CHAPTER 288: GOOD BOY

Thud!

The sound came from the nanny.

She had knelt down on the floor without caring about the pain that erupted in her knees due to the hard collision.

"Please, forgive me, my lady! Your highness! I’m— I don’t know what came over me." The maid pleaded.

Everyone was speechless.

[I’d slap her, but I don’t want to dirty my hands. She disgusts me. Besides, I’m not the one who should do it.] Aristia thought.

Her wish was soon fulfilled when Vasily suddenly stormed up to the nanny and gave her a resounding slap before the nanny could even react.

Five handprints quickly formed on the nanny’s face.

The nanny was too stunned to react, staying frozen in place.

"You dared to hurt my child. What gave you the courage?" Tears formed in Vasily’s eyes when she thought of the red, painful looking marks on her son’s buttcheeks.

This nanny was usually the one to bath and dress Valen. As his nanny, those were what she was entrusted to do, so Vasily had never noticed.

She raised her hand again, but a calm voice stopped her.

"Vasily."

Vasily’s hand paused midair. Slowly, she turned around to see Catherine.

"We will take care of her." Catherine said.

For some reason, those six words sent a cold shiver down Aristia’s spine.

Two servants standing at the entrance stepped forward.

Each grabbed one of the nanny’s hands before she could figure out what was going on.

"You may now proceed." Catherine said.

Vasily nodded, then slapped the nanny again.

Catherine nodded in satisfaction. It was better now that the servants were holding the nanny.

Who knew what would happen if she was unrestricted?

Seeing that Vasily was done, she nodded to the servants holding her.

The nanny panicked, seeing that she was being dragged towards the exit.

"I didn’t mean to do it. I swear! No!!!"

The servants dragged her away amidst her panicked screams and shrieks.

The nursery was now silent.

Aristia looked around, her gaze pausing on Alaric’s tutor for more than a second.

The tutor caught her glance and looked away.

Could the princess have realized what he was thinking about earlier?

He felt embarrassed and ashamed.

To think the princess had actually been right and he had blamed her. She had only been trying to help the baby who couldn’t speak for himself, and yet... he had actually supported the perpetrator.

Not only that, he had also accused her and even thought of telling others.

Even though it was only in his heart and it hadn’t actually happened, the tutor still felt guilty.

’My apologies.’ He apologized in his head.

It wasn’t like he could apologize outwardly. What would he say? That he was sorry for not believing her?

The servants and tutor soon left.

Meanwhile, Aristia had already stopped thinking about him.

She had been observing the reactions of everyone while the interrogation was still going on, and she had noticed that everyone still believed her words more than that of the nanny.

Well, everyone except the tutor.

But it wasn’t like she cared. She had just let the truth prove itself.

But...

She turned to Vasily.

"Aunt Vasily, how could Valen cry like this and you didn’t suspect anything?"

She didn’t want it to sound like she was blaming Vasily, and she didn’t want to blame her... but she did.

It was not Vasily’s fault, but Vasily should have suspected that there had to be a reason for the child’s sudden change in crying habits.

They also hadn’t told anyone about it. If they had, she might have been able to sense that something was wrong after knowing the surrounding situation.

Vasily’s eyes filled with guilt when she heard Aristia’s words. She understood what Aristia was saying.

"But it’s a good thing we found out now." Aristia said with a sigh. "No need to beat yourself up, aunt."

"Beat myself up?" Vasily asked, feeling confused.

"It means no need to worry yourself." Aristia said.

Her arms now felt a bit sore from carrying Valen. But she didn’t put him down.

By now, Valen’s hiccups had stopped. His eyes stopped a bit, like he was feeling drowsy.

"Ah, it’s almost time for my next class." Aristia suddenly remembered.

Her words woke everyone up.

Vasily also remembered that she also had a class too.

But with Valen like this, she didn’t feel like putting him in the care of anyone else.

Aristia realized this.

"You can leave Valen here, aunt."

Vasily turned. Who would take care of him if she left him?

"Linny will take care of him." Aristia said, pointing to her maid.

Vasily was conflicted. She knew that nothing could happen to Valen under Aristia’s watch, but Aristia wouldn’t be watching, she’d be in class.

Her eyes met Catherine’s, who nodded at her.

Only then did Vasily relax.

"Okay. Then I’ll leave him here." She said, going to press a kiss on Valen’s forehead.

They left the nursery, and Adeline took Valen from Aristia’s arms.

Vasily left not long after.

After her classes, Aristia headed to her room, surprised to see that Alaric was with Baby Valen.

[Oh, I’ve forgotten that when Valen was younger and we travelled to the Hemsworth Fief, Alaric usually spent time with Valen, even forgetting about me.] Aristia thought.

Valen was on her bed with Alaric and Millie while Adeline stood to the side and watched over them.

When the door opened, they all looked in the direction of the door.

Aristia smiled before going to put her book on the study table, then going to sit down on the bed.

Alaric’s classes had finished earlier than hers because he had fewer classes. It was just like two years ago when she was five years old and had fewer classes compared to now.

"How have you been, Valen? Hm? Have you been a good boy? I know you have." Aristia said, tickling Valen’s armpits a little.

Valen erupted in giggles.

"I’ve also been a good boy." Alaric said with a small pout.

Aristia turned away from Valen to him and almost burst into laughter. He was obviously asking to be tickled like Valen.

"You have? Are you sure?" She asked with a look of doubt on her face.

Alaric nodded seriously.

Yes, he had been a good boy, even going out of his way to come to Aristia’s room to spend time with Valen.

He had done a lot of work. When he came into the room, he had found Adeline standing awkwardly beside the bed and just staring at Valen.

When she began taking care of Aristia as her personal maid even though Aristia was little, she hadn’t taken care of her as a baby, and Aristia who possessed royal blood also had higher intelligence so she didn’t really act like a little child would.

And now with a baby who acted almost like an actual baby, she obviously didn’t know what to do. She could only watch him to make sure he didn’t get hurt.

So Alaric decided to help, and he was proud to say that he did better than her.

Instead of standing and watching Valen, he got on the bed beside Valen and watched him. That way, he would be able to monitor the baby’s movement more closely.

But Aristia rubbed her chin. "You’re really sure? Because I’m not sure you have."

Alaric pouted. "You’re teasing me, Tia."

"Am I?"

"Yes, you ar—" Alaric’s words were cut off when without warning, Aristia had leaped in front of him, causing the bed to bounce lightly.

Before Alaric could even understand what was happening, he was already being tickled by his sister?

Armpits, stomach, neck and even the soles of the feet. She didn’t spare anywhere that could make him laugh.

"Who’s been a good boy too? Huh?"

Alaric tried to stop her using his hands, but there was no stopping her.

"Ahaha! Ahahaha— stop, stop!" He begged, laughing uncontrollably.

Aristia finally stopped. She smirked. "Okay. I’ll have mercy on you."

Alaric clutched at his stomach, having laughed too much.

Aristia smiled and turned to Adeline. "He didn’t make things hard for you, did he?"

Adeline shook her head. "No. He’s not whiny. He’s been playing with his toys... or trying to put your pillow in his mouth." She said.

Lord knows how many times she had taken the pillow away from him and he went back to playing with his toys, only for him to crawl towards the pillow again when she thought his attention had shifted.

He wasn’t troublesome to take care of but...

She just wanted to take care of her princess. She didn’t want to be given the responsibility of watching over a baby again unless her princess was present.

Vasily soon arrived at the mansion to take Valen back to their home.

When she arrived, Ross was with her. It was obvious he had heard about the nanny’s actions.

After speaking with Catherine, he left with his wife and son.