The Two Babies Changing the Original Story Chapter 27

Duke Wheaton and Duke Notman were nobles with the highest level of power.

Duke Notman served directly beneath the king as a royal advisor overseeing national affairs, while Duke Wheaton possessed wealth second only to the royal family.

The Wheaton trading companies extended their influence not only throughout the kingdom but even into several foreign nations—so much so that rumors claimed they might be wealthier than the crown itself.

They were, alongside House Berndt, another pillar of Nerendis.

Cleus couldn’t send them away without at least hearing what they had come for.

“…Please come inside.”

Instead of calling the butler, Cleus personally guided them to the reception room.

It felt as though Ellie’s scent still lingered there.

The fresh, sweet atmosphere of the room was shattered by the intrusion of the two men.

Cleus’s lips twitched. He was displeased.

“Well then, why don’t we get straight to the matter?”

Duke Wheaton sat down heavily without being offered tea or even shown a seat and began speaking all on his own.

He was a smooth, self-centered adult—far too practiced for Cleus to handle at his age.

It was already too late to steer the mood or correct his behavior.

Cleus endured the unpleasant sense of defeat and sat across from Duke Wheaton.

Meanwhile, Duke Notman silently watched without saying a word.

“Don’t look at us so harshly, young Duke Berndt. We are here because we, too, love this kingdom and are concerned about its safety.”

“…….”

“Originally, Marundial Marquis was involved in our talks as well, but that man is far too fickle, so we left him behind. In any case, Duke Berndt, we thought it would be good for you to join in on a matter the three of us had already been discussing.”

“…Concerning what.”

Cleus was finally given a chance to speak.

Duke Wheaton beamed as if pleased.

“Support the regency.”

“…!”

He should have understood the moment Wheaton mentioned “the kingdom’s safety.”

The words he blurted out were dangerous—words that could shake Princess Ellia’s position itself.

“Is there a royal who would serve as regent?”

“There isn’t—which is why I have stepped forward myself. For the love of this country. There is no one else fit to take the role. Ah, not to mention, I do have a drop or two of royal blood in me. That’s enough to qualify.”

“…!”

Cleus knew all too well what regency meant.

When his parents died, countless so-called “relatives” he had never even heard of suddenly crawled out of the shadows.

It was a war to reject them all and establish his rightful position.

And now that same war was creeping toward Ellie.

“If the princess ascends the throne as things are now, do you know what will happen? Other nations will invade—and we will all die. You understand what dying means, don’t you, young duke?”

“Yes.”

“Exactly. So you must agree to my taking the regency. If others see us meeting openly like this, they may oppose it out of jealousy. So let’s keep this meeting secret, and from now on, just tell everyone you meet that you support the regency. Simple, isn’t it?”

Cleus stared silently at the duke.

Then he spoke firmly:

“I do not support it.”

Duke Wheaton’s expression froze instantly.

Duke Notman had already been in favor of the regency. Marundial Marquis was fickle, but if the general tide shifted, he would quickly follow.

House Berndt held a reputation equal to House Wheaton.

They had long been suppressed by the royal family, and their knights repeatedly exploited whenever trouble arose. Combined with the recent deaths of the duke and duchess, their grudge against the crown was nearly that of sworn enemies.

House Berndt should have been the perfect ally to strike back at the royal family.

He should have immediately grasped Wheaton’s hand in grateful excitement.

But instead—he refused?

“Duke Berndt, you ought to consider the situation more carefully. If that child princess becomes queen, the first ones sent to die on the battlefield will be the Berndt knights.”

“That is what the knight order exists for.”

Cleus answered without hesitation.

His voice was as straight as his heart.

“Knights train to fight. And they fight to protect.”

He would protect Princess Ellia.

From the moment he swore, he knew that resolve would never waver.

“…Heh. Heh-heh.”

Duke Wheaton stared at Cleus and then burst out laughing.

“Am I really talking to the Duke of Berndt right now?”

“…….”

“So you plan to play the fool who defends the daughter of your parents’ murderer? Is that it? Duke Berndt?”

