On the streets, rooftops, and inside shops... Tri-Color Flags and Rose Sword Banners, symbols of the Royal Family, were everywhere, contributing to the joyful atmosphere.
The Royal Palace was, naturally, out of the ordinary—every corner was freshly cleaned, bright red roses bloomed passionately, and every employee walking by wore a look of happiness on their face.
Upon seeing Huangfu Jue ascend the stairs, all the employees stopped respectfully and greeted him.
The man, who was always cold and taciturn, nodded from time to time, and even responded proactively on two occasions.
Though these were simple words, they already revealed his good mood.
The new clerk working at the Royal Palace could not believe that her greeting had elicited a response from him. In her excitement, the documents in her hands slipped to the floor.
She bent down in panic to retrieve them, but a handsome, slender hand picked up the fallen documents at her feet before she could.
The clerk’s face turned pale as she apologized, her heart full of apprehension. Everyone knew that he was always strict and demanding with his subordinates; making such a mistake on her first day of work, she feared she might lose her job!
The man handed her the documents, his brow furrowed in displeasure.
"There won’t be a next time."
The clerk was stunned for a moment before she realized that he hadn’t told her to get lost.
"Sorry... I mean... Yes, sir... I mean, I meant... Your Highness..."
Without listening to her finish, Huangfu Jue already strode past her into his office, where several key employees immediately rushed in with documents.
Huangfu Jue sat in his chair and looked up.
"The work concerning security has been arranged, and this morning we just completed the second emergency situation drill."
The man nodded and turned to the next person.
"All the guests have been accommodated. Of the 14 who have not arrived, 6 are en route, and the remaining 8 will also arrive within the next six hours."
One after the other, they reported on the parts of the work they were responsible for.
In the end, Huangfu Jue nodded slightly.
"Good. After National Day, you can take two days off."
The few people looked at each other in surprise, barely believing their ears.
This was the first time the Duke had taken the initiative to give them a holiday.
Huangfu Jue raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Don’t want to take it?"
"Of course not. Thank you, sir!"
"Yes, thank you very much! My son has been nagging me to take him to the zoo, and now I finally have the chance!"
All of them showed gratitude, though Huangfu Jue still maintained an impassive expression.
"So, are you on holiday right now?"
Everyone snapped back to attention, smiling and bowing hurriedly before leaving his office.
Will, off to the side, slightly tilted the corners of his mouth.
Huangfu Jue glanced at him with a sideways look.
Will immediately straightened his expression to a serious one.
"Then why are you smiling?"
"I..." Will coughed lightly, "I just feel ... that the Duke is becoming increasingly humane."
Huangfu Jue frowned, "So, you’re saying I used to be very inconsiderate?"
"I... that’s not what I meant, I mean..." Will, who was never skilled at talking his way out of situations, got tongue-tied when countered by Huangfu, and didn’t know how to respond, "What I meant was..."
Good morning, and have a lovely weekend, Little Princesses~!~