Grace Baker tilted her head. “Should I know you?”

The boy looked a little embarrassed and turned his head to the side. “It’s fine if you don’t.”

Grace Baker continued to pet the rabbit in his arms. “Why are you crying? Is it because of this little rabbit?”

The boy lowered his eyes to look at the rabbit he was holding, pressed his lips together, and after a long while, said sadly in a low voice, “I… my mother told me to kill it with my own hands.”

Grace Baker: “Why?! The bunny is so cute, how could you kill it?!”

Chapter 10 【10】

After saying this, Grace Baker even felt a chill in her heart.

As expected of me.

The little boy looked even sadder, lowered his head, and wiped his tears with his sleeve.

Grace Baker placed her palm on the little rabbit’s head. Its pure white fur was soft and fluffy, felt especially nice to the touch, and was spotless all over, making it look very appealing. Although she used to love eating Shuangliu spicy rabbit head (not that… but), facing such a cute rabbit, she really couldn’t bear to eat it.

She asked the boy, “Why does your mother want you to kill it? Does she not like rabbits?”

Could it be she’s allergic to rabbit fur?

The boy shook his head with pursed lips.

His eyes were red, and he choked out, “This rabbit was a birthday gift from my mother. I’ve raised it for three years.”

Grace Baker: “?”

Isn’t this mother a bit too cruel?

Making her son kill his own pet—what kind of logic is that?

She looked at the little boy with sympathy and listened as he continued to sob and stammer, “Mother said only the weak are compassionate. The strong must have a resolute heart. Those who achieve great things cannot have feelings of pity, nor can they have things they’re fond of, because these will all become fatal weaknesses.”

Grace Baker: “?”

This mother is something else.

Raising a child like this in the palace must mean she’s aiming for power. And as a prince, what else is there to fight for besides the throne? This little boy’s mother’s intentions couldn’t be more obvious.

But she’s a bit too eager, not even afraid of leaving her son with psychological trauma, turning him into a twisted person when he grows up.

During this time, Grace Baker had already learned from William Baker that she had three older royal brothers.

The eldest, Robert Baker, was also Emperor Baker’s first son, born of Consort Ruan.

The second, James Baker, was born of Consort Shu.

The third, Olivia Baker, is the emperor’s legitimate son, born of the empress, and is the current crown prince.

These three brothers are all close in age, around eleven or twelve. She just didn’t know which brother this crybaby, forced to grow up by his mother, was.

It must be the third brother, the crown prince.

After all, he’s the one who will inherit the throne. A ruler needs to be a bit ruthless. This little boy looks kind and soft-hearted, cries so easily, and seems easy to bully—he really doesn’t fit the emperor’s standards.

Grace Baker could almost hear a voice in her head: Ding, your new NPC is online, please start your strategy.

She raised her hand and patted his head comfortingly. “Don’t cry, I’ll help you figure something out.”

The little boy immediately looked up at her.

Grace Baker said, “Give me the rabbit. I’ll take it back to the palace and help you take care of it. You can come see it anytime you want, how about that?”

The boy’s eyes lit up for a moment, then dimmed again. He asked hesitantly, “But… what should I tell my mother? She told me to bring back the rabbit’s body.”

Grace Baker: “…”

Is the empress really this ruthless? Even to her own son?

No wonder she’s the empress.

She pretended to think for a while, then said, “Just tell your mother that you really couldn’t bear to do it, so you found a secluded place and let the rabbit go, leaving it to fend for itself. A weak little rabbit without an owner in the harem probably won’t survive for long. You didn’t want to kill it yourself, but you also didn’t want to disobey your mother, so this way you’ve still completed her task. She knows your personality—if you really brought back a rabbit’s corpse, she might actually get suspicious.”

The little boy listened and felt that what she said made a lot of sense. The sadness on his face gradually gave way to a smile.

Emperor Baker and his consorts have good genes; all the princes are good-looking, one after another. When he smiled, it was like the sunlight of early spring shining on the treetops and flower buds—warm and gentle.

Ah, who wouldn’t love a gentle, beautiful boy?

Such a ruthless mother gave birth to such a kind and gentle son—truly the work of fate.

Grace Baker used her little finger to wipe away the tear tracks on his face and comforted him, “Don’t be sad. There’s always a way out. If you run into anything you can’t solve in the future, don’t cry—come find me, and I’ll help you!”

The little boy’s cheeks flushed red. He turned his head shyly and gave a soft “mm” with his nose.

Grace Baker took out the jujubes she had in her arms and handed them to him, grinning brightly. “Here, have some jujubes! My treat!”

Her voice was childish but full of spirit, with a “don’t worry, I’ve got your back!” kind of vibe. The little boy looked at the girl with two little pigtails, couldn’t help but laugh, took the green jujube, and handed her the rabbit. “Then I’ll trouble you to take care of the bunny from now on.”

Grace Baker patted her chest heroically. “Leave it to me!”