Finally, December 1st arrived.
There was a crowd of onlookers excited about the news of the first long-distance railway opening.
Among them, Empress Diana, clad in a shiny fur coat, stood with the Duke of Lucia, the railway's owner, and other influential figures.
"Can't see Lady Bonard anywhere?"
To someone's query, Diana feigned ignorance and responded, "Indeed, where could she be?"
The Emperor's relatives were constantly vexing the Duke of Lucia's household with their checks and balances.
Especially in social circles, Lady Bonard kept challenging her, so she planned to thoroughly crush her this time.
'That's why I hired all the packers and deliberately packed light.'
Then, amidst the murmuring crowd, the elegant yet distinctly traveler-like Lady Bonard appeared on the platform.
Her servants followed, carefully stacking luggage on carts, though the shape of the trunks seemed odd.
"Is that... a trunk?"
While whispers spread, Diana maintained her flawless smile, though inwardly seething.
'How dare she challenge me again... I'll make sure she hits rock bottom this time.'
Diana was already frustrated, not knowing where Creed had disappeared to.
She had even tolerated criticism for neglecting her duties as the imperial household manager due to the burning of the cold palace!
'If only he had awakened my future-seeing abilities earlier, this mess wouldn't have happened. What's wrong with me!'
Then, Lady Bonard stopped in front of Diana.
"It's an honor to see you, Empress."
"Delighted to see you, Duchess Daisy Bonard. I hope your journey will be pleasant."
After formalities, Lady Bonard laughed as if to mock the situation.
"Of course, Your Highness! Thanks to you, I found a competent packer, so I’m well-prepared for a perfect trip even without servants."
Diana’s gentle smile stiffened slightly.
"Is that so?"
Meanwhile, Lady Bonard's smile overflowed with ease.
Unsurprisingly, all the reporters were focusing their cameras on Lady Bonard and her luggage-laden cart.
She was the star of the show, not the Empress or the Duke of Lucia.
She had instantly shown a revolutionary change fitting the innovation.
It was time to board the train.
Diana readjusted her smile and boarded the train. After all, the magical train belonged to the Lucia family, and thus, by extension, to her. She couldn't let this important day be ruined.
Lady Bonard boarded the train with a triumphant yet serene smile.
'Now, everyone will flock to me.'
As she expected, noblewomen she knew well approached her quickly.
They exchanged pleasantries, expectations for the journey, and discussions about the upcoming winter's chill.
When someone mentioned, "Did you all notice Lady Bonard's trunk today?"
Once the conversation began, it progressed swiftly.
Mrs. Bonard subtly brought up a topic she knew they wanted to hear about, in a modest tone.
"I just wanted to give an opportunity to the novice packer. Seeing how skilled he is, I was quite pleased. It's hard for even a talented person to find an opportunity to showcase their abilities, isn't it?"
Although everyone sensed the barely concealed smugness in her words, they were the ones in need.
They eagerly agreed with her, praising her discernment and saying how remarkable it was.
"So, who is this novice packer?"
Before Mrs. Bonard could answer, she recalled the sly young packer.
"I have one reason for giving this gift. It will look most striking when the Duchess of Bonard uses my trunk."
Despite his haughty appearance, his tongue was quite smooth.
Now, it was her turn to repay the favor.
"Ricardo from the Familie Workshop. He made the trunk."
*
Navia had secured a considerable amount of poplar wood early on.
She had also completed the workshop registration in Ricardo's name before the trunk made the front page of the newspaper.
In some ways, it was only natural for Mrs. Bonard to make the front page at the railway inauguration ceremony.
Magical trains and travel.
A flat trunk symbolizing the dawn of a new era.
Everyone agreed it was the most fitting scene for the front page.
But Navia wasn't happy about it at all.
'After all, the people I chose always made the front page.'
This time it just happened to be Mrs. Bonard.
Usually, she would have presented the trunks to Empress Diana. There was no need for that now.
"Navia."
Navia looked up from the newspaper at the sound of a beautiful voice calling her.
