Chapter: 16
Carl and Erich were walking in silence. Carl was checking around for a quiet place to talk, while Erich felt hesitant to strike up a conversation with Carl first. To add to his discomfort, Carl’s expression appeared too serious from Erich’s perspective.
‘A good person.’
Those were the two words that fleetingly crossed Erich’s mind as he looked at Carl. It was a phrase he had never considered in his life.
Growing up, Erich had never seen a good person. There was no need to speak about their father, the lord of the family. It was hard to judge his mother, and if asked about his brother Carl, it would also be difficult for Erich to say if he was decent or not. Until he met Louise, the idea of a good person was merely an ideal for Erich.
The reason he thought of the phrase while watching Carl, instead of Louise, was simple. It stemmed from a recent conversation with Louise.
Before heading to the club room, the time during their Academy classes, where they were fortunate enough to be in the same class without any distractions, was Erich’s best opportunity to have one-on-one conversations with Louise. Because of that, they could chat about various topics, and thanks to Louise’s liveliness, unexpected subjects came up too.
“Do you dislike your older brother, Carl?”
It was like that.
Erich was taken aback by Louise’s sudden question and looked at her in surprise. With genuine curiosity and concern sparkling in her eyes, Louise blinked at him. This made Erich awkwardly scratch his head. Louise seemed worried about how nervous Erich got around his brother.
“No, it’s not that I dislike him. It’s just that I find it a bit… intimidating.”
“Why? Did something happen when you were younger?”
At that question, Erich let out a small, awkward smile. If he had to choose the period when he and Carl had a relatively good relationship, it would definitely be their childhood.
“Nothing really happened. Maybe that’s why things feel so awkward.”
If something had occurred, maybe they would have talked more, and he wouldn’t feel so reluctant around Carl. However, it was already too late for that.
“It’s just that the vibe he gives off is a little heavy, you know? Unlike me, he’s been a bureaucrat for several years, so we don’t get to see each other much. That’s all. Nothing too important.”
He tried to laugh it off, but Louise seemed to find his answer puzzling.
“Really? Because to me, Carl Oppa seems to care a lot about you.”
“Brother?”
Now it was Erich’s turn to be puzzled. It could be said that the Krasius brothers were neglectful toward each other. Yet, even after becoming a bureaucrat and seeing each other infrequently, Louise insisted that Carl cared about him. Though it was Louise saying it, Erich found it hard to believe.
“Yeah. He seems to always be watching you.”
Louise continued to explain. She said that during club time, Carl was always keeping an eye on Erich, and whenever he passed by at the Academy, it looked like Carl’s gaze was fixed on Erich, who was beside Louise. It seemed like he might not express it, but he was always concerned about Erich.
“When I first met Carl Oppa, he spoke to you warmly.”
“Did he…?”
Erich was left wondering how those rough words could even be considered warm. Yet, he didn’t argue back; first, it was Louise saying it, and second, he had developed some glimmer of hope. What if, just as Louise suggested, Carl really did care about him?
‘Could it be that he thinks of me as a younger brother?’
Just like regular brothers, they could get along without any hesitation or barriers. That possibility stirred something in Erich’s heart. It seemed that Louise sensed his change in demeanor, and she chuckled as she continued.
“I often thought it would be nice to have an older brother! So when Carl Oppa agreed to be the club advisor, I found it a bit amazing and delightful.”
“Seems like your brother unknowingly got a little sister.”
“Hihi, is that so? So if I heard that you two didn’t have a good relationship, it might make me a bit sad.”
“From what I see, both Carl Oppa and Erich look like good people.”
Erich was left speechless at Louise’s words.
‘A good person.’
The voice of Louise, who smiled while saying those words, still echoed in Erich’s mind. If only Carl were truly a good person, wouldn’t it be nice if he could become a good brother too? It was just that, instinctively, he always shied away from getting closer.
But that wasn’t the case anymore. With Carl being the club advisor, Erich had finally gained the courage to face his trauma and found hope to overcome it after talking with Louise.
‘Thanks to Louise, I’m finally seeing things clearly.’
For years, Erich had avoided Carl, driven by an instinctual dislike. Even though they never really talked, he was terrified of him. But now, he finally felt ready to look at Carl.
As if sensing this change, Carl, who was walking ahead, turned around and glanced at Erich. They had arrived at a spot where no sounds intruded. With a resolve to get a little closer to his brother, Erich began to open his mouth.
But Carl got ahead of him.
“Do you have feelings for Louise?”
Ah.
Is this what a ‘good person’ is…?
