Chapter 59: Blood Shouldn’t Be Underestimated?

“You seem to be in a good mood, Ciel.”
“What makes you think that?”

The carriage that had departed from the Wittgenstein ducal residence was on its way to the royal castle to see Bernhard off.
Even as the crown prince, he was still a child, so it was only natural for him to press his hand to the window and gaze outside at the unfamiliar scenery.
Casting a sideways glance at Bernhard, who looked slightly unsatisfied without Faustina by his side, Ciel regarded Vered’s sudden comment with suspicion.

“You know perfectly well.”
“Do I?”
“You saw it, didn’t you?”
“Ah, that.”

What Ciel meant by “that.”
When Ciel went to the lobby to retrieve the gift he would give Faustina, and Vered was about to head toward the guest room where Faustina and the others were, the sound of a young girl crying reached them from afar.
The two exchanged glances, then changed direction, curious about the source of the voice.

Peeking in quietly, they saw Elvira clinging to Lyudmila’s dress while crying, and Cain explaining the situation to their mother.
Lyudmila’s complexion had improved somewhat, and with a troubled expression she hugged Elvira tightly.

“Sniff… hic… w-waaaah! Mother!”
“There, there, Elvira, don’t cry, and Cain, be a little more careful with how you speak.”
“Who’s going to suffer later is Elvira, you know. And what if another family’s child had been there? If the child told their parents, and word spread that a young lady who isn’t even engaged clung to the crown prince, it would be our family who would be shamed. Elvira too.”
“I-I was just… scared because my sister was kidnapped…!”
“That has nothing to do with clinging to His Highness. And I already told you earlier, didn’t I? They managed to kidnap Fana so easily. If Elvira had also been a target, they would have taken both of them together. The fact that Elvira is safe means she wasn’t a target to begin with. Still, it’s natural to be frightened.”

As he said this, Cain showed no sign of being frightened himself.
As usual, he was calm, sharp-tongued, and merciless.
He gently stroked Elvira’s hair to soothe her, and seeing Lyudmila desperately trying to calm Elvira without scolding her, he said nothing further.

Having shamelessly witnessed the entire exchange, Ciel and Vered retraced their steps.
Vered shook with suppressed laughter, and Ciel cast him a half-exasperated glance.

“It’s amusing, isn’t it, this family. The duchess just dotes on her youngest daughter who resembles her so much. She shields her like that, even when the young master points out her faults.”
“He’s more suited to be a father than the duke is. To think he turned out so well despite being born to those two.”
“Maybe his genes went haywire. As for why the young lady doesn’t resemble them, well, she’s Ciel’s child to begin with. And the young master has always questioned the difference in how his sisters are treated, plus he’s very conscious of his role as the next duke.”
“So that’s what you called the eldest son?”
“Yeah.”

Calling Faustina “the young lady” was a remnant from his days serving as Cain the butler.
Calling Elvira “the youngest daughter” was simply because calling her “young lady” would overlap with Faustina.
When he was Cain, he had properly addressed her as Lady Elvira.

Recalling the scene he had witnessed inside the residence, Vered’s grin showed no sign of fading.
Ciel shrugged with a weary look while patting Bernhard’s head.

Once they reached the royal castle and handed Bernhard over to the knights, they would immediately return to the church.
Staying too long would invite Sirius’s arrival.
In fact, Ciel had an uneasy feeling Sirius was already lying in wait.

“You, with your commoner blood, are a stain upon me, the source of Mother’s sorrow. Never show yourself again.”

Despite having rejected his half-brother so completely at their first meeting, Sirius had tried to approach him again not long after, which Ciel found incomprehensible.
His half-brother was the queen’s son, while Ciel was the child of a commoner.
Their status was worlds apart.
Ciel had never believed they could get along from the start, but Sirius’s words back then had wounded him deeply.
At the same time, Sirius had been categorized in Ciel’s mind as someone unnecessary to his future life.

He went to the slums and picked up the child he had been searching for, Vered, so his childhood had been free of loneliness.
He had no complaints.

Ciel gently stroked the purplish silver hair.

Bernhard’s personality was nothing like Sirius’s.
The queen’s blood must truly be strong.
Even if he could not remain pure forever, Ciel hoped Bernhard would at least continue to hold onto his feelings for Faustina.

However—

“…”

Ciel removed his hand from Bernhard’s head and showed Vered a dreadful smile.
Bernhard, absorbed in the view outside, failed to notice.

Blood should not be underestimated.
If Bernhard were ever to reject Faustina the way Sirius once had, then—

“Vered.”
“…What.”
“That thing you said at the castle, was it true?”
“It came straight from the person involved.”
“I see.”

If that time came—
Even if he was his beloved nephew, Ciel would show no mercy.