He subconsciously placed the index finger and the second knuckle of the middle finger of his right hand against his chin, thinking quietly about something.
But there was still no emotion in his eyes that were always indifferent and calm.
Even if Annan only has shoulder-length short hair, he can easily be mistaken for a girl with a dignified temperament; but Dmitri, with long hair reaching his waist, will never be mistaken for a woman.
It's not just his deep voice.
What's more, it's the heavy "carrier" temperament in him.
"……Yes."
Annan pursed his lips and replied in a low voice.
For some reason, the Dmitry in front of him actually overlapped with Ivan Coldong who trained Annan's frost swordsmanship in Annan's memory.
...Is it because the eldest brother is like a father?
Being stared at by Dmitri's majestic gaze - even Annan himself felt at that moment that he might not be able to take this leave...
But even so.
After a few seconds, Dmitri calmly replied: "Okay."
For some reason, he easily agreed to Annan's request.
Immediately, Dmitri turned to Princess Elizabeth and said politely and slowly: "Brother-in-law has caused trouble for you."
"Where... little Kaifuni is usually a relatively withdrawn child. It's rare for her to make a friend. I'm very happy for her."
Princess Elizabeth smiles like a flower.
Her appearance seemed to be shining with light, and it was hard to tell her exact age. But her slightly squinted eyes shone with a cunning light that was not annoying.
She smiled at Annan and said, "You have a good brother, His Highness Annan."
"...Thank you, Your Highness."
Annan's reaction was a little awkward, he bowed to Princess Elizabeth and made a very soft and polite voice.
The momentum in his voice was a little weak, but it was as clear as a flame in the cold wind.
But looking at his appearance, Dmitri suddenly spoke and said in a confused manner: "Annan, remember why you came here."
...Me, why did I come?
These words made Annan a little confused.
But fortunately, he reacted quickly:
At this time, Dmitri had actually lost his fertility. In other words, the reason why Annan and not Maria followed Dmitri to Noah was probably because Annan was the "heir to the principality."
The one who came as an envoy——
In other words, it is not "Annan followed Dmitri", but "Dmitri followed Annan".
It's just because Annan is too young.
That's why Dmitri was asked to assist Annan... in a series of negotiations.
So, what is Annan's primary purpose for coming here?
——The answer is ready to come out.
He's here to learn more.
In other words...Annan is here to build confidence.
As the eldest brother, Dmitri acted strongly and appropriately, which was probably the main reason why Annan had a weaker character. So even if Annan made such an outrageous request, Dmitri decided not to oppose Annan.
Because what he wants to do is to build confidence in Annan - not to destroy his confidence.
His mind was racing rapidly, and Annan finished thinking in the blink of an eye.
His young and delicate face soon revealed a determined look: "Of course I remember, brother.
"Thank you for your tolerance, Your Highness Princess."
There was still a slight tremor in Annan's voice. But his voice became louder and clearer - just like Annan's voice outside the nightmare.
At this time, Annan very clearly noticed that Dmitri's frown, which had always been frowning, relaxed slightly.
…Does this mean happy?
In other words, the bet was indeed right.
Annan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Dmitri's face still showed no expression, but he said calmly: "Remember to come back before dinner."
"You can also ask your new friend to show you around."
Princess Elizabeth added.
She didn't know if she noticed something - this woman, who was known for her iron-bloodedness in the military, became softer after changing into a dress.
She showed a gentle smile to Annan and gently held Annan's hand: "Few people are willing to play with Kaifni, but I know she is a good child... stay with her, okay?"
...Do you want to get married?
Annan, who possesses the wisdom of an adult, immediately sensed Elizabeth's intentions.
This woman is very smart. She did not "allow" Annan to associate with Kaifuni, but "asked" him to take more care of Kaifuni - this is undoubtedly a smart gesture.
Why?
Did she realize that she was the heir to the principality?
No, this is impossible. The fact that Dmitry lost her fertility is a secret at this time - otherwise, she would have shown her kindness to her more obviously.
And if she was aware of this, it would be impossible for Kaifni and Annan to stay together immediately.
After all, Kafni's father is the fourth prince, and if the "Future Grand Duke of Winter" can become the husband of his only daughter, then Annan will become a powerful political bargaining chip for him.
If Elizabeth realizes that Annan is the future Grand Duke... then she will definitely allow Albert's power to expand after forming a de facto alliance with Albert.
——Because she is a smart person.
So there is only one possibility.
Is the political situation at the top of Noah so tense that it needs to be alleviated by marriage? It needs an "outsider" to disrupt the situation and reshuffle the forces of all parties...
Princess Elizabeth, who was not wary of Annan, inadvertently revealed a large amount of political intelligence to Annan.
But there was nothing unusual about Annan.
He just replied softly: "Okay, Your Highness."
Annan's voice became more stable...there was a hint of Maria in it.
This made Dmitri slightly satisfied.
Annan then resigned with the two of them.
Kafni took Annan to her boudoir.
She did not ask Annan how he obtained the promise of the two "national heirs" who would come to power next year.
It seemed to her that this was all natural.
Maybe it's because Kafni doesn't care about these things.
"...This is the secret passage."
Kafni took Annan's hand and walked to her closet: "After you go out, you can go directly to the corner of the garden. I often sneak out from here..."
Her voice was light and her face was a little red.
There is a clear difference from Kaifuni who could calmly hold Annan's hand when they first met a few years later - Kaifuni today is still shy.
She seems to be very concerned about the close relationship between the two.
Annan was a little helpless to complain.
...Hey, you are only nine years old.
Although I know that girls may mature earlier... but you know so much at such a young age, is it really okay?
"What are you going to do?"
Annan opened the plywood at the back of the closet and asked Kafni in a low voice before getting in: "Without my voice, they might realize something is wrong."
Kafni replied without hesitation: "I will draw you a picture."
"...but I'm not here."
"You were here."
Kafni replied softly: "I can remember it."
Her non-human glazed red eyes seemed to reflect another world that Annan could not understand.
She replied in a low voice: "I can see... your afterimage."