He stabbed right into Cleus’s open wound.

Cleus felt his breath halt.

The loss of his parents would never be something he could grow used to.

“Is House Berndt a clan too dull to avenge itself? Is that what your elders taught you? To accept whatever is done to you?”

Wheaton pressed on relentlessly.

“Duke Wheaton, your words are—”

Duke Notman, who had stayed silent until now, finally tried to intervene.

But Cleus moved first.

CRASH!

Though still young, he was of House Berndt—a lineage fundamentally different from ordinary children.

He was strong enough to flip the reception table with ease.

Which is exactly what he did.

“…!”

Duke Wheaton’s babbling mouth snapped shut.

Cleus, standing before the overturned table, looked down at Wheaton calmly and said:

“No. I was taught that when I’m angry, it’s okay to flip things sometimes. …Like this.”

“Y-you… you flipped a table… right in front of me…”

Cleus had overturned both the table and the entire premise Wheaton was trying to set.

“Please leave.”

With that, Cleus strode out of the room.

Duke Wheaton, who had effectively been expelled, sat there stunned for a long moment, unable to rise.

Young as he was—Berndt was still Berndt.

Overwhelmed by Cleus’s sheer momentum, Duke Wheaton had lost his own.

“W-what the… how are kids these days built?”

Even as he muttered to salvage whatever pride he had left, Duke Notman’s eyes deepened.

Indeed. How are kids these days built?

He thought of Princess Ellia—another one of these “kids.”

He knew Wheaton to be greedy and self-serving. But he also acknowledged that Wheaton had both the strength and the will to protect Nerendis.

For the sake of the kingdom, he had believed Wheaton’s regency necessary—dangerous, perhaps, but necessary.

He tried to persuade Princess Ellia as well.

But somehow, she went straight to the Minister of Justice and turned him entirely to her side.

A result as shocking as watching the young duke flip a table.

I think the princess could manage the throne just fine as she is. Honestly, how many kings in history actually ruled properly? Plenty ruined their country even after becoming adults. At least the princess wants to work for the kingdom. If we raise her well, won’t she do fine?

Marundial’s words echoed in his mind.

Indeed.

Perhaps… that was possible.

 

 

 

 

*****

 

 

 

 

“Hmm… I’ve been thinking.”

Ellie, who had been quiet the entire carriage ride, suddenly spoke up.

The two adults, who had assumed she was silent because she was sad about parting with Duke Berndt and had been patiently waiting, immediately perked up and turned their heads.

“Y-yes, Your Highness!”

“Yes, what were you thinking about?”

Ellie clenched her tiny fists and exclaimed with great enthusiasm.

“I’m going to protect Duke Berndt too!”

“……?”

“…Pardon?”

So suddenly?

The two adults immediately began wracking their brains, wondering what context or connection they had possibly missed.

But no matter how they retraced the earlier conversation, they couldn’t follow the hop-skipping logic only children seemed able to make.

“And why did Your Highness suddenly think that?” Asked Madam Laval, giving up on nodding along mindlessly.

“Because Duke Berndt said he would protect me!”

“Yes, yes, that’s true. But that is what a royal subject and knight ought to do, Your Highness.”

“But I want to protect him too…”

Cleus declaring he would protect her had been so cool.

And Ellie wanted to do something cool like that as well.

“Your Highness becoming an excellent monarch—that will be the way you protect Duke Berndt.”

“Why?”

Becoming a good ruler was obvious.
How was that supposed to protect Duke Berndt?

“If Your Highness becomes a wise ruler and protects the kingdom, that means you will be protecting all your people. And then Duke Berndt will no longer have to be pushed onto a battlefield. In the end, that would be protecting him, wouldn’t it?”

Marquis Simon explained gently.

It made sense— but it wasn’t visibly cool.

Ellie puffed her cheeks in dissatisfaction and shook her head.

“I’m going to do that too, of course! But I’ll also become strong and cool!”

“…Ah. It was that, wasn’t it.”

Children are easily swept away by what they can see.

Which meant—what Ellie had found cool was the sight of Cleus wielding a sword and commanding the knights.