“No guests are allowed without prior permission.”
However, this was a huge misunderstanding. The mercenaries guarding the townhouse’s gate scoffed when they saw the Pandeon family’s carriage and blocked the way.
Even as Lamia stepped down from the carriage and revealed her face, they stood their ground. There was no softening their fierce demeanor in front of a child.
“This is Princess Lamia of the Pandeon family. She is not a guest, but the daughter of the duchess.”
“As far as I know, the Pandeon family’s duchess is not currently here. The household of Marquis Valta, who owns this estate, consists of only his eldest son, Lord Andion, and eldest daughter, Lady Alice. I’ve never heard of a Lamia.”
“At least let us enter and announce our visit—!”
“-What are you talking about?”
The conversation went around in circles: several attempts to enter, repeated denials, and a growing tension between the mercenaries and the Pandeon knights.
In the midst of this, Lamia, unable to understand what she was hearing, tugged on Ansen’s sleeve with a confused expression.
“This is supposed to be Stepmom’s house, right? Then who’s this Marquis and who are Andion and Alice?”
“Ah, well…”
“Stepmom has more children besides us?”
Lamia’s face clouded with confusion, and Ansen’s eyes wavered. He had no idea Lamia didn’t know about Karia’s children.
Forgetting the insults Lamia had thrown at Karia, Ansen didn’t know how to explain illegitimate children to a seven-year-old. At that moment, a child’s voice called out from a distance.
“What is all this commotion?”
“Oh, my lord.”
“My mother has been in a bad mood lately. Stop making unnecessary noise.”
Seeing the boy frown as if disturbed, the mercenaries, each the size of a house, bowed deeply. The Pandeon knights nearby were silently astonished.
The boy’s blonde hair and red eyes marked his status. Yet he was barely five, just starting to speak and walk. Could the mere presence of a child be this commanding?
“Is he really five?”
For a child, Andion’s expression and tone were far too mature. With his hands behind his back, he stomped toward the Pandeon knights in blue uniforms, clicking his tongue in disapproval.
“I heard the Pandeon family is an old noble house, but you seem far more… free-spirited than I expected.”
“Eh, uh?”
“My mother, Duchess Valta, has made it clear that she does not welcome your visit. Yet you ignore etiquette so flagrantly—should I take this as an invitation to conflict?”
Though he spoke without raising his voice or using harsh words, every word weighed heavily. The Pandeon knights were frozen by the interrogation of a mere five-year-old.
While they hesitated, a frowning Lamia intervened.
“And who are you? How dare you come out of Stepmom’s house? And that hair and those eyes… you’re Stepmom’s other son, aren’t you?”
“‘Other son’?”
Andion let out a small snicker at her words. Then he slowly approached Lamia. Though taller by a hand’s span due to age difference, Lamia was overwhelmed by his confident presence.
Stopping a step ahead of her, Andion raised his right hand to his chest and bowed respectfully, performing a proper noble greeting.
“I should have introduced myself sooner. I am Andion Valta, eldest son of Marquis Valta. And you are Princess of Pandeon, correct? It seems there’s been a misunderstanding. My mother has only one son—me.”
“What do you mean?! I have an older brother!”
“Princess, it seems your news is slow. My mother and your father have already divorced. Therefore, the Princess of Pandeon has no connection to my family.”
“Wh-what?!”
Andion’s tone was extremely polite, but his words were anything but. Realizing she had been mocked, Lamia’s body trembled with rage, and she grabbed Andion by the collar.
The knights tried to intervene as the tension escalated, but neither of them could be stopped easily. Their high status meant no one could recklessly separate the furious Lamia.
“What did you say?! Say it again! I said, say it again!”
“I thought you lacked manners, but it seems your memory is poor as well.”
“Hey!”
“Go back. You mean nothing to my mother.”
His final words were whispered quietly into Lamia’s ear. Infuriated to the core, Lamia raised her hand in the air.
The Pandeon knights all thought the same thing at that moment: they must prevent that hand from striking Andion.
But, before they could act, it happened. Lamia slapped Andion across the cheek. Simultaneously, a terrifying voice cut through the air.
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
Karia, her face hardened with fury, strode toward them. The Pandeon people had never seen her expression so terrifying.
“St-stepmom…!”
“How dare anyone lay a hand on my son in my house?! What right does the Pandeon princess have to cause trouble in my home?!”
She enveloped Andion in her arms, radiating overwhelming anger. The Pandeon knights immediately knelt and bowed their heads.
The situation was bad—no, it was the worst.
“I apologize! The Princess came here longing for her mother, hoping to see her face, but she was surprised upon seeing this child of yours!”
“Surprised? The Pandeon princess lashes out at a child smaller than herself when she’s surprised? I knew she had a violent temper, but I didn’t expect such recklessness outside her home!”
“Duchess, please calm down and understand the Princess’s feelings!”
“Wrong! I am not a duchess but Marquis Valta, master of this estate, and my child is a legitimate descendant of the emperor himself! Do you not understand the gravity of this?”
Ansen tried to reason with her to calm her down, but it backfired. A daughter of the Pandeon family striking a direct royal heir… this was far worse than when the matriarch had slapped Karia. Back then, they were at least family on paper, but Lamia and Andion were complete strangers.
Moreover, they had barged into the royal house unannounced. Even if Karia wanted to punish Lamia for her recklessness, no excuses would suffice.
“Stepmom, listen! Lamia came to apologize! She didn’t mean any harm before, and she realizes now it was wrong, so she came to say sorry! But they won’t let her in…”
“The Pandeon princess lacks manners. Doesn’t she know that when visiting someone’s house, one must get permission first, even at seven years old? Such arrogance and bad habits—she’s a carbon copy of the Pandeon matriarch. Has she not yet learned to speak properly to adults?”
Lamia was shocked by Karia’s icy, wind-chilling words. She had assumed that her apology would be accepted and that they could reconcile, hand in hand, and go home together. But this reaction was beyond what she expected.
“Stepmom, why are you being like this to Lamia? She’s not a stranger, is she?”
“-It seems this cannot be resolved here. I will report and file a complaint directly to the Duke of Pandeon.”
“P-please, not that!”
Ansen bowed deeply at Karia’s feet, passing by the dazed Lamia. He could endure insults or even a beating, but if the Duke learned of this, he might lose his knighthood.
“This is entirely my fault. Bringing the Princess here was my unilateral decision. Please hold me responsible for everything.”
“-You speak with quite the knightly tone. Why didn’t I know this before?”
“Please, I beg of you.”
“But there is nothing I can do. A mere knight has no right to intervene.”
Karia turned her back on Ansen, Lamia, and the other Pandeon knights, holding Andion in her arms with a cold expression.
When they returned to the carriage, Princess Servis peeked out the window.
“What’s going on? Why is it so serious?”
“Get out.”
“What?”
“I said get out.”
Karia spoke without removing her angry expression. Terrified by the tense atmosphere, Servis stepped out of the carriage.
“I’m sorry, but our appointment is canceled. I’m going to the Pandeon estate. You can take your carriage wherever you want—opera, whatever.”
“What?! That’s not fair! We had plans!”
“That promise was made before my son was hit by a naughty girl.”
Karia glanced at Servis’s face and then at her stomach, then said, “You’ll understand soon enough.” Servis shivered and closed her mouth.
However, seeing Karia more furious than when dealing with her own wrongdoing made Servis vaguely curious about how precious a child could be.
Though she knew she was carrying a child, it hadn’t fully registered. She cared because it was someone important’s child, but nothing more. Servis had never really liked children.
‘Her reaction is so different from when she got hit. What’s so special about that little thing?’
