hey, with this blinding white color, I'd like to see how you sneak out at night again!"
Ivan huffed, "He could wear a hood, idiot."
This started another brawl.
Underneath his blindfold, Ciel's smile slowly reached his eyes.
How wonderful, nobody in this family forced him.
Jadiel coughed, getting everyone's attention.
"On the other hand, Verdalite and Elder Azar are coming over today. You all have been pretty free these days huh?"
Ciel froze.
The cheap grandparents who were supposed to teach etiquette and other subjects noble spawns—uh kids needed?
He was already this old, did he really need to get homeschooled at this age?
Jadiel couldn't read his expression, but he could feel what this kid's brain was spinning.
"Don't worry, Cedric will be joining your classes alongside my brother. All four children will be treated like future nobles."
Mason snickered.
"Have fun in your classes, when he's teaching, Azar is a demon in human skin."
Just after his words landed, he could feel a chill up his spine.
Mason: ….
Seeing the movements of Ivan, who was sitting from across him, freeze, Mason chuckled nervously.
"He's behind me, isn't he."
A pile of snow was dumped on him as an answer.
"As if you all are exempt from lessons. From your postures, are you all begging for make-up classes?"
Following the cold voice, Ciel and Erin watched as the heavy atmosphere around their guardians dissipated. The adults, who had once carried themselves with the rough, mercenary-like demeanor of commoners—even while serving as knights in the second prince's squad—now underwent a striking transformation. Their slouched postures straightened, and a noble aura surrounded them. Maintaining their positions, they froze, and if Ciel hadn't been in the know, he would've thought they were the subjects in a painting.
Ciel & Erin: …Wow, what sort of magic did Azar cast on them?! (0 O 0)
As Azar walked around the table, checking each person's posture like a military instructor, the magic circle he had appeared from flashed, and Verdalite appeared with a big grin.
Ignoring Azar inspecting the statues behind him, he swept up both the boys into his arms.
"I came as soon as I could after I heard the news! Say hello to Grandpa~"
Ciel, who had food in his mouth, almost choked as he was tightly pressed against Verdalite's solid muscles and Erin's body.
"Verdalite! Ciel's about to choke!"
Azar turned around and smacked the black dragon's head, catching both boys as Verdalite let go.
"Cough cough! Azar, I missed you too."
Ciel drank the water Azar condensed and heaved a sigh of relief.
Looking to the side, he could see that his family had continued eating, but their motions had become different, their manners resembling the noble children who had been stuffed in Fatalite by Dominic, but somehow he felt that they were more refined.
Like him, Erin had also never seen this mercenary turned noble family eat so in such a sophisticated manner, and poked Azar's hand.
"Grandpa Azar, did you teach them Anatol etiquette?"
Azar nodded coldly, while Verdalite bent down to the boys' eye level, proudly boasting.
"Of course! Azar's not only taught them Anatol etiquette, but he also trained them in Acyuta etiquette, magic, cooking, and many other skills!"
"Wow!"
Ciel and Erin looked at the cold faced man in awe.
With such a wide skill range, Evanair wouldn't need to hire other instructors right?
Erin shared his thoughts, grasping Azar's hand sincerely.
"Thank you, your teachings will save us a lot of money."
Azar held his grandson's hand, a bit frozen but happy.
Such brutal honesty, he liked his style.
Behind them, Jadiel choked.
"Son, we're not poor, you know that right?"
Erin looked at the shabby mansion, devoid of servants.
Ciel looked outside the window, where the eve village had settled down and the small wooden shacks they had built to live in.
Theresa, who had been awakened by the noise and only heard the last sentence, looked through the wall to see the scrawny number of Fatalite personnel still building their wooden shacks clumsily next to the mansion.
/Sure seems like it./
Although Jadiel couldn't hear her, he could understand the meaning behind Ciel and Erin's glances, and looked toward Ivan, the logistics who managed their supplies.
"Ivan!"
Ivan thought for a minute, counting on his fingers.
"We've spent a portion of our money buying specialties from Anatol in bulk to trade with the other tribes, but only a few supply routes have been established so far, and we haven't had time to establish shops yet to sell. Most of our resources have been used up with the current salaries of Fatalite personnel and on escort missions. We're lucky it's harvest season right now and the newly moved in eve village is willing to share the crops they brought in, otherwise, in this wilderness we'd have to actively hunt for food."
He tapped his chin, ignoring
"We can't rely entirely on our new vassals either. We can starve for a few days, but the children definitely can't starve. I'll take some guys out later for hunting."
Ciel smiled, grabbing Azar's other hand.
"Grandpa Azar, it's really nice to have you here!"
Jadiel held his head.
He had been too focused on the external tasks Dominic had sent him, and neglected his internal affairs. Now this was the result.
"Ivan, take Mason with you to the Rodere and the Ursidae tribes. Kierra, go negotiate with the avian tribes, I'll go myself with Lanae to the Ungula territories. Lilian, you…"
Lilian elegantly bit off a piece of lettuce.
"I'll stay and keep an eye on everyone. The elders will do a good job with administration and teaching, but those in the village need a familiar face to assure them of the fact that their lords haven't been kidnapped."
Jadiel glanced at him.
You just want to stay at home comfortably conducting research right? Right?
Lilian raised an eyebrow, nonchalantly tilting his head towards his sister.
If you're sending me out, I'll stick to Lanae. Let's see how you pursue her with a lightbulb between you two. (- . - )
Jadiel turned away, pretending to be serious.
"That makes sense, how about you introduce the elders to the villagers later with the kids? Then you can spend the rest of your time in your lab."
Ciel, who had watched their entire exchange, leaned towards Erin.
"This is the first time I've seen someone so blatantly flatter someone and still reveal their intentions so honestly."
Jadiel quickly blocked his son's mouth with a egg.
Mini Theater:
How to shut Ciel up:
No. 1: Stuff food into his mouth.
*Chewing noises.*
Ciel: OvO
Tasty.