Chapter 137
Lady Louise cautiously, and perhaps elegantly, began to speak. It was astonishing how five gazes were simultaneously fixated on her with just a single word.
Of course, we had no intention of ignoring Lady Louise’s words, but her admission that she pretended not to know was an unusual and unsettling beginning.
Naturally, no one wanted to interrupt Lady Louise, who had finally mustered the courage to speak. Right now, it was more important to listen to what she wanted to say than to entertain any minor questions.
“I had an older sister.”
Fortunately, perhaps encouraged by our silence, Lady Louise continued. The mention of a sister allowed us to predict the outcome.
And regrettably, that prediction was unfortunately correct. Oddly enough, negative predictions tend not to miss the mark. Enen seems particularly harsh on humans.
The fragile Lady Louise, the attention she received as the youngest, her relatively neglected sister, and the unfortunate death of her sister.
The death of a family member at such a young age was enough to leave a significant impact on Lady Louise. So much so that she felt a sense of discomfort toward someone monopolizing love. She believed that everyone should be treated fairly.
“Was that how it was?”
To be honest, I had picked up on the fact that Lady Louise had drawn a faint line with us. How could I not notice it? For one semester, I, along with Young Lord Erich, Prince Rutis, Prince Lather, and Tannian, had shown our interest in Lady Louise. And yet, for the entire semester, we had hit a wall.
If I were pursuing her on my own, I might not have been able to see it objectively. Still, observing others also being met with obstruction left little room for doubt that Lady Louise had drawn a line with us.
So, I refrained from reaching out to her too actively. Forcing myself upon a lady who had clearly set boundaries wouldn’t be polite. Because if I did, that faint line would only deepen, and any wounds Lady Louise could potentially harbor would only grow.
I resolved to stick around as a club member and as a close friend, merely waiting for the moment she would open up. It was a thought I shared with four others, which made it all the more problematic.
“Well, it turned out like this.”
With competitors sharing the same mindset gathered, we were engaging in a tacit “check and balance.” Caught up in the competition, none of us managed to get close to Lady Louise.
We did build camaraderie. We could confidently say we were her close friends. Yet, none of us had become the kind of person with whom Lady Louise felt comfortable sharing her innermost thoughts.
And in that situation, if Lady Louise had opened her mouth first—
“I’m sorry, it’s a little late, but I wanted to say this.”
It wasn’t some heartfelt confession; rather, it was a declaration to firmly push everyone away.
It wasn’t an apology for keeping silent until now or a promise to change in the future. From this moment on, the line she drew would be even clearer.
That much was apparent to everyone. Hence, only silence hung in the air. This included us, who had been dumped before confessing, and Lady Louise, who dumped us before any of us had a chance to say anything.
I looked down at Lady Louise, trembling with her head low. Did she think we would be angry? Did she imagine we would accuse her of mocking us for her silence and daring to treat us this way?
If I said it didn’t hurt, that would obviously be a lie. But honestly, we didn’t have clean hands either.
“Thank you, Lady Louise.”
Ironically, we probably bore more guilt for not being a reliable presence for the woman we liked.
“I know it must’ve been difficult to open up, so thank you for sharing everything.”
Given that, our demeanor should not reflect the frustration of being dismissed, but rather that of reassuring a friend who gathered the courage to apologize.
…Right?
As I casually cast my gaze around, the others appeared equally composed. Well, at least they pretended to be.
“Isn’t it amusing how we all think alike?”
A light laugh almost escaped me. All of us nursing feelings for the same person, attempting to flirt in identical ways, and now having similar thoughts after rejection.
These were people I had only met this year, yet there was a strange resonance among us. Was it possible they were my long-lost siblings?
“Since Lady Louise spoke honestly, should I share my secret too?”
I spoke softly with a slight smile, focusing on comforting Lady Louise, who still seemed reluctant to lift her head.
We should depict that we didn’t care about being dumped. We ought to maintain a mood of gratitude for her bravery in confiding in us.
“To be honest, my relationship with my brother is kind of awkward.”
At this, I saw Lady Louise’s startled expression. I guess she was surprised by how casually I spoke of royal matters.
Still, I had successfully managed to lift the weight of guilt from Louise.
Bringing up His Highness the Crown Prince was a touch uncomfortable, but I kept it safe by merely describing our relationship as awkward, avoiding any mention of life-threatening drama.
“I’ve spoken, so now it’s your turn!”
“I have no secrets.”
“Neither do I.”
“Well, I spoke too soon.”
We burst into laughter as we quickly evaded the topic. Our hearts really were connected. This is how we lightened the mood.
As I began to laugh, Prince Rutis joined in, too. Yes, he was always the first to thrive in such jovial atmospheres.
“I’ve never lost since taking up the sword, but it seems I’ve lost to Louise for the first time.”
