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307. Siblings Ep – Ladies

Prince Vivian de Isadora of Aisel Kingdom entered Oberg to grand applause.

It was different from the time when Prince Anolf de Klaus of Austin Kingdom came, as then mixed in with the disdain was the title of a prince from the barbarian kingdom.

He entered through the northern gate.

Anyway, the autumn petals fluttered around.

Rean, who came to watch the prince’s procession with her younger brother, enjoyed the current peace. By next spring, these petals that the citizens scattered would turn to dry straw, and the army would march, but for now, that didn’t really matter.

Relaxedly sipping her drink, Reriana shouted while looking out the window.

“There are so many people!”

Indeed, we were not standing on the street like those commoners.

On the third floor of the wide inn, the eastern main road was clearly visible.

A perfectly arranged steak.

Next to the steaming soup was a vividly colored juice. Rean had extravagantly rented the entire third floor of the inn.

Of course, with Count Peter’s money.

“Eat while you watch. The prince is still far from arriving.”

“It’s amazing! So cool! Huh… I wish Tian could have come too. And Ksenia sister.”

It might have been even better if they were here.

However, Rean wanted to celebrate just the two of them with her younger sister today.

How many trials and errors had they gone through to peacefully enjoy watching the prince’s procession like this? Reriana would never dare to dream… no, she wouldn’t even notice. Rean cut a piece for her sister.

“Ah- ha. Ah.”

She offered a juicy piece of meat. Expecting Reriana to say “Yum!” and enjoy it, her sister squinted her eyes instead.

“I can do it too!”

Yet, since it was offered, she accepted it, and the little lady, quickly shedding her girlhood, skillfully handled the utensils. Without ever having been taught.

Rean felt a bit disappointed. She put down the napkin she had intended to use to wipe her sister’s mouth.

Was it a twisted desire to wish that her sister would remain an innocent girl forever? The memory of having starved her sister back then remained in Rean’s heart. Quietly, she sighed with worry.

It wasn’t because she couldn’t vent her feelings.

It was because of her sister’s slow but dizzying growth rate. Reriana occasionally shone her golden eyes dangerously.

{Immunity} is holding on, but memories are steadily piling up.

The “dream” was awakening her sister’s blood and talent. Only a month had passed since then.

Honestly, it wasn’t pleasant. While Reriana had become aware of her status as a princess, she enjoyed dangerous pranks.

Twisting human relationships, sowing discord, and enticing others to redraw new lines was her specialty. If Minseo had been someone who actively utilized her sister’s abilities, our story might not have unfolded like this.

There was no hope of receiving my cooperation.

Feel free to criticize for being overprotective. ─ Resolute, Rean picked up the napkin she had put down and wiped the mouth of her sister who was persistently resisting.

He wished his sister would remain a pure and untainted lady forever.

At that moment, Reriana suddenly stood up, exclaiming, “They’ve arrived!” Her figure looked slightly more mature.

Her height had grown, and instead of the plump curves of baby fat, she now had a tender neck and waist line that extended beyond the window. Excited, she leaned out of the window and waved her hand, while Rean discreetly clutched the hem of her sister’s dress.

“It’s the prince! He’s so handsome… Huh? I’ve seen that person somewhere.”

They were once engaged. They were betrothed.

Rean asked with a somewhat complicated feeling.

“What do you think? Is the prince handsome?”

“He’s handsome! But he’s not really my type. I don’t know how to say it… he’s too big in stature.”

Strangely, Reriana didn’t like big men. Not that she disliked them; rather, she preferred smaller-framed individuals, which Rean speculated was because she herself was still small.

Reriana peeked at her older brother.

“How is the engagement preparation going? There’s not much time left.”

“Yeah. About ten days left.”

“Is there anything I can help with?”

“You just…”

Staying quiet is helping. He suppressed the words that nearly spilled out of his throat. If he said that, she would sulk. Rean thought about what Reriana could possibly help with and said.

“Let’s go buy clothes later. We have to dress nicely. But not too beautifully, or else Ksenia will be super worried.”

“Heh. Sister, you too. You’re quite beautiful yourself.”

