"Grandpa, what do you mean?!"
"Be quiet! As long as I'm alive, I won't let you tarnish the reputation that I've built!"
"What did I do wrong? He's an illegitimate child!"
"Illegitimate child or whatever, did our family raise you to harm relatives?!"
The Strauss family has been the wealthiest lineage since ancient times and still maintains its royal bloodline. Although the monarchy has disappeared, the surname Strauss remains in the public eye due to the family's involvement in politics. While distant relatives focus solely on business, they never shy away from nurturing talents. Whenever a talented individual emerges, they are sent to the main household for training.
The old patriarch of the Strauss family felt distressed when the eldest young master was sent away to live with the main family. The second child is unruly, and the youngest child is timid. In fact, the old man had no issue with his son's illegitimate child; it was the woman who had deceived others excessively that troubled him.
He can't blame his son, as his son is also a victim.
Therefore, his anger is always directed towards the woman who disrupted their peaceful family.
"Grandpa, please don't be angry. I don't mind."
The old man sighed and rubbed his little grandson's hair. "Don't worry, your father will reprimand your brother when he returns from work. You couldn't go to school yesterday because of him. If your brother bullies you again, just come to me, and I'll deal with him."
Xanric pursed his lips and nodded.
The old man lifted his little grandson and began checking his temperature. The child is too delicate, and the thought of sending him to kindergarten unsettles the old man. If it weren't for his son, he would prefer to hire a tutor to ensure the child's safety at home. Just the thought of his unreliable son made the old man snort in anger.
"Your father is truly unreliable!"
President Strauss, who was working, sneezed and immediately knew his father was scolding him.
Sighing, he massaged his forehead, thinking about his youngest son who had fallen ill. He acknowledges his second son's mistake but can't bear to punish him further, as he already feels remorse for bringing back his illegitimate child.
——On the other side...
Qise fell into contemplation.
He never expected that going to kindergarten would throw the entire mansion into chaos. Every staff member was busy, especially the old butler, who checked Serin's bag for the fifth time to ensure nothing was forgotten.
"Grandpa Yul, I believe the young master will be fine."
The old butler straightened himself and cast a stern look at Qise.
"You don't understand the significance of the first day. Children may appear excited, but once they are left alone in kindergarten, they might cry and feel abandoned. That's why you must be prepared, especially for receiving phone calls. What if you're too occupied to answer the teacher's call? You should write down the household telephone number so that the maids can pick up the call at any time."
The servant girl helping the old butler sighed.
"That's true. Children's emotions are complex. My niece was excited on her first day, but within an hour, my aunt received a call from the teacher saying she had been crying and begging to go home because she missed her mother. It's worrisome. If only I could accompany the young master."
The old butler nodded in agreement.
"You're right. Children are sensitive..." The old butler suddenly frowned, his worry evident as he looked at Qise. "What if the teacher is too occupied to pay attention to our young master?"
The servant girl was taken aback. "What? That would be terrible! What if the young master gets injured?!"
"Ah, Qise, we should just hire a private tutor."
Qise watched the two people panic, his worries momentarily forgotten, realizing that there was nothing to be concerned about. Despite lacking memories, his hosts were not crybabies unless they were hurt...
Hurt?
Qise suddenly remembered when his host fell down the stairs. At that time, he blamed himself for not being able to watch over his young master. For heaven's sake, his host was just a two-year-old baby, and the height of those stairs was enough to make the servants worry sick.
"T-This..."
"Huh? What are you all doing?"
Before Qise could voice his concerns, Serin appeared in the living room, looking slightly confused as he observed them. Serin was already dressed in his uniform, ready to go, oblivious to the thoughts running through his servants' minds. If he were aware, he would likely throw a fit, believing his dignified and elegant image had been tarnished.
"Wow, our young master looks splendid."
"Hmph. Of course, today I'll be meeting my subordinates!"
Qise: "It's a classmate."
"It's the same thing!"
Qise forgot his worries upon seeing Serin's joyful demeanor. Noticing the old man fawning over Serin, he decided to leave for a moment to check what was happening in the kitchen. It was already past seven, and at this rate, his host would be late for his first day at kindergarten.
Serin happily showed off to his grandpa butler while being led into the dining room. Qise assisted the servants in serving the young master's breakfast and informed the driver to prepare the car.
After eating, Serin bid farewell to his grandpa butler with a goodbye kiss.
"Don't miss the baby too much, Grandpa Butler. I'll be back soon."
"Yes. The old man won't be lonely since the baby is only going to kindergarten to learn."
"Hmmm."
Qise carried the young master and settled him into the car.
On the other side, the old patriarch of Strauss family also bid farewell to his young grandson with a touch of worry. He wished the child could rest more at home, but the little one pitifully expressed missing his friends at kindergarten. Thus, the old man had no choice but to inform the school about his grandson's condition.
The teacher took the student's health seriously and informed the school doctor.
It was well-known to them and the upper circles that the youngest Strauss, despite being illegitimate, was favored and cherished by the old patriarch of the Strauss family. Therefore, they couldn't afford to neglect such an ancestor who could make their school bankrupt with just a wave of hand.
