"Good morning, Jean. It seems that I've disturbed your gossip with these girls."
Jean gulped after he got caught. He stood up from the bench immediately and tried to greet his grumpy Big brother.
"B—Big brother! W—Why didn't you tell me that you're coming?" Jean tried to cater to his Big brother as he was guilty of getting caught. Archduke Maximillien said nothing. He just glared at the girls, who were both stunned by his handsomeness and scared by his scary glare.
"Leave," Maximillien said with a low, almost growling voice.
"Y—YES!" The girls excused themselves and left Jean instantly. They were too terrified to be in the same place with Archduke Maximillien.
Maximillien glared at Wolf, who was standing beside Jean. Unlike the Young Master, who was nervous, Wolf stood silently like a statue, only responding when he got called.
"Wolf, I told you to watch over him. Why are you letting those women near him?" Maximillien asked. His scrutinizing gaze would've gutted anyone's courage, but Wolf was used to it.
"Your Highness, Young Master Jean hasn't touched or being touched by anyone. They are part of Young Master Jean's Fanclub,"" Wolf reported.
"Y—Yes! Big brother is ruining my time with the girls!" Jean defended himself, shifting the blame so Big brother wouldn't scold him for his mistake.
But Maximillien didn't buy it. He grabbed Jean's wrist and pulled him to the dorm area. "
"W—Wait, Big brother, please release me first!" Jean tried to struggle, but he could do nothing against his Big brother, who was obviously stronger than him.
Maximillien dragged Jean to the corridor and asked, "Where is your room?"
"Un… A5…" Jean said.
Thus they entered room A5. Maximillien thought they could have time for themselves, but who would've expected that there was another person inside the room, sitting at the study desk.
He turned his head, and the awkwardness ensued between all of them.
Matthew was the first one to react, "Y—Your Highness, may I—"
"Why is this kid in your room right now?" Maximillien asked Jean with such a condescending tone. He looked impatient and grumpy, which was his default emotion and take on most things, but people usually took it as a personal insult on them.
That was the reason why Maximillien didn't really have any friends, nor he needed one, though.
As the ruler of an autonomous region, enough to be a kingdom itself, Maximillien didn't seem to care much about making a friend since everyone automatically catered to him.
Besides, he was always busy taking care of the Duchy and his active little brother, who always create trouble or some sort.
Jean was annoyed at his Big brother, "Don't call Matthew 'that kid'! He is my best friend! You know him since twelve years ago as well!"
"I don't have time remembering everyone. I came here to meet you," Maximillien said curtly. He looked at Matthew and then said with a grim voice, "You, leave the room now. I need to talk with my little brother."
Matthew was stunned by the sudden turn of events. He looked at Jean, asking for an explanation. Jean smiled bitterly and shrugged, "Please leave first, Matthew."
…
Matthew left the room silently. He kept staring at Jean with a bitter expression on his face as if he had been kicked out of the room that he owned.
But he couldn't do anything, not against the Archduke.
After the door was closed, Maximillien sighed and sat on the bed, "I told the Elder Magus that you should have one single room for yourself. Did he forget to assign it? I have to talk to him later and get that kid removed."
"No! Big brother, don't do that… Matthew is my best friend, and I live comfortably with him!" Jean insisted.
Jean sat on Matthew's bed and asked, "What are you doing here, Big brother? I thought you're busy with documents again…."
"I just want to check on your well-being here since you refused to visit the Palace for two weeks now," Maximillien peered at Jean suspiciously. "Why didn't you come home? Did you have any strange relationship with anyone here?"
"Ehh, I just study and play with Wolf and my fangirls," Jean replied.
"… don't play with the fangirls," Maximillien said.
"Eh?!"
"I said, don't play with the fangirls, just study," Maximillien said again. "If you want a friend, you can just return home and play with me instead. There is no need to play with a lot of people like that. You're very flirtatious for no reason."
"Eehhhhhh?!"
"And I will move your room to another one, so you don't need to live with anyone, including that gloomy little bugger," Maximillien referred to Matthew.
"B—Big brother, did I do something wrong? What's with all these rules?!" Jean protested. "I did very well in school!"
…
"You're still part of the duchy. I still have guardianship over you as well."
"Then when I hit eighteen next year, I'm free to do whatever I like, right?" Jean knew that he couldn't protest against his Big brother over guardianship. That was already solidified.
But he would be free one year from now.
"I've already put you as the inheritor of the Archduchy, so when you're eighteen, you will be put under my tutelage to be the next Archduke."
…
…
[Seriously, what the fuck?! What is wrong with him?!]
[Pupa: He is lovesick and pissed off.]
[Lovesick?]
[Pupa: Yeah, he is used to seeing you around the Palace every day, now that you've moved to the Academy and refused to come home for two weeks straight, it's pretty obvious that he will be lovesick, right? He missed you a lot. He just shows it in his own way.]
"Big brother… you're making these decisions without my agreement… I've never wanted to be a busy Archduke like you…."
"Don't worry about that. I will still help you until my death. All you need to do is to do the lighter task, usually visiting any event or whatsoever."
"And that little bugger… I don't like him staying around you. I'll kick him out to another room," Maximillien said without pity.
[Pupa: Ding! ????]
[Pupa: Alert! ????]
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