“You know you’re pretty?”

“Isn’t it rude to ask that?”

Reriana replied cheekily, sipping her juice. Looking out the window, she soon asked in a subdued voice.

“Brother.”

“What?”

“If you get married, what will happen to me?”

Her calm and trembling eyes met Rean’s. She was filled with worry like a baby bird that had lost its home.

“Ksenia sister is a noble, right?”

It seemed Reriana thought that if he married and became a tenant son-in-law, she wouldn’t be able to stay with him. Rean felt sorry for not being more sensitive and answered plainly.

“What do you mean? We’ll live together. Nothing will change.”

“…Then where will I live now?”

“Just do as you please. If the Rauno family likes it, you can stay with them, or you can live with your brother. There’s a room there, so I’ll drop by often.”

“……”

This isn’t what I wanted.

Reriana pouted. It may sound spoiled, but living together and building a house with her brother was more preferable. She didn’t want to be tossed around like a burden and used her small head to explore other paths.

However…

‘Nothing.’

There was no other clever solution than entering the house where her brother was going to marry. Then when exactly should she live like this? ─ It became frustrating.

Lately, it felt like the world was easier, making it worse. Protecting herself and living didn’t seem too difficult…

‘If I say that, I might get scolded.’

Reriana smiled brightly, erasing her true feelings from her face.

“Got it! You have to come often! It’s a promise.”

She extended her pinky finger.

Sometimes you have to learn to wait, she knew that. Until she had some decision-making power of her own… it would be a secret from her brother.

In the decayed empire, the siblings with brilliant golden eyes enjoyed a pleasant time looking down at the bustling commoners and the prince’s procession.

*

While Rean busily prepared for the engagement, an expected incident broke out.

In front of Prince Vivian de Isadora, Princess Chloe de Tatalia kissed Gilbert, and Vivian turned on his heel in fury.

The curtain for war had risen.

The prices of weapons skyrocketed, and the army gradually expanded.

However, as it was a national issue, daily life remained unchanged. The Belita Kingdom was historically a powerful nation, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Asran Kingdom.

This time, even the Cross Church was not involved. Since the war would occur in the east, opposite the Jerome Holy Kingdom, the holy woman did not issue any directives, which people accepted as a matter of course. After all, it was the amount we donate every year.

The ominous clouds settled over Oberg, which was slightly chaotic. The following week, Count Peter’s estate hosted the engagement ceremony.

Count Gustave Peter and Edlyn Peter were busy welcoming guests at the front gate, bustling with visitors.

“Thank you for coming.”

“Not at all. Thank you for inviting me. At first, I thought it was an odd date, but you had excellent insight. Those wicked folks! Aisel Kingdom has declared a conscription.”

“Already?”

“Indeed. They aren’t considering resolving this diplomatically… Aig, tsk tsk. They surely need a good beating. Will Count Peter be joining the fight…? Oh dear, I apologize for mentioning such unpleasant things on your special day. Ha ha! Congratulations.”

Guests exchanged numerous congratulations, blooming laughter in the garden set for the ceremony. The male nobles mostly talked about war, while the ladies were curious about the day’s main character.

“By the way, who is Rean? Does anyone know?”

All the ladies shook their heads.

It was meaningless speculation as there was unlikely to be anyone who knew Rean here. However, someone did know about Ksenia.

“She ran away, didn’t she? Everyone kept it hush-hush, but I heard our daughter saw her acting as an actress in a theater where commoners go. Though the engagement is certainly worth celebrating—”

“Oh my~ looks like everyone is here.”

Just as the gossip—not quite gossip—was about to start, Edlyn swiftly joined the conversation. Standing proudly, she said,

“It’s been a long time since I saw some familiar faces. How is your daughter? Clara, right?”

“Ah… yes, Countess. It’s been a long time. Clara is indeed well.”

“Right? You must have had some refreshing news recently. I heard that Duke Gilbert received a reprimand. He might even be sent to the Monastery Church…”

“Oh! The ladies responded with gasps, knowing just how many noble daughters that ruffian Duke had laid hands on.

Being promiscuous is not a crime. Most nobles are quite promiscuous.

