K-Eldest Daughter Possessed a Childcare Novel

“Lord Agla.”

Standing before me was Casper Agla, Zion’s much older brother and the heir to the Agla Duchy.

I stood up from the sofa and greeted him. As I did, the young ladies around me also rose and bowed their heads in unison.

Casper smiled warmly at us.

“I came over to say hello to Belladi, but I’m concerned I might be intruding on the ladies’ conversation.”

At his words, the young ladies flinched in surprise.

“Oh, no, not at all!”

“Come to think of it, we might have monopolized Lady Belladi for too long!”

I watched their reactions for a moment, then extended my hand to him.

“Since you’re here, why don’t we talk for a bit?”

“Sure, Belladi. There’s some fine wine over there; let’s have a drink.”

Casper politely clasped my hand.

After exchanging a glance with the young ladies, I let Casper escort me to the center of the banquet hall.

On the table in the center, wine glasses were stacked in the shape of a tower. Casper picked one and handed it to me.

It was a deep red wine, obviously strong, swirling in the glass. I accepted it with a smile.

Nobles were taught proper drinking etiquette and knowledge from a young age. Alcohol was an inseparable part of noble society and a key aspect of social manners.

I did enjoy a light champagne now and then, but…

‘I’m not really into strong wine.’

Unaware of my preferences, Casper clinked his glass against mine.

Clink.

The sound of clear glass rang out, and Casper’s eyes curved into a crescent.

“For the return of the social world’s long-absent flower.”

‘Ugh, so cheesy.’

Casper had a penchant for using old-fashioned, flowery language. Maybe that was why the older generation of nobles liked him so much.

I could never quite get used to that manner of speech, though.

“Thank you for the welcome, Lord Agla.”

I responded appropriately to Casper’s words and took a sip of the wine. The bitter liquid spread across my tongue.

As I swallowed the wine, I mulled over his words.

‘The flower of the social world, huh…’

People often referred to me and the crown princess as the flowers of the social world. But neither of us was someone who could be compared to a fleeting blossom.

‘If anything, we’re the two great mountain ranges of society.’

But Casper, with his old-fashioned speech, probably had an equally outdated mindset. Whether it was a flower or a mountain range, he likely thought all social affairs were more or less the same.

Rather than argue, I chose to sip my wine instead.

“So, what brings you to me?”

To my question, Casper gave me an unreadable smile. We were never particularly close, to begin with.

Casper and Zion weren’t the closest of brothers, and Casper’s wife, Lady Agla, was close friends with the crown princess.

‘Usually, we just exchange greetings when we meet… what’s he up to, approaching me now?’

Noticing my gaze, Casper spoke gently.

“Belladi, there’s someone I’d like to introduce you to.”

“Someone you’d like to introduce me to?”

“Yes, he’ll be entering the banquet hall shortly.”

The banquet had already been in full swing for quite some time, and all the invited nobles had already arrived.

The sky was growing dark. At this hour, there was only one person who would make an entrance.

The host of tonight’s banquet.

‘An Imperial…!’

Especially considering that Casper wanted to introduce this person to me, it was obvious.

“You must be referring to His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Casper was the crown prince’s loyal right-hand man, after all.

Therefore, the crown princess and Lady Agla were also so close.

At my words, Casper casually placed his empty wine glass on the tray of a passing servant.

“Your coming-of-age ceremony is only a few years away. It’s good to start building connections.”

It was my father, Duke Alton’s responsibility, to help me build connections for my coming-of-age. There was no need for Casper to concern himself with that.

‘Why is he suddenly meddling…?’

Suppressing my discomfort, I spoke.

“If it’s about connections, why not introduce him to Meldor instead?”

I was hinting that I didn’t want to be dragged into this troublesome business.

Casper, who surely understood my meaning, simply smiled.

“You’re such a caring older sister, always thinking of Meldor first, aren’t you? Don’t worry, I’ll introduce him to the crown prince later.”

A caring older sister, my foot.

My fist clenched tightly, then relaxed again. My irritation spiked, but I couldn’t just lash out.

Casper was a shrewd and calculating man, deeply entrenched in central politics.

Blowing up at him wouldn’t do me any good.

He might have the same innocent-looking face and smile as Zion, but it was obvious that what lied behind them was entirely different.

‘Why is he pretending to be so close with me now…?’

From the start, Casper was quite openly eager to bring the Alton Duchy into the crown prince’s faction. Because of this, he usually showed more interest in Meldor, the heir, than in me.

I didn’t blame him for that. After all, that was how noble power struggles worked.

However, despite never showing any interest in me before, he suddenly wants to build a bridge to the crown prince through me…

‘Could it be that he’s getting anxious because Prince Killian, who has a strong claim to the throne, has returned?’

I glanced at Casper’s face. There wasn’t a trace of anxiety on it. This meant that he didn’t consider Prince Killian a threat.

I tilted my head slightly. If that was the case, there was only one possibility left.

‘He’s noticed that my relationship with Meldor has flipped.’

