Home/The Prince died, so we're starting over!/ch26

Episode 26

Count Lulupel slammed his water glass down on the table.

He was so displeased that he seemed to have completely forgotten that the Third Prince and I were only eight years old.

Well, I suppose that was understandable. From a noble's perspective, we were nobles first and children second—or so the logic went.

It felt strange for me, a commoner-born soul, to say this, but even nobles had their own burdens.

"You've been quiet for a while, so why did you have to cause trouble now of all times, Hariella!"

Count Lulupel went on for four whole verses. His face turned red and purple.

With so many guests staying at the court, it was only natural for him to be on edge.

Even setting aside the engagement ceremony, this incident was a great humiliation for Count Lulupel.

An Imperial prince getting injured within the court meant the Court Count had failed in his duties.

"Don't scold her too much, Father. What's done is done."

Hariella's brother, who had been quietly focusing on his meal despite his father's rage, joined the conversation.

"Takar! Don't be so nonchalant!"

Count Lulupel, who had been taking his frustration out on the water glass, shouted loudly.

"But think about it, Father. Has our Hari ever caused trouble like this before?"

Hariella's brother glanced at me with a knowing look.

It seemed to be some kind of signal, but I couldn't decipher its meaning.

"Before she met His Highness, Hari was a quiet and mature child."

That couldn't be true.

Before I possessed her, Hariella must have been a lively, fearless child.

Just the incident with sending a marriage proposal to the Something-or-other Young Duke was proof enough.

She would have been perfectly capable of causing trouble like this.

But Count Lulupel seemed to have conveniently forgotten all the flaws of his beloved youngest daughter.

He nodded with a puzzled expression, then burst into anger again.

"That may be true, but what does that have to do with anything now!"

"If Hari is at fault, it's only because she was sincerely trying to get along with the fiancé you chose for her."

Hariella's brother spoke up again.

I looked at him in surprise.

His words sounded almost like a reproach to the Count and Countess.

"Takar, watch your words."

Sure enough, the Countess frowned and warned him.

"I'm sorry, Mother. I suppose I'm still clumsy at putting my thoughts into words."

Hariella's brother apologized meekly.

"I was only trying to say that if our good Hari hadn't met His Highness, she never would have caused any trouble."

But he quickly steered the conversation in a strange direction again.

According to him, I was innocent and everyone else was at fault.

This was essentially the "my child is good, but she met the wrong friends" kind of argument.

I could smell the scent of a troublesome parent coming from Hariella's brother.

"...Ahem."

Count Lulupel cleared his throat uncomfortably.

He seemed to agree with his son's words, but he wasn't pleased at the implication that he himself bore some responsibility.

"...Rumors are such a problem. Until recently, I thought His Highness was truly a clever young man."

Just then, Hariella's brother paved a way for Count Lulupel to escape his contradiction.

"I suppose we shouldn't trust rumors blindly. I've learned my lesson this time."

"...Yes, you're right."

Count Lulupel readily agreed with his son.

"No matter how clever a boy may be, in the end, a child is still a child."

Having transformed into Troublesome Parent Number Two in an instant, Count Lulupel said something that could easily get him arrested for lese-majesty.

Since he'd dismissed the servants, only four pairs of ears had heard it, but it was still a dangerous remark.

"Dear, perhaps you should watch your words as well?"

The Countess chided Count Lulupel in a gentle voice.

But the way her words and tone didn't quite align suggested she partly agreed with him too.

"Yes, on second thought, I suppose I should be grateful my little canary wasn't hurt."

Count Lulupel, his momentum deflated, returned to his usual jovial self.

"Your father was overreacting, Hariella."

"Yes, well..."

"Pick up your fork. Children need to eat plenty."

And with that, the head of the Lulupel family vaguely concluded the matter.

He showed no intention of solving the problem, instead quietly shifting blame—truly a model for extra nobles.

I poked at my food half-heartedly and ended up leaving more than half the boiled beans uneaten.

"It's gotten late, Hari. Your big brother will walk you to your room."

After the Count and Countess left first, Hariella's brother spoke to me.

I felt uncomfortable around him.

He was even more affectionate toward Hariella than the Count and Countess were.

"I'm fine. I can go alone."

Hariella's brother was undeterred by my curt response.

In fact, he even took my hand.

"Really? You must be scared of the dark corridor. Don't worry—I'll hold your hand."

Was it because I'd accidentally used polite speech?

Hariella's brother had no intention of listening to me.

No, my tone probably didn't matter much anyway.

Whether I spoke casually or formally, he would do whatever he wanted.

Count Lulupel and his son were different yet alike. It was a curse of genetics.

Hariella's brother started walking, gripping my hand firmly.

I debated whether to pull my hand free, but decided to just consider my left hand as lost.

"By the way, there's a strange rumor going around among the servants. Do you know anything about it?"

As we neared my room, Hariella's brother spoke in a low voice.

"A rumor? What rumor?"

"You don't know, I see."

Of course I didn't. He'd brought it up so vaguely—how could I understand?

Glancing at my puzzled face, Hariella's brother smiled faintly.

"There's a rumor that after you saw the carriage of the Caledonia ducal house arrive, you pushed the Third Prince out of the tree."

"What?"

Why on earth would I do that?

I couldn't understand it at all. What had I done to deserve such biased suspicion?

In this fourth life, the only things I'd done were four things.

Being bothered by the Count and Countess, being bothered by Anna, being bothered by the Third Prince, and being bothered by others.

Where else could you find such a kind and pitiful soul!

"Wasn't it true?"

"Of course not! Absolutely not!"

"Really? That's strange..."

Hariella's brother tilted his head.

It seemed he had believed that ridiculous rumor too.

"I thought it was entirely possible for our princess."

What kind of person was the Hariella etched into this boy's mind?

It was hard to believe that such a cute, delicate girl had such a reputation.

"It's okay. You can be honest with me. Our Hari always covets anything that looks good—the shiniest jewel in the manor, the most beautiful butterfly in the garden, and the most famous boy in the Empire."

While I was lamenting Hariella's life, Hariella's brother brought up something that missed the mark entirely.

"I wouldn't blame you if you chose the Duke of Caledonia. He's more established than the Third Prince, has a brighter future, and is wealthier. He's the kind of man my only sibling deserves. Don't you agree?"

I had no idea how to respond, so I just rolled my eyes.

An uncomfortable silence filled the corridor.

"Not going to answer me?"

Hariella's brother tilted his head in puzzlement.

But I still didn't know what to say.

Could I say no? What if he said I wasn't the Hariella he knew again?

After much deliberation, I chose silence once more.

"Don't worry. Your big brother will help you."

Hariella's brother smiled faintly and patted my head.

"I'll be going now. Have a good night."

He soon turned and left.

I stood motionless in the corridor until his shadow was completely gone.

Needless to say, that night was not a good one for me.

---

The next morning, someone knocked on my door at the crack of dawn.

"Good heavens! My lady!"

Anna rushed over to me after confirming the visitor's identity.

From her expression alone, I could easily guess who it was.

"...Is it the young duke?"

Having tossed and turned all night, I was still squirming under the covers.

I cleared my throat, but my voice kept cracking.

"Yes! It's the Duke of Caledonia! How did you know?"

Anna handed me water and asked.

After downing two glasses in a row, I finally answered.

"He said he'd come again yesterday when he left..."

He hadn't said he'd come this early, though.

Still, it wasn't a huge surprise. Given his personality in the novel, I'd expected something like this.

"Shall I bring him in then?"

"...No?"

"Yes?"

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