Chapter 66
Contrary to their expectations that Athanas would be sitting there waiting for them, the office was completely empty.
No, instead of a man radiating a heavy, commanding presence, a small, lively little girl sat there.
The men, who had intended to greet with proper etiquette, froze in place and exchanged questioning glances, unable to comprehend the scene.
A girl?
Isn’t this the Duke’s office?
Why is a little girl here?
All seven men swallowed their irritation as they looked at Flora, who was seated confidently in the center of the office. Whoever she was, how dare she sit in the Duke’s seat, a place they themselves would never dare occupy? Determined to give her a stern lesson, Marquis Sload stepped forward.
“Who are you, that you dare sit in the Duke’s seat!”
His low, growling voice sounded threatening, but Flora only laughed softly, as if she found it amusing, and asked:
“Who’s this Mr. Grom, barging in without even saying hello?”
“We are the leaders of the Northern noble alliance serving the House of Duke Lucifer! Who are you? Step down from that seat immediately!”
Ignoring the Marquis’s shouts, Flora twisted her hair around her finger and continued introducing herself as if she hadn’t heard him.
“Really? My name’s Flora.”
Watching the men mutter that her name sounded familiar, she raised her hand cheerfully and smiled.
“I’m the daughter of the uncle you’re looking for!”
Despite her introduction, not one of the attendants greeted her first. They had probably never heard any real news about Flora, so it was hard for them to believe her identity—but still, their manners were lacking.
These guys are completely reckless. Good thing I came to see for myself.
Flora didn’t like changing her mind constantly, but she eventually turned back, skipping her meal, and headed straight for the office.
She had just learned that Athanas and Isaac were absent from the castle.
If they were polite, they would have waited in the reception room, but sometimes intuition tells you something is off, and you feel uneasy.
While the adults were away, Venio could have received the visitors, but Venio was still far too young.
What if someone took advantage of him without anyone noticing?
These men had already barged into the office without permission; in a split second, they could easily take advantage of Venio.
Do you think I’d just stand by and watch that happen?
Of course, the youngest of the Lucifers in the castle was Flora, but unlike the soft little bears, she could easily deal with arrogant intruders like these, being a wicked, bad, great demon.
It was time to implement her plan, “Our bears, I will protect.”
She instructed that no news of this should be delivered to Athanas or Isaac, told the servants to ensure Venio remained in the training hall, and entrusted the maid staff with the task.
The butler, Jamila, and Elena were all taken aback, but what could they do? The intruders had already come barging in before they could intervene.
Ultimately, things went according to Flora’s will.
I was curious about who these people were…
She wanted to see if those who served Lucifer, branded as a traitor, truly had loyalty and trust in him—but now she realized it wasn’t necessary.
Below expectations. Just a bunch of worthless people here to see if there’s anything to loot.
The eyes of the intruders were full of greed; not one had clear, innocent eyes.
Even after Flora introduced herself as a princess, no one greeted her. Instead, their greedy gaze moved busily, checking out the reception room rather than paying attention to the child.
Disappointing, just disappointing.
How could she trust them with anything in this state?
As long as they don’t steal anything, it’s fine.
If they had genuinely respected Lucifer and intended to collaborate on business, she might have considered giving them a little money… but now, she decided against it.
Flora resolved that, on behalf of the soft little bear Lucifers, she would firmly warn Isaac, the money-obsessed one, never to let these people manipulate them.
I had hoped at least someone as capable as Isaac would show up… but oh well.
Swallowing her disappointment, Flora stood up.
Once the quiet child who had introduced herself moved, all eyes turned back to Flora.
“Daddy, I’m here.”
“…Are you really the princess?”
Marquis Sload spoke, but he didn’t wait for an answer, scanning the room instead.
“Yeah. Nothing interesting, so I’ll go.”
Even when Flora said she was leaving, they didn’t try to stop the child. After all, the princess wasn’t their concern.
As soon as Flora left, Elena, who had been waiting, knocked on the reception room door and entered.
“Greetings. I am Elena, acting head maid of this castle. As the Duke is out for a short while, I will guide you to the reception room.”
“Is that necessary? We can just wait here.”
Elena responded firmly, unlike the other servants:
“It is by the Duke’s command.”
The intruders had hoped to casually rummage through the office and inspect business plans, but seeing the Duke’s knights standing behind Elena, they didn’t insist. They still had many things to gain from this visit.
Clearing their throats, they followed Elena out of the office.
Athanas is truly a kind person.
Not because he’s her father, but his nature is like that of an angel, despite his appearance.
Sigh, this is frustrating.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t even think of holding a welcome event for these brazen thieves, who barged in demanding money.
At least Flora would never fall for such a thing.
Whether he knew it or not, Athanas held Flora, dressed in her beautiful gown, in his arms, looking genuinely happy.
Our silly bear of a dad, just so kind-hearted…
Watching Isaac on the other side trying—and failing—to hide his frustration, Flora felt a sense of camaraderie.
“Flora, these visitors to our castle today are those who have long protected the North alongside our family.”
Momentarily lost in thought, Athanas began speaking in a slightly excited voice.
“Yeah. I’ve never heard or seen them before.”
He smiled cheerfully, implying that he had never seen them visit the castle before.
“Everyone’s probably busy living their lives.”
“This is all so sudden.”
“They must have wanted to see us very much. Let’s welcome them.”
His hearty laugh was refreshing, but Isaac could no longer hide his irritation.
Dad’s a fool. Without me and Isaac, he’d have his pockets picked clean.
Swallowing her words, Flora let out a visible sigh.
“Now, let’s go in.”
Opening the door, they saw Venio in the dining hall, talking with the servants. His expression was stiff, clearly nervous.
Are they bullying our little bear?
The sharp, hawk-like gaze of Venio fell upon Athanas and Flora, who had just entered.
“Oh, Duke!”
About ten people, older and younger, had gathered. Athanas had apparently invited other nobles as well, making the group larger than the ones Flora had seen in the office earlier.
So these are the major Northern nobles?
Plora wondered why the North was so unfortunate.
One mountain after another.
Athanas cheerfully greeted them, seemingly unaware of Flora’s thoughts.
“I have a brief engagement and couldn’t welcome you myself. Don’t feel too disappointed.”
“It’s our sudden visit. We should have contacted you and paid our respects earlier. We apologize for the delay.”
The speaker was naturally the oldest and most influential, Marquis Sload.
White goatee… as expected, he’s the top one.
Flora clung tightly to Athanas’s chest, pretending to be scared.
Understanding perfectly that she didn’t want to be let go, Athanas held her firmly, drawing the servants’ attention to the child.
“So, this is really the princess.”
“We had no news of her being found, so we were very surprised. Congratulations on finally finding her.”
“Indeed… she looks just like the Duchess.”
“We were too shocked to greet you properly earlier. We’re glad you’ve returned to the castle in good health.”
Flora buried her face in Athanas’s chest, hiding from all the flattery.
“Flora?”
Seeing the usually confident, lively child suddenly shy, Athanas called her name, curious.
“Mm, they weren’t kind to me earlier. Are they angry at me?”
