《The Hero Proposed to Me》


 Chapter 1

    When I opened my eyes, the first thing I thought was:


    ¡°d.a.m.n. I¡¯ve become the villain of the novel.¡±


    My reflection in the mirror looks very familiar. The golden hair and the green eyes shining like jewels. I must have seen those somewhere but¡­


    ¡®Why her?¡¯


    I  clearly  knew  her.  The  younger  sister  of  the  heroine,  who  was  exceptionally wicked throughout the novel and the last of her kind: Siel Valentine. She had gone all the way. Born to be the youngest daughter of the Duke of Valentine, the most prestigious  family  in  the  Gretania  Empire,  she  monopolized  the  love  of  all  the empire and, of course, of her family. Siel. who got her beauty from her mother, the  d.u.c.h.ess  of  Valentine,  also  known  as  the  ¡°beauty  of  the  century,¡±  swept through  the  social world  with  a  charming  smile. And  from  her father side, she inherited magical powers.


    You may ask me if I¡¯m happy to be in the body of a character that has got it all. But there is more you should know. Once again, she¡¯s the villainess of the novel. She was an evil child. But, despite all of this, Siel ended up executed, following the laws of karma. Siel used to hara.s.s her older sister Clara, the heroine of the novel. She could use any way to turn her sister¡¯s life into a h.e.l.l. She was also very greedy. Every time her parents scolded her, she put all the blame on her sister, or she got her maids framed. She did not even hesitate to do mad things, such as killing someone, as she was the culprit of a dead by guillotine.


    ¡°Siel, are you up?¡±


    When I heard a sweet voice, I jumped up from my seat. My sister, who is walking with a gentle smile, is Clara, the heroine of this novel, with her fine black hair. Clara¡¯s appearance, with a fresh plump face and deep dark-hair, was obviously very different from our family¡¯s. Clara, in fact, was not blood-related to the Dukes.


    In the year of the birth of their third son, Louis, the Duke and the d.u.c.h.ess, who wanted to have a daughter, adopted Clara from distant relatives. However, the d.u.c.h.ess suddenly became pregnant later that year, and she ended up getting the daughter she was hoping for: Siel Valentine, myself. Since this was an exceptional event that had not happened in a hundred years, everyone was paying attention to the Duke¡¯s family and Clara, in only a year after she was adopted, ended up being known as the long-awaited daughter the Dukes were hoping for. Of course, Clara is the heroine of this novel not only because of the odds.


    ¡°Did you get a good sleep? The sun is beautiful this morning.¡±


    After Siel was born, Clara helped the d.u.c.h.ess and became Siel¡¯s mentor. A child rising a child kind of situation, but, fortunately, Siel grew up positively following her sister, at least until eight years of age. However, just when Siel turned eight, the problems started.


    ¡°Clara does not belong to our family. She was adopted.¡±


    Louis, the youngest brother, told Siel that Clara was an adopted child. After that, Siel had begun to hara.s.s her, ignoring her sister who raised her up.


    ¡°I am still a baby, so I¡¯m afraid to sleep alone. I want to sleep with you, sister.¡±


    ¡°Do you? Let¡¯s see. Shall we ask mother?¡±


    I made a tender voice on purpose, hugging her. Yes. I was in the body of a five- year-old Siel, who was far ahead of her eight-year-old birthday party. Since I woke up in this body, I have been very confused. It took some time to realize where I was. I was awakened by a high fever. Fortunately, I realized it was much earlier than the period when the action in the novel took place. How much of a fortune is that?


    ¡°Siel, let me brush your hair.¡±


    Clara, who¡¯s taking care of her five-year-old sister, is now nine years old. In her eyes, I am just a baby. Me, an adult woman who had been falling in the routine of office work. Luckily, I know how this novel ends. Especially, I read many times what kind of deplorable act Siel is about to do and I know it by heart. Yes. I¡¯m determined now. I do not know how to get back to reality, so I¡¯m going to live only avoiding the death flag. This is my only way to make it out of this. So, even just for me surviving all of this, let me be good with this child.


    ¡°My sister is the best in the world. When I grow up I will marry you!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think you¡¯re the best too, Siel.¡±


    At my show of affection, Clara laughed cheerfully and hugged me. I will be on Clara¡¯s side in this deadly and filthy family, who only supports Clara just because she is an adopted child. So let¡¯s try to make a happy ending as soon as possible. Let¡¯s make Clara meet with the hero of this novel.


    The Eighth Birthday


    Time flew by. Three years have pa.s.sed since I woke up in this body, and I, Siel Valentine, am safely about to celebrate my eighth birthday. Now, running pretty confidently, I went across the vast Valentine¡¯s House and ran to my busy mother who was preparing for the party.


    ¡°Mom! This year I¡¯ll wear the same dress as my sister.¡±


    ¡°Again? You were supposed to wear the same dress as your mom this year.¡±


    My mom, who was touching the hem of her dress, had a wrinkle on her pretty smile. Who can imagine that this beautiful woman is a married woman who has four children? The d.u.c.h.ess of Valentines, Yvenis Rose, has been considered the greatest beauty of the Jata Empire since her former years as a the daughter of the Count. The almond shaped, beautifully arched eyes and the nose which could make  Audrey  Hepburn  blush  made  the  young  Duke  Valentine  fall  for  her  in  a matter of seconds.


    Siel inherited the appearance of the greatest beauty of the empire. The d.u.c.h.ess loved her daughter, who looked like her copy, as if she were her own alter ego, and the Duke, too, almost died when he saw his only daughter who looked like her beloved wife. With such blatant favoritism, the rest of the children naturally escaped from their parents¡¯ graces. Besides Siel, the d.u.c.h.ess had many children. Firstborn  Theo,  second  son  Isaac,  and  third  son  Louis.  Despite  everyone¡¯s expectations, the Duke and d.u.c.h.ess did raise Clara even after Siel was born. At least the couple cared about Clara as much as any other of their children. The problem was that the court personnel, who were proud to work on the historic Valentine¡¯s family premises, also secretly hara.s.sed Clara.


    To be exact, a group of so-called ¡°old employees¡± centered on Mrs Lisbon, who was  in  charge  of  the  household¡¯s  internal  affairs.  They  regarded  the  fact  that Clara,  the  daughter  of  a  baroness,  was  adopted  as  a  d.u.c.h.ess  and  given Valentine¡¯s name as a great honor.I don¡¯t understand how their minds work, but what¡¯s  certain  anyway,  is  that  they¡¯re  trying  to  cautiously  kick  Clara  out  of  the Duke¡¯s family. Of course, they knew that I liked Clara too much and that I couldn¡¯t open my mouth on the fact that she had been adopted.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll pick out your dress!¡±


    I can¡¯t just watch it. Once I step in here, one of the original heroine¡¯s trials starts. Siel was the little queen of the family. As long as Siel likes and follows Clara, Mrs. Lisbon cannot bother her. I followed my sister more than my mom and dad did, and the d.u.c.h.ess looked at Clara with a very concerned face.


    ¡°Clara, what spell did you put on her, so she¡¯s just following you all the time?¡±


    ¡°My sister is the best in the world!¡±


    ¡°No, Mother, Siel loves you as well. Am I right Siel?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re right!¡±


    If Clara doesn¡¯t poke her like this, the d.u.c.h.ess wouldn¡¯t hear a word from her beloved  daughter.  So  the  d.u.c.h.ess  sighed  deeply  and  stroked  Clara¡¯s  head.


    ¡°She¡¯s my daughter, but she¡¯s such an eccentric child. Clara, you know, I¡¯m just saying,  I¡¯m  glad  that  she  listens  to  you,  but  you  always  work  so  hard.¡±


    ¡°No, Mother, I¡¯m glad I could be of help.¡±


    The more I let myself go, the more the d.u.c.h.ess realizes the importance of Clara. What a beautiful scene. Everytime the d.u.c.h.ess compliments Clara, Mrs. Lisbon also takes a graceful att.i.tude towards her.


    ¡°The party will start in the afternoon, and I¡¯ll be up and coming soon, Mrs. Lisbon, so you can get the two children to go to the party safely.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    One thing that I learned once coming into this novel, is that the n.o.ble women never take care of their children personally. First of all, the d.u.c.h.ess was extremely busy. If you are going to have a party, you¡¯ll have a huge amount of work to be done,  starting  with  the  invitation  of  the  guests  and  confirming  everything  that needs to be prepared. Seeing the d.u.c.h.ess who is stressing out every day, and I realize once more that being a d.u.c.h.ess is not a thing that can be done by anyone. In the empire, my birthday is just like a national holiday. Maybe  because  I  was  the  first  daughter  born  in  a  hundred  years,  but  on  my birthday, even the emperor would send me a lion to personally congratulate me. I deliberately hung out on Clara¡¯s waist and pushed as hard as I could.


    ¡°Which dress do you want to wear?¡±


    ¡°Anything that my little sister will choose.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    What is the reason for me asking this question? Of course, so that Mrs. Lisbon would  listen.  Mrs.  Lisbon,  who  is  unaware  of  the  fact  that  I  had  noticed  her, intentionally plotted to give Clara a dreadful dress on my birthday last year. The reason is that Clara should not stand out more than me, the main character. What a childish idea. Clara is that type of person that gets prettier the more you look at her. Literally, at first glance, you wouldn¡¯t tell she is of an outstanding beauty but as soon as she laughs there¡¯s an explosion of charm. I can not say that she is of the same kind of beauty of Siel or the d.u.c.h.ess, but the fact itself that she stands out from the perspective of common people, it¡¯s extraordinary.

 Chapter 2

    Who cares. I already knew what they were plotting so I prevented it before anything could happen.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to wear the same dress my older sister is wearing!¡±


    I kept crying and said I would not attend to the party if I don¡¯t get to wear the same dress to my sister. My mother and father came to stop me but I could not stand back as my life was at risk. Not until my throat became hoa.r.s.e was I able to enter the party room wearing the same dress. My big picture is to strengthen the position of the heroine, Clara. Oh, how foxy I am. My last birthday pa.s.sed while I marveled my intelligence and the long-awaited eighth birthday arrived.


    ¡°I prepared Miss Clara¡¯s dress.¡±


    As if they already expected I was going to make a mess, Mrs. Lisbon prepared quite a few dresses. I chose the most graceful and fanciest golden dress.


    ¡°This will suit me the best!¡±


    No doubt this dress will be the most noticeable dress as it will contrast Clara¡¯s ebony hair. Of course that isn¡¯t the only reason. It is also because today is the long-awaited fated day.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this going to be too fancy?¡±


    ¡°No, it is so beautiful.¡±


    As this party is a really important affair, such preparation is necessary. Why? Today is the first day Clara meets the hero of  the novel. As the male main character is going to wear a gold uniform and if I wear the same color I would at least receive a glance. And, if people surrounding drive up the atmosphere¡ªgame over. My evil plan just started.


    The hero of the novel is Alex, the son of the King and the heir to the throne. He was the one who executed Siel. By the way, Alex is my most favorite male character among countless other characters. This was the reason why I wanted to be Clara, not Siel whose head is beheaded. Alex is the most ideal hero of a romance fantasy story. He¡¯s smart, powerful, smart and is cold-hearted at all times but is warm towards his beloved woman. He is the s.e.xiest guy of this era. He is the invincible sword master and once he thinks someone is the one, he obsesses madly. Dark indigo hair and the eye redder than ruby, I almost had a heart attack when I first saw the cover. Oh, I love obsessed man. Alex is a genius who pa.s.sed early graduation of the academy and he even took cla.s.ses to be the next emperor. Of course the emperor wanted to afford the best bride for his son and that turns out to be, um, Siel, so yeah it turns out to be me.


    ¡°What do you want to be when you grow up, sis?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I probably would wan to marry a man and become a mother.¡±


    Oh my, what should I do with this unselfish and unambitious kid. I busted into tears watching Clara who wanted to be a good wife and wise mother. Unlike Clara, who lost her family since she was young and who wanted to have a normal and happy marriage. Alex wasn¡¯t really interested in marriage. So at first, he decided to marry Siel without hesitance. The problem is that Siel found out Clara is an adopted child.


    ¡°You¡¯re not even our real family! You deceived me, you b.i.t.c.h!¡±


    Siel filled with anger insulted Clara in front of everyone. She even used some bad language a child should not use. Despite the conditions, it isn¡¯t pretty to look at an eight year old girl cursing her sister because she¡¯s adopted. The readers were furious and the comment window was flaming. Anyway, Alex also witnessed this moment and recognized the Siel¡¯s malicious behavior and started to feel pity toward Clara. This incident becomes the main reason Alex kills Siel. After that, Alex started babysitting Clara like he is her mother bird. He started to hate Siel who desired to become the crown princess and kills her in the end In order to keep the happy and safe rich life for myself, I have to pa.s.s this first test. I have to pa.s.s this test and connect the relationship between Clara and the Prince. If I am unlucky I could be directly thrown into h.e.l.l. So what can I do? I have to help them get along well.


    ¡°You are going to be so beautiful in this dress. So please wear this dress as my birthday present!¡±


    Clara standing in front of the fancy gold dress looked confused. It was because she would be wearing a dress more beautiful than me who is the one being celebrated today.


    ¡°But Lady Siel¡­¡±


    ¡°What, are there any problems?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Mrs. Lisbon remained silent looking at my unpleasant face. It¡¯s obvious she¡¯ll be saying Siel is the star so Clara cannot be too conspicuous. I was speechless looking at her remaining silence as glared at her.


    ¡°Can I really wear this dress?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I like you so much. I hope you look the best on my birthday!¡±


    You tell me. Is being beautiful more important or my life? Clara unaware of my desperate mind hugged me with a grin on her face.


    ¡°I love you too my younger sister.¡±


    As I noticed her eyes were turning red, I hugged her without words. Poor Clara. Before being adopted into Duke Valentine¡¯s family, she lived with her real family and had a younger sister. When her whole family decided to go on a trip, Clara had to be left behind because she had a fever. Her parents and younger sister said they will be back soon, and they would buy a gift on the way back and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Their carriage was overturned on a rainy day and none of them came back alive.


    ¡°I am so glad I have a younger sister.¡±


    The day Siel was born, Clara was truly glad. Honestly, if I wasn¡¯t born she would hog all the love of Duke and d.u.c.h.ess Valentine. Even though Clara could envy her sister, she never did. She sincerely loved Siel. Siel reminded Clara of her dead younger sister. How sweet she is. A dumb girl like her needs an evil guardian like me. From now on, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m going to make you happy. I gave Clara the prettiest dress and took on my party costume. I started preparing for things after deciding my sister¡¯s dress. My humble servant Meril kept smiling while combing my hair.


    ¡°You are adorable as always.¡±


    ¡°You like me too much, Meril.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am so happy to serve you.¡±


    Meril was too loyal that, she bullied Clara as Siel told her to and was tortured until death few days before Siel was killed I could not let such a loyal servant die like the original story. I sighed looking at Meril who had just turned eighteen.


    ¡°You are too nice to me.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you are the most vulnerable master to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh please, you shouldn¡¯t treat a little girl like that.¡±


    ¡°You are so funny.¡±


    Even though I talk like a precocious child, no one suspected I had the mind of an adult. They just thought I was imitating them. While Meril was putting up a ribbon on my hair, someone came into my room.


    ¡°My beloved daughter! Are you well prepared?¡±


    ¡°Daddy!¡±


    He was a handsome man with chocolate color hair. It was hard to believe he was a father of five kids. The real jack-of-all-trades in this novel. Also, he is a well-known husband who never when against his wife and a magician with immense power in the Valentine family. I¡¯ve been repeating countlessly; this novel doesn¡¯t keep the balance. All he had was only money and power but there was one thing he couldn¡¯t have, daughters. Although he had three children, they were all sons. All of the offspring they had were all sons. All he wanted was a daughter who resembled his wife. His prayers must have reached the sky for the first time in hundred years, a daughter was born and he became the winner.


    ¡°How pretty she is, my beloved daughter, she¡¯s an emerald.¡±


    ¡°Oh please Daddy.¡±


    No one can stop daddy in his idiotic mode. Not until I was rubbed by his mustache, could I escape from him. As each child needs to be loved the same, I grabbed his fore sleeve.


    ¡°Daddy, I want to see Clara. She is so pretty tonight.¡±


    ¡°Oh is it darling? Should we go and see her?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Siel¡¯s command is absolute to Duke Valentine. I¡¯ve never seen a man like this before. He just loves his daughter too much. He would dance and sing if Siel tells him to do so. Mom sometimes would look somewhat upset but dad doesn¡¯t care. If the daughter likes it, then father likes it too. I decided to take advantage of this. Because Siel likes Clara, naturally dad starts to care for Clara.


    ¡°Clara!¡±


    Me and Duke Valentine appeared and every maid kneeled down.


    ¡°Clara, are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes, father.¡±


    How beautiful she is. The maids had to decorate her well because I gave them a mean look.

 Chapter 3

    Proofreader: Mirara


    She looked like a princess in her fancy dress embroidered with gold and with a golden ribbon in her curly hair that was normally straight. But there was something missing. There was nothing on my sister¡¯s neck, although I had a diamond necklace on mine. Mrs. Lisbon was at it again. She would play these kinds of pranks all the time. She must have not given my sister a necklace on purpose. She probably thought that she would get away with it because everyone was too busy to look at the small details, but she wasn¡¯t about to get away with it this time.


    ¡°Her neck looks a bit bare. I think she should put something on, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°I think amethyst would look good. Lisbon, can you give Clara the amethyst necklace that came in last week?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    If I had said something, she would have talked back at me, but since it was a direct order from the duke she wouldn¡¯t dare do anything but obey.


    I felt my stress melting away when I saw Mrs. Lisbon¡¯s expression. I kissed my dad on the cheek and on the lips.


    ¡°You¡¯re the best.¡±


    ¡°You cute thing.¡±


    He kissed me ten times as punishment for me kissing him but it was nothing. I sat on his lap and watched my sister turn into a beautiful lady.


    ¡°Dad, I want her to be happy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, all of our family should be happy.¡±


    They were good people, but Ciel was like a sore finger to them. In the original story the family didn¡¯t stop Ciel¡¯s wickedness because they loved her too much. The original Ciel didn¡¯t want to share her parent¡¯s love, so she would do wicked things to Clara just because she was adopted. The only reason Clara was able to get a happy ending was because of Alex. It was only after Alex revealed all the things Ciel had done that the duke gave up on her.


    ¡ªYou reap what you sow.


    It was heartbreaking to read about the duke and his wife after sentencing their beloved daughter to execution.


    They had to watch their daughter be executed and furthermore, the second son rebelled because he didn¡¯t believe Ciel had committed such crimes and died in the process. I had fallen in love with this family that gives out limitless love,  so I had to stop them from facing the same future.


    If I could save Clara and the Valentine family maybe the future would change a little bit.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Teo.¡±


    When Clara was almost ready Teo came to escort us. He has chocolate hair just like his father. He has a very light laugh, so light that people who do not know him might not even be aware he¡¯s laughing. He was the sad ¡®secondary male-lead¡¯ of the story. Honestly, how could what he¡¯s thinking be so obvious on his face? Teo Valentine was going to be the future duke of the Valentine family and he was two years older than Clara. He was also the person that saved Clara every time Ciel bullied her. He should have been the hero of the story, he set off every flag for Clara.


    However, when Alex the prince came along, all of the readers forgot about Teo and the author eventually linked Alex and Clara together.


    Poor Teo. He never got married, sold out his sister Ciel, and thought about Clara even when he was collapsing with the rest of the Valentine family.


    ¡°Ciel, stop that and get down from father.¡±


    And he was the only person that didn¡¯t like Ciel.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Teo was a real tsundere. He would look after Clara warmly from behind her back and maintain a cold att.i.tude in front of her. Isn¡¯t he cute? I knew that he didn¡¯t like me so I hung onto him like a child.


    ¡°Get off me.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be talking to your sister like that. If something happens to me you¡¯re going to be the head of the house.¡±


    The duke was very kind to Ciel but he was very strict on Teo since he was going to be the duke. So it wasn¡¯t a surprise that he didn¡¯t like his sister.


    ¡°You¡¯re too soft on her. That¡¯s why she has no manners.¡±


    I decided to rub it in Teo¡¯s face so I came up to him and said


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m cute so it¡¯s fine.¡±


    I said it in a baby like voice and made a face like he was looking at something disgusting.


    Ugh, you hate it, right? I hate it too. But still, it was fun making fun of a fourteen year old kid.


    ¡°Yeah, Ciel is cute so it¡¯s alright.¡±


    He looked at me with a displeased expression as Clara took my side. He must hate me for always  sticking next to Clara, the girl that he liked. I enjoyed making fun of him so much that I took my sister¡¯s arms and laughed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Sorry Teo, I know how you feel but Clara is going to get together with the hero. We prepared ourselves and headed to the party room where all the guests were waiting.


    ¡°You¡¯re still cute.¡±


    ¡°Izark!¡±


    I brushed away my father¡¯s hand and ran to the beautiful man with the blond hair. Ciel had three brothers. Teo, Izark and Louis. The second, Izark was the only son that had gotten blond hair from his mother¡¯s side. And he loved his sister to death.


    ¡°I¡¯m sad that you only play with Clara.¡±


    ¡°Come on Izark, you know how much I like you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do. The dress suits you Clara.¡±


    Izark and Clara were the same age so the two of them were comfortable around each other. Of course, they weren¡¯t like this in the original story.


    ¡°Ciel, I¡¯ll be in the party room then.¡±


    ¡°Alright sister.¡±


    I took Izark¡¯s hand after letting my sister go in first.


    ¡°You¡¯re always on my side, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I would do anything for you.¡±


    I could sense that he wasn¡¯t lying. He really would do everything for Ciel. When Ciel began to hate Clara, Izark was the one who bullied Clara.


    When things went south for Ciel, Izark committed treason and tried to avenge Ciel. He was eventually killed just like Ciel, and the Valentine family became next to nothing.


    How sad.


    ¡°Why are you so late, kiddo?¡±


    The owner of that voice was Louis, the reason for everything that happened. He was only two years older than me but he went at me every chance he had. He was a troublemaker and he was like a bat that was on no one¡¯s side. He would sometimes stick to Clara and other times to Ciel.


    When the Valentine family collapsed, he sold everything that was left and went abroad. The problem was, he treated me like a toy and bullied me. He would be nice to Clara since she was older than him but there was no reason for him to treat me with any respect.


    ¡°Izark, Louis is making fun of me again.¡±


    ¡°Come on Louis, do you want to wear a dress too?¡±


    ¡°h.e.l.l no!¡±


    Of course, Louis was nothing next to Izark. So I took Izark¡¯s hand and looked around the party room.


    ¡°Happy birthday.¡±


    It was tiring talking to adults that were trying to leave a good impression on the daughter of the duke. A person has to work his way  around. Like a proper duke¡¯s child, I didn¡¯t forget to say h.e.l.lo to the adults with a happy smile on my face.


    ¡°Ciel, come here.¡±


    It was finally time. I followed my oldest brother and went to where my family was. The duke and his wife and our five brothers and sisters. To be exact, four biological members and one orphan. We all went to the stand together. As the guest of honor, I took my parents hands and stood in the middle. My father said with a happy voice.


    ¡°Thank you everyone for coming here to congratulate my daughter Ciel Valentine¡¯s birthday.¡±


    The clapping was amazing. It was at that time that a boy wearing a golden suit came walking in. He had black hair and red eyes and was full of charisma.


    The hero finally came.


    It was good that Clara wore a gold dress. He was the first prince and he was going to be the ruler of the country. I thought it would be nice for Clara and him to at least get to know each other. At that time, Alex came up to the stand and said to my father.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Gregory the Third congratulates Ciel Valentine for her eighth birthday and has sent a gift.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, your highness.¡±


    He was full of charisma, but he wasn¡¯t the heir to the throne, at least not yet. It would be great if he were but he had one weakness. Bloodline. No one knew who Alex¡¯s mother was yet. The emperor never married so there was no one by his side. It¡¯s a little more complicated than that, but let¡¯s leave the politics for next time.


    Even though he was confirmed as a prince, Alex was having a lot of trouble because his hair color was different from everyone else. So the emperor tried to get him to marry Ciel in order to overcome the issue of his bloodline. However, he fell in love with Clara, who doesn¡¯t provide him any political advantages at all.

 Chapter 4

    Although I had grown up with three brothers that were handsome, Alex had something else, something different that opened my heart.


    ¡°You¡¯re handsome.¡±


    I accidentally said what I thought out loud. He was really handsome but he scared me a bit too. So he was going to kill me with that handsome face?


    As the red eyes came closer I hid behind my sister. But I succeeded in getting his attention. Alex would have to look towards her.


    Unlike my white dress which matched mother¡¯s, Alex and Clara¡¯s golden clothes made them look like couples. Now the only thing that was left was for them to fall in love at first sight.


    But surprisingly, Alex talked to me first.


    ¡°It¡¯s the emperor¡¯s gift, please accept it yourself Lady Ciel Valentine.¡±


    ¡°Clara¡¯s going to accept it for me.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Ciel.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t going to behave like the original story because I wanted to live but I thought that if I behave like this, Clara¡¯s going to shine more. Clara didn¡¯t suspect a thing and she was going to take the gift for me.


    Come on, be disappointed at me and fall in love with my sister.


    I was already excited that my evil plan of making Clara and the prince get together would work.


    But¡­


    ¡°Lady Ciel Valentine, I¡¯m talking to you right now.¡±


    Huh?


    This wasn¡¯t part of the plan.


    The prince didn¡¯t even look at Clara and those red eyes were fixed at me. I couldn¡¯t see any emotion behind those eyes. I got gooseb.u.mps thinking that that person could be my enemy.


    I didn¡¯t want to get killed by my favorite character. But this scene was the most important one; where the hero and the heroine met.


    ¡®I guess this is what a standoff is.¡¯


    I hid behind Clara¡¯s dress again. Izark must have sensed that there was something wrong or something and he interfered.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Your Highness, but my sister doesn¡¯t handle strangers well. She¡¯s still a child, please forgive her.¡±


    ¡°I entered the Academy with top grades at her age. She isn¡¯t exactly what I would call young.¡±


    What does this idiot want from an eight year old. Because of the author¡¯s twisted sense of reality I was being treated as a dimwit.


    Dang it, I guess I lost this round. I came out from behind my sister and gave a small bow.


    ¡°Lady Ciel Valentine. Thank you for coming to my birthday, I really appreciate it. Please tell His Majesty that I am grateful.¡±


    I¡¯m grateful to the emperor but don¡¯t think that I have any good feelings to you.


    I drew the line with the hero. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t seem to have anything to say about my att.i.tude.


    I greeted him with perfect att.i.tude and hid behind my sister again. Heh, everyone knows I like my sister a lot so no one thought that it was weird at my party.


    Except for the hero.


    ¡°You seem to follow your sister very much.¡±


    ¡°Ciel is usually kind and polite, it must be because she¡¯s nervous. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    It didn¡¯t went along my plan but anyway the prince¡¯s servant gave the emperor¡¯s gift to our servant. My father seemed to want to open the gift at the spot.


    ¡°It¡¯s a gift from the emperor, right darling?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I wonder what he sent this year.¡±


    My father was happy and my mother, not so much. Last year she got an old gold necklace and the year before she got a gold bracelet that looked like it belonged to my grandmother. She opened the wrapping, trying to mask her feelings.


    ¡°Oh my.¡±


    ¡°This is too generous of him.¡±


    The wrapping seemed too large to be a necklace or a bracelet. It was the Legendary Lord Levatain staff which was used to cast magic.


    ¡°How generous of him¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard that the princess had a talent in magic. No one was able to wield it but I thought that she was able to so I prepared it.¡±


    The servant that came with Alex flattered my father.


    Oh, of course. Ciel had a talent in magic. The problem was, she used that talent only at tormenting her sister.


    In the original story when Ciel was fighting Alex, she used that staff to wreak havoc. The staff, which grows with its owner was small like me. It was a very useful item, I always wondered how she got it but I guess the mystery is solved today.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Since you got this, why don¡¯t you show us some magic?¡±


    At my mother¡¯s words, I hesitated.


    Ciel was a talented magician. She should have been able to shoot fire and ice even without the staff when she was eight years old but there was a small problem. It was that I was in her body. I didn¡¯t know anything about magic.


    My darned brother Louis called me a dunce.


    The thing is, I was a dunce. All that talent gone to waste. But now things might be better. I hold the staff and made up my mind. Yes, I can do it. I can do it.


    According to my teacher, the most important thing about every spell was the confidence that it would work. The reason why I was so bad was because I lived in Seoul for more than twenty years and I was a realist that didn¡¯t even believe in ghosts.


    Could I really do something?


    I recalled the first thing that came to my mind. The staff glowed and petals began to fall from the ceiling.


    Clara, just walk the flower path. That¡¯s all I want of you.


    (Flower path is like the path to success)


    And then¡­


    Petals began to fall on Clara¡¯s head like a waterfall.


    ¡°What the?!¡±


    The party became a nightmare, I couldn¡¯t believe that I dug my own grave by something so stupid. I threw away the staff and went into the pile of petals to dig out my sister.


    ¡°Clara!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    Something grabbed my waist before I could dive into the petals. It was Prince Alex, looking at me as if I was pathetic. I pushed him and ran towards Clara.


    ¡°Let go of me! Clara!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay Ciel. This is really pretty.¡±


    Clara looked like she was enjoying this situation. The heroine was the best. That kind of att.i.tude is how she sees the bright side of everything.


    I hugged her and then said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, were you startled?¡±


    ¡°A bit but still, you¡¯re great.¡±


    While still hugging her, I looked at Prince Alex. It seems like my plan had worked after all. He was intensely looking at us, still half buried in the petals.


    Now let¡¯s clean up. My father, who was the best magician in the country, cleaned up the petals in an instant. I should have been yelled at but not in this family. Izark even congratulated me.


    ¡°You must be a genius. Look at how many petals you¡¯ve made, it¡¯s amazing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because she doesn¡¯t know how to control her powers. She still has a long way to go.¡±


    The only person saying the right thing was Teo. I nodded furiously and read the atmosphere. I had to hurry, I had to make Clara and Alex get together in order to avoid the death flag. If they got married, I would be able to enjoy a life of luxury for the rest of my life.


    Hurray to that.


    It was my dream to get a lot of money and buy buildings and go on world trips while making money off those buildings. Practicing a bit more and becoming a magic girl would be a plus too.


    ¡°Ciel, would you like to dance with me?¡±


    It was getting awkward staring at Clara so I decided to go with Izark for a change.


    ¡°Yup!¡±


    She was already dancing with her fourth partner. It must be because she¡¯s dressed so pretty today. And I saw Teo, staring at her. Teo must want to ask her out but it wasn¡¯t going to happen forever.


    Ah, poor Teo. I thought as I danced with Izark.


    I wasn¡¯t very good at dancing. A lot. I stepped on his foot twice but my beloved brother didn¡¯t even bat an eye.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting better at dancing.¡±


    ¡°Come on, better? Doesn¡¯t your foot hurt?¡±


    ¡°Not a bit. You¡¯re light as a feather.¡±


    He must really love me. I was stepping on his toes but he just kept smiling. After a song ended, Louis came to us.


    ¡°Mother¡¯s calling, I¡¯ll take care of the little tyke.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how you should talk to a lady!¡±


    ¡°Take care of her until I come back, will you?¡±

 Chapter 5

    Ten or eight, we¡¯re both still kids but Louis treats me like a baby just because he¡¯s two years older than me. The only good thing about him was that he had dark hair after our grandmother like Clara. Although he was a prankster, Clara was able to melt into our family thanks to him. It was time to talk to him about it.


    ¡°You know what?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Clara was adopted. Did you know that?¡±


    Huh, I¡¯m sorry to burst your bubble but I knew this way before you. But if I did tell him that I knew, he was sure to ask and probe so I acted as if I didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°What do you mean? Clara¡¯s my sister.¡±


    ¡°Huh, you don¡¯t understand a thing. She¡¯s adopted. Adopted.¡±


    He must want to make me angry since he was repeating his words. I knew one thing was for sure.


    ¡°Adopted?¡±


    ¡°So she didn¡¯t come from mom and dad.¡±


    Louis didn¡¯t mean anything ill towards Clara. He was just jealous of me and Clara¡¯s relationship.


    But, I had one last card up my sleeve. Pretending not to know anything. Even if I did understand, I would pretend like I didn¡¯t and make the other person frustrated.


    ¡°What do you mean that she didn¡¯t come from mom and dad?¡±


    ¡°So mom wasn¡¯t pregnant with her.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you are saying.¡±


    Keep on talking. I pretended not to know and Louis said again in a frustrated voice.


    ¡°Come on. So Clara has different parents. Like different parents from our brothers.¡±


    ¡°Of course not brothers. My sister and I are sisters. You are brothers.¡±


    Louis turned red with anger. I took this opportunity to laugh and stomp on Louis¡¯s foot.


    ¡°Whoops, sorry Louis.¡±


    It was on purpose. He couldn¡¯t tell dad or our brothers because then he¡¯d have to explain everything. It was one of my secret hobbies, making fun of Louis. Meanwhile, Clara was dancing with someone else but the hero was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I want to stop dancing now.¡±


    ¡°Thanks sis.¡±


    Louis happily let me go and grabbed his swollen foot. Walking away from my brothers, I wandered around looking for the hero.


    Where did he go?


    I was planning to check where Alex was and bring Clara to her. I ran around the house ecstatically. But huh, where was this guy? The Valentine house was too large for an eight year old to cover and my magic staff was taken away from me until I had more control over my magic.


    To make matters worse, I was wearing high heels so I became winded after only a few minutes. If I meet my second brother now, I wouldn¡¯t have another chance for a few years.


    ¡°Ciel, where are you!¡±


    Izark could sometimes be annoying, like times like this. He swooned all the ladies but he only looked at me. I hid behind people until he was gone and continued my search for Alex.


    But he was nowhere to be found. The only place I hadn¡¯t looked was the garden. It was dangerous, but I had no other choice.


    ¡°Do I really need to do this?¡±


    I went to the open terrace and tied the curtains to the pillar. After checking a few times to see if the rope was tight, I went down carefully.


    ¡°Ahh!!!¡±


    Oh yeah, I forgot. I¡¯m not much of an athletic person. I fell down and hit the gra.s.s. Ouch, my back. I never thought that I would be doing this. I just hope Clara knew what I¡¯ve done for her.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    A familiar voice said.


    I finally found him. The prince.


    Although his voice was a bit low to be a regular boy¡¯s voice, he had a certain aura that made him look old for his age. I didn¡¯t want to look like I just fell down a rope so I dusted off the dirt on my dress and greeted him.


    ¡°h.e.l.lo, Your Highness. It¡¯s Lady Ciel Valentine.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here at this time?¡±


    Huh, that was direct. Also, what could I do about that voice that makes him look so old?


    He would be much colder once he became older but for now, I had nothing to worry about¡­much. I didn¡¯t want to look guilty so I tried to think of an explanation.


    ¡°I fell off the terrace. I¡¯m lost, can you take me to my sister?¡±


    ¡°Lost at your own house?¡±


    Alex proceeded to stare at the curtain which I had forgotten to hide. I was already caught but I decided to bluff it out.


    ¡°Um, yeah. I ran away from my brother because I wanted to see my sister.¡±


    ¡°You must really like her.¡±


    Yes, that¡¯s it. I really like her so please don¡¯t kill me. I decided to talk a bit about Clara just to change the topic.


    ¡°She¡¯s really kind. And you can see that she¡¯s really pretty. She¡¯s going to be a great bride one day.¡±


    ¡°I heard that she was adopted, you don¡¯t seem to have anything against that.¡±


    I was surprised that he would speak so freely about a sensitive topic like that but he seemed to know everything. Typical of the hero, would you like a clap on the back?


    Judging from his att.i.tude he didn¡¯t seem to like me. I didn¡¯t know what he didn¡¯t like about me but I decided to suck it up. I had to show Alex that I didn¡¯t hate my sister so that he wouldn¡¯t kill me.


    ¡°But I like my sister the most. I¡¯m going to marry her.¡±


    The best part about being a kid is that you can say anything. Alex laughed coldly.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be quite hard, marrying your sister.¡±


    ¡°I know I can¡¯t.¡±


    The innocent kid route didn¡¯t seem to work, so I decided to try a different one. The important thing for me was my sister and Alex to get together so I decided to talk about her again.


    ¡°But still, I like her the most. She¡¯s better than any man out there.¡±


    It was half joking and half serious. But it was true, no man had caught my eye yet. Of course, there were a lot of handsome men but unfortunately they were all family, except for Louis. Louis wasn¡¯t handsome, he was just cute to me.


    Huh, it would be better living alone. I would still be rich and have some magic in me. If my sister has a baby, I¡¯d take care of her and my life plan would be complete.


    ¡°I want her to be happy.¡±


    Alex¡¯s face didn¡¯t change a bit as he was listening to me.


    He suddenly said.


    ¡°So, are you saying that your sister isn¡¯t happy right now?¡±


    Huh, who knows. I wasn¡¯t Clara but if I was, I wouldn¡¯t be happy. Everyone only liked me and Clara was always second.


    It was quite surprising that a kid would ask this kind of question. I decided to respond with silence. I tapped my sore legs and looked at the sky.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°My legs hurt, I can¡¯t walk.¡±


    My shoes were for kids but that didn¡¯t mean that it didn¡¯t hurt. I wasn¡¯t lying.


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Can you piggyback me to the party room?¡±


    I had no other choice. I had to make the prince meet Clara so that they would remember each other when they met again.


    ¡°You want me to piggyback you?¡±


    Alex didn¡¯t seem to like the idea so I decided to encourage him a bit.


    ¡°My legs. I can¡¯t move a bit.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a pain.¡±


    I got mad because my brothers would do everything for me, whether I liked it or not.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    I was considering walking back by myself when Alex came in front of me and kneeled down.


    ¡°Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°Get on my back.¡±


    Things were going so well for me.

 Chapter 6

    Have you already fallen in love with her? My master plan, where I was trying so hard to connect you with my sister, is working excellently, so you should already love her, right?


    I hesitated for a moment and got on Alex¡¯s back.


    ¡°So, should I take you to your sister?¡±


    ¡°Yes! We have to go to her.¡±


    Alex held me up lightly and headed for the party. I could have sworn that I was heavy, but Alex took me without hesitation and walked softly.


    I thought things were going smoothly. But when Alex came back to the party with me on his back, people¡¯s eyes were on me.


    ¡°Ciel!¡±


    Maybe she heard I was gone and rushed at us with a concerned look.


    Yes, my sister has a pretty worried face. Mission accomplished. After having them meet, I hopped off Alex¡¯s back without looking back.


    ¡°Sister!¡±


    ¡°Where have you been? I was worried.¡±


    ¡°I was lost, but his Majesty the Prince took me all the way here. Isn¡¯t he a really good person?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lost?¡±


    Knowing that my absurd excuse was suspicious, our good Clara tilted her head for a moment.


    So it¡¯s your turn now. I exaggerated my praise for Alex in an attempt to have my sister like him.


    ¡°Alex, you¡¯re amazing. Brother Louis can¡¯t even lift me, but you¡¯re very strong.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much for taking care of my sister, Your Grace.¡±


    I tried my best to have her fall for his Highness, but she didn¡¯t listen to it and just thought about me. What am I supposed to do with this nice sister?


    I ran and hid behind my sister¡¯s skirt.


    Now, it¡¯s time for the two to look at each other in the eyes.


    ¡°Your sister really cares about you.¡±


    ¡°Even though she is my sister, Ciel is very cute. I¡¯m very happy to have a pretty sister like her.¡±


    I almost cried when my sister happily said that. I couldn¡¯t answer Alex¡¯s question properly earlier, but Clara, like a heroine, gave him an answer.


    All my efforts have paid off. Finally, I had safely passed through the first gate to the gold spoon life.


    It¡¯s none of my business how the original story will be distorted as long as I survive. All that matters is for them to marry happily, and everything will be fine.


    The two shared a subtle look and stared at me.


    Being a cupid of love, I smiled at the two with a proud heart.


    I hope you have a pretty love.


    *****


    Things are getting messed up.


    Two years have passed since the birthday party. I safely turned 10 years old after the fateful meeting between my sister and the male lead.


    ¡°Now, shall we start the class?¡±


    Because we are still young, basically just kids, Louis and I learned from the same teacher. For me, a 10-year-old who has the intelligence of an adult woman, the level of the class I was taking was nothing.


    Among them, my favorite thing was math or arithmetic time. Cosine or tangent or something like that.


    I wish I could just study those two and drop the others but all the kids here are learning about the number of minutes and multiplication.


    Among them, my favorite thing was memorizing the multiplication table.


    ¡°Teacher, I want to do what I did last time again today.¡±


    Miss Paddington, a tutor for me and Louis, was an excellent tutor who graduated from the Academy at the top of her class.


    She, who believes in play-based learning, strongly observed my proposed multiplication game in class.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡®Let¡¯s play with the multiplication table, Let¡¯s play with the multiplication table.¡¯


    It will be challenging at first, but it will become incredibly easy once you get used to it.


    Unlike my brilliant skill, which was built up in a drinking game in my old days, Louis was weak with numbers.


    ¡°It¡¯s Ciel¡¯s victory again today. Louis, you need to work harder.¡±


    ¡®Coward¡ªyou can¡¯t do this!¡¯


    Miss Paddington declared me the winner. So today, Louis lost to me and decided to listen to my orders.


    ¡°Miss Paddington is bad. I¡¯m going to ask my mom to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still a kid, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    It seems that this guy has not come to his senses yet, but Louis doing this was not unreasonable.


    The eldest son, Theo, the heir to the Dukedom, is 16 years old this year. Brother Theo, who will have his coming-of-age ceremony soon, was solidifying his position not only by attending his successor¡¯s education, but also by observing Father at work.


    And Isaac, contrary to his pretty face, has the gift for swordsmanship.


    In the future, Theo will be in charge of Valentine¡¯s military power. If things go wrong, he¡¯ll raise an army, which could be dangerous.


    Finally, Louis, despite the fact that his magical abilities pale in comparison to Clara¡¯s incredible talent, grew up as a force of darkness, engaging with dark forces, sharing knowledge with the dark side, and eventually becoming the novel¡¯s winner{1}. Even though that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case right now.


    ¡°Sister!¡±


    As soon as the class was over, I ran to the room where my sister was studying.


    Until the novel began, Clara was nothing more than an ordinary aristocrat, who showed no special talent.


    Ironically, Clara realizes her talent because of me and my mess.


    According to the original story, at the end of the party, I had blatantly ignored, persecuted, and condemned Clara for being an adopted child.


    Clara is surprised and lonely because of Ciel¡¯s cold attitude, despite the fact that she has always been with her.


    After such a beautiful summer, the season of trials comes to Clara.


    With the disappearance of a shield called Ciel, the group of ¡°old employees¡± led by Mrs. Lisbon escalated their abuse to the next degree.


    After being bullied, Clara hides in the garden alone and realizes her unexpected talent.


    ¡°Ciel, did you enjoy your class?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go out and play.¡±


    But now that I broke the flag, the relationship between Clara and me remains strong.


    This means Clara only takes care of Ciel after class, as usual, but that will make it difficult for her to discover her talent.


    I can¡¯t help it. Now that it¡¯s like this, I have no choice but to step up. But I wasn¡¯t going alone, so I purposely threw bait at my brother.


    ¡°Would you like to join us, Louis?¡±


    He was irritated, but he pretended to like it while actually hating it.


    ¡°What? Did you mean to leave me out of this?¡±


    Anyway, stupid. Why on earth did Louis say she was an adopted child? He¡¯s an immature brother, but I¡¯ll take care of him since he¡¯s my brother. So Louis and I followed Clara into the garden.


    ¡°What should we do today?¡±


    It was obvious what we would do because the kids followed a pattern. Valentine¡¯s duke, who had many children, had indoor and outdoor play facilities.


    Sometimes, when I felt bored, I mobilized my employees¡¯ children to play hide-and-seek and war games as a group, but when I was ten years old, even that withered{2}.


    It¡¯s time to take the next step to Clara¡¯s flower path now that I¡¯ve avoided the major problem.


    ¡°Clara. I want to do something, but I don¡¯t think I can do it alone.¡±


    ¡°Really? What do you want to do?¡±


    Leaving Louis on the slide, I grabbed my sister¡¯s hand and went to the garden at the mouth of the circle.


    The Valentine¡¯s House is immensely spacious. In particular, the Duke worked hard on the house facilities for his wife and children.


    The pond, which looks like a lake, is equipped with a gazette for picnics, and a Western pavilion.


    There are places that are carefully maintained, but since it is a difficult place to walk around, there are exceptions.


    Beyond the sparsely populated central garden, there was an old garden that had fallen out of fashion, and the distance was too far for people to enter it.


    It was also a secret place where Clara hid when she couldn¡¯t stand people¡¯s bullying.


    Since I¡¯m the only one who knows what happened in the original story, I know Clara used to come here and cry alone whenever something bad happened to her.


    ¡°At this hour?


    ¡°Ciel wants to make a garden with her sister.¡±


    ¡°Garden?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I saw you go here alone last time. If it¡¯s your favorite place, I want to decorate it beautifully.¡±


    How will she deal with her younger sister, who has discovered her secret? Clara stayed quiet for a moment, her sullen expression locked on me.


    Is it possible that I stepped on the wrong flag? I was concerned about what I would do if she were angry, but Clara hugged me with a sad smile.


    ¡°Did you take care of it on purpose??¡±


    ¡°Because Ciel likes her sister.¡±


    It was something I felt while living together, but Clara was a really nice child. First of all, she did not express her pain at all.


    So I wanted to take care of her first. In reality, bad people eat better and live better. At least I hope not to do that in this world.


    ¡°You can¡¯t leave me behind!¡±


    Louis and his maids, who had shown up late, ran to the old abandoned garden after us.


    Unlike Clara, who knows nothing, I have already prepared a lot. Thanks to Merrils¡¯ suggestion, the maid handed over a cute seedling shovel and a hoe to us.


    ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡±


    ¡°Brother Louis. I need your help.¡±


    ¡°My help?¡±


    The biggest advantage of having Louis is that he never stops.


    Since he is a bat master{3}, he has no regrets and moves according to his mood. So it¡¯s very easy to deal with this simple ignorant brother.


    ¡°Brother Louis is stronger than Ciel. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s good at lifting heavy things.¡±


    Clara responds right away to what I¡¯ve said. With his sisters¡¯ impressive teamwork, Louis became increasingly ecstatic.


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯m a bit awesome.¡±


    ¡°Of course. My brother is the best!¡±


    Lewis¡¯s nose pierced through the sky{4} with pouring flattery and praise. Anyway, it¡¯s not that simple.


    After checking Louis¡¯s victorious state, I gently took the hoe from the maid¡¯s hands and placed it in my brother¡¯s.


    ¡°So, I want to overturn the garden here. Will you help?¡±


    ¡°What? Why would I do that!¡±


    You might want to tell me that you won¡¯t do it, but the water has already been spilled. There are more than ten maids watching, and Clara and I already praised you with all sorts of sweet words.


    If you have a conscience, it would be very difficult to change your words now.


    Louis¡¯ face paled while looking at the vast garden.


    ¡°You were watering me{5} on purpose, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    Yes. It was revenge for my beloved adopted sister.


    The overturning of the garden was left to Louis; while Clara and I went to see the new seedlings that were to be planted.


    Notes:


    {1} because he survived and lived a good life somewhere else


    {2} became boring


    {3} very eccentric


    {4} became proud/ arrogant


    {5} excessively praising

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    THE HERO PROPOSED TO ME


    7


    ENJOY~


    ~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Clara to have that talent. That¡¯s amazing.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mother.¡±


    Only two months after we changed the garden, our new garden was transformed into a stunningly beautiful one.


    After the garden incident, Clara became interested in herbology by looking after the seedlings. She was, in fact, well versed in plants.


    It is the typical professional male lead who supports the female lead in the future when she walks the path towards a pharmaceutical company.


    ¡°My sister is really amazing. The last time Louis had an upset stomach, Clara found him a good herb, so he got better in no time.¡±


    ¡°Did that happen?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mom. Sister is really great!¡±


    I climbed on my mother¡¯s lap and rested my head on her before turning to my sister and continued to praise her.


    Meanwhile, my lovely mother, Duchess Valentine, was still young and beautiful despite having four children.


    The description in the novel said that jewels seemed to fall from my eye every time I blinked my lashes with such alluring beauty was true.


    Well maybe that¡¯s because I inherited it from my mother too.


    My mother smiled happily, stroking my head on her lap. ¡°That¡¯s why my princess was in a good mood.¡±


    In the original book, the wife was shocked to see her beloved daughter¡¯s execution and lost her sight.


    I felt sorry for my mom who was disappointed because I always followed my sister. So today I was willing to be in my mother¡¯s arms and act like a typical lovable child.


    ¡°My mom smells good. You should come and take a whiff of her too!¡± I invited Clara but she was hesitant.


    ¡°But I¡­..¡±


    ¡°Come here.¡± The Duchess told Clara with a smile.


    Clara was relatively unenthusiastic, the Duke and his wife are by no means bad parents.


    The Duchess calls Clara, her foster daughter, and Clara finally sits next to mother, who gave her a tight yet affectionate hug.


    ¡°If there¡¯s anything you want to do, feel free to tell me. Clara, you¡¯re my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Mother.¡±


    Looking at Clara who was blushing shyly, I felt somewhat proud.


    You must be upset seeing me loved for nothing.


    Clara didn¡¯t express that kind of thing, but matched the rhythm. ¡°I love my mom and my sister too.¡±


    Sitting on my mother¡¯s lap, I slipped into her arms.


