Chapter 457
I shoved a piece of bread dipped in soup into my mouth. Ever since that whirlwind event at the café, my mind was hazy and my appetite nonexistent, but skipping a meal would only worry a few people here. Especially in the kitchen, they probably frantically retraced their steps to see if they messed something up.
Of course, the kitchen staff had always been satisfactory. So, to avoid any misunderstandings, I simply asked for dinner to be sent to my room.
‘This is driving me insane.’
I sighed while staring at the remaining half of my meal. The kitchen’s skills are outstanding, but even a fantastic meal couldn’t calm my jumbled feelings.
If food could solve emotions, I would’ve fixed everything at that café.
‘No joke… it really isn’t.’
For a moment, I entertained the thought that maybe Sera and Zenobia’s confession had just been a prank—only to quickly shake it off.
No matter how blindsided I was, I couldn’t let myself think like that. They mustered the courage to confess; how could I dismiss that as a joke? That would be rude. Since they showed genuine feelings, I had to take them seriously.
I’ve loved someone myself before. It was an unrequited crush that never even got a confession, so I could only imagine the courage it took for them.
“Erich, I like you. Just to clarify, I’m not talking as a sister who likes her brother; I love you as a woman who cares for you.”
“I… I’ve loved you for a long time as well.”
Those straightforward confessions returned to my mind, and I involuntarily gulped.
I do like both of them. Sera has been a childhood friend from the same territory, and Zenobia is my childhood friend from the same noble family.
However, when it comes to feelings of attraction, I couldn’t nod my head in agreement. I’ve never thought of them that way. They’re too precious as friends for me to consider them anything more.
‘Why didn’t I realize this?’
Another sigh escaped me, uncounted at this point. If they’d just recently developed feelings for me, then maybe I could understand. But they claimed to have liked me for ages.
I was completely oblivious. We’ve been close friends, meeting more often than even my family and the household staff, yet I had no clue.
‘Was I the only one in the dark?’
If they had been expertly hiding their feelings to the point where I didn’t notice, then I’d at least have an excuse. But it didn’t seem like that was the case.
“Did you have a good trip?”
“Ah, yeah.”
“Good, rest well in your room. The more complicated your head gets, the better it is to decide slowly.”
As soon as I returned to the castle, my mother, as if she knew everything, patted my back, while the nanny stood by, nodding earnestly. Even the servants I passed on my way to my room bowed their heads and whispered behind my back.
Yeah, I was the only one who didn’t know. Zenobia hardly ever visited our territory, so I could give her a pass, but everyone in the castle knew about Sera’s feelings.
Everyone but me.
‘No way.’
As I teetered on the edge of sticky self-loathing, the only ray of light that shone through was my brother. He might be like me and be clueless. When he received repeated confessions from prospective sisters-in-law, he spouted some crazy nonsense about how marrying at the same time means that they all tie for first place. Knowing him, he probably wasn’t that perceptive.
With trembling hands, I grabbed the communication device. If my brother didn’t know Sera and Zenobia’s feelings like I didn’t, I could honestly ask him for advice. Asking someone else might make me look like a fool—‘Wow! The young master couldn’t even tell someone has feelings for him, and he can’t make decisions on his own!’—but my brother would be surprised too and offer me advice.
I believed that.
But then my faith shattered.
– You knew?
“Uh?”
I blankly echoed my brother’s deadpan response. What was he talking about? How could he know?
Seeing my reaction, he looked at me as if I were pathetic and opened his mouth again.
– I knew you liked Rizie even before you said it. With that much, it’s easy to figure out.
His words knocked the breath out of me, but they made sense. Back when I started the pastry club, I’d just fallen for Louise, and my brother had caught it right away.
– And considering you were so obvious, how could anyone miss it? Everyone in the club knew—everyone but you.
As his follow-up hit me, images of my club members flashed through my mind.
Ainter, Rutis, Lather, Tannian—those guys knew too?
‘Am I less perceptive than them?’
This felt like a different kind of despair. All this time I thought I was at least as dull as my peers, no worse.
But it was an illusion. If anything, I was rock bottom. I never thought my status would come with such an unawareness.
– But from the looks of it, it seems like you got their confessions. I was worried you’d be too shy to accept it, so I’m relieved.
Despite feeling a swell of emotions from my brother seemingly nudging Sera and Zenobia, I managed to push my feelings back down.
What would complaining even change? No matter how much he pushed, they had sincere feelings for me. Moreover, for my brother to intervene meant he found me frustratingly slow.
