"Ah, hello."
"...."
"I-I'm Kairen."
Faced with the sudden crowd, I blanked out for a moment before breaking into a cold sweat and introducing myself in a meek, crawling voice.
"That child…."
"Ahem, it seems we should end this discussion here."
"That would be best."
Murmurs began spreading through the room.
From the sound of it, they'd been talking about me until now, but judging by their expressions, it wasn't anything good.
"...."
Seeing Mother seated at the head table with a displeased look only confirmed it.
It seemed this mansion held more than just my three older sisters who refused to acknowledge me.
"…Excuse me, Young Master. The regular meeting is just about to begin."
Just as I was shrinking back and glancing nervously around, a maid who'd been waiting by the door slipped in beside me and whispered in my ear.
Oh no, today was the day the retainers gathered for their meeting? My timing couldn't have been worse.
"Kairen."
"Ah, yes."
"What brings you to my office?"
As I awkwardly pondered whether to leave or stay, Mother's voice came from ahead.
"W-Well…."
In that moment, I glanced around before squeezing my eyes shut and shouting at the top of my lungs.
"I-I have a gift!"
Truth be told, I wanted to close my eyes, act cute to soften her up, and then give it to her. But no helping it now.
Better to hand over the gift quickly and slip out than linger in this uncomfortable spot.
"A gift?"
Fortunately, Mother tilted her head with a hint of interest. At least I wouldn't be chased out right away.
"It's something I prepared for you, Mother."
I let out a quiet sigh of relief inside before pulling out the gift I'd prepared in advance and holding it out to her.
"T-Ta-da."
It was a blue flower one of the maids I'd met in the hallway recently had pressed into my hand, saying Mother would surely love it.
It felt a bit off since I hadn't picked it myself, but thankfully, it was a flower I knew well from my past life, so I figured there'd be no issue and brought it along.
"...."
Wait, what was with this ominous silence?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Of all times, Kairen had walked in right when the retainers' backlash against the hidden fourth son's emergence had peaked.
"Oh no."
"Hmm."
"...Huh."
When he pulled out the blue flower from his pocket, the gathered retainers let out low sighs.
'Of all flowers.'
'No way he knew, but still….'
'He's really done it now.'
In Belverk, showing a blue flower—especially the blue hydrangea Kairen now held—was the ultimate taboo.
Everyone knew the infamous incident from ten years ago when all the blue flowers in Belverk's garden had been uprooted.
Thus, blue flowers had become one of the Duke's few untouchable reverse scales, treated like the corpse of someone who'd died that day.
The problem was that Kairen—the one already under a negative spotlight—had shoved that very reverse scale right in the Duke's face.
"Why are you giving this flower to me?"
Sure enough, after a brief dazed expression, Astridje spoke in a sunken voice.
Anyone who'd known her long recognized it as a grave warning sign.
"Do you know the flower's meaning?"
"...."
"This flower's meaning is…."
But oblivious or not, Kairen began explaining with an innocent smile.
"…Heartlessness, coldness, and fickleness."
Astridje cut him off mid-sentence with a icy voice.
"No words describe me better."
As she murmured in a voice laced with inexplicable regret, it happened.
"No, this is a forget-me-not."
"...?"
"This is a forget-me-not…."
Kairen, still holding out the flower with a puzzled look, blinked and said as much.
"…A forget-me-not?"
"Yes. It looks a bit similar, so it's easy to mix up…. But a forget-me-not's meaning is completely different."
Astridje's eyes widened as she clenched her fists and asked Kairen.
"What is it?"
Kairen met her gaze squarely and answered in a soft voice.
"…Please don't forget me."
"...."
"That's what this flower means."
For a very brief moment, Astridje's lips trembled faintly.
"…Strange."
How much time passed? After staring long at the flower Kairen held out, Astridje spoke again.
"I was told it was a hydrangea when it was given to me that day."
"...?"
"Is that how it was…."
Her voice was still low, but it seemed slightly choked compared to before.
"What a wonderful gift, Kairen."
"Hehe."
"Come here."
As Astridje beckoned, Kairen trotted over with a bright smile.
"For such a wonderful gift, I'll give you one in return."
"…A gift?"
Astridje, her lips curving faintly upward at the sight, stroked Kairen's head and made her declaration.
"What do you want? I swear on the name of Astridje to make it happen."
"Uh…."
"Anything at all. With Belverk's power and wealth, nothing is impossible."
The retainers doubted their own ears.
Astridje smiling softly—a expression she hadn't shown in over a decade after receiving the blue flower—was shocking enough.
But the promise she offered on her own name was no mere praise.
It was what Belverk's three sisters, the retainers, high imperial officials, and even those of imperial blood desired: her pledge.
No explanation was needed for the immense honor bestowed on a child not yet ten.
"Then, I have one request…."
But the astonishment didn't end there.
"I-I want to spend about an hour every day with you, Mother."
At those words from Kairen—the very recipient—the retainers were left dumbfounded.
"…What?"
"I-Is that not okay?"
Even Astridje herself seemed taken aback, asking Kairen again with a flustered expression.
"Are you serious?"
"…Yes? Of course."
"You could ask for so much more, why…."
Kairen smiled softly with his eyes and replied.
"Because that's a precious gift money can't buy."
Hearing that, a clearer smile bloomed on Astridje's lips, which had frozen for a moment.
"…If that's what you want."
As she whispered and reached out, Kairen extended the flower further, but….
"…Huh?"
What Astridje lifted wasn't the forget-me-not in his hand—it was Kairen himself.
"You've all waited long."
"...."
"Let's begin the regular meeting."
With Kairen seated on her lap, Astridje gently stroked his head and declared the meeting open.
"Your Grace, but…."
"…Is there a problem?"
"Well…."
It was a side of the cold, cruel Monster Duke they'd never imagined.
A few retainers stared blankly and hesitantly tried to object, but….
"Does anyone object to this child attending the meeting?"
"...."
"This child, with Belverk blood flowing through his veins, is far more qualified than you lot who only complain."
Astridje's cold voice echoed through the office, and no further objections arose.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
And so, the regular meeting began with an unexpected guest.
"The frontline reinforcement contract has been renegotiated for an 8% reduction. Total savings: 2,400 gold. Overall military expenditure is down 4% from the previous quarter."
Normally, this would be a dull, rigid affair: the Duke stamping documents without real review in a listless manner, retainers sorting and distributing them.
"Mm…."
But today, there was a change to the tedium.
"…Mmm."
Kairen, perched on Astridje's lap, receiving head pats while diligently peering at the documents spread on the desk.
"…Can he even read?"
"Who knows, but it's childlike enough."
"Wish my daughter would do that. Sigh…."
As the retainers chatted lightly, adjusting to the new atmosphere, it happened.
"Um, excuse me."
"...?"
"Something's off here."
The words slipped from Kairen, whose eyes were fixed on a document.
"Haha, did you find a typo, Young Master Kairen?"
"Well, see…."
The retainers first dismissed it as childish play or attention-seeking, but as the explanation continued, their faces grew stiff.
"If frontline reinforcement spending dropped, that should mean adjustments elsewhere—like reserves or militia upkeep…."
"...!"
"So why is there no trace of the saved 2,400 gold added anywhere?"
The office fell silent once more.
📜 SUDDEN QUEST 📜
Discover the Ducal House's Corruption (0/1)
Gain Recognition from the Retainers (0/1)
In that silence, only Kairen smiled triumphantly at the quest window that had just popped up before his eyes.