"Hey, have you heard about the new transfer student in your class?"
"I've heard, and the director seems overly concerned about that child."
"Another ancestor?"
The teacher named Roana smiled. "No worries, the ancestors in my class are well-behaved."
Other teachers looked at her enviously.
"I wish the ancestors in my class behaved as well."
"Right, mine are overly sensitive."
"Yeah, dealing with them feels like torture."
Teacher Roana suddenly thought of the adorable child she held the previous day, feeling a sense of relief. While her class consisted of well-behaved children, troublemakers were inevitable. She hoped the little one wouldn't be frightened again.
"But it's strange. I've never heard of the surname Dhallian."
"I've wondered about that too."
"Well, regardless, every child here comes from wealthy families."
Outside Maeda Kindergarten, a line of luxurious vehicles pulled up at the gate. The teachers awaiting outside warmly greeted the parents dropping off their children.
Teacher Roana noticed a familiar black car and approached to welcome the young child from the Strauss family. The assigned butler handed her a small bag containing the child's medication and informed her that the prescription was written on a piece of paper inside.
"Please take care of our young master."
"Yes." Teacher Roana nodded, bowing her head. "Shall we go?"
Xanric held his teacher's hand and nodded.
"Oh, by the way, a new classmate visited yesterday and will be joining our class."
"I-I didn't meet him. W-will he like me, teacher?"
"Of course! Our little Xanric is adorable, I'm sure you'll get along with your new classmate."
Meanwhile, Serin was playing around inside the car until they arrived at the kindergarten. Qise could tell at a glance that they were running a bit late, as there were no teachers waiting at the gate. He hurriedly carried his little master and personally escorted him inside.
Serin noticed their tardiness and started feeling a bit dissatisfied.
Qise knew his host was worried about maintaining his "domineering president" image and couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness.
Teacher Roana took hold of Serin's hand and guided him into the classroom.
Serin pursed his lips and glanced at his system's back. He suddenly felt reluctant about going to kindergarten, but Qise had mentioned that if he returned home early, it would tarnish his "domineering president" image. Reluctantly, Serin stepped inside the classroom.
"Ah, it's Serin!"
"Wow, it's Serin!"
The children rushed towards Serin and touched him excitedly.
Xanric, who was accustomed to being the center of attention and was now being ignored, pursed his lips. He was actually angry, but when he saw his new classmates, he couldn't help but be captivated.
His new classmates resembled his favorite doll, and he couldn't help feeling annoyed seeing them touch his doll. His grandfather had told him that his doll could only belong to him, so why was everyone touching his doll?!
Xanric, consumed by thoughts of his doll, forgot that the new classmates were actually human beings.
"Alright, everyone, please return to your seats."
Teacher Roana tapped the table. "Little Serin, you can sit over there."
Serin nodded and walked toward the indicated seat.
He had been a bit upset earlier, but when he saw his tablemate, his eyes lit up.
He dropped his bag and eagerly sat down.
"Hello, my name is Serin."
He realized that, as a "domineering president," he would soon meet someone destined to be his wife. He never thought he would encounter his destined one so easily. His tablemate was cute and beautiful, a perfect match to be his future wife. He decided that once he got home, he would tell Qise to start preparing for their wedding, so they could get married when they grew up and bring his tablemate back home to raise.
"H-Hi, I'm Xanric."
Xanric gazed at his beautiful doll with a flushed face. He thought that later, he must bring his doll back home and sleep beside it.
Yes, he had forgotten that his new classmate was a human, not a doll.
Children's minds are truly complex.
Serin had no idea that his so-called future wife saw him as a doll. He was still immersed in his fantasy of being a flawless "domineering president" pursuing his wife.
Qise who engaged in conversation with Grandpa Yul, sneezed.
"Are you feeling unwell?"
"No, Grandpa Yul, it's possible that the little master is thinking of me."
"What?! Has the little one already started missing us?"
Qise stared dumbfoundedly at the old man. He was the only one who sneezed, so he assumed that the little master was only thinking of him and missed him. How did the old man jump to the conclusion that the little master missed everyone?
"Anyway, Grandpa Yul, I'll go and check on the company."
The old man looked at Qise with a puzzled expression.
When he first arrived at the mansion, it was only Qise and the little master. He didn't know where they had come from or what had happened to them. Qise had only mentioned that the little master's parents had passed away, and in order to avoid public scrutiny, he had brought the little master to a secluded mansion in the mountains exclusively owned by the Dhallian family.
The old man knew nothing about wealthy families and only thought that Qise and the little child were pitiful. Thus, he agreed to become the head butler of the mansion, as the salary was high enough to provide a good life for his wife and children.
However, he couldn't fathom why this house was called a mansion when it looked like a grand palace out of a fairytale.
"If the kindergarten calls and I happen to be busy, I'll transfer the call to the landline."
"Alright, you go ahead. Don't worry."
"Then I'll be off."