However, from a parent’s perspective, that is not the case. They wish the young ones would behave a bit more modestly. Whenever they attempted to nag, it inadvertently sounded like ancient wisdom.

Ancient wisdom, damn it. Did anyone think they were popular when they were young? Things were less like that in our time!

Of course, you had to seek parental approval before attending parties, and if you spent the night with someone, it was basic etiquette to say hello to your parents.

Rumors of who was dating who would spread, and they’d have pleasant affairs, but nowadays, ugh.

At the center of this promiscuous new generation was Duke Gilbert Forte.

He was quite handsome, and he flirted with every noble lady regardless of her status. But he only seemed to choose those who were attractive, which gave rise to a trend in the social circles of Oberg.

If you liked someone, just go for it with Gilbert Forte. If there wasn’t even a scandal with him, it meant that lady wasn’t attractive and would be ridiculed.

It was a nasty situation. Because of this, many noble ladies wanted to catch his attention, and the lady who had recently been involved in a scandal with him was Clara. Her mother was clapping her hands, spilling her heart out.

“That’s right! Oh my! You can’t imagine how much I’ve worried… It truly is a relief.”

“Isn’t it? Meeting a man who loves only one woman is the best. I also went through a lot of heartache, but our daughter has brought home a good person.”

“Oh my… Is that so? Sounds like you’ve found a good future son-in-law. What kind of person is he?”

All the ladies’ attention turned. Edlyn spoke without a hint of shame.

“He’s a commoner. But once he enters our family, he’ll be a noble, so what could be the problem? You’ll see soon enough. He is very, very handsome. My daughter’s eyes are higher than average.”

She flitted her fan, raising the excitement of the audience. Well, if nothing else, he was indeed an outstanding son-in-law in terms of looks.

I will protect my son-in-law.

Edlyn busily moved around.

Phew, this is exhausting. If Iina were here, she would have helped so much.

Thinking about meeting Vivian after a long time was delightful since she had come with the prince, but managing her busy schedule, Princess Iina ended up having to return in difficult circumstances.

Her son had caused a major incident… Her mental strain wasn’t slight.

Edlyn missed the days when she hung out with Iina and the Marquis Tatian. Back then, Lady Gaidan of Orun Kingdom often visited as well.

They were all good people. How did I end up alone like this…

The Marquis Tatian, for some reason, started trembling like a quaking aspen every day and soon passed away from exhaustion. Lady Gaidan collapsed when her son had a great misfortune, and Iina suddenly divorced her husband and returned to Aisel Kingdom.

Since then, she hadn’t found anyone with whom she could resonate. Now, well… she had to live only for her daughter and husband, suppressing her loneliness. Fortunately, as a son-in-law, she didn’t have to part with her daughter.

This was enough.

After vigorously defending her son-in-law, Edlyn returned to her husband. Gustave was just chatting with Marquis Tatian.

“Tatian! It’s been a while. How have you been?”

“Indeed, it has been a while.”

He wasn’t usually this cold. Just as Edlyn thought about striking up a conversation, the surroundings fell silent.

– Clack

There stood a lovely lady with waist-length blonde hair tied neatly. Dressed in a simple white dress. But maybe because her outfit was plain, the attention was drawn to her.

– Clack

The silence lingered.

Uncaringly, her soft lips formed a subtle smile, casting a calm over the ceremony, and she bore an expression that seemed to know nothing. Yet her eyes, filled with curiosity, sparkled brilliantly in golden hues.

The men felt pain in their chests. The women covered their gaping mouths. With fans or whatever they could hold.

If her long eyelashes were to prick, it seemed sweet melodies would flow.

She looked around with wide eyes. Not seeing her brother, she examined the arrangement of the banquet hall and quickly realized where she needed to go.

Clearly to the most important and prominent person.

Reriana walked straight toward Marquis Benard Tatian, her heels clicking loudly. And she realized something.

This person knew her. Boldly, Reriana asked,

“Sir, do you know me?”

“……Of course, Your Highness, Reriana de Yeriel.”

Marquis Tatian casually dropped a bombshell.