If it was bound to happen eventually, maybe it was better to go through it sooner rather than later.
“Hey, brother.”
– What’s up?
“…What do you think I should do?”
Of course, just because it’s happening quickly doesn’t mean it’ll resolve quickly.
“They said it’s okay to think it through slowly, but honestly, my head feels all jumbled. I don’t even know my own feelings.”
I vented my confusion to him. If this were an unknown person confessing their feelings, it would be a different story. I could just graciously thank them, saying I wasn’t interested in dating or marriage, that I could meet someone better.
But neither of them were strangers. They’re people I know best, who I’m the closest to, and care about deeply. Saying I have no feelings right now would be like tearing a part of my heart out or leaving them hanging—it felt wrong.
Even I knew my thoughts were all messed up. If I wasn’t considering accepting a confession, it’d be better to refuse outright, which could make things awkward or lead to resentment. That would be a more rational choice.
“What’s the right call here?”
My brother fell silent at my words.
Seeing that, my mind cleared up. Here I was, an intrusive newlywed calling him out of the blue for a one-sided relationship consultation; how rude could I be?
“Let’s just pretend I didn’t say that—”
– What’s the right answer? You just do what you want.
I froze, my panicked gestures suddenly halted.
– You just said they could take their time to think about it, right? So why the hurry? Afraid that if you don’t answer quickly, you’ll have to split them in half?
“That’s not quite it…”
– Then think about it slowly. If you’re digging yourself into a hole trying to grasp answers instantly, that’s bound to get complicated.
His tone might’ve been casual, but my brother’s kind advice almost made me tear up.
This was the grace of someone who’s had six lovers. Truly, my big brother was superior to me in every way imaginable.
“Brother.”
– What now?
I bowed my head in respect and admiration towards him.
“When you said that if everyone got married at the same time, they’d all be first, I thought you were crazy, but I’m sorry.”
I had been naive. If he said that, he must have had a compelling reason—
– Shut it.
“Okay.”
At his curt comeback, I quickly lifted my head.
Yeah, although marrying everyone at once was a wild statement, it was true he hadn’t been in his right mind at the time.
*
I put the communication device into my pocket and gazed at the ceiling.
‘Damn it.’
To be rolling out family history just when everything was going well, where did he even learn that kind of etiquette? If he were here in person instead of over the device, I might have punched the ceiling.
Still, I was grateful. Sera and Zenobia both made their confessions. If it had gone like some old-school romcom with loud interruptions ruining it, I would’ve seriously worried.
‘Guess the world won’t interfere that much.’
Honestly, this was the way it should be. With how painfully aware I am, I shouldn’t let so many moments pass without acknowledging them—especially in terms of confessions? That would mean Enen wouldn’t allow Erich’s descendants to exist.
– What’s the right thing to do?
Thinking back on what Erich said, I couldn’t help but crack a smile. Both confessions succeeding was good news, but Erich’s genuine acceptance of those feelings was a huge relief.
It might be confusing now, but who knows how things will unfold over time? Sera and Zenobia didn’t just wake up one day liking Erich. They probably got to know him as friends first, then those feelings developed into love.
So, this time, it’s Erich’s turn to walk that path. Having already been confessed to, he’d now see them as more than friends, and that perception could blossom into love.
“Is everything alright?”
“Ah, yeah.”
Margarita, who had been holding her breath behind me, came up and asked, and I reflexively nodded.
So far, things were progressing according to our plans, which meant everything was going well—it was just the outcome that posed a problem outside our control.
‘Now we leave it to fate.’
I really did everything I could. If I wanted to help more, I’d have to summon the Dukes of the Northern Lands to abduct Erich and force him into marriage.
If it ended this way, then it was destiny. I’d have to accept it with grace.
A few days after receiving Erich’s counsel and the nanny’s thank-you texts.
“Long time no see, Brother. I hope you’ve been well.”
It was Cardinal Alexandria, whom I had nearly forgotten about in the chaos.
‘Oh right, someone like that existed…’
How embarrassing. In my haste to check on my younger brother, I honestly forgot.
“I’ve been enjoying my days, blessed by Enen and the Great Emperor.”
“How delightful to hear.”
As I replied as casually as possible, the Cardinal’s smile widened.
Come to think of it, when he last visited, he hinted at good news coming soon. For him to be back means—
“It’s an honor to share even more joyful news with you, Brother.”
It appears discussions about canonization within the Holy Kingdom have concluded.
And, rather positively, too.
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