Why Won’t You Let Me Dote on You?! – The Arrogant Supporting Prince Falls for the Reincarnated Villainess and Loses His Mind - Chapter 1.9

“Hey, Eliza—why did the Duke come to the castle this time, anyway?”

I asked her while blowing soap bubbles on the terrace.
We were in Eliza’s room in the detached palace.
This south-facing room was the sunniest in the residence—proof of just how much the Duke doted on his daughter.
Right below was the flowerbed—
the very place where Eliza and I had our unforgettable reunion not long ago.

“Oh my, what was the reason again…?”

“Get it together, would you? Oh, right—you’re a different person now, aren’t you? Some kind of otherworlder or whatever.”

I still didn’t really understand all this talk about other worlds and reincarnation.
But it was true—after that day, Eliza’s personality had changed drastically, and her memory was spotty.
At first, I thought it was all an act or some delusion… but maybe it wasn’t.

“Once your father’s business is done, you’re heading back to the duchy, right?
Ugh… it’ll be boring without you around. You should just live here in the castle.”

“When we turn fourteen, we’ll be together again at the Royal Academy.
We’re the same age, after all, so we’ll spend two whole years together.”

“The Academy, huh… Is that even fun?”

“Whether it’s fun or not depends entirely on the person, ufufu.”

Hearing that didn’t exactly boost my enthusiasm.
Only those of noble birth attend the Royal Academy.
Most have private tutors and receive rigorous education from a young age.
For them, attending the Academy is all about forging connections.
It’s less an educational institution and more a miniature social arena.

“I mean, other than you and Brother, there’s never been anyone my age around here.
Now suddenly I’m supposed to get along with a bunch of strangers crammed into the same building? Yeah, right.”

“Let’s see if you can make a hundred friends~”

“If I had that many, it’d be a pain.”

Eliza laughed, but honestly, I was worried—about her.
Once she entered the Academy, not only as a Duke’s daughter but as a gentle, dependable person, she’d undoubtedly be popular.
That meant I’d get to spend less time with her.
No thanks—I’d rather skip the Academy entirely than lose time with her.
At least now, no one could take that from me.

Unless, of course, some pest came along to ruin it.

“…Mother?”

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
I figured a maid had come to bring drinks or something—
but before Eliza could respond, the door opened on its own.

Standing there was a boy about our age.

He peeked into the room, looking awkward,
as if he’d realized he had the wrong place and was about to leave.

“Hey, wait! Who are you?”

I called out.
There shouldn’t be any other children in the royal castle besides me, Eliza, and Brother.
If he was wandering around the detached palace, he had to be connected to the Duke somehow.

“S-Sorry… I think I got the wrong room…”

“What? Speak up, will you?!”

“Goodness, Clow-sama! You’re scaring him!”

Startled by my voice, the already timid-looking boy shrank back.
The door, which had only been partially open, swung wide, revealing his whole figure—
and the most eye-catching part of his appearance was his hair—beautiful golden hair, almost like my brother’s.

“Are you lost? Looking for your mother?”

“…Y-Yeah.”

Eliza knelt down and spoke gently, and the boy, still nervous, gave a small nod.
If his mother was someone who came and went from the castle, he must have noble lineage.
But for someone of noble birth to be wandering around alone without attendants? That was odd.

“I see. And where is your mother now?”

“Um… with the Duke…”

“My, so your mother is one of Father’s guests.”

So that’s why the boy was here.
But during the day, the Duke was often away on official duties.
The boy’s mother had probably either gone to the main castle with him or left upon learning he wasn’t here.

“That’s a problem. Your mother’s not here right now. What do you think we should do, Clow-sama?”

“Don’t ask me. For now, he can just wait here until someone comes to get him.”

“You’re right. Hey, little one? Would you like to play with us until your mother comes back?”

“…Okay!”

Reassured by Eliza’s gentle tone, the boy took her hand and stepped inside.
Moments ago, he’d been wary of this unfamiliar place,
but now his eyes sparkled with curiosity.
I must’ve scared him earlier, but maybe now I could talk to him properly.

“Hey, come here! I’ll play with you!”

“…”

“Hey, I’m talking to you!”

“Goodness, Clow-sama! You’re being too rough again!”

What the hell is up with this kid? He’s not warming up to me at all.

I’d gone out of my way to speak to him, but the boy just hid behind Eliza.
This is weird. Eliza and Brother would always smile and turn around when I called out to them. So why is this kid so hard to deal with?

“Hey, Eliza. Maybe we should just leave this little runt alone.”

“Well, that’s mean. He’s so cute.”

“Huh? How could you possibly think I’m not cuter?”

“You’re such a scary older brother~”

“…Yeah.”

“Damn it, he’s making fun of me!”

Eliza smiled at the boy, and he immediately clung to her like he was seeking comfort.
Pleased by this, Eliza, now completely ignoring me, started fawning over the boy.

“Look at how delicate your hands are! How old are you?”

“11…”

“So that makes me one year older than you.”

“What? You’re 11, and yet you’re so slow!”

“Goodness! Clow-sama, go over there!”

I tried to insert myself between them, but Eliza shoved me away in a fit of anger.
I was about to complain, but she didn’t even glance my way.

“Ugh! Once your mother shows up, I’ll have you out of here so fast!”

Frustrating as it was, I could only stomp my foot in annoyance.
I had originally planned for us to spend time together, but this little intruder had ruined that.
Soon, Eliza would leave the castle, and it felt like she’d had precious time stolen from me.
I couldn’t help but think of the boy as a filthy little thief.

“By the way, what was your mother here for? What business did she have with the Duke?”

At Eliza’s question, the boy seemed to think for a moment.
At 11 years old, he was at that awkward age where he was just starting to understand his parents’ affairs and politics.
His mother’s reason for coming here was likely some kind of political move.
But when he spoke, his voice was shaky.

“My mother is marrying… remarrying the Duke… She came to greet him.”