    Even if we have no blood ties whatsoever, we¡¯re a family. Mom smiled at me and Clara sitting side by side.


    ¡°Come to think of it, it¡¯s already time for the season to come. Clara, you have to prepare for your social debut now, so you need to get measurements for your new dress.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Fourteen is old enough.¡±


    What?


    Something is weird. At the age of 14, Clara made her social debut. There was no such thing in the original.


    Unbelievable. I made her realize her talent too early, and the original started to twist rapidly.


    * * *


    Oh, our mother, the Duchess of Valentine, is the most beautiful woman in the Empire.


    I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re too good looking to be around, or if you¡¯re too much of a nobleman in the society.


    It¡¯s a pretty good way to get into trouble with other nobles in the social world.


    God was fair though. In addition to her appearance, her objective ability itself was rather ordinary, and mother was always tired of excessive duchess work.


    It was Mrs. Lisbon who helped such a mother and played one of the pillars of the Valentine¡¯s family.


    Although it¡¯s despicable, excessive loyalty is a problem, though it¡¯s not bad.


    The problem is that Clara¡¯s quality of life changes completely depending on how Mrs. Lisbon plays tricks in the middle.


    ¡®My head hurts.¡¯ I laid in bed early, but I couldn¡¯t fall asleep.


    According to the original story, after the birthday party in question, Clara quickly becomes a householder and it is forgotten for a while.


    Even she couldn¡¯t prevent Siel¡¯s corruption, so she has forgotten about her existence, and didn¡¯t even let alone go to the the social world.


    Clara made her social debut at the age of sixteen, four years later. In other words, the beginning of the novel was when Clara realized her talent by growing herbs in an abandoned garden.


    Realizing her talent, Clara will sell herbs to become independent from the Duke of Valentine, and the villains who seek it will present Clara with a political marriage.


    Despite Siel¡¯s opposition, the Duke and Duchess of Valentine rush to debut in society.


    It was Alex, who met Clara at Siel¡¯s eighth birthday party a few years ago, saved her just before she was sold into the hands of the bad guys.


    Maybe it was because I broke a flag in the middle that what had to happen later happened sooner than I thought. Does it mean that if I move, the future will change? And I don¡¯t know what the changed future is like.


    Then what should we do from now on?


    I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I got out of bed and turned on the magic lamp. When I woke up, rubbing my sleepy eyes, I wrote down the original story in my notebook as I remember it so that I wouldn¡¯t forget it.


    For now, it is certain that the event that will take place in the original work has been advanced. While decorating the flower bed, Clara has a natural talent for dealing with herbs.


    The problem is that what I meant by herbs, herbs that also includes hallucinogenic drugs.


    Villains will try to kidnap Clara and urge her to grow drugs that are tricky to raise. Alex, who was investigating the drug problem, finds out about the villain¡¯s plot and saves Clara in style.


    Of course, I¡¯m not sure when that will happen or whether it will happen. Still, since the two of them have opened up their acquaintances, we need to think about how to make a good relationship between them.


    My head hurts. God, why are you giving me this ordeal? After staying up all night like that, I didn¡¯t fall asleep until dawn. What brings me to oversleep and as soon as I woke up, I briefed on Mrs Lisbon¡¯s condition.


    ¡°How¡¯s your preparation going?¡±


    ¡°Of course, miss,¡± I nodded at Mrs Lisbon¡¯s polite attitude. According to the original, the Duchess naturally reduces the opportunity to meet Clara after Clara and Siel¡¯s relationship has deteriorated.


    Lady Lisbon, who takes care of the children instead of the Duchess, avoids the Duchess¡¯ eyes and torments Clara. If it¡¯s something that can really change the future, let¡¯s start with a minor change.


    I¡¯ll survive if I save the main character.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the glass garden.¡±


    The Duke of Valentine praised his daughters¡¯ new hobbies and built a huge glass greenhouse in the newly overturned garden.


    Since then, abandoned gardens have been called glass greenhouse gardens.


    ¡°What are you doing there?¡±


    Just in time, I ran into Theo while taking a walk in the garden. I¡¯ve changed my mind a little since my last birthday. In the meantime, I¡¯ll play with big brother.


    Batters are addicted to the fun, but after destroying all the death flags in the future, the only person who can guarantee my position is the next runner, not anyone else.


    (T/N : She¡¯s referring to baseball.)


    To do that, you have to open a common front with Theo. I approached Brother Theo and said hello.


    ¡°Theo. What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I need to see you for a minute.¡±


    What¡¯s your business? I guess you were looking for Clara. Even if you don¡¯t show it on your face, you can see the heart of the coy Theo.


    ¡°Don¡¯t run around for no reason. If you get hurt, everyone will be worried.¡±


    It¡¯s hateful to say the same thing, but I just wasn¡¯t honest, so I pretended not to know anything and asked Theo.


    ¡°Oh, brother, I have a question. If Clara makes her debut in society, who will escort her?¡±


    If the original version goes on, the Duke of Valentine, who went to another area to do business on the day Clara debuted, will be stranded in heavy rain.


    So, of course, Theo¡¯s the escort.


    But the villainess strikes again, Siel fails to see that Theo wants to escort Clara and forces her eldest brother to choose.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, that adoptee!¡±


    Under pressure from the family, Theo escorts Siel instead and Clara is forced to go to the ball without a proper escort.


    And just then, the male lead appears splendidly and escorts Clara.


    ¡°If there is anything with my father, it¡¯s up to me, the eldest son.¡±


    Yep, here¡¯s again the original twist: In the original, Siel was a wicked woman who was overcome with jealousy, harassed her sister Clara.


    It is said that debuting in society is a precious memory only once in a lifetime. In fact, during Siel¡¯s debut party the following year, she had the appearance of a queen with her father and brothers in both hands.


    Those were the things that made Clara sad. No matter how active the male lead is, he cannot fulfill her family¡¯s affection. What if I give Clara a good memory here?


    My death or another flag will disappear.


    Clara will be happy to have happy memories, and I am happy to have a life. I like my sister, I like my brother, I like my dog, I eat ping, I eat eggs. In that sense, I mobilized my brothers to propose a surprise for Clara.


    ¡°It will be the best if it¡¯s father, but you don¡¯t know if something bad happens. If that does truly happen, I want Theo brother to escort sister.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Brother Theo himself! It¡¯s better if brother Isaac is also there. That way, sister¡¯s position will be stronger.¡±


    I was surprised out of the blue, but Theo, who was quick-witted, seemed to have roughly noticed why I was saying that.


    ¡°Siel, did you happen to know?¡±


    ¡°Know what?¡±


    ¡°Clara¡¯s not our real sibling.¡±


    The fact that Clara was an adopted child was an open secret to the Duke of Valentine. Especially for Siel.


    The Duke and Duchess of Valentine were not discriminating against their children just because they were adoptees. Compared to other sons except me, I took care of her more, not less.


    In addition, loyal employees secretly ignored the precious princess, me, who was only born in the first 100 years of the Duchal bloodline, but never made it clear in front of them.


    But Theo seemed very curious about how I found out. I was willing to tell the truth without much trouble.


    ¡°Brother Louis said sister Clara said is an adoptee, are you talking about that?¡±


    I told him as if he was tactless, and Theo frowned. I knew it, sooner or later Louis will be called in by Theo and scolded.


    Then he¡¯ll come to his senses. In fact, Theo became a firm side of Clara from the moment he first saw her suddenly getting adopted as a sister until the last moment of his unconfessable love.


    Theo is the only complete ally of Clara. I¡¯ve decided to tackle that point.


    ¡°My brother. I do know that I hate my sister being ignored by other people.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s of course.¡± Theo nodded. I deliberately held my brother¡¯s hand tightly and emphasized it once more.


    ¡°So, whether she¡¯s adopted or whatever, I¡¯m never going to let anyone bully her.¡± My thoughts now remain the same as when I first opened my eyes here or now.


    And to be honest, I didn¡¯t quite understand why the original Siel is so mean. In fact, even if there were no blood ties, there were many siblings who were worse than others.


    By comparison, my house is simply peaceful. When I readily said this, Theo, who had originally been Clara¡¯s side, nodded with a seemingly delighted face.


    It seems like I succeeded

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    The hero proposed to me


    8


    ~?~?~?~?~?~


    ¡°What a wonderful thing to say.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, brother.¡± Fortunately, Theo listened to me without distorting me. If Siel hadn¡¯t acted recklessly, Theo would have been the next Duke of Valentine.


    As long as you know the terrible future, you can¡¯t let it go. My shoulder, which has to save everyone, got heavier and heavier.


    After sending my brother like that, I finally arrived at the glass garden.


    The ornamental flowers outside were managed by gardeners, but the herbs in the glass greenhouse were managed by Clara.


    The Duke of Valentine, who respected his daughters¡¯ hobby, collected all kinds of rare herbs, and it is not unreasonable to say that astronomical amounts of precious herbs are filled in this greenhouse, probably in terms of money alone.


    Of course I don¡¯t recognize it at all. I sighed for no reason, looking at the grass that looked the same no matter how hard I looked at it.


    ¡°Siel!¡±


    ¡°Uh, sister!''¡±


    She should be busy preparing for her debut, but Clara came to water the plants despite her busy schedule.


    Still, it¡¯s a good thing that her debut has been set. I¡¯m ten years old now, and I can¡¯t let Clara be my babysitter until then.


    Personally, I was more proud than sad to see Clara find something she was good at.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Loenthal, the flowers are poisonous, but the roots are it¡¯s antidote.¡±


    At first glance, I don¡¯t think I can even remember it because it was just like that, but Clara taught me about the use of various other grasses.


    ¡°If you are suffering from food poisoning, you can eat this paste by sweetening it, and if you break the paste and attach it to the wound when you are injured, the wound will heal quickly and the pain will be less.¡±


    Even if I hear the explanation, they all look the same as grass. I don¡¯t know if I even want to listen anymore. Even after my sister left, I sighed at the flowers.


    ¡°My sister is so intelligent. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s what and the difference at all.¡±


    ¡°Me neither,¡± Merryll shrugged when I said I didn¡¯t know. On this occasion, I sneaked into Merryll¡¯s mind, wondering what the employees would think.


    ¡°Merryll, you don¡¯t like me doing this?¡±


    ¡°No way. I like everything you like.¡± Considering what Merryll did to Clara in the original book, I really can¡¯t imagine her current attitude.


    The reason why I didn¡¯t hesitate to do anything really bad was actually simple. Mrs. Lisbon.


    Like her, Merryll was a loyal employee who worked for a long time in this Valentine¡¯s family.


    Even if Merryll was the villain who bullied Clara, she was just technically following my orders, so it¡¯s up to me now.


    I didn¡¯t know it was so hard to live as a source of all evil. But we¡¯ll find a way out and at the same time, make sure the story doesn¡¯t change too much.


    If necessary, she or I will also play the villain. I can¡¯t be treated as nicely as fate tells me.


    * * *


    Clara¡¯s debut day has finally come. It was a great opportunity to see if the incident happened as it was even if the time it happens changes.


    As expected, when Clara¡¯s debut date was set, father suddenly decided to go on a business trip.


    Somehow, he said he would come back before the party, but he was stranded due to heavy rain in the area.


    It was as I expected. Although there is a difference in time and process, the contents in the original work happen somehow.


    So let¡¯s change the future a little bit more enthusiastically. You shouldn¡¯t be relieved that you¡¯re on good terms with Clara.


    Fortunately, we have two reliable young masters in our house. Except for me and Louis, the other two brothers set out to prepare for Clara¡¯s escort.


    ¡°Well, how is it?¡±


    The results of the empire¡¯s greatest beauty were enormous.


    ¡°You¡¯re really cool, Mom.¡±


    A Lady¡¯s debut requires wearing a pure white dress. However, how to interpret the pure white thing depends entirely on the family¡¯s wealth.


    It doesn¡¯t matter even she is adopted or not, Clara is a Valentine¡¯s daughter and thanks to my persuasion skill to mother who is next to her, Clara¡¯s debut has been set up with a huge budget.


    The fabric is made of imported high-quality silk and a flower crown of fifty gold.


    Even that was not enough. The earrings and necklaces were decorated with platinum strings and petite diamonds of the right size.


    Every step she took, the fluttering jewels shone like stars.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mother.¡±


    Theo, dressed in a dignified manner, will play the role of the escort on behalf of our absent father, and mother will also carry Clara around and greet the social world.


    But two children, Louis and I, are still young and we should stay home but of course, I won¡¯t allow that.


    ¡°Zach!¡± I called out to Isaac.


    ¡°Yes, Siel.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t forget what I asked you to do, did you?¡±


    I also asked Isaac for cooperation for Clara¡¯s splendid debut. Like as if my head is on the line, Isaac sneaked the bait while watching my mom¡¯s attention as I had told him in advance.


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll be leaving in a little while.¡±


    ¡°You said you had something to check with the Knights, didn¡¯t you? Don¡¯t be too late.¡±


    In fact, even if Isaac was there or not, it was enough, so my mother started first with Theo and Clara.


    Then Brother Isaac ran to me when he noticed other people.


    ¡°Do you really want to go to the palace at all costs?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m so sad that I can¡¯t see Clara¡¯s debut dance.¡±


    It¡¯s no big deal if you act cute like a younger sister or an older sister.


    ¡°If our Ciel starves. Ah brother¡¯s heart will start to hurt! Merryll, are you ready?¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ll get in trouble if you find out, are you sure?¡±


    ¡°What can I do? My princess wants me to.¡±


    ¡°Isaac is the best!¡±


    This is how my plan was completed. On condition of doing me a favor, Isaac chose today¡¯s dress himself.


    ¡°Is this enough?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s enough.¡±


    I wore a light pink dress with abundant lace and a bonnet. I stood there with pretty blonde hair like my mom.


    Isaac was so moved that he even shed tears.


    ¡°Cute. She¡¯s my sister, but she¡¯s so cute.¡±


    ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Are you sure you¡¯re my sister? Siel so pretty. My Siel, my princess!¡±


    Brother Isaac, the younger brother, cheered enthusiastically, and Louis rolled his eyes sarcastically, looking at us as if we were absurd.


    ¡°Do you want to go that far?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I want to see Clara¡¯s debut dance, but I can go out with her alone.¡± So I¡¯m not taking you with me.


    Tease-ya


    Louis pretended not to be interested, but seemed to secretly want to go, but he never intended to take him until he was honest.


    Just the two of us, and when the word ¡°date¡± came out of my mouth, Isaac almost cried and grabbed my hand and headed to the carriage.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to take me with you?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t want to go? Isn¡¯t that right, Zach?¡±


    ¡°I know. Siel wants to go on a date with his brother alone.¡±


    Indeed, Isaac has an unusual personality that only listens to what he wants to hear.


    Since he¡¯s that kind of personality, he probably didn¡¯t acknowledge the evil he did and caused a rebellion.


    I got in the carriage in my brother¡¯s arms because he¡¯s more trustworthy than anyone else to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming, I¡¯m coming!¡±


    ¡°But do you know how to keep secrets from your mother?¡±


    ¡°Okay, you can keep it.¡±


    Even if you two want to go on a date, if Louis made a mistake, we¡¯ll both get in trouble. So Isaac headed to the palace with the his two little siblings.


    Come to think of it, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen Alex, the future crown prince.


    ¡°The Prince is coming today, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Alex? Maybe he will. I heard he¡¯s recently abroad as an envoy, but now I think the he¡¯s just around the corner.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Yeah, that¡¯s exactly what I was curious about. Alex was able to beat Theo and ascend to the position of the male lead* because of the power difference. Of course, the Crown Prince is better than a ordinary Prince or a Duke.


    (T/N : Thank you dizzyness for clarifying the pearl thingy!)


    As a result, a man should have power. So, in order to be the male lead, no matter what kind of adversity, you must win the position of the crown prince.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Lord Isaac?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m late because I have some work to do at home.¡±


    The gatekeepers opened the door immediately after checking the face of Isaac Valentine without checking the inside. So the Carriage we rode safely passed through the imperial palace door.


    It¡¯s cool, but full of dark and intriguing conspiracy, it¡¯s a terrifying hall of slaughter where blood and flesh splatter..


    The situation inside the imperial family is quite complicated. The emperor declared that he would not let the Empress in after Alex was born by an unidentified woman.


    It was none other than the emperor¡¯s younger sister, Empress Rote, who took power in place of the Empress.


    It seems to be the Empress Rote, the Emperor forcibly sent her into a marriage and then returned to the imperial family with her son when her husband died.


    Shortly after the Emperor declared that he would not let the Empress in, the aristocracy was overturned to whom the were throne will be passed on in the future.


    The supporters of the Emperor¡¯s sister, Empress Rote, and the supporters of Alex, who was recognized as the Emperor¡¯s son. The Empire was divided into two.


    The emperor¡¯s sister, the Empress, had a son, Stan, who was formally born to her late husband, Duke of Winterbaum.


    The formal status of Emperor Rote, the first princess of the late emperor, was ¡°Royal Princess¡± Charlotte. Her power in the Empire was strong, as much as she could enjoy it to death.


    Stan, the son of such a Princess, inherited the position of Grand Duke Winterbaum, the deceased mercenary king, and enjoyed the same treatment that was much like keen of a Prince.


    Therefore, there has been a steady stream of public opinion that Stan is more orthodox than Alex, who was born from an unidentified woman.


    Because Princess Rotte¡¯s eyes were open, the servants could not recommend marriage to the Emperor at will. Even now, the Princess is conspiring to establish her son Stan as Emperor.


    Now that we¡¯re in a place like this, Clara has to roll a lot. As expected, not everyone is the main character.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I¡¯m not the main character.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What did you say?¡±


    ¡°No, just talking to yourself. Where are we now?¡±


    * Chapter 8 END *

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    After getting off the Carriage, I took Isaac¡¯s hand and looked around.


    I walked for a while and searched where Clara¡¯s debut would be, but I couldn¡¯t tell where it was because the sun was already setting.


    Me and Louis held hands tightly and followed only Isaac, who knew the imperial palace like the back of his hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go through the back door so we won¡¯t get caught by mother.¡±


    Perhaps because he had been in and out of the Imperial Palace while training to be a knight, Isaac took the two of us into the back door of the Rose Hall where the ball was held.


    ¡°Wow. Pretty.¡±


    ¡°Hold on a second. Louis, you have to keep Siel in check.¡± Isaac went to the lookout and we stayed in the background and observed the garden.


    If the historic Duke of Valentine boasts a mid-to-late look, the imperial palace was up-to-date to the taste of the Emperor.


    ¡°Ciel, look at this!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡¯


    Louis, who found something, called me. There were traces of something buried under the soil of the garden.


    Oh, did you find something? At any rate, I squatted and dug the dirt, admiring the talent of our youngest brother, who had a brilliant mind and a keen eye.


    ¡°Then the worm comes out?¡± She told herself sarcastically and Louis pretends to be innocent and steps back.


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared at all. Oh, what¡¯s this?¡± I was curious about what was buried, so I searched hard and found a paper bag inside.


    This is a bit ominous. Sensing the crisis, Louis quickly took the envelope from my hand.


    ¡°Give it to me¡­.Personnel verification file for candidates on behalf of the next Secretary of State. What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    I did, but maybe I did get something dangerous. The foreboding grew stronger. Louis has yet to understand the exact meaning of such difficult words even though he can read them aloud.


    But I¡¯m different. Because I have adult knowledge as it is.


    ¡°Wait, give it to me.¡±


    I quickly stole the document with my eyes. Even if you read it roughly, it¡¯s not something that¡¯s meant to be buried here.


    ¡°What are you guys doing there?¡± Louis and I looked up at the man standing behind us, his hands full of dirt.


    Yikes. I think we¡¯re screwed.


    * * *


    Alex stepped out of the crowded party and into the garden. It has already been three years since he started his official duties, and he has officially continued his career after being ordered by his father, the Emperor.


    Negotiations with neighboring Kingdoms were successful. However, despite his excellent results over the years, the Emperor still gave no definite answer.


    Ò» You don¡¯t have enough justification.


    In other words, there is still a lack of justification to make himself the Crown Prince. It was more than possible to guess who was behind it.


    Princess Royal, Empress Rote, Mother¡¯s enemy and Mistress of the current Imperial palace. As the head of the aristocracy who revered legitimacy and authority, she always regarded Alex¡¯s presence as a thorn in her eye.


    Like a bug.


    The Empress Rote hated Alex¡¯s mother. His mother was killed by someone for daring to bear the Emperor¡¯s seed. He could tell who the culprit was without having to tell him.


    Those who feared the power of the Empress disguised his Mother¡¯s death as an accident, even though they clearly saw signs of death from poison.


    After his mother¡¯s unjust death, Alex decided. He will surely be an emperor and clear his mother¡¯s false accusations. He wasn¡¯t going to do anything to do that.


    If he marries Duchal house Valentine¡¯s daughter, there will be enough justification.


    There was a time when the Emperor mentioned it as a passing story. It¡¯s funny that this is said about a child who is only 10 years old, but the marriage of the royal family requires a proper identity.


    If he marries Siel, Alex gains a strong backing, the Duke of Christopher Valentine, the supreme power of the empire, whom even Princess Rotte cannot carelessly treat. ¡°It¡¯s Valentine.¡±


    According to his research, the Duke of Valentine has five children in total.


    Three sons, one daughter, and Clara the adopted daughter. A woman with no blood-ties to the family whatsoever.


    Clara was adopted because the Duchess did not have a daughter, and as soon as she did, Siel, the Duchess¡¯ biological daughter, was born.


    So Clara Valentine is nothing but a scoundrel.


    ¡°She said she liked you the most.¡±


    Alex¡¯s Mother was an unwelcomed scoundrel in this imperial palace.


    With the arrival of Empress Rote, who received a formal bookkeeping, his mother naturally became a person without even a record.


    So he had a prejudice without realizing it. Like the Empress who bullied his mother because she was lower than herself, however-


    Siel is a different person.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡±


    The child¡¯s voice, which couldn¡¯t be heard at the party, sounded very similar to that of Siel of the day. Ladies who are about to make their first social debut will enter soon, so there should be no one in the garden right now.


    He can¡¯t just let the fuss slip away. Alex pulled the sword straight out and headed for the garden.


    There were two well-dressed children, and one of the imperialists, Count Reuben.


    ¡°Give me my sister!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t until you give me that envelope!¡±


    ¡°No. You can¡¯t do this!¡±


    Alex was speechless by the absurd scenery in front of him. It¡¯s definitely Valentine¡¯s third son, Louis Valentine, who¡¯s pulling the man¡¯s pants hard on the floor.


    (T/N : It¡¯s official, Louis is the best.)


    And the girl, caught in Count Reuben¡¯s hands, is holding the envelope tightly against her chest.


    ¡°What brings you here, Valentine¡¯s young miss, and Valentine¡¯s young master?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± Fortunately, Siel Valentine remembered Alex¡¯s face.


    In the meantime, Louis, standing next to the captor, attacked Count Reuben¡¯s family jewels with all his might.


    (T/n : ANOTHER POINTS)


    ¡°I told you to let my sister go!¡±


    ¡°Woo!¡±


    When Count Reuben¡¯s body, which had been hit by in his baby maker, collapsed, Siel jumped off, grabbed her brother¡¯s hand, and immediately hid behind Alex.


    ¡°Your Highness, help me.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Your highness? You mean, Your Highness Alex?¡±


    ¡°Count Reuben, What happened.¡±


    Count Reuben fell to the floor and was in agony, unable to say a word.


    Alex looked after the two children behind him in the meantime. He doesn¡¯t know why these kids are here.


    However, if anything happened to the child of the Duke of Valentine, the youngest daughter Siel, who is also famous for always getting pampered by the Duke, a big problem would surely arise.


    ¡°Both of you, all right?¡±


    ¡°Your highness, please look at this document.¡±


    Siel Valentine readily came before him with a document that she had not given away despite Count Ruben¡¯s threat. Leaning against the dim light shining through the window, he read down the document.


    ¡°The personnel verification file for the next nomine on behalf of the State Department?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?''¡±


    The young master Louis may not know, but Siel Valentine seems to have already noticed how important the document is.


    He put the document back in the envelope and asked Siel.


    ¡°Where the hell did you get this?¡±


    ¡°It was buried there. He¡¯s here to get this.¡± Siel pointed to Count Reuben in a clear voice.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    Count Reuben¡¯s response, who is trembling while talking, is suspicious. Alex went straight into the blame.


    ¡°You say you don¡¯t know, when this thing out here is your father-in-law¡¯s corruption?¡±


    Marquis Romford, Count Ruben¡¯s father-in-law, is one of the most prominent ministers of state and one of the nobles who backs Emperor Lautte.


    Judging from the original documentation, he decided to steal evidence of the Marquis Romford¡¯s corruption from the imperial court and hand it over to the Marquis, Alex shook off the soil and put it in an envelope.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take this. If you don¡¯t go away right now, your neck will no longer be intact on your shoulders, not your master.¡±


    That was the maximum generosity Alex could show. Count Reuben ran away and Alex looked at the muddy children.


    Siel¡¯s behavior was somewhat dubious. Not like the youngest daughter who grew up with only love, she even brushed off the dirt from her grunting brother¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°My brother Louise, that¡¯s great. If it weren¡¯t for my brother, I would have died.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you should¡¯ve just gave it away or why didn¡¯t you give it to me instead?¡± Even at the words of Lewis, Siel didn¡¯t even bat an eye.


    ¡°But this was a really important piece of data. Isn¡¯t it, Your Highness?¡±


    That¡¯s true, but how the hell did this little girl find out?


    It must have been quite difficult for a child to understand and contained many words she didn¡¯t know.


    In fact, her Brother Louis doesn¡¯t seem to know what it is yet.


    ¡°Do you know what this is about?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s proof of corruption of the newly elected State Department Minister. I¡¯m glad for you, because now Marquis Romford is going to drop out of office as the next Secretary of State.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good for me? Why did you think so?¡±


    ¡°Because it is the greatest danger that will threaten your Majesty¡¯s power in the future.¡±


    Unlike when she was acting cute with a short tongue in front of her sister, Ciel Valentine seemed to know not only about Alex but also the fact that there was an imperial daughter behind the Marquis of Romford.


    Considering that this involves the Valentine as witness is a coincidence, now they can¡¯t just doesn¡¯t go unnoticed. He concluded that and set a good example.


    ¡°I think I should thank you very much, Valentine¡¯s princess.¡±


    For whatever reason, this kid is worth using. With that thought, Alex willingly knelt in front of Siel.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    When the prince formally thanked me, Louis, standing next to him, wore an arrogant face.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    What is he doing? Currently thanking me. I¡¯ve decided not to miss this opportunity, although it¡¯s a little unreasonable.


    The crown prince is perfect like a male lead, so he doesn¡¯t face a crisis but I guess this is fine.


    Therefore, the opportunity to erase this new debt would rarely come.


    Moreover, the name Marquis Romford is familiar to me. Suddenly, like as if a lught bulb lit up on top of my head, I remembered.


    The Marquis of Romford, one of the Empress¡¯s pillars, used to interrupt Alex¡¯s work on every occasion since he was to be sworn as State Secretary.


    It is not easy to withdraw once you are appointed to be Prime Minister, but if corruption is discovered in the candidate¡¯s status, it can be easily withdrawn.


    If that¡¯s the case, the Crown Prince¡¯s future will be solid. In other words, the hindrance itself has been uprooted and thrown away.


    ¡°Ciel, Louis, where are you?¡±


    ¡°brother Isaac!¡±


    Big brother Isaac, who just came after doing something inside the Palace, came to pick us up. My brother found the Prince standing next to us and immediately said hello.


    ¡°Greetings Your Highness, Prince Alex.¡±


    ¡°Get up.¡±


    I guess it¡¯s time for us to part ways. See you next time.


    Before the formal banquet begins, the  crown prince should be already in the party. Brother Isaac reached out to take us both.


    But Alex took the lead first.


    ¡°Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be honored to escort my benefactor.¡±


    As expected, the treatment of benefactors changed greatly when they come and light up the path.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take Siel.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll take her.¡±


    I am grateful that Alex suddenly supported me like this. I gladly responded to the Prince¡¯s escort.


    So we climbed onto the railing and hid on the terrace. As the curtains were not drawn, the four of us were able to watch my sister¡¯s debut ball over the window.


    ¡°Big been ther Isaac, I think my older sister will soon make her entrance.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. All right. Your Majesty, please take care of my brother and sister.¡±


    For Clara¡¯s brilliant debut, I asked Isaac to also escort her.


    Once relieved that the Crown Prince was watching over me and Louis, Isak rushed to escort Clara.


    Everything is going well. As brother Isaac disappeared far away, I sneaked a glance and brought it up.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you can also go now.¡±


    ¡°Are you asking me to leave you two alone?¡±


    Alex seemed unwilling to attend the ball, and wanted to stay outside instead.


    Of course he¡¯ll be like that, because I¡¯ve crushed all the flags. It was a little twisted, but if it was the original story, my sister would have been crying alone in the garden because her partner was stolen by Siel.


    Alex, who was wandering around the garden like before, takes pity on my crying sister and offered to be her escort. But now Clara has Theo and Izak side by side as her escort.


    So there is no reason for the Crown Prince to go to the party. Perhaps the fact that he wandered around the garden itself was to play hooky.


    However, if this continues, the male lead Alex will be absent from Clara¡¯s debut ball. I threw the bait on Alex, it¡¯s already difficult as it is.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the right time to announce it?¡±


    ¡°Announce what?¡±


    My idiot brother, please step aside. I pushed Louis aside and looked straight up at Alex.


    Alex also looked inside to see if the Emperor, Empress Lautte, and other nobles are there in case he accepts.


    The ripple effect would have been considerable as all the leading nobles in the capital gathered except for Duke of Valentine himself.


    ¡°That makes sense.¡±


    ¡°You should also dance with my sister.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡±


    After he agreed with me, Alex nodded once and left the terrace.


    ¡°What the hell were you talking about?¡±


    Brother Louis is still lost about what¡¯s happening. I explained it with a twitch on my left eye.


    ¡°That paper was suspicious earlier. So I told his Majesty the Prince to tell his father.¡±


    ¡°You told him to tell the Emperor?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Children need simplified answers. Louis looked surprised to hear that I had just ordered the Prince.


    Louis didn¡¯t really like someone who snitchs, it¡¯s like a thief doing his usual sin. Of course, what I did was not snitching, but more like justice.


    Louis and I hid from a distance and peeked inside to see the Prince. I couldn¡¯t hear what he was saying but I could see the Emperor calling in his aide with a firm face.


    He succeeded in putting light on the matter just like that. Breaking the flag of death once more, Big sister¡¯s debut ball then began without any hitch.


    Numerous different dishes, well-dressed people under the lights, and delicious food. Adults¡¯ banquets, which are not allowed to children, looked much more colorful and enjoyable than my birthday party.


    ¡°It¡¯s so pretty. I can¡¯t wait to debut.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Adults are unfair.¡±


    Me and Louis almost pressed our faces against the glass and found Clara.


    ¡°Hey, here they come!¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s great.¡±


    Clara appeared, twinkling in gold.


    Theo, who looked just like Father, had a nervous face, and Isaac, who looked like Mother, glanced at us without anyone noticing.


    And I saw Clara in the middle. Wearing a White dress under beautiful lighting, she looked like a pure White Goddess.


    So pretty. She¡¯s pretty. Somehow I felt like I was watching my daughter getting married, so I wiped my tears with my sleeve.


    ¡°I¡¯m so touched.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really proud of her.¡±


    Louis laughed at me. Who cares? Our pretty Clara, please walk on a flowery path from now on.


    Looking happy, Clara was escorted by our two wonderful brothers and greeted the Emperor. It doesn¡¯t matter if she is adopted, she also been consolidates as a daughter of the Valentine¡¯s.


    And soon the dance time began.


    ¡°Is the first dance with Theo?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because he escorted her. Are you a fool?¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡±


    Theo and Clara looked pretty good together, too. Watching the two people dancing, I eagerly searched for Alex¡¯s whereabouts.


    ¡°Why are you there?¡±


    I ended up muttering to myself without realizing it. The Emperor grabbed Alex and was talking hard about something.


    Somehow I had an ominous feeling. Even if I intervened, the two expected the romance flag to bloom, but after this happened, the contact point between the two disappeared.


    Is this better for me? On top of that, Theo and Clara, who were dancing, somehow looked pretty good.


    ¡°Louis, Ciel! You¡¯re hungry, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Wow! Snacks!¡±


    Brother Isaac, who had just escorted sister, came towards us. Come to think of it, I was quite hungry because it was already late.


    For us who are cold and hungry outside, my brother gave us warm tea, cookies, and blankets from the kitchen. As expected, Isaac is the only one.


    Covering myself with a cozy blanket, I took a sip of the tea handed over by Isaac. The three of us sat side by side on the terrace and looked inside the colorful banquet hall with quality black tea with lemons on top of it.


    ¡°Hey, look over there.¡±


    Louis pointed. Finally Alex finished the conversation with his father and approached Clara.


    I knew this was gonna happen.


    ¡°Is the Prince asking Clara to dance?¡±


    ¡°What, is that real?¡±


    At Louis¡¯s words, Isaac was startled and slammed his head into the glass door.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Prince Alex is famous for his dislike of prom. He doesn¡¯t like dancing.¡±


    Even if Alex doesn¡¯t like it, the dance was very beautiful. Like in the novel itself, they both look like a real couple.


    Yeah, that¡¯s how it works. I wanted them to dance for a few more songs, but unfortunately, the two danced only one song and stepped back lightly.


    Now my mission is over, I relaxed but Clara suddenly started looking around and walked towards us.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Clara found three of us sitting side by side on the terrace. With no time to escape, the three of us were caught by Clara, who ran at the speed of light.


    ¡°Siel! How can you be here?¡±


    ¡°How did you know sister?¡±


    It was very funny how I wrapped my blanket around myself and had snacks in my mouth. I didn¡¯t know what to say, but Clara came up to me.


    Clara hugged me squatting on the floor without worrying about getting her dress dirty.


    ¡°Sister?¡±


    ¡°I heard something dangerous happened earlier.¡±


    Alex, you traitor. Why did you say that to her? Isaac, who doesn¡¯t know anything, interrogated Louis


    ¡°What do you mean by dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­you see Brother¡­¡±


    I left Clara¡¯s embrace to say the details. It was nerve-wracking, but it was amazing to see that I did it safely without shaking.


    ¡°Icame here to see you debut.¡±


    ¡°Siel.¡±


    ¡°Our Clara was the prettiest. She¡¯s best.¡±


    Before I knew it, Clara¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. I wiped away her tears gently and smiled softly. Clara shed tears and smiled back.


    ¡°What the hell are you guys doing here?¡±


    Finally, even Big brother Theo, who was looking for Clara, found us. Then Prince Alex approached us. Now that I¡¯m caught by the ever strict Theo, I¡¯ll have scold him later.


    It¡¯s all because of Alex. While Isaac was being scolded for bringing his younger siblings, I approached Alex who stood next to him and blamed him. ¡°Your highness, why did you tel sister?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you asking me to tell her that, is there any problem?¡±


    I was speechless when he proudly asked me what the problem was. Did he misunderstand when I said that he should dance with my sister as a means to let her know that I¡¯m here?


    For whatever reason, if it wasn¡¯t for Alex, Clara wouldn¡¯t even have noticed that I was here. Perhaps that¡¯s why, Clara wiped away her tears and thanked Prince Alex.


    ¡°Thank you very much for letting me know, Your highness. I almost didn¡¯t know my siblings were here.¡±


    ¡°I owe you one.¡±


    I like the warm atmosphere, but that¡¯s it. If we spend more time here,Mother might catch us.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to go back. Let¡¯s go, Clara.¡±


    Theo took Clara away and we, the remaining siblings slowly began to prepare to leave. I tried to get out of my seat after shaking off my dress, but Alex reached out to me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡±

 Chapter 11

    I didn¡¯t know what to do, so I held his hand and got up. Prince Alex even claimed to be my escort for some reason.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to talk to the Duchess.¡±


    While Isaac went to tell our mom that he was going home first, Alex guided us to the carriage in the darkness of the Imperial Palace.


    ¡°Hold my hands so you don¡¯t get lost.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Maybe it¡¯s because Alex is four years old, Louis deliberately walked holding only my hand, leaving him alone. Alex looked really cool, unlike our little idiot.


    Red eyes, which are in contrast to navy hair that sparkles like the night sky when the moon rises. It looked beautiful like well-made porcelain. My heart flutters seeing his face even though I know that it shouldn¡¯t be.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    I bowed my head because I was embarrassed. I could understand a little bit why the original Ciel hated Clara so much.


    It¡¯s no wonder to have a major crush on him when he¡¯s this cool. He¡¯s really dangerous to the heart.


    By the time we arrived at the carriage, Isaac, who had been running, caught up with us. After getting ready to go home, he greeted Alex with high spirits.


    ¡°Thank you very much for protecting my siblings, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°I should say thank you. Thanks to the Lady, things went smoothly.¡±


    I was a little helpful. It¡¯s true that instead of breaking the death flag, now you owe me a great debt for ruining the State Secretary¡¯s position, who will be a great threat in the future.


    By the way, I suddenly thought of Clara dancing with Theo.


    Alex is the male lead, but my activities completely broke the flag with Clara, the most important one.


    Alex and Clara should have continued in the way of the original, but the way they looked at each other while dancing was so neat and simple.


    To be honest, if Clara is not  happy, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to force her into the Palace.


    Now that this has happened, I thought that there is no need to overdo it to force the two of them together.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll get going now.¡±


    ¡°Did you say that you shouldn¡¯t be caught by the Duchess?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Come visit our mansion next time. I¡¯ll treat you to a delicious cake.¡±


    Let¡¯s not think complicatedly. Anyway, thanks to the Prince¡¯s cooperation, I have achieved everything I wanted today.


    Clara was able to make a perfect debut safely as I planned, so somehow I felt relieved to have crossed a big mountain.


    If I break the original flag little by little, I will be able to get rid of the evil Ciel¡¯s deeds and have a true happy ending with my sister and precious family.


    In order to do so, I also need to maintain a good relationship with Alex, who will be the future Crown Prince.


    ¡°I¡¯ll visit you soon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    Fortunately, he was also indebted to me, so he gladly accepted my proposal.


    I don¡¯t know if Clara gets to like Alex, but I don¡¯t have to force her to marry him if they don¡¯t like each other.


    We¡¯re acquainted. We can maintain that form. Anyway, I thanked Alex for actively cooperating with today¡¯s plan.


    The carriage began to run. Isaac deliberately lifted me up from where I was sitting and put me on his lap.


    ¡°Ciel, it¡¯s good to help His Highness the Prince, but you can¡¯t get involved in anything dangerous.¡±


    Perhaps because he heard about Count Ruben, Isaac repeatedly asked me as if he was overprotective.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Louis protected me, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    To be exact, he protected me by attacking the villain¡¯s crotch. Louis was quite elated by my praise, but Isaac¡¯s hardened expression showed little signs of being relieved.


    ¡°Why are you so worried, brother?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it, of course! Ciel¡¯s so cute, I¡¯m just wondering what to do if he falls in love with you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous.¡±


    Louis immediately snorted at Isaac¡¯s concern. Anyway, Louis can¡¯t stand to see me being praised. It¡¯s all empty words, so it doesn¡¯t hurt me even if he tries to.


    Louis¡¯s words are mean, but I decided to let it go today because I saw him throw himself to save me in the moment of crisis.


    And technically, he¡¯s not wrong. Alex doesn¡¯t like me, and he doesn¡¯t like Ciel to be exact .


    For him, who was often criticized for his mother¡¯s status, Ciel, who had everything, couldn¡¯t have looked nice.


    ¡°You can¡¯t have a crush on him.¡±


    You¡¯ve been kind to me for some reason today, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s because you helped me destroy the Empress.


    Anyway, I won¡¯t tell you to like me, so please don¡¯t kill me. It¡¯s enough to be acquainted.


    ¡°But you never know.¡±


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m sleepy.¡±


    Anyway, Isaac is so fussy that it¡¯s a problem. I was so tired because I did so much work today.


    I fell asleep, leaning gently in Isaac¡¯s arms.


    3. Let¡¯s go to the Palace!


    After the night of the ball, Alex met his father, the Emperor, as soon as the morning sun started shining brightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s Alex.¡±


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    He was lucky. If Marquis Romford had taken over as Secretary of State, it would have been a huge obstacle.


    Until yesterday, the Emperor, who had no justification to support Alex as the Crown Prince, looked over the mountain of data in front of him.


    The Emperor could not recklessly use his hands as he is the axis of power that divides the country.


    The Emperor¡¯s sister and the absolute support of the nobles was due to her husband, who had already died.


    A long time ago, the late Emperor granted the title of Grand Duke and the hand of the Royal Princess to honor the mercenary who had dealt with the Black Dragon, who lashed the Empire for a long time.


    This was good to hear, and the reason why the Emperor gave up the precious imperial daughter was to make the Dragon Land, Winterbaum Estate, which was occupied by mercenaries, a part of the Imperial Family.


    The mercenary cursed by the dragon died less than a year after marrying the Princess, and Stan, their son, lost his father even before he was born.


    The mercenary died and Princess Lotte returned to the Imperial Family with the ownership of the Winterbaum Estate, which boasts a vast scale.


    Having married a mercenary brought her immense wealth; Lotte was called ¡°The Poor Princess who sacrificed herself for the Empire¡± and gained immense popularity among both commoners and nobles.


    Even though Princess Lotte¡¯s popularity has plumetted because she¡¯s done many bad things, she still wields an enormous power with the title of a Royal Princess with full legitimacy.


    Therefore, the Emperor could not recklessly put Alex on the Crown Prince¡¯s seat as his younger sister was wary of it.


    Of course, considering his ability, he should have named him successor earlier, but due to his mother¡¯s humble background, this was hampered.


    This is technically not Alex¡¯s fault, but the Emperor¡¯s. Perhaps that¡¯s why the Emperor felt guilty whenever he saw Alex.


    ¡°Did you call for me?¡±


    ¡°You did well yesterday. I heard he stepped on my toes{1} and betrayed my trust by breaking the faith I placed on him.¡±


    In the face of his father¡¯s anger, he calmly arranged his composition.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the inevitable rush of the matter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I put you in trouble. I¡¯m proud of you, my son.¡±


    It was not easy to hear the praise of the Emperor. It was even rare for a son to be particularly favorited.


    Still, if you made such a visible contribution, the story is different. Alex, the eldest son, and Stan, the heir of the Grand Duchy of Winterbaum; both fight for the seat of the Crown Prince.


    Although the two were sharply divided, the Emperor pushed hard this time, as soon as the problem of the Empress was found.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make you the Crown Prince soon.¡±


    The Emperor still looked at his son with cold eyes. As it is a good opportunity, Alex would have taken this chance in the past, but he changed his mind.


    Alex shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s still too early.¡±


    ¡°Early?¡±


    Facing the wary face of the Emperor, Alex felt bitter that all his thoughts had been read. He was blinded by revenge, and revealed his feelings too much.


    Alex calmly looked back at the reality he was in.


    ¡°As my Father said, there are still many things that I am not good enough at.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re saying such a humble thing. The sun must have rose in the west today.¡±


    His son, who had always been looking forward to the day he would be the Crown Prince, had a slightly different atmosphere today.


    The Emperor carefully observed his son¡¯s transformation. Despite his young age, his mature appearance as well as his cautious and calm attitude was so charismatic that even the Emperor cannot treat him lightly.


    He was the emperor¡¯s sore finger. After the mysterious death of his mother, Alex quickly became less talkative. The Empress tried to dispose of him, but the Emperor stopped her.


    It was the only thing he could do as a father.


    ¡°I see. What do you wish for? You are being so humble.¡±


    Even if he becomes the Crown Prince, how long will he be able to maintain his position without a foundation yet?


    Suddenly, a good idea came to his mind. Alex found the answer to the possibility that his father had already proposed. It¡¯s something that will not only satisfy his personal interests but also solidify the Crown Prince position.


    However, he shouldn¡¯t reveal what he was thinking. Like surfing drunk in the water. You should act and speak in moderation so your opponent cannot read what¡¯s inside your mind.


    ¡°I think the time has come to prepare for my marriage.¡±


    ¡°You are gonna do it yourself?¡±


    A Royal marriage is rather early. Even so, his father knew best that Alex wasn¡¯t going to listen to the Emperor¡¯s orders.


    If it¡¯s a marriage proposal for which Alex wanted to postpone attaining the position of Crown Prince, which he longed for. How will the Emperor react?


    He looked up and down at his son with a curious look.


    ¡°Okay. Maybe you met someone who took your heart last night, right?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t deny it.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    Notes :

 Chapter 12

    If you¡¯re going to aim to be the next Emperor, you have to choose carefully. None of the nobles¡¯ daughters at yesterday¡¯s banquet was worthy of being considered the Crown Princess of the Empire.


    Clara, the older daughter of House Valentine, was the highest in status; but since she is a foster daughter, it is too much to expect full support from the Valentine¡¯s, even if it¡¯s for the sake of the Emperor.


    If you are going to bring the woman you want into the Palace as the Crown Princess, you need to make greater efforts to become the Crown Prince in the future.


    When his son intentionally gave him room to misunderstand, the Emperor asked back with a pensive gaze.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the kid I think it is.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the one father has in mind, or maybe not.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Alex deliberately caused confusion with an ambiguous answer. If his attempt is successful, the girl who loves her sister will also step into the Palace.


    It¡¯s not too late to find out more about why she helped him and what she wants. He saved his words, leaving a moderate margin for the Emperor.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s too early. But it¡¯s safe to just make an announcement.¡±


    The vague answers were mixed. Alex¡¯s cautious approach was quite serious. This much means that it is not a joke at least, so the Emperor clicked his tongue while looking at him seriously.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re trying to go on a difficult path. I don¡¯t have the confidence to help you either.¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not easy to get what you want.¡±


    ¡°You must be pretty confident, though.¡±


    He spoke humble words with his mouth, but his expression was not at all. Alex stared at his father with a calm face.


    * * *


    Clara¡¯s social debut ended safely. Count Ruben screamed and ran, so I thought things would get bigger, but fortunately, the fact that I and Louis went out was quietly buried in the dark.


    On the weekend morning, at breakfast time with the whole family, my father belatedly congratulated Clara on her debut.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I couldn¡¯t keep my promise, Clara.¡±


    ¡°No, Father. Brother Theo and Isaac escorted me.¡±


    ¡°I know, right?. Everyone¡¯s talking about our Clara.¡±


    I found a very good sign. A word that came out so naturally from the Duchess¡¯ mouth. ¡®Our Clara¡¯. It was a title that contained many changes.


    Of course, it may be because I stuck by her every day and brainwashed her into liking Clara; but the friendly title from mother¡¯s mouth saved Clara¡¯s face.


    I sneaked a glance at Mrs Lisbon¡¯s eyes. It is no exaggeration to say that the number of employees who treat Clara carelessly has decreased significantly, perhaps because she has become close to our parents and made her officially debut into society as Valentine¡¯s daughter.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told. Especially Theo, it must have been a sudden situation, but thank you for taking care of it without panicking.¡±


    ¡°I just did what was natural.¡±


    Theo, who will succeed his father in the future as Valentine¡¯s head, accepted the compliment with his dignified appearance.


    Despite the sudden situation, the Duke was very happy that he managed to finish his daughter¡¯s debut ball, which was a big event, safely.


    ¡°Isaac also came to the party for some reason. Normally, he would never have come without Ciel.¡±


    ¡°Because father wasn¡¯t there.¡±


    Isaac made such an excuse without wetting his lips. Whether it was true or not, it was really great news for the Duke of Valentine, who values harmony.


    There was someone who was left alone in such a friendly atmosphere, and he was our youngest son, Louis.


    ¡°Hmm. Everyone likes Clara.¡±


    Louis was sulking because of the lack of attention.


    He also protected me by even confronting Count Ruben, so my father would have praised him greatly if he knew.


    However, if I tell my parents about it, things will get bigger, so I decided to keep it a secret that only my siblings know.


    Louis, who was not recognized by our parents, had a very sad face. I can¡¯t help it. I have no choice but to step up. I came down from the chair on purpose and went to Louis¡¯s side.


    ¡°Ciel likes brother Louis, too.¡±


    Do you know that I call you ¡°brother¡± but only when you¡¯re sad? When I approached on purpose and patted his head, all the eyes of the family gathered.


    ¡°You both were bored staying at home, right? I¡¯ll make sure to take you next time.¡±


    ¡°It was okay because my brother took good care of me. Thank you, brother.¡±


    When I said that Louis, who usually likes to bully me and calls me ugly or stupid, took good care of me; mom and dad felt proud. Louis¡¯ face was smiling broadly even though he pretended not to be because of the obvious compliment.


    It was an atmosphere to talk around. At the end of the breakfast, the Duke of Valentine prepared a gift for Clara and gathered the whole family after a long time.


    ¡°I was late this time trying to save this. Actually, I wanted to give it to you yesterday, but it was too late because of the heavy rain.¡±


    ¡°Where did you get this?¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d like it, so I got it. Raise them well.¡±


    Although it looks like a piece of grass to me, Clara even shed tears and loved it.


    It turned out that Dad gave Clara a present, a precious herb seedling that was hard to find.


    ¡°Clara has made her social debut now, so it¡¯s Ciel¡¯s turn.¡±


    Suddenly, the arrow came back to me. When everyone¡¯s eyes were on me, I rolled my eyes and looked away


    ¡°Ciel is not going to get married and will live with her mom and dad for the rest of her life.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t kidding. I meant it. Still, Theo, who was usually a little cold, looked very happy just today, perhaps because Clara was smiling broadly.