"Yes, Creed?"
With deep, cold sapphire eyes and a noble appearance, his voice suited his strikingly handsome features.
Indeed, the breathtaking beauty he revealed at twenty-one was no illusion.
"Good...?"
He lifted a plate containing the food he liked best.
Creed had learned a new word in just a few days: 'good.'
Navia was teaching him dining etiquette. The level was basic, just using utensils to eat slowly, but the progress was excellent.
To think he was now attempting such advanced manners in conversation!
Navia looked at Creed with a delighted expression and smiled radiantly.
"Yes, good."
A fleeting smile appeared on Creed's typically stoic face.
"Good... good."
Then he placed the tastiest food in front of Navia.
"Why? Don't you like it, Creed?"
"Dislike...?"
Navia tasted the food and scrunched up her face in disgust.
"Dislike."
Then she ate the same food again and smiled happily.
"Good."
Creed quickly grasped the difference between the two.
"Navia. Good."
"Hmm, that's the highest form of 'good.'"
Creed often, or rather always, referred to the best things as 'Navia.' It seemed he hadn't fully grasped the concept of names yet.
"Then Creed should eat it."
Navia moved the plate back in front of Creed.
But Creed, following what he had learned, used his fork to spear some meat and offered it to Navia.
"Ah."
That was the action Navia used when feeding Creed.
Before Navia, the plate was already piled high with food by Creed, who alternated between saying 'good,' 'like it,' 'it's nice' as he did so.
Whenever he tried something to his liking, he would react in this manner.
"You think I'm your little bird?"
Navia, laughing as if it were ridiculous, still obediently ate.
Though this was a behavior that completely ignored proper etiquette, what does it matter with a child?
When Navia ate well, Creed would smile faintly, almost unrecognizably.
His expression seemed to say that his own stomach was getting fuller, which left Navia even more astounded.
"Don't be mistaken, Creed. It's not you who are raising me, but I who am raising you."
Navia never expected to be parenting, let alone a prince.
Whenever Navia went on a bit of a nagging spree, Creed always tilted his head with an innocently naive expression.
Then Navia would forget what just happened and murmur like a sigh.
"You seem to know how to act cutely."
This wasn't just Navia's opinion.
Some additional explanation was necessary here.
A few days ago, Lark had done something, and after spending a day with Creed, the boy's aggressiveness had significantly decreased.
"It's a kind of mind control. Much more elegant and sophisticated magic. Think of it as having greatly enhanced his learning abilities."
My goodness. Isn't that the ability every parent would wish for? If word got out that Lark had such power, he could become even wealthier than Agnes in no time.
Anyway, back to the main point.
Creed's magic was being controlled and his aggressiveness had lessened, so the attendants of Eseled also began to take care of him.
Navia was also a child, but because she was so extraordinary, it didn't really feel like she was parenting.
However, Creed was certainly a full-time parenting project, given his condition.
They often said such things while caring for him due to his noble status and unfortunate circumstances.
"Our prince is naturally gifted."
'Talented' suited him well, whether it was for beauty or skills.
But among them, there was something that 'naturally gifted' suited the best.
In other words, 'acting cute.'
"Cute?"
Head tilting to and fro.
Innocently wide eyes.
The overwhelming attention and unintentional affectionate actions, like giving food, were excessively adorable.
Of course, Lark disparaged the people of Eseled who seriously discussed such matters, saying, "They're just playing around."
"You should also stay at the main house."
Navia had already asked Lark about moving Creed's residence to the main house.
Lark was vehemently against it, saying:
"Letting an outsider man under the same roof as you? Daughter, you're already eight and so forward...!"
Lark's speech was cut off when Navia hit him in the solar plexus, pretending it was an accident.
'Really exasperating...'
It was unclear when he became such a staunch conservative and why he treated Creed as if he was going to steal his daughter away.
When Navia said "Dad, please show the dignity of our house," he replied, "You don't know anything."
Perhaps to a ninth-time returner, a person on their infinite return knows 'nothing'...
She wasn't exactly convinced, though.
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