Chapter 71
Though it felt disrespectful to have such thoughts about someone who cared for her, it was an important issue in Minerva’s plan. Before meeting the Grand Duke, she aimed to uncover as much of his inner thoughts through Lloyd as possible! Of course, she couldn’t let it show. That would be rude to Lloyd and his daughter, who had been so kind to her.
After brief greetings, the two pairs of mother and daughter sat around the table.
“I’m sorry for suddenly asking to have lunch together. You must have been surprised, Lord Mente.”
“It’s alright. I imagine you must feel uneasy in many ways, being in an unfamiliar place. If there’s any inconvenience in your living arrangements, please don’t hesitate to send someone to let me know, even if it’s something minor.”
“No, I couldn’t trouble you like that when you’re so busy.”
“It’s no trouble at all. My lord also wishes for Her Highness to stay comfortably.”
‘Finally, talk of the Grand Duke!’
Minerva had been prepared to bring him up herself if Lloyd didn’t, so this was fortunate.
‘I should start lightly.’
Minerva clapped her hands softly, smoothly changing the subject to the Grand Duke.
“By the way, I heard I can meet with the Grand Duke in three days. Thank you for that.”
“Ah, that’s… nothing. Rather, to arrange the time so quickly…”
Lloyd suddenly squeezed his eyes shut mid-sentence.
‘Father.’
A soft murmur was heard.
Glancing down slightly and rolling her eyes, Minerva saw Ayla poking Lloyd’s side under the table.
It was a movement invisible from Minerva’s perspective.
However, the usually kind Ayla, who would have normally asked Lloyd if he was alright, was just smiling at him, which made Minerva curious.
“…? Lord Mente, are you okay?”
“Uncle Lloyd, does something hurt?”
Aslan also blinked her large eyes, looking strangely at Lloyd.
But what brought Lloyd back to his senses wasn’t their questions, but Ayla’s quiet call.
“Father?”
For some reason, Lloyd shrank at the gentle voice, no different from usual.
Minerva was confused as to why their relationship seemed to have reversed in her absence.
‘Wasn’t Ayla originally intimidated by Lloyd?’
Under Ayla’s continued scrutiny, Lloyd offered a clumsy excuse.
“Ahem. Hem. I apologize. Suddenly, a bout of anemia…”
Drip… drip…
Incidentally, the fork Lloyd was holding had a piece of beef dripping blood stuck to it.
Actively consuming iron in real-time, yet suddenly claiming anemia.
Setting aside how awful Lloyd’s excuse was, it cut off the chance to probe further about the Grand Duke.
‘Ah, nothing’s going right!’
What was the point of asking to have lunch together?
But lunch was only just beginning.
Minerva decided to give up on extracting information from Lloyd.
Instead, she carefully asked Ayla.
“Come to think of it, Ayla, have you ever met Grand Duke Eckhart?”
“Yes, I’ve seen…”
Ayla, who had been averting her gaze from Minerva, suddenly panicked when their eyes met.
“Uh, that, well… I mean, my lady.”
Ayla blinked rapidly, unable to string her words together properly.
‘What’s this? Did I do something wrong again?’
Minerva swallowed hard as her trauma resurfaced, wondering why Ayla was fidgeting nervously while looking at her.
And Ayla herself was just as flustered.
She had been about to answer that she had met the Grand Duke, but the moment she met Minerva’s eyes, a wave of guilt washed over her, and she couldn’t speak!
She had acted so superior about Lloyd being unreliable, but Ayla was no different.
Meeting Minerva’s eyes, she found she couldn’t lie.
The thought of deceiving the lady who had helped and treated her kindly filled her with guilt, freezing her in place.
Ayla’s eyes rolled towards Lloyd, as if seeking help.
Faced with his usually composed daughter’s sudden panic, Lloyd actually regained his composure and answered instead.
“Yes. He was the first person we met upon arriving here.”
“I see…”
Minerva replied glumly.
The flow had already been interrupted, and it would be strange to keep dragging out the topic of the Grand Duke, so Minerva had no choice but to continue eating silently.
Just as Lloyd was starting to feel relieved, Minerva spoke again.
“Lord Mente, is the Grand Duke usually very busy…”
“Cough, hack.”
“He-he’s busy! He’s so busy that Father is always busy too!”
Before she could finish speaking, Lloyd nearly had a fit, choking.
This time, Ayla, who couldn’t answer earlier, stepped in to respond for Lloyd.
Even Aslan sensed something was off, and her eyes met Minerva’s.
‘Mom, why are they acting like that?’
‘I don’t know.’
They exchanged those words through their eyes.
