GYPSY felt nervous when she saw the people waiting at the entrance of the mansion.
The main mansion and not the Icelyn Villa where she had lived all this time.
After she was officially declared as the temporary Head of House Woolsey, she moved into the main mansion where Yvo was staying. But she hadn't had enough contact with the servants there to form a warm relationship with them.
Thus, she could feel the coldness from the head butler to the maids.
But the main problem was the person standing in front of the servants.
[Count Eugenio Woolsey.]
Gypsy prepared herself for a scolding when she saw the anger on the count's face. Even though she was declared the Head of the family, the power that the duchy had was still in Count Eugenio Woolsey's hands.
The other vassal families' representatives also decided that Count Eugenio Woolsey would be her advisor. Thus, she was obligated to listen to the count.
"Greetings, Count Woolsey," Gypsy said politely while slightly bowing to the man. "It's been a while."
Yvo, who was standing beside her, just greeted his uncle with a slight bow.
"Your Ladyship, Yvo, where have you been?" Count Eugenio Woolsey asked sternly. "You two realize that you've been out the whole night, don't you? We've looked everywhere for you, but we didn't find you anywhere in the duchy. So, answer me. Where have you been?"
"We visited our parents' grave, Uncle," Yvo lied with a straight face. "We apologize for coming home late."
"Do you think we didn't search there?" the count snapped coldly, then he turned to her this time. "Your Ladyship, you are the Head of House Woolsey while Yvo is the future grand duke. You should know that the incumbent and the future leader of the family can't leave the duchy at the same time."
Gypsy bowed her head a little deeper this time. "I apologize for my carelessness, Count Woolsey. This won't happen again."
"It seems like Your Ladyship isn't ready to lead the family yet," Count Eugenio Woolsey said in a condescending voice. "Maybe Your Ladyship should step down in the meantime and let me teach you how to become a proper Head of the family?"
The count was obviously humiliating her in front of the servants in order to ruin her reputation. If the servants lost their respect for her, then her authority as the Head of the family would remain only in the name.
"Uncle," Yvo said in a slightly irritated voice. "I was the one who forced Noonim to accompany me."
"Don't worry, Yvo– you'll be punished, too," the count said sternly. "I'll send you back to the academy earlier than scheduled, and you won't be allowed to step foot into the duchy for the next three months."
Gypsy raised her head to protest when someone walked past her breezily.
"If Count Woolsey will punish my friends, then you must punish me, too."
Her eyes went wide. [Prince Cyrus!]
"I was the one who summoned Lady Woolsey and Yvo hyung in secret," Prince Cyrus said while pulling down the hood of his robe, revealing his face to everyone. "I should be the one punished and not my friends."
The shocked look on Count Eugenio Woolsey's face was priceless.
"Y-Your Royal Highness, the Crown Prince," the count said in surprise, even stuttering. Then he bowed deep. "Greetings to the Blessed Sunlight of the Helion Empire."
The servants behind the count immediately followed suit.
Everyone bowed deeply and greeted the Crown Prince with the utmost respect.
"I wanted to meet the new Head of House Woolsey, but my father didn't allow me to visit the duchy because I'm actually grounded right now," Prince Cyrus said, still in high spirits. "Even so, I can't contain my curiosity. So, I ended up here. I don't want my father to know that I sneaked out, so I summoned Her Ladyship and my good friend Yvo hyung to my private island."
'Private island.'
She was shocked to hear that because if the Crown Prince mentioned that, it only meant that he knew where she and Yvo had been to.
[Is the Crown Prince stalking us?]
"Her Ladyship and Yvo hyung actually kept reminding me that the current and the future head of the family aren't allowed to leave the duchy at the same time," the Crown Prince continued with his lie. If Yvo lied with a straight face, Prince Cyrus lied with a smiling face. "But I still forced them to come with me. Her Ladyship and Yvo hyung probably didn't want to upset me, the Crown Prince, so they had no choice but to do what I wanted."
Ohh.
[His Royal Highness is good at lying.]
"And because Her Ladyship and Yvo hyung knew that I don't want my father to know that I'm here, they lied to you for my sake, Count Woolsey," Prince Cyrus said. This time, he sounded serious even though he was still smiling. "Please forgive my friends. I'll take responsibility for everything, so punish me instead of them."
Then, much to everyone's shock, the Crown Prince bowed his head.
Even Yvo looked surprised.
"Please raise your head, Your Royal Highness," Count Eugenio Woolsey pleaded with the Crown Prince, then he dropped to his knees. "Since the matter has been cleared already, no one deserves to be punished but me. I was quick to judge and acted ignorantly. Please forgive me, Your Royal Highness."
Gypsy was in disbelief because even though Prince Cyrus was the Crown Prince, it wasn't enough for the arrogant Count Eugenio Woolsey to kneel and beg like this.
[Does Prince Cyrus have dirt on Count Woolsey or something?]
***
"WHO DIED and made Eugenio Woolsey king? That bastard thinks he's all that just because the brother that he has always felt inferior to is finally dead."
Gypsy almost spat her tea when she heard what the smiling Prince Cyrus said.
[Did His Royal Highness just speak… rudely?]
It was so different from his polite attitude earlier.
"That's his true color," Yvo, who was sitting beside her on the sofa, said casually. "His Royal Highness is a hypocrite. Now Noonim understands why I don't like him."
She just smiled awkwardly. [Young Master Yvo, is it alright to talk as if the Crown Prince isn't here?]
The Crown Prince laughed. "I'm genuinely nice to people I like, though," he said, then he turned to her with a worried look on his face. "Noona, you shouldn't bow to a filthy human being like Eugenio Woolsey."
"Prince Cyrus, I was wondering…" she said carefully. "Do you have dirt on Count Woolsey or something?"
"Yes," Prince Cyrus said cheerfully. "I know about the merfolks that his useless son has abducted."
She was too shocked to react.
"His Royal Highness is a cunning individual who enjoys collecting the weaknesses of the people around him as a hobby," Yvo said calmly, then he sipped his tea. "That's how he pushed his brothers out of the succession line without shedding blood."
"Stop praising me, hyung," the Crown Prince said, smiling. "I'm getting shy."
[Your Royal Highness, the young master isn't praising you...]
Yvo just rolled his eyes at the Crown Prince.
"Anyway, it seems like you two are also aware of Count Woolsey's dirty secret," the Crown Prince said cheerfully. "If you're planning to use it to destroy him, then count me in," he said, then he pointed at himself. "I want to play, too."
Gypsy smiled at the Crown Prince apologetically. "But aren't you grounded, Prince Cyrus? I'm sure you'll get punished even more once you returned to the palace."
"I know, so let's do it before I return to the palace," Prince Cyrus said firmly while smiling like a lunatic. "Let's raid Count Woolsey's house tonight!"
Gypsy's eyes went wide. "Tonight?!"
***
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