"..."
*Were kids these days always this mature?*
As they watched William and Charlotte decide their lifelong commitnts in just two sentences and then whisper sothing to each other while hugging, the adults from both families were montarily dumbfounded.
After a short while, it was Anna, who was the most familiar with how to manage children, who reacted first. She bit her lip and tried to speak gently,
"William, what are you doing?!"
"I'm proposing, and I succeeded."
Using a handkerchief to remove the sticky candy from his face and then returning it to his small wife, William said earnestly,
"We've agreed on a plan; once we graduate, we'll get married. Then, the first child should be a boy, the second a girl, and the third ideally twins—one of each…"
"Ahem… let's talk about that later."
Observing the increasingly peculiar expressions of the plump Pri Minister and his wife, Leon coughed awkwardly, pulled his cabbage-stealing brother back, and then said with so embarrassnt,
"William... he's always liked to imitate adults. These two kids might not even know what marriage really is, so there's no need to take it too seriously..."
"That's not true, Charlotte knows what marriage is!"
After casting a displeased glance at Leon for dragging her husband away, the Pri Minister's youngest daughter pouted,
"It's about being together forever, eating and sleeping and playing without separation, and then having lots of little babies when we grow up, and growing up with them…"
"And resource exchange too."
William, who was being scolded by Anna while she tugged his ear, turned his head to add,
"Like when your dad needs support from the military departnt and wants my brother and the Ryan Family to nod, he can offer so positions in exchange… like giving
a seat on the county council."
"William?!"
Hearing her brother's words, Anna was astonished,
"How do you know about these things? I never even ntioned it…"
"I heard it from Mr. Logan."
William replied calmly,
"During last week's history quiz, lanie copied soone else's answers, including the na, and was afraid she'd get called to the office. So, she used her allowance to hire
to accompany her to Mr. Logan's office to steal the test papers. When I climbed through the window on her shoulders, Mr. Logan was in the tea room chatting with the horoom teacher of Grade Two. While they were discussing which first-year students had more complicated backgrounds, they ntioned a bit about my big brother."
Ah! You're betraying
again!
lanie shivered as William revealed another critical secret. She quickly jumped down from her chair and hugged Leon's leg in fear of Anna's impending reprimand.
However, at this mont, the adults were no longer concerned about her cheating incident. They all gazed at the mature-seeming William with eyes full of surprise.
...
"This brother of yours certainly is… exceptionally gifted!"
For William, who was seemingly unlikely to inherit the duke's title, the plump Pri Minister initially only glanced at him without much consideration, but now he felt a bit amazed.
At his age, the Pri Minister couldn't even play in the mud nicely, let alone talk of exchanging interests or seats on a county council. This child was undoubtedly a rare genius!
Moreover, with the Duke of Lionheart engaged to Princess Veronica, there was a good chance that the Duke would step down early from his position. With William as an ally, he might have a chance to vie for the duke's position.
At that mont, the Montiel family would not only be connected by marriage to the new Duke of Lionheart but also have ties to the princess and even the queen's husband, which would significantly enhance their influence. Even if the Pri Minister's term ended and he stepped down, the Montiel family would still be a significant force to reckon with!
And the price to pay for such advantages was rely his youngest daughter's happiness… Hmm… especially since she seed to feel quite happy about it?
Looking at his candy-licking daughter with a happy expression and then at the chubby-faced but articulate and intelligent William, the plump Pri Minister pondered for a mont, then cheerfully said to Leon,
"Duke, although this is just a child's commitnt, it doesn't necessarily have to be treated as a joke.
Your brother is remarkably talented and will surely achieve great things, and I can see that Charlotte indeed likes him. So if you are interested, why not let the kids continue playing like this?
In the future, if it's not suitable, it would naturally just be childhood fun and wouldn't affect the friendship between our families. If they get along well and strengthen the family ties, that's even better. What do you think?"
*I think… I'm a bit confused…*
Seeing the plump Pri Minister's words, half-joking yet implying that he was considering letting his daughter marry over, Leon hesitated a bit, then gazed at William in Anna's arms.
"Brother, agree to it."
Receiving Leon's "probing" gaze, William said leisurely,
"I heard Mr. Logan and them say that the Ryan Family has encountered many issues. You are quite troubled and need soone to lend a hand. Charlotte's dad happens to have that capability. And it's not just you, brother. To achieve my dreams, I too, need support.
By agreeing to this, Charlotte's dad gets external reinforcents, he can secure the pri minister's position for longer, you can solve your imdiate troubles, Charlotte can be happy, and I can have the support to realize my dreams. What is there to hesitate over such a win-win situation?"
*This child… truly is remarkable!*
Seeing William calmly express his thoughts, analyzing the primary pros and cons in just a few sentences, the Pri Minister's eyes again lit up with admiration for his "future son-in-law," who was still in elentary school.
Although William's words seeming overly focused on interests might not appeal to most fathers, the Pri Minister, being the biggest political broker in the kingdom, regularly diated between parties, utilizing his influence to push political agendas and achieve agreents. This sowhat rcenary way of communication was practically routine for him before and after every eting, sothing he was intimately familiar with.
For one of his most crucial abilities developed over decades in politics to manifest in a child was a delightful surprise to the Pri Minister, even evoking a curious sense of identification with William, "This child is like ."
"This kid is really smart!"
After again observing the chubby-cheeked boy, the Pri Minister didn't rush Leon to answer but instead squatted down, with so effort, and patted William on the head, smiling kindly,
"Co, tell uncle about your dream. Maybe uncle can help you realize it right now."
"That would be aweso. I want to overthrow the royal family and beco king myself."
Oh, so your dream is to overthrow the roya—What?!
What?!?!!!
Reviews
All reviews (0)