Although she conveyed that she didn’t know through her gaze, there was one thing Minerva was certain of.
Lloyd and Ayla were reluctant to talk about the Grand Duke.
Considering Lloyd’s true identity, this was natural, but to Minerva, who was unaware, it came across differently.
‘Well, I am a princess after all, and the Grand Duke is Lord Mente’s superior. It’s not really appropriate table conversation.’
She realized she had been treating him too casually without knowing it.
No matter how desperate her situation was, she didn’t want to trouble her benefactor.
Minerva was about to stop bringing up the Grand Duke, but…
“Uncle, is this Grand Duke person bullying you?”
“Wh-what… what?”
“Aslan!”
Aslan had no intention of staying quiet.
Rather, her sense of justice was burning at the thought that someone might be troubling her benefactor.
“Ayla said so earlier. That our mom is the daughter of the highest per… person! If the Grand Duke uncle is bullying you, Uncle Lloyd, tell mom! Mom will help!”
Right, mom?
Aslan’s cat-like mouth corners lifted as she looked at Minerva with sparkling eyes.
‘Ah, no, Aslan. That’s not it!’
While it was admirable that she couldn’t stand injustice, using social status to suppress others wasn’t the way.
Minerva inwardly cried out, but it seemed to affect Lloyd differently.
He blinked blankly for a moment before breaking into a gentle laugh.
“I appreciate the sentiment, Aslan, but it’s not like that. Don’t worry about it.”
“But whenever the Grand Duke is mentioned, both you and Ayla act strange. Isn’t he a bad person?”
“No! He’s definitely not a bad person!”
As if she had become the Grand Duke’s advocate, Ayla earnestly defended him.
Seeing Ayla speak up like this, Minerva figured he probably wasn’t a bad person.
By this point in the conversation, she had lost interest in uncovering the Grand Duke’s true intentions.
She felt that he wasn’t helping her with any dubious ulterior motives.
However, Aslan seemed to think differently from Minerva, furrowing her eyebrows suspiciously.
Then, she suddenly tugged on Minerva’s sleeve and said,
“Mom, I want to go to the meeting with the Grand Duke uncle too.”
“What?”
“I need to see for myself if he’s a safe person!”
“No!”
Minerva immediately exclaimed.
As if she had expected this, Aslan puffed up her cheeks, clenched her fists, and shook her legs restlessly, throwing a full-body tantrum.
“Why! Why can’t I!”
Minerva was afraid Aslan might be disrespectful to the Grand Duke.
‘She’ll definitely call him “uncle” too.’
Moreover, she couldn’t rule out the possibility that Aslan might cause a scene, such as threatening the Grand Duke if he made any missteps.
That would instantly derail the negotiations.
While Minerva was lost in thought, Aslan’s cheeks had puffed up so much they looked like they might burst.
She seemed thoroughly upset.
Knowing that with that face Aslan wouldn’t accept any reason, Minerva pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed deeply.
“The adults have important things to discuss.”
“That’s unfair!”
Minerva felt the urge to poke those re-inflating cheeks, but instead, she firmly rubbed the tip of her index finger against Aslan’s nostrils.
“Now, now. Aslan, you stay and play with Ayla.”
“Pardon?”
The response came from an unexpected direction.
Turning her head, Minerva saw Ayla barely holding her cutlery with trembling hands.
Ayla asked Minerva with eyes widened as if she had heard something she shouldn’t have.
“M-me?”
“Huh? Yes. I thought it would be nice if you could stay with Aslan. Is that too much to ask?”
“Th-that…”
Ayla couldn’t refuse Minerva’s request.
Above all, the talk of adults having things to discuss meant that Ayla wouldn’t be able to participate in that conversation either.
She had been so focused on backing up Lloyd that she hadn’t anticipated Minerva saying the kids should stay out of it!
How could she be so short-sighted?
Her eyes almost squeezed shut at her own ignorance, but with the thought that she shouldn’t look suspicious, she barely managed to hold back.
Ayla forced a smile with her trembling lips.
“Of course, my lady!”
“That’s a relief! Thank you so much, Ayla.”
Minerva smiled brightly and advised Aslan once more.
“You understand, Aslan? Play with Ayla while Mom is talking.”
“Then who will protect Mom!”
“Mom will protect herself. Didn’t you see what Mom can do on the way here?”
“But still!”
The mother-daughter argument gradually faded into the background.
Ah, this is a disaster.
Ayla looked anxiously at Lloyd.
He was already smiling resignedly at Ayla with a pale face, as if telling her not to worry.
‘Ah, will this really be okay?’
At this point, Ayla was the only one feeling anxious.