I was well aware of how others saw me.

The eldest daughter of a duchy with no real influence.

Because of this, noblemen didn’t pay attention to me.

‘But that was when I was a good daughter who loved her family.’

I no longer allowed Meldor or my father to control me. So, their evaluation of me was completely wrong.

However, my reshuffling of the hierarchy with Meldor was purely an internal affair.

And it happened very recently.

The fact that he noticed this so quickly and was now approaching me…

‘There’s a spy in the house.’

Did he plant them when the household was in disarray after Mother collapsed?

I was already uneasy after the incident with William, so this was actually quite timely.

‘I need to do some internal cleaning when I return.’

As I was thinking this, the loud voice of an attendant rang out.

“His Imperial Majesty the Emperor and Her Imperial Majesty the Empress, His Highness the Crown Prince, Her Highness the Crown Princess, and Her Highness the Princess are entering!”

With those words, the doors to the banquet hall swung open, and the Imperial Family entered.

The emperor and empress still looked vigorous, and the princess walked steadily beside them.

Following behind was the crown prince, walking confidently with the crown princess linked to his arm.

As expected, Prince Killian did not appear.

At that moment, my eyes met those of the crown princess, who had her platinum hair elegantly up. She maintained a bright smile on her lips, but her eyes were glaring sharply at me.

I responded with a faint smile of my own.

Even as she walked, following the crown prince, the crown princess didn’t avert her gaze from mine. I would give her that much credit.

‘She’s still not backing down.’

There were many who would pick a fight with me, only to retreat in the face of my presence. Unlike them, the crown princess was one of the few who stood her ground against me.

‘I like that spirit.’

In any case, the arrival of the Imperial Family marked the highlight of the winter banquet.

As the emperor appeared, all the nobles in the banquet hall gracefully bowed to show their respect. The emperor accepted their greetings with a smile.

“I’m very pleased to see you all at this winter banquet. I hope you all enjoy your time here.”

With that brief greeting, the emperor finished and took his seat at the head of the stairs prepared for the occasion. The empress and princess followed suit.

The crown prince and princess didn’t head to their appointed seats but instead warmly greeted the nobles who gathered around them.

Meanwhile, the orchestra music that had been playing softly changed to a lively tune after the emperor’s speech. The dance time had begun with the arrival of the Imperial Family.

People started gathering and moving toward the central hall.

Casper extended his hand to me.

“Now that His Highness is here, shall we go?”

‘Ugh, I don’t want to.’

I didn’t want to be dragged into politics like this, out of the blue.

‘Besides, the crown prince doesn’t seem like a particularly practical guy.’

His policies were gaining some recognition, but I somehow couldn’t trust him.

I more or less understood Casper’s true intentions, so there was no reason to endure this any longer.

I stared at Casper’s outstretched hand without answering. His hand twitched slightly.

“Belladi?”

I openly shifted my gaze to the crown prince.

He was conversing with the nobles not too far away, but I could tell. His attention was completely focused on us.

When I didn’t respond, Casper, seemingly frustrated, urged me again.

“Are you nervous? It’s understandable to feel that way when suddenly facing His Highness the Crown Prince. But don’t worry too much, I’ll be by your side.”

At that moment.

“Lady Belladi Alton.”

Someone called my name, and both Casper and I turned around simultaneously.

Behind us stood a man dressed in a uniform similar to the imperial attendants, but more luxurious.

He was the emperor’s attendant.

“His Majesty has summoned you, your ladyship.”

“… ha-ha, well then.”

Casper let out a small, awkward laugh at the attendant’s words.

He paused for a moment and then looked at me.

“It seems today isn’t the day. I’ll arrange another meeting, so wait for me, Belladi.”

Casper gave me a smile, trying to appear kind. It seemed he was trying to be gentle, but his nature showed through. His tone was still commanding.

I tilted my head slightly, raising one corner of my mouth.

“I wonder… do you think that meeting will be suitable for me, my lord?”

“What?”

I slowly opened my mouth to speak.

“If it becomes necessary, I’ll let you know myself. Until then, please wait, Lord Agla.”

When I mimicked his tone, Casper finally seemed to realize his own manner of speech.

Just as he awkwardly smiled and opened his mouth to respond, I turned away without hesitation.

“Let’s go.”

“This way, please.”

I followed the attendant toward the emperor’s seat.

As I walked, I noticed the crown prince’s expression had become quite grim.

‘For someone who’s a crown prince, he really can’t hide his emotions well.’

Anyway, I managed to get away from Casper and the crown prince without any major trouble…

“Greetings, Your Majesty, I am Belladi Alton, daughter of House Alton family.”

“It’s been a while since the hunting competition. You’re Theodore’s daughter, so I’ll call you Belladi.”

“It is an honor far greater than I deserve.”

‘I’ve ended up facing an even bigger wall, the emperor.’

I looked at the emperor, who was smiling peacefully, and the young princess who was quietly nestled in his arms.