And several days passed.
Could hatred eventually turn into love?
Masera, entangled in such thoughts while returning to headquarters, discovered the black-haired child he had seen at the hospital collapsed on the street.
Unlike before, the child didn’t open his mouth, and no matter how much he inquired, he couldn’t find the parents.
Eventually, Masera decided to take the child in.
“His muteness seems to be due to psychological trauma from the bombing.”
The child avoided people due to severe aftereffects.
Dahlia, who had been his direct subordinate and was discharged due to injury, helped take care of the child.
It was after the war ended that Eugene finally opened his heart and began to speak.
“Do you remember anything? I’ll help you find your parents.”
Judging from the clothes he wore when he was found and his table manners, he was definitely from a noble family.
“Mom and Dad are gone now.”
Could they have died in the bombing?
“…Then we need to find relatives, so tell me what you know.”
Even at Masera’s questions, Eugene looked terrified whenever his parents were mentioned.
Since there was nothing else to know besides his name being Eugene, he couldn’t investigate further.
“Uncle, don’t abandon me. I want to live with Uncle Masera at the official residence.”
Seeing the greenish eyes that feared being abandoned, Masera felt a strange sense of kinship.
“Okay. Let’s do that.”
That’s how Masera became family with Eugene.
* * *
Masera, having finished his reminiscence, leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
He had been feeling suspicious about Hayden due to various reports about him.
However, Eugene liked him so much that he couldn’t help but hesitate.
‘To make the child experience loss again…’
“Adults who discriminate and hate someone will eventually be hated by everyone.”
Lady Cynthia’s words were correct.
Eugene would continue to grow and eventually become an adult. He couldn’t keep overprotecting and shielding him forever.
If he was a guardian, he should guide him on the right path, even if it was a rough one.
Having made a decision, Masera summoned Diego.
“Already? Are you done?”
He instructed Diego, who came with a flustered face.
“Eugene’s tutor possessed subversive books. Detain him and investigate him on charges of violating the National Security Law and being a traitor.”
* * *
The next morning, I ran into Major Rodriguez, who had come to the residence for a report.
I waited for him to finish his work and gave him a gift I had bought from our honeymoon destination.
“It’s a rabbit brooch that’ll grant you a long-life, I bought it from a Medeian souvenir shop.”
“Thank you. It’s very cute, just like Lady Cynthia.”
Like me? I looked down at the bizarrely shaped rabbit brooch with a turtle shell.
“I will always cherish it and live a long life.”
He said, pinning the silver rabbit brooch next to the medals on his uniform.
Seeing the other person’s pleased reaction made me feel very good.
“I heard you went to Medea. I was in the ROTC at Aiford University in Medea, so I’m happy to see things from there.”
“Aiford University?”
Wasn’t that the prestigious university that Hayden, the one Masera had mentioned at dawn, attended?
“Brigadier General Masera is from the ROTC at Lambridge University, which is a rival school. He obtained his degree with the Queen’s support.”
As Major Rodriguez and I were having a small conversation, a commotion was heard from somewhere.
“The Princess is trying to get rid of me!”
The tutor, Hayden, was being dragged to the investigation department, shouting at the top of his lungs.
Then, when he made eye contact with me, he exclaimed, greatly agitated.
“That woman gave me the subversive books, and as soon as I found out, she framed me! Ask Eugene! Who gave them to him!”
Oh no, Eugene would side with that man.
I approached Hayden, who was being dragged away.
“Hey, are you sure you graduated from Aiford University in Medea?”
In response, the non-commissioned officer who was taking him away answered instead.
“Professor Hayden is a well-known figure who has published books on political science and diplomacy. This incident seems unrelated to the allegations about his education.”
Still, something was strange.
When I checked the learning materials, the education Eugene was receiving was not only inappropriate for his level, but the problem-solving methods were also strange.
It wasn’t the kind of lesson someone who had received formal education would give.
[“Pretending to be knowledgeable when you can’t even understand Medeian.”]
Hayden muttered in Medeian.
I tilted my head, pretending not to understand, and he gave me a mocking look.
“I knew it. You’re just jealous of me because I’m from a prestigious university! Because you’re a woman who couldn’t even graduate from college!”
“What’s the name of the famous sandwich shop in front of Aiford University?”
I ignored his provocation and threw out a question.
“I don’t like sandwiches.”
“Then what’s the name of the organization within Aiford University that has its own building and discusses various topics?”