    My precious family. I can do anything to keep this peace.


    Then, the butler hurried to find father.


    ¡°Mr. Duke, excuse me for a moment.¡±


    It was rare for this to happen unless it was a very important matter. My father looked at me with a very embarrassed face while listening to the butler¡¯s whispering.


    What¡¯s going on? When the butler left, father asked my mother with a troubled face.


    ¡°Honey, a moment.¡±


    Maybe it was a secret that the children should not listen, but dad whispered something in my mother¡¯s ear. Mom also looked at my face and dad alternately with a very embarrassed face.


    ¡°What? Did we get caught?¡±


    ¡°No way.¡±


    Things get complicated if you¡¯re caught sneaking out without your parents knowing. If mother finds out, the expected punishment is roughly in her hands.


    The most likely possibility is no snacks. I can¡¯t stand being unable to eat my beloved macaroons, cake and cookies. Please don¡¯t ban snacks.


    Clara noticed the suspicious smell of her parents and gave Theo a wink.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get up now that we¡¯re done eating. And Clara, stay back for a while.¡±


    No matter how hard you try, children cannot beat their parents.


    Perhaps they knew that we were looking around on our own, but my parents sent all my brothers out and left my sister alone at the dining room.


    ¡°I want to eat a little more of this.¡±


    ¡°Huh, alright.¡±


    I went on a sit with apple crumble full of crispy cookies and rich apple jam and sweet vanilla ice cream in front of them.


    The privilege of children to finish their dessert. By showing my unruly behavior, I stayed until the end and ate dessert hard while my brothers were kicked out.


    It was delicious, but there was a lot. I felt full like I would die, but when I finished eating, I had to go out, so I ate happily with my mouth while crying inside.


    Oh, my stomach.


    ¡°May I ask what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Actually, Your Majesty suddenly called you into the Palace today.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Well, Clara, what did you talk about with Prince Alex on the day of the ball?¡±


    Clare and I exchanged our eyes and tried to do something else.


    Originally, Alex, who would not attend a ball because of his lack of interest, talked closely with Clara.


    The main character, Buff! I thought things were all messed up because I twisted a lot of the original plot, but the two seem to be becoming an official couple somehow.


    I watched my sister answer with excitement.


    ¡°Well, we didn¡¯t talk much.¡±


    How can you not lie like that? I feel sorry to see Clara acting as a robot.


    Still, my parents didn¡¯t take that as an issue. The emperor told her to come, so she has to enter the Palace. It seems like everything is going well, but I feel like it¡¯s going to be ruined.


    Although it is not very pleasant to meet the Emperor, it is not advisable to send her alone.


    ¡°Sister, are you going to the palace? Me too, I¡¯m coming.¡±


    ¡°But honey, Ciel¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you think? Do you want to go see the Palace in the city, too?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Hooray for our dad¡¯s daughter complex. I said I wanted to go and he eagerly agreed without questioning. Clara, who looked anxious, was happy when I said I was going with her.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I go with Ciel? Please!¡±


    Even Clara, who had never asked for a usual request, went out. The mother, who said no at first, reluctantly allowed the two daughters to go.


    ¡°Anyway, since you insist. Mrs. Lisbon, get them ready to go out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Thus the entry of my sister to the Palace was decided. What the hell was going to happen, I glanced at my sister and ate the last ice cream.


    TL/N: I want some ice cream too


    PR/N: it¡¯s funny cuz she thought she was playing them, but actually they played her lmao


    FC/N: I also want ice cream and go meet alex

 Chapter 13

    My family¡¯s carriage made its way through a huge door. Looking through the window, I saw an eagle crest, which represents the Imperial family.


    The Imperial Palace looked majestic in broad daylight. But as I looked at the massive wall that preserved the Empire¡¯s history, I couldn¡¯t help but feel uncomfortable.


    Of course, there¡¯s no need for me to be worried.


    Since the Duchy of Valentine is one of the Empire¡¯s pillars, the soldiers opened the gate without inspecting the carriage.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since you¡¯ve been to the Palace, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Actually, I came a few days ago, but it was a secret from my dad, so I nodded fervently. Ciel seemed to have been in and out of the Palace a lot before she was five years old but had no recollection of it, and she has only entered a few times since then.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything from my childhood.¡±


    The Palace is a scary place. I¡¯m not sure who specifically summoned Clara, and I¡¯m not sure what would happen if she showed up on her own.


    There is nothing I can do. I have no choice but to step up. Instead of my sister who was so scared and nervous, I climbed up on my father¡¯s legs and grumbled.


    ¡°I want to see inside the Palace.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s meet His Majesty together.¡±


    Meeting the Emperor is both a dilemma and a blessing.


    It would be much easier to move on to the next phase if Clara, who lacks support, catches the Emperor¡¯s eye.


    On the other hand, my timid sister was looking at her hands with a very gloomy face.


    ¡°Maybe I made a mistake on the day of the ball?¡±


    What is she so anxious about? I stared at Clara while sitting on Father¡¯s thighs.


    I get frustrated when I see good people, like Clara, who blame themselves for all that has happened to them, as opposed to me, who blames others even when the wind blows[1].


    This is so infuriating. If this continues, I have no choice but to intervene.


    So I said firmly,


    ¡°No! You didn¡¯t make any mistakes.¡±


    ¡°How does Ciel know that?¡±


    ¡°Cause I¡¯ve been watching from beginning to end¡­!¡±


    I shouldn¡¯t be proud to say that I¡¯ve watched it. Father tilted his head for a moment during my outburst; then he picked me up and had me sit in front of him.


    Damn it, I got caught. Father, who had been staring at me suspiciously, looked me in the eyes and began questioning.


    ¡°Your mother told me that you were at home with Louis that day. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Father, that¡¯s!¡±


    It¡¯s easier to deceive Mother than it is to deceive Father. But he didn¡¯t seem surprised, and he responded naturally.


    Since I¡¯ve already been caught, I might as well confess.


    ¡°I really wanted to see my sister¡¯s debut. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Father, His Majesty the Prince also showed up and helped them enter without any problems.¡±


    No, don¡¯t do this to me. Sister has been steadily exposing me.


    ¡°His Highness helped you?¡±


    It¡¯s a good thing we didn¡¯t tell her that we¡¯d met Count Ruben while he was searching for the documents.


    Clara had no knowledge of the documents; all she knew was that the Prince had found Louis and me, who had gotten lost.


    Fortunately, my alibi worked. It would be suspicious if I were the one who said it, but Father easily trusted Sister¡¯s words.


    ¡°I owe His Highness a great favor.¡±


    ¡°Are you not angry?¡±


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t dangerous, I might¡¯ve been. But it was safe, so it¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    That means if I told the truth, I¡¯d be in big trouble. The carriage stopped at a good time. I debated whether or not to talk about what happened with Count Ruben, but I decided to shut my mouth.


    Father was the first to step out of the carriage and he then assisted Clara.


    ¡°Duke Valentine, your daughters are with you today.¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is my eldest daughter, Clara, who debuted a few days ago, and the younger one is Ciel. Both of you, say ¡®hello¡¯ to Marquis Norton.¡±


    Since Father was unable to attend Clara¡¯s debut due to the heavy rain on that day, it was speculated that the Duke purposely skipped her debut ball.


    Perhaps that¡¯s why Father was so careful with his word. But humans are very short-sighted.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the rumor. You are the lovely daughter who resembles Eve.¡±


    Marquis Norton immediately approached me and pretended to be close, ignoring Clara, who was standing next to me.


    Clara is merely a foster daughter, while I am a biological daughter.


    The Duke even adores his youngest daughter, who resembles the Duchess of Valentine. Rumor has spread throughout the Empire.


    Still, it is impolite to treat people as though they are invisible, even though they are right in front of them.


    I¡¯m still young, but I can¡¯t believe Clara, who was expected to make her social debut and attract everyone¡¯s attention, was overlooked.


    It¡¯s the worst.


    ¡°Sister, I¡¯m scared of this guy.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    With a frightened look on my face, I hid behind Clara.


    Father spoke to the Marquis with a distressed face as I seemed to be about to break into tears.


    ¡°Please understand that our youngest daughter closely follows her older sister¡±


    ¡°Well, I see. You did say her name is Lady Clara?¡±


    Father was completely appalled when Marquis Norton pretended that he had just seen Clara.


    After experiencing countless issues I didn¡¯t appreciate, I stuck out my head and questioned my sister.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a suspicious man?¡±


    For a brief moment, Marquis Norton was taken aback by my words, which made him appear to be like a kidnapper.


    Clara pushed me back behind her and patted my head.


    ¡°That¡¯s weird. He said a lot of nice things about me. He¡¯s a good man.¡±


    ¡°Really? If sister likes him, then Ciel likes him too. I¡¯m sorry, mister.¡±


    When I smiled and reached out my hand, all the adults around me smiled at my father and were pleased.


    Marquis Norton thanked Clara and held my hand tightly when I changed my attitude thanks to my sister¡¯s words, who had been very cautious since earlier.


    ¡°Hmm, don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve been holding my hand for too long?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry Lady Ciel.¡±


    Father was annoyed by what he saw and became envious.


    After Marquis Norton drew back his hand, Father took me in his arms as if to show off.


    He held me with one arm and held Clara¡¯s hand with the other.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Clara.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Father.¡±


    I always knew my mother was stunning, so it was difficult to notice, but seeing him like this made me realize it.


    Father in a red cape and a Duke¡¯s uniform is also particularly impressive.


    As Father walked proudly with us, his two daughters, I could hear the voices of the countless vassals around the palace.


    ¡°Father, I still don¡¯t like the guy from before.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t like him either.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing.¡±


    If I hadn¡¯t properly heard it, I would have simply ignored it.


    Even if he risked being noticed by an innocent child, Father couldn¡¯t help but admit that he disliked the Marquis as well.


    People would have certainly discriminated against Clara and me if I hadn¡¯t solved this little by little.


    It goes against my aesthetics.


    ¡°The Duke of Valentine and his two daughters have arrived.¡±


    ¡°Let them in.¡±


    Thankfully, the Emperor was unconcerned about my presence. As Father put me down, we stood side by side in the middle of the aisle, looking at the Emperor.


    ¡°Christopher Valentine meets His Majesty Gregory III, Lord of the Empire.¡±


    ¡°Clara Valentine meets His Majesty Gregory III, the Lord of the Empire.¡±


    ¡°Ciel Valentine meets the Lord of the Empire, uh, I mean, His Majesty III.¡±


    I was doing well until my pronunciation got twisted in the middle. The Emperor frowned and looked at me.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you Ciel? What brings you to the Palace?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Your Majesty.¡±


    Oh, no. This is awkward.


    As I was rolling my baby hairs with my fingertips, the Emperor himself came down from his throne and walked right up to me¡­


    Then he held me in his arms.


    I knew this would happen. That¡¯s why I wasn¡¯t happy.


    ¡°Oh, my God. You¡¯ve grown up.¡±


    His Majesty has a bad habit of behaving roughly with children.


    Unlike her father, who is lean, His Majesty the Emperor is muscular. It was already frightening enough when a bandit-like man picked up her tiny body without warning.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to play ¡®High¡¯ for the first time in a long time.¡±


    The Emperor even threw me into the air as high as he could.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±


    When Clara saw me being tossed into the air, she was terrified, but Dad simply sighed and reassured her.


    For the Emperor, Ciel is a special girl. He even remembers her birthday every year.


    I, who usually never leaves Valentine¡¯s mansion, and was not even summoned today, came on my own. The Emperor was overjoyed and started throwing me as hard as he could.


    ¡°How long has it been?¡±


    Is this a favor or revenge? Yeah, it must be revenge.


    When my body flies through the air, my survival instinct kicks in, and I¡¯m not having fun.


    I wanted to scream at the Emperor and puke on him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even call you today but you showed up all by yourself!¡±


    I got motion sickness, and my eyes were spinning. His Majesty, as a former Swordmaster, should be able to catch me easily.


    But I don¡¯t want this anymore.


    What should I do to stop him?


    ¡°His Majesty the Emperor is so nice.¡±


    Of course, there is a reason why the Emperor is so nice.


    This is a big secret, but the Emperor actually has a crush on Eve, the current Duchess of Valentine, and my mother.


    The Emperor¡¯s real feelings, which were revealed just a day before Ciel¡¯s death, have been the most significant catalyst for the Prince and the Emperor to face each other head-on.


    ¡°Cute one. You look just like your mother when she was a kid.¡±


    I could see why the Emperor was fond of me. He¡¯s reminiscing about the time when he was looking at my mother, whom he used to adore.


    But I¡¯m not happy at all. I don¡¯t want to be a substitute for my mother.


    ¡°It stings!¡±


    To be honest, I am fortunate that this kind of person is not my father. First of all, he is not considerate.


    My father doesn¡¯t even grow his beard in case I get hurt. The insensitive Emperor decided to ¡°bubibubi¡±[2] with his rough bearded cheeks.


    I¡¯d like for this to end, but both Father and Sister looked very proud at the Emperor¡¯s affection towards me. They shouldn¡¯t empathize with this.


    ¡°Your Majesty. Lady Valentine looks very troubled. How about letting her go?¡±


    I really want to cry because my tingling cheek hurts, thankfully my salvation arrived.


    It was Prince Alex. Only after he was scolded by his son did the Emperor realize that I was getting annoyed.


    ¡°Troubled? Oh, I forgot to shave my beard today. Does it hurt a lot?¡±


    It really hurts. The Emperor¡¯s beard scratched my cheek. As soon as the Emperor lowered me to the floor, I quickly hid behind my sister¡¯s skirt.


    ¡°Huh, it really did hurt.¡±


    The embarrassed Emperor finally stared at Clara. Given that he called Clara in the first place, he should give her his attention.


    ¡°Why did you call my sister?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I called you because I had a few questions.¡±


    Even when the flags are removed, the story still follows a predetermined order. When Clara first got into trouble in the original story, the Emperor summoned her and interrogated her like this.


    The Emperor began to look closely at Clara as if he was looking at his future daughter-in-law.


    Of course, there is no need to be concerned with what the Emperor says. I¡¯ll be there for my sister. I am confident in my ability to protect her.


    But then,


    ¡°While the adults are talking, I would like to give Lady Ciel a tour of the palace.¡±


    This male lead suddenly struck a candle. [3]


    He unexpectedly suggested a tour while glancing at me, who was clinging to my sister like chewing gum.


    I¡¯m already a distraction from their love. I wanted to refuse because I didn¡¯t like it, but Father already agreed.


    ¡°That¡¯s great; Ciel had been looking forward to seeing the Palace. Please do.¡±


    I was about to seriously refuse but it seemed difficult to do so.


    Even if Father was right there with me, I couldn¡¯t be too sure; I couldn¡¯t refuse without a good reason.


    ¡°But I¡¯d like to be next to Clara¡­¡±


    ¡°Lady, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Alex started talking without waiting for me to open my mouth. He then took my hand in his and squeezed it tightly. It seems like we¡¯re in the same situation as last time.


    But if I leave like this, what will happen to Clara?


    ¡°Father!¡±


    ¡°Have fun. Ciel.¡±


    Why are you sending me away so easily?


    Maybe it was my punishment for going to the ball without my parents¡¯ knowledge and my father, who I thought was a good man, excluded me on purpose.


    I didn¡¯t expect to get hit in the back of the head[4] like this. I had no choice but to hold Alex¡¯s hand and leave the room.


    Notes:

 Chapter 14

    The Imperial Palace¡¯s inner hallway, which was decorated with marble, had eagle engravings in several places. I didn¡¯t realize it until I saw the golden vase in the corridor and the huge portrait hanging at the stairwell¡¯s entrance that my eyes had moved quite high.


    As I walked down the hallway, I noticed something strange.


    If I leave the mansion, at least four maids will accompany me, including Merrill, my closest maid.


    Even Clara has two maids close by to keep her safe.


    But despite his status as a Prince, Alex had no attendant following him.


    That wasn¡¯t the only thing. The attendants bowed their heads slightly as we walked down the hallway, but at the same time, they seemed to ignore the two of us.


    Alex continued on his way without looking back. Is there actually no one in the Imperial Palace who supports Alex?


    The Prince came to a halt after walking for a long time and arriving at an empty location.


    Alex turned and looked at me after checking that no one was watching. What was the point of getting me here?


    He finally managed to say something after a long time.


    ¡°The papers you gave me last time were very useful.¡±


    I looked up at Alex¡¯s face. Alex looks like the Emperor, just as Theo looks like our father.


    It¡¯s not surprising that he¡¯s strong since his father was a swordmaster. Alex will get stronger as time goes by. He is the most powerful person in history, but because he was still young, he was treated poorly in the Palace.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad it helped.¡±


    ¡°Exactly as you said, this certainly worked out in my favor. I¡¯ll say thank you for now.¡±


    If you¡¯re thankful, all you have to say is ¡°thank you.¡± So why are you using the word ¡°now¡±? What else do you have to be grateful for?


    Well, since I did something useful this time, I need to make sure that he doesn¡¯t forget about it.


    ¡°You¡¯re very grateful, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m no longer thankful after hearing that.¡±


    That¡¯s despicable. However, becoming annoyed like this would threaten the plan to form alliances with the future ruler. So I just smiled and slowly pretended to be close to him.


    ¡°If you¡¯re just grateful, tell me honestly that you¡¯re grateful, Future Crown Prince.¡±


    Alex stared at me with a confused expression as I poked him in the ribs.


    ¡°The future Crown Prince? Do you think I can be the Crown Prince?¡±


    Of course, I believe it is possible if my father helps and sees his promising future.


    It will be quite stressful, but if we do this well, it might also create an opportunity for Alex and Clara to be in a romantic atmosphere.


    So, as obviously as possible, I hinted at future plans.


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯ll be even better if you join hands with Valentine.¡±


    ¡°Join hands with Valentine?¡±


    It¡¯s not a suggestion that would come from a child¡¯s mouth, but pretending to be a child in front of Prince Alex is difficult.


    I needed to behave as if it was what someone told me, but at the same time, I need to express my thoughts as much as possible.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on, but I think you¡¯re in big trouble right now. So I felt it would be helpful to all of us if my family supported you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a dangerous statement.¡±


    That is something I am aware of. But I¡¯m just saying this because I¡¯m in front of the male lead; I wouldn¡¯t say something so crazy in front of other people.


    I was hoping for something as well. No matter how closely we stick to the original plot, I can protect my life once I step up and join hands with Alex, as long as I¡¯m Clara¡¯s reliable ally.


    ¡°I truly believe in it. The Prince is a lot better suited to be in the Crown Prince¡¯s position.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think so?¡±


    It¡¯s time to shower him with praises. In order to show my loyalty to Alex, I began to flatter him nonstop.


    ¡°Of course. You have excellent sword skills, a good head, and above all, you won¡¯t walk past anyone in need.¡±


    Yeah, that¡¯s why I liked you. With my love for my former favorite character, I praised him as much as I could.


    I would feel very bad if Alex can¡¯t be the Crown Prince because I twist the original plot too much.


    So, he must become Crown Prince.


    Alex, who had been listening to me speak for a long time, asked back with a ridiculous expression.


    ¡°Who the hell told you that?¡±


    I guess I got a little too excited. I tried to change the subject by acting dumb, but it seems that it may be too late.


    ¡°That¡¯s, uh, uh, no. I  thought about it on my own.¡±


    Whatever I say, whatever a child says will always sound ridiculous to adults, no matter how serious I am.


    In the first place, people only looked at my appearance and didn¡¯t care much about what I was saying. No matter how serious I am, they will only find my words amusing.


    I don¡¯t think anyone ever listened to me, so I didn¡¯t expect Alex to listen to any of my nonsense.


    ¡°So, what do you want me to do in the future?¡±


    ¡°I do not know, but shouldn¡¯t you have to live safely? The Crown Prince has to be alive for anything to be possible.¡±


    It¡¯s very risky to be a Prince and a candidate to become a Crown Prince. In fact, it is said that you will most likely die during the fight for the throne.


    But right now I need to introduce Clara¡¯s role properly.


    ¡°My sister, she¡¯s an amazing person.¡±


    ¡°Strangely, you¡¯re only passionate when you talk about your sister.¡±


    Damn it. I got caught.


    I couldn¡¯t help but accept that I¡¯d already been caught, so I collected my thoughts and continued speaking about what I wanted to say.


    ¡°My sister knows a lot about herbs. I¡¯m just saying this just in case, but if someone tries to poison you, she can help you.¡±


    ¡°Poison.¡±


    ¡°Poison doesn¡¯t just kill people. Some grasses can cause stomach ache.¡±


    Louis was particularly interested in Clara¡¯s explanation of how the petals of herbal medicine, where the roots are used as medicine, can also be used as poison.


    Sister Clara. Can you get it for me?


    I was curious as to what he planned to do with it, and I realized he¡¯d eat the petal if he had to do something unpleasant, such as attend a tea party with Mother.


    The poison in the petals triggers a half-day to a full day of fever and abdominal pain.


    Mother would usually take Louis to tea parties. Since Theo is the next successor and Isaac joined the Knights early, both of them are preoccupied.


    I seldom had to leave the mansion because I am a precious daughter. As a result, Louis, who went to a tea party with Mother, earned the ladies¡¯ quirkiness.


    And Louis said that he does not want to attend another tea party after experiencing one.


    In the end, Louis intentionally faked his illness just because he didn¡¯t want to go to a tea party with Mother.


    ¡°Faking illnesses. Interesting.¡±


    Clara, despite being a Hogu [1], deserves to be able to use her power. To sum it up, maintain a close relationship with Clara and seek her support.


    Whether they¡¯re dating or just flirting, they¡¯ll do fine on their own as long as they¡¯re together. I¡¯m not worried about that.


    However, because of my greed, I don¡¯t want Clara to become a one-dimensional character who exists solely for the sake of love.


    Since you were born as the main character, you have to find love, earn a lot of money, attain honor, succeed at your job, and have everything you want.


    As a result, anyone who sees you will gain strength as well.


    So, in order to fulfill my ambition of Clara working as a royal pharmacist for the Crown Prince in the future, I deliberately recommended my sister to Alex.


    Alex took a close look at me as if I were suspicious of doing something.


    ¡°You don¡¯t hate your sister?¡±


    Hate her? Yeah. That is a possibility. To be honest, I¡¯m annoyed that she¡¯s such a Hogu and such a nice girl; she¡¯s also taking up so much of my energy.


    If it weren¡¯t for Clara, I would have been called the distinguished daughter, not the youngest daughter of Valentine, and would have been highly respected.


    But,


    ¡°How can I hate her?¡±


    Despite the terrible harassment, Clara never blamed Ciel.


    Far from hating her, she cried. Even at the moment where Alex sentenced Ciel to death, she kept asking for her sister to be saved.


    Because I¡¯m her younger sister.


    I cried a lot as I watched her try to hide and cover up my wrongdoings.


    Sister Clara, how can you still save me?


    I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do that. So, how can people like my older sister be so foolish?


    ¡°It¡¯s really sad to lose a family member. I don¡¯t want to lose my precious sister.¡±


    I, as an adult before entering Ciel¡¯s body, had one older sister.


    My parents died early, and my sister and I grew up together in an orphanage. My older sister, who grew up and became an adult, dedicated herself to becoming a nurse and raising me.


    Looking back, my sister was as tactless as Clara. I hated my sister the most in the world.


    Notes:

 Chapter 15

    Are you stupid? Are you an idiot? Just say no. What¡¯s so hard about that? Why do you always end up treated like that?


    Even after hearing my harsh criticism, she laughed rather than getting angry at me once. My sister, who couldn¡¯t say no to any demand and lived like a fool all her life, ended up caught in a fire accident and died because she accepted to change shifts like she always did since she was in school.


    At first, she had escaped safely but when she heard there were people trapped inside, she ran back in.


    I was amazed at the survivor¡¯s words. If she had stayed, she would have saved her life, but my sister, who foolishly jumped into the fire scene, saved the lives of more than 10 people.


    Among them, there was an old man and a five-year-old girl. I couldn¡¯t smile, even after leaving behind those who cried because of the joy of their precious family returning.


    After saving so many people, my sister couldn¡¯t escape from the huge flames.


    I don¡¯t think I can get back home. I¡¯m sorry.


    Only messages that could not be sent were left intact on my sister¡¯s phone, which was discovered after.


    I¡¯m not curious about why I came into this book. I no longer exist over there.


    However, one thing I realized is that I don¡¯t want to have the same regrets again.


    ¡°Family.¡±


    ¡°Yes, family. My sister is my precious family.¡±


    Just as Clara cared about me in place of her lost brother, I was also looking for traces of my sister who died in Clara.


    If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn¡¯t have been so hard on my sister by asking why she lived like such a fool.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to make you cry.¡±


    Tears streamed down my cheeks before I knew it. I thought I had forgotten about it already, but the traces of my sister still seemed to remain somewhere in my mind.


    ¡°I told you. I like my sister the most in the world.¡±


    I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t tell you when I was alive.


    PR/N: She¡¯s talking about her real sister and I¡¯m- :davscry:


    QC/N: (?©n?`?)


    Knowing that it would not be passed on, I recited the words that have become a habit now.


    Alex seemed quite embarrassed by me suddenly bursting into tears. He rummaged inside his pocket for something, took out a handkerchief, and stuck it out to me.


    ¡°Use this to wipe your tears.¡±


    I didn¡¯t mean to show you this. No matter how pretty Ciel is, when her eyes are swollen, she looks a bit ridiculous, so I pressed my eyes hard to wipe my tears.


    ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    Perhaps I wasn¡¯t doing it right, but Alex took away my handkerchief and wiped my teary face.


    It¡¯s a poor performance, but it was better than what I did.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve misunderstood thinking that you were being hypocritical to look good in front of me. I¡¯ll take this opportunity to apologize.¡±


    I was stunned by his tone that sounded as mature as I was.


    Hypocrisy. Well, it could look like that. He, who was hurt by the Empress, won¡¯t be able to understand my mind easily.


    I don¡¯t even want you to know how I feel. As long as this relationship doesn¡¯t get worse, that¡¯s enough.


    ¡°You really feel sorry, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    You didn¡¯t expect me to ask you this again, did you?


    ¡°If your Highness says so, I can¡¯t help it. I have no choice but to understand with a broad mind.¡±


    I stuck out my tongue slightly, saying it as if I was deliberately teasing him. It¡¯s not bad to add another debt like this. The more insurance, the better.


    ¡°You must want something from me.¡±


    ¡°Just like I said earlier. From what I heard from my brothers, I thought that the Prince was in a difficult situation.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to protect your sister instead?¡±


    I nodded my head quietly. Even the Empress can¡¯t do anything to me, Valentine¡¯s legitimate daughter, but Clara is different.


    Even though she¡¯s Valentine¡¯s daughter, she¡¯s still a foster daughter in an Empire with a strong status system. Moreover, her ability to grow herbs makes money. Above all, she has a pushover personality, so she is bound to get involved in some kind of accident.


    ¡°That¡¯s the way it is. Adults look at me first when we stand side by side. They don¡¯t even look at my sister.¡±


    ¡°She must be hurt.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so strange to me, and I¡¯m a child, why don¡¯t adults know that?¡±


    Alex stared at me without saying anything. I was wondering why he had such sad eyes and suddenly realized it.


    Clara and Alex got closer because the two were in a similar situation.


    Like Clara, who was bullied in the Valentine¡¯s family, Alex was holding out alone with the harassment of the Empress and her ministers.


    Alex was attracted to Clara because he saw himself in Clara, who was bullied endlessly.


    It feels like by taking Clara¡¯s side, I accidentally took Alex¡¯s side too.


    ¡°Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°The more I see it, the more I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re only ten years old.¡±


    Gina: yes, she¡¯s ten. Don¡¯t be a pervert dude.


    Yeah, I don¡¯t believe you¡¯re 14, you old man. I don¡¯t know who will catch whose faults, but I decided not to hide my true self in front of Alex.


    ¡°So let¡¯s make a deal. If the Valentine family can¡¯t help her, Your Highness will protect my sister.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡±


    ¡°At least I don¡¯t think Empress Lotte will treat my sister properly.¡±


    Even the Emperor¡¯s only son, Alex, is often bullied by the Empress, who took great pride in the fact that she is a legitimate descendant of the Imperial family.


    When Alex was still a child, she didn¡¯t hesitate to slander him, talking about how he came from the belly of an unknown woman.


    She was sorry she couldn¡¯t do anything as long as the temple admitted him, but anyway, the Empress always judges people by their status, so it¡¯s clear that Clara will be in trouble more than once even if we don¡¯t encourage her.


    ¡°It¡¯s late, but I¡¯ll show you the Palace.¡±


    Alex offered to escort me without waiting for a positive or negative answer. I didn¡¯t answer clearly, but it was definitely a positive sign.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You said you¡¯d guide me through the Palace, but instead, you made me cry; the Prince is a bad person.¡±


    Alex looked down at me and burst out laughing for some reason.


    Come to think of it, it¡¯s my first time seeing him smile. I didn¡¯t realize it because he always had an icy face.


    Looking at it like this, his smiling face was also very pretty.


    4. Proposal


    Alex couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Ciel, who was holding his hand and walking calmly.


    ¡®It¡¯s amazing.¡¯


    The more he saw her, the stranger she was. Ciel was the precious daughter of a Duke who seemed to have nothing to do with trouble or hardship.


    He never imagined that the word ¡°deal¡± would come out from the mouth of the precious lady.


    As far as he knows, Ciel has never lost her family. Nevertheless, Alex was upset when he saw Ciel understanding the pain of others.


    ¡°I envy your sister.¡±


    It would have been nice if he had a younger brother like this. But Ciel couldn¡¯t understand what he said, so she made an absurd remark.


    ¡°Of course. My sister should be pretty and smart.¡±


    He didn¡¯t mean it like that, but there¡¯s no reason to refute it. He calmly showed her around the Palace, leaving her to think as she pleased.


    ¡°This is a newly remodeled music room.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s so cool.¡±


    Starting with the white grand piano, there were various kinds of instruments lined up. Ciel looked around curiously and asked Alex.


    ¡°Can you play an instrument, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°I know how to play the violin.¡±


    Even though he learned enough to be cultured, he had never shown it to anyone except his teacher because he didn¡¯t want to appear to be lacking.


    You never know what kind of trouble you¡¯ll get in if you make a mistake.


    ¡°Can you play for me?¡±


    ¡°You want to hear it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I want to see Your Highness play.¡±


    Ciel sat down on the piano bench with her eyes shining brightly.


    It is difficult to refuse her request, as it requires Valentine¡¯s cooperation to officially become the Crown Prince.


    I can¡¯t help it. I have no choice but to play it.


    ¡°Wait a moment, sit down while I tune.¡±


    He handed a chair to his small audience and took out his favorite violin from the instrument box. After checking the notes, Alex asked with a serious face.


    ¡°Is there a song you want to listen to?¡±


    Ciel shook her head. Alex chose the song he was most confident in because she didn¡¯t seem to have a particular song she wanted to listen to. He picked up the bow lightly and caught the first note.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡±


    Early in the morning, the girl quietly closed her eyes and fell in love with the warm, fluttering melody that was as soft as a mountain bird chirping.


    Apparently, the name of the song was written to commemorate the greeting of love and the engagement of lovers.


    A beautiful melody filled the room. Ciel listened to his performance without taking a single breath.


    On a warm sunny afternoon, at least this space was as peaceful as if time had stopped.


    The melody stopped when the performance reached its climax and the note reached its peak. The performance ended with a fine melody.


    There was a pause. Only after Alex put down his bow did Ciel open her eyes. Clear eyes filled with greenery shone.


    ¡°That was truly amazing.¡±


    Ciel got up from her seat and applauded Alex.


    He missed a few beats in the middle, but Ciel didn¡¯t seem to have noticed anything like that.


    ¡°How can you play such a beautiful performance? You¡¯re amazing!¡±


    The enthusiastic response that was more than expected made him feel embarrassed and his face burned up. Feeling shy, he turned away.


    ¡°What instrument are you learning?¡±


    ¡°Piano. If I improve, I think it¡¯d be nice if we could play together.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to it.¡±


    He felt good about the compliments that poured out even though he knew it was something said without meaning.


    Alex glanced at Ciel. Then he recalled her proposal again.


    To draw the Duke of Valentine¡¯s cooperation, marriage is the surest means for the alliance. Alex came to a quick conclusion, as even the Emperor himself recommended it.


    As soon as he was about to start talking, a strange sound came from outside the door.


    ¡°What were you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Shush.¡±


    He heard a loud yell and the sound of bustling movement. Alex quickly lifted Ciel¡¯s body and hid it behind a window curtain.


    ¡°Hide. Don¡¯t make any noise or come out.¡±


    The situation was not good. Fortunately, Ciel nodded calmly.


    With a sigh of relief, Alex slowly approached the door. He didn¡¯t expect to meet ¡®that woman¡¯ on a day like today.


    It will probably be difficult to get through her safely. Alex clenched his fist and looked at the music room door.


    TL/N : I wanna hear him play the violin T ¨C T

 Chapter 16.1

    What the hell happened? It became noisier and noisier outside, and Alex was only looking at the music room¡¯s door.


    I had an ominous premonition that something bad was going to happen.


    ¡°Open the door!¡±


    The door of the music room opened with a bang, scared after hearing the thundering voice outside. There was no courtesy at all, without knocking even once, countless servants continued to come in when the door opened.


    Seeing that they were all well-dressed, I thought it was not normal, but soon after, a colorful lady appeared.


    Who was it? Who was it? A woman with strawberry blonde hair and a slightly grim impression.


    ¡°Her Majesty, do you have any business without prior notice?¡±


    You damn memory! It was Empress Lotte, Alex¡¯s enemy and his political opponent, who would bother me very much in the future.


    ¡°How dare you speak to me? You¡¯re talking with that uncivilized mouth. You lowly thing.¡±


    Strawberry blonde¡¯s beauty, which seemed treacherous and arrogant, had tremendous charisma, as expected of the Emperor¡¯s sister.


    Why are you so angry? Oh, I had a guess. If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s not unreasonable to get angry like that. It must be unfair that the Prime Minister¡¯s place for the Marquis of Romford, who worked hard, has disappeared.


    The eyes staring at Alex seemed to be ready to eat him, so I was nervous just from watching.


    But Alex didn¡¯t even blink once.


    ¡°Back off.¡±


    When the lady beckoned, the servants backed away. Suddenly, we became alone without a single observer. I wondered why, so I grabbed the curtain and watched the situation.


    ¡°How dare you.¡±


    The lady raised her hand to the utmost and slapped Alex on the cheek over and over again.


    Alex¡¯s head turned with the sound of a clap. The diamond of the ring on her hand shone exceptionally, and the decoration scratched Alex¡¯s face.


    Before he knew it, blood was flowing from his cheek, but Alex didn¡¯t moan once even after being hit like that.


    ¡°It¡¯s like you don¡¯t know the subject as a prostitute¡¯s son, and you¡¯re aiming to be the Crown Prince.¡±


    Now you¡¯re cursing at his mom. No matter how much you hate Alex, how can you use such a curse on the Prince¡¯s mother?


    Against the child who did not rebel, the woman began to trample on Alex¡¯s pride with all her might.


    The moment I tried to step up, Alex moved first.


    ¡°We have guests today. If you¡¯re angry, I¡¯ll take it as much as you want next time, so let¡¯s stop here today.¡±


    When Alex answered back, she shook her fist and even screamed.


    ¡°Angry? Are you going to lecture me now?¡±


    You poured oil over the fire[1]. Foolish Alex, I know you said it out of awareness of me, but that remark, which did not consider the listener at all, rather angered her.


    Alex¡¯s body collapsed on the floor because he couldn¡¯t stand the Princess¡¯s blow. The woman began to use her hands and feet.


    ¡°You better die, you better die!¡±


    QC/N: this bish ?? ?Òæ? ??


    The situation has become serious. Alex asked me not to come forward, and I barely held it in because I was afraid that I would make things more difficult if I went out for nothing.


    Even though it was this situation, there was no one outside looking into it. I could see why Alex would clench his teeth whenever he thought of Princess Lotte.


    You can¡¯t be on the same side as that person even if you wake up from death. If I leave it like this, I think Alex will get hurt badly. But even while being beaten like that, Alex was looking at me with a look saying, ¡°Don¡¯t come out.¡±


    Leaving it like this, it¡¯s not my life but Alex¡¯s that¡¯s in danger.


    I¡¯m sorry. I just can¡¯t get over it. I broke my promise with Alex and ran out of the curtain.


    ¡°Please stop!¡±


    As I abruptly popped out from behind the curtain, the woman looked perplexed. Oh, you should be surprised. My appearance is nothing short of a walking billboard.


    Glittering blond hair, emerald eyes that resemble my father.


    One more thing, she has known my mother since childhood, so she can¡¯t help but recognize me.


    ¡°Eve?¡±


    ¡°I see Your Highness, Lady Ciel Valentine greets you.¡±


    My mother, Eveness Rose Haddington, was originally the daughter of a simple count. Although she came from such a family, she had such outstanding beauty, that¡¯s why the Princess carried her like a pretty accessory since she was young.


    Meanwhile, when the current Emperor, who was the Crown Prince at that time, showed interest in my mother, she suddenly changed her attitude and began to ostracize her.


    You¡¯re from a poor family, and you¡¯re looking at the throne with greed all over your face!


    Her followers, both men, and women, began to exclude my mother.


    While being bullied so ridiculously, she met my father like it was fate.


    The two fell in love at first sight. And from the waves of passion, brother Theo was born.


    She not only became the Duchess of Valentine, but she also gave birth to a successor; Princess Lotte could no longer ignore my mother.


    So far, she has been getting along moderately well with my mother, only pretending to be superficially close to her.


    Maybe until today.


    Notes:


    [1] Making things worse

 Chapter 16.2

    I willingly blocked Alex from falling to the floor. It was only for a moment that she was startled, but Empress Lotte soon recognized me and scolded me severely.


    ¡°Get out of my way. The problems of the Imperial Palace are no place for a young lady to meddle.¡±


    ¡°But, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°How dare you! Did your mother teach you no manners for you to act so disrespectfully in front of the Empress?¡±


    This woman, she¡¯s really pissing me off. I felt my blood boiling when she cursed at my mom like that.


    Now it¡¯s really a tough situation. Ignoring what the Empress said, I didn¡¯t back down a step in front of Alex and stood up firmly.


    ¡°Violence is bad. Dad said it¡¯s a bad thing to hit people.¡±


    ¡°Get out of the way!¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t. I won¡¯t move.¡±


    Things got bigger when I stepped up. Alex got up, pulled my arm, and hid me behind him.


    ¡°I was giving Lady Ciel a tour of the Palace. Let¡¯s just send her back to her father and then we¡¯ll talk.¡±


    ¡°How dare you order me now!¡±


    Her hand flew in the air again. I didn¡¯t want to see Alex hit, so I shook off Alex¡¯s arm and jumped in front of the woman.


    Slap.


    The Princess¡¯s hand twisted and slapped me on the cheek this time. How hard did you want to hit me for my small body to fly away and fall to the floor?


    Ugh, it hurts. Surprised, Alex ran to me. The Princess panicked after hitting me, not knowing what to do.


    ¡°This, this is!¡±


    Oh, my. It hurts like hell. Do you really think you can screw with me?


    ¡°Ciel, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re bad. This is what happened because you ran in front of me.¡±


    Are you calling that an excuse? Anyway, the people who can¡¯t admit that they¡¯ve done something wrong, both men and women, are terrible.


    Now that this is the case, we must summon Superman. I shouted as hard as I could, pinching my thighs.


    ¡°Daddy¡­Daddy!!!¡±


    PR/N: lmao I love how she calls her dad superman and starts screaming xD


    QC/N: Same lmao so cute


    When I burst into tears with a tremendous cry, the two watching me were embarrassed.


    This was not a tear from sadness like before, but a cry full of anger and resentment.


    The loud cries of a child caused a commotion outside in the hall. And less than a minute later, the door to the music room suddenly opened.


    ¡°Ciel!¡±


    I knew this would happen. My father is a great wizard. I don¡¯t usually have to show it, but I remember it clearly.


    Using common sense, there¡¯s no way a person of that level wouldn¡¯t have put a safety device on the body of his beloved only daughter.


    If I get slapped on the cheek and fall down and cry, I¡¯m sure my father will solve it somehow. Honestly, if this is not the time to do this, when should I? Believing in my omnipotent father, I decided to act out as much as I could[2].


    ¡°Daddy! Daddy!¡±


    ¡°Our Ciel, you¡¯re surprised. Dad¡¯s here. You¡¯re fine now.¡±


    TL/N: superman is here


    ¡°Aaahhhhhhhhhhh!¡±


    I didn¡¯t intend to cry, but I was really angry and sad, so I cried. You can¡¯t hit Alex, and you can¡¯t ignore me no matter what I say.


    It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been ignored, so I¡¯m even angrier. I remembered the old memories of being ignored as an orphan, so I began to cry like crazy.


    The atmosphere became chilly not only in the room but also outside the room as if I was causing a scene. No matter how sweet and soothing my father was, I didn¡¯t stop crying easily.


    ¡°Ciel!¡±


    Meanwhile, Clara ran to me too.


    ¡°Waaaaaaah sister!¡±


    The sorrowful tears only came to an end after seeing Clara. It doesn¡¯t help much if I just cry, and it¡¯s enough to cry at this point.


    As soon as I saw my sister, I stopped crying. I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before. But I couldn¡¯t finish it like this, so I was hugging my sister and sniffling hard.


    I don¡¯t usually cry, but my cheeks are swollen and I¡¯m crying a lot. Dad didn¡¯t miss the sight and began to question the Princess.


    ¡°Your Majesty, what the hell is going on here?¡±


    It was clear that she was at fault, but she lied without salivating her lips[3].


    ¡°The children were arguing, so I came to stop him, and he was very angry with the lady.¡±


    She¡¯s a genius at acting. It seems real just by looking at her face, but who is my dad?


    Dad looked at my cheek one more time and looked at Alex¡¯s cheek, who had his head bowed down.


    ¡°Your Highness, how is your cheek so swollen? Is that my daughter¡¯s doing?¡±


    Alex¡¯s cheeks are as swollen as mine. There were only three people in the room, so as result, it had to be either me or the Princess, but my hands are not that big or I can¡¯t hit him that hard in the first place. As my father narrowed the investigation, the Empress became increasingly cornered.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Our Ciel couldn¡¯t have done such a thing!¡±


    At the very most important timing, a tactless older sister stepped in. Thank you so much for trusting me sister, but not now.


    [2] What was used here is like saying that she¡¯s gonna cause as much trouble as she wants


    [3] It means that she didn¡¯t care. Like ¡°lying without batting an eye¡±

 Chapter 17.1

    What my father said was meant to put pressure on her, but my sister, who didn¡¯t realize it was sarcastic, started working hard as my shield.


    ¡°Our Ciel is a good girl. Ciel, hitting someone else, that¡¯s ridiculous!¡±


    No, it¡¯s not. I¡¯m really good at fighting. I used to fight with Louis whenever my sister didn¡¯t see me but thanks to her, I became a fair lady who couldn¡¯t kill a bug.


    ¡°Lady Clara is right. The mark on the lady¡¯s cheek, it¡¯s because she tried to protect me. I¡¯m sorry, Duke Valentine.¡±


    When Clara set the atmosphere, Alex didn¡¯t miss this opportunity and told the truth.


    My sister¡¯s point of view was rather helpful. Alex would have been in an unfavorable situation if he had blamed Princess Lotte from the beginning, but when Clara spoke first, he had a reason to open his mouth.


    Did they say it was like catching a mouse while walking backward when they saw this[1]?


    Anyways, nice shot. It¡¯s my turn to step up now that the two have laid the floor.


    ¡°The Prince is not bad. He was trying to protect me.¡±


    Though I was confident without feeling intimidated, I wiped my tears with a sad face.


    Even I, who always has been acting innocent and sunny, never imagined that there would come a day where I looked like this.


    With such a pathetic appearance, the opinion of those who watched naturally turned against the woman. Clara hugged me in tears and silently looked towards the Empress.


    After hearing the whole story, my dad knelt down to wipe away the tears in my eyes.


    ¡°Ciel, you were scared, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    I nodded. Having a dad is such a reassuring thing. As an orphan in my previous life, my father¡¯s existence was amazing and trustworthy.


    He soothed me, got up, and questioned the Princess.


    ¡°Your Grace, I¡¯d like to ask you again. Who¡¯s responsible for this wound on my daughter¡¯s cheek?¡±


    My dad, who used the word ¡°responsible,¡± looked really pissed off.


    In principle, a Duke is under the Emperor, but my father is the Lord and archmage of Valentine, one of the most powerful men in the Empire.


    In other words, if my dad is determined and tries to overturn it, then not only the vassals under Valentine¡¯s orders but also the wizard community, which my father was in, can turn their back against the Emperor.


    If you¡¯re an adult and make a terrible mistake that leaves no room for any kind of defense, you should be aware of it. I¡¯m still a child and an innocent victim.


    Furthermore, the Princess attempted to falsely blame the Prince. It is a difficult situation, indeed.


    ¡°Is the Prince trying to put the lady, the Imperial Princess of the Empire, into trouble?¡±


    ¡°His Highness really put me in trouble.¡±


    The Princess tried to hold onto her story, but Dad didn¡¯t back down at all. The confrontation continued, with no concessions from both sides.


    My father is both the Duke of Valentine and the Emperor¡¯s friend. However, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to ignore Alex, who is being treated like that, as if it was someone else¡¯s problem from the point of view of someone with children.


    Dad deliberately put his hand on Alex¡¯s shoulder and spoke for all to hear.


    ¡°Valentine¡¯s must pay off the debts they owe.¡±


    PR/N: ¡°A Lannister always pays their debts.¡± lmao


    It meant a lot of things. Because he described it as a ¡°debt,¡± Alex became the benefactor of all Valentine¡¯s.


    My father, who was usually neutral, openly sided with the Prince. The Empress criticized him with a disapproving face.


    ¡°Are you threatening me now?¡±


    ¡°I was speaking to His Highness the Prince.¡±


    ¡°Today, you¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    Maybe it was because things got twisted, but she ran out of the music room, leaving only a cold warning.


    *     *    *


    We made our way to the pavilion in the Palace garden after leaving the music room. Dad held me so tightly that I couldn¡¯t walk a single step on my own feet until we arrived at the pavilion, and then he let me go.


    ¡°Ciel, my princess. Let me see your face.¡±


    ¡°Daddy, it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt but it¡¯s still this swollen. What can I do about this?¡±


    How hard did she hit me?


    My father looked very angry; he carefully checked if there were any more injuries, including my face.


    Meanwhile, Clara rushed around the garden, looking for any medicine she could find.


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. There¡¯s Mita grass.¡±


    My sister picked up two wide Mita grasses, and placed one on both Alex¡¯s and my cheeks, claiming they were good for reducing swelling.


    Unlike me, who obediently allowed her to treat me, Alex seemed upset by his out-of-shape appearance.


    ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t take it off.¡±


    ¡°I never tried to take it off.¡±


    ¡°Lie.¡±


    ¡°Ciel, what the hell happened here?¡±


    I was left speechless by Clara¡¯s tactless question. Everyone knows except for her. Still, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything. Dad clenched his teeth and stroked my sister¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Your Highness, it didn¡¯t seem this was the first time.¡±


    ¡°Although you entrusted me with your daughter, it is unfortunate that such a situation has arisen.¡±


    Alex became the sinner for no reason. He wasn¡¯t the one to blame. I jumped out of my seat and blocked the way.


    ¡°It¡¯s not his fault. Her Majesty suddenly came and kept hitting him. Like venting her anger.¡±


    ¡°By any chance, was it because of the documents of that day?¡±


    How does she know about the documents? It was supposed to be a secret, I guess Theo secretly told her, and thanks to him, I found the right answer.


    Her main character buff seems to be in good shape. Thanks to her thoughtless comment, Father learned all the details of that incident.


    Since it ended this way, we must establish ourselves firmly. While I was at it, I sobbed into my father¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡°Dad, help the Prince.¡±


    ¡°Ciel, I don¡¯t think this is our problem.¡±


    ¡°But!¡±


    ¡°I have something to tell you.¡±


    Alex¡¯s voice was serious enough to make you forget that he had not yet shed his boyish appearance. Yes, say it with your own mouth.


    You want to be the Crown Prince, so you need the help of the Valentine¡¯s family; one word can change everything.


    ¡°Do you need my help?¡±


    Dad hit the point. But Alex shook his head and asked for something else.


    ¡°I need the Lord¡¯s permission. Not help, but permission.¡±


    What¡¯s he trying to say at this important moment?


    ¡°I want to marry the Lord¡¯s daughter.¡±


    Oh, that¡¯s what you were talking about, what was I thinking?


    Yeah, it could be. If he marries Valentine¡¯s daughter, the two men will naturally build an alliance as father-in-law and son-in-law.


    Otherwise, it might be misunderstood that my father is plotting to become Emperor himself.


    To avoid public suspicion, the best option is marriage; good, good. I nodded my head.


    ¡°Please marry me, Lady Ciel.¡±


    PR/N: OH NO YOU DIDN¡¯T. YOU UNROMANTIC PIECE OF-


    TL/N: KIDS- well I wouldn¡¯t mind if she accepted  AS LONG AS HE PROPOSES AGAIN THAT IS


    Alex strode and took my hand, not Clara¡¯s.