Everything went dark for Erich.
*
‘This place should be fine.’
After searching for a suitable location, they found a spot where no one was likely to come by, and no presence could be felt nearby. This would be a spot where they could have a casual conversation. Glancing back, Erich seemed to be gearing up to say something, but I decided to speak first.
“Do you have feelings for Louise?”
Sure, starting with such a blunt and provocative question was a bit over the top, but I genuinely hoped Erich would get the hint. Right now, he needed a shock to strengthen him.
I don’t want to make him weak… I want to make him strong. What he needs is a surprising victory, not a kindness-induced defeat.
Oblivious to my deeper intentions, Erich’s mind tried to escape the situation. No way was I going to let that happen.
“I thought maybe there was a profound bond between you two that I didn’t know about. But that’s not the case, huh?”
If that were true, then at least he would have memories tied to Louise that none of the other four could compare to.
“You also haven’t expressed your feelings to her, either.”
Sure, a grand confession could lead to a colorful rejection, but at least it would make her acknowledge him as a potential romantic interest.
“If there’s no overwhelming reason that would make her choose you… you get me?”
You don’t possess anything like that. You need to build that connection.
As I approached Erich gradually, I placed my hand on his shoulder and made eye contact.
“Right now, among the five, you’re at the biggest disadvantage.”
Erich remained silent, his eyes glazing over. It seemed the sudden revelation about his unspoken feelings had hit hard.
But there was no helping it. Destruction is simply a precursor to rebuilding. I believe this shock will serve as the foundation for Erich’s triumph. I have full faith in my little brother.
“…You’re not thinking of just giving up like this, right?”
Of course, if I just ended the conversation here, Erich might grab a knife and attempt to stab me. I wouldn’t die from it, but it would definitely make things awkward between us afterward. So, if I’m giving him a shock, I need to inject a little hope, too.
I casually walked beside Erich and draped my arm over his shoulder.
“Remember that Louise created the pastry club herself.”
Upon hearing Louise’s name, Erich’s glazed expression brightened as he reacted immediately.
“You know that Louise loves baking, right? You should participate, too. Even if you lack the skills, you should at least try to do it alongside her.”
Or who knows, maybe seeing Erich struggle might make Louise happy enough to extend a helping hand. After all, seasoned veterans tend to cheer on newcomers.
“Join her when she bakes, and if you can’t keep up, ask her! Just sharing a common hobby can tip the scales in your favor.”
With a significant disparity in status compared to those upper-class folks, and less difference between him and Louise, who do you think she’d rely on if the need arose?
As I continued to speak, I could see the spark returning in Erich’s eyes. Yes, after shocking him, new insights seemed to flow in smoothly. Had I only talked to him without the shock, the outcome wouldn’t have had this much impact.
“Actually, the difference in status? That could end up working in your favor. So what’s the rank of the Naird family?”
“A Baron…”
“Exactly. Just a couple of ranks difference between our families.”
Of course, this calculation was a simple ranking system. The Krasius family couldn’t be trifled with as a mere earldom. Yet, compared to the higher-ups, the royal family, and candidates for sainthood, it isn’t shabby.
So, I could feel Erich’s mind working overtime. After reconsidering everything, new perspectives were likely breaking through. Moreover, I gently slapped a verification bullet to follow up; three out of the four were foreigners and had to return to their home countries after graduating from the Academy.
That day, Erich grew stronger.
Now, he’d leveled up from clueless pastry club member to a club member who can bake.
After Erich snapped back to reality, I noticed him looking at me awkwardly, so I sent him back to the club room first. If the members asked why he came empty-handed, I told him to just say that the ingredients meant to arrive today had run into some problems.
Well, I figured I’d take a moment to gather my thoughts outside before heading back in. I’d been talking so much it felt like my head was overheating.
“You fool.”
tsk I clicked my tongue and leaned against the wall. While I didn’t hold back on my advice for my brother, the fact that I had to give it bugged me. It’s not like I had given him any groundbreaking advice, anyway.
I don’t get it. If someone truly wants to win over another’s heart, don’t instincts play a role?
Not to mention that everything I had seen so far indicated that Louise was rather simple-minded. If he just provided some gentle support regarding her troubles, did the required tasks for her, cheered her on while she worked, and showed a good reaction when tasting her creations, it’d be easy to win her affection.
Yet, among the five, not one was doing it properly. Is that what love does? It dulls your wits?
If that’s the case, then regardless of who ends up with Louise, they’ll likely lack intelligence.
I might just have to preemptively offer my condolences to Louise…
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