#021. What Kind of Child Is the Real Blanche Roa Vandeluin?
“The Empress introduced that child?”
That’s why, for the Empress Dowager, who was always looking for ways to keep the Empress in check, this child named Blanche naturally caught her attention.
“Yes. Apparently, during the tea party attended by all the peace envoys, she brazenly asked to sit next to Her Majesty the Empress.”
“She asked first?”
Of course, the Empress Dowager hadn’t forgotten the sheer presence that Riana exuded.
How many noble parents had tried to introduce their children to Riana, only for those children to end up crying their eyes out?
And yet, this child dared to demand the seat beside Riana, became Melchizedek’s playmate even though he had always refused to play with anyone, and then went on to gather all the noble children and make them cry in one fell swoop?
“Her Majesty the Empress is soft-hearted. The child must’ve taken advantage of that.”
If a three-year-old could consciously take advantage of that and sit next to Riana without crying, that would be a remarkable talent in itself. It’s not like the other nobles didn’t know they could gain favors by cozying up to the Empress—they simply couldn’t bring themselves to do it out of fear.
The fear was far greater than the potential gain.
“She must be quite a cheeky little thing.”
Still, there was no need to scold her. The Empress Dowager lightly nodded on the surface but resolved inwardly to meet Blanche herself.
In the Empress Dowager’s eyes, a child who could be favored by Riana, liked by Melchizedek, and reduce noble children to tears—all had to be different types. Could a three-year-old possibly wear three faces?
What kind of child was Blanche Roa Vandeluin?
Even the Empress Dowager, who had personally raised Berken and Melchizedek, found it hard to imagine.
“…Today? Right now?”
“Don’t you have everything wrapped up anyway? Dragging this out would only be more stressful.”
The Grand Duke was indeed a man of action.
Just like he said, the clean-up from the tea party had just been completed. The temporary staff hired for two weeks had been reassigned, the palace’s order and regulations had been restored, and everything else had been tied up as of yesterday.
This morning had only been a check-in to ensure the kids were doing their assigned tasks correctly.
And just as she finally got a moment to breathe, he barged in suggesting they go buy horses.
Surely a five-year-old hadn’t planted a spy, so the information must’ve come through the Empress. That meant the Empress was contacted yesterday, told the Grand Duke this morning, and he rushed over right away.
In that sense, his initiative could be compared to that of a charging bull. That was fine in itself—but for the person dragged along with him, it could be exhausting. Especially for someone like me, who preferred carefully laid-out plans and sticking to them.
“…I’ll have lunch prepared. You should eat before you go.”
But class was absolute—or maybe, in this case, it was a matter of power. Blanche was royalty, after all.
I couldn’t say no even if it were just for playtime. If it was under the pretense of a reward, there was no room for refusal. So I decided to use lunch as a moment to prepare myself mentally.
What was I preparing for?
Obviously—to flatter.
—Not that I’m bad at flattery. I spent years as the Emperor’s loyal tongue; how hard could a little flattery be?
The problem was, I hadn’t done it in a very long time.
Flattery toward the Empress was barely enough to count—it was more polite wordplay. It had been at least three years. Even during my time as Minister Baek Ryeon, in the later years there was no need to flatter. And after the Crown Prince passed away, I hadn’t even flattered the Emperor anymore.
So I had to dig into my old memories and get back into the mindset of a sycophant. Unfortunately, the Grand Duke wasn’t making it easy.
He basically drank his food and kept giving me looks to hurry up. I had to force down my meal, even skipping tea, and as soon as I finished, he was already on his feet.
Luckily, my body now was healthier than my previous one. If I’d still been in that old body, I’d have collapsed after this outing for sure.
“Do you know much about horses?”
Despite inwardly weeping tears of blood, I smiled brightly. Even if adults didn’t dote on me, smiling was still better than pouting.
“No, not really.”
That, of course, was a lie. Horses? I was a warrior who’d spent half her life on the battlefield. My final title was Prime Minister, so people got confused in biographies.
