Chapter 233
Suddenly, a call from the Crown Princess arrived. She said it was important, and to come as quickly as possible.
Seeing that Irina was summoned too, it was definitely about my brother. So, as soon as I received the call from the Crown Princess, I rushed over. There’s no way I could be late when it concerns my brother!
“Senpai, may I enter?”
“Oh, you got here fast. Come in.”
After cautiously knocking, I spoke, and the Crown Princess’s voice drifted through the door.
“Irina, my dear, you’ve come too. Please, come in.”
Once the Crown Princess confirmed both Irina and I had entered, she smiled softly and got up from her seat.
Naturally, she headed towards the shelf where the teapot was kept. At first, I felt a bit awkward with a member of the Ducal House serving tea, but since she insisted as the host, I couldn’t quite interrupt her.
But at this point, I was used to it. Furthermore, I had brought cookies as a gift during my occasional visits to the Vice President’s Office, so I suppose it was a kind of barter.
“I’m sorry for calling you out of the blue.”
“It’s alright. I didn’t have anything busy going on, so it’s fine.”
Irina quickly replied to the Crown Princess’s apology.
Just as Irina said, with the graduation ceremony right around the corner, there wasn’t really anything pressing on my end. Sure, there was preparation for the final exams, but nothing could be so urgent as to ignore the Crown Princess’s call.
“Oh, I’m glad to hear that.”
Her soft chuckle brought some tension back into the room.
It was a strange laugh, mixed with subtle worries. The Crown Princess seemed to be trying hard to hide her emotions, but she couldn’t completely conceal them.
“…This might take a while.”
And with that, my certainty set in.
‘This is definitely not an ordinary situation.’
A strong intuition hit me that something serious was going down. My whole body tightened with tension, and I subtly clenched my fists.
It was rare for the Crown Princess to say that things would drag on. The only time she had said it before was when she was explaining about my brother’s confession to Duke Marcilio.
“Yesterday, Carl went to the Capital and saw Duke Marcilio.”
Next to me, I felt Irina flinch.
I probably looked the same. My brother directly meeting one of the most threatening figures at this moment was a predicament. What could possibly have sparked that meeting, and what sort of conversation transpired—
“And apparently, they got into a big fight.”
“…Huh?”
Before my brain could process it, my mouth spoke first.
A fight with the Duke? My brother?
‘Why?’
I was utterly confused. But my confusion was too premature.
“Um…”
I couldn’t snap back to reality as the Crown Princess continued her explanation.
Life-extension, the Duke’s tears and apology, my brother having spent the night at the Duke’s mansion, and then heading off to the Magic Tower hand in hand the next morning.
Something didn’t add up. I couldn’t grasp what I was hearing. Even though the Crown Princess was trying to explain it clearly, it just didn’t compute.
“Feeling a bit bewildered, huh?”
I could only nod slowly at the Crown Princess’s understanding gaze. A bit bewildered? More like totally flabbergasted.
“Carl… seems more bewildered than we are.”
Upon hearing that, I instinctively understood.
This was it. This is why the Crown Princess called for us.
“We have to support Carl.”
In stark contrast with the earlier serious tone, the Crown Princess looked at us now with resolute eyes, as if saying the next words needed to be engraved in our hearts.
Under that fierce determination, Irina and I readied ourselves with a solemn resolve—
Not long after, we found ourselves in a flood of tears together.
*
Time passed, and it was club hour.
“Honorable Brother, are you feeling tired? The cold air could be settling into your body.”
“I’m fine. I’m not wandering outside or anything.”
“Even so. Ah, I’ll give your shoulders a rub.”
“No, it’s alright—”
Disregarding my brother’s reply, I immediately began kneading his shoulders. He awkwardly laughed, but eventually allowed me to massage him.
With each knead, I could feel how tense he was in different spots.
‘You’ve been through a lot.’
All those knots were proof that my brother had suffered alone. The weight he carried was hidden from others, kept to himself where no one could see.
“Though I’m worried for Carl, it’s not like he doesn’t have things to think about. In fact, he probably has much more on his plate than we do.”
“Truly, truly a lot. More than we could ever guess. But he hasn’t told a soul about it.”
“Yes, that’s why Carl is hurting now. Just… a touch.”
The Crown Princess’s once firm voice was becoming increasingly pained at the edges. And I could feel that I was no different.
My strong and reliable brother. There’s no one I trust more than him. To think that my formidable brother is suffering mentally…
‘No, that’s not it.’
I hastily shoved that horrifying thought away. What was I thinking? My brother isn’t broken! As the Crown Princess said, he’s just a little, just a touch hurt.
Even the strongest of us catch a cold sometimes, right? We might trip and scrape our knees once in a while too.
It’s nothing more than that. He’s hurting on that level.
“All brides will have a joint wedding ceremony…”
At that moment, the Crown Princess’s prior words flashed in my mind, but I tried to brush it off. If I’m dizzy from a cold, I might say some strange things, after all.
‘We can be there for him.’
Yes, we definitely can. If so, my brother will be okay soon.
“Louise! I’m back.”
As I felt my nose starting to sting, the door to the clubroom swung open, and Irina peeked her head in.
“Oh, Irina.”
“Hello, brother.”
Excited by my brother’s warm welcome, Irina beamed back at him.
Once our eyes met, she nodded seriously, as Irina had come to help soothe my brother’s cold too.
“Are the other members not here?”
“They went out to play foot volleyball.”
When my brother answered, Irina blinked, then turned back to me.
Caught in her gaze, I couldn’t help but chuckle awkwardly. They really did go out to play foot volleyball.
