Chapter 4 – A Very Serious Investigation

By the time the Fourth Prince reached one year of age, the entire Phoenix Palace had reached the same conclusion.

His Highness was incapable of staying still.

If someone put him on a blanket, he would crawl away.

If someone closed the door, he would somehow end up outside the room.

If someone looked away for a single moment...

The Fourth Prince would disappear.

Fortunately, he never wandered far.

Unfortunately...

He always managed to find the most troublesome places.

---

"Your Highness!"

"His Highness is gone again!"

The head maid pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Search the side hall first."

"No."

"The flower garden."

"No."

"The kitchen?"

"..."

"...Go to the kitchen."

Sure enough...

The little prince was sitting on a small cushion, happily chewing on a steamed bun while the palace cooks surrounded him.

One elderly cook smiled sheepishly.

"Your Highness crawled in by himself."

"He didn't cry."

"He just looked at the buns."

"So..."

"We gave him one."

The head maid sighed.

"...His Highness is forbidden from entering the kitchen."

The cook scratched his head.

"He looked hungry."

The little prince looked up innocently, a piece of bun still in his mouth.

"What?"

"I was hungry."

---

After carrying him back, the head maid placed him before the Empress.

The Empress looked at the flour covering his clothes.

"...Kitchen?"

The head maid nodded.

"The imperial kitchen."

The Empress looked down at her son.

"Do you have anything to explain?"

The little prince blinked.

Then...

He stretched out both arms.

The Empress understood immediately.

"You want me to carry you?"

He nodded enthusiastically.

The head maid almost laughed.

"Your Highness thinks acting cute will solve everything."

The Empress stared at him for several seconds.

Finally...

She picked him up.

"It worked again."

The head maid smiled helplessly.

"It always does."

The little prince buried his face against her shoulder.

"Victory."

---

The Emperor arrived shortly afterward.

He had intended to discuss state affairs with the Empress.

Instead...

He found his youngest son comfortably sleeping in her arms.

The Emperor sat down.

"What happened?"

The Empress looked amused.

"He invaded the imperial kitchen."

The Emperor raised an eyebrow.

"Invaded?"

"He crawled in."

The Emperor looked at the sleeping child.

"...For food?"

The Empress nodded.

The Emperor remained silent for a moment.

Then he called for the chief eunuch.

"Increase Phoenix Palace's food allowance."

The Empress looked at him in surprise.

"Your Majesty."

"The child shouldn't have to crawl into kitchens."

The chief eunuch bowed.

"This servant understands."

The little prince, still pretending to sleep, nearly laughed.

"That worked?"

"Amazing."

---

A few days later, another incident occurred.

The Fourth Prince had recently learned how to walk.

Or rather...

How to wobble dangerously from one place to another.

Every servant followed him with nervous expressions.

"Slowly, Your Highness."

"Watch the steps."

"Don't run."

The little prince ignored all advice.

Walking was fun.

Running looked even more fun.

Halfway across the courtyard...

He tripped.

The maids gasped.

Before anyone reached him...

A pair of hands caught him.

The Crown Prince.

He had come to visit after finishing his morning lessons.

The Fourth Prince blinked up at him.

"Saved."

The Crown Prince sighed.

"You should watch where you're going."

The little prince smiled brightly.

Then hugged his neck.

The Crown Prince stiffened.

"..."

The attendants all lowered their heads.

No prince in the palace behaved this way.

Especially not in front of servants.

The Crown Prince carefully looked around.

Everyone pretended not to notice.

Finally, he awkwardly patted his little brother's back.

"Next time..."

"Walk slower."

The Fourth Prince nodded.

Whether he actually intended to obey...

Only Heaven knew.

---

That evening, the three older princes gathered for dinner with the Emperor.

The Second Prince suddenly remembered something.

"Father."

"The Fourth Brother hugged Eldest Brother today."

The Emperor looked up.

"...Hugged?"

The Crown Prince calmly continued eating.

"He almost fell."

"So he thanked me."

The Second Prince grinned.

"He clung on like a little monkey."

The Third Prince quietly added,

"I think Fourth Brother likes physical affection."

The Emperor didn't answer immediately.

Instead, he recalled every time the child had reached for him.

Every time the little hands grabbed his sleeves.

Every time the little boy fell asleep without any hesitation while being held.

It was... unusual.

Children in the palace were taught etiquette from a young age.

Even affection was restrained.

The Fourth Prince, however, seemed completely unaware of such invisible rules.

He hugged when he wanted to hug.

He smiled when he wanted to smile.

He cried when he was sad.

Everything was straightforward.

The Emperor took another sip of tea.

"...He's still young."

The Crown Prince nodded.

"Yes."

No one thought much of it.

To them, he was simply an innocent child.

None of them realized that, in another world, hugging your family, stealing food from their bowls, and acting shameless around the people you loved had been the most ordinary thing in the world.

And without anyone noticing...

That ordinary warmth had already begun changing the atmosphere of the imperial family, one small moment at a time.

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