 Chapter 18

    ¡°Why would I? I bragged about you a lot. About how cute and nice our Ciel is.¡±


    Is she an angel or just a fool? Common sense should make her jealous, but my sister just stroked my head with a big smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m not nice, I¡¯m not cute.¡±


    ¡°No way. In my eyes, our Ciel is the nicest and cutest in the world, so it¡¯s okay.¡±


    What should I do with this happy sister, even though she wants me to marry her husband?


    I have a headache. I hate myself. I wanted nothing but to avoid the death flag.


    When the word marriage suddenly came out of Alex¡¯s mouth, I almost forgot I was still only ten years old.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing Father put everything in order. It would¡¯ve been a disaster otherwise.¡±


    It was the Duke of Valentine, my father, who saved me from all sorts of thoughts.


    With me by his side, and unable to reply, he cut off the Prince¡¯s proposal.


    Thank you for your kind words, but my daughter is now ten years old. I understand your feelings, but please reconsider it.


    He didn¡¯t mean to be funny, but the conversation left plenty of room for laughter.


    It was true; if Dad agrees to support him, Alex will become the future Emperor right away. And if I marry him, I will inevitably become Empress.


    To be honest, it¡¯s not strange just from the family¡¯s point of view[1].


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. This can¡¯t happen.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think so?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it, of course!¡±


    Because he¡¯s the male lead. That¡¯s just a hypothetical story, but if things continue like this, the evil girl flag I¡¯ve been trying to avoid will be resurrected.


    I will become a cunning evil woman who stole the Crown Prince who was supposed to marry my sister, and my sister, who barely realized the situation, despises me, and blah blah blah. Whatever happens, happens. Then after¡­


    Please don¡¯t let me slide into the prison¡¯s drizzle.


    ¡°Uh.¡±


    I can¡¯t say it¡¯s because he¡¯s the male lead, and I couldn¡¯t come up with a good excuse.


    In fact, it¡¯s difficult to reject this proposal since some aspects of it, such as the status and age difference, are understandable for this world.


    Based purely on aesthetics, if they are beautiful men and women with politically compatible principles, it is perfect.


    Apart from that, my mom has a tense relationship with the Empress. Because of Mother¡¯s character, this time, she¡¯ll never let this go.


    My mother did not attend the Palace events, claiming different reasons except for the fact that Princess Lotte had hurt her daughter.


    Since it¡¯s like this, there is no reason for my father to hesitate in allying with Alex while keeping an eye on Princess Lotte.


    ¡°Ciel, here you are.¡±


    ¡°Mom.¡±


    My family was seriously affected by the incident. The apple of their eyes showed up, with a red mark on her cheek.


    I¡¯ve never seen my mother, who is always smiling, look so scary.


    After a few days, my mother was still enraged to the tip of her head. Perhaps she¡¯d accumulated a lot of anger since childhood, but she expressed her anger by remembering everything the Princess had done.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had a terrible temper since you were a child, and you dare touch my daughter¡¯s face!¡±


    ¡°Mom, it was just an accident.¡±


    ¡°What kind of accident is that? I know her temper. She¡¯s just mean.¡±


    You can see the rough atmosphere just by looking at my mother¡¯s reaction. Officially, Alex and I were hurt when the Princess fell by accident; that was the end of the story.


    ¡°The Princess.¡±


    Isaac was surprisingly calm, despite the fact that he¡¯d only learned the truth recently. I expected my brother to flee to kill the person who slapped his beloved sister, but he¡¯s really quiet.


    But it¡¯s just an illusion. Although he doesn¡¯t speak openly, my fool brother seemed to be seriously considering assassinating the Princess as he fiddled with his sword with a fierce expression.


    Please don¡¯t kill anyone. But I¡¯m glad to hear that bad rumors about the Princess are spreading everywhere.


    The major issue right now is another. Dad has been fully enthralled since that day.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not going to work today?¡±


    ¡°Ciel. Our Ciel. Come to daddy.¡±


    The Duke of Valentine was out of his mind. He interrupted his official duties and locked himself in the mansion, perhaps taken aback by the fact that his young daughter had been proposed to.


    Then he mumbles around the mansion alone for no reason and watches my sleeping face all night in the bedroom without my mother knowing.


    ¡°Daddy, I¡¯m really fine.¡±


    ¡°Daddy is not fine. You¡¯re going to live with your mom and dad forever, right?


    PR/N: I Can¡¯t. I love her dad. How can he be this cute?


    TL/N: We need more cute dads and not those abusive families T-T


    He mumbled in a low voice; his hair loose like a nest. Even though his usual style is good, he looks pretty cool with his hair in this style.


    But we can¡¯t let it go like this. Alex brought up the story first, and my father had to hurry before the Princess¡¯s faction moved, but he was doing so when he was busy.


    Let¡¯s just solve it first. I took a deep breath and approached my father.


    ¡°Father, Ciel doesn¡¯t want you to do this.¡±


    ¡°Why are you using honorifics, my baby.¡±


    What baby. How old am I?


    ¡°I¡¯m a lady now, too. There are people who need Dad¡¯s help, so you have to get up now.¡±


    My father immediately understood that I was alluding to the past. Of course, Alex is the one who needs help.


    My mom or sister would understand that he should go to work, but only he knew what I meant.


    ¡°Ciel, do you want Daddy to help?¡±


    I nodded. I may not know anything, but the most obvious thing is that the Princess cursed my mom. I glanced at her standing next to Clara and clenched my teeth.


    I¡¯m not sure of anything, but knowing someone cursed my mother means we¡¯re going all the way. The Princess has now become an enemy of all Valentine¡¯s.


    Yeah, I¡¯m the villainess anyway, so I¡¯m going to end it. I got close to my dad and whispered softly in his ear.


    ¡°She asked. She asked me what Mother was teaching me[3].¡±


    Now, what is my dad gonna do now? As soon as I mentioned that she cursed my mother, my father¡¯s eyes changed.


    ¡°That¡¯s what she said.¡±


    Let¡¯s put firewood in. Let¡¯s have a blood festival. Let¡¯s go all the way to the end.


    PR/N: Yes literally says blood festival our Ciel is insane xD


    ¡°Yes, I can tolerate being insulted, but I cannot tolerate her being insulted.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t stand it either, Dad.¡±


    She can¡¯t possibly imagine how much her thoughtless scolding might bring her.


    With that last blow, Dad got up from his seat.


    My dad exudes the charisma of a cold autumn day. He looked like a handsome homeless man just a moment ago. Even with his eyes closed, the atmosphere that he would produce around him was serious.


    Well done. Well done. Our daddy is so good.


    The Duke of Valentine is so powerful that he can even drop the stars if he wants to.


    PR/N: I¡¯m kinda starting simping for her dad.


    TL/N: Take him.  I¡¯ll take Alex


    There were many people who usually laughed and looked down on him for his kindness, but his true value was revealed when he married my mother.


    Mother, a simple Count¡¯s daughter, even drew the Prince¡¯s attention. She met my father for the first time while being unaware of his status as a Duke.


    She found out the truth later and tried to run away, claiming she didn¡¯t like annoying things and that my father would be troublesome. It is said that he dealt with all the people around him.


    I don¡¯t remember this part, so I¡¯ll ask them myself later.


    The reason why my dad was so out of control was because he loved her so much in the first place. Even my mother was insulted because I supposedly was acting out of place. Since the things he loves the most were hurt, it¡¯s natural for him to be angry.


    After trimming his fluffy chocolate-colored hair neatly, Dad approached Mom straight away.


    ¡°Honey.¡±


    ¡°Now go out¡­ Oops!¡±


    A kiss scene that was not allowed for minors to see, unfolded. Surprised, Clara hurriedly covered my eyes. I didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°What are you doing all of a sudden!¡±


    Only after the moment ended could I see. With my embarrassed mother in front of him, my father smiled confidently.


    ¡°I love you. You and our kids.¡±


    Mom¡¯s face was reddened by the unexpected attack from her husband. It¡¯s been a long time since they got married, but my mom and dad¡¯s love has not changed at all.


    People all over the world know that my father fell in love with my mother¡¯s beauty unilaterally, but what I have seen from the side couldn¡¯t have been one-sided.


    Because Mom and Dad have similar personalities and values, they don¡¯t fight. Of course, neither of them is perfect.


    Dad is rational and cool-headed at work, but he has the disadvantage of becoming overly excited by his family¡¯s problems.


    On the contrary, Mom doesn¡¯t get over-excited but she implements her own parenting philosophy to treat our siblings as equally as possible.


    Both of them are good parents, too good by my standards, although they can¡¯t help but love their youngest daughter too much.


    It¡¯s my first time receiving this kind of love in my life.


    I approached them holding Clara¡¯s hand tightly.


    ¡°You¡¯re not fighting, are you?¡±


    ¡°If I fight with Mom, your dad will never win. You know.¡±


    ¡°Ciel and Clara, you still have a lot to learn. If you have any concerns, make sure to talk to Mom and Dad, okay?¡±


    Clara, who stood next to me, at the words of her affectionate parents, smiled like a blue sky without a single dark cloud.


    I¡¯m glad my efforts are not in vain.


    [1] Based off their family¡¯s backgrounds, it would make sense,


    [2] She¡¯s talking about not going to prison in this life.


    [3] This is about Ch16 when Princess Lotte asks Ciel what her mother teaches her for her to be acting disrespectful in front of her.

 Chapter 19

    The hell class race has now been going on since that day. My mother, in particular, harshly trained my sister in case the Princess caught her.


    Basic etiquette and magic; as well as history, literature, geography, etc. The busy days continued.


    Despite the fact that I am constantly busy, I learned how to play the piano formally after speaking with Alex.


    My mother was overjoyed when I told her the story first because I had never asked for anything before.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Ciel would be interested in playing the piano.¡±


    ¡°I want to learn, even if I¡¯m not good at it.¡±


    As the idol of the Valentine¡¯s family, when I started learning piano, there was a sudden craze for musical instruments among the children.


    Theo split his busy time and began to learn the flute; Isaac and Louis fought over who would choose the bigger instrument.


    Through the teacher¡¯s mediation, strong Isaac took charge of the cello, and Louis decided to learn Viola. And Clara.


    ¡°I want to learn how to play the violin.¡±


    She took the courage to ask Mother. When the timid Clara first brought it up, my mother readily agreed.


    ¡°Sure. Sooner or later, Mom will get you a good violin.¡±


    For reference, a ¡°good¡± violin for the Valentine¡¯s would have been at least a Stradivarius[1] or the finest Guarneri[2] instrument.


    Clara¡¯s face lit up when she heard her mother¡¯s suggestion. If you have any wishes, you should express them, silly sister.


    I buried myself in my sister¡¯s skirt and looked back at my brothers who were still babbling.


    For the time being, everybody is a beginner, and the mansion would be filled with unfamiliar and strange noises, but I wonder if we¡¯ll be capable of playing more plausible indoor music in a few years.


    While I was enduring the arduous tutoring, my sister began socializing in earnest. In fact, I haven¡¯t heard much from Alex in a while.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡±


    ¡°But you said you were following me well. Our Ciel is really amazing.¡±


    Only Clara, who could hear the inside stories[3], told me how Alex was doing.


    ¡°He must be very involved in political affairs, that must keep him quite busy. Isn¡¯t that amazing?¡±


    When you put it in that way, Alex was great. Even though he¡¯s the main character, there¡¯s nothing he can¡¯t do.


    The seasons and the years changed. I used to think of Alex, who, despite his busy schedule, seemed lonely at times.


    ¡°What should I do about this?¡±


    I know he¡¯s the one who will take my life if I get involved recklessly, but I couldn¡¯t help but worry when I remembered his grim expression the last time I saw him.


    I lifted my head and looked at my sister. Clara, who, according to the original story, should¡¯ve had a difficult time, said that she had many friends her age after making her social debut safely.


    ¡°Did you enjoy the tea party?¡±


    ¡°Yes. When Ciel makes her debut, let¡¯s go together. My friends want to meet you, too.¡±


    ¡°Invite them home later. I want to meet Clara¡¯s friends too.¡±


    That¡¯s a good thing, but on the other hand, I don¡¯t want to lose my sister to her friends. Perhaps it¡¯s because it has become a habit, but I hope Clara always likes me the most.


    I snuggled up in my sister¡¯s arms and lusted for exclusivity. My lovely, sweet sister. She is still my older sister, and she is the person who loves me the most in the world.


    Seeing me acting cute for some reason, Clara held my hand and suggested first.


    ¡°Ciel, would you like to go to the Garden with your sister today?¡±


    ¡°Should I?¡±


    It¡¯s not bad to go on a date with my sister alone after a long time. I smashed my sister¡¯s love flag to get rid of my death flag. Since it¡¯s like this, then I should focus on finding a new brother-in-law.


    After quite a while, I arrived at the glass greenhouse, holding my sister¡¯s hand. Despite the fact that most of the flowers withered during the winter, the magical greenhouse remained green.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of great people at the social gatherings, right? Anyone you like?¡±


    ¡°What kind of person do you like, Ciel?¡±


    I can¡¯t believe you came at me like this. I¡¯d never considered it, and my sister even intentionally dismissed my only maid, Merrill, to keep things private.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    I just want to live for now. The moment I tried to say that, I saw someone beyond the greenhouse.


    Dark navy blue hair. Straight arms that fall at right angles and a stiff shoulder line. How can I forget that back?


    ¡°I invited him because he¡¯d been looking forward to seeing you.¡±


    I haven¡¯t seen him since that day, but Alex visited Valentine¡¯s in person. When he heard the voices, he looked back.


    He hasn¡¯t changed a bit since the last time. My sister welcomed Alex with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Lady Clara, thank you for accepting my request.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. We¡¯re friends.¡±


    ¡°Friend?¡±


    I thought everything was ruined because there was no contact between you two, but that wasn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Mhm. We decided to be good friends.¡±


    My sister¡¯s bright smile hit me straight in the face. When did you two start secretly getting to know each other? Alex and Clara had a pleasant conversation with me standing next to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about that. His Majesty seems to have misunderstood.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I have asked a lot from you, too.¡±


    How did you get so close? No, it¡¯s good to be close, but please don¡¯t just talk to each other and let me in.


    Clara and Alex were laughing with one another, and my pupils were shaking uncontrollably in the middle.


    ¡°His Majesty asked me that day, if His Highness, Alex, had feelings for me.¡±


    Because I was struck and carried away, I had forgotten something. To be honest, I¡¯m intrigued. So, are you two dating or not?


    ¡°That¡¯s why I said no. We just decided to be good friends, right, Your Grace?¡±


    Friends? Can men and women be friends with each other? Even when I was staring at him, full of doubts, Alex¡¯s expression remained unchanged.


    ¡°Yes, I just wanted to get some advice on herbs.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to come here for a moment?¡±


    Apparently, there were more stories between the two, as well as my problems.


    Clara led Alex to the Roenthal seedling she saw last time while I stood far away.


    ¡°The leaves in the letter you sent me are correct. Roenthal, it¡¯s a dangerous poison that works even if you eat a little.¡±


    Right, this was it. My sister and Alex talked about poison while using terminology that I didn¡¯t know.


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    ¡°As expected.¡±


    ¡°The leaves of Roenthal are poisonous, but the roots are detoxifying. If you eat this, the amount mixed with the tea leaves will be detoxified.¡±


    It seems that the Princess, who was in control of the Imperial Palace¡¯s affairs, was pushed to the edge[4], and she will now use whatever methods she could find.


    This is too harsh for him, who is still young. Clara looked at me while handing him the antidote.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll excuse myself first. Ciel, I¡¯ll wait outside.¡±


    ¡°Sister!¡±


    Why are you suddenly doing this? Maybe she¡¯s finished talking, but Clara abandoned me and left the greenhouse.


    This was clearly a deliberate attempt to get us to be alone, and his awkward demeanor clearly revealed what he was thinking.


    What¡¯s the matter with you? Alex approached me, fidgeting.


    ¡°I want to say something.¡±


    ¡°But Your Highness, I¡¯m.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t give much thought to the previous proposal.¡±


    I stopped trying to run away at Alex¡¯s claim. I turned around, and he continued calmly.


    ¡°I thought it would be best to have a marriage to form an alliance with Valentine. That¡¯s why I said that.¡±


    Alex was truthful about his actions. It wasn¡¯t strange at all. He clearly agonized over his marriage to Ciel for the legitimacy of the Crown Prince¡¯s seat in the original story.


    It was like that, wasn¡¯t it?


    You don¡¯t like me, do you?


    I was sincerely relieved.  So, you mean you¡¯re just going to use me?


    ¡°That¡¯s how it was.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    With a sigh of relief, I stood up straight. Whatever the intention, the proposal had many additional effects.


    Maybe my persuasion worked, or maybe after the last incident, my father secretly began to use wizards to track the Princess¡¯ faction¡¯s every move.


    In front of me, my father is incredibly embarrassing, but hearing about Alex¡¯s situation, the atmosphere seemed serious.


    And at the end of last month, Dad formally made a recommendation to congress about Prince Alex¡¯s coronation. So there will be good news soon.


    ¡°My father was very angry with Her Highness. Now that we have a common enemy, Valentine will definitely be on your side.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just about the Duke of Valentine.¡±


    Isaac. I thought of him, but Alex told me an unexpected story.


    ¡°It¡¯s been rumored that Lord Theo has recently been attracting young talents. And only those who held grudges against the Princess.¡±


    ¡°Brother Theo?


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know. The young master also seemed very angry about the last incident.¡±


    Well, if rumours only circulated among the Knights, they would not have spread so quickly, and it is unlikely that dad would have talked about it.


    Louis is supposed to specialize in that, but he¡¯s too young right now. Then, did Theo really come forward for me?


    PR/N: He likes to gossip lol


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that. I thought Theo hated me.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be disappointed if he hears you.¡±


    Why do you look even more upset saying that?


    For a little while, there was an awkward atmosphere. Neither I nor he found it easy to speak at first. Because I hated the uncomfortable air, I spoke first.


    ¡°I recently started learning to play the piano. I was very impressed by the violin that Your Highness played last time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Lady Clara. I was the one who recommended the violin to her.¡±


    When I heard this, the relationship between the two seemed odd, but it appeared to have a positive influence, so I nodded.


    ¡°Really? Thank you. I was actually worried that she might be the only one who wouldn¡¯t play.¡±


    All the others are biological children, so they can freely say anything; but for Clara, who is not related by blood, she is bound to be careful.


    When Clara said she wanted to learn how to play the violin with her own mouth, I was very proud of it.


    I guess that¡¯s the male lead for you. He seems to be doing his job properly.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting along with Lady Clara. As you asked.¡±


    Yeah, well, I did encourage them to be close. I¡¯m telling you to do well, so listen carefully.


    ¡°I told you. My sister is a really nice person.¡±


    ¡°So now, what I¡¯m trying to say.¡±


    After taking a chance, silence came again. What do you want to say to me? I don¡¯t know what makes you so nervous.


    He held his head for a while and then sighed. Hesitated a few times, and then barely opened his mouth.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be okay if we get a little closer?¡±


    ¡°Like being friends?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    PR/N: IT¡¯S A TRAP!


    QC/N: ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã) }?¡ö-¡ö (? ?¡ö ?? ?¡ö)


    Oh, I mean, you¡¯ve become friends with Clara and you want to keep your friendship with the Valentine¡¯s family, so you want to be close to me.


    Alex¡¯s face turned red and blue all by itself; why are you making such a fuss out of something so insignificant?


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    [1] Stradivarius is a string instrument built by an Italian family, Stradivari, mainly Antonio Stradivari, in the 17th and 18th centuries


    [2] Guarneri is a string instrument made by Bartolomeo Giuseppe ¡°del Ges¨´¡± Guarneri, whose instruments rival Stradivarius¡¯.


    [3] Basically the inner gossip in the Palace


    [4] To the point of feeling like there are not many options

 Chapter 20

    Alex has never had friends before, so it¡¯s a huge improvement to say this.


    But since we were beaten, some sort of camaraderie formed between us.


    PR/N: I don¡¯t know why but this makes me laugh.


    I was worried about getting a strange flag, but I was willing to shake hands.


    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s be friends.¡±


    ¡°A friend.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing.¡±


    Because he was mumbling in such a low voice, I couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying. He gladly accepted my hand and exaggerated his strength to crush it.


    ¡°My father made up his mind too since the head of Valentine came forward first, I think the Crown Prince¡¯s coronation will pass safely through the parliament.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. How¡¯s the Queen doing these days?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quiet at the moment, thanks to you what happened last time is known.¡±


    He was a little thin, but seeing no signs of being slapped on the face, it seems that the bullying has stopped.


    The wind blew Alex¡¯s hair. If my light blond hair resembles the early afternoon sun, his navy hair suggests the darkness of the deep night.


    A large night sky where countless stars will be embroidered, colored blue at dawn. I smiled as I looked into the red eyes that glowed moistly beneath.


    ¡°Thank you for coming here intentionally. Would you like to go inside and have a cup of tea?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here secretly today, so let¡¯s have a taste of it next time.¡±


    ¡°You came secretly?¡±


    ¡°No matter how many countries one has, your father and your three brothers are a little scary.¡±


    PR/N: :kekek: that¡¯s so true.


    Yeah, the men in our family are a little scary. Not to mention my dad and my second brother; my first and third brothers are on my side too, but they pretend not to.


    That was the end of our conversation. I was able to sneakily see him off without being caught by my maid because I said I wanted to be alone with my sister.


    That¡¯s how we got on the same boat[1].


    At the New Year¡¯s ball, the year after Alex won the patronage of Duke Valentine. The Emperor reached a conclusion on the problem he had been delaying.


    ¡°I, Gregory III, the star of the Empire, shall designate my only son, Alex Hadram, as Crown Prince.¡±


    With the appointment of Alex as Crown Prince, the order of succession to the throne, which had only been discussed, had been made official. Under the Imperial Law, which does not yet recognize the succession of women¡¯s titles, Alex will succeed if the Emperor dies.


    And the Emperor announced one more important fact.


    ¡°I also formally recognize the right of succession to the throne of Prince Royal, Grand Duke Stan, son of Queen Lotte.¡±


    The Emperor, who was unable to make up his mind, decided to capture both rabbits.


    Even if Alex becomes Crown Prince, if anything happens to him, Stan will be crowned Emperor.


    TL/N: Alex bb T ¨C T


    Perhaps Queen Lotte will try to kill Alex somehow. No matter how much of a male lead buff you have, it¡¯s a little dangerous.


    ¡°That¡¯s what happened.¡±


    ¡°It would have been nice to enter the Palace together, Ciel.¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡±


    The original work began to twist slightly as I intervened. I¡¯m not sure why I woke up here, but one thing is certain.


    The original Ciel was a really stupid kid. She was loved by wonderful parents and had everything she needed, but she was unappreciative of her circumstances.


    She was jealous of Clara and even bullied her. No matter how big a person¡¯s rice cake looks[2], I don¡¯t intend to sympathize with her for being decapitated and killed in the middle of the story after bothering her sister, who was so nice to her.


    Clara, as a pushover, resembles my sister. My poor sister, who was so nice that she saved others and died alone in the fire.


    Being nice to Clara now may be a consequence of my remorse for not being nice to my sister in my previous life, but everything is going well now.


    In that sense, I like my current life very much.


    It may be because I was an orphan. After my sister died, I was left alone, and I had a difficult life. I couldn¡¯t even remember the face of my boss, who used to sneer at me for not having parents.


    I have a family that loves me unconditionally. Of course, not all families give such love.


    A strong and sweet father, an elegant and beautiful mother, my brothers, who take my side, and a sister who only knows me[3]. I can do anything to protect this newly acquired family.


    Please don¡¯t let Alex¡¯s sword face our family. I held my sister¡¯s hand tightly and agonized over what was to come.


    Time passed and the spring of the year when I turned 15, arrived.


    After a really long time, I got out of the mansion and headed for the Academy. I wore a thick cape and hid my face as an apprentice wizard, not as the Valentine¡¯s princess.


    Merrill, my close maid, was unsatisfied with it.


    ¡°Lady, please, why are you covering such a pretty face?¡±


    It¡¯s often said that if you¡¯re cute while you¡¯re young, you¡¯ll change once you get older, however, this did not apply to me at all.


    Oh, there was something new. Despite inheriting my mother¡¯s beauty, my eyes gradually resembled my father¡¯s overtime¡­


    Rather than breaking the balance, everyone who came to the house complimented him, saying that my father¡¯s charisma was reflected.


    Grandfathers and uncles on the estate, the wizards of the tower, as well as the Valentine¡¯s aristocracy.


    Everyone is looking forward to my social debut, but I put it off again and again with all kinds of excuses.


    ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t want anyone to recognize me.¡±


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    Five years after my encounter with Queen Lotte, I voluntarily chose to become a houseplant in the greenhouse.


    Of course, the biggest reason is that I¡¯m lazy, but for the five years after I made Alex the Crown Prince safely, my motto was only one.


    That is, let¡¯s not overdo it.


    I¡¯m not sure what will go wrong if I step up for nothing. To be fair, I decided to live as calmly and carefully as possible because everything is perfect right now.


    Judging from the circumstances so far, the fact that it is possible to advance what will happen seems to mean that it is also possible to postpone it. My experiment, perhaps, was very successful.


    My older sister, who should have been bullied by Ciel and should have entered the palace, is still living well at home until this year when she turned 19.


    She went to social circles with my mom and studied hard at the end of last year, and finally received the official pharmacist certificate she had yearned for.


    I¡¯m proud of her. Of course, I wasn¡¯t just playing around. After training, I improved my magic skills a little bit.


    Once I arrived at the Academy, I showed the gatekeeper my ID card and pulled the cape on again.


    My heart was pounding. I went to the venue, enjoying the fact that no one cared about me. I was already sitting in a crowded corner of the stands, busy identifying the name on the magic display.


    ¡°Louis Valentine! Get in!¡±


    After the call, he sat with an arrogant face.


    Yes, today is the grading day.


    Louis, who trained before me, will finally take a graded test to become a full-fledged wizard this year.


    ¡°Anyway, that guy.¡±


    What should I do with that person waving at the audience on purpose[4]?


    Everyone else doesn¡¯t know, but I do.


    This is not the first time he¡¯s used magic in front of others. For Louis, who has been developing his skills by dominating the back alley for several years, this test is nothing.


    I know he¡¯ll do well, but I came here out of concern for you[5]. Fortunately, so far, it¡¯s going smoothly.


    Rebel brother, please be quiet and take the test.


    ¡°The third son of Duke Valentine. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I mean. It would be great if he could show us he¡¯s as capable as the young Duke Theo.¡±


    Louis bowed his head at the judges¡¯ words of outright comparison. In fact, everyone here must be thinking the same thing.


    Because my dad was so great and my older brother was a tough guy. In particular, during Theo¡¯s time, they called it the return of my father, Christopher Valentine, who was regarded as a legend.


    Therefore, there seemed to be high expectations that Louis would do well.


    Originally, all family members were supposed to come together to see it, but today, there was an unexpected funeral, so my parents had to go there.


    In their parents¡¯ unexpected absence, Theo and Clara were caught up with their schedules, and Issac was unable to cut training as deputy chief of the knights.


    I came to watch in secret since no one was allowed to attend. However, as I was covering my face with a cape, Louis, who was searching through the audience, accepted the test with a sullen expression.


    PR/N: my poor baby!


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get started.¡±


    I thought Louis would do well without anyone coming to see him. He has been training magic with me, so I know some of his skills.


    Although he has less mana than I do, Louis has excellent manipulation skills worthy of being a genius. If I¡¯m a fastball style that hits mana cluelessly, Louis is a subtle and delicate change-ball style[6].


    He has a bad personality, but he has a sophisticated ability, although Louis¡¯s condition seemed to be odd.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    He hit the wrong target or broke his magic in the middle. There¡¯s a lot of talking today. He used to be much better than this, but Louis appeared to be in bad shape.


    The disappointment began to grow on the faces of those who held many expectations. What¡¯s wrong with him? After the test, the examiners gathered and chatted.


    The atmosphere became strange. At first glance, it was obvious that he had messed up, so I rushed to the waiting room.


    It should be easy for Louis to pass normally, but he¡¯s been struggling today.


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with him?¡±


    Louis¡¯s rating was already released by the time I arrived downstairs.


    ¡°Louis Valentine, B!¡±


    I was speechless at the shocking result. He should be class A. I can¡¯t believe that Louis is in class B.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Valentine¡¯s son is in class B?¡±


    Of course, those who thought he¡¯d get an A were flabbergasted. The surroundings became noisy and I hurried to find Louis.


    ¡°Louis, brother!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see Louis no matter how hard I tried. Only after a very long search, did I come across the black hair that I had seen many times.


    ¡°Ciel, why are you here?¡±


    Louis looked at me, with eyes red from weeping.


    PR/N: my baby!!!!


    [1] Similar to: ¡°We¡¯re in this together now¡±


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    [2] This metaphor is about how the things that others have are better than their own. ¡°No matter how much better the things others have look,¡±


    [3] ¡°Only cares about me¡±


    [4] Flaunting his power


    [5] Actually she says ¡°I came here because I have an old woman¡¯s mind.¡± Referring to her old soul, but I changed it to make it more sense.


    [6] It¡¯s baseball slang. A fast ball is a technique that can be reckless, if not used well, but powerful; and a change-ball, also known as slow-ball, is when you trick your opponent into making them think the ball is close to the bat.

 Chapter 21

    There is one reason why I care about Louis, even though I call him a jerk every time. It¡¯s because he¡¯s the only one of us siblings who didn¡¯t inherit our father¡¯s green eyes.


    PR/N: So mother and father had green eyes?


    Besides, his hair is black. He resembles our grandmother, but between our siblings, Louis was the only one who looked different.


    When I reached out to my brother, I heard some voices coming from the other side of the hallway.


    ¡°Did you say Louis? What a waste of Valentine¡¯s name, did the Duchess really give birth to him?¡±


    ¡°You said there was an adoptive child. Was it him?¡±


    The cold mockery of those who didn¡¯t even know anything made me speechless. Louis, now 17, only bit his lips and said nothing.


    You must have been hurt. I took off my hood and hugged Louis.


    ¡°That¡¯s funny. What do they know?¡±


    ¡°Ciel.¡±


    ¡°Were you nervous because a lot of people came? I saw you earlier and you seemed very rigid.¡±


    Maybe it was because I became quite attached after five years. Now, our bad boy looked pretty cute, too. Far from appreciating the consolation I gave him, Louis just snorted and pushed me away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this to me, just do it with your favorite Crown Prince.¡±


    PR/N: My beautiful lil wrecker boy you¡¯re the light of my eyes!


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You say you¡¯re friends and always stick together.¡±


    Ever since he became the Crown Prince, Alex has often stopped by the mansion. He brought me birthday gifts every year, and we went on a trip together. As my dad became Alex¡¯s supporter, we became close really quickly.


    ¡°That¡¯s because we¡¯re in the same boat.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear you, go away!¡±


    Louis ran away with a grumpy attitude, probably because he was jealous of us, who¡¯ve become close friends.


    ¡°I¡¯m a fool anyway.¡±


    It¡¯s because he was nervous, so if he takes the 2nd test in a few days, he¡¯ll go up to grade A soon. Louis still has a long way to go, considering that this is shaking his mind[1].


    But I¡¯ve done everything I have to do, so let¡¯s go home. I put on my hood again and headed to the carriage.


    ¡°Ciel!¡±


    I felt sure no one would recognize me, but I overheard my bright sister¡¯s voice somewhere. I thought she was going to a tea party in place of Mom, but Clara waved at me in a pretty fancy dress.


    You¡¯re like 300 meters away, but you still could recognize me from such a long distance. She must have come to Louis¡¯ test even if it was late, but unfortunately, it¡¯s already over.


    ¡°Sister, how was your tea party?¡±


    ¡°Well, I learned a lot from Mother, so I¡¯m good at it now.¡±


    My sister smiled prettily, slightly lifting the hem of the fine dress. Compared to the day when I first opened my eyes, it is a great development.


    When she was young, Clara was always intimidated, looking out for the employees while taking care of me.


    But not anymore. She officially got a pharmacist¡¯s license, and she learned a lot of things while going around with my mom, so now she¡¯s much brighter and more confident than then.


    Somehow, I felt good because it feels like I¡¯ve raised a daughter. It would be nice if the peaceful time continues like this.


    ¡°How was the party? Have you met any good people?¡±


    It¡¯s been a while since Clara made her social debut. The main purpose of social activities is marriage.


    If she decides, she can pick up a decent man. No matter how much of a foster daughter she was, she had the name of the Valentine¡¯s family, so Clara had a mountain of proposals.


    ¡°Why? Do you want me to get married soon?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    There is no rush. I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s a man who is good enough to get married to my sister and have a happy ending; but Clara is 100 times, 1,000 times, and 10,000 times more precious than anyone to me[2].


    So I never want her to meet some weirdo who dirties her eyes.


    ¡°Your Highness Alex told me before. I heard you said you wanted to marry me, right?¡±


    I felt ashamed when she brought up an old story. By the way, Alex and Clara have become close enough to even talk about that.


    Not lovers, but real friends. The two weren¡¯t really conscious of each other.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. That¡¯s how much I like you.¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, when the hell is he coming back?¡±


    He¡¯s been socializing and increasing his power, but Alex was caught up in a plot by Queen Lotte and unintentionally left for the army last year.


    Originally, he was kicked out as soon as he was appointed as the Crown Prince and had to rot on the battlefield for four years.


    I thought if he were to rot for four years, it¡¯d be a real mess, so I hinted to my dad. I want the Crown Prince to come back soon.


    In fact, I haven¡¯t given it much thought. I already know he¡¯ll be back after winning.


    As expected, Clara safely qualified as a pharmacist.


    Even if the love flag with Alex is broken, the Crown Prince¡¯s pharmacist status will be of great help to her future career.


    The problem is from here since most of the big cases of the original work have happened, there is no reason for her to enter the Palace. Everything is just peaceful.


    Then what should I do from now on?


    ¡°Uhm, Lady Clara. Could you spare me a moment?¡±


    On our way to the carriage, my sister was approached by a young lord from some noble family.


    Wearing a hood, I took a step back, concealing my identity, while my sister smiled awkwardly and walked away for a moment. I¡¯m used to this now.


    With beautiful black hair, a calm and gentle personality, and a pretty smiling face.


    Clara grew up to be a charming lady with the love of the Valentine family.


    Clara was called like this almost every day and confessed to, probably because she didn¡¯t have a special partner yet and was old enough to marry.


    The problem is that most of them don¡¯t meet my expectations at all. To be honest, not everyone is my style.


    PR/N: well, yeah. The first guy who confessed to you was perfect-man-Alex.


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    ¡°Thank you for saying that, but I don¡¯t want to have a special partner yet.¡±


    ¡°But Lady Clara.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lord Harmond.¡±


    If he¡¯s from the Harmond County, he has a good family, but the problem is that he¡¯s not the eldest son that will succeed the title but the second, so it doesn¡¯t catch my eyes.


    I¡¯m sure they are charming, but they are second or third sons who will not inherit any title from their family. In other words, it was clear to me that they were approaching my sister expecting a piece of rice cake to fall from Valentine¡¯s family[3].


    I didn¡¯t raise her so beautifully for a guy like that. Still, I taught her how to say no properly, so she¡¯s pretty good at dealing with it, for a pushover.


    Being bored while they were talking, I entered the garden at the entrance of the Academy.


    ¡°What should I do now?¡±


    Clara has overcome a big obstacle for now, but for five years, her relationship with Alex was unlikely to develop beyond friendship.


    Now that it¡¯s come to this, it looks like a new flag is needed. As I walked with such agony, I entered a garden filled with roses.


    ¡°Pretty.¡±


    It was a garden as beautiful as a fairy tale. But there was a guest here before me.


    ¡°How come you look so sad, Lady Ciel?¡±


    A beautiful, strawberry blond boy stands among the spring rose vines. A pretty boy about Louis¡¯ age, gleaming like a Prince, exuded angelic beauty I¡¯d never seen before.


    But something¡¯s not right. I¡¯m wearing a cape right now, so you¡¯re not able to see a single hair, how did you find out?


    Since I was already caught, I lowered my hood and showed my face. And corrected the mistake.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a Lady yet.¡±


    I haven¡¯t officially made my debut, so I¡¯m just Valentine¡¯s Princess, not yet a Lady.


    ¡°I can¡¯t call the precious Valentine¡¯s Princess a Lady.¡±


    Judging from the fact that he said my name correctly, he already knew who I was.


    It is not unreasonable. Because I have a very distinctive appearance. Sparkling blond hair, green eyes, and a pretty, doll-like face like my mother.


    Beauty rose as the years went by. If you knew who I was and talked to me, you were pretty confident.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember me.¡±


    The unidentified boy shrugged off my straightforward question.


    If I had ever seen such an impressive boy, I would never have forgotten. First of all, I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t a character from the original, and I¡¯m sure I¡¯d remember if I¡¯d ever passed by him at a party.


    He has a familiar impression, but there¡¯s no name that comes to mind when I try to specifically think of who.


    ¡°Excuse me, were we old friends?¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to feel stuffy, so I decided to ask him straightforwardly. When I told him I didn¡¯t know him, the boy smiled with a disappointed look.


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ve known you for a long time. You must have completely forgotten your only childhood friend.¡±


    A childhood friend? I¡¯ve never had such a thing since I was at least five years old.


    Did you know me before I was possessed? Unexpected variables appeared. I automatically stepped back at the friendly approach.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve almost forgotten my childhood memories.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad. We rarely see each other, so I thought we¡¯d never see each other again.¡±


    He clasped my hand with a regretful look. Who the hell is this kid? No matter how hard I think about it, I don¡¯t have a clue.


    PR/N: Stay away from my girl!


    ¡°You must return to the Palace, Your Highness.¡±


    There is only one exception in the Academy who can carry a servant; that¡¯s the royal family. As I expected, a servant from the Palace approached the boy.


    Wait a minute, what do you mean? Alex is the only Royalty I know.


    My childhood friend, a face I¡¯ve seen before, and even being addressed as ¡®Your Highness.¡¯


    ¡°No way!¡±


    Oh, my God. An unexpected obstacle appeared.


    I thought I¡¯d seen him before, but that face looks exactly like Princess Lotte¡¯s. Anyways, we got along when we were kids, so we became childhood friends.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Your Highness Stan.¡±


    Strawberry blond handsome boy was none other than Prince Alex¡¯s cousin and Grand Duke Stan Winterbaum, second in line to the throne.


    On his way, while following the servant, he paused and turned towards me.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t remember me. Unfortunately.¡±


    Just saying what he wanted to say and leaving, exactly like Queen Lotte. As if something had crossed his mind, he came back and added.


    ¡°I said when I became an adult, I would marry you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I hope to see you again soon, lovely Ciel.¡±


    PR/N: *takes out insecticide and sprays it*


    He smiled with sweet eyes and went back as if it were regrettable. Wait a minute. I didn¡¯t hear it wrong, did I?


    What do you mean, marriage?


    Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only


    What the hell are you talking about?


    [1] Basically saying that something that small is affecting him


    [2] Over here she actually says something along the lines of ¡°she¡¯s wasted on a guy who isn¡¯t like that or like me¡± ¨C basically, Clara¡¯s too good for almost every guy


    [3] The rice cake means they wanted the power and riches from the Valentines.

 Chapter 22

    ¡°Come to think of it, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve talked about that.¡±


    As soon as I got home, I ran straight to my mom. When asked if what Grand Duke Stan said was true, my mother nodded after thinking for a while.


    ¡°Am I?¡±


    ¡°No, of course, that was a one-sided argument from them. Who dares to ask for my daughter now?¡±


    I only breathed a sigh of relief at my mother¡¯s firm words. So according to my mother, I played with Stan from when I was a baby who couldn¡¯t talk to the age of four.


    ¡°Was it when you were five? You were really sick. You forgot all those memories.¡±


    That¡¯s when I entered Ciel¡¯s body.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything about before that.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Ciel was too young back then. Every time I went to the Palace, Stan begged me for you to marry him whenever I saw him. It was years ago.¡±


    I didn¡¯t expect that to happen. In the original book, he was a boy who rarely showed his presence, so I didn¡¯t consider him at all.


    I went straight into investigating his background with keen attention to the dangers that came out of nowhere.


    Prince Stan, son of Empress Lotte.


    The same age as our brat, Louis, two years older than me.


    He is also the owner of the Winterbaum Estate, which is the biggest source of income for the Imperial family.


    Unlike Louis, who still hasn¡¯t abandoned his temperament, he seemed quite decent and gentle.


    Unlike his cousin Alex, he is a calm and docile person but he is far from the throne. There were only a few explanations from time to time, but he never appeared in the novel.


    ¡°Will it be all right?¡±


    After identifying himself, Stan left a few dubious comments.


    ¨C I hope to see you again soon, lovely Ciel.


    Every word he said sounded like that of a real Prince. There was a sense of compatibility, perhaps because he was a pretty handsome boy resembling Queen Lotte.


    Maybe it was Stan, not Alex, who was my destiny? Somehow I was offended by the sudden love flag.


    ¡°My lovely baby sister! Ciel!¡±


    Just in time, Isaac, who saw me from afar, came running. Like a radar, Isaac always found me, anytime, wherever I was.


    Even if you hear something embarrassing for the first time, if you hear it every day, you will build some immunity.


    Since there is no information about Stan yet, I began to dig up information by being patient with Isaac¡¯s lovey-dovey attack.


    ¡°Brother, I have a question.¡±


    ¡°What are you curious about? I¡¯ll let you know everything.¡±


    ¡°What kind of man is Duke Stan?¡±


    As soon as the name Stan came out of my mouth, Isaac stopped moving. His expression was unusually cold. What¡¯s wrong?


    ¡°Stan. You didn¡¯t meet him, did you?¡±


    ¡°We met. Today at the Academy.¡±


    ¡°Let me see!¡±


    As soon as my answer fell, Isaac began to search all over my body to see if I was hurt.


    I didn¡¯t eat people, I just said I met him[1]. Isaac glared at the Imperial Palace, with an arrogant face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t run into him again. He¡¯s too dangerous for our fragile Ciel.¡±


    Does my brother want to be attacked by petals? I may not be able to control my powers, but now I know how to use magic.


    Moreover, compared to Alex, who leads the soldiers, Stan, who is a softie, looked less than a fistful[2].


    ¡°Brother, come on.¡±


    No matter what I do, it seems that in my brother¡¯s eyes, I¡¯m still his small sister who needs protection. What should I do with my brother who seems to have come out of a fairy tale?


    ¡°If I¡¯m in danger, then Brother can come to my rescue.¡±


    ¡°Well, of course! Our cute Ciel!¡±


    I smiled broadly at Isaac, who was asking for it and visited Theo, the most objective and reliable source in my family.


    ¡°Theo, are you free for a second?¡±


    ¡°Come on in.¡±


    With his glasses on, Theo was reading a book. Theo, who was already 21 years old and a young man, had grown up to be an intelligent and serious man, possibly because he resembled our father.


    Unlike Isaac, who resembles our mother and has a gorgeous smile, Theo had a rich atmosphere, like melted dark chocolate.


    PR/N: kinda simping for Theo now.


    ¡°I heard about it. Louis got a B.¡±


    ¡°I think he was very nervous. My comfort didn¡¯t work at all.¡±


    ¡°But he recovered quite a bit. You did a good job.¡±


    Unexpectedly, a compliment came out of my brother¡¯s mouth. I can be certain that if words like that came out from Theo¡¯s mouth, it¡¯s a huge compliment.


    Theo closed the book he was reading, put it aside, and approached me. Unlike my father and Isaac, who always stick to me when they see me, there is always a subtle gap between Theo and me.


    The more generous the adults were to me, the more reasonable Theo tried to remain somehow.


    Perhaps it is because of his responsibility as the eldest son. However, the way to target Theo was surprisingly simple.


    ¡°Today, Clara got a confession again.¡±


    ¡°Which house was it today?¡±


    ¡°He was Count Hammond¡¯s second son. As always, she refused.¡±


    ¡°Well done.¡±


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    Theo liked Clara.


    I haven¡¯t been able to say a word since childhood, but I am the only one who knows it.


    Even if I made fun of him about other things, I never said anything about that.


    I just quietly cheered for his poor love. Today, Theo nodded after hearing the information he had asked.


    In exchange for reporting Clara¡¯s daily routine, Theo gives me the information I¡¯m curious about. Our relationship was actually more like allies than a brother and sister.


    ¡°So, what are you curious about today?¡±


    ¡°I met Grand Duke Stan in the academy garden earlier. He said he was my childhood friend, but I don¡¯t remember anything.¡±


    ¡°Duke Stan. If Isaac finds out, he¡¯ll go crazy.¡±


    Theo seemed to know everything about what happened. I managed to sort out the whole story by adding little by little.


    ¡°He did go crazy. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here to ask you, Brother.¡±


    After learning the general situation, Theo told me what he knew in exchange for Clara¡¯s information.


    ¡°Ciel, you might remember that mother and Queen Lotte have been close since childhood.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I remember. But then Queen Lotte hit me, so we¡¯re not close anymore, are we?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    It was thanks to my mom that my dad supported Alex. Mom, who didn¡¯t like Alex very much at first, started to side with him after the last incident.


    Of course, that¡¯s how it is for now.


    When I was a child, my mother said she was very, very close to Queen Lotte.


    ¡°Grand Duke Stan is the only child of Queen Lotte.¡±


    The Queen, who returned to the Palace after her husband died, could not tolerate the fact that there was an unknown woman next to her brother[3].


    It was really an unfortunate fate. She was a person who existed but everyone ignored her. When I thought of Alex¡¯s treatment inside the Palace, I had a rough idea of the situation.


    ¡°Princess Lotte invited the ladies and their children, including our mother, into the Palace.¡±


    ¡°She invited them to the Palace?¡±


    ¡°She wanted to show off her power.¡±


    What if we put together a handful of noble ladies, including the wife of Duke Valentine, the most powerful woman of the Empire, and their children?


    Actually, children who will be responsible for the future of the Empire will grow up as acquaintances under the pretext of childhood friends.


    Perhaps the story about Stan and I¡¯s marriage was likely something deliberately said by Queen Lotte. If I became Stan¡¯s wife, it¡¯ll be easier to push Alex, a Prince only in name, away.


    And maybe because my mother didn¡¯t allow it, such a nasty trick didn¡¯t work.


    ¡°Did Stan do anything wrong to me?¡±


    This is the only conclusion I reach from Isaac¡¯s reaction. It was unusual to show outright hostility to the Grand Duke, telling me to never be alone with him.


    ¡°He did a bad thing. Really bad.¡±


    ¡°What did he do?¡±


    When I asked, Theo dodged my gaze with a troubled face. Did Stan do something so bad that it was hard to say? But if Theo doesn¡¯t tell me, there¡¯s really no way to find out.


    ¡°Tell me, if I see him again, I have to be careful.¡±


    ¡°He tried to kiss you forcibly. I didn¡¯t see it myself, I heard it from our mother.¡±


    What? A kiss? Since a 6-year-old did it to a 4-year-old, I think they could¡¯ve just let it slide by saying it was cute.


    I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not the same for the Valentine¡¯s. It does not matter that it was just a children¡¯s act. They won¡¯t let it slide.


    ¡°Anyway, the important thing is, Ciel, you were only four years old. Even though you refused, Grand Duke Stan forced you to do it.¡±


    Brother, your face is going to explode. What does it matter if you¡¯re a 21-year-old capable and smart guy when you look like this?


    Unable to put the word ¡°kiss¡± in his mouth, Theo continued, choosing the words as carefully as possible.


    ¡°Whoever it is, it¡¯s not good to touch your body recklessly. Father emphasized that many times.¡±


    The conclusion is too simple to beat around the bush.


    ¡°I mean, I¡¯m so cute that you had to teach me to say no when someone tries to kiss me?¡±


    ¡°It has nothing to do with you being cute. If someone forces you to do something you don¡¯t like, you have the right to refuse.¡±


    PR/N: Our best bro here.


    ¡°The right to refuse?¡±


    ¡°Yes. No one has the right to force others to do what they don¡¯t like.¡±


    At any rate, Theo has a bad habit of beating around the bush.


    Because I¡¯m cute, and because he liked me, I wouldn¡¯t mind if you told me to let it slide, but honestly, I¡¯d be a little hurt.


    But Brother Theo didn¡¯t do that. I can tell just by looking at these things. In fact, I¡¯m sure he loves me as much as any other member of the family; but as the eldest, he doesn¡¯t express it because of his responsibility to remain neutral.


    I gently leaned my head on Theo¡¯s shoulder and closed my eyes.


    ¡°Thank you, always. I love you, brother.¡±


    ¡°What did I do? And, Ciel, you can¡¯t just say ¡®I love you¡¯ so recklessly like that.¡±


    He¡¯s so cute. While speaking bluntly, a smile spread over his face. Theo¡¯s love is always this quiet.


    Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only


    PR/N: I died with this beautiful siblings¡¯ moment!! And I¡¯m officially simping for Theo.


    [1] I think this is a pun


    [2] Not as dangerous or not as difficult to handle


    [3] Talking about Alex¡¯s mom

 Chapter 23

    Theo is also the eldest son, so he needs to be aware of his personality. Then it suddenly occurred to me.


    If Clara really doesn¡¯t like Alex, I hope Theo gets a chance.


    Knowing that countless people confess to Clara, Theo has never revealed his heart directly.


    ¡°Theo, are you free for a second?¡±


    ¡°Come on in.¡±


    Clara came in right on time. She smiled happily when she saw me sitting next to Theo.


    ¡°Ciel was here, too.¡±


    ¡°I was here to ask Theo something. He kindly answered me.¡±


    I deliberately praised my older brother in front of Clara.


