The expression on Carren’s face as he spoke was more serious and colder than ever.

No wonder—Carren was currently very angry.

He had gone to visit Leciel, hoping to spend time with her, only to find out that she had gone on an outing with his father. How disappointed he had felt.

So, after all that effort to come and see her, he was met with this situation.

Leciel was a precious child, one that even he couldn’t treat carelessly. His father cherished Leciel dearly as well.

The fact that a mere duchess had tried to lay a hand on such a cherished person infuriated Carren.

He couldn’t remember ever being this angry.

‘This is the first time.’

He had never lost his temper before, no matter what the situation. It must mean that Leciel was that precious to him.

So, there was no way she could let this slide.

“Your Highness! Your words are excessive!”

Even though the person in front of her was the heir to the Grand Duchy, his words were so rude that they couldn’t possibly be directed at her, a duchess.

The fact that this rudeness was because of the commoner child before her pricked the duchess’s pride even more.

“It’s the duchess’s face that is excessive. So, I would appreciate it if you would disappear with your daughter, who looks just like you, as soon as possible.”

“… are you doing this to me because of that little girl?”

If that was the case, the duchess couldn’t let the Little Grand Duke’s rudeness slide.

“She is not just a little girl. She is someone very precious to me.”

Carren’s voice was cold, as if he was ready to use force if the duchess dared to speak ill of Leciel again.

“It was that girl who did wrong first… or rather, that child.”

The duchess didn’t know why Carren was siding with the child, but she believed she had just cause.

No matter how high the Grand Duchy’s status, it would be problematic for him to be so rude to a duchess without a proper reason.

“We’ll see about that after hearing more.”

The duchess was talking as if Leciel had committed some grave offense, but Carren didn’t believe a word of it.

Leciel would never be rude to anyone.

Especially since she was sharp enough to realize that acting out toward a noble could cause trouble for the Grand Duchy.

She wouldn’t dare do such a thing.

“Lessie, tell me what happened.”

Carren asked in a gentle tone, very different from how he addressed the duchess.

“… I was just looking at dresses because uncle told me to pick one I liked.”

“That’s not what happened!”

The duchess’s daughter, enraged by Leciel’s words that omitted her own wrongdoing, shouted.

Her eyes were now full of hostility toward Leciel.

No wonder—she was angry that a mere commoner girl was ignoring her, and even more so because the Little Grand Duke was taking her side.

It was unbearable and humiliating for her pride.

She had been infatuated with the Little Grand Duke’s appearance since she first saw him and had pursued him tirelessly.

Yet, he had treated her coldly and kept his distance, so why was he siding with that girl now?

The thought that she might be inferior to that girl made the duchess’s daughter seethe with frustration.

Her hand, clutching the hem of her dress, trembled with suppressed anger.

“Oh, yes. I was trying to keep it civil, but if you insist, I’ll explain everything.”

“… someone like you!”

The duchess’s daughter, unable to control her emotions, shouted again, but this time, Carren’s deadly aura enveloped her.

It was so sharp and fierce that even a grown man would struggle to withstand it. The duchess’s daughter turned pale, her body trembling in fear. The duchess beside her was no different.

“If you yell at Lessie or interrupt her one more time, I’ll make sure you never speak again.”

Carren’s gaze, filled with a clear warning, bore down on the duchess and her daughter.

Under that gaze, they were like defenseless prey, unable to say anything and only able to stand there helplessly.

“… to continue, I was looking at dresses when this young lady kept picking the same ones I did. I could yield once or twice, but when it kept happening, I decided not to back down this time… and she got really angry. Moreover, when she found out I was a commoner, she told me I had no place there and demanded I take off the dress I was wearing and leave.”

“… ha.”

Hearing Leciel’s concise explanation, Carren let out a small, incredulous laugh.

It was absurd that someone had the audacity to tell Leciel to leave, but the demand that followed was even more ridiculous.

Take off the dress she was wearing?

Did they not realize what would happen if she complied?

Moreover, the dress Leciel was wearing had been chosen by his father after much deliberation. Who were they to tell her to take it off?

Carren had been furious when the duchess tried to hit Leciel.

And now, it turned out that Leciel had done nothing wrong—it was the duchess’s daughter who was at fault.