Hayden’s face turned red as he couldn’t answer.
“There wasn’t anything like that when I was there…”
“Aiford Union.”
Major Rodriguez answered instead, looking at Hayden.
“It’s been around for two centuries, so a graduate wouldn’t not know about it.”
The Major turned to me, narrowing his blue eyes.
“His Medeian accent is also strange for someone who attended Aiford University.”
Hayden, cornered by meeting a real graduate of the prestigious university, found Eugene hiding and looked desperate.
“Eugene! I’ve been framed! If you tell the truth, I can clear my name!”
At Hayden’s call, Eugene was startled and started to run away.
But soon he stopped and came back this way.
“Eugene, the ‘Snow Queen‘ book, did the Princess give it to you?”
Hayden asked in a gentle tone, looking at Eugene who had returned.
Had they rehearsed it in advance? If Eugene said yes, it would be quite troublesome.
Eugene, who received the question, showed signs of anxiety, biting his fingernails.
“Whatever answer you give, it’s okay. No one will get angry or hate you.”
I smiled kindly at Eugene. Because the truth wouldn’t change no matter what answer the child gave.
“That’s…”
“Eugene! You wanted to kick out the Princess who was bothering you from the residence, didn’t you? This is your chance to kick her out! Answer honestly! I’m the only one who understands you!”
Hayden began to urge Eugene, who was delaying his answer.
Eugene’s spring sprout-like eyes turned to me.
“Big sis… is a bad Princess.”
“That’s right. I’m bad. But I want to be a good person to you.”
Then tears welled up in Eugene’s eyes.
“Even if you’re a bad Princess, if I kick you out with a lie, I’ll become a bad person too.”
Eugene wiped his eyes with his sleeve and added.
“Emil, I’m going to stop lying now. Stop imitating Professor Hayden. He’ll be sad in heaven.”
Hayden, who was called ‘Emil,’ turned pale. It was as if he had received a death sentence.
Eugene looked straight up at me and began to tell the truth.
“Actually, Emil used to be a servant who worked at our house a long time ago. But Emil said that he had to live as Professor Hayden. He said that if he didn’t, he would be caught and killed… so I lied to uncle and hid him.”
“This rude brat! I’ve been keeping my mouth shut about your mother and spoiling you all this time! Are you trying to kill me?!”
In the end, the fake Hayden, whose secrets were revealed, became very angry and shouted.
“…Wait, have you been living as a dead person all this time?”
At my words, Eugene lowered his head. Tears were falling to the floor.
“Uncle Masera said so. He said that if someone precious does something wrong, you have to stop them.”
Eugene looked at Hayden with tearful eyes.
“The reason I listened to you all this time is because you’re a precious person to me. I wasn’t afraid of being abandoned by you. I didn’t want you to feel that way.”
It was Emil who was afraid of being abandoned, not knowing the sincerity of hiding his identity, Emil glared at Eugene with wide eyes.
“It doesn’t matter if I tell you everything about your parents, does it?”
“It doesn’t matter anymore. I don’t want to lie anymore.”
I didn’t know about Eugene’s secret, but there was definitely something between the two of them.
“The dirty Esatain finally…”
Emil muttered something as he was dragged away, but that wasn’t important.
I held Eugene’s hand tightly.
“It must have been hard, but you were brave.”
“…I still don’t like you, big sis.”
“I like you.”
Eugene looked up at Major Rodriguez with a tearful face.
“Pasty Uncle. I’m sorry for saying that back then.”
It was a moment when the child realized and apologized on his own, not by someone’s coercion.
He looked down at the child silently and smiled.
“It’s okay. Thank you for saying that. Let’s be friends in the future.”
Major Rodriguez, who lifted Eugene up in his arms, had a look of accomplishment on his face.
“I’m the one who caught him. But if Brigadier General Masera is very diligent, he would have figured the impersonation out eventually… ”
“How many tutor applicants were there, from scientists to education experts? It’s just because the child liked him.”
In the warm atmosphere, Masera, who had appeared at some point, approached with a very displeased expression.
“More than that, what are you doing with someone else’s wife and child?”
Masera’s gaze was directed at the rabbit brooch unnaturally stuck between the Major’s medals.
The Major, who was staring at Masera, tilted his head slightly and smiled beautifully.
“Is that not allowed?”
Ah, why provoke that grumpy person?
Because he likes you, that’s why!