    ¡°Theo is always kind. Speaking of which, can you take a look at this contract?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right! I have to talk about something with Isaac!¡±


    I let a shy Theo be alone with Clara.


    He glanced at me and winked as if grateful.


    Come to think of it, the two of them seem to fit together quite well.


    After returning to the room, I sat at my desk and felt troubled. Anyways, the atmosphere between the two seemed very strange.


    ¡°Shall I just hook you up with Theo?¡±


    Their looks and personality match well; they were even the official couple that the writer had pushed for until Alex appeared.


    Given the background that others are unaware of, I am confident that I will be able to successfully twist the original story. So now I¡¯ve ventured to touch the love line of the original.


    I don¡¯t know if Clara has a crush on Alex, but if not, there¡¯s no need to push her. What¡¯s wrong with the pitiful sub-guy taking the lead?


    Moreover, considering the personalities of Mom and Dad, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll have a problem with that. Theo will be the next Duke of Valentine and spend his whole life looking only at Clara.


    In fact, if that happens, I will feel sorry for Alex who lost his original lover, but I think we can somehow move on from the past.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯re friends.¡±


    Our fellowship didn¡¯t stop even while he was at the front lines. I sent a letter of consolation to Alex with my sister¡¯s help.


    ¡°Come to think of it, when was the last time I wrote to him?¡±


    The letter I sent last time should¡¯ve arrived safely by now. I was worried about it, counting the days with my fingers.


    * * *


    Spring on the northern plains facing the front lines is late. Standing on the wall, Alex looked at the smoke rising over the mountain.


    It is not only the enemy that is afraid.


    There were several cases where the map was changed, and they crossed a threshold of death, and the last food delivered was half rotten. It was also important to filter out infiltrators whenever they had time.


    Someone is aiming for his life. The criminal was so obvious.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re all having a hard time because of me.¡±


    The year has already changed after going to the front lines. His aides, Lord Wilhelm, and other men are buttering him up without a word. But Alex was slowly reaching his limit.


    For him, the Palace was always an uncomfortable place. He thought it would be better to be out, but as it turned out, it was impossible to even meet a few friends.


    Alex closed his eyes and remembered the stunning Valentine¡¯s mansion. The kind sisters, who lived there surrounded by greenery, became good friends with Alex, who was lonely.


    ¡°A letter has arrived again today.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Alex¡¯s only pleasure was letters delivered from the capital. He didn¡¯t expect such warmth even from his father, who only contacted him on political matters.


    He opened the envelope of the letter with joy.


    ¡°It¡¯s already been so long.¡±


    There were two letters in the envelope that arrived in the name of Clara Valentine, Valentine¡¯s adoptive daughter.


    Clara Valentine. Despite being a foster daughter, she was loved by her younger sister, who didn¡¯t share the same blood.


    And Ciel Valentine. She never sends a letter in her name. Considering her status as Valentine¡¯s legitimate daughter, it can be assumed that it was to avoid the eyes of others.


    ¡°Do you have any good news?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    The content was perfectly normal. Ciel¡¯s letter was about her fight with the youngest of the brothers and always ended with the same sentence.


    [I¡¯ll always be waiting for your safe return. Your Highness¡¯ good friend, Ciel.]


    Good friend. Ciel deserves to be called a friend for approaching him first and doing him favors over and over again.


    ¡°Friends.¡±


    For the first time in his life, instead of His Highness or Crown Prince, he was called a friend. He paid tribute to his small friend because he wouldn¡¯t have made it this far without Ciel.


    And then he opened Clara¡¯s letter. Along with the treatment of the poison that he asked about last time, the recent situation that Ciel did not write down was thoroughly revealed.


    [Sometimes Ciel talks about you first. She knows you¡¯re struggling on the battlefield as if she is personally watching you.]


    It was full of pride for her smart little sister. However, Alex focused on the content.


    Not only did she show this much interest in him, but she reached out her hand first, which made him feel better.


    ¡°Sir Wilhelm, did you receive a letter from your wife?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s always the same. How are you, how are you eating? Even when I¡¯m home, that¡¯s the only thing that¡¯s important to her.¡±


    Lord Wilhelm, a devoted husband, used this opportunity to brag about it.


    ¡°Your wife seems to like you very much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed if you say so, but it¡¯s quite a famous story.¡±


    It was an unusual gossip in the social world that a noble young lady, who fell in love with Lord Wilhelm, succeeded in marriage after dozens of courtships.


    ¡°It could be because you like me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing.¡±


    Alex folded the letter and hid it in his arms like a cherished possession. Now that spring has come in the northern part of the country, it is difficult for enemies to invade.


    Peace was expected to continue for some time. So now he wants to return to the capital and wrap up the problem he¡¯s been agonizing over for a long time, but he hasn¡¯t been ordered to return home.


    ¡°Your Highness, food has arrived from the capital!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it myself.¡±


    As he climbed down the wall, all the riders were on their knees. He wondered who¡¯s there. The person who arrived without a report was familiar.


    A man with chocolate-colored hair stood there. He was clearly Ciel¡¯s father, the Duke of Valentine.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen you, Your Highness..¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here, Duke?¡±


    Duke Valentine¡¯s gaze turned to the envelope in Alex¡¯s hand. He hurriedly hid it behind his back as if his secret had been revealed.


    ¡°My daughters are very curious about how you are doing. I stopped by while I was thinking about it.¡±


    In terms of physical distance, it would take weeks at the earliest, but nothing is impossible for the Duke of Valentine, the greatest wizard of the Empire. He looked at the battlefield with an interesting expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been here.¡±


    A lot of things have been made easier just by him coming. Once he flicked his finger, all the old walls turned into new ones, and the cart-loads of food were spread out in the courtyard.


    ¡°Everyone in the garrison will be able to make it through until winter this year.¡±


    ¡°Lord Valentine, His Majesty¡­¡±


    Duke Valentine smiled bitterly at Alex, who looked at him with a hint of expectation, without being able to continue.


    ¡°Do you want to go back?¡±


    He still has work to do. Last time, his proposal to Ciel went down the drain, but that doesn¡¯t mean there¡¯s no chance at all.


    ¡°I want to go back. Please help me.¡±


    Duke Valentine will be his strength. He, who had lived in doubt and persecution, changed his mind after listening to Ciel.


    The Duke took the Emperor¡¯s personal letter from his arms and placed it in front of Alex, who had asked for genuine help.


    ¡°Your Majesty has personally ordered you to return.¡±


    Several orders were issued to return, but the letter did not reach Alex. Every time someone was sent, they lost contact.


    However, it was also difficult to find the culprit. As Queen Lotte¡¯s power grew bigger, the Emperor decided to use his strongest card.


    No one can judge the authenticity of the letter, as the Duke of Valentine delivered it himself, not anyone else.


    ¡°But what will we do about our enemies if you return so suddenly?¡±


    A general planted by Queen Lotte threw out. The Duke of Valentine shrugged his shoulders and raised his hand in the air to draw a line.


    ¡°Is the enemy a problem?¡±


    The legendary archmage Christopher Valentine didn¡¯t even need the help of any magic tools. In an instant, the sky turned red over the wall with his last words.


    ¡°Tha- that¡¯s!¡±


    A meteorite falling over the sky became bigger and bigger. There was a tremendous roar and a strong wind blew.


    PR/N: Are you frickin kidding me!!???? A damn frickin meteorite??? Who are you?? Arwin?? Ciel¡¯s Arwin and Latte¡¯s daughter.


    Everyone was rendered speechless by magic on a scale beyond imagination. Only the Duke and Crown Prince kept their composure amid the rush of frightened people.


    A huge meteor hit the enemy line. A disastrous landscape unfolded with flames soaring over the mountain. For the Emperor who unified the continent, the real headache was inside rather than outside.


    ¡°It¡¯s a tremendous amount of power every time.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty told me that the atmosphere in the capital is extraordinary.¡±


    Faced with the swirling wind, Alex looked at the expressionless Duke Valentine. Despite having the power to overturn the Emperor, Duke Valentine decided to pledge his power to the crown and live a peaceful life alongside his loving family.


    Too much power can threaten the Imperial family. However, the only time the Duke uses magic is at the request of the Emperor.


    So this now, in fact, supported the fact that it was an order issued by the Emperor himself.


    ¡°The next half-year will be quiet. Let¡¯s leave this up to the people here.¡±


    It¡¯s an order from the Emperor himself. It¡¯s a threat that he won¡¯t let it go if anyone sticks to Queen Lotte recklessly.


    Alex looked at Duke Valentine, who was called the strongest man in the Empire.


    ¡°I never want to turn the Duke into an enemy.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s hurry up and finish organizing. My daughter will be upset if I¡¯m late for dinner tomorrow.¡±


    Subtly bringing up Ciel in front of Alex, the Duke looked at him. It would have been impossible to win the support of Duke Valentine, who is known to be a neutralist, if his precious daughter hadn¡¯t defended him and changed his mind.


    Alex put his hand on the letter hidden in his arms. It was difficult because he was still young at that time, but if he goes back now and if Ciel feels the same, he thought they could talk about it again[1].


    Alex gazed at the busy-looking Duke.


    Notes:


    [1] He¡¯s talking about the time when the Duke told him that he was too young to ask for Ciel¡¯s hand in marriage

 Chapter 24

    A few days after the disastrous results, Louis gritted his teeth and took the second test.


    And a week later.


    ¡°Grade A.¡±


    While Louis was out in the back alley, I was notified of the grading results instead.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please deliver it to young master Louis Valentine.¡±


    I jumped in place after receiving the results from an employee of the Wizard¡¯s Association.


    My brother, why are you making me worry when you¡¯re going to do so well? I was excited with the happy news, but suddenly there was a commotion at the front door.


    ¡°Your Grace, are you back?¡±


    At the butler¡¯s voice, I ran back down the stairs.


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    My hair was a little messy because I used my magic to fly, but my wonderful father smiled at me as always. At that moment, my feet floated in the air, my body flew in the sky and fell into my father¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Did you have fun without your father, my princess?¡±


    ¡°I saw you yesterday morning, and now I¡¯m seeing you again. Dad, don¡¯t exaggerate.¡±


    ¡°Dad was so sad he didn¡¯t see his princess last night. That¡¯s why I ran back so quickly.¡±


    My dad with a daughter complex held me up and patted me hard on the head. Alex¡¯s problem must have been solved well since Father stepped in. It was worth dropping hints in advance.


    ¡°What happened in the North?¡±


    ¡°Yes, what happened?¡±


    Dad deliberately avoided the topic. Even if you act like this, I know you¡¯re happy because I asked you to come back quickly.


    ¡°I think everything went well because Dad was there.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Sooner or later, the Crown Prince will also return triumphantly.¡±


    He¡¯s finally coming back. Realizing that, my cheekbones went up, and I clapped without realizing it.


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I¡¯m glad he¡¯s coming back safely.¡±


    ¡°My princess, you seem particularly pleased to hear that His Highness is coming back. Dad¡¯s upset.¡±


    Ever since the last proposal was mentioned, Dad has been openly aware of whenever I talk about Alex.


    ¡°Dad, are you jealous?¡±


    ¡°I was just curious. I was wondering if His Highness had Clara in mind.¡±


    Alex and Clara¡¯s love clich¨¦ is ruined, but if I said something wrong, Dad might cut off Alex¡¯s support.


    ¡°Crown Prince Alex¡¯s her precious friend. My sister will be sad if something happens to him.¡±


    ¡°So Clara and he are just friends.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, really, really, it¡¯s not like that at all. We¡¯re just friends.¡±


    It is not right to misunderstand because of regular correspondence, as the Emperor did the last time. I was straightforward in this matter.


    ¡°She said she has no intention of getting married yet. And I don¡¯t think she likes anyone.¡±


    ¡°I have no intention of forcing Clara to marry him.¡±


    ¡°I know, but you never know. No matter how good of a proposal comes in, you have to respect her wishes.¡±


    It would be a disaster if you were tricked into sending her to a weirdo. The bad guys obviously approached a decent family to try a political marriage.


    Enough of the old repertoire, my dad nodded and patted me on the head when I warned him in advance.


    ¡°You know how to use the word respect. Our youngest has grown up a lot. She¡¯s a real lady now.¡±


    As if I was some kind of fool, my dad was paying attention to my unusual vocabulary.


    Now that I am fifteen, it¡¯s not necessary to see me as a child but I laughed at the thought that, in my father¡¯s eyes, I will be forever his baby girl.


    ¡°Dad has no intention of forcing anyone into marriage.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Theo, Isaac, Clara. When you all have someone you like, I just want you to be the first to tell Mom and Dad.¡±


    I don¡¯t know about the others, but it¡¯s hard to imagine our fool Isaac falling in love with someone else.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be a little hard for Isaac?¡±


    ¡°Dad is more concerned about Ciel. You don¡¯t have to hurry, so don¡¯t grow up too quickly.¡±


    After saying that, my dad laughed bitterly for some reason.


    We can¡¯t stay young forever, so my brothers and sister, who were running around and playing all over the mansion, will eventually leave one by one.


    Theo, who is faithfully playing the role of the next Duke, Isaac, who has won competitions every year and has qualified as a swordmaster, and Clara, who has become a qualified pharmacist.


    Unlike Louis and I, who are still immature, my sister and brothers were already on their way.


    ¡°Ciel will always be next to Mom and Dad.¡±


    Ciel¡¯s love interest wasn¡¯t confirmed in the novel. Being a good daughter to my parents wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing.


    ¡°This is what Marquis Norton said last time: They say that, and one day, they suddenly bring a guy.¡±


    My dad didn¡¯t seem to believe me. I couldn¡¯t put a nail in my beloved dad¡¯s heart, so I deliberately held onto my dad¡¯s arms and fooled around acting cute.


    ¡°No one likes me. I guess everyone ran away because they were scared of my dad and Isaac.¡±


    Aside from that, I don¡¯t even know a decent man now. Stan is a bit dangerous, but I just need to be careful.


    I thought so calmly.


    * * *


    Louis has been busier since grading A.


    ¡°Look, I can do it even if I¡¯m like this[1].¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I think my brother is really great.¡±


    Louis, who¡¯s usually bickering with me, didn¡¯t tell me where he was going after the grade came out properly and he didn¡¯t stay home at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m bored.¡±


    So I ended up all alone at home. After finishing many busy days of work, my father and mother went on a two-day trip for vacation.


    Theo is watching over the political affairs instead of Father, and Isaac went to the Knights Division, as usual. Even my sister was away today, at the request of the Pharmaceutical Association, so I stayed home alone.


    PR/N: you may be too young to understand the joke in the last line :kek:


    ¡°When the hell are you coming?¡±


    The story will begin in earnest only when Alex returns. Rumors of him coming back were all over the place, but there was no way to inquire about his whereabouts.


    Since there was nothing else to do, I decided to think about the love story, in earnest.


    If Clara and Theo are connected, that¡¯s not bad either.


    Clara, who has always been aware that she is an adopted daughter. And Theo, who has had a crush on her for a long time.


    Aside from the fact that they treat each other like siblings, they are both objectively aware that they are not.


    It¡¯s not a surprise for two people that are close to each other to naturally fall in love.


    It would have been nice if Theo had the courage to step up, but the problem is that he¡¯s too shy to do that.


    It¡¯s a problem I¡¯ve been thinking about for a while, but the most important thing is Clara¡¯s heart. I think it¡¯s better to wait and see on this issue.


    ¡°Miss, we¡¯re in trouble!¡±


    For some reason, Merrill ran into my room without knocking.


    ¡°Trouble? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°His Highness, Prince Stan is here!¡±


    I thought I heard it wrong at first. When I heard the name Stan, I jumped out of my seat.


    ¡°What?¡±


    I wanted to shout out ¡®what¡¯s the meaning of this? without a prior engagement!¡¯, but my opponent was Empress Lotte¡¯s son and the Grand Duke of Winterbaum.


    When there were no adults, did he come while knowing about this situation?


    ¡°Where is he now?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Lisbon is greeting him.¡±


    First, I changed my clothes with the help of the maids. Even as I rushed through the mansion, the atmosphere was unusual.


    ¡°Lady Ciel is here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you, Ciel.¡±


    When I opened the door, I saw Stan sitting gracefully with his legs crossed, drinking black tea.


    His face was as smooth as it was a few days ago. Overall, despite the fact that he resembles his mother¡¯s beauty, he appeared strong today because he was well-dressed.


    A child born to the mercenary king who killed the dragon and the Emperor¡¯s sister, Princess Lotte. Stan, the owner of Winterbaum¡¯s estate and Alex¡¯s rival, was so dignified that it was unbelievable that he was a character that appeared only in one line in the original book.


    And in front of him was Mrs. Lisbon, kneeling on the floor.


    ¡°Mrs. Lisbon, why are you on your knees?¡±


    She¡¯d been a little mean to my sister, but she¡¯d devoted her whole life to Valentine without any problems.


    Now Mrs. Lisbon, almost grandmotherly old, is bowing down. I was shocked by her servile appearance.


    ¡°That¡¯s because, of course, she didn¡¯t let you know of my arrival on time.¡±


    Stan was the one who replied. Even if you are a Grand Duke, this kind of rude behavior is not acceptable. I approached my maid myself and lifted her up.


    ¡°So who¡¯s the one who came here without an appointment?¡±


    ¡°Miss Ciel.¡±


    Furious, I responded with a fierce tone. Mrs. Lisbon is the duchy¡¯s housekeeper, even if she has unknowingly ignored Clara.


    No matter how great the Grand Duke¡¯s orders are, my orders come first to her.


    When I ordered her, she managed to get up with assistance from other maids.


    ¡°Forgive me, Miss.¡±


    Mrs. Lisbon, who used to ignore and harass Clara, is now old and has bad joints.


    Because her legs hurt, she couldn¡¯t even walk properly. A woman much older than Queen Lotte was on her knees the entire time I was getting ready.


    ¡°Merrill, there must be some medicine you made for me in the second drawer of my room desk.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss.¡±


    No matter how mean she was, she¡¯s still from our family. Merrill, who read my mind, moved quickly.


    When I saw Merrill and the other maids accompanying Mrs. Lisbon out, I turned to face Stan and his entourage. The atmosphere was unusual, given the number of people present and the weapons they were carrying.


    [1] Talking about his A grade

 Chapter 25

    ¡°May I ask why you came without prior notice?¡±


    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d have a chance other than today.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten Ciel for a moment, but you don¡¯t even remember me. This is too much.¡±


    His courteous and polite appearance must have been a mask. With a fishy smile[1], he drew closer and closer to me.


    I learned self-defense just in case, and I can use magic, so I¡¯m not afraid. No, I¡¯m actually a little scared. But I didn¡¯t want to look intimidated, so I purposely bluffed.


    ¡°Go back. If you have any business, please make a formal appointment and visit us again.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way your parents would allow it. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    PR/N: then go away. Shoooo bug!


    QC/N: He sounds like a complete creep eww


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re angry. I apologize for what my mother did. It was so mean of her to slap you on your pretty cheek.¡±


    Does he really think that¡¯s why I¡¯m wary of him? Last time, knowing that I didn¡¯t remember anything, it seemed like he was doing it on purpose.


    ¡°I heard from Theo yesterday. What you did to me.¡±


    ¡°I was still young back then, Ciel, it¡¯s because you were so pretty.¡±


    Stan laid a hand on my cheek without asking me for permission. Every gesture disguises an explicit intention.


    No uncomfortable physical contact is allowed. I expressed my refusal with a blatant frown.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t touch me recklessly. It¡¯s unpleasant.¡±


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re Valentine¡¯s princess, aren¡¯t you being too rude to me?¡±


    ¡°If I don¡¯t like it, then I will say it.¡±


    I shook off his hand as hard as I could. I don¡¯t have any information about this child because he was a character only mentioned in one line in the original novel.


    I¡¯m not even sure when you die, if you die[2]. Stan fiddled with my hand while making an unpleasant expression in response to my strong push.


    ¡°Why are you so cold to me while you write letters to Alex?¡±


    Why is Stan talking about Alex? All my letters were delivered through Clara¡¯s hands. The reply also arrived in Clara¡¯s name.


    So, in fact, no one knew about me exchanging letters with Alex except Clara.


    ¡°How do you¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you really think it¡¯s a coincidence that I was there that day?¡±


    Stan beckoned and his entourage approached from behind our housemaids. Merrill was still away with Mrs. Lisbon.


    He approached me again and smiled coldly, isolating me so that no one could help me.


    ¡°What the hell is the relationship between Ciel and Alex?¡±


    My spine was chilled by his obsessive eyes. What the hell is wrong with him? Alex and I have nothing to do with each other.


    ¡°Alex is a friend of my sister¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t a kid who lied like this before.¡±


    Drumming and juggling alone[3], what am I supposed to do if you conclude that? I can¡¯t take it anymore. Even if I get scolded later, I might get in trouble if I leave it as it is.


    I have no choice but to stop him with magic.


    I gathered mana at my fingertips. As soon as I tried to recite defensive magic, reminiscent of building a wall between my opponent and me, a tightly closed door slammed open behind me.


    ¡°Stan, what kind of behavior is that?¡±


    A low-pitched voice rang in the room.


    PR/N: fangirls screaming cuz we know who¡¯s coming


    I quickly turned around and became speechless. He was away for only a year but before I knew it, he had the face of a perfect man.


    He¡¯s already 19. I hadn¡¯t seen him in a long time with his hair like the night sky and bright red eyes resembling those of a beast.


    QC/N: £Ï(¨R¨Œ¨Q)£Ï


    That man, wearing shiny silver armour, was obviously Alex.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s here. But one thing¡¯s for sure, I have someone to fight for me.


    Stan must have been pissed off when he found out I was close to Alex.


    I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t even care about you.


    This is an opportunity. You seem to have misunderstood something, but now that he¡¯s here, I¡¯ll set your heart on fire.


    I let go and ran over to Alex, trying to provoke Stan even further.


    ¡°Ciel.¡±


    ¡°I missed you!¡±


    It¡¯s the appearance of a wild card to help me. Alex appeared at the perfect time for the main character. I purposefully approached him and wrapped my arms around him


    It was half for show. Stan said he liked me, so I¡¯m sure his stomach will twist with jealousy when he sees this.


    ¡°You must have missed me a lot.¡±


    ¡°You know how much I like Your Highness, why are you saying it like that?¡±


    Facing my bright smile, Alex also welcomed me with sweet eyes. Thanks to the fact that we have gotten quite close, we¡¯ve got good teamwork. Stan¡¯s face contorted at the sight of Alex and me, acting so closely.


    Bam! Bam![4] You¡¯re going to get teased to death.


    Stan must be acting that way because he likes me, but I¡¯m not kind enough to listen to what a bully has to say.


    If you like someone, you should be nice to them. Why would you bother them? Even the little scoundrel in my family may curse with his mouth, but he doesn¡¯t scream and scare me like this.


    ¡°What are you doing here, Crown Prince?¡±


    ¡°I just stopped by.¡±


    He gave a nonchalant reply. Beyond the open door, there were knights following Alex. Seeing that everyone had something in their hands, they seemed to have stopped by to bring a rare seedling for Clara.


    If I did something to the Grand Duke myself, my parents¡¯ position could be in trouble.


    Fortunately, the Crown Prince is a royal as well, and he¡¯s the best guardian of all. He also came at the best timing, in the most urgent moment. I was so thankful today that I really wanted to kiss him.


    QC/N: Come on, don¡¯t be shy, do it!


    ¡°You two, are you going to keep doing that?¡±


    Stan¡¯s sarcasm startled us. It was a little awkward because it was our first time meeting in a year.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    I nodded. Alex¡¯s big hand gently patted my hair. Now that we¡¯re quite close, this is fine.


    Besides, I honestly feel good. How can he have such broad shoulders? Do all the swordsmen grow up this fast?


    It seemed comparable to Isaac, who is considered one of the best knights in the Empire. His height, too, and the muscles in his arms were as hard as Isaac¡¯s.


    How much he had suffered on the battlefield was reflected in how his beautiful hands became rough.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been good. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I received your letter.¡±


    The bluntness remained. Still, as I watched Alex stand in front of me as if he had become my guardian, I felt that it was worth sending a letter of consolation.


    ¡°I heard you visited without booking an appointment beforehand.¡±


    Stan replied insignificantly at Alex¡¯s cold words.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same for you, Your Highness.¡±


    You don¡¯t even compare! I frowned and snapped coldly.


    ¡°No, Alex is my special guest.¡±


    Because we became friends. Since Valentine and the Crown Prince are on the same boat, Alex has become a welcome guest.


    And one more thing, I¡¯m feeling some kind of guilt towards Alex.


    Clara, who was the heroine, was so happy, but when things turned out like this, Alex suddenly became lonely.


    That¡¯s why I have to be nicer. To save face in front of Stan, I intentionally wrapped my arms around Alex¡¯s arm.


    Stan is blatantly displeased by the appearance of the two of us looking extremely close.


    ¡°I¡¯m upset[5], that¡¯s why it seems like I¡¯ve become an intruder.¡±


    It¡¯s not the same, it¡¯s harassment.


    Regardless, even Prince Stan of Winterbaum does not dare to speak up in front of the Crown Prince, despite his previous rudeness. As if it wasn¡¯t unnoticed, when Alex beckoned, the escorts around him stepped aside.


    ¡°Does His Majesty know that you came here today?¡±


    ¡°¡­How cheap.¡±


    Citing the Emperor¡¯s name, Stan seemed to agree and stepped down. I thought he¡¯d go now, but this guy never went easily.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see each other again soon, my lovely Ciel.¡±


    With another uncomfortable comment, Stan pretended to be cool and left.


    You¡¯re a nasty bastard till the end.


    ¡°Lady!¡±


    Only after things were sorted out did Merrill show up with a bang.


    ¡°Merrill, get the salt from the kitchen right now and sprinkle it at the entrance of the mansion[6].¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Don¡¯t come again. Mrs. Lisbon, who had taken medicine and was now stable, returned to the drawing-room while Merrill went to sprinkle salt.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to have worried you, Miss.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, the situation has worked out., I¡¯d like to treat the Crown Prince to a cake.¡±


    When the head maid heard the mention of the Crown Prince, she was surprised for a moment but immediately regained her smile and began to give instructions.


    Even if Stan made a mess like this, the Crown Prince himself came and kicked him out. In other words, he is a most welcome guest for the head maid.


    While Mrs. Lisbon was preparing the cake, I guided him as the temporary hostess of the mansion.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that seedling?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a gift for Lady Clara. I hope she likes it.¡±


    ¡°Of course. She¡¯ll be very happy!¡±


    It¡¯s meaningful that you brought it all the way here. Since my older sister wasn¡¯t here right now, I held his hand and thanked him instead.


    I found out after getting close, but Alex was very considerate of his people. The nicer he was, the more guilt I felt inside me.


    I blew your love flag, why are you so nice to me?


    This is all the result of someone like me who has a conscience that¡¯s probably smaller than the size of a fingernail.


    Anyway, the villain stepped down and peace came to Valentine¡¯s mansion. Mrs. Lisbon generously offered food to the Crown Prince¡¯s entourage.


    I didn¡¯t want to worry my parents, so I decided to talk to her about this and cover it up quietly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Theo and Clara in advance. There will be no harm to you.¡±


    ¡°I have nothing to say.¡±


    If this really comes to the surface, Louis, who went out without saying a word, along with Mrs. Lisbon cannot escape responsibility.


    That¡¯s how I paid off my debt. After taking the medicine my sister made, Mrs. Lisbon seemed to be very moved when she heard that even this matter, which her life depends on, would be handled by Clara¡¯s knowledge.


    Finally, I saw signs that my long-standing concerns would be resolved. Obviously, after her official debut, even old employees couldn¡¯t treat Clara recklessly.


    Even Mrs. Lisbon, who had been mysteriously dubious until the end, would no longer bother Clara.


    So after beckoning the maid to leave, I spoke to Alex to catch up.


    Notes


    [1] An untrustworthy or dishonest smile


    [2] Sorry we weren¡¯t completely sure about this ?_?


    [3] Having to do everything by yourself


    [4] ?? actually means something like ¡°bleeeh¡± like when kids fight with other kids


    [5] ???? is used when you¡¯re upset because you don¡¯t get something that you expect from others


    [6] It is an old superstition to throw salt to drive away bad energies :keke:

 Chapter 26

    I sneaked a peek at Alex, who was sitting next to me. How wonderful it is to drink black tea so gracefully, and even the outline of the tea passing through his throat had an alluring atmosphere.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite mature now.¡±


    There were so many stories waiting to be told after finally meeting after a year. I feigned innocence and gave Alex a scolding.


    ¡°Your Highness, too, has changed so much that I don¡¯t think I¡¯d recognize you if I run into you on the street.¡±


    ¡°Is it that bad?¡±


    I was joking, but Alex, who¡¯s always serious about everything, looked at himself in wonder. I burst into laughter when I saw it.


    It was dizzying to think about what would have happened if he hadn¡¯t come, so I offered snacks with gratitude.


    ¡°Just kidding, there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t recognize you.¡±


    Alex accepted the cookies I had handed him and he handed me some in return.


    ¡°You deserve to show off.¡±


    By interacting with us sisters, Alex, who had been a loner all his life, learned how to treat people well little by little.


    Having a good friend expands one¡¯s world, so I sincerely praised Alex.


    ¡°You were out on the battlefield but now you¡¯re a little more honest.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to get harder and harder.¡±


    Now that Alex is back, the Empress will start moving in earnest. So we have to come up with our own strategy.


    ¡°As you suggested last time, I¡¯d like to invite Lady Clara as my exclusive pharmacist.¡±


    He finally asked about what I had alluded to in my last letter.


    Sister¡¯s rich knowledge of herbs is helpful to Alex. Also, if she becomes the youngest pharmacist in the Royal Palace, her success will be guaranteed.


    There is no better option than this to get a job for big sister and solve the male lead¡¯s problems at once.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s nothing more I¡¯d like. There¡¯s been a lot of trouble these days because my sister has more and more suitors each day.¡±


    That is not a joke. Most of the guys who came almost every other day or two didn¡¯t really care about my sister, but most of the time they came just because of the Valentine name.


    My brother Theo is ten, twenty, or a million times better than such poor people. If she had to commute to and from the palace, she wouldn¡¯t be able to date other people especially if she was busy.


    It¡¯s absolutely unacceptable unless it¡¯s the Crown Prince or the future Duke at least. I know that the path of the true female lead in a ropan[1] is a long and rough road, but I was willing to enter into a deal with the Crown Prince just for my sister¡¯s future.


    ¡°It¡¯s good for her to enter the Palace. Please take care of my sister.¡±


    When I readily agreed, Alex asked, wondering.


    ¡°Do you know what it means to be my exclusive pharmacist?¡±


    I¡¯m sad that we¡¯ll be spending less time together. Even if it¡¯s like this, my love for my sister is sincere. I can¡¯t let her miss this great opportunity because of me.


    ¡°I can show people all over the world how special my sister is.¡±


    A chance to show off her talent as a full-time pharmacist and not as Valentine¡¯s adopted daughter.


    Honestly, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s good for me or not, but if she isn¡¯t recognized by the world even after improving her skills more day by day, she¡¯d be a fool.


    But Alex brought up a completely unexpected story.


    ¡°In principle, the pharmacist of the royal family should stay in the Palace. I¡¯m just saying it because you look so happy when she¡¯ll be leaving home.¡±


    ¡°What? What do you mean?¡±


    I know that Clara stayed at the Palace in the original book because she couldn¡¯t stand the harassment of the maids brought on by Ciel.


    But if she becomes an Imperial Pharmacist, she has to leave the house?


    ¡°That¡¯s why I was wondering. I was wondering if you wanted me to welcome Lady Clara as the Crown Princess.¡±


    There¡¯s no love between the two. Alex was staring at me with a troubled face.


    ¡°Are you going to have your sister become the Crown Princess?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something we can¡¯t consider to strengthen your alliance with Valentine.¡±


    If Dad was really a politically greedy person, he might have used Clara that way. As I said that, Alex looked at me.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    ¡°Stan seems very interested in you.¡±


    Oh, I see. If I get engaged to Stan while Alex is in an alliance with Valentine, Dad might rethink this alliance.


    So there¡¯s also a way to maintain his bond with Valentine through raising Clara to the position of Crown Princess. Dad¡¯s a man of character, so even if she¡¯s foster daughter, he wouldn¡¯t betray Clara¡¯s fiance.


    The questions I had been holding back began to be solved. Why did Alex start liking Clara in the original novel?


    Is it because Alex and Clara weren¡¯t real lovers that they were accused of being ridiculous people that fell in love quickly and none of the kissing scenes appeared?


    ¡°No way¡­¡±


    I had nothing to say when I saw Alex acting like he doesn¡¯t seem to care about her. Clara chose that option in the first place because of Ciel¡¯s misdeeds.


    And I almost drove my sister into a loveless political marriage without even realizing it.


    No, I can¡¯t do that.


    My nice sister should only walk on the flowery path, but I¡¯d rather get cursed at rather than make her suffer. I held Alex¡¯s hand and shook my head.


    ¡°If you need someone like that, I¡¯d rather be on your side.¡±


    ¡°Ciel?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be in trouble if I were to marry Prince Stan.¡±


    Now I understand why Ciel remained single in the original novel. Since there were secret marriage talks concerning Stan and Ciel, the popular Ciel stirred up the social world but in the end, didn¡¯t even know who her formal fiance was.


    If I don¡¯t distance myself from Stan at this point, Alex¡¯s goal, the demise of the Empress, will naturally fall apart. Since I¡¯m in the same boat anyway, I¡¯ve decided to cooperate fully with Alex.


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t want me engaged to Lady Clara?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more difficult than that. You said that you don¡¯t like her, that you don¡¯t have any romantic feelings for her at all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. But Valentine is my biggest supporter.¡±


    He¡¯s not interested in my sister but needs the power of the Valentine¡¯s family. It sounds reasonable so there¡¯s nothing I can say.


    There was an implication in Alex¡¯s careful words. Today, I checked the subtle atmosphere between Stan and me with my own eyes, so I have to somehow separate the two of us if I want to live.


    ¡°You want to make sure that I¡¯m not in a relationship with Prince Stan?¡±


    Alex did not deny what I said. Now that the Empress¡¯s faction has become more powerful, it is time to start preparing to face them in earnest.


    ¡°In that sense, everything will become more simple once you enter my Palace.¡±


    While contemplating how to solve this problem, I tilted my head at Alex¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°I¡¯m going into the Palace?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be safe as long as Stan is alive.¡±


    Yes, this proposal was actually for me, too. If Stan came around like this again, surely the kids¡¯ fight would turn into a fight between the adults and chaos would ensue.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Stan will offer you marriage. Your father will consider it at least once because the position of a Grand Duke is not something to scoff at.¡±


    Grand Duke Stan Winterbaum, second in line to the throne, the only son of Empress Lotte, who now holds the greatest power over the Empire¡¯s largest fief.


    Perhaps it¡¯s a more stable and better option than the endangered Crown Prince. But even so, I never thought I¡¯d enter the Palace.


    Like a well-intentioned human being[2], Alex seemed ready to take full advantage of me. If I go to Stan, my position will be dangerous, so even if I get misunderstood, I will have to take care of it myself.


    ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re not doubting me by any chance, are you?


    ¡°No way.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were worried that I might go to Stan instead.¡±


    Looking at his sullen expression, it¡¯s not that. At first, I thought he was just trying to use me.


    Now it seems Alex is trying to protect Clara as well as me.


    How should I do this? If I send my sister alone, Clara will end up crying every night over the mistreatment of Empress Lotte and her minions.


    I¡¯d rather jump in and remove all the death flags myself than send my sister alone and see her suffer.


    ¡°I¡¯m going into the Palace.¡±


    Maybe if I go in there myself, I¡¯ll get mixed up with Empress Lotte or Stan. What if they think I have something with Alex?


    Although there are some risks, Alex¡¯s position will become more solid if I stay at the Crown Prince¡¯s Palace myself.


    ¡°In the Imperial Palace, aristocrats often enter the Palace under the pretext of education.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it.¡±


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t had your social debut, so if you act as a valued guest, people around you will misunderstand.¡±


    It¡¯s enough to let people misunderstand as much as they want, and later make an excuse that I begged the Crown Prince because I wanted to be with my sister[3].


    There is a risk of encountering Stan, but there is no other way to protect my sister.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t His Majesty oppose it?¡±


    ¡°I asked the Emperor in advance. Fortunately, he was very pleased.¡±


    ¡°Really? Can I live with my sister in the Palace?¡±


    ¡°If you want to. As for a justification, that we can make later.¡±


    I mean, it¡¯s a go-stop[4] game that we¡¯re weaving anyway, so let¡¯s make an excuse later.


    I can¡¯t accept the sudden offer, so let¡¯s think about it first. Then I heard someone running outside the door.


    ¡°Ciel! What do you mean, are you okay?¡±


    Louis, who returned home late, ran into the room without knocking.


    ¡°Long time no see, Louis Valentine.¡±


    ¡°Louis Valentine greets the Crown Prince!¡±


    My youngest brother hurried to greet the unexpected guest. Using the power of His Highness, I sneakily started reprimanding Louis.


    ¡°My brother is bad. So where did you go without me?¡±


    If today¡¯s accident is known, the first person to be scolded is none other than Louis. He didn¡¯t even reveal his destination and disappeared whenever he had time, so my dad was already determined to catch him.


    In addition, Louis would have been afraid of what would happen if Isaac found out that I had met Stan in person without anyone to intervene and stop him.


    ¡°I heard that you protected my sister. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.¡±


    The truth is that I¡¯m thankful that I¡¯m safe and I didn¡¯t get cursed at, but in front of the polite Louis, Alex replied with sincerity.


    ¡°I just did what I had to do. It¡¯s also a disgrace to the Imperial family, so I want you to cover up what happened quietly.¡±


    ¡°Of course. There is no question, I will take care of it.¡±


    [1] Romantic fantasy


    [2] This is said sarcastically


    [3] Basically, they don¡¯t care if people misunderstand, they just need to get her in the Palace


    [4] A set-up

 Chapter 27

    It was already quite late after all that talk.


    After confirming that Louis had decided to stay home, Alex began preparing to return.


    ¡°Your Highness, hold on.¡±


    It bothered me to just let him go. I took Alex by his hand and brought him to my room.


    My cute room, decorated in light pink and white, always smelled good. I rummaged through one of the drawers and found the lavender-scented hand cream my sister had made for me.


    ¡°Take this one and use it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    When I opened the round lid, the scent of lavender spread out. I scooped the white cream with my finger and put it on his palm.


    Now he can spread it on his own, but he continued looking at me without moving.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°This is how you do it.¡±


    He¡¯s not even a child, but I spread it thoroughly from the back of his hand to his fingers.


    Before we knew it, our hands smelled of the same lavender.


    ¡°It¡¯s moist, isn¡¯t it? Sister made it for me.¡±


    ¡°Can you really give me something so precious?¡±


    ¡°Your hand is more of a problem right now.¡±


    The hand holding the sword is bound to get rough, but if he doesn¡¯t take care of his hands like this, they¡¯ll be so pitiful.


    He clasped my hand cream and gently put his hand on my head. A subtle lavender scent rose from Alex¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I am always indebted to you.¡±


    ¡°I really appreciate what happened today.¡±


    ¡°I just did what I had to do. Excuse me.¡±


    If you¡¯re going to give Sister a present, it¡¯d be better to give it to her yourself. Seeing that he¡¯s here just to deliver the seedlings, the two seem to be pure friends.


    ¡°Think about my proposal carefully.¡±


    The original is just the original, and since the other side has started moving[1], it might be safe for me to enter the Imperial Palace with my sister. So Alex left me to think over the difficult problem and went back to the Imperial Palace.


    Early in the evening, Theo came back. I grabbed Louis and went to meet big brother Theo.


    ¡°You idiot, if you promise to be nice to me and betray me later, I¡¯ll really die.¡±


    ¡°What a jerk, so where the hell did you go, leaving me alone?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s nothing for you to know.¡±


    I already know where you went. Even before taking the grade test, Louis was making pocket money in earnest by walking around the back alleys and making contact with an information guild.


    Louis, who had got an A, had nothing to fear and was a rebel, a rare find even in the Valentine¡¯s family. Still, he agreed to protect his privacy as he would take care of himself as much as he can.


    ¡°How¡¯s everything today?¡±


    ¡°Brother, the thing is[2].¡±


    Louis and I kept trying to pass the responsibility onto each other. Louis, who lost only after playing rock-paper-scissors, explained the situation.


    While he was out playing for a while, a guest came and not only harassed Mrs. Lisbon, but tried to do something to me as well.


    He explained it well, but he didn¡¯t say who the guest was.


    ¡°So, who was the guest that treated Mrs. Lisbon that way?¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, there was a man who said he saw the Crown Prince near our mansion today.¡±


    That¡¯s how he found out. I want to hide it from my parents somehow, but I have to tell Theo everything.


    I cried and told the whole truth.


    ¡°So you left Ciel alone with Archduke Stan?¡±


    ¡°How could I have known that was going to happen?¡±


    Theo frowned at the irresponsible reply.


    ¡°Louis Valentine, who are you?¡±


    I thought we¡¯d both get in trouble, but Theo really only stared at Louis, frowning for the first time in a long time.


    His fierce eyes made the brat bow his head down.


    Theo is the oldest of our five siblings, no matter what anyone says. Louis doesn¡¯t ever listen to me, but he never ever disobeys Theo.


    ¡°I am the Duke of Valentine¡¯s, Christopher Valentine¡¯s, third son, and Ciel¡¯s older brother.¡±


    ¡°Have you already forgotten what our father said?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Brother.¡±


    What did Father say for Louis to admit his mistake so readily? Theo scolded Louis with a serious face.


    ¡°Ciel is your little sister and she¡¯s still young. It is the duty of those born in the Valentine family to protect their families.¡±


    ¡°But brother!¡±


    ¡°If the Crown Prince had not come, what would have happened to Ciel?¡±


    Although I could have stopped him with magic, if I hurt Stan, then I¡¯m sure Father and my family will be in trouble.


    Anyways, he came here knowing I¡¯d be home alone, so it¡¯s straight-up stalking, but if I become a target like this, I don¡¯t have any countermeasures, so the best solution is to have the people around me take care of it.


    Big brother, that¡¯s pretty good. Theo, who usually kept his distance from me on purpose, came to me after scolding Louis to tears, perhaps because of the shock of this incident.


    ¡°Ciel, it must have been scary.¡±


    It¡¯s not that I¡¯m afraid of Stan, but he¡¯s just a little creepy.


    ¡°Well, a little? I was going to use magic, but as you know, I still can¡¯t control my magic that well.¡±


    There were no strong people[3] earlier, so if I did something wrong, half of the house might have been blown away. Theo, who was staring at me, pretending to be calm, hugged me.


    ¡°Ciel, you¡¯re still 15 years old, even if your magic skills have improved these days. You still need the family¡¯s protection.¡±


    ¡°Big brother Theo.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault that this happened while our parents were away. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Nothing all that bad happened, but Theo had a guilty look on his face.


    After Theo spoke up first, Louis, who had been grumbling up until now, scratched his head as if he was sorry.


    ¡°Anyway, the fact that Archduke Stan showed up like that means that there¡¯s a high chance that he will do it again in the future. If we don¡¯t stop him at some point, things might get really messy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I heard Father and Empress Lotte¡¯s forces are still in conflict.¡±


    Louis worked hard to explain where he came from and what he had picked up. While Alex was out on the outskirts, Empress Lotte unwittingly conspired to kill him in many ways.


    Despite such a terrible situation, Alex tenaciously survived.


    ¡°He was just about to wipe out all the enemies and come back, but I think Empress Lotte was trying to pull another stunt. It was Father who stopped it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°I heard that the Crown Prince and Clara are close? They say that the two are getting married later.¡±


    The tactless Louis brought up the most unexpected nonsense.


    Even though I said that the two were not like that, Theo looked at me with a hardened face for a moment.


    On the other hand, Louis who is smart in other respects, is stupid in this aspect. I scrambled to soothe Theo¡¯s mentality so that he wouldn¡¯t collapse.


    ¡°They don¡¯t have that kind of relationship.¡±


    ¡°Then why did he bring that seedling earlier?¡±


    Please shut the hell up, you asshole.


    ¡°That¡¯s because they¡¯re friends!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that. How can you do well when you¡¯re not interested in common sense?¡±


    I¡¯m doomed. Our eldest brother, who is bold in everything else but only timid in front of love, fell into a state of panic because of our youngest brother¡¯s words.


    How the hell am I supposed to handle this?


    If Clara were to become an Imperial Pharmacist at this rate, Theo would be devastated.


    Ugh. There¡¯s nothing I can do. Closing my eyes tightly, I decided to sell some really distant old stories[4].


    ¡°Big brother, can I borrow your ear for a second?¡±


    It may be misunderstood, but I have to put out the fire first. I pulled Theo¡¯s ear and whispered the secret so that no bastard would ever hear it.


    ¡°His Highness proposed to me.¡±


    I¡¯m not lying. It¡¯s definitely true until the wedding. Even though I whispered with a voice like an ant crawling, Theo understood every single word.


    I sighed when I saw his pupils getting bigger. Louis complained about why he was the only one who was left out, but now he couldn¡¯t afford to care about it.


    ¡°Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Dad knows this. You know what¡¯s going on here, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Theo is smart. Throw in just one bit of bait and he¡¯ll understand. As expected, Theo returned to his normal state as if his previous state was a lie.


    ¡°Oh, what, why am I the only one who doesn¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason why Louis shouldn¡¯t know. You understand now, don¡¯t you Theo?


    ¡°Then that too, that¡¯s what it was all about¡­that was it.¡±


    Excuse me. I¡¯m talking right now. It seems as if he¡¯s reached the point where my words will no longer be heard, so I just shrugged my shoulders.


    Your Grace, I¡¯m sorry. I know it wasn¡¯t on purpose, but I unintentionally sold you out.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re not in that kind of relationship.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so you have nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°So please talk to me too!¡±


    Theo and I exchanged stealthy glances, leaving the foolish Louis out.


    Today the case of Archduke Stan will be brought to an end. Instead, to prevent this from happening again, I decided to stick to either Clara or Louis.


    Notes:


    [1] The Empress¡¯s side


    [2] The word/phrase used here (?? ???) is something someone would say if they¡¯re stalling because what they have to say is something they find difficult to say


    [3] It actually used Leviathan there but I changed it to avoid confusion


    [4] Tell a secret

 Chapter 28

    Today I realized that Clara¡¯s coming home rather late from work these days.


    Isaac, who has evening training, usually stays out late, but Clara came after eating dinner outside today for some reason.


    ¡°I¡¯m grateful that His Highness has returned, and that he gave me such a precious gift.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sister. I gave him the hand cream that you made before.¡±


    ¡°Really? Good job. I was going to make something new soon, but that¡¯s a relief.¡±


    My sister smelled like something she¡¯d never smelled like before. It smelled like cheap men¡¯s perfume, which didn¡¯t match the Valentine family.


    ¡°Who did you meet today?¡±


    ¡°Someone from the Pharmacists¡¯ Association.¡±


    ¡°It seems like you have been seeing each other every day these days. Did you have dinner with him?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it just happened. I¡¯m supposed to meet him again tomorrow.¡±


    Somehow, Clara¡¯s reaction was unusual.


    She said it was just someone from the association, so I was just going to let it go but for some reason, she seemed excited.


    I don¡¯t think I should let this go.


    ¡°Louis won¡¯t be here and I don¡¯t want to be home alone. Can I come with you tomorrow?¡±


    Mother is coming back tomorrow. If it doesn¡¯t work out, I¡¯ll have to tell Theo to follow her.


    Fortunately, that¡¯s not necessary. Clara pondered for a moment and willingly accepted my request.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to. I can show off my pretty Ciel.¡±


    ¡°I like you the most in the world!¡±


    ¡°I like Ciel the most, too.¡±


    Still, it would be nice if at least once in a while, she said that she doesn¡¯t like the coercion I¡¯m using. My sister always agrees to everything I ask.


    Since it¡¯s been a while, I decided to sleep with her tonight.


    ¡°Clara, I envy you.¡±


    Isaac, who is busy with the Templar Knights, has been spending less time at home these days.


    ¡°Cheer up, Brother.¡±


    As I stroked his hair, he laughed happily. No matter how you look at it, Isaac and I resemble each other like looking into a mirror.


    I couldn¡¯t stop smiling at my brother, who was so pretty that I thought he could pass for a woman if he wore a long wig.


    ¡°Isaac, I need to talk to you.¡±


    Theo dragged Isaac away, saying he needed to talk to him about something. It was only after it was quiet that I hugged my pillow and lay on my sister¡¯s arm as if I were a child.


    I liked how warm and cozy it was.


    ¡°His Highness Alex said that today he offered the position of exclusive pharmacist to you. Are you still thinking about it?¡±


    My sister smiled as she stroked my hair.


    ¡°Our Ciel is still young, I can¡¯t leave you alone and go to the Palace.¡±


    ¡°Then shall I go with you?¡±


    Because I knew my sister couldn¡¯t lie so I purposefully left Stan out and told her everything else that had happened. Clara¡¯s face was flushed for some reason.


    What¡¯s going on? Seeing her hesitate, despite the fact that we would be going together, leads me to believe that there is another reason.


    PR/N: yeah the other reason is that perverted Crown Prince :keke:


    After pondering for a long time, Clara asked, concerned.


    ¡°Will it be difficult to go out when I enter the palace?¡±


    ¡°Maybe? Why are you asking?¡±


    Clara sighed deeply, lowering her head because she couldn¡¯t answer properly.


