[IHTTMBW] Chapter 30

“Who are you, Grandpa?” 

“Haha, I’m your father’s… hmm, the king’s uncle,” he replied. 

“Uncle?” I repeated, tilting my head. 

“Well, I’m your grandfather’s brother, so you could say I’m your grandfather too.” 

“Myrthi doesn’t have a grandpa,” I said, blinking up at him and counting my family members on my fingers.  

“Myrthi’s family is Euvil oppa, Orzette, and… hmm, Valk too! And…” I trailed off, realising how few people I could count as family. I looked up at him with a slight whimper, which made him pause and regard me with a slightly stern expression. 

“And who are Orzette and Valk?” 

“Orzette is the maid who reads me stories and plays with me, and Valk is Myrthi’s friend! He’s a guard!” 

A wry smile crept onto his face. It seemed he had a rough idea of my life, realising that my closest connections were with a maid and a guard rather than other royals or noble children. 

“Well, you’re very smart. But now, you have one more family member.” He smiled gently and folded one more of my fingers down. 

“Your grandfather. You can call me Grandpa Gelbart.” 

Though his hair was white, Gelbart still had a robust and dignified appearance, with silver strands that glinted like they once might have broken many hearts. His shoulders were broad, his posture straight—what one might call a “silver fox.” I tilted my head, and just then, he lifted a fork and fed me a bite of rich chocolate sponge cake. I nodded enthusiastically. 

“Okay! Grandpa Gelbart is also Myrthi’s family!” 

“Hahaha, Gelbart it is,” he chuckled, clearly pleased as he patted my head repeatedly. It seemed he was quite fond of my chatter. 

The situation was turning out better than I had expected. I hadn’t asked for much—just a bit of pocket money—but here I was, being welcomed into his family. He hadn’t even mentioned the King as part of my family. *Could this be a stroke of luck?* Had I found a true benefactor? 

As I pondered this, chewing on a piece of cake, I looked at him with bright, eager eyes, now munching on a cannoli. He watched me for a moment before asking, 

“Where did you learn to read?” 

“Euvil taught me.” 

“Euphil, you say? Hmm, I’ve heard he’s quite bright…” Gelbart mused, eyeing me curiously as he tried to wrap his head around the idea of Euphil teaching me. He muttered something about that “cold boy,” but seemed to come to terms with it as he watched me munch on the cannoli. 

“Yes, daughters are the best…” he muttered to himself, then affectionately patted my head again. His expression softened in a way that seemed rare for him. 

His next words were like a bolt of lightning, but they were exactly what I had hoped for. 

“Would you like to eat with Euphil?” 

My heart raced. I nodded eagerly. If Gelbart had become part of my family, maybe Euphil wouldn’t have felt the need to start a rebellion. 

He called for a servant, instructing them to send for Euphil. The servant, who had been watching me stuff my cheeks full of sweets, looked alarmed at the idea of fetching Euphil. But Gelbart’s commanding tone sent the servant scurrying off. 

Before long, there was a knock on the door, and the servant announced Euphil’s arrival. 

“Prince Euphil is here.” 

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ 

This was the first time I had seen Euphil today. As soon as I heard he was coming, I beamed with joy, a reaction that Gelbart observed with keen interest. But the moment Euphil stepped into the room, the atmosphere turned icy. I suddenly felt a bit anxious about mentioning him, but I kept chewing on the cinnamon cake in my mouth. Slowly, I reached for the cream mango tart, sneaking it into my mouth as quietly as possible. Next, I eyed the jelly pudding.  

Euphil entered the room, exchanged a stiff bow, and then locked eyes with Gelbart in what seemed like a silent battle. 

“I’m not sure why I was summoned,” Euphil said, his tone remarkably composed for a ten-year-old. 

I bit into a crispy strawberry chocolate éclair as Gelbart’s expression hardened, and he twirled his fork in the air. 

“Is it wrong to want to see my nephew?” he retorted. 

“You’ve never cared before,” Euphil shot back, his tone sharp. 

A chocolate-filled macaron crumbled in my mouth as I watched their exchange with wide eyes. It felt like the tension in the room was crackling, much like the macaron I had just eaten. Wow. 

“Who was it that didn’t want me to care?” Gelbart countered. 

“I suppose that was me.” 

Such cheekiness at ten years old! Despite his sharp replies, Euphil didn’t shy away from Gelbart’s gaze. They were both strong-willed, and the depth of the rift between them was apparent. It was the exact opposite of the creamy cake I was enjoying. 

“You speak of such things, yet you dare to claim you didn’t care?” Gelbart retorted. 

-Exactly! I agreed silently, popping a guava jelly into my mouth. 

It was then that Euphil, with a tense vein visible on his forehead, turned to me and ground out, 

“Could you please stop eating?” 

“Hmm?” I mumbled, caught off guard. 

“You’re going to rot your teeth,” he grumbled. 

I looked over at Gelbart, who was now trembling as he tried to suppress his laughter. ‘Why is he laughing?’

“Hehe, the little one likes it and is eating a lot. What’s the problem?” Gelbart chuckled. 

“She’s stuffing herself while watching with curiosity from all sides—that’s the problem,” Euphil replied, clearly exasperated. 

“All children are like that at her age.” 

“I wasn’t.” 

All this, and he was only ten years old. I shrugged and reached for an egg tart. Considering my true age, maybe I shouldn’t indulge in so many sweets, but how could I resist such a feast of desserts?