Duke of the North Refuses the Villain Route

Chapter 3-Changes

Something was changing in Rhett.

The changes were so subtle that he did not notice right away.

It started with the way he moved. His posture had become more graceful and dignified, instead of the tired slouch he always had in his world. It was easy for his body to follow the etiquette, and something inside him would cringe if he so much as deviated from proper decorum, like using the wrong fork.

Then, there were the bits of knowledge that Rhett could have sworn that he did not read from "Divinity Behind the Blade", but was familiar with nonetheless. He just found himself knowing the cities, towns, and villages in the Duchy. The names of the noble families present at the late Grand Duke's funeral also came easily to him. Even though he only explored his wing of the castle, he found himself walking familiarly around the place, even managing to reach the greenhouse when he thought about it.

The last was the one that made him realize that something was wrong with him. It was the feelings he had for the people around him, especially Aleron. The reluctant trust he felt for Herard, the disgust he felt for other staff, the anger at his relatives at his vassals, and...the longing and sadness he felt when looking at Aleron.

The feelings for Herard, the staff, relatives, and vassals could be explained as something he got from the real Roran. However, he was confused about the longing and sadness for Aleron. As far as he knew from the book, Roran did not care for Aleron at all. He did not feel any emotion for Aleron, even anger and hate. It was like Aleron did not exist in his eyes.

The feeling also couldn't come from Rhett himself. He adored children, but not so much that he'd have those feelings for a child he only met the day before. The worry and panic he felt when he found out that Aleron was nearly poisoned was more than a simple concern an adult would have for someone else's child.

He was changing, but he was still Rhett at the same time. Somehow, he got the feeling that nothing bad would come from this.

The feeling of longing and sadness settled down when Aleron came into his arms and nuzzled his chest. He waited for the child to break away first, before ruffling his hair. A giggle escaped from Aleron, and he couldn't resist picking him up and carrying him on his hip.

He took a deep breath and focused on the imperial siblings. His powerful senses had perceived their presence earlier, but his entire focus was on Aleron and the incompetent staff. He had to let them know the consequences of disobeying the new Grand Duke's orders. Those who could not be taught will be let go. Whether being "let go" would be a peaceful or bloody affair, would depend on their actions.

They arrived in front of the siblings, and he bowed at chest level with his right hand over his chest instead of kneeling. The official succession ceremony wouldn't happen until next month, but he was still the current Grand Duke. Someone of his rank did not need to kneel or bow deep in front of an imperial son or daughter.

"Greetings, Your Royal Highness the Imperial Crown Prince, Your Highness the Second Princess. I apologize for the unsightly display of my home's current...situation."

"It was not a bother," the Second Princess said. "Would you like to join us?."

He contemplated for a moment before his eyes settled on the crown prince. He had noticed yesterday that the male lead had wanted to talk to him. Nodding to himself, he decided he might as well speed things up.

"It would be my honor," was his reply. "I also have something I wish to discuss with Your Highnesses."

He looked down at his Aleron first. "Aleron, can you pick some flowers from over there for me? Take your time and choose the best."