    ¡°Actually¡­ I have someone on my mind.¡±


    PR/N: WHO AND HOW CAN I KILL HIM but if it¡¯s Theo then never mind {3


    Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she spoke.


    My sister¡¯s bombshell left me speechless and frozen.


    Wait a minute. Didn¡¯t you just say you liked me the most in the world?


    What?! What the hell is going on?!


    * * *


    ¡°Ciel, this is the person I love.¡±


    My sister, who was dressed in a wedding gown with a white cotton cloth over her black hair, was smiling in the arms of a man who looked like a sea cucumber.


    His face alone suggested that he was a scammer, but Clara was unaware and even tried to kiss the sea cucumber man.


    QC/N: LMAO £¨  ¡ä ???£©


    ¡°No!¡±


    I woke up screaming. God damn it, I dreamed that Clara was about to marry some weirdo.


    As soon as I woke up, I jumped up and checked on my sister.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t wake you.¡±


    Even after making such a loud noise next to her, Clara was still wandering in dreamland.


    My sister, who slept with her long, straight hair, looks like Snow White. I¡¯m not going to let my lovely and pretty sister marry a sea cucumber.


    I put the blanket over my sister and got up.


    ¡°Are you awake already, Miss?¡±


    ¡°Today, I¡¯m going out with my sister. Decorate me as the prettiest in the world.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, what are you planning, Miss?¡±


    Because I was originally pretty, I didn¡¯t have much interest in dolling myself up.


    Until yesterday.


    But from today I¡¯ll be reborn. I don¡¯t know about anyone else, but to say that she has a person she cares about, or, frankly, someone she likes.


    Whoever that person is, I felt a burning sense of rivalry because I don¡¯t want to lose.


    How did I raise Clara? Quite frankly, someone below Theo or Alex is unacceptable.


    I feel a little betrayed. How the heck could my sister do this without telling me?


    ¡°Why did you wake up so early?¡±


    ¡°Brother Theo, it¡¯s an emergency.¡±


    There are times when you need at least one ally. I dashed over to my brother, who was eating toast, and whispered the worst news I¡¯d heard yesterday.


    ¡°It seems like she has someone she likes.¡±


    The half-eaten toast fell on the floor. Theo looked at me as if the sky was crumbling.


    ¡°Is that true?¡±


    You don¡¯t even hide it now. Still, it was a serious situation, so I calmly soothed my embarrassed brother.


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet him today and let you know right away. But there¡¯s something that¡¯s bothering me.¡±


    Clara¡¯s already 19. Aside from her knowledge as a pharmacist, Clara has an extraordinary talent for growing herbs.


    The greenhouse in the glass garden is now filled with so many rare plants that even eminent scholars request a tour.


    Clara even passed the exam as the youngest pharmacist, so it¡¯s only natural for her talent to be recognized around the world.


    Sweet honey always attracts bees[1].


    Clara¡¯s talent would turn into money, so those who want it would approach her.


    ¡°What¡¯s bothering you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if the other person is someone who will make my sister happy. But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case.¡±


    Now that the love line with Alex is off the table, I can support anyone who is good and worthy of Clara but the unpleasant smell of the cheap perfume that came from her didn¡¯t seem to be trustworthy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet him first. If I don¡¯t like him, I¡¯ll need your help then.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s Clara¡¯s choice. I have no right to interfere.¡±


    Theo always takes a step backward at crucial moments. The only thing this terribly honest man wants is Clara¡¯s happiness.


    I just hit my chest out of frustration. What am I supposed to do with this Brother?


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take care of everything, but if he¡¯s a real scammer, then you¡¯ll have to help me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a different story. It¡¯s unacceptable as a family member if he¡¯s a bad person.¡±


    Theo tried hard to hide his honest feelings and added excuses diligently. Ugh, you are such a dummy Older Brother.


    Whatever the reason, after sharing today¡¯s schedule with Theo, I boldly started breakfast.


    ¡°And I told Isaac in advance.¡±


    ¡°You told Isaac?¡±


    ¡°I only told Isaac one part of it.¡±


    Is that so? Isaac rushed in, his hair tousled. Maybe some servant told him that I had woken up.


    ¡°My Ciel, I heard something scary happened yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. His Highness helped me.¡±


    ¡°Empress Lotte, Grand Duke Stan, I don¡¯t like either of them.¡±


    How could Isaac, who¡¯s grinding his teeth, have such a cruel smile on such a beautiful face? He couldn¡¯t take it any longer, so he cut up each meal in front of me and fed me one by one.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t hate the Crown Prince too much.¡±


    It¡¯ll be sad if even Isaac hated him. Theo also nodded.


    ¡°For now, he¡¯s friendly to us. If Duke Stan asks for Ciel as his wife, then he¡¯ll be in real trouble.¡±


    ¡°What nonsense!¡±


    Listening to Theo¡¯s words, Isaac shouted loudly.


    ¡°The power to turn nonsense into something real. If it¡¯s Queen Lotte, she is capable of doing it.¡±


    It¡¯s sad that not a single word can be denied. Unlike our adopted daughter Clara, I¡¯m the legitimate Princess who inherited the pure blood of Valentine, so I¡¯m a suitable candidate to become the Empress of the Empire.


    So, from the perspective of Empress Lotte, she¡¯ll have to marry me to Stan, so she can take the throne away from Alex.


    As Stan, who had never been mentioned in a few lines and wasn¡¯t even active in the original book, began to obsess over me, the story began to take a strange turn.


    ¡°Ciel, wear this.¡±


    After eating, Theo hung a necklace around my neck, which I had never seen before. At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary pendant but I could feel Theo¡¯s strong magic coming from it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything risky. Don¡¯t forget what I said yesterday.¡±


    No matter how strong I am, there is no reason why I shouldn¡¯t be protected. Even if he didn¡¯t express his affection openly, I could feel once again that this was Theo¡¯s sincerity.


    He¡¯s such a good person, but why does Theo get stuck when he gets tangled up in a relationship[2]? I used my privilege as a younger sister and hugged him.


    ¡°Theo. I wish you could be a little more honest.¡±


    PR/N: Me too.


    ¡°Ciel, today you only like Theo, that¡¯s weird.¡±


    Isaac, who was obviously jealous, came up behind me while I was in Theo¡¯s arms and hugged me.


    ¡°Has everyone gone crazy so early in the morning? What the hell are you doing?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Louis, who saw the three of us clinging to each other, bit his lips. If you want to join, you can just nicely say you want to join. The youngest brother, who is always crooked[3], didn¡¯t reply.


    [1] Means that Clara¡¯s talent will attract people who want to take advantage of her.


    [2] Basically, why is he so unsure and hesitant when it comes to romance?


    [3] Sarcastic, mean, sassy

 Chapter 29

    Is Clara blind?


    Out of style glasses, weird clothes that didn¡¯t seem to fit, the stench of cheap perfume, and even touchy behavior.


    With this man in front of me, who looked suspicious at first glance, I began to seriously question Clara¡¯s taste.


    ¡°Mr. Heinz, this is my younger sister.¡±


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Clara¡¯s sister, Ciel.¡±


    ¡®You can¡¯t be rude to your sister¡¯s partner on your first meeting, no matter how bad or untrustworthy they are.¡¯


    I began by lifting my skirt and greeting him. Heinz, the man who met my older sister every day these days, and perhaps her unrequited love, was a commoner who had just arrived at the Capital from the countryside.


    Whether it is a reflection of his personality or simply my assumptions, my first impression of him was unfavorable.


    There are few people who hate me at first sight, but Heinz glared at me as if I were about to cause trouble.


    ¡°Miss Clara, I can¡¯t believe you brought your little sister here. It¡¯s troublesome[1].¡±


    It was amusing because he didn¡¯t know who I was, but he despised me outright. It¡¯s amazing that even after hearing the Valentine last name, he has no idea who we are.


    In front of the arrogant Heinz, the kind Clara simply asked for his understanding.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t leave her alone at home. My sister is a gentle and nice girl, so please understand for today.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll go around talking about what happens here.¡±


    It seemed suspicious to be that angry. On top of that, it¡¯s strange that the source of his anger is somehow subtly different from what may be normal.


    What the hell are you up to? Why are you so wary of me being next to you? This is why it just seemed more suspicious.


    For the name, Valentine, usually, an ordinary nobleman makes an effort to look good. A prime example is the former Marquis Norton.


    Even if it¡¯s not the case, since my first impression is very strong, I hear a lot of compliments about how pretty I am.


    But since the beginning, this man has been treating me like an annoying saboteur child.


    His reply was refreshing.


    ¡°Adults are busy with important things, so don¡¯t disturb us.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    You shouldn¡¯t judge a person by his appearance, but he had greasy hair and mean eyes.


    His first impression was a total fail. Minus five thousand points.


    Why the hell does Clara like this guy?


    Without knowing I was grinding my teeth inside, Heinz even slipped his hand around my sister¡¯s shoulder.


    QC/N: Eww be gone you leech


    ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look at the flower beds.¡±


    I thought he was working at the association, but he led us out of the academy and took us to a different place.


    In principle, no maid or servant can enter the academy.


    As a result, I grabbed my sister¡¯s hand and went out of the academy without any attendants following us.


    ¡°Will we be alright, sister?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re not going that far.¡±


    I walked down the street with my sister without a carriage or an entourage for the first time.


    Things that used to be so natural have become so unfamiliar now[2].


    How long have I been walking while surrounded by countless people? The man and Clara set foot in an old mansion.


    I looked around and checked the location.


    The deep pink flowers that were in full bloom in the flower bed looked incredibly terrible to my ignorant eyes.


    My sister, who was a plant lover, tried to bring these plants to life somehow with pure eyes free from any doubt.


    ¡°I think we should take a look here today.¡±


    While the two looked elsewhere, I quickly pulled out a flower and hid it in my bag.


    I had wondered what she did during the day. My sister took care of these flowers every day without even receiving a payment.


    While Clara squatted, pulled out weeds, and watered the plants, the man only looked from afar and gave directions with his mouth.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you see? It¡¯s important to check.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure the association made you do this?¡±


    ¡°Children who don¡¯t know anything should stay still. You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, you¡¯re too naive[3].¡±


    I even brought Levatane just in case, but he didn¡¯t seem to think I was a wizard.


    In the first place, I could tell by just seeing how he kept calling my sister ¡®Clara¡¯, not ¡®Lady Clara¡¯.


    This man didn¡¯t seem to notice at all that we were Duke Valentine¡¯s daughters.


    But yes, no matter how much of a pushover Clara is, I can no longer see her being bossed around this way.


    I picked up Levatane and asked Heinz.


    ¡°Why are you just looking while my sister¡¯s working so hard?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Ciel, Mr. Heinz doesn¡¯t know much about plants yet.¡±


    My pushover sister sided with him again like a sweet potato[4].


    She must have been grateful that this man saw her as Clara, not Valentine¡¯s foster daughter, but it¡¯s not like that.


    I pulled out the petals of the Dwarf Grass that I had taken away from Louis just in case. How much should I eat? In case it didn¡¯t work, I grabbed a fistful of petals and poured them into my mouth.


    Now that I have proof, and I¡¯ve confirmed he¡¯s a weirdo, we should go home. As I chewed, a bitter taste lingered in my mouth.


    Ah. My stomach is starting to hurt now.


    Suddenly, holding my stomach and groaning, my sister ran to me in surprise.


    ¡°Ciel, what¡¯s wrong, are you sick?¡±


    ¡°My stomach, my stomach hurts so much.¡±


    As I was about to collapse in a cold sweat, Clara turned pale.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Heinz, but my sister is sick, I think we should go back.¡±


    Behind my serious sister, I grinned and stuck out my tongue.


    Realizing that I was feigning illness, Heinz frowned and snatched Clara¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°She seems to be feigning illness, but it¡¯s not going to work.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean she¡¯s faking it?¡±


    It is a characteristic of fake disease grass, but the effect only lasts for three to four hours instead of making you incredibly sick. It¡¯s useful when you want to fake an illness because you¡¯re only in pain for a few hours.


    Actually, it was my first time using this. I¡¯ve seen Louis sweat a lot.


    It really hurt. My stomach really hurts.


    ¡°Sister, I¡¯m so sick.¡±


    ¡°Ciel! A doctor, call a doctor, please! Come on!¡±


    Heinz, who initially suspected it was a fake disease, also seemed to be startled when he saw my symptoms.


    I grabbed my necklace in a hurry while crying.


    ¡°It hurts, I¡¯m so sick.¡±


    ¡®I hope that my voice can be heard by Theo.¡¯


    Clara tried to carry me and run out, almost out of control.


    At that moment, the door opened with a bang. I barely opened my eyes wondering who it was, and through my blurry vision, my brothers appeared.


    ¡°Ciel!¡±


    A cry close to shouting hit my ear.


    Now I¡¯ll live. My staggering body was lightly hugged by Isaac.


    Soon after, a familiar hand touched my forehead. Theo¡¯s expressionless eyes filled with concern.


    ¡°Ciel, wake up! This fever is no joke, call a doctor, call a doctor!¡±


    ¡°Ugh, you idiot.¡±


    The black-haired boy was definitely Louis. Why is that guy here?


    ¡°Clara, what the hell is going on here?¡±


    ¡°Theo.¡±


    ¡°Who are you to make Clara do this?¡±


    As Theo complained, Heinz couldn¡¯t say anything and just muttered.


    ¡°Ciel, don¡¯t die. Please, please wake up!¡±


    PR/N: The drama lmao.


    TL/N: the whole family be actors


    Isaac cried pitifully at my unconscious appearance. But Louis, noticing what I had done, was busy being sarcastic.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a single person die of faking grass.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, faking grass?¡±


    At Isaac¡¯s inquest, Louis ended up spilling out his own trade secrets.


    Louis, who dug his own grave today, was left alone for now, and I held Isaac¡¯s hand tight.


    ¡°Brother, I have a favor to ask of you. Find out what this is.¡±


    Even though I was sweating profusely, I didn¡¯t miss the most important thing: The strange flower that Heinz made Clara take care of, hidden in my bag.


    If my prediction is correct, this is definitely a drug. It¡¯s a new breed that only appears in the original, so I guess I¡¯m the only one who knows what it is now.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Give me a second. How do you have this?¡±


    Unlike Isaac, who didn¡¯t understand anything, Louis seemed to know what it was.


    Now I was really losing consciousness. I wouldn¡¯t have eaten too much if I knew it would hurt like this.


    ¡°Sister is¡­ in danger¡­¡±


    Unable to finish, I lost consciousness.


    * * *


    Even though Alex returned to the Capital, no one welcomed him. It was a pitiful return after a year-long expedition.


    Despite having successfully subjugated the North, Alex had to return to the Capital without even holding a triumphal ceremony.


    He clenched his fist. It was obvious who was responsible for this.


    ¡°Your Highness, how could this be?¡±


    ¡°Sir Wilhelm, and all of you, I apologize.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, how could you say that!¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have rushed to the Capital.¡±


    Alex let out a self-deprecating smile.


    On the way to the Imperial Palace, he heard news that Stan was heading to Valentine¡¯s manor.


    The excuses were enough. Loaded with herbs to ask Clara to investigate, he headed to the Duke of Valentine¡¯s residence.


    And on the way back after dealing with Stan, Wilhelm asked.


    ¡°Which of the Valentine¡¯s sisters do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    Alex¡¯s age is also 19 this year. He¡¯ll be twenty next year so it¡¯s rather late to welcome a Crown Princess.


    Lord Wilhelm brought it up first out of frustration, as Alex showed little sign of making his thoughts and feelings obvious.


    ¡°In my heart, I thought it might be the older sister, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Why did you think so?¡±


    Sir Wilhelm, now his right-hand, dared to say what Alex could not say himself.


    ¡°Because she¡¯s a foster daughter. You must find someone with a lot of talent and less burden.¡±


    No one would welcome her, no matter how loyal Valentine is.


    Moreover, for Queen Lotte, who values status above everything else, Clara, the adopted daughter, would be a better prey than anyone.


    Furthermore, there is plenty of room for the Queen to bury her own grave while risking Clara¡¯s status.


    Therefore, Alex thought he would choose that side even if the risk was high, but unusually, he couldn¡¯t come to a conclusion.


    ¡°Actually, the one I have in mind is the younger sister.¡±


    ¡°You mean Valentine¡¯s Princess, Ciel?¡±


    Even the titles were different because it was not possible to become the Empress of Valentine and Empress of the nation.


    Wilhelm was quite taken aback when he heard that he had Ciel in mind, who was virtually the opposite of Alex.


    ¡°Why are you so surprised?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s surprising. I thought you¡¯d definitely hate that type of girl.¡±


    Since he had never told anyone about the help he received from her, both materially and mentally, people naturally only knew that Alex was close to Clara, but there was no way to know about his acquaintanceship with Ciel.


    Even this may be an ulterior motive. He even suspected that she was trying to raise her sister, who lacks status, to Crown Princess by tying her sister and Alex together.


    [1] The translation can also be ¡°It¡¯s a bit awkward.¡± or ¡°It¡¯s difficult.¡± or something similar


    [2] She¡¯s talking about how she did that in her previous life and now it¡¯s unfamiliar


    [3] It says ¡°wet behind the ears¡± which means she¡¯s immature or naive but usually means inexperienced


    [4] This slang means something like being in a frustrating situation or being a frustrating person

 Chapter 30

    ¡°And what¡¯s her ¡®type¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she annoying[1]? From the moment she was born, she has lacked nothing.¡±


    That makes sense. On the surface, Ciel seemed to lack nothing.


    A powerful father, a loving mother, three strong brothers, and a sweet sister. Great magic that she inherited from her father and the beautiful appearance she inherited from her mother.


    QC/N: Dang when you put it like that, it sounds real nice


    Even Alex wouldn¡¯t have felt affection towards Ciel if he hadn¡¯t met her in person.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. She¡¯s pretty cute when you get to know her.¡±


    That was true, especially when she looked embarrassed. And when she¡¯s bragging about her sister with clumsy lies that clearly show her intentions.


    PR/N: Alex you cute baby thinking about Ciel that way


    Knowing that she was a foster daughter, Ciel¡¯s efforts to provide a way to live for her older sister were remarkable.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told that she¡¯s the most beautiful woman in the Empire. She must be quite a beauty, considering Lord Isaac¡¯s behavior.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not talking about looks, everything she does is cute.¡±


    Alex recalled the last birthday party. Sir Wilhelm burst into laughter when she told him with a serious face that she would marry her older sister.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the lady likes her sister very much. Since her older sister is an adopted daughter, she might not like her, but she does, that¡¯s surprising.¡±


    ¡°Would it feel like that if I had a sister?¡±


    It was impressive for Sir Wilhelm to see the Crown Prince blindly liking someone. He shook his head at Alex¡¯s remark.


    ¡°Your Grace, I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°How come?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness and Prince Stan don¡¯t get along very well.¡±


    When he brought up his cousin, Alex closed his mouth. Stan showed his possessive desire for Ciel, as well as an open hatred.


    The moment he thought about it, an unknown emotion fluttered across Alex¡¯s mind.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let him do what he wants.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    Ciel didn¡¯t seem to have feelings for him either. Although Alex could not approach Ciel flimsily because she is a difficult opponent, he opted to keep Ciel in mind instead of Clara, as long as she cooperates.


    ¡®And she likes me.¡¯


    Ciel didn¡¯t hide her feelings. Alex vaguely guessed when he heard her saying, not to do it, as soon as he brought up his marriage with her sister.


    She probably hasn¡¯t noticed it yet, but no one has ever shown so much sincerity towards him. Seeing Ciel claiming to be on his side, Alex also changed his mind.


    It will not be easy to make Valentine¡¯s esteemed daughter a Crown Princess, but if her feelings are true, there¡¯s no reason for him to ignore Ciel¡¯s heart.


    PR/N: Pftttt what the hell are you talking about


    For some reason, his first marriage proposal was immediately rejected, but there won¡¯t be any obstacles as long as her heart remains unchanged.


    It wasn¡¯t particularly a good thing, but an innocent smile hung around his mouth.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Wilhelm had no idea what the hell happened to him.


    QC/N: Love, that¡¯s what happened (??????)


    ¡°I¡¯d like to have an audience with His Majesty, so please take care of everything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take your orders, my lord.¡±


    Wearing a black cloak stained with the blood of his enemies, Alex entered the palace where no one would welcome him.


    QC/N: I don¡¯t know why but I burst out laughing at the first part of this


    The Emperor sat on his throne and looked down at his grown-up son.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally back, Alex.¡±


    ¡°I greet Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Get up.¡±


    Unlike Stan, who has never held a sword properly due to his overprotective mother, Queen Lotte, Alex inherited his father¡¯s outstanding sword skills.


    Although he had been hiding his ability to be wary of Queen Lotte, stories about his performance on the battlefield even reached the Emperor¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Good job, my son.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to take this long.¡±


    As the Duke of Valentine openly supported the Crown Prince, Queen Lotte¡¯s plans became more discreet.


    Alex was willing to take the lead because it would be difficult if there was a marriage between Stan and Ciel while he was sitting on his hands[2].


    ¡°On my way back, I stopped at the Duke¡¯s residence before entering the Palace.¡±


    ¡°Looking at your happy expression, it seems like you¡¯ve already met her.¡±


    When the Emperor shook his head, he pretended not to know what he meant and spoke again.


    ¡°Stan was there. He was threatening Ciel.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The Empress seems to want to connect Stan with Ciel.¡±


    Since the last incident, Queen Lotte has somehow tried to restore her relationship with the Valentines, but the anger of Duchess Eveness showed little sign of abating.


    When the decision to return was made, Alex notified the Emperor of his plans in advance. He decided to take the next step after receiving assurances from the Emperor that he would allow it.


    ¡°Her sister passed the pharmacist test, so I¡¯m going to hire her as a full-time pharmacist if she accepts it.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do about the younger sister?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m planning to invite her into my Palace as a valued guest.¡±


    ¡°A valued guest?¡±


    ¡°Yes, if His Majesty gives me permission, the Duke of Valentine will not oppose the decision.¡±


    A valued guest.


    The fact that the unmarried Crown Prince invites the single, esteemed daughter of Valentine into his Palace and she is merely referred to as a distinguished guest, could have just one meaning.


    Even though it has an overly explicit meaning, it can be said that externally, she is nothing more than a guest.


    Even if she wants to enter the Palace somehow, his father knows best that Alex is not the type to go around talking nonsense.


    Alex, who didn¡¯t trust anyone before meeting Ciel, has changed considerably. The Emperor simply chuckled at what his friend, the Duke of Valentine, would look like if he knew about it.


    ¡°I have no reason to disagree. Coming into this Palace means that my sweet Ciel will come to me every morning.¡±


    ¡°Ciel doesn¡¯t belong to Father.¡±


    ¡°How dare you[3].¡±


    The Emperor laughed when he saw Alex fall for those words.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care as long as Ciel marries someone and joins the Imperial family.¡±


    If Valentine¡¯s Princess married into a foreign country, the dowry alone would be tremendous.


    So if Alex had no intention, the Emperor was willing to grant the marriage between Ciel and Stan.


    QC/N: Bro you better not


    For the Emperor, who forced his younger sister to marry to gain the Winterbaum estate, it was not a losing business whether Ciel chose his nephew or his son.


    ¡°She¡¯s so cute. She¡¯s the spitting image of her mother in our childhood.¡±


    ¡°Has she ever entered the Palace while I was away?¡±


    ¡°She came a few times. Still, Stan¡¯s visiting her was unexpected.¡±


    Considering the relationship between the Queen and the Duchess could be friendly again, Alex drew a clear line.


    ¡°Ciel doesn¡¯t like Stan. She hid behind me as soon as she saw me.¡±


    ¡°Are you that happy?¡±


    Although he tried to be serious, Alex¡¯s lips were obviously lifted. When he saw his son, who couldn¡¯t hide his genuine feelings like that, the Emperor clicked his tongue.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t hold the ceremony.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, so please compensate the knights separately.¡±


    Perhaps Ciel kissed him, the Emperor grinned in front of his son, who appeared to be overjoyed.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little late but here¡¯s a gift.¡±


    The Emperor offered to his son a thick bundle of documents.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Calling it a gift is a bit of an understatement. Alex scrutinized the contents of the document.


    ¡°Are there people who brought drugs into the capital?¡±


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s a flower that hasn¡¯t been processed. It¡¯s such a tricky thing to grow, so I left it alone, but I got a report that a huge amount of supplies might be released soon.¡±


    Solving such a big case could help Alex strengthen his position.


    But the thing is, it wasn¡¯t an easy case.


    There was no information on where or how they were grown but only reports that the item would be released.


    ¡°Try to work it out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    His father only gives him a chance, and whether he succeeds or not depends entirely on Alex¡¯s abilities.


    He was troubled by the contents of the document. Alex decided to ask Clara for advice.


    ¡°Call Theo Valentine first thing in the morning tomorrow.¡±


    Stan¡¯s behavior was alarming.


    He made an appointment with Theo because it would be better to talk to her brother than to the young lady herself.


    *    *    *


    ¡°Theo Valentine greets His Highness the Crown Prince.¡±


    ¡°Young Duke, please speak comfortably.¡±


    Theo was quite surprised by Alex¡¯s polite attitude. He tried to swallow the bitter feelings of the two, who had seemed unusually close since the previous ball, but he also knew about the Crown Prince exchanging letters with Clara.


    Ciel said she was proposed to by him, but it hasn¡¯t been confirmed yet.


    Theo bit his lips and asked bluntly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors that you favor my sister.¡±


    Alex¡¯s expression was unmoved by his blunt question.


    Even though he was younger than Theo, his face showed his experience.


    ¡°If you¡¯re talking about Lady Clara, you¡¯re mistaken. We¡¯re just good friends.¡±


    It was odd that he talked about Clara on purpose, when people think of Theo¡¯s sister, they naturally think of Ciel first.


    However, the Crown Prince only talked about Clara and did not say a word about Ciel.


    ¡°Come to think of it, you helped Ciel yesterday. On behalf of the Valentines, thank you.¡±


    When the name Ciel came out, a faint smile spread around Alex¡¯s mouth. Theo was relieved because of the completely different response than when talking about Clara.


    ¡°For now, the other two people are out[4], so please wait.¡±


    While talking, Theo felt an abnormal signal from the necklace. It was unusual.


    ¡°Your Grace, wait a minute, I¡¯ll be away for a moment.¡±


    Theo hurried out of the room and teleported with his two brothers following the signal from the necklace.


    {Help me!}


    Ciel¡¯s cry came from the necklace. The three brothers jumped into the old mansion without worrying about who got their first.


    As soon as they entered the place, they found Ciel suffering from a fever surrounded by deep pink flowers that were blooming.


    ¡°Ciel!¡±


    [1] One of the words used here (???) is kind of complicated. I¡¯d say the closest definition is someone that is privileged and abuses that privilege. If you want to look into it a bit more, this person gives a pretty good explanation; it¡¯s the top comment thing by ruizaio


    [2] While doing nothing


    [3] This is like a playful way to say it. It can also be ¡°Cheapskate¡± or ¡°How stingy¡±


    [4] Referring to his other brothers

 Chapter 31

    Isaac rushed over to help Ciel. She collapsed into Isaac¡¯s arms as she fell unconscious.


    Meanwhile, Theo comforted Clara, who was trembling and as white as a ghost.


    ¡°Clara, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Brother[1], Ciel, Ciel is in danger.¡±


    For the time being, the fallen sibling took priority. Theo scattered his mana to swiftly teleport them back to the Valentine¡¯s Duchy.


    The three brothers who hurried Ciel into the bedroom began to figure out what was going on right away.


    ¡°So, is that the guy Clara likes?¡±


    ¡°Sister Clara, I didn¡¯t expect that, but you have a very peculiar taste.¡±


    Clara mentioned to Ciel that she liked someone, so Issac and Louis assumed Heinz was the one. Theo, on the other hand, had a different idea.


    ¡°Last time, she said she was about to sign a contract. I think it was this.¡±


    ¡°A contract?¡±


    ¡°She said the association wanted her to work with them, and it didn¡¯t seem especially worrisome, so I let it pass, but now I suspect something¡¯s wrong.¡±


    Last time, after Ciel left, Theo reviewed Clara¡¯s contract.


    The amount was ridiculously small, but it was a big deal for a new pharmacist to be in charge of managing the drug ingredients, so he told her to do well, but the overall situation was odd.


    ¡°Brother, I need to look into something, so I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    Isaac and Louis left the mansion to seek clues about the flowers Ciel had brought. Meanwhile, Clara, who had barely gained stability, cried and blamed herself.


    ¡°Because of me¡­ Our Ciel, what do we do now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Everything¡¯s gonna be okay.¡±


    ¡®What happens if Ciel doesn¡¯t regain consciousness?¡¯ Theo hugged Clara, who was in tears.


    ¡°Young Duke, Theo, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Alex, who had been waiting for a while, dashed in after hearing the news late. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t run into the younger siblings.


    Ciel¡¯s breathing had calmed down considerably by the time the three arrived at her room. Clara examined Ciel, who was fast asleep.


    ¡°I think she ate the wrong trana flower. Our poor Ciel, it must have hurt a lot.¡±


    ¡°Clara, she seems to have stabilized, so rest today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Ciel.¡±


    Theo tried to persuade Clara to rest and Alex stepped up. Still, Theo tried to decline because it was a family matter, but Clara agreed immediately and left Ciel in Alex¡¯s care.


    ¡°I can trust you, Your Highness. Just looking at the symptoms earlier, the dehydration phenomenon was quite severe, so I¡¯ll prepare some medicine for her as soon as she wakes up.¡±


    Clara seemed to already know about the relationship between Ciel and Alex.


    ¡°I need to change my clothes for now, so please leave for a moment, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah.¡±


    What the hell is going on? Theo sighed heavily as he gazed at Ciel¡¯s sleeping face.


    *    *    *


    My head hurt so bad it seemed like it was about to explode.


    Due to the dizziness and vomiting, my stomach, which hurt like hell, was turned upside down.


    ¡®Louis, how the hell did this crazy guy eat this kind of  stuff?¡¯ I frowned and managed to open my eyes.


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    The first thing I saw as soon as I opened my eyes was Clara. I needed to say something to her first. No matter how you think about it, it can¡¯t be.


    ¡°Sister, Heinz, he¡¯s not the one. You can¡¯t like him.¡±


    ¡°What? What do you mean? I like Mr. Heinz?¡±


    Clara¡¯s straightforward reply left me wide-awake. When I tried to get up, a large hand reached in and lifted me up.


    ¡°Good thing you¡¯re awake.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, but why are you here?¡±


    Alex was sitting across from Clara. He held me so naturally that it startled me.


    I looked terrible. I was all sweaty and my hair was a mess. The maids had changed me into my pajamas, so I wasn¡¯t in a good enough shape to welcome a guest.


    ¡°Take your medicine first. How did you end up eating trana flowers?¡±


    ¡°I think Louis put it in a candy.¡±


    I¡¯m sorry, my brat brother. You¡¯re the only one I¡¯m gonna sell out. I slipped the blame onto Louis.


    ¡°Louis? This can¡¯t be. I think I should talk to Theo about this properly.¡±


    We argued more than ten times a day, so she should have just let it go, but Clara looked particularly irritated this time, so I did my hardest to calm her down.


    ¡°It¡¯s because I sprayed ketchup on Louis¡¯ shoes first.¡±


    ¡°I told you both to get along.¡±


    ¡°We will. Louis is reflecting on himself; so please don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    I took the medication Clara had given me and soothed her, and because I had already awoken, she eventually calmed down.


    I managed to take medicine and feel better. I have to get better quickly before dinner when my parents come back. Alex, who had been watching without a word, opened his mouth, talking to Clara.


    ¡°Could you excuse us for a moment?¡± At Alex¡¯s words, Clara moved aside.


    ¡°Ciel, let me talk to Theo for a second. I¡¯ll be right back, so please wait. Alright?


    Seeing that her eyes were swollen, she seemed to be blaming herself. I should ask about how the situation with Heinz is, but it may be better to leave it to Theo for now.


    When my sister went out, I was left alone with Alex. There was an awkward air surrounding us but I didn¡¯t notice since I was too focused on trying to figure out why he was here.


    ¡°Your Highness, what brings you to¡­¡±


    ¡°Did young master Louis really hurt you like this?¡±


    With his fists clenched, Alex had a grim expression on his face. I gestured for him to come closer and whispered in his ear. I didn¡¯t want misunderstandings to grow.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t hear you. Can you say that again?¡±


    ¡°Louis didn¡¯t do it.¡±


    Even if there were only the two of us, I whispered as quietly as possible in case anyone would hear it, but Alex kept asking me, saying that he couldn¡¯t hear me well.


    QC/N: ???


    Frustrated, I pulled his ear and spoke louder.


    ¡°I ate it on purpose because I was in trouble. Louis is just an excuse.¡±


    Alex seemed to understand only when I spoke properly. But his expression seemed unusual.


    ¡°You ate it on purpose? Since when did you get into such a bad habit?¡±


    The anger that was focused on Louis was now on me. Of course, I knew it wasn¡¯t a good thing, but there really was no other way back then.


    Although, I didn¡¯t know it would hurt this much.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let this happen again. You have no idea how surprised¡­ no, nothing.¡±


    QC/N: (?¡ä??`??)


    Everyone must have been surprised. I¡¯ve never seen my siblings with such scared faces.


    Alex sighed deeply with a dejected expression.


    ¡°Yeah, there must have been some reason. I didn¡¯t mean to be mad at you.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here anyway?¡±


    ¡°Drink some more water for now.¡±


    PR/N: changing the subject smoothly kkk


    He didn¡¯t reply to my question about why he came, instead, he kept asking whether I was thirsty or hungry.


    Knowing I wouldn¡¯t hear a clear answer, I lay back on the bed, leaning on Alex¡¯s arm.


    QC/N: hehe getting quite comfortable there I see ???


    He diligently wiped my sweaty forehead with a wet towel. His caretaking skills were poor, but his hands smelled of lavender.


    ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t use it because it was bothersome. You put it on again today.¡±


    This was the scent of the hand cream that I gave him last time. Alex smiled awkwardly at my comment.


    ¡°Because you gave it to me.¡±


    QC/N: *me grinning like a creep this whole chapter*


    I was seriously ill and my body started to sag. With a blanket over me I secretly glanced at Alex, who was squeezing the towel.


    His well-proportioned muscles flexed softly every time he moved. I¡¯m not sure who it will be, but his wife will be pretty fortunate.


    QC/N: *whisper* It¡¯s you


    Suddenly, an insidious thought unsuitable for my age crossed my mind, and I tried to maintain my composure.


    While holding a wet towel, Alex wiped his hands clean as well. His hand stroking his fingers was clumsy.


    He didn¡¯t appear to be used to taking care of others, yet he made me feel much better than before because of his careful attention, as if he were handling glass.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, we¡¯re friends¡­ I can do this much for you.¡±


    Well, friends don¡¯t usually do this.


    ¡®Seeing you acting like this makes me feel like I¡¯m in a dream. I¡¯m in a good mood now.¡¯


    I gently laid my arm out to him and laid down comfortably. The scent of lavender from Alex¡¯s hand tickled the tip of my nose.


    Obviously, he is using the same hand cream as me, but somehow Alex¡¯s has a slightly more refreshing scent.


    That¡¯s why I became more and more calm. Unlike me, who had found stability, Alex, who was startled and hesitated for a while, spoke out his words carefully.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Heinz, by the way?¡±


    ¡°Heinz? The man Clara likes, or that¡¯s what I supposed.¡±


    Considering that they met every day, it was certainly suspicious, but she said that it was not like that at all.


    We need to find out more about the truth, so is he a suspect for now?


    Alex asked a few more questions. How I got to know him, what he does. I answered everything I knew.


    ¡°From what you said, I think they got to know each other because of work, rather than being in a relationship.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Well, Lady Clara could have a crush. Do you¡­ do you like anyone?¡±


    QC/N: trying to be smooth I see


    Are you really not interested in my sister at all? Suddenly, a spark splashed towards me.


    ¡°Of course, I like my sister.¡±


    ¡°I mean, not her but a guy.¡±


    Among men? I don¡¯t. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that I¡¯m a person who¡¯s been blinded by high standards.


    ¡°Hmm. Dad and my brothers?¡±


    ¡°Not your family.¡±


    What¡¯s wrong with you? I was irritated because he kept tightening the boundaries.


    The only other man I knew was the teacher.


    Did he think I liked Stan? How can I like a childhood friend or someone who behaves like that?


    I looked at him arrogantly and scolded him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in Grand Duke Stan. No matter what they say, it¡¯s not true.¡±


    ¡°Well, if not, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    Because I put on a stern face and talked straightforwardly, Alex chuckled. As expected, he was worried that I might be on Stan¡¯s side.


    ¡°I told you I was on your side. No matter what Grand Duke Stan says, I will definitely give you the Crown Prince¡¯s seat.¡±


    People have to stand in line well to live long[2]. That was the reason why I approached the Crown Prince in advance, to escape the death flag.


    As I lay on my bed, fawning over and flattering him as much as I could.


    ¡°Besides, can he even compare? Appearance aside, your intellect, your intelligence, and even physical strength are superior.¡±


    [1] Just in case, the term Clara uses is oppa, which can be used by a female when addressing her brother or other guys that she is close to, like friends, cousins, etc.


    [2] Basically, people have to be patient and wait for their chance¡­I think

 Chapter 32

    Alex hesitated for a moment, then asked me, as if my praise was not enough.


    ¡°So this, this is just hypothetical. If you were to choose, who do you think would be better?¡±


    Are they even comparable? With Alex in front of me, who is subtly looking for a response[1], I decided to compare the two of them openly.


    Appearance; Alex wins. Stan was pretty, too, but he couldn¡¯t beat Alex, who was overflowing with masculine beauty.


    Talent; Alex wins. Unlike Grand Duke Stan, who still couldn¡¯t get out from behind his mother¡¯s skirt, Alex has been playing a part in the battlefield since early on.


    And the most important: personality.


    Of course, Alex wins. Personality is worth ten times the extra points for Alex, simply because he never forced me to do something I don¡¯t like.


    If it¡¯s scored like that, it¡¯s almost obvious who would be the winner.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s Alex.¡±


    The skill I thought would only work on my family, worked smoothly. The corners of Alex¡¯s mouth, which were in a straight line until now, rose slightly.


    ¡®Is it possible for a cold, handsome man, who is usually as cold as frost, to be so sweet when he smiles?¡¯


    I smiled with him because of his piercing gaze.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you liked me that much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve liked you so much since long ago.¡±


    QC/N: does this count as a confession scene???? ?? ¦Å=¦Å=(? ?????????)? ??


    Well, he was my favorite character. Oh, I¡¯ve been too honest. Alex¡¯s face turned a little red, perhaps because he was weak to compliments.


    Seeing him embarrassed, it felt different from our Isaac[2].


    If I told Isaac this, he would make a fuss, but Alex, who was very dignified, raised my hand slightly and kissed me on the back of my hand.


    ¡°Yo- Your Highness?¡±


    Even after his slightly rough lips fell, he still lowered his head and stared at me right in front of his nose.


    The warm sunshine shone like a halo behind Alex¡¯s back. A light kiss as a greeting was courtesy, so it wasn¡¯t weird to share a light kiss on the hand even with family.


    But now it felt different because he was my favorite character in the novel. I received this from the male lead, and I was very happy. Alex was so graceful even while doing such an insignificant action, like a kiss on the back of my hand.


    ¡°Thank you for liking me.¡±


    Okay. So this is the end of my death flag, but wait a minute? Did I hear wrong just now?


    I stopped thinking for a moment when Alex smiled brightly in front of me.


    ¡®Why is he doing this to me all of a sudden?¡¯


    ¡°Ciel, your brother is here!¡±


    When I was about to ask what was that about, Isaac, who heard the news belatedly, rushed in and opened the door without knocking. A subtle change in tension flowed through the room.


    The situation of holding hands and facing each other was embarrassing[3]. I shook off Alex¡¯s hand and stepped back.


    ¡°What, what, Your Highness, what were you doing with my Ciel?¡±


    ¡°No! What do you mean? We did nothing!¡±


    ¡°Ciel needs rest, Lord Isaac.¡±


    Unlike me, who was embarrassed, Alex pretended as if nothing had happened. But Isaac didn¡¯t let it slide.


    ¡°What have you done to my sister?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything!¡±


    Isaac¡¯s hand turned towards the sword on his waist. No matter how strong Alex was, my brother was no less than him.


    In other words, in a one-on-one match, I can¡¯t be sure which of the two will win, but just as things were about to get out of hand, Theo and Clara came back to my room.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Ciel¡¯s still a patient. Stop it, both of you!¡±


    Hooray for common sense. Yeah, I was still a patient. I expected it from Isaac, but Alex¡¯s outburst completely shattered my expectations.


    So what you meant wasn¡¯t the ¡°I like you¡± I know, but ¡°I like you¡± in a different sense?


    No way. That couldn¡¯t be true. I was sure he just thinks of me as a little sister. I shook my head hard, thinking about it would only give me a headache.


    ¡°Brother! This, this scoundrel! To our fragile Ciel!¡±


    ¡°Show some respect to the Crown Prince. Forgive my brother for his rudeness, Your Highness.¡±


    Theo immediately stopped Issac¡¯s misbehavior. Fortunately, Alex didn¡¯t insist and politely arranged the situation.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Ciel seems startled, so put your sword away, Lord Isaac.¡±


    ¡°Isaac, if you keep doing that, I¡¯ll hate you.¡±


    When I used a special move that I rarely use, Isaac quietly put his sword in his hilt and came to my side, kneeling down on his knees.


    ¡°Ciel, my princess. I¡¯m sorry. Were you surprised?¡±


    PR/N: such a sucker for his sister, Iluvim


    ¡°You don¡¯t listen to what I¡¯m saying, you point your sword at the Crown Prince, brother is bad.¡±


    As I turned my back on him, covering myself with blankets, Isaac was at a loss with a face that seemed as if the sky had collapsed.


    If there ever comes a day when these two people really face each other with swords, it¡¯ll mean the destruction of the Valentines.


    So even if I never get angry, I couldn¡¯t just let it go. Theo eventually apologized for him, as he was enraged ¡¯til the top of his head.


    ¡°My brother cares about his sister deeply, so I hope you understand.¡±


    ¡°I know that. I will continue to make efforts to be recognized by Lord Isaac.¡±


    PR/N: Our ML is such a grown up guy now, he¡¯s even flirting smoothly :¡¯)


    What a strange thing to say. Getting recognized. I was about to ask what he meant, but I suddenly remembered.


    Oh, that¡¯s right. I was quite clear with Theo the last time.


    ¡®Alex proposed to me, so don¡¯t doubt Clara¡¯s friendship with him.¡¯


    I didn¡¯t even think that the two of you would ever meet and talk like this.


    Theo seemed to think that I was already in that kind of relationship with the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Ciel, are you okay?¡±


    While my brothers were talking, Clara came up to me and touched my forehead.


    ¡°Sister.¡±


    ¡°I heard from Theo. It¡¯s a ridiculous misunderstanding that I like Mr. Heinz.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like him?¡±


    That¡¯s a relief. I didn¡¯t like that squid-looking[4] guy. If she really liked him, I would have seriously doubted Clara¡¯s taste.


    Clara broke out laughing when she saw me hiding under the blankets, looking pleased.


    ¡°Did you worry because you thought I liked Mr. Heinz?¡±


    ¡°You said you liked Ciel the most. I don¡¯t like him. I don¡¯t know about others, but he¡¯s not the one.¡±


    I¡¯d rather take Clara with me than just hand her over to that bastard.


    I threw off the blanket and jumped into my sister¡¯s arms. Although I had grown and was heavier, my sister didn¡¯t feel bothered at all and patted me on my back, hugging me tightly.


    Theo and Alex just stared at us.


    PR/N: I can¡¯t say what they were thinking cuz it¡¯s inappropriate for little babies lol


    ¡°Hey, you idiot! Where the hell did you get this!¡±


    Louis, who was nowhere to be seen earlier, ran into my room, angry. Isaac, who left earlier, sulking, also came back to the room as if he had run into his younger brother along the way.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, do you know what that is?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here, Lady Clara. I need your advice.¡±


    Oh, that¡¯s why you¡¯re here. Alex showed Theo the document, albeit belatedly.


    Except for Clara and me, who were sitting on the bed, everyone got serious as they looked at the documents.


    ¡°You idiot, you¡¯re on death row now. Even young people are already doing things like this and they¡¯re good at it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that!¡±


    ¡°Ah, seriously.¡±


    Louis was chased away by Isaac, leaving only the flowers behind[5].


    I got up from my seat, supported by Clara, and took the document Theo was looking at.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be.¡±


    Clara¡¯s face turned white.


    Clara¡¯s skills were the only ones that allowed the flower, which had been cut off due to its rarity, to grow to its current scale.


    She was given a commission after only reading documents stating the roots were used for medicinal purposes, but it turned out that their value was in the flower petals, not the roots.


    ¡°Clara is also a victim. This request was obviously arranged by the association.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so.¡±


    Knowing the situation, Theo and Alex immediately left the room.


    Clara, who had found out that she had been involved in drug cultivation, sank palely next to me in bed.


    ¡°What am I supposed to do about this?¡±


    Drug cultivation was punished using the death penalty. Louis may have been joking about this, but now we couldn¡¯t think of this as a mere joke.


    With my pale, white elder sister alongside me, I sank in anguish.


    No one knows about this yet, except for my siblings.


    ¡°Okay. Sister, let¡¯s do it this way. You went to retrieve evidence by working next to the criminals after being commanded to do so by the Crown Prince.¡±


    ¡°Ciel, but I¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry about anything.¡±


    If the association was involved, or if they took advantage of the situation, it would have to be investigated further, but I began to understand why Heinz was so unhappy with me.


    He could have blamed my sister for everything, but how annoying it must have been to know about my existence[6].


    ¡°Ciel.¡±


    ¡°You have me.¡±


    As long as the best villainess of this novel is on your side, there¡¯s nothing to worry about, baby.


    PR/N: Ciel is such a mood lmao


    Now that things have come to this, I have no choice but to show him a lesson. I grinned, exposing my teeth, with a frightened Clara at my side.


    We¡¯ll see, Heinz.


    I¡¯ll teach you what the bitter taste of life is like.


    [1] The line here ¡°subtly looking for a response¡± doesn¡¯t have a direct translation. It basically is used when someone asks a question and is, very obviously, looking for a specific response. You can read more about it here.


    [2] In Korean, if you look at direct translations, when people are really close (usually family) they¡¯ll use ¡®our¡¯ like shown.


    [3] The word here, ?????, means feeling shy or bashful but embarrassing sounded better


    [4] Koreans use squids to describe ugly people, it¡¯s quite common in manhwa for characters to have squid heads.


    [5] Louis had brought in documents and the flowers that Clara grew


    [6] She means that Heinz could have taken advantage of Clara because of her ¡°adopted daughter¡± status, but Ciel¡¯s presence as a ¡°legitimate daughter¡± ruined all those plans

 Chapter 33

    Episode 33


    ¡°Guys!¡±


    My parents, who arrived late at night, were surprised by the odd mood in the mansion.


    Even with the pile of gifts in front of us, our minds were wandering elsewhere.


    Theo was serious, and Isaac was sulking. He looked sad, and only our brat, Louis, snooped around at the gifts.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing happened!¡±


    We all speak in unison as if planned. Everything was orchestrated by Theo.


    ¨C Never tell our parents, don¡¯t make it obvious, especially Louis, watch your mouth.


    If Mom or Dad made a move, it would give Queen Lotte an excuse to act, so we followed Theo¡¯s instructions.


    ¡°How was your vacation?¡±


    ¡°It was great. On the way home, we bought a new summer villa. Let¡¯s spend our summer vacation there this year.¡±


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe you saw a pretty villa on your way here and bought it completely.¡¯


    As expected, my dad was in a different league.


    Still, they both looked very happy because it was their first vacation by themselves in a long time.


    ¡°Mom, I missed you.¡±


    ¡°I missed you, too.¡±


    I had no idea that the reason why Stan wasn¡¯t able to come was because Mom was blocking him.


    QC/N: Yessss her mom is the best


    Only after they left for a short while did I realize how well-protected I was.


    Before our parents returned, the five of us, knowing we had missed Heinz¡¯s group[1], went straight to holding a family meeting.


    ¡°I agree with Clara entering the Palace.¡±


    Theo also thought it was the best choice. If Clara was left as it was, Queen Lotte could find out about the case, and Valentine¡¯s family itself could be dragged down, accused of drug cultivation.


    And if she continued working for the association, she¡¯d definitely meet Heinz again.


    That¡¯s why it was the safest choice to enter the Palace as the Crown Prince¡¯s pharmacist and make a name for herself.


    It¡¯ll be good if I could also go with her just in case Clara gets in trouble.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it. Ciel¡¯s still young.¡±


    ¡°Issac, it¡¯s because Brother doesn¡¯t know, she¡¯s really strong, even if she looks like that.¡±


    Isaac was against it, but my bratty brother did his best to help me out. If I didn¡¯t go, I was sure she¡¯d end up asking me to go anyway.


    QC/N: one of the translation machines keeps using mother F-er instead of bratty brother ? (?¡¥?¡¥)¦Ò §Ý??a?a?a


    After a long strategy meeting, I sneaked out of my room with a pillow in hand and knocked on my parents¡¯ bedroom door.


    It opened and my dad, wearing pajamas, welcomed me.