“We’ll step outside for a bit.”
“Eh? Why suddenly?”
Eriko, who was shuffling the playing cards, was the first to speak up—
“Lather said he didn’t acknowledge his own development.”
“You’ve got to feel it to know it.”
“Usually, it’s the one who says that who ends up being lacking.”
Following that, Rutis and Lather joined in, and they all naturally exited together.
‘They didn’t have to worry about me.’
Somehow, I felt a mix of relief and gratitude.
Because I was hovering near my brother, probably peering at him with anxious eyes, they chose to give me some space voluntarily.
Even though it was chilly outside, they intentionally stepped out—what unnecessary kindness! I truly had no idea how to repay it.
“──! ──!”
“──? ─!”
Faint shouts of enthusiasm could be heard softly from the backyard, but I knew it was because they thought of me.
It wasn’t because they really went out to play foot volleyball. No, that’s definitely not the whole reason.
“They’re all so energetic.”
“Good thing they’re wearing themselves out.”
My brother bluntly replied to Irina’s words.
I couldn’t help but smile at that casual reply. Honestly, considering Eriko and Rutis’s stamina, they could run all night and still be fine.
“If they’re all out, will pastries be a problem? I brought some good tea.”
“Oh, I’ll handle it!”
“Take your time. You can start with the tea too.”
As Irina placed the bag she was holding onto the table, I hurriedly made room for my cheeks.
Good tea. Irina had promised to find something effective for calming the nerves. From the confident demeanor she held while bringing it, it seemed like something truly special.
“How about you, brother?”
Then, Irina approached me and quietly whispered.
“I still don’t know.”
It was embarrassing, but I had no choice but to admit I wasn’t feeling anything substantial yet.
My brother wasn’t the kind of person to show fatigue normally. If I hadn’t heard he was feeling this coldness at all, I wouldn’t have noticed a thing.
That only made my heart ache even more. For the Crown Princess to worry so much about his pain, yet he didn’t show it at all. How much was he suffering inside?
The saddest thing in the world is suffering alone. To be in pain without anyone’s concern or worry feels unbearable.
‘This can’t go wrong.’
Even a small cold can develop into a serious flu if left unchecked. I couldn’t let my brother follow that path.
“Still, if we keep watching him, something might appear.”
“Soon, it’ll be the graduation ceremony, right?”
At that, I clammed up again.
That’s right. That was the issue. There’s hardly any time left in this semester. There are less than two weeks left before I cannot see my brother again.
I need to see him up close. If he even coughs, I should be there to soothe him right away.
‘At the most critical time.’
I found myself regretting Enen. Why did he have to make my brother unwell at such a crucial time?
No, ideally, my brother should have never fallen sick, but if he had to become ill, it would have been better done when there were more caregivers around him.
“…Should we suggest going on a trip to the Capital again?”
I cautiously threw out the idea. How about staying in the same mansion with my brother like last summer break?
“Wouldn’t that be risky? If we’re nearby, he couldn’t truly rest.”
“T-That’s true…?”
With such a compelling argument, I retracted my suggestion immediately.
“Let’s at least join the New Year’s Ball.”
“Eh?”
Winter break means having to be separated from my brother. While I imagined the cold winter, Irina presented a different opinion.
‘The New Year’s Ball?’
I stared blankly at Irina in surprise.
The New Year’s Ball. On the day the new year begins, all noble titles gather before His Majesty to reaffirm their loyalty and discuss the future direction of the empire.
As all noble titles gather, it becomes the largest social gathering in the empire; however, the overwhelming pressure can often result in ordinary noble youths choosing to stay home.
Most of the common nobility my age prefer to remain in their territories or host their own parties alongside family heads. I thought it was the same case—
“We can also participate in the New Year’s Ball. It’s not mandatory, so it would be fine not to attend.”
Having said that, Irina glanced at my brother.
“But now we have a reason to go.”
Following Irina’s gaze, I turned to my brother. Our eyes met, and my brother flashed a small smile.
My brother always warmly welcomes us in the club room, and sometimes I forget he’s an Executive Manager. He’s a senior official, obligated to attend the New Year’s Ball even if he isn’t a titled noble.
“Alright.”
Having calculated everything, I nodded quickly.
To be honest, I was a bit anxious. A gathering of high nobles like Dukes, Marquises, and Counts was daunting. Until I get my title, I wouldn’t have wanted to go to such an event on my own.
But taking care of my brother was much more important than my anxiety.
And beside my brother, I felt I could handle even being in front of His Majesty.
*
Louise and Irina were vigorously whispering about something.
‘Unfortunately, I can hear it all.’
Regrettably, I heard every word of what they were discussing. In such a shared space, especially with just the two of them present, no matter how quietly they talked, I could pick up every word. After all, I’m pretty adept at sensing things with mana.
‘Did I cause too much worry?’
I felt a tad awkward. It seemed that what I’d said to Marghetta had slipped into their ears too.
Yeah, I admit it. I indeed made comments that would worry both Marghetta and Louise.
‘That was a bit too radical, huh?’
Shockingly radical ideas must be tempered, or people might not accept them. But my thoughts were genuinely out of this world!
Marghetta, who has a softer heart, probably pretended to empathize with my words, but behind the scenes, she must’ve been filled with all sorts of worries. I only realized that much too late.
‘I should’ve taken my time with it.’
I was too hasty. Even vaccines must be administered in measured doses over time to be effective.
Going all out from the start could backfire like a virus.
I ought to reflect. A pioneer must always be cautious.
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