Chapter 236
I was momentarily taken aback by Erich’s words.
But I quickly calmed down. Yes, Erich is still a rookie focused on his studies at the Academy. It’s overly ambitious for him to grasp the radical new truths when he’s just trying to learn the established ones.
So, it’s only natural for him to say he’s gone mad. After all, a truth unfolding before his eyes that differs from what he’s been taught would be bewildering.
“You’ll understand my words one day.”
Thus, I tried to sound nonchalant.
Sufari. It’s about acquiring knowledge, breaking it down, and setting off on a quest to find one’s own truth. That is what learning is.
With that sentiment, I patted Erich’s shoulder. The road ahead for the 17-year-old Erich is long.
“There will come a time when you won’t be so bound by what you’ve learned.”
“But you haven’t learned anything.”
What the hell.
The sudden blow to my gut left me speechless again. Just when I was about to cheat with some lame excuse.
“And having only one first wife is common sense, isn’t it?”
Faced with that ridiculous expression of his, I found myself lost for words.
I still needed to rebut. I couldn’t let the concept of common sense limit me. Being tied to common sense hinders human advancement—
“What about the future wives?”
“Huh?”
I couldn’t help but snap at his softly muttered voice. It sounded as if he was implying that my unilateral decisions were harming others.
Yeah, there’s no way I’d do that. I wouldn’t impose my standards on those who think highly of me. So I should’ve just said it outright. Wouldn’t everyone be happy if they all got to be the first wives?
Only Marghetta had directly voiced her opinion on it, but Luise and Irina, who must have heard about it from her, didn’t seem to mind either.
‘It’s not a pressure.’
Now, if I tell Marcilio and Second Manager, I’ll have the whole group’s agreement. This is definitely not an arbitrary decision. Nor is it coercion.
“…Everyone said it was okay. They seem a bit uneasy about it still, but they didn’t say they disliked it.”
“How can they say they dislike it? What if that means no marriage at all?”
His remark shut me up. If that was the reason, then my unilateral decision was indeed—
No, no. I tried to express myself in a soft atmosphere. If they didn’t like my suggestion, I was making an effort to create a vibe where they could lightly decline it.
“If they really hated it, they would have rejected it.”
“Calmly saying that in front of a madman is kinda crazy, no?”
‘No.’
Isn’t that a bit too casual for calling me a madman? I mean, I’m still your brother and all.
“It’s like they’re worried if they say they dislike it, they’ll be the ones getting pulled out from the lineup. And what if I react weirdly if they misword it?”
With a deep sigh, Erich pulled a chair over and sat down.
The whole scene made it feel like the report that was supposed to be brief had dragged on, forcing a civil servant to sit down.
“Luise said you seem a little unwell.”
That unexpected comment made my eyes widen.
I knew she was worried about me, but I didn’t expect her to think about me like that. If the kind-hearted Luise has brought it up, then what’s going on, really?
“She must have been pretty desperate to even ask me for help.”
Erich let out another sigh, scratching his head roughly. A third sigh followed, this time a dry one, and yet another sigh came right after.
He was showing all the signs of struggling to figure out what to say next.
“Hey, brother.”
“Yeah?”
“Are you… losing it?”
And once again, the same question from earlier had resurfaced.
“All of them are firsts, right? It sounds good. It does sound good, but…”
With a sigh—one of many—I could see the weariness written all over Erich’s face.
“If you say it another way, it feels like it’s all the last ones, doesn’t it?”
Now that was unexpected. How did that logic come about…?
If I think nobody stands above me, then we might as well be tied for first place. But if nobody stands below me either, isn’t it like we’re all tied for last place?
“And the brides who should be the main characters, there are multiple ones. Do we really have to split the attention at a once-in-a-lifetime wedding?”
That was a sharp criticism. Hearing that made me realize it was a critical issue.
Why did I only come to this realization now? Or maybe I was facing it but chose to ignore it intentionally?
“Even putting on rings during the wedding, kissing, or holding hands while exiting, in the end, it dictates the order, doesn’t it?”
“……”
“That’s just how it has to be. You’re trying to deny that fact.”
Erich leaned back in his chair as if he’d said everything there was to say. His gaze was still locked on me. I swear it felt like he was saying, ‘If you deny that after saying this, you’re a bastard.’
And there was a pang in my chest from that look. It’s easy to speak; it’s easy for anyone to lecture with words.
“That could be true,” I finally said, letting a sigh escape again.