    ¡°Ciel, my princess. I was on my way to see if you were sleeping well.¡±


    ¡°Can I sleep with Mom and Dad tonight?¡±


    It was the privilege of the youngest to be able to hide in my parents¡¯ bed. I placed myself between Mom and Dad for the first time in a long time.


    ¡°What happened to our youngest today? She used to be so mature. She even said she wants to sleep with her mom and dad.¡±


    ¡°I just missed you two a lot.¡±


    ¡°Look at her. I told you, didn¡¯t I? Our Ciel is still young.¡±


    Even if it was visible that I was trying to act cute, my mom was happy. No matter how old I was, I would always be a cute child to my mother.


    So much happened today that I wanted to act childish.


    ¡°How was your trip?¡±


    ¡°I enjoyed it. Let¡¯s all go together next time.¡±


    ¡°Dad¡¯s mean. You wanted to go with Mom alone, I also wanted to go with her.¡±


    ¡°My Ciel, did you finally let go of your sister?¡±


    I pouted at my mother¡¯s teasing. Sister, you are always at the center of attention.


    To protect Clara, the Crown Prince himself and our eldest brother team up for an operation. Although Heinz and his crew had already run away with all the seedlings, just in case, Alex decided to continue with the investigation and inquire about the owner of that mansion.


    So I left the investigation to them, and I must prepare for the next process.


    ¡°You know, Mom, Dad. His Highness offered Clara the position of Imperial Pharmacist.¡±


    ¡®If my sister becomes an Imperial Pharmacist, we can cover this up smoothly.¡¯


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good opportunity, but I¡¯m worried that she¡¯ll have to enter the Palace alone.¡±


    PR/N: She thinks she¡¯s clever but her parents already know her intentions lmao


    Pulling the blanket, I tried to look as pitiful as I could. My sister¡¯s story is actually an appetizer, and the main plate was coming now.


    I didn¡¯t know if it was going to work, but it should. I tried to gain their sympathy by looking pitiful, but I couldn¡¯t. Both Mom and Dad were fast to notice my hidden intentions.


    ¡°So our Ciel wants to go to the Palace with Clara?¡±


    ¡°Uhmm, I don¡¯t know. I would be sad if I¡¯m not able to see Mom and Dad often.¡±


    ¡°Is Clara not allowed to come and go? Ah, that isn¡¯t allowed to pharmacists.¡±


    Since it was a position responsible for the health of the Royal Family, it was an Imperial Law for doctors or pharmacists to remain within the Imperial Palace.


    It was fine to bring your family in, but to be honest, I was the only one among us who could go with Clara.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just send Louis?


    ¡°He¡¯s been wandering around too much these days. I don¡¯t even know what he¡¯s doing. If he enters the Palace, he won¡¯t be able to keep doing so.¡±


    Our rascal wasn¡¯t of any help. I can¡¯t believe I fell on the trail of my youngest brother[2], who¡¯s been disappearing a lot lately.


    My parents were about to make up their minds to let Louis go to the Palace, leaving me completely out of the question. At this rate, there would be nothing I can do about it.


    I had no other choice but to speak out.


    ¡°I want to go to the Palace with Clara.¡±


    Uuugh, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t want to say it because I felt like I was driving a nail through my parents¡¯ hearts. They both looked down at me with a sweet expression as if they knew this would happen.


    ¡°You came here to talk about that, didn¡¯t you? You rascal.¡±


    ¡®Yes, I got caught. I¡¯m sorry.¡¯


    As if it wasn¡¯t enough for my dad to hit my head lightly with his fist, my mom shook her head with an unpleasant look.


    ¡°I¡¯m against it. She¡¯s there in the Palace.¡±


    Due to that accident long ago, Mom completely became Queen Lotte¡¯s enemy.


    But there was no other option for now. I understood why my mom was worried, but Alex gave me the solution.


    If I stay put, I might end up getting married to Stan, so I rather get caught in some sort of scandal[3].


    As long as it was like that, I had no reason to refuse.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. His Highness will keep us safe.¡±


    ¡°Did His Highness suggest you go?¡±


    As I nodded, my parents seemed somewhat uneasy.


    Since Clara was already an adult, they didn¡¯t feel too bothered about letting her go, but I haven¡¯t even made my debut yet.


    It was understandable for them to hesitate to send their youngest daughter far away willingly.


    ¡°Just one year. I have to make my social debut next year anyway, so I have to come back.¡±


    ¡°You mean you¡¯ll be staying there for a year?¡±


    I honestly thought it was a short time, but my mom and dad seemed to feel that a year was too long.


    As expected, I should have been satisfied with just going in and out of the manor instead of asking to enter the Palace. I scratched my head.


    ¡°Hmm. Half a year?¡±


    ¡°Too long. Three months.¡±


    ¡°Dad! That¡¯s just mean!¡±


    ¡°I also think that a month is too long.¡±


    As expected, they won¡¯t let me go that easily. After a lot of bloody negotiations, I somehow managed to persuade them to let me enter the Palace.


    ¡°It¡¯s late. Go to bed, we will talk about the details later.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Mom, Dad, good night.¡±


    Kissing them both on the cheek, I snuggled into my father¡¯s arms and held my mother¡¯s hand tightly after a long time. Perhaps because I was held in the cozy arms of two warm people, I was extra sleepy today.


    ¡°I thought she was still our baby. I¡¯m sad.¡±


    ¡°Shh, she must have fallen asleep already.¡±


    I was going to be an adult soon, but in my parents¡¯ eyes, I was still a child.


    This kind of love was unfamiliar to me no matter how much time passes. Amid my sleep, they still watched me and whispered to each other.


    ¡®Have nice dreams, my beloved Ciel.¡¯ A sweet whisper rang in my ear. If the day comes when I really leave this house, I was sure that I would miss a night like tonight, so I pampered myself by snuggling into my parents¡¯ arms today.


    QC/N: This is so sweet (o¨R?¨Q)


    * * * *


    During breakfast, the next morning, Clara¡¯s entrance to the Palace was formally discussed.


    My parents tried to push Louis to also enter the Palace, but he made excuses to escape the hateful idea.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it because I will feel stuffy. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get sick of it too if you go.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    My parents gave up on Louis because he had a history of eating fake grass and getting sick from time to time.


    ¡°Have you made up your mind, Clara?¡±


    ¡°Yes. His Highness gave me a great opportunity, so I want to accept it.¡±


    As she spoke, Clara seemed distressed somehow.


    The choice to leave the home you love wasn¡¯t an easy one, but if she stayed here, Clara wouldn¡¯t be able to grow.


    Mom, sitting next to her, put down her spoon and held Clara¡¯s hand.


    ¡°If it¡¯s hard, you can come back anytime. Because you¡¯re our daughter.¡±


    PR/N: not me crying at this point.


    Clara was family, no matter when and where she went.


    With her eyes wet and red, she held Mom¡¯s hands, and Isaac, who was just looking at the scene, raised his hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m also thinking of moving into the Knights¡¯ quarters starting from next quarter.¡±


    ¡°Issac, you too?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask for a change of position and join the Crown Prince¡¯s Palace. That way I will be able to stay inside the Imperial Palace and take care of Ciel and Clara.¡±


    QC/N: Aww he might be a little weird but he¡¯s such a good brother


    Perhaps if Clara had gone in alone, Isaac wouldn¡¯t have made such a decision. My dad sighed and looked at me.


    ¡°Apparently, something happened while we were away.¡±


    ¡°Father.¡±


    Theo cut him off. He tried to say something as an excuse, but Dad shook his head as if he already knew.


    ¡°You must have a good reason. I understand it in my head, but my heart feels sad.¡±


    PR/N: daddyyyyyy T-T I¡¯ll never leave you TwT


    Theo was already 21; Isaac and Clara were 19 this year. They were old enough to go their own way.


    QC/N: I wanna go my own wayyyy~ On another note, Theo and I are age twins


    Of course, it was unexpected for my parents that I wanted to join since I didn¡¯t even debut yet, but I followed my older sister, and Isaac tagged along with me.


    Our parents must have been very sad because three of their children were leaving home. But Louis, unaware of that fact, smiled and teased me.


    ¡°Blockhead. I will finally free myself from seeing your face.¡±


    ¡°Brother, what did you just say?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you said that to your younger sister. Louis, starting tomorrow, you¡¯ll join your mother going to social gatherings and tea parties. You need to learn again the proper way to treat a lady.¡±


    QC/N: ? (?¡¥?¡¥)¦Ò §Ý??a?a?a


    When he was told to join a tea party with his mother, in place of his brothers, Louis¡¯ face turned pale.


    I could tell that he¡¯ll be eating grass to have a fake stomach ache, starting tomorrow. As expected of our youngest brother. Should I tell him he dug his own grave like an idiot? No matter what there was no way out of this.


    After breakfast, we split up to do our own business. I decided to go to the Academy with Clara because she had to inform the association about her resignation.


    ¡°Hopefully, nothing will happen?¡±


    ¡°It would be nice if Louis could go with us, but where did he go?¡±


    Notes:


    [1] Basically, they didn¡¯t catch Heinz¡¯s group of people that were helping him with his illegal activities


    [2] What she thought was clearly her path, ended up being the one that her brother might have headed towards if her parents decided to send him instead of her


    [3] Scandal that she might be the Crown Prince¡¯s, Alex¡¯s, fiancee

 Chapter 34

    The drug was a tricky flower. If Clara, who had a special talent, didn¡¯t treat it in a few days, it would wither, so they would probably try to get her by kidnapping her somehow.


    So, today I¡¯ll stick to Clara. The necklace Theo gave me was still on my neck, and if I need to, I can use my magic to wipe them out.


    I decided to stop by the Pharmacist Association with Clara to find out about Heinz.


    ¡°This man¡­ wait a moment, please.¡±


    The association¡¯s staff seemed to know nothing. According to the list, Heinz¡¯s guarantor was one of the executives of the Pharmacist Association.


    ¡°What happened? Even the security forces were here to find out about him today.¡±


    From what I heard, it seems that Alex has also started a full-scale investigation. So while my older sister was talking to the staff, an uncle called me outside the door.


    ¡°Kiddo, is this yours?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t young enough to be called a kid, though. My sister was safe and well, so I walked to the door, scratching my head.


    PR/N: come on Ciel, how many lives did you live for this? Never saw a movie? Don¡¯t go downstairs, don¡¯t ask who¡¯s making weird sounds and down follow anyone. That¡¯s how you survive a horror movie.


    QC/N: Well now we know that Ciel will be the second or third to die in a horror movie. First would be Clara, second would be either Ciel or Louis.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing here¡ª¡±


    There was nothing but the door, and before I could finish speaking, the man covered my mouth with a cloth. The smell of the anesthetic clouded my consciousness.


    Unbelievable. It was a trap.


    PR/N: No sh*t Sherlock.


    * * *


    Ciel had been kidnapped. While Clara was talking, Ciel left the room and disappeared. After belatedly finding out about the situation, Clara ran to the carriage that was waiting outside the academy.


    ¡°Ciel¡¯s gone!¡±


    Shortly after the coachman contacted them, Louis and Theo came running.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°While I was distracted for a moment¡­ What should I do[1]? What can I do?¡±


    Clara burst into tears in Theo¡¯s arms. He wiped away her tears and collected mana.


    QC/N: Probably not the right time, but I swear this ship is gonna sail


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll activate the tracking spell soon.¡±


    He put that spell in the necklace just in case this kind of situation arose. As Theo activated the tracking magic, the path to Ciel shone a light pink colour.


    ¡°Louis, go get Isaac.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Clara, you return to the mansion. No, come with me.¡±


    If the kidnapping of Ciel was a two-way operation, they were likely to kidnap Clara, who was returning home alone.


    In that case, it was better to keep her close. Theo held Clara¡¯s hand and tracked down Ciel¡¯s traces.


    QC/N: Hand holding now I see (??????)


    ¡°What if something happens to Ciel?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gonna be okay. Don¡¯t worry too much, I¡¯ll beat them with magic.¡±


    Even if he wasn¡¯t the best, his amount of mana and talent was huge. Unlike Theo, who didn¡¯t look worried, Clara couldn¡¯t stop crying.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Brother. It¡¯s all because of me.¡±


    PR/N: let¡¯s remember that she calls him ¡®Oppa¡¯ which is a way to call older boys with whom a girl is close with. But they aren¡¯t siblings (by blood at least)


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±


    Theo held the sad Clara¡¯s hand tightly. He wasn¡¯t happy to send her to the Imperial Palace, but as he investigated this incident, Theo learned about another side of Clara that he hadn¡¯t noticed before.


    It was a waste to just bury away such talent. Ciel had a point when she said that if left as it was, there would just be another group like Heinz.


    ¡°If this task is completed safely, from now on, only think about your future. If you need anything, you can always tell me or Ciel.¡±


    ¡°Brother.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Ciel too much. She doesn¡¯t even cry over things like this. She will be fine. I don¡¯t think anything bad will happen.¡±


    If it was really an emergency, the necklace would have sent a signal, but seeing that it was quiet, it seemed that there was no harm to Ciel¡¯s body.


    Theo followed the mana planted in the necklace and examined the traces.


    How far did they go in the carriage? They arrived at a quiet villa in the suburbs. The guards shouted at the appearance of a strange wagon.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±


    ¡°Stop the wagon.¡±


    Theo, who uses bracelets as a magic medium instead of the Levatane, spilled mana on the bracelets in both hands.


    Jumping out of the wagon, Theo cast a silence and paralysis spell on both guards at the same time.


    ¡°Eup, eup!¡±


    Theo turned to the coachman with a serious face.


    ¡°You, stay here. When Louis and Isaac come, tell them to follow me inside.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Clara.¡±


    They were after Clara. Theo took her hand and ran into the villa. As they shut up those who appeared from time to time, eventually, Ciel¡¯s voice was heard.


    ¡°Save me!¡±


    ¡°Ciel!¡±


    It was clear that something was wrong with Ciel. The two ran down the hall and opened the door, shouting.


    * * *


    I frowned at the unpleasant smell. I was going somewhere in a rattling wagon.


    The carriage stopped and someone raised my body. I was pretending to be asleep, but someone hugged me.


    ¡°Look at her. Isn¡¯t she cute, Brother?¡±


    ¡°Are you a pervert? Do you like kids?¡±


    ¡°Older brother, how can you see the world with such dirty eyes? She just reminds me of our youngest who we left in our hometown.¡±


    The man hugging me spoke with an accent[2].


    That unfamiliar accent was definitely an Eastern accent.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    As I groaned and pretended to be in pain, the man with a dialect was startled and hugged me even closer.


    ¡°Oh, the baby is regaining consciousness now. Why did you ask me to bring this little baby here?¡±


    ¡°What do we know? He said he found a girl who was good at growing flowers. But then her brother came to pick her up and everything was screwed.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God, that¡¯s a big deal.¡±


    When did that happen? First, I listened to the story quietly.


    ¡°We only need to save the flowers in the backyard, so let¡¯s keep her safe and send her back when her sister comes.¡±


    Fortunately, the kidnappers didn¡¯t seem to be bad enough to harm their hostage.


    Far from knowing the details, they seemed to have no idea what flowers they had to save and who I was.


    I slowly opened my eyes, pretending to be distressed as much as I could.


    ¡°Baby, are you awake?¡±


    ¡°Who are you? Where am I?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask your sister to pick you up, baby, so don¡¯t cry. I hate crying children the most.¡±


    Honestly, it wasn¡¯t that scary and there was no reason to cry.


    I didn¡¯t scream, I just stared blankly at him, and the old man held out a piece of paper to me.


    ¡°Just write down the address here.¡±


    ¡°Address?¡±


    ¡°Yes, address.¡±


    Kidnapping me without knowing where I live. I wrote down the address calmly, paying enough attention.


    The old men looked at me curiously as I wrote clearly.


    Despite using Valentine¡¯s address, they had no idea how famous it was.


    The group of kidnappers was a total of five, including the two old men who were talking earlier and another three.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, so take care of the child. Don¡¯t bother me.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    The man, who looked like the leader, took the address and went out. I guess these people really don¡¯t know anything at all.


    The old man with the accent who said I looked like his youngest sibling talked to me.


    ¡°Baby¡¯s writing is so pretty. You¡¯re good at studying, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Uhuh, I¡¯m good at studying.¡±


    ¡°Are you good at singing?¡±


    There was nothing I couldn¡¯t do, so I nodded.


    Even if I look like this, I was properly educated in the Valentine¡¯s family, so I could do anything I had already learned to some extent.


    ¡°I¡¯m bored waiting for your sister, so let¡¯s listen to our baby¡¯s singing.¡±


    Perhaps because I didn¡¯t cry and didn¡¯t seem to be scared, the kidnapper confidently asked me to sing.


    In order to see my performance, I decided to make a deal with them with a smile.


    ¡°But there¡¯s a condition.¡±


    ¡°Condition?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry. Give me food.¡±


    I don¡¯t know when I passed out, but I was really hungry. So, I asked for something to eat.


    While an old man went looking for food, I put my hand on the lower part of my abdomen and started singing.


    I sang about three songs while switching genres, so the old men didn¡¯t even think about keeping guard, and even stood up and danced.


    Crazy guys.


    ¡°Baby, you have a really pretty face, and you¡¯re really good at singing. What is your dream?¡±


    ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t thought about it yet.¡±


    Knowing how to use magic, I decided to leave it as a last resort for now.


    After singing four songs in a row, I gradually got tired.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to stop singing. I sang so many songs, but I didn¡¯t even get any food; you guys are bad!¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on, go to the kitchen. Didn¡¯t my baby say she¡¯s hungry?¡±


    Since when did I become your baby? But these kidnappers, they¡¯ve been too unguarded.


    Soon after, two old men brought a large pot.


    ¡°Brother, let¡¯s have a meal, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re hungry, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    It may be their local traditional food, but when I saw the green soup, my appetite disappeared in an instant.


    I didn¡¯t want to eat it, so I talked to the old man as I poked at it with the spoon.


    ¡°Where are you guys from?¡±


    ¡°Us? We came from the Eastern region to make money. An acquaintance said that he was introduced us to a good job by a high-ranking person.¡±


    ¡°High ranking?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Lu¡­ how was he called? Anyway, a high-ranking person gave me a precious flower, and he said he was worried because it kept dying.¡±


    It seemed that behind all this was a nobleman with a name starting with ¡®Lu.¡¯


    ¡®I think I¡¯ve heard that name before.¡¯


    ¡°I heard that this Lord hurt his penis a long time ago and couldn¡¯t perform as a human being.¡±


    QC/N: Wait, isn¡¯t he the guy who tried to attach her and Louis at the Palace during Clara¡¯s debut???


    ¡°I know. He said he got hurt five years ago, but he never told me how he got hurt.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God, what did we say in front of the baby? No, it¡¯s nothing. Hurry up and eat a lot.¡±


    I was screwed. Mr. Dialect scooped me another ladle of bad green soup.


    Ugh. It wasn¡¯t good at all.


    I was about to send a signal to Theo, but I couldn¡¯t see the necklace.


    PR/N: just because she didn¡¯t want to eat green soup lmao


    ¡°Oh, my necklace.¡±


    ¡°Necklace? Where¡¯s the baby¡¯s necklace?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it moved backward.¡±


    It looked like it had turned so it was behind my neck when I collapsed.


    As soon as I put the necklace on again properly, a soft glow emanated from the necklace.


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a toy. My brother gave it to me as a present.¡±


    [1] The phrase used here is ?? ? (eotteog hae) which is more of an expression like ¡°Oh my God¡± or ¡°What do I do¡±


    [2] Meaning that he wasn¡¯t from the Capital, probably not from the Empire. Since everyone spoke the same Empire language

 Chapter 35

    ¡°Dear, do you have an older brother?¡±


    ¡°I have three older brothers and one older sister. I¡¯m the youngest.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just like our youngest. She¡¯s as cute as you. I miss my sister. I¡¯m going to work hard to make money and send her presents.¡±


    ¡®Well, I don¡¯t think your sibling will be happy if you sent a gift with the money you earned from kidnapping.¡¯


    Perhaps these men didn¡¯t seem to be aware that what they were doing was kidnapping a person.


    It was difficult to use magic because they were literally villagers fresh out of the countryside and looked very kind.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating? You have to eat properly to grow taller. Go ahead and eat.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m full. I don¡¯t want to eat anymore.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that, come on, how can you say that after eating that much? Go ahead and eat more.¡±


    Even though I said it was tasteless, the man kept adding more green soup.


    ¡®Ugghh. It¡¯s not good. It¡¯s not good at all.¡¯


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to eat it.¡±


    ¡°Baby, why are you picky? You won¡¯t grow taller. Come on, eat it. I¡¯ll feed you.¡±


    I knew he meant no harm, but the seaweed-colored green soup was terrible. The crunchiness of cabbage, the fresh fragrance of celery, the blandness of cucumbers, and the flavor of coriander leaves were properly mixed.


    QC/N: It¡¯s like those healthy, detox green smoothies


    It wasn¡¯t that I was a picky eater, I was just refusing to eat bad food, but he kept trying to force me to eat it.


    Was this a new type of torture? I couldn¡¯t help but scream because I was being forced to eat without being able to run away.


    QC/N: lmao reminds me of when my cousins would dare me to try weird food combos


    ¡°Help me!¡±


    ¡°Ciel!¡±


    The door suddenly opened and Theo and Clara jumped into the room.


    The sight of four large men holding me forcibly was just right for misunderstanding. Besides, I just screamed.


    ¡°These bastards. What the hell are you doing to my sister?¡±


    ¡°Oh my, save me!¡±


    Theo¡¯s mana exploded out of anger, and objects flew in all directions.


    The two bracelets on Theo¡¯s wrists were magical tools that controlled and sometimes amplified his mana just like Levatane.


    It was rare for Theo, who was one of the best wizards ¨C although not as good as our father ¨C to show all his skills.


    ¡®I¡¯ve only heard of it, but I¡¯ve never actually seen it.¡¯


    A strong storm fell on the room, and things flew all over the place.


    ¡°What the hell is this!¡±


    Perhaps because they were from the countryside, the villains seemed to have never seen magic before.


    Frightened by the objects in the air, the men let me go and were at a loss. I ran to Theo with a shield on my body so that I wouldn¡¯t get hit by the flying objects.


    ¡°Brother, wait a minute. These guys don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    ¡°Ciel, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what misunderstanding you had, but it¡¯s not like that. Those guys were just¡­¡±


    ¡°They what?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sir, please forgive us just once. We¡¯re just idiots from the countryside who came to make some money.¡±


    The kidnappers looked like scared kittens despite their size. They knelt down in front of Theo and cried and begged for their lives.


    ¡°They fed me, and it didn¡¯t taste good, so that¡¯s why.¡±


    ¡°You want me to believe that?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you should try it. That thing.¡±


    Theo put the flying pot on the table and dipped his finger in to taste it.


    ¡°Uuughhh.¡±


    ¡°Theo, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you were feeding this to my little sister.¡±


    ¡°Sir, I was wrong. We did something wrong.¡±


    When they were in danger of being scolded because of the tasteless soup, the men cried and begged, saying they were wrong.


    Once I was safe, my brother asked the kidnappers the whole story after applying a limb restraining spell. The old men spat out all they knew only to survive.


    ¡°So, what do you mean, some noble named Lou, who lost his ability to perform as a man, is your employer?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure that Eunuch[1] is the one.¡±


    ¡°Brother, what does that mean?¡±


    To tease Theo, I asked innocently, as if I knew nothing. But unfortunately, even before I could hear the answer, Clara interfered, covering my mouth.


    ¡°Hmm, so. What were you trying to do by kidnapping my sister?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we were just going to send her back home if the dark-haired lady could save the flowers in the backyard here. It¡¯s true.¡±


    I nodded eagerly with my mouth blocked.


    Knowing that they were not bad people, Theo released the magic that was on the old men.


    ¡°Turn around for now¡­ Ugh!¡±


    ¡°Brother!¡±


    Suddenly, something flew over the open door, hitting Theo on the back.


    While supporting Theo, who had fallen, a man who looked familiar came in with a grin on his face and an arrogant stride.


    ¡°They say you¡¯ll meet your enemies on a Bamboo bridge, I never thought I¡¯d meet you here!¡±


    Wasn¡¯t it on a single log bridge[2]? He shouted so confidently that no one could refute anything.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a bamboo tree but a single log tree.¡±


    PR/N: ¡°Encounter your enemy in a single log bridge¡± it¡¯s slang for finding trouble you can¡¯t escape, or finding the person you hate the most in the wrong place at the wrong time.


    Of course, except for Clara.


    The man, angry at my sister¡¯s words, trembled and pointed at me.


    ¡°This, this is all because of you, Ciel Valentine!¡±


    ¡°Do you know me?¡±


    ¡°So, you forgot about me. I am Count Ruben!¡±


    I was sure I had heard that name before. Thinking hard for a while, I barely remembered him.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re that eunuch!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that!¡±


    Once upon a time, on Clara¡¯s debutante day. Our brat Louis kicked Count Ruben in his manhood to save me.


    QC/N: (©–o©–;)))) Louis¡¯s kick must be deadly


    I haven¡¯t heard from him since Marquis Romford¡¯s[3] downfall, and I never thought he would be involved in the drug case.


    It was understandable now why Alex showed progress only after the case was handed over to him. Princess Lotte must be behind all this. It¡¯s a shame that Count Ruben was stupid and didn¡¯t know that Clara was also Valentine¡¯s daughter.


    Had I made a mistake, this case would have been extremely dangerous.


    ¡°Brother, are you okay?¡±


    QC/N: She calls him ¡°Oppa¡± which can be used by females when addressing any older males that they are familiar with


    Clara supported Theo who had fallen. Whatever he did, the light from Theo¡¯s bracelet went out completely.


    ¡°Wizards are of no use if they can¡¯t speak. How does the seal taste!¡±


    I looked at the triumphant Count Ruben and clicked my tongue. Mana seals to subdue Wizards were extremely expensive.


    However, even if he used such a thing, it didn¡¯t work for more than five minutes in someone as powerful as Theo. If it was my dad, it wouldn¡¯t have worked at all.


    Looking at Theo, I rebutted Count Ruben.


    ¡°Why the hell did you do this?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s because of the money! You, the woman, if you want to save them, save the flowers.¡±


    The men from before took Theo hostage with regretful faces. Fortunately, they let me be, and I stood next to my sister.


    They didn¡¯t know that I¡¯m a wizard.


    Although it was because I couldn¡¯t control my strength properly, once I put up a shield and shot a fireball, I could turn everything into ashes. Holding my breath, I slowly gathered mana in my hand.


    ¡°Did the Marquis abandon you after that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all because of you!¡±


    As soon as Count Ruben approached me, I activated the shield.


    He, who had reached out his hand towards me, crossed the door and flew into the hallway, and the whole building shook.


    ¡®Why the hell can¡¯t I control my own powers?¡¯


    The panicked men all came to catch me, but they couldn¡¯t do anything since I was protected by the shield.


    Count Ruben, who hit the wall, groaned and touched the sword on his waist.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that little bastard is a Wizard.¡±


    No, it was more amazing that you didn¡¯t know that I was a Wizard who even received Levatane from His Majesty the Emperor.


    I was sure that was the reason why he kept doing things in a strange way.


    Count Ruben pulled out his sword and ordered the men.


    ¡°Get me that son of a bitch!¡±


    ¡°No, Theo!¡±


    Since his mana had not yet recovered, Theo was taken hostage.


    If something really went wrong with Theo, then all three of us would be in danger. In that case, I¡¯d rather be held hostage.


    Anyway, who they were aiming for was Clara so, I removed the shield and raised my hands.


    ¡°Let go of my brother. I¡¯ll be the hostage.¡±


    ¡°Ciel, it¡¯s too dangerous. I just¡­¡±


    ¡°That guy is mad at me right now. You take care of Theo.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take care of him first.¡±


    To settle an old grudge, Count Ruben approached me with a hideous smile. I bit my lip, preparing to attack him again with magic.


    As soon as Count Ruben tried to grab me by the collar, I heard someone running through the hallway.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    ¡°What, what¡¯s going on!?¡±


    A black shadow appeared from behind with loud footsteps and struck Count Ruben.


    ¡°Ciel!¡±


    The urgent, low-pitched voice was somehow familiar to my ears.


    ¡°Your Highness, Alex?¡±


    Alex, who ran in with a black cape, threw Count Ruben aside in front of me and hugged me tightly.


    QC/N: ???


    After that, a huge number of knights rushed in and surrounded the area.


    ¡°Cough, Cough!¡±


    As soon as the mana seal was gone, Theo coughed and cleared his throat.


    The glow returned to the bracelet, and a fierce gust of wind from Theo¡¯s hand swept away all the old men.


    ¡°Brother, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Catch them.¡±


    The knights grabbed the men who had been attacked by Theo¡¯s magic, one by one. Clara stood next to Theo and supported him.


    ¡°Brother, lean on me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fin¡ª cough, cough.¡±


    Theo, who had refused several times, eventually leaned on Clara¡¯s shoulder.


    Even if he didn¡¯t show it, the thought of him dying of happiness inside at that moment made me laugh out loud.


    ¡°Ciel, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    I was about to blow everything up. Fortunately, His Highness the Crown Prince came at the right time to avoid bloodshed.


    Because if I really used all my power, someone might have been seriously hurt.


    In the end, I was kidnapped. Anxious, Alex grabbed me and carefully checked to see if I had any injuries.


    [1] A man who has been castrated (had his balls cut off) {= Highlight this to view but I would warn against it. It could seem crude.


    [2] This is similar to the Chinese idiom ¡°enemies meet on a narrow road.¡± For the Korean saying, check out Gijoe¡¯s comment here


    [3] Ruben¡¯s father-in-law. Was a candidate for Prime Minister until Ciel, Louis and Alex found out about his corruption. Also a supporter of Queen Lotte

 Chapter 36

    ¡°Ciel, Brother!¡±


    Isaac and Louis came running only after the situation had settled.


    Louis recognized Count Ruben, who had foamed at the mouth and collapsed.


    ¡°What? This guy was behind this?¡±


    ¡°Do you know him?¡±


    ¡°I told you before that the day Clara debuted, there was a guy who bullied Ciel and I beat him up.¡±


    He didn¡¯t exactly beat him, but it was a blow to a vital spot.


    ¡°Did you bully Ciel?¡±


    The scary thing about Isaac was that he held a long grudge. Even more so if it was related to me.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ my enemy¡­ Louis Valentine¡­!¡±


    ¡°It is said that he is one step away from being kicked out by his wife after becoming a eunuch. You need money, so now you¡¯ve even put your hands on something like this?¡±


    Our Louis had a relationship with the information guild, so there was nothing he didn¡¯t know.


    Ruben¡¯s face heated up when his disgrace was revealed to the world.


    ¡°Hey, you get rid of this bastard¡­ Ugh!¡±


    ¡°What a good job you do at screaming!¡±


    Isaac grabbed Count Ruben by the collar and dragged him out of the building.


    We needed to investigate the mastermind, so I hope he keeps him alive.


    After some tidying up, I grabbed Alex¡¯s hand and headed to the backyard.


    QC/N: I¡¯m loving how she just casually grabs his hand


    The backyard was full of the dark pink flowers that had disappeared from the last mansion.


    It was dizzying to think that, if we were even a few days late, these flowers might have become drugs and spread throughout the capital.


    ¡°Is this all?¡±


    ¡°Probably. When I saw it last time it was about this much.¡±


    Oil was poured over the flowers to prevent them from blooming any longer.


    ¡°Mr. Heinz said it was a difficult seedling to grow, so he said he needed my help and brought all the supplies he had.¡±


    With the testimony of Clara, Count Ruben and his crew were safely arrested.


    To be honest, I couldn¡¯t help but think that Marquis Romford and Queen Lotte were behind Count Ruben, but there was no clear evidence.


    Even the man who moved with Count Ruben, and received the address from me, seemed to have known that this was drug-related, but the men from the countryside who tried to feed me green soup were taken by the soldiers while crying that they didn¡¯t know anything.


    ¡°We really didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re noisy, you bastards.¡±


    Somehow I felt pity for them.


    They didn¡¯t even know that the first thing they were doing when they came up from the countryside was committing a crime.


    Even though I tried to force myself to eat the tasteless green soup, I didn¡¯t think they were bad people, so I gently grabbed Alex¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡°Ciel?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, can you please listen to my request?¡±


    When asked to listen, Alex deliberately lowered his gaze and listened to my story.


    He might laugh at me, but I told him what happened honestly.


    ¡°That¡¯s what happened.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like they¡¯re bad people.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m jealous of hearing your song that I haven¡¯t even heard[1] before.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing.¡±


    Alex smiled and patted my head.


    A few days later, it was revealed that the men really didn¡¯t know anything, and they were released unharmed.


    I asked Theo to hire the men, who suddenly lost their jobs, as janitors of the glass garden.


    Well, it was only a little later that the men, who found out who we were, became stunned.


    * * *


    At the same time, Stan sat cross-legged and received the report.


    ¡°So, where did the Crown Prince go today?¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean, the Duke of Valentine¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Stan¡¯s foot slapped the servant¡¯s cheek. Stan looked down at the servant who had fallen to the floor and trampled his hand.


    ¡°Ugh, ah ah ah ah ah!¡±


    ¡°I should have said it clearly. If something like that happens, you must let me know in advance.¡±


    ¡°Please, please, spare my life, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Useless bastard. Take him away.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, Your Highness! Please give me one more chance!¡±


    Stan ground his teeth towards the Crown Prince¡¯s Palace in the distance, ignoring the screams that were getting further away.


    ¡°Ciel, why?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t even remember his childhood anymore, but he remembered the moment he met Ciel as clearly as then.


    Small hands, green eyes, shiny blonde hair, and pale pink lips. He fell in love the first time he saw that adorable doll-like baby walking around. But the only time he could be with Ciel was when the Duchess stopped by the Imperial Palace.


    ¨C Can¡¯t you sleep over tonight?


    No matter how hard he tried, it was of no use. He wanted to be with her a little longer, but Ciel never looked back every time and returned to the Duchess¡¯ arms.


    He made every effort to get Ciel¡¯s attention, but the more he did, the more Ciel hated Stan.


    Stan, who had to have what he wanted to be happy, didn¡¯t know that his actions were wrong.


    ¨C Put it down and play with me.


    ¨C I hate you. I¡¯m not going to play with Stan anymore.


    Ciel pushed Stan away as he forcibly pulled her cheek. Recalling the words of the servant girl, who said that when women said they didn¡¯t like it, it meant they liked it, Stan tried to force Ciel to kiss him.


    QC/N: This is so not true. Consent is important


    But the servant¡¯s words were wrong. At Stan¡¯s sudden action, Ciel screamed and burst into tears.


    ¡®Why are you rejecting my love?¡¯


    Stan was furious and slapped Ciel on the cheek as hard as he could.


    ¨C Ciel!


    The Duchess who heard the scream, ran and took Ciel. The children¡¯s fight quickly turned into an adult fight, and Queen Lotte naturally sided with her son, Stan.


    ¨C It can be like that when kids play with each other.


    ¨C What are you saying right now?


    Stan trembled with terror before the angry Duchess of Valentine.


    The ¡®rejection¡¯ he experienced for the first time in his life was really painful. He cried because he was afraid and sad that Ciel would look at him with the same eyes as the Duchess after becoming an adult.


    In order to appease him, who could not stop crying, his mother¡¯s close associate, Morrigan, taught him the right way.


    ¨C If you welcome Miss Ciel as your bride, Your Majesty will have a monopoly over her forever.


    Stan, who was relatively clever from an early age, could understand her words at once. Marriage was the most effective means of restraining the other; his mother was like that. Love was meaningless.


    The father of Stan, the first Archduke Winterbaum, who killed the dragon and was called the mercenary king, was killed by the dragon¡¯s curse before Stan was even born.


    In the womb of the noble Queen Lotte, who had married a man she had never seen, there was a son with a clear ancestry from her husband.


    After Stan was born, the Winterbaum estate was officially turned over to the Imperial Family. Queen Lotte, who brought enormous wealth as a member of the imperial family, said it like a mantra.


    Marriage was just a means. It didn¡¯t matter whether there was love between the two of them or not, so Ciel¡¯s will was not that important to Stan either.


    ¨C I want to marry Ciel.


    Queen Lotte burst into laughter at the words of Stan, who was so young that he did not even know the meaning of marriage.


    ¨C It¡¯s not bad to have the Valentine¡¯s behind your back. Their status is decent enough.


    Queen Lotte also agreed, saying that she was not a bad choice for her son¡¯s bride. And after a while, Queen Lotte directly brought up the marriage idea, but Valentine strongly rejected it.


    A few years later, with the excuse that he was still young, Alex was suddenly appointed as the Crown Prince, and the atmosphere changed.


    The Duke of Valentine began to support Alex. Queen Lotte sent many assassins after Alex, who went to the battlefield, but Duke Valentine even went out on his own to protect the Prince.


    It was possible that it was the influence of the Emperor. After all, the Emperor and the Valentines are close friends. In addition, Alex said he was also close to Clara, Valentine¡¯s adopted daughter and Ciel¡¯s older sister.


    ¨C Since he¡¯s someone from a vulgar background, he has a bizarre taste


    Even Stan once misunderstood that Alex liked the older sister, and he was very happy.


    But it was his mistake. Shortly after Alex returned victorious from the war, the Emperor summoned Stan and gave a stern warning; don¡¯t go after Ciel.


    The one the Crown Prince loved was not the older sister, but her younger sibling, Ciel.


    The reason seemed obvious. It must have been a scheme to bring the Valentine family to their side.


    Not knowing that, Ciel followed Alex sincerely. She was going to abandon her childhood friend and go to the Crown Prince.


    At Ciel¡¯s changed attitude, a sense of betrayal flooded in.


    ¡°Why did you choose Alex?¡±


    Ciel, who had completely forgotten him as a childhood friend, linked arms with Alex as if it was only natural.


    It was said that Ciel, who grew up under the overprotection of her father and brothers, rarely even went out of the house. Besides, she followed the adopted daughter who grew up with her so much that she had no relationship with a man.


    ¡®Was the reason for establishing a friendship with the adoptive daughter to, eventually, win Ciel¡¯s favor?¡¯


    If it was the sly Alex, that was enough[2]. It was clear that he was trying to use the naive and weak Ciel to protect his position as Crown Prince.


    Stan wanted to punish anyone who interfered with his love with such an impure intention, but now, even Queen Lotte couldn¡¯t help him. It was not easy to even follow Alex because he had grown in power.


    ¡°How the hell did you do that!¡±


    A loud shout was heard from his mother¡¯s salon. The nobles, who were called the inner circle of the Empire, were busy waiting and glancing at the Queen.


    ¡°It is said that the adopted daughter of the Duke of Valentine intervened in this matter.¡±


    It was clear that his mother had plotted something, but it seemed that the older sister, who Ciel liked and followed, was involved.


    ¡°So, they didn¡¯t find out if it was us, did they?¡±


    ¡°Is there any possibility?[3] It seems that we can¡¯t act casually because it¡¯s related to the Valentine¡¯s Duchy.¡±


    If this matter is made public, then it will be difficult for the other side as well.


    ¡°Both of you are preparing to enter the Palace. Look into it.¡±


    His mother didn¡¯t know that Alex had a crush on Ciel yet, and Stan sighed deeply as they discussed what would happen in the future.


    ¡°There¡¯s still a chance.¡±


    However, there was no way because they rarely met. If they left it like that, Ciel might fall into Alex¡¯s schemes and enter the Crown Prince¡¯s Palace.


    ¡®What would Alex do if he stayed with Ciel?¡¯


    Stan, who was entering puberty, face exploded into a blush at his unspeakable imagination and said.


    ¡°That bastard, I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t leave Ciel alone.¡±


    It would be really nice to be in the same Imperial Palace, but things would be different if she was with Alex. As long as the Emperor had accepted it, Alex could be considering marrying Ciel.


    Stan stared at the Crown Prince¡¯s Palace with resentment.


    It had to be stopped somehow, but there was no clear way at the moment.


    [1] What Alex means by her singing a song is that she¡¯s repeatedly saying they¡¯re innocent


    [2] As in ¡°it makes sense that he would do something like that¡±


    [3] The phrase here ??? ????? is a very formal way of saying ¡°Sure/You are absolutely right¡±. In this context it would sound weird and that¡¯s because (from what I have learnt) if someone says something like ¡°You didn¡¯t tell anyone, did you?¡± in English you would say ¡°No, I didn¡¯t¡± but in Korean, it would be ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t tell anyone¡±

 Chapter 37

    Isaac Valentine¡¯s morning always started at the same time. When the magic alarm rang, he rubbed his eyes and looked up at a portrait of Ciel on the ceiling.


    ¡°You¡¯re cute again today, my little sister.¡±


    There was only one reason that he put Ciel¡¯s portrait there.


    It was so that he could wake up early and see Ciel¡¯s face for even a single second more.


    Unlike his colleagues living in the knight¡¯s quarters, he willingly chose to commute from home to stay with his cute sister.


    That meant that he had to get up an hour earlier than his colleagues and that he returned an hour later, but that was fine with him.


    Since he was able to be with his cute sister every morning, all of those troubles just melted away like snow.


    By the time he left his bed and finished his breakfast, Ciel, who had awoken, came down to the dining room.


    ¡°Brother, you were awake already?¡±


    Emerald eyes, wavy blond hair, and an angelic smile. Of all of their siblings, Isaac and Ciel looked the most like Duchess Eve.


    ¡°Isaac, don¡¯t get hurt and don¡¯t fight with your friends, all right?¡±


    Despite her constant nagging, Ciel¡¯s voice was as brilliant as a nightingale¡¯s song. Isaac smiled as he stroked his energetic sister¡¯s head.


    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure playing around. What are you doing being so clingy this early in the morning?¡±


    Louis, his younger brother, was asking for a beating again today. Isaac smacked Louis¡¯ head, then mounted his horse with a look of regret.


    He first started learning how to use a sword when he was five years old. Sir Cromwell, his teacher and the current leader of the Knights of the Blue Dragon, recognized at once that the young Isaac¡¯s physique was extraordinary.


    ¨C Please give me this child. I¡¯ll raise him into a great knight.


    His parents always respected their children¡¯s wishes. And in the end, solely because the shiny armor looked cool in his young eyes, Isaac said he would become a knight.


    Shortly after his brother Louis was born, a girl with black hair arrived at the Valentine¡¯s mansion.


    The girl, who was the same age as Isaac, was named Clara. She was said to be a poor child who had lost all of her family members in an accident.


    ¡°From today onwards, Clara will be part of our family. Please treat her kindly.¡±


    She was quite a pretty girl, but Isaac was not impressed. At the same age, they couldn¡¯t really be classified as an older brother and younger sister so they decided to just be friends.


    His parents seemed like they wanted a daughter, but Isaac had never understood his parents¡¯ feelings.


    At least until Ciel was born.


    Ciel Valentine was a precious daughter, the only one born into the family in a hundred years. While the whole family was in a festive mood, Isaac noticed a suspicious current flowing through the house.


    The servants began to ostracize the adopted daughter, Clara. They said that now that Ciel had been born, Clara, who was just a substitute daughter, was not needed.


    ¡®The way everyone is reacting¡­ just what kind of child is Ciel?¡¯


    Only a few weeks after the baby was born, Isaac was able to meet his sister for the first time.


    ¡°This child¡¯s name is Ciel.¡±


    When Louis was young, he wasn¡¯t cute at all. But his younger sister was different. The baby blinked while making chewing motions with her mouth.


    Without a doubt, her bright eyes and fluffy blonde hair were an exact copy of his own.


    ¡°Ciel looks a lot like Isaac.¡±


    His cheeks turned red at his father¡¯s words. Isaac was the only one who had inherited his mother¡¯s blonde hair, and his precious youngest sister looked exactly like him.


    ¡°I know. Standing side by side, I think it¡¯s apparent that they¡¯re brother and sister.¡±


    It was like looking in a mirror. He wondered if he had looked like that when he was a baby. As Isaac reached out carefully, baby Ciel clasped his finger with a completely innocent face.


    ¡°Oh my. So cute. Our Ciel must like Isaac.¡±


    His mother¡¯s words no longer reached his ears. The bright baby¡¯s smile became stuck in his head like an indelible mark.


    He had thought that, like Louis, another younger sibling would just be annoying. But after seeing the barely 100 day old Ciel, it wasn¡¯t easy for Isaac to regain his composure.


    It was around that time that Lord Cromwell called in his young disciple to lecture him on the spirit of knighthood.


    ¨C Human beings only become stronger when they have something they want to protect. Isaac, what do you want to protect?


    The first thing that came to his mind was Ciel¡¯s smile. Looking at her clear eyes gazing back at him made him feel better for no reason.


    ¨C The Valentine family¡¯s girls generally live short lives. You have to protect her because she is your precious sister, the first girl to be born in a hundred years.


    After Ciel had safely passed her first birthday, his father told him about the tragedy that had befallen the Valentine family.


    A hundred years before Ciel was born, any girl born into the Valentine family became ill and died before the age of three.


    No one knew why. Perhaps due to his father¡¯s warning, Isaac didn¡¯t even dare to reach out and touch the hands and feet of the small baby.


    He didn¡¯t have the courage to approach her because he thought she would break. Little Isaac used to settle for sneaking a peek at his only little sister from afar.


    Fortunately, after suffering from a single serious illness, Ciel grew up healthy and strong. Recalling the memories of the past, Isaac arrived at the Blue Dragon Knight¡¯s Training Center early as usual.


    ¡°Hey, Isaac, long time no see.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re back from the border, Sir Wilhelm.¡±


    His colleague Sir Wilhelm, who had been re-assigned to follow the Crown Prince, welcomed Isaac.


    ¡°I heard that you applied for an appointment in the Crown Prince¡¯s Palace.¡±


    His teacher Sir Cromwell, who had received his application to leave for the Crown Prince¡¯s Palace, sighed with an obvious look of disappointment. He asked if Isaac was worried about his sister.


    Hearing that Clara and Ciel would be entering the Palace, Cromwell reluctantly gave him permission to leave.


    Isaac wasn¡¯t going because he liked the Crown Prince. In truth, he had more bad feelings towards the Crown Prince than good feelings.


    ¡®Who the hell is the Crown Prince anyway?¡¯


    Just like at Ciel¡¯s birthday party, the Duke of Valentine, who had always remained neutral, had begun to side with the Crown Prince and he didn¡¯t like it.


    He already knew that the way the Crown Prince looked at his sister was unusual. The subtle atmosphere flowing between the two made Isaac uncomfortable.


    At first, he thought it was just unfounded anxiety. But on the day of the incident with Grand Duke Stan, his eldest brother Theo told Isaac a shocking story.


    ¨C Isaac, calm down and listen to me. I think His Highness, Alex, has his heart set on Ciel as Crown Princess.


    It was as painful as a slap to the back of his head. What shocked him the most wasn¡¯t what Alex had been harboring in his heart, but the fact that Theo had known before him.


    ¡®Why didn¡¯t Ciel tell me?¡¯ A sense of disappointment washed over him. The reason was obvious. He was with the knights¡¯ order and wasn¡¯t able to be home at the right times, so at best, he could only see Ciel at breakfast and dinner.


    Even though they lived in the same house,  he wasn¡¯t able to get rid of the feeling that he was drifting further and further apart from his younger sister. His younger sister, whom he had sworn to protect for life, had started keeping secrets without her brother¡¯s knowledge.


    ¡°Haaaaahhhh.¡±


    He was frustrated. He never thought Ciel would keep a secret from him. In addition, after the last drug case, those two had occasionally seemed too close to each other.


    He had resigned himself to always being second to Clara. After all, it was Clara who was always next to Ciel, not Isaac.


    However, it was unacceptable for the Crown Prince, who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, to threaten his position.


    ¡°Hey, I heard a rumor. Isaac, isn¡¯t your sister really beautiful?¡±


    Even though he was a son of the Valentine family, here he was the same as all of the other knights. Isaac frowned at the question his colleagues in the knights¡¯ order had asked him unreservedly and asked them something in return.


    ¡°Where did you hear that from?¡±


    ¡°I heard it from a friend of mine in the department handling that last drug case. They saw an incredibly pretty little girl and I heard that it was your youngest sister.¡±


    It took less than a day for rumors about the sinful beauty of his sister to spread throughout the knights¡¯ order.


    By the time he returned home from work, Isaac had been bothered by the whole order of knights.


    ¡°How pretty is she? Tell her to come to the upcoming tourney[1].¡±


    A tourney was regularly held prior to the change in their assignments. However, Isaac hadn¡¯t ever invited his family.


    In order to protect his little sister, he rejected every proposal.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little difficult¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so mean. Are you really going to act like this?¡±


    No matter how firmly he spoke, his colleagues¡¯ tenacity was completely indefatigable. As Isaac continued to flatly refuse requests, rumors began to spread day by day, eventually twisting in an absurd direction.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she actually horrifically ugly?¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. I think he must be acting like that because he¡¯s worried that we¡¯ll be disappointed if he shows us the real thing.¡±


    Among those being snide, more than a few were jealous of Isaac, whose indomitable strength had become well known at a young age.


    He was already uneasy, but now that the knights¡¯ order had become like this, Isaac grew even more worried.


    [1] A tournament between knights

 Chapter 38

    ¡°Come on, Brother. What¡¯s going on these days? Your face doesn¡¯t look too good.¡±


    ¡°Ciel.¡±


    Ciel and Clara¡¯s entrance to the Palace was scheduled for later after their family trip.


    In celebration of Clara¡¯s official employment, they decided to go on a family trip to their newly purchased summer villa.


    Traveling was like a battlefield, so Isaac would come if they asked him to, but it wasn¡¯t easy to bring it up hastily. Isaac couldn¡¯t bring himself to speak out and stared at his sister.


