Shortly, almost everyone was stunned by Inanna's sudden statement as their eyes widened. The only individuals who remained unfazed and normal were her father and the boy.
At Inanna's statement, the nobleman was rendered speechless that he couldn't believe what his ears had heard.
"P-Pardon me?"
He stammered.
"The maid and the boy, Your Lordship. Apologize to them, not us."
She repeated with earnest eyes and a confident posture beside her father.
'As if I'll apologize to these lowly commoners!'
He inwardly hissed, but soon regretted his thoughts when he saw the two scarlet hair beholders with serious faces. Clearly, they weren't joking.
They meant every word the girl voiced and expressed as they patiently awaited for his genuine apology for the two individuals he tried to wrong for his own unfed ego and sense of pride.
"But—"
"Your Grace, I think everything is simply a misunderstanding. How about we forget it and move on from this minor disagreement?"
The chubby man interrupted his son as he tried to persuade the Duke with a cunning grin and clasped hands.
'Don't worry, useless son. I won't let them make you apologize to some unworthy lowlifes!'
The chubby nobleman sneered inside his head, but kept his amiable facade.
However, the man didn't expect to get the opposite reaction of what he intended to aim for and receive back.
"Are you going against my daughter's wishes, Your Lordship?"
The Duke questioned with a darkening glare.
At her father's piercing voice, Inanna faintly shivered when she felt the powerful mana slipping a bit from her father as he tried to hide it and remain calm from the anger he was experiencing momentarily.
It was the power he used mainly on the battlefield and outside the empire's walls. Rarely on other occasions or when his emotions got the best of him. The mana blessed and given by the Scarlet Dragon.
A power even if the possessor can completely control their mana, those with strong mana such as Inanna can easily sense it with just the slightest amount of mana being leaked or exposed.
'Even though he's always perfectly concealing his mana from Judith and I, I can now sense how suffocating and strong it is by getting a mere taste of it. A power truly to be feared by anyone.'
In the past lifetime, Inanna never got to firsthand experience the powerful mana her father possessed, since she would hardly spend time with her father and paid no mind about the mana they seized.
After all, she had other priorities then.
"W-what? No! Your Grace, I'm merely suggesting we—!"
The chubby man panicked, but didn't complete his sentence as the scarlet-haired man interrupted him with his stoic and deep voice.
"Then do as she says."
The Duke demanded.
Once again, the father and son were lost for words as they stared at the Duke with wide eyes and open mouths. They couldn't lose the man's favor.
It was then, the chubby Baron nudged his son's side with his elbow, then he slightly bowed to the Duke, showing that they had no other choice but to follow.
The young man solely scowled and bit his bottom lip when he bowed and lowered his head as his father did beside him. To his dislike, he apologized to the maid and boy.
"My apologies for my rude behavior. I hope we can move on from this matter and not hold a grudge against one another."
He grimaced and awaited their response, hoping the Duke and his youngest child would believe his feign sincerity this time, along with the inconvenient maid.
To his luck, the young maid accepted his apology with a simple nod and a gaze of approval toward her two masters of the Bessa household.
With that, Inanna looked at her father and asked him a question she's been meaning to pose since his arrival.
"Father."
She uttered softly to her father, and he instantly gave all his attention to her with a gentle and caring facial expression.
"Yes, sweetheart?"
He voiced almost like a whisper.
"Is there a reason why you're here? Are you looking for something?"
She asked keeping eye-contact with her father, the Duke.
At that, the scarlet-haired man caressed her identical scarlet locks they both shared and responded to her curiosity as he then turned his head toward the Baron.
"You're right, sweetheart. I came here because I was looking for not something, but someone. Particularly, a child."
Of course, Inanna's gut-feeling was right. She could guess that the reason her father was here is that of the tattered boy with bronze skin. She just needed to confirm her suspicion.
Subsequently, the Baron quickly moved toward the boy standing a few steps away and hastily grabbed him by the shoulders.
"Your Grace, this is the child slave I was speaking about prior to our arrival!"
The Baron's eyes twinkled and widened with pride at the thought of getting very close to his goal and the reasoning for visiting the Duke Bessa's residence as he spoke.
He felt like he was a few steps away from achieving his dreams and negotiation with the Duke. One that'll surely make him rich and gain the favor of the scarlet-haired man before him.
"Goodness! What are you doing, child!? Show some respect to the Duke!"
However, the chubby man panicked when he witnessed that the foolish boy refrained from bowing out of respect and courtesy to the highest and strongest nobleman in the empire standing in front of them.
'Stupid boy! You're going to get me in trouble for your insolence!'
Thankfully, the Duke didn't seem to mind the boy's behavior as he spoke.
"It's alright, Your Lordship. There's no need for that. I only wish to take in this boy for the meantime. He'll be under my care until I find him a proper home or place to stay."
The Duke apprised as he approached the small figure of the boy.
"That's if you don't mind staying here?"
Seeing that the boy didn't have any objections as he remained silent, the scarlet-haired man smiled and patted his tiny head.
Then, his expression changed to a serious one as he looked at the chubby man and conversed with him.
"I'll take the boy, but with no money being involved. His life isn't something that should ensue purchasing anymore. It never should've been that way to begin with."
The scarlet-haired man stated as he gave the older maid a look instructing, 'Take the children inside the house. I'll be there shortly to discuss further on this matter,' which she instantly obeyed to.
Promptly, Inanna heard the older maid speak to her and the silent boy with a gentle tone and a soft expression.
"How about we go inside and try the fresh sweets the chef recently baked?"
The old maid kindly suggested.
Both children simply nodded, and they began walking away from the scene, followed by the younger maid walking along behind them with a smile.
Yet before they left, Inanna parted a last glance at her father, who had his back facing them as he discussed with the two stunned figures—the chubby nobleman and his son.
'I suppose brother's visit will have to wait.'