“I-I’m sorry…”
“You don’t need to apologize. It’s only natural to reject someone who isn’t to your taste.”
That was likely Prince Rutis’s peculiar way of offering comfort.
“Honestly, I’m just grateful you were honest. It’d be sad if someone couldn’t reject us despite having no feelings.”
Prince Rutis’s expression, which was already cheerful, lit up even more. It was almost as if he was speaking from the heart rather than just providing consolation.
“One-sided love is futile, after all.”
“Rarely do I come across someone with such matching sentiments.”
Prince Lather, who had remained silent, finally chimed in, echoing Prince Rutis’s sentiments.
“If you hadn’t pushed us away out of consideration, that would be a bigger problem. Sticking together without knowing each other’s feelings wouldn’t lead anywhere.”
Right, that made sense. We could remain friends after she opened up like this. Had we all kept pretending not to know each other’s feelings, we might have ended up in an empty relationship that crumbled with graduation.
Unconsciously, my gaze shifted to Young Lord Erich and Tannian. It was now their turn since the other two princes had voiced their thoughts.
“I share the same sentiment.”
“I’ve said everything already, so I have nothing left to add.”
“What a shame!”
After that, I struggled to comfort a sobbing Lady Louise.
“I’m sorry,” she said through between sniffles, and she looked so pitiful. If I didn’t soothe her quickly, she seemed ready to faint. Ironically, I felt like crying too. But with my status as a prince, I couldn’t let those tears flow, so I convinced myself that Lady Louise’s tears somehow were for me.
“Wow, this second semester is starting out quite spectacularly.”
At Young Lord Erich’s words, Louise, who had just stopped crying, blushed deeply. It was indeed quite an eventful beginning.
“It’s a memorable day. Isn’t it a day when the five of us were rejected simultaneously?”
“Seems the Armenians have a culture celebrating that, huh?”
Celebrating being dumped isn’t exactly the cheeriest tradition.
But Prince Rutis continued, unfazed by the reactions, rummaging about the clubroom.
“Today isn’t just about being rejected, though. It’s a day when Louise showed us her true feelings and became closer to us.”
His optimism was astonishing.
Sure, Prince Rutis wasn’t exactly normal, but that uniqueness was what drew me in.
“It’s a shame the club advisor isn’t here, but let’s start among ourselves.”
And thus, we decided to hold an unheard-of “Rejection Tea Party,” a gathering whose very essence left us puzzled over how to explain it to the club advisor if they walked in. Everyone seemed somewhat dazed, likely still in shock from the unexpected rejection.
“It’s been a while since we’ve eaten in the clubroom.”
“Of course, I feel the same.”
*
While Rutis went to refill the tea, Ainter explained the situation to me.
“Really?”
At a moment like this, my mind went blank.
When they said they’d be celebrating being dumped, I thought it was a joke. I assumed it was an exaggerated reaction to a mild rejection.
But no, whoosh, this was the real deal!
“What the actual…”
This was completely unexpected. I knew these fools weren’t making headway with Louise, and I had feared there would be no updates until graduation.
But I never imagined an early ending where Louise rejected everyone before any confessions could even happen. How could such craziness be envisioned?
Could this possibly align with the original storyline? Is this the turn of events meant to unfold? Like a story where Louise’s heart opens up to those persevering despite being rejected?
But that absolutely couldn’t be right.
If being resolute could move her, Louise would have been touched countless times by now. Despite the checks and balances amongst them, these idiots were stubbornly persistent.
I stole another glance at Louise, only to find her rapidly lowering her head when our eyes met.
“You did well.”
I patted Louise on the shoulder, attempting to organize the chaos in my mind. Despite this surprising early ending that’s driving me insane, the fact that Louise had come clean about her trauma was something to celebrate.
Half of her life had been shaped by that trauma. Finally having shared it with others meant she could move forward.
“I didn’t expect this at all…”
To be honest, I thought Louise would confide in one of us specifically. I thought it would be a pivotal moment when she found someone she loved.
Yet, rather than a choice, she had laid bare everything and left us all behind.
“Thank you, Oppa.”
Louise cautiously raised her head, adorning a shy smile. Looking at her made me realize that pondering over this—it felt so futile.
“As long as she’s happy.”
Right now, let’s just revel in Louise’s escape from her trauma.
“Indeed,” I mumbled absentmindedly while rhythmically patting Louise’s shoulder, only to hear Ainter’s exclamation beside me.
When I turned to him, he was smiling, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
“So that’s why.”
“Why what?”
Seriously, I was on the verge of losing my mind; spare me the riddles and tell me straight!
But Ainter, seemingly oblivious to my rising frustration, shifted his gaze to Erich, sporting a profoundly sympathetic look.
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