    On the day of his formal knighthood, Isaac made a secret vow. For the warmth of her cute hand, that held his finger tightly, and for that innocent smile to last forever.


    His sword was there to protect Ciel¡¯s happiness, and he couldn¡¯t erase the feeling of getting further away from his beloved sister.


    ¡°Are you having a hard time training these days? You look very tired.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Whenever I see Ciel¡¯s face, all the tiredness goes away.¡±


    ¡°Hey, how could you say that? You must be very tired today, so I¡¯ll massage your shoulders.¡±


    Sweet Ciel wouldn¡¯t leave the troubled Isaac alone. What a lovely little sister she was.


    No matter how hard he tried not to show it, his beloved sister¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t be deceived. Isaac hesitated and carefully brought it up.


    ¡°Actually, I have a tourney this week.¡±


    ¡°A tourney?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a tournament where we compete.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know what that is. Didn¡¯t you win every time?¡±


    He had never told her, but Ciel already knew the result. In front of a surprised Isaac, Ciel smiled brightly.


    ¡°I know everything.¡±


    ¡°Ciel.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the strongest among your peers, right?¡±


    Although he had never shown off his skills or talked about them in front of Ciel, his beloved sister praised Isaac¡¯s skills as if she had known for a long time.


    ¡°I want Ciel to come and cheer for me this time, but it¡¯s too much, right?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s too much? I went to Louis¡¯s grade test last time.¡±


    ¡°Could you come?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so hard about it? It¡¯s not just for anyone else, it¡¯s for Isaac.¡±


    He didn¡¯t expect it, but Ciel had already begun preparations, counting the days on her fingers.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bake some cookies. I¡¯d like to take this opportunity to see how strong my brother is.¡±


    Isaac nodded excitedly at the unexpected suggestion. If Ciel supported him in person, he wouldn¡¯t lose to anyone in front of Ciel.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep with Clara tonight. Good night, brother!¡±


    Ciel waved and went straight to Clara¡¯s room.


    But Isaac couldn¡¯t sleep anymore, so he held his sword while looking at the moon.


    * * *


    Ciel¡¯s POV


    Isaac¡¯s condition was very strange these days. I wasn¡¯t the only one who felt the change.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s certainly become more frequent for Master Isaac to skip his meals.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I was wondering if I should speak to the Lord or not.¡±


    Mrs. Lisbon also noticed that there was something wrong with Isaac early on. He would always say he was okay if I asked him directly, so after contemplating, I went to Clara.


    My sister was talking with Theo today to see if there was anything to check.


    ¡°I¡¯ve talked to the president of the association. They said thank you for telling them in advance.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I¡¯m glad I consulted you.¡±


    ¡°Well, with this, later on, if there¡¯s anything else I can do to help, let me know.¡±


    QC/N: He gets so shy with Clara lol


    Theo was helping Clara today with a pitiable air[1]. Theo was the only one Clara could rely on comfortably in this house.


    Somehow the atmosphere between the two looked good, so I stuck near the door and peeked intently at Theo and Clara.


    ¡°Dummy, what are you doing there?¡±


    Anyway, I was caught peeping by Louis¡¯ unhelpful appearance.


    ¡°Ciel, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well¡±


    Well, two heads would be better than one. I consulted the two about Isaac, who had become strange these days.


    Theo and Clara, who heard my story, somehow did not open their mouths easily.


    ¡°Well, a fool is really a fool. You really don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with Isaac?¡±


    ¡°Why? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Louis, shut up.¡±


    My youngest brother, Louis, seems to know something but was unlucky today, only getting scolded and running away.


    But somehow Theo and Clara seemed to know what was wrong with Isaac.


    ¡°It must have been a shock to him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think so.¡±


    ¡°Shocked? Why? What caused him to feel that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I mean, you know, the fact that you were kidnapped last time. He seemed to be very hurt because he couldn¡¯t protect you properly. Right, Clara?¡±


    Clara peeked at Theo and nodded. Since Isaac always pampers me.


    However, it was natural to be heartbroken because the role of saving me was taken away by His Highness, the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Am I being too careless?¡±


    ¡°Because Isaac really cares about Ciel.¡±


    ¡°Brother, do you remember that time? Until Ciel was two years old, Isaac couldn¡¯t even come close and looked at her from afar.¡±


    ¡°It was like that.¡±


    Clara and Theo told me a childhood story that I can¡¯t remember at all.


    ¡°He just looked at me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I always said it was okay to come and touch you, but he just stared at you when you were asleep.¡±


    ¡°Why did he do that?¡±


    ¡°He said he was scared, but he must have been afraid that he might hurt you by mistake. He¡¯s been strong since he was a kid.¡±


    Isaac usually acted like a fool for his younger sister, but he was unmatched in swordsmanship.


    He was recognized for his talent by a famous knight when he was young and became his disciple and the youngest knight.


    I was surprised to see Alex because few people were as strong as Isaac.


    ¡°Please understand Isaac¡¯s feelings. I think he was hurt when you said you were leaving the house.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    I was so full of thoughts of making Clara happy that I neglected to take care of Isaac.


    For Isaac, Ciel was not just a sister. The love, which was blind, felt different from the love between a man and a woman. How should I explain it?


    I didn¡¯t want anything in return, I just wanted to give them everything they wanted, like a parent that just wants their child to be happy.


    I don¡¯t know how it turned out like that, but it was not weird for me to treat Clara like that.


    ¡°Clara, there¡¯s a tourney between Isaac¡¯s knight¡¯s group. I want to bake cookies and go, can you help me?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    If I baked it alone, I thought I would make salt-flavored cookies again, but I could bake it deliciously with Clara.


    I mobilized my sister as well as all the maids to bake a mountain of cookies so that I could give them around to all the knights.


    On top of that, I wanted to take this opportunity to see how strong Isaac was. Considering what would happen in the future, Isaac¡¯s outstanding skills would play an important part, so it was not bad to check with my own eyes.


    Thinking about which cookies to bake for my beloved brother, I hummed joyfully.


    * * *


    ¡°What the hell are you up to?¡±


    Unable to resist his frustration, Stan eventually went to Alex himself. As if it wasn¡¯t enough that he was openly flirting with Ciel, Alex, who continued his suspicious behaviour, could no longer be tolerated.


    ¡°You¡¯re rude.¡±


    He came out of the blue which made ALex wonder what was going on. Frowning, Alex stared at his cousin with a look of pity. He knew that he couldn¡¯t get angry at just this level of provocation. Perhaps because his mother raised him, Stan was still immature.


    It had always been like this since childhood. Stan didn¡¯t know how precious the things he enjoyed were because of Queen Lotte, who had raised him within the width of her skirt[2] so that she did not regret anything.


    He was picky about food, and if he didn¡¯t like it even a little bit, he got mad, saying it was his mother¡¯s fault. Stan, who had grown up enjoying everything like that, could not tolerate even a mistake as small as his fingernail[3].


    ¡®Disgusting.¡¯


    The sight of it brought disgust. Stan had been living happily without any worries in his mother¡¯s arms while Alex had repeatedly overcome the crisis of death after falling into the schemes of Queen Lotte.


    ¡°You son of a bitch!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    When Stan raised his fist, the knights around Alex looked around. He shook his head and lightly prevented the non-threatening attack.


    ¡°If you have something to say, say it.¡±


    ¡°F**k it!¡±


    There was a difference in size, so it could clearly be seen that Stan couldn¡¯t win with strength. Stan lowered his raised fist and bit his lips with a look of injustice.


    ¡°Be honest. What the hell are you going to do with Ciel?¡±


    Since Stan got everything he wanted, Alex didn¡¯t know that there would be a time when the face of the guy who had no regrets in the world would be distorted.


    Alex smiled knowingly and looked elsewhere indifferently.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that now!¡±


    It was a well-calculated plan to have Ciel enter the Palace. Stan had said he liked Ciel since he was young, so this situation is good bait for Alex.


    Once Ciel entered the Crown Prince¡¯s Palace, no one could meet her without his permission.


    If Queen Lotte actively moved to marry Stan and Ciel, the nobles would surely press the Emperor to make him Crown Prince, citing his pedigree.


    So, Alex was just doing his best to keep his position. Looking at Stan, who was angry as expected, he felt like his past frustration was going down a little.


    He could do anything for revenge. He was really willing to marry Ciel if he could take revenge against Queen Lotte by making Stan despair.


    Anyway, there was something he wanted from him, so he would be nice to him. Even if it was a transaction for mutual benefit, it would be an equally fair transaction.


    ¡®Or maybe you¡¯ve already noticed my plan.¡¯


    He would never let go of those who caused his mother to die. He didn¡¯t tell anyone, but he had made up his mind in secret.


    If he were to ascend to the throne, he would dry up the seeds of the nobles who persecuted him to protect their power, including those that had committed evil acts under Queen Lotte.


    Of course, he did not intend to purge the contributors who helped him ascend to the throne. In that sense, Ciel stood in line quite well.


    ¡®Of course, that¡¯s not the only thing.¡¯


    Just by looking at her friendly attitude and letters from earlier, Ciel already seemed to be infatuated with him.


    A girl who stood up for her beliefs even in situations where everyone turned away. Even now, there was no reason to refuse a girl who took care of him because he was her precious friend.


    Alex snorted and teased Stan.


    ¡°Ciel must be very upset because she likes me so much.¡±


    ¡°What!¡±


    Alex told him not to be petty and jealous while turning around swiftly.


    ¡°Will you be alright?


    ¡°Leave her alone.¡±


    She would certainly be the strongest ally and the weapon to attack Stan. At least among the many ladies in the Empire, no one was more perfect than Ciel.


    Why didn¡¯t Stan know that the more he made a fuss, the more Alex wanted to have Ciel by his side?


    Despite Stan talking, Alex listened to it in one ear and let it escaped through the other, and began to find an excuse to go see Ciel.


    [1]  They use salty to talk about tears or of ¡®a pathetic situation that brings one to tears¡¯. The expression ¡®I smell salty¡¯ can be translated as ¡®I am in tears¡¯. ??? ??? is referring to the fact that Theo is pitiable. Like he¡¯s giving off the airs of a tragic submale lead, it makes you want to cry looking at him. More info here


    [2] This is a metaphor for how Stan was raised in an environment where Queen Lotte took care of everything for him and he always got what he wanted while she kept a close eye on him. Kind of like a helicopter parent that also spoils their child like crazy.


    [3] Not complete sure about this but I think it means that he can¡¯t stand even the smallest mistake

 Chapter 39

    The real culprit in the last drug case was never caught. Nevertheless, the Emperor greatly praised Alex for his efforts in finding and blocking the distribution of drugs in advance.


    ¡°They managed to get away.¡±


    ¡°The Queen cut the tail early. Unfortunately, I think this case should end at this point.¡±


    Alex seemed to be very disappointed. He seemed to have wanted to scold the Imperial family for this incident, but things got messed up because I was kidnapped and Clara was also entangled.


    Thanks to that, we weren¡¯t able to make a big difference on our side either.


    Through this incident, even the Emperor¡¯s sister, the Queen, tried to distribute drugs. We found out the truth.


    ¡°His Majesty also told us to keep watching, so we¡¯ll have to wait a little longer.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, because an opportunity will come again.¡±


    If I were to enter the Imperial Palace, I¡¯m sure they would plot something bad. Since we were already on the same boat, I decided to move towards the goal of ¡®Down with the Queen.¡¯


    ¡°By the way, what should I do? My sister is out again today.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    How many times has this been already? Alex came to meet her without an appointment today and it was a mistake.


    If this was the case, it would have been better to come with an appointment, but my older sister didn¡¯t seem to care too much that she stood up to the crown prince.


    I was caught between the two of them, and I was busy dealing with Alex today as well.


    ¡°Well. Anyway, Ciel. Are you busy today?¡±


    ¡°I decided to go to brother Isaac¡¯s knights. A regular martial arts match is being held.¡±


    It was because Isaac didn¡¯t usually call us out, but the family often went to cheer him on. But Alex made a face that showed he didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time for me to leave too. What about you?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s the Blue Dragon Knights, I have business there, so go with me.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty too?¡±


    ¡°Okay. I have something to do too.¡±


    He said that he had a promise like that, so I suddenly went with Alex.


    Today was a day for brother Isaac, so I brought a basket of sweets with the maids. Aside from the cookies I would give to the knights, I brought the ones I made for Isaac.


    ¡°What kind of cookie is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a consolation product. I baked it myself to give to my brother Isaac.¡±


    Yesterday, I worked hard to bake with my sister, but unlike my older sister who was full of dexterity, what I made was so messy that it could not be compared just by looking at the appearance.


    ¡°You said you baked it yourself?¡±


    ¡°The taste is not guaranteed. Even so, my brother Isaac will enjoy eating it.¡±


    Even salt-flavored cookies were eaten as if they were the most delicious in the world. At my triumphant words, Alex secretly pointed to the basket of cookies.


    ¡°You bake your own cookies. You are very talented.¡±


    ¡°My sister has a lot of talents. Mine honestly doesn¡¯t taste good.¡±


    It¡¯s just worth seeing it as aegyo. Strangely, even with the same materials, what I made was exceptionally hard and crumbly. Without knowing it, Alex wanted my cookies.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you can go see to your business now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the place where you can meet Lord Isaac just in case.¡±


    Since the last incident, overprotection has increased significantly. I gently rolled my eyes and sneered at him.


    ¡°Your Majesty treats me as if you were my older brother.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the case?¡±


    If he didn¡¯t change his expression and make a serious face, I had nothing to say. No, there¡¯s no law against it, but if he said it out loud like that, I would be embarrassed.


    ¡°I think you treat me like a little sister.¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be bad either. Because you are the woman closest to me in this country.¡±


    TL/N: (?-???¦Ø???-?)?


    Seeing him casually utter misleading and resentful remarks, this guy seemed to be born with a playful temperament.


    I didn¡¯t think I had the skills to win. Failing to get rid of him, I had no choice but to keep the Crown Prince while I asked people and found where my brother Isaac was.


    ¡°Brother!¡±


    When I appeared, Isaac ran with a bright smile as if an abandoned puppy ran to see its owner.


    Then he recognized the prince standing behind me and frowned again.


    I knew this was gonna happen. I was going to say something, but Alex couldn¡¯t stand it and grabbed the prettiest baked cookie from the basket and asked,


    ¡°You said you baked it yourself, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Your highness, how can you eat already¡±?


    In front of Alex, who was somehow triumphant, Isaac was looking at me with a sad expression.


    I couldn¡¯t. This might make Isaac cry. He was like the Crown Prince of nuisance, it didn¡¯t matter even if he was the male lead, today was an exception.


    I was struggling with how to get rid of this man.


    I couldn¡¯t just increase his anger so I went to soothe Isaac who was disappointed. While walking to the Martial Arts president, I smiled as brightly as possible and removed a piece of cookie from Isaac¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°My brother too. How can you always eat it while it¡¯s buried like this?¡±


    ¡°Our Ciel will clean it. This one is also really delicious. Your brother is very happy.¡±


    If you¡¯re happy, I¡¯m happy too. In the sense of asking the disturber to step away, I didn¡¯t even look at Alex at all, and stayed close to Isaac.


    My brother also secretly gave the crown prince a hint that the time spent alone with me was very precious.


    ¡°Your Majesty. Princess Wilhelm will be organizing documents in the east building, so please get going.¡±


    ¡°Well. It¡¯s not that urgent.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Isaac¡¯s little sister!¡±


    With a loud cry, a sand breeze came from far away. The two men standing next to me were reflexively prepared for defense.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    The sight of oversized men gathering was not revolting, but it was scary. Alex, who was not scared at all, naturally grabbed my hand with his left hand when I shrank.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    ¡°I will take care of my sister.¡±


    This time Isaac hugged me tightly and hid me behind me. No, if I had to ask, I would be the strongest among them.


    If I were determined and used magic, all humans in this area would disappear as a handful of dust, but it was very cute to see them fighting to protect me.


    ¡°Aw, so cute!¡±


    ¡°You really look a lot like Isaac. Lovely!¡±


    ¡°Little girl. Do you want to go eat delicious ice cream with this brother?¡±


    Muscular men with runny noses tried to seduce me with inconsistent nasal sounds.


    The moment a rough outstretched hand was about to grab my wrist, Isaac threw his colleague as hard as he could.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare put your dirty hands on my sibling!¡±


    Looking at it like this, he was really strong. A teammate who seemed to be twice his size was blown into the sky, and Isaac began to beat his teammates with his sword.


    ¡°Ciel. Excuse me for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Yes? Come on, wait a minute!¡±


    When Isaac was outnumbered for a moment, Alex¡¯s right hand hugged my waist. His left hand came under my knee and unconsciously, I was hugged like a princess.


    In an instant, my body was lifted up and my gaze was raised. As Alex began to run, Isaac, who was left alone, had to stop his teammates alone.


    ¡°Ciel!¡±


    Isaac¡¯s brother¡¯s cry was getting farther away. I was scared to ask something about where I was going while Alex was hugging me.


    After Alex settled me and hugged me, I was sitting on a solid forearm. I felt like I was going to fall for no reason, so I urgently put my hand on his shoulder. Our eyes met.


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to exclude me on purpose, because I¡¯m about to get angry.¡±


    Maybe it was because of his mood that the corners of Alex¡¯s grumpy eyes looked droopier than usual. Even if he pretended for it to be a joke, he actually had a sad look, so I was speechless for no reason.


    Even Alex, who was incredibly strong on the outside, was actually a lonely person. The only person who could understand him was Clara, but when my older sister became happy, Alex naturally became a loner.


    Perhaps because I was caught off guard, I felt a little guilty. I couldn¡¯t leave him alone since he was lonely because of me.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to exclude you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°You said it before. How much I liked Your Majesty.¡±


    Through Stan¡¯s work, we became quite good friends. If he felt the trust I showed him, he would feel a little relieved.


    At first, I thought he was just a strong person, but Alex also took a lot of work if you looked closely. In this regard, somehow I could see something similar to brother Lewis.


    Lewis, who used to be so proud of himself, was so nervous during the level test that he couldn¡¯t show off his usual skills.


    I encouraged my brother, who was depressed at the time, to say he was the best. That way was the best this time too.


    The so-called ¡®There, there¡¯ strategy. I reached out and patted Alex¡¯s navy blue hair with my hands.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Alex showed a curious look at my unexpected behavior.


    ¡°Where the hell did you go?¡±


    Brother Isaac knocked down his teammates and followed us later. I shouldn¡¯t be misunderstood, so I purposely spoke loudly so that Isaac¡¯s ears could hear me.


    ¡°When my youngest brother is depressed, this makes him feel better.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t say ¡°oh-goo-goo,¡± so I turned around, but Alex seemed to be at a loss as if this situation was awkward.


    I understood how that felt. The emperor was not one who could do such a friendly thing to his son. It didn¡¯t mean that there was a favorable bloodline, Princess Lotte and Stan must have been lonely as well.


    That¡¯s why I was going to take care of him today. It was only after such a long patting that Alex carefully put me on the floor.


    ¡°I want to receive the cookies you make. Next time, bake it for me.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    It was not so hard to bake cookies, and when I readily sent him an okay sign, Alex returned me to my brother¡¯s side with a proud face.


    Alex seemed to feel better as a result. Good things were good. I joked around and poked Alex in the arm.


    ¡°What makes you so happy?¡±

 Chapter 40

    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, my sister is still young. Please be careful.¡±


    The moment Alex was about to say something, Isaac cut him off. That was enough for complacency. However, the person who stopped talking praised Isaac, rather than arguing.


    ¡°You¡¯re a great man. I think I know why Ciel trusts and follows you the most.¡±


    ¡°Our Ciel, about me?¡±


    Isaac was taken aback by the out of the blue praise. I was wondering what he was going to say, so I looked around, but Alex also hesitated at the end of his speech, wondering if it was wrong.


    ¡°I think so. I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m mistaken.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right. Isaac is the strongest man in the world.¡±


    This was a great opportunity to soothe Isaac. I quickly added a compliment. Frankly, no matter how much the Crown Prince fought with Isaac one-on-one, it would be a draw at best. As such, Isaac was strong.


    It was an opponent that they couldn¡¯t defeat unless they got to the level of killing each other with blunt remarks. As such, I hoped that the two would not fight, and that they would get along soon.


    ¡°You have to be strong to protect Ciel.¡±


    What should I do with my loyal brother who only knew me. Isaac, who was rather feisty to others, had become indulgent to my problems.


    Alex, who did not have a brother, seemed to have found brother Isaac¡¯s attitude quite interesting. He listened carefully to my brother and nodded with a serious face.


    ¡°I can fully understand your feelings. If I had a sister, I would too.¡±


    ¡°Do you think so, Your Highness?¡±


    They didn¡¯t even listen to me when I was trying to make them get along, but the two united in the wrong place. Regardless of who said it first, Alex and Isaac started to praise me.


    ¡°Our Ciel¡¯s strength is not just her beautiful appearance. As she inherited most of our father¡¯s magical powers, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be widely known as a beautiful female magician in the future.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough. Ciel¡¯s biggest strength is her gentle heart. She has a warm heart so she can¡¯t just ignore people in need.¡±


    This was not some kind of fan battle, but somehow the story began to flow in the wrong direction.


    It was true I was a pretty magician, but I was actually far from being sweet or nice, so I didn¡¯t like that because I was rather like a pushover.


    ¡°No one can deny that Ciel is the cutest person in the world.¡±


    ¡°I agree with that, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s enough to simply say cute.¡±


    ¡°Then what would be a good expression?¡±


    I was speechless at the sight of the two discussing with serious faces. I didn¡¯t know what to say. Let¡¯s just clap.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m glad you two got along.¡±


    How long had it been like that? Alex took out his pocket watch and checked the time and sighed sadly.


    ¡°I have to go see Sir Wilheim.¡±


    ¡°See you later. Your Highness.¡±


    Instead of saying goodbye, Alex once again left a kiss on the back of my hand. If it was just kindness, wouldn¡¯t it have been okay to accept it without saying no?


    I didn¡¯t know if I needed to be so sweet to a friend, but Alex was a prince from birth.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    With that one word left, Alex¡¯s refreshing lavender scent faded away. Mission cleared. I just shrugged my shoulders as I saw the back facing over the east building.


    ¡°There are only two left, brother.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Isaac and I held hands and burst into laughter. I¡¯m sorry Alex, but today was the day for my second brother.


    There was only one reason why I was wrapped around Isaac while sending the male lead back. This was because Isaac was a human being who risked his life for Ciel.


    Even though Isaac knew he was going to die, Isaac would jump into any dangerous situation just because it was for Ciel.


    Even before I formally became friends with Alex, even at the very time when I was still agonizing over whether I was the flag of death or not, Isaac was the only one I could trust.


    I had even tried to tell Isaac everything for real. Even if the worst happened, Isaac would be on my side.


    If I had to leave to protect all of Valentine, then Isaac would be with me.


    The only reason Isaac took the sword was to protect me. On the contrary, even if everyone in the world became an enemy, even if I did something wrong, Isaac would definitely be on my side.


    How grateful it was to have one such person. I looked up and glanced at Isaac.


    ¡°Brother.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my little sister.¡±


    ¡°Ciel really loves her brother.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to take Isaac¡¯s unconditional dedication for granted.


    In the original book,  he was always the foreman who listened to whatever she wanted, being Ciel¡¯s hands and feet. But he was a precious family to me right now that I wouldn¡¯t trade for anything.


    Isaac was literally an ideal brother from a fantasy.


    My brother who always took care of me one step ahead, would probably do anything for me in the future. For him, I would be willing to be a sibling for only Isaac for the day.


    ¡°My sword is always there to protect you, my beloved sister.¡±


    ¡°My brother Isaac is the most reliable.¡±


    Smiling, I leaned my head on Isaac¡¯s shoulder. When I saw brother Isaac enjoying the tasteless cookies I made, I suddenly remembered the cookies made by Clara.


    What my sister made was much prettier and tastier than what I made, but I left it all out early to pay brother Theo.


    I¡¯m sorry Alex, but I had decided on a route. Apart from building a career for Clara, I decided to push our pathetic sub-male lead, Theo and Clara¡¯s love path.


    By now Theo must be busy with his last job before the vacation, eating a biscuit sprinkled with fragrant herbs.


    Alex, I¡¯m going to find you another partner, so please be happy, even if it¡¯s just the two of you. Praying like that, I headed for the martial arts president, Isaac.


    ¡°I¡¯ll sit here. All right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    I brought a bunch of maids, including Merrill, just in case. The maids delivered the cookies they had prepared in advance to the Knights.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll win today as well, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. My brother is the best.¡±


    Isaac, the last winner, will compete with this winner. Isaac appeared first and soon a knight with beautiful green hair was called.


    ¡°Who is that?¡±


    ¡°Sir Justin.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to battle with you, Lord Isaac.¡±


    Flashing green hair and a bright-looking smile with his eyes. Somehow, he seemed to have a very flirtatious temperament.


    ¡°It looks like he¡¯s the ace of the White Tiger Division, the long-time rival of the Knights of the Blue Dragon to which Master Isaac belongs.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then it¡¯ll be worth a look.¡±


    Sir Justin, 25, is said to be one of the best young prospects this year.


    ¡°Isaac, don¡¯t lose!¡±


    Since that happened, I stood up from my seat and even screamed to cheer for my brother.


    Isaac pulled out a sword with a somewhat pleased smile.


    Mystiltein, the legendary sword that my father picked up after going out on a dragon hunt, was as difficult to handle as my Levatein.


    Originally, there was no one to use it, so it was supposed to rot in the warehouse, but last year, Isaac showed his qualifications as a sword master, and it managed to find an owner.


    With his eyes full of seriousness, Isaac looked at his opponent with a relaxed smile.


    ¡°I am truly sorry to face you like this.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Now that it¡¯s come to this, I¡¯d better show my full potential today.¡±


    Even if the other team¡¯s skills were outstanding, this side was the opponent that even the male lead, the strongest player in the original book, was struggling with.


    Enjoying my cheering shouts from behind, Isaac concentrated on the sword.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Is it possible that Lord Isaac has risen to the rank of sword master?¡±


    There was something strange about the noisy atmosphere. I think it was a long time ago that Isaac started dealing with auras, but why was everyone surprised now?


    Sir Justin, who had plenty of leeway before, suddenly took a step back with a white complexion.


    ¡°Did he ever hide his skills?¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get started.¡±


    My brother must have not shown his skills. Thanks to my support, a one-sided match began.


    The game seemed to end in a crushing victory, defying people¡¯s expectations.


    ¡°Looks like fun.¡±


    ¡°What, Your Highness?¡±


    Perhaps done with his business, Alex approached us with a tall knight.


    ¡°What brings you here, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°My hands were itching to watch, so I thought I should go out too.¡±


    In the meantime, his eyes were still towards the cookie basket I made. I didn¡¯t know why he was so obsessed with the handmade cookies.


    ¡°My brother is really strong.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m strong too.¡±


    I know that. However, if the two really fought, I didn¡¯t know who to side with then. Of course, for the sake of life, I would have to side with the Crown Prince, but that would make Isaac too pitiful.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want you to fight.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m going to lose?¡±


    No, it couldn¡¯t be. Isaac died at the hands of Alex at the end of the day.


    If the tragedy was repeated again, then there was really no turning back. I shook my head several times with a slight bite on my lips.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you two fight.¡±


    To face the protagonist with a guaranteed victory was smashing a rock with an egg. Alex read my gloomy expression and slowly grabbed my hand.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you sad.¡±


    Sir Justin¡¯s sword flew through the air. Fortunately, the person who was considered to be the most worthy of defeating Isaac was tragically and unilaterally defeated, so no one dared to stand up.


    ¡°Great.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty the Crown Prince!¡±


    Those who were concentrating on the game realized Alex¡¯s existence only later. Isaac, filled with the joy of victory, hurried to my side.


    ¡°Your Highness, are you going to challenge me yourself?¡±


    ¡°Not today. Are there any other contenders?¡±


    No one stood up to Alex¡¯s words, who acted as a referee and not a challenger.


    Showing off his skills recognized even by the Crown Prince, Isaac held my hand tightly.


    ¡°Brother. Congratulations on winning. This is an award.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ciel.¡±


    To celebrate the win, I accidentally offered a cookie to brother Isaac in front of Alex.

 Chapter 41

    ¡°Today is your day, so make sure to enjoy it to the fullest.¡±


    Isaac looked extremely surprised by Alex¡¯s willingness to step down.


    After the tourney, the maids of our family gave out the handmade cookies that the Valentine household was so proud of to all of the knights. To be frank, I can guarantee the ones that the maids baked are better than the ones I baked.


    ¡°Jeeze. I was no match for you.¡±


    ¡°Sir Justin.¡±


    Sir Justin, who competed and lost fair and square, approached us while rubbing the bruised spot where he had been struck by the back of Isaac¡¯s sword earlier.


    Although they had been sparring, I still felt a little sorry for him since he had been struck and injured by my brother Isaac, so I held out a cookie that the maids had baked.


    ¡°It was a good match.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. You¡¯re as beautiful as I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    It¡¯s only natural since I resemble my mother. It¡¯s a compliment that I¡¯m used to hearing, but somehow the atmosphere surrounding the two men standing over has become strange.


    ¡°What are you saying to my younger sister, Sir Justin?¡±


    ¡°You two are too close.¡±


    ¡°Oops. It seems I¡¯m in trouble.¡±


    Sir Justin obediently walked away while laughing heartily, leaving just the unfamiliar sound of his laughter in his wake. What the heck is up with him?


    I handed out more cookies, then gave the Crown Prince a bunch of the leftover cookies.


    ¡°If you¡¯re that hungry, eat all of this.¡±


    The sweet fragrance was overwhelming. I gave him a lot because he seemed pretty hungry, but Alex shook his head and passed the cookies to some other knights.


    ¡°Next time. I want to eat some that you¡¯ve baked yourself.¡±


    I guess he¡¯s full since he refused the cookies that I gave him. Anyway, since I¡¯d finished up all of my business, I clung to Isaac¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Well then, Your Highness. Please excuse us.¡±


    ¡°Are you going home now?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going on a family trip soon, so we have to prepare in advance. Right, brother?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Ciel has decided to sleep next to me on the trip, right?¡±


    Hearing the words ¡®family trip¡¯, Alex stared at me with a stiff face.


    ¡°You really¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Unlike the happy Isaac, Alex looked at me resentfully with an extremely disappointed expression. Is he sulking because he didn¡¯t get a cookie that I baked?


    It seemed like it would be pretty bad if we just went home like this, so I quietly whispered to Isaac.


    ¡°Brother, can I share just one cookie with the Crown Prince?¡±


    He said that he wouldn¡¯t back down and relinquish a cookie, but it¡¯s different if I ask.


    ¡°Hmm. If Ciel gives me a kiss on the cheek, then it¡¯s fine.¡±


    For some unknown reason, my brother generously gave me permission. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t listen to his requests, but he was victorious today, so I was happy to do it.


    ¡°Thank you, brother. As expected, Isaac is the best!¡±


    Alex¡¯s expression contorted fiercely as I kissed Isaac on the cheek. In comparison, Isaac could not hide the smile on his smug face.


    Is he jealous? I hurriedly grabbed the cookie that Isaac had given up and ran over to Alex, who was repeatedly clenching and releasing the grip on his sword.


    ¡°Your Highness, please take this.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother Isaac made a special concession, so you have to get along with each other.¡±


    No matter what happens, those two should never fight. Alex looked at me with somewhat sad eyes and then nodded.


    * * *


    After handing out the cookies, we headed home. The knights waved to our carriage which was engraved with the Valentine crest.


    Waving out the window, I stealthily sat down next to Isaac and leaned my head on his shoulder.


    ¡°You were really cool today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be thankful, Ciel. You came out here for me, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    In fact, I don¡¯t like being in front of others. And I really don¡¯t like getting attention like I did today. I¡¯m satisfied with handing the spotlight to Clara and quietly reaping the benefits from behind her back.


    Even if I don¡¯t say anything, Isaac understands me. If we grow up and Isaac finds someone he likes other than me¡­


    I know it¡¯s a really selfish thought, but it still makes me upset.


    Someday¡­ Someday that day will come, but for now he¡¯s just my brother. I deliberately acted like a spoiled child and hugged Isaac¡¯s neck.


    ¡°I know how much you cherish me.¡±


    ¡°Ciel.¡±


    ¡°Whatever I do, you¡¯ll always be on my side, right?¡±


    Once I enter the Crown Prince¡¯s palace, I¡¯ll start to confront Princess Lotte in earnest. At that time, I definitely won¡¯t be able to do it on my own.


    Right now I need more allies that I can trust. In order to protect everyone in the Valentine family from the story that has already begun¡­


    ¡°Of course. As long as I¡¯m here, no one can threaten you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, brother. And you must never fight with the Crown Prince. Okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    Even though his reply was a bit unreliable in the end, I expressed my thoughts clearly, so it should be okay.


    I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be an easy journey, but I¡¯m not alone. I gripped Isaac¡¯s hand firmly and recalled the future events that would be coming up. I¡¯ll enter the palace right after my vacation, so there¡¯s still a long road ahead of me.


    What kinds of things will happen when I enter the palace? I still have a mountain of things to prepare, but I¡¯m already tired.


    ¡°If you¡¯re sleepy, close your eyes for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Yes, brother.¡±


    Maybe I¡¯m so tired because I did too much today. Cradled in Isaac¡¯s arms, I quietly closed my eyes.


    Let¡¯s worry about tomorrow¡¯s problems tomorrow. Amen.


    A few days after Isaac¡¯s visit to the Order of the Blue Dragon, an official banquet was held at the palace under the auspices of the Emperor.


    It was a gathering of all the leading nobles of the capital, including our ducal Valentine family. After receiving the Emperor¡¯s official invitation, I, and all of my family, entered the palace.


    It¡¯d been a really long time since we¡¯d gone to such an important place, so my mom paid special attention to how Clara and I were dressed.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing.¡±


    With pure white marble columns, immensely high ceilings, and antique decor, the banquet hall of the Imperial Palace was brimming with dignity.


    Wearing a heavy-looking crown, the Emperor was draped in a golden cape trimmed with leopard fur. ¡®Royal Princess¡¯ Charlotte was sitting next to him, looking down from atop the dias with an expressionless face as usual.


    Since the Princess was acting as the empress, the two of them were sitting side by side. But the position of her child¡¯s seat belied the authority of Princess Lotte.


    Two chairs had been prepared ¡®side by side¡¯ beneath the Emperor and the Princess. The chair on the Emperor¡¯s side was empty while Stan was already sitting in the chair on the Princess¡¯ side.


    Despite being crowned as the Crown Prince, Alex¡¯s position is virtually identical to that of Stan, the Grand Duke of Winterbaum. Their arrangement is a tacit signal of how powerful the Princess¡¯ authority is.


    There¡¯s still a long way to go.


    We had discussed our seating in advance. I sat between my mom and dad, and my sister and brothers sat behind us.


    ¡°I have an announcement to make at this banquet.¡±


    The Emperor rose from his seat. Everyone who was sitting stood up and the huge banquet hall doors opened.


    Alex appeared wearing the symbol of the Crown Prince, a crimson cape. His dark blue hair matched his dark formal wear and cape, and his red eyes gleamed.


    ¡°I would like to commend you for clearing away the people that were distributing drugs and disrupting the public morals of the capital. Crown Prince, you may approach.¡±


    ¡°My deepest gratitude, Your Majesty.¡±


    After the long investigation had concluded, there had been some success in arresting those involved.


    The Emperor hosted this banquet for his son because he had succeeded in uprooting everything related to the drugs without missing a single root.


    Of course, no one knew that my brothers and I had helped.


    Alex knelt down before the Emperor and opened his mouth to speak.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I have a request for you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The pharmacist Clara Valentine, a young lady of the Duke Valentine family, was a great help during this investigation.


    It was a request to appoint Clara as his exclusive pharmacist because her abilities had helped with the investigation. Despite being an adopted daughter, she was still the daughter of a ducal family, so the Emperor turned to my dad for his opinion.


    ¡°You have a splendid child, Duke Valentine.¡±


    ¡°I am grateful for your generous offer. If His Majesty holds my daughter¡¯s talents in such high regard, then I will gladly let her go.¡±


    After hearing that Clara would become the Crown Prince¡¯s exclusive pharmacist, the crowd around us began to stir. When the atmosphere died down, the Emperor seized the moment and looked furtively in my direction.


    ¡°An unmarried young lady entering the palace may lead to needless misconceptions.¡±


    ¡°With Your Majesty¡¯s permission, I would like for her to enter the palace accompanied by my youngest daughter.¡±


    This is what¡¯s often referred to as a ¡®pre-planned game of Go-Stop¡¯.* My dad and the Emperor matched each other beat for beat.


    *Note: Go-Stop is a Korean card game. ¡®???? ???¡¯ refers to a situation in which two people collude in advance to fix the game in order rip off someone else.


    ¡°Then I will gladly accept your youngest daughter as an ¡®esteemed guest¡¯.¡±


    ¡°I am deeply grateful for your consideration.¡±


    My older sister was appointed as the Crown Prince¡¯s official pharmacist, and I was named an ¡®esteemed guest¡¯ by the Emperor himself.


    Clara becoming an official pharmacist had already been quite extraordinary, but when the Emperor mentioned me directly, the buzz of the crowd around us exploded.


    Since that day, rumors have spread like crazy about whom the Emperor would match with the Crown Prince between my older sister and me.


    Of course people naturally misunderstood and thought it was me. Due to Theo¡¯s manipulation of the media, more than simply covering up suspicions of Clara involvement with drugs, rumors started to spread that my older sister had deliberately been lured to the palace in order to force me to enter as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s become common knowledge everywhere that the Crown Prince has his heart set on you, Ciel.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad. Theo, thank you so much.¡±


    My older brother had gone through a lot in order to spread those false rumors. Seeing my wide grin, Theo made a somewhat troubled face.


    ¡°You seem to like it a lot.¡±


    ¡°So what? It happens.¡±


    Everything is going as planned. Although the intermediate steps changed a little from the original story, it¡¯s a good sign that the alliance between Alex and the Valentine family has solidified.


    Let¡¯s just keep getting along like this and not become enemies in the future. Yes, absolutely!

 Chapter 42

    In the original novel Ciel almost offered up the Valentine family to Alex because she liked him, but this time around, the Crown Prince and the Valentine family have established a fairly stable alliance.


    My entrance into the palace has been confirmed. And thanks to that, the Emperor has been able to create a friendly base of power for the Crown Prince called ¡®Valentine¡¯, while Princess Lotte has become unable to scheme recklessly.


    In addition, there¡¯s a chance for Clara to be acknowledged as a pharmacist of such outstanding skill that she was granted entry to the palace accompanied by her younger sister. Truthfully, that last part is just something I hope for. For now I¡¯m just grateful to avoid those involved in the drug case.


    But Princess Lotte and Stan, who was quietly watching me from afar, weighed on my mind.


    ¡°Ciel?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    From the beginning, Stan had been continuously staring at my face. His eyes followed me when I greeted Alex, and later when I scolded Louis for stepping on my skirt.


    It might be due to everything I¡¯ve been going through recently, but his overt gaze was making me uncomfortable. Please. Don¡¯t act like that in front of everyone.


    ¡°Ciel, come here.¡±


    Fortunately, I have reliable knights. Isaac stood in front of me while Theo and Clara drew around me like a curtain. And when Stan approached Alex on the pretext of talking about work, he wasn¡¯t able to come close to me.


    It¡¯s a relief to have them. It¡¯s truly a relief¡­ so why am I so uneasy?


    We¡¯re entering the palace in order to guard against the Princess¡¯ bullsh*t, but Stan¡¯s presence will probably be the biggest variable. With that thought in mind, I looked back from within my dad¡¯s arms.


    He was still staring. Up until the moment my family said our goodbyes and left, Stan continued to watch me closely with a somewhat sad expression.


    * * *


    Alex sat in a chair with a serious expression on his face and asked the head maid a question.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the wallpaper too bright?¡±


    They had decorated it to match Ciel¡¯s room as closely as possible. It would be difficult to redo everything again because it was too similar.


    ¡°Your Highness, have you forgotten that you changed it just three days ago saying that the color of the wallpaper was too dull?¡±


    ¡°It was, though.¡±


    The head maid Burnett, who rarely lost her temper, gave a deep sigh at the flood of orders from the Crown Prince, who had gotten all worked up on his own.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s enough for Ciel.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that the head maid didn¡¯t understand how he felt. Especially since they were talking about that person in particular. She was a precious ducal princess, the first to be born in 100 years to the prestigious Valentine family that rivaled the Imperial family.


    The head maid was also working diligently since such a precious lady was entering the palace.


    ¡°We¡¯ve given her the Crown Princess¡¯ room, the nicest room save for Your Highness¡¯ room. Our sincerity will be properly conveyed.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sure Ciel will insist on sharing a room with her older sister.¡±


    ¡°Why would¡­¡±


    As a pharmacist, her older sister was required to stay in the Imperial Palace, so naturally a separate accommodation was being prepared for her.


    Isaac, the second son of the Valentine family, had been reassigned to the Crown Prince¡¯s palace and would be put up in the private quarters used by the Crown Prince¡¯s royal guard.


    In principle, as a ¡®esteemed guest¡¯, Ciel should be put up in a room for guests rather than in private lodgings.


    The head maid had heard stories about how devoted Ciel was to her adopted sister.


    ¡°Then, is Lady Ciel the reason that Your Highness accepted Lady Clara as a pharmacist?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not the reason. Lady Clara is truly remarkable. She is especially good with poison, drugs, and rare herbs.¡±


    Poison and drugs. The Princess¡¯ schemes were becoming more cunning by the day. Clara had also made a significant contribution in solving the recent drug case. If she was left outside the palace, there was no chance that the Princess¡¯ side would leave her alone.


    The move was primarily aimed at protecting Clara. Ciel following her was merely an added bonus, but Alex was quite pleased with the current situation.


    ¡°Lady Clara is also a good friend of mine. There¡¯s no romantic interest, just a true friendship.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s somewhat unexpected that friendship can be established between a man and a woman.¡±


    ¡°Because we have a common interest.¡±


    He had only realized after meeting her again¡­ On the heartless battlefield, it was the hope of meeting Ciel again that had allowed him to endure.


    Following the night of the ball, with the Emperor¡¯s approval, Clara had become a good friend. Most of their conversations revolved around Ciel.


    Although she was a bit naive, she also lacked the savvy to stab someone in the back. Judging that she was trustworthy, Alex had secretly hinted to Clara about his intentions before leaving for the frontier.


    He had said that he wanted to know more about Ciel and that he wanted to get closer to her, but didn¡¯t know how.


    Clara just smiled quietly at his words.


    ¨C She¡¯s a kind child.


    At first glance, it seemed that Ciel liked Clara too much, but Clara liked her just as much. He could tell just by reading her letters full of affection for Ciel.


    He was a little envious of how close the sisters were.


    Superficially, Clara¡¯s situation looked a lot like his own. But unlike the lonely Alex, Clara spent her days happily, receiving an abundance of love from her family.


    He would be lying if he said that he wasn¡¯t envious of her.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a bit of my own selfishness too.¡±


    Despite seeming gloomy a moment before, the corners of Alex¡¯s mouth rose slightly. It was extremely rare for the Crown Prince, who was generally serious about everything, to show this side of himself, so Burnett stealthy tried to sound him out a bit more.


    ¡°Your Highness, you seem quite fond of that young lady.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think ¡®fond¡¯ is the appropriate word.¡±


    ¡°Then, do you like her?¡±


    Alex¡¯s expression stiffened at her straightforward question.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask any more questions if it troubles you.¡±


    Alex, who wanted to retort back, decided to save his words. It wasn¡¯t a bad idea to just leave Burnett¡¯s pointless misunderstanding about Ciel¡¯s entrance into the palace as a ¡®esteemed guest¡¯ alone anyway.


    This was about maintaining a friendly alliance with the Valentine family. Nothing more, nothing less. With deliberate nonchalance, he didn¡¯t bother to deny what she had said.


    ¡°Considering that they¡¯ve been faithfully writing me letters, even when I was on the battlefield, they seem to like me quite a lot.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I was rather worried, but I¡¯m thankful to them.¡±


    Burnett showed some goodwill towards them when she heard that they had taken care of him while he was away from the palace. It would be a problem if Ciel hated the Imperial Palace and wanted to return home, so Burnett¡¯s help was crucial.


    ¡°Take care to ensure that nothing is lacking.¡±


    ¡°I will obey your words, Your Highness.¡±


    Alex continued to stare absentmindedly at Ciel¡¯s room even after the head maid had left. Using her room in the Valentine¡¯s mansion as reference, brightly colored wallpaper had been hung and everything had been arranged charmingly.


    From a framed painting of a landscape to a cozy sofa where she could comfortably relax¡­


    Knowing that the Duke and Duchess provided the most precious things in the world for their beloved daughter, Alex had decorated the room with the best things that he could prepare as well.


    Like a gentle breeze, the Valentine¡¯s mansion seemed to be overflowing with warmth, unlike his own desolate palace. If Ciel came, perhaps even the achingly bleak atmosphere of his palace might change a little.


    Come to think of it, Ciel had been constantly trying to pair Alex and Clara up since they had first met. But because the two of them had never shown any interest in each other, she had seemingly given up.


    He was just thankful that Ciel, who wanted for nothing, had a hole in her defense that he could exploit called her older sister.


    Moreover, since they had a common enemy in the Princess, Ciel¡¯s presence would probably cause a great stir within the Imperial Palace.


    He was already looking forward to it. Alex silently glanced in the Valentine family¡¯s direction.


    * * *


    ¡°You mean the Grand Duke of Winterbaum?¡±


    My brother Theo adjusted his glasses while he listened carefully to me. We weren¡¯t that close originally, but we¡¯ve quickly grown closer following the recent drug case.


    I wonder if that¡¯s because we have Clara as our common denominator.


    ¡°He¡¯s been weighing on my mind.¡±


    Actually, I¡¯ve been wondering about it for a while. No matter how villainous Ciel was, Alex didn¡¯t have to kill her. So why had he made an enemy out of the Valentine family by executing her?


    Among the readers, the opinions on the topic differed wildly. I hadn¡¯t really thought about the issue very deeply, and I had only formed a vague idea after entering the novel.


    This is absolutely just a guess, but perhaps Ciel¡¯s love line had been connected to Stan. Even though the glamorous queen of high society, Ciel, had never had a fianc¨¦, no one questioned her. And Alex had been strangely wary of Ciel.


    The two had been childhood friends and as a grand duke, who was the son of the Princess, and a ducal princess, who was a direct descendant of the Valentine family, they were well matched. It was extremely natural for them to come together.


    And if his proposal of marriage had been successful, Stan would have been given wings[1] named ¡®Ciel¡¯, becoming a rival that threatened Alex¡¯s position as crown prince.


    Because Ciel herself had become deeply infatuated with Alex, her romantic connection with Stan had fizzled out. But from Alex¡¯s point of view, had he thought about the future, it would have seemed easier to deal with Ciel, who had committed various evil deeds rather than Stan, who was relatively quiet.


    ¡°What would happen if I got married to Stan?¡±


    ¡°Then the crown prince would change and our family would be out of danger.¡±


    I knew this would happen. Since he was only tangentially related to the issue, Theo spoke freely without even batting an eye.


    If I want to save my life, the wisest thing to do is to join hands with Stan. The Princess is currently the one with the most power.


    But if I join hands with Stan, who is backed by the Princess¡¯ power, and he takes the position of crown prince from Alex¡­


    My neck¡­ THWACK![2] The same thing might happen. I get goosebumps just thinking about it. I rubbed the back of my neck. The scene from my dream was so vivid that I feel horrible every time I remember it.


    ¡°Politically speaking, it would be better. If you chose Grand Duke Winterbaum, then there would be no reason for our father to oppose the Princess.¡±


    It seems that Theo has known about this possible option from the start. However, considering the unpleasant incident with Stan in the past and the fact that I dislike him, Theo hadn¡¯t brought it up.


    My brother is pretty smart, isn¡¯t he? The eldest son of the Valentine family is dependable indeed.


    ¡°That¡¯s how it is, huh?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Our father cooperated with the Crown Prince solely because of you, Ciel.¡±


    If I hadn¡¯t shown any favor towards Alex, then neither my dad nor my family would have gotten involved in the troublesome issue of the crown prince¡¯s succession.


    ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡±


    I was hit hard by Theo¡¯s brutal honesty. With a grave expression on my face, I fell into deep thought.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    At first I thought he was condemning me, but Theo flatly denied even the slightest possibility that I was to blame and said that the Princess and her faction were entirely at fault.


    Then, for some reason, he patted me on the head.


    If I look carefully, I can tell that Theo cares about me a lot, but I don¡¯t really understand why he pretends not to.


    Does he act like that because he¡¯s shy? It¡¯s really cute, but since he¡¯s that kind of guy, I can look the other way and pretend I don¡¯t know.


    ¡°And thanks to you, Clara has been given a great opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think so?¡±


    ¡°Isaac is full of anticipation as well.¡±


    Even though Theo is probably disappointed that he won¡¯t be able to meet with Clara for quite a while, he is still rooting for her sincerely.


    As expected of a poor sub-male lead¡­ Awake or asleep, your heart that only wishes for the happiness of the one you love has profoundly touched this sister of yours.


    Notes:


    [1] The phrase ¡®give wing(s) to¡¯ refers to enabling someone to do something freely. Essentially, allowing them to metaphorically fly¡­


    [2] She would be beheaded (executed by Alex as in the original novel).