What made those worthless people think they were so great that they dared to lay a hand on Leciel?

So, what should be done?

Although he arrived just in time to prevent Leciel from being hit by the duchess, she did try to hit her, so should he let Ressiér hit her back this time?

But with those small hands, it didn’t seem like it would hurt much.

And how could he let it go with just that? They dared to touch his precious person.

So, he needed to make them understand who they’d messed with.

Carren fell into deep thought.

He was thinking about how best to make them pay.

The duchess, sensing the ominous atmosphere around Carren, cautiously opened her mouth.

“… are you really going to believe what that child said?”

“Is there any reason not to?”

“My daughter clearly said that child insulted her first.”

“Can you be certain that what she said is worse than the insult Lessie received?”

“… o-of course! That girl said I might have bad hearing and dismissed my words as nonsense! And that’s not all! She trampled on my honor.”

Realizing that they were at a disadvantage, the duchess’s daughter began to voice her grievances, bringing up points favorable to her.

“She just spoke the truth, so why is that an insult?”

“What do you mean…?”

“No matter how young she is, she’s still a proper lady. Saying something so outrageous as to ask her to take off her dress is utter nonsense, and since you don’t seem to understand, it’s only natural to question whether your hearing is the problem.”

Carren’s voice was cold, implying that there wasn’t a single wrong word in what had been said.

He was also impressed by Leciel’s patience.

If it had been Carren who heard such words, he wouldn’t have used such mild expressions as <nonsense> or questioning someone’s hearing.

And even after hearing those words, Leciel hadn’t grabbed the other’s hair but only responded verbally—this was a remarkably calm response.

“Your Highness!”

The duchess, enraged by Carren’s words and seeing her daughter on the verge of tears, shouted out.

But the response came not from Carren, but from behind them.

It was Kael, who had just finished his transaction with the shop owner and stepped out.

“Anyone would think my son and the Madam are deeply in love with each other.”

“… Your Highness, the Grand Duke.”

The duchess, who hadn’t expected to see the Grand Duke himself here, was greatly flustered.

“It seems my son, who usually doesn’t get angry, is quite furious, so you must have done something seriously wrong. You’ve got some nerve.”

How dare they make his beloved son angry.

Kael’s eyes, within his languid yet predatory aura, were more menacing and sharper than ever.

“That’s…”

“I don’t want to hear any excuses. And just so you know, I have no intention of letting you off for touching another one of my precious children, so be prepared.”

Judging by the situation, it seemed that the duchess and her daughter had directly targeted Leciel, which was why Carren was angry.

“Surely, you’re not saying you would make an enemy of our duchy over just a mere commoner girl…?”

“She’s not just some commoner girl. She’s under my protection. So, daring to lay a hand on someone under my guardianship is the same as disregarding me.”

“We… we didn’t know.”

“I’ll be sending an official letter to your duchy soon.”

Kael, not bothering to listen to the duchess’s excuses, spoke coldly.

Then, he turned to the shop owner who had followed him and added a word.

“From now on, bar not only the Duchy of Fusiron but also any families close to them from entering this place. Of course, the losses from this decision will be covered by the Grand Duchy.”

“… yes, understood.”

The shop owner nodded quietly with a troubled expression.

Losing the duchy as customers was unfortunate but considering the benefits of continuing business with the Grand Duchy, it was more advantageous to follow Kael’s words.

After all, starting today, this shop would become property of the Grand Duchy and prioritize their business.

“… Your Highness!”

The duchess, in utter shock at Kael’s words, desperately called out to him.

This shop was known for serving countless noble families and was currently the most popular place in the capital.

But now they were barred from even stepping foot in it.

And not just their own family, but also any family close to them—if this news spread, the duchy would naturally suffer damage.

No noble family would want to associate with a house that had bad relations with the Grand Duchy.

“And I’d appreciate it if you would stop babbling with that unpleasant voice of yours and leave now.”

“Y-Your Highness…”

No sooner had the duchess spoken than a sharp and fierce aura, incomparable to Carren’s, wrapped around her neck.

It was the energy that Kael emitted.

After silencing the duchess, Kael looked at Leciel.

“Oh, there was one more thing I forgot. Little one.”