Vivi's gaze softened.
Initially, she thought the boy in front of her came from a pure-blood family, but now it seems...
This boy's circumstances may not be much better than her own.
The hardest thing in this world is truly understanding someone else's feelings, and Vivi thought the boy in front of her... seemed to be very much like herself.
"These people are really annoying, aren't they?" the boy asked. "What's your relationship with them?"
"They are my cousins," Vivi said softly, "They hung my crown on the tree, thinking this would get my aunt to kick me out... In fact, this isn't the first time it's happened, they think it's disgraceful that I do things for Muggles, which humiliates the pure-blood wizards."
"Ah, just like my cousin Dudley, right?" the boy said, "My cousin Dudley also likes to bully me, just like your sisters often trick you, but he also hits me, sometimes using me as a punching bag to practice boxing."
Vivi didn't understand what boxing was, the boy spoke a bit fast.
However, she did understand what he meant.
Orphaned parents, alike in family hardship—and both bullied by siblings...
However...
Vivi was a bit cautious, is this another prank of theirs? Or—
Is it a new trick by Hydra and the others?
"Potter!"
An arrogant yet sweet voice rang out.
"You unruly Little Giant, running around recklessly again? How rude—this is the court, not the Quidditch pitch where you ride your broom and make a mess!"
"Sorry, Miss Malfoy." The boy called 'Potter' quickly turned around and said, "I was just... um, this young lady's crown was hung on a tree, and I was just helping her get it down."
In Vivi's view, a haughty young lady walked over from the side.
Like herself, with blonde hair.
"Oh? Is that so?" Miss Malfoy squinted her long eyes, scrutinizing Vivi, then looked at 'Potter': "Alright, Potter, I didn't know since when you became a knight protecting ladies—how ironic, isn't it?"
"Sorry, Miss Malfoy." 'Potter' quickly put away his broom and bowed in apology.
"No need to apologize, just be careful next time." Miss Malfoy held her head high, glanced around imperiously, "Aren't you coming with me?"
"Yes, Miss Malfoy." 'Potter' bowed to Miss Malfoy.
Vivi put on the crown, hurrying behind Potter and Miss Malfoy.
This boy... is called 'Potter'?
It seems he should be the servant of the girl in front of him?
Who are they? Why do they speak English? Could it be that the guests aunt is meeting today are them?
With these questions, Vivi felt a mess inside, following the two of them further inside.
"Why are you so late again, Grindelwald?"
The leading lady-in-waiting frowned when she saw Vivi.
After scolding her a few times, she made Vivi stand behind Princess Sissi.
"Vivi?" Princess Sissi noticed Vivi's slightly crooked crown and said softly, "I suppose you should know the royal decorum—your crown is crooked."
"Apologies, Your Highness." Vivi quickly said, reaching up to adjust the crown on her head.
This was a formal occasion, so Vivi couldn't use an intimate term like 'aunt', instead she had to use a more formal 'Your Highness'.
"I suppose Your Highness should properly train your lady-in-waiting," Grindelwald's current patriarch Frederick looked at Vivi with a sarcastic glance, "As a lady-in-waiting to Your Highness, she hasn't even learned the most basic etiquette."
"Oh, is that so?"
Being directly pointed out, Princess Sissi's face was a bit unreadable.
Vivi swallowed, being pointed out in a formal meeting between two nations, she doubted her aunt could overlook it this time.
"What are they saying?" 'Potter' asked Miss Malfoy in a low voice not far away.
Miss Malfoy showed a disdainful expression but still translated for Harry.
"Enough, Vivi." Princess Sissi took a breath.
Vivi felt somewhat hopeless...
Before Princess Sissi could say the next sentence, Vivi saw a figure stand up among the British Wizards.
It was that 'Potter' from earlier.
"Your Highness, that's not how it is!"
Vivi was somewhat puzzled, she didn't understand why Harry would speak for her—and in her view, Harry's status wasn't much different from hers.
Was it worth it for a Dud like herself?
Princess Sissi was proficient in eight languages and naturally understood English.
Seeing someone speak for her niece, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Sir, who might you be?"
"Pardon me, Your Highness."
At this moment, the 'noble etiquette' that Principal Black forced them to learn came in handy, 'Potter' performed a gentlemanly bow so perfect that it was beyond criticism.
"I think if I'm not mistaken, the lady-in-waiting by your side has been teased by the two little witches by this gentleman's side." 'Potter' said, "I saw them bullying her, hanging her crown on the tree, gloating while standing by her side, making her climb the tree to retrieve it."
"And this has happened more than once, I've heard that before they often bullied your lady-in-waiting, just now they admitted it, saying 'Ja'."
Princess Sissi, of course not a fool, understood what happened after hearing this.
"Vivi, why didn't you tell me about these things sooner?" she asked with concern.
She didn't know how much grievances her niece had suffered, she just wanted to vent her anger now.