But I’d seen tens of thousands of horses, and only rode the finest breeds myself. I could easily tell which horses were suited for war and which weren’t.
Still, high-ranking people liked teaching clueless kids. And it wasn’t like Tula needed a thoroughbred just starting out in riding, so I figured I’d just accept whatever the Grand Duke picked.
“What about Your Highness?”
“Well, I’ve never chosen a horse myself either…”
The Grand Duke stroked his baby-fat-laced chin with a chubby little hand.
Not that I could say much, but what exactly was inside this kid? He acted like a little old man. Was I like this back in my Baek Ryeon days too? I tried to recall that distant time, but the Grand Duke glanced at me and added:
“Still, I have to try. My sister-in-law specifically asked me to take good care of you.”
Whether it was empty words or sincerity, I couldn’t tell. It could’ve just been a passing remark to be nice.
But saying it outright would defeat the purpose of playing the sycophant. I teared up dramatically and put on a look of deep gratitude.
With a convincing expression, maybe he’d go back and tell the Empress I was charming.
“I am overwhelmed by Her Majesty’s boundless grace.”
If the Empress had seen that, she’d probably have found it cute. But the one in front of me was still a child, so the Grand Duke just frowned.
“Don’t use difficult words. You’re slurring your pronunciation.”
This wasn’t even that slurred… I disliked sloppy pronunciation too, but the Grand Duke really had zero tolerance for it.
Come to think of it, for a five-year-old, his pronunciation was unusually clear. Thanks to holding a pen in my mouth and practicing, mine was good for a three-year-old, but even so, he couldn’t stand it?
How on earth did he talk when he was younger?
“Also, you may not believe it, but my sister-in-law really cares about you. She was so disappointed she couldn’t come today.”
Even if I didn’t fully believe it, just hearing someone say they cared about me was nice. This time, my smile was genuine.
“Her Majesty must have a packed schedule.”
“Well, that too, but—”
The Grand Duke sighed.
“It’s dangerous if she comes. She can’t tell which horses are aggressive. They all turn into gentle lambs in front of her, so it’s hard to sort out the bad ones. If we chose horses with her, there could be accidents later.”
Really? I tilted my head.
The Empress’s hands, unlike her delicate face, were calloused and rough. A warrior’s hands.
So I knew she wasn’t soft—but could even animals sense that?
Maybe sensing my doubt, the Grand Duke made a face.
“I was suspicious from the start when you smiled at her. Do you have no survival instinct? You didn’t feel how scary she is?”
“I guess not. I just thought she was kind and gentle.”
Well, fair enough. I had spent half my life on the battlefield, with death a constant companion. No wonder my self-preservation instincts were broken.
In any case, if it meant gaining the Empress’s attention, then it was a win. It’s not like I’d get stabbed in the palace, even in a foreign empire.
But the Grand Duke didn’t seem to see it that way.
“You really are just…”
He was about to scold me when the carriage stopped.
“Never mind. As long as she’s happy, that’s what matters.”
The Grand Duke shook his head and got up. The carriage door opened, and with the help of a guard, he got out first and turned around.
“Here.”
A small hand was held out in front of me—he was offering to escort me.
He could’ve just picked me up, but the sight of a kid only as tall as the carriage step offering his hand was honestly cute.
“Thank you.”
I smiled sweetly and took his hand. Though small, it was still a full hand larger than mine and wrapped completely around it.
Because the horse market was crowded, the Grand Duke didn’t let go even after we stepped out.
Two kids holding hands wouldn’t stop them from getting swept away—but he seemed very proud of being two years older than me, so I figured it was better to let him hold it. It wasn’t hard, anyway.
“Come to think of it, this was for your nanny’s horse, right?”
“Yes.”
“Didn’t expect her to know how to ride. Is that common in the Kingdom of Lamore?”
How should I know—I’m three. But this was a great chance. If I planned to use Tula as my stand-in, it would be better if her status was as high as possible.
“They said they picked exceptional talent especially for someone going to the Empire.”
It wasn’t entirely a lie. I’d make her exceptional myself. I’d even teach her how to ride.
