"I like him! Sir Arthur Hastings!" Caroline cheerfully exclaid before anyone else, her small face flushed with excitent: "I just said, he’s the best scientist, composer, and writer!"
"And a detective novelist." Adelaide added.
Gabrielle bowed to the Duchess, polite and proper: "Good evening, Your Highness, I apologize for our sudden visit. And please forgive Caroline’s impoliteness, she is just too excited today."
The Duchess of Kent forced a slight smile: "No need to apologize. The daughters of the von Bloh family are always welco to visit... especially on days when my daughter has yet to learn how to return ho on ti."
Victoria heard the reproach in her mother’s words, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she mumbled with her head down: "But we just wanted to finish watching ’The Sleepwalker’... Rubini sang so well today."
Lady Leisen interjected at the right mont to defuse the situation: "Your Highness, the theater’s program did run longer than scheduled. It was my oversight not to inform you imdiately. Please allow to take responsibility."
"We can speak about this in private later." The Duchess gently said, then shifted her gaze to Arthur: "Sir Arthur, I think it’s about ti we introduce the children to you."
Arthur nodded slightly, his tone composed: "I’m honored."
"You are Sir Arthur Hastings? Aren’t you a professor?" Little Caroline asked with wide eyes: "I rember Grandpa said you are the Academic Director of the University of Gottingen!"
Adelaide quickly pulled back her sister’s skirt: "Caroline, you’re being rude!"
"It’s alright." Arthur smiled and waved his hand, then bent down and winked at the little girl: "Your grandpa might be used to embellishing his friends. At Gottingen, I’m at most an academic gatekeeper. Compared to being a professor, arguing over budget sheets with them in the conference room is what I often encounter."
"Will you teach music then?" Caroline lowered her voice, as if afraid her sister might hear: "That piece ’The Clock’, could you play it for ?"
Arthur was about to reply when Victoria suddenly interjected: "Enough! Caroline, Sir Arthur is our guest invited by Mother. He is here to see ."
The Duchess of Kent’s expression slightly changed. She gently put down the teacup, feeling utterly embarrassed by her daughter’s behavior.
She did not scold sternly like she usually did with the servants, but spoke to Victoria in a calm yet authoritative tone: "Alexandrina, please apologize to Miss Caroline."
As those words fell, the room’s air turned heavy.
The three von Bloh sisters all subconsciously straightened their backs, and Lady Leisen’s brow twitched as if she wanted to intervene for Victoria but ultimately remained silent.
Victoria did not anticipate her mother would reprimand her in front of everyone and stood there, montarily stunned.
She seed frozen in place, her eyes flashing with a hint of sha and anger, yet she dared not retort.
"Mother, I just..."
"I know you want to appear as the most composed person in this room." The Duchess’s tone was stern, yet still low: "But truly composed people would never humiliate soone younger, more enthusiastic, and more straightforward than themselves."
"Moreover..." the Duchess turned to Arthur, her tone softening slightly: "Our guest today is not bothered by one or two out-of-line remarks. A truly cultured gentleman would never hold a grudge against a child’s frankness."
Arthur nodded slightly, playing along to ease the atmosphere: "I think being asked a question like ’can you play a piece’ is the most endearing kind of offense I’ve heard in years. Honestly, there was a ti when I did make a living playing music."
As soon as he finished, the three von Bloh sisters couldn’t help but burst into laughter, and even the corners of Victoria’s mouth involuntarily twitched upward slightly.
However, the Duchess beca more annoyed at this sight, and she calmly reprimanded: "Victoria, you are the heir to the throne. Your every word will be noted, written down, and repeated by others. You may be naive, but you cannot be arrogant. You may make mistakes, but you must have the courage to admit them."
After a mont of silence, Victoria finally spoke softly: "I’m sorry, Caroline. I shouldn’t have spoken like that."
Caroline looked at her in confusion, then nodded vigorously: "It’s okay, I never cared about these things, besides, I am long used to them, Your Highness."
The blunt honesty of this remark made everyone in the room laugh again, even the Duchess could only shake her head helplessly.
"Children." She stood up, her tone returning to the formality of a hostess, "Dinner is ready in the kitchen. With Sir Arthur joining us tonight, I hope you learn to discuss topics at the dinner table that are more appropriate than ’The Sleepwalker’."
Lady Leisen gave a slight bow and led the three sisters to prepare to wash their hands, while Victoria stood motionless with her head down.
She felt greatly wronged, and couldn’t understand why her attempt to maintain order ended with her mother branding her as the one disrupting it.
Arthur did not hurry to leave; he watched Victoria standing still, her fingers clutching her skirt’s edge, her shoulders slightly tense.
He gently cleared his throat, attempting to gain Victoria’s attention.
"When I was a child..." He unexpectedly began speaking: "I saw a porcelain cup on the table about to fall, so I quickly reached to catch it. I thought I did sothing good, but the farr’s wife saw it, grabbed my ear, and scolded in front of everyone on the farm, claiming I broke the cup. I was furious because the cup I caught already had a crack, it wasn’t made by . That night I ate nothing, not that they would give anything. I went to the woodshed alone for a long ti, feeling like the whole world didn’t understand ."
Saying this, Arthur walked gently to her side, lowering his voice: "You’re just like I was then, aren’t you? Trying to do sothing good but criticized for being thoughtless."
Victoria finally moved, she looked up and whispered: "I wasn’t trying to be an to her. I just... wanted everyone to be a bit quieter."
"I know." Arthur smiled: "You wanted to improve the situation, just used the wrong thod. But your intention was good, I can see that. You wanted everyone to respect , for which I thank you, Your Highness. You’re a good-hearted girl."
She didn’t speak, only her eyes grew slightly red.
"I don’t like being criticized in public." She said softly, with suppressed grievance: "Especially when I feel I’m not wrong."
"That’s certainly unpleasant." Arthur nodded: "Especially when you’re striving to do the right thing and are misunderstood, that feeling is like swallowing hot tea; your mouth burns, but you can’t spit it out, or the tea will be wasted."
With that, Arthur didn’t say much more, instead pulling a clean handkerchief from his pocket to offer to her: "Here. Not because you’re crying, but as a precaution, since the Duchess ntioned the roast pigeon sauce at dinner is thick and might spill on your collar."
Victoria took the handkerchief, chuckled softly despite herself, with a nasal tone: "You... always say the strangest things."
"Really?" Arthur feigned surprise, blinking: "I always thought I spoke quite properly. Of course, not everyone agrees, like the Duke of Cumberland and Viscount Palston. Are you on their side?"
"Decent, my foot, and no, I’m not on the sa side as those two." She rubbed her eyes, put away the handkerchief, and her tone softened: "And... thank you, Sir."
"You’re welco." Arthur smiled and said: "If I have indeed helped you."
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