Yeah, Erich might have a point. In this era, the idea that everyone can be the first wife might not be the right approach. Marghetta, Luise, Irina—all of them might be putting up with my nonsensical whims even though they didn’t like that idea.
But, so what?
“What are you suggesting here?”
I didn’t think I’d come up with this idea for nothing. I couldn’t just start ranking those who thought well of me. Separating the princess and the duke into 1 and 2 positions? It would drive anyone crazy.
“Noble marriages are an extension of politics, you know that.”
I have feelings for Marghetta. I’m grateful that this wonderful person likes a loser like me. She’s more than deserving to be my first wife.
But then Marcilio got involved. Of course, I’m grateful to him, and ever since the issue with the system, I’ve been seriously considering our relationship. No, I’m already thinking beyond that.
Human Marghetta, human Marcilio—I like them. But behind them, there are the Barenti Ducal House and the Katoban Ducal House.
“Choosing one of the two means pushing the other ducal family aside. If the current Executive Manager picks one of the ducal houses, that’s a whole different mess.”
It’s absurd. This is tough to deal with. But I must bear it. That’s the responsibility of someone who wields power. Noting the impact of each of my actions—that’s the duty of a noble.
From the moment I let go of Hecate, I lost the ability to choose someone for myself first. From that moment, those obligations and duties piled onto my shoulders.
“So this is the best choice.”
Even if they think I’m crazy, it won’t lead to a scandal. There won’t be a hierarchy formed between the two ducal families. That’s why I chose this way—a method that maximizes the happiness of the majority.
And whether my resolve reached Erich, the words he had ready to call me a madman remained unspoken.
Finally, this brother’s feelings towards his younger sibling—
“Man, that’s insane.”
No, wait.
The knife that popped out after the silence hurt my heart.
“Brother. Don’t overthink it.”
“Think even simpler than this?”
I instinctively shot back seriously. Is it really for me to say there’s a simpler and more straightforward method than a joint wedding?
“The order of wives is usually in line with the marriage order, right?”
“Right.”
So that’s why I was babbling about simultaneous weddings and stuff.
“Marriage is the outcome of a confession, right?”
“Yeah, right?”
I thought, ‘Why are we talking about this suddenly?’ but nodded. It was not incorrect.
“Then isn’t it right to just marry in the order of confessions received?”
?
“Academy students graduate in the order they enroll, so why shouldn’t marriages follow the order of confessions?”
???
‘What even.’
I felt like I was losing my mind. Can we really compare the serious matters of confessions and marriages to enrolling and graduating from an academy?
No, hold on. That doesn’t seem wrong either. If it’s ultimately a set order, isn’t it correct to follow the order of confessions?
“Moreover, the most important part is…”
Erich paused for a moment, scanning the area. It seemed he was about to say something serious, despite knowing there was no one around.
“If the lady gets pushed back, the cold-hearted Lord will get aggravated, but if Marcilio gets pushed back, you can persuade him, can’t you?”
‘Oh.’
As soon as I heard that, I stared blankly at Erich.
Are you a genius?
*
Leaving my brother deep in thought, I stepped out of the club room.
I told Luise, who was loitering in the hallway, that it was probably better to leave him alone for now. He was still trying to collect himself, and having someone else speak to him might curve his recovery.
‘It was a simple problem after all.’
Letting out a small sigh, I stepped outside the building. It wasn’t as hard a problem as I’d initially thought.
I’m not saying my brother’s troubles are simple. It isn’t easy to treat his madness.
‘If only someone were by his side to say something.’
If only someone could’ve said, “Hey, you sound crazy.” A simple poke could have put him back together again.
But in reality, no one but those who comforted him said it was okay, which led to this mess.
‘Can I help it?’
Well, how many people can shout that they’re crazy to their loved ones?
Of course, I have a sibling who can. After all, if I’ve charmed Luise, I should make her happy, not let my future wife worry about me before we even tie the knot.
But thankfully, it seems to have resolved well. Looking at my brother’s expression, I doubt he’ll mention “joint marriage” again.
“Erich! Where have you been?”
As I returned to the field where fellow club members were playing soccer, Rutis greeted me with an enthusiastic wave.
“Bathroom. I told you I was going.”
“Oh, really?”
“I wasn’t listening.”
Tannian shrugged as if that was no big deal. He had been right next to me just a moment ago.
These guys really could not care less.
“Well, you showed up just in time.”
Rutis chuckled like it was all good, tossing the ball to me.
I caught it, but something felt off. It was like a patched-up rag with a distinct mark on it. Yet, luckily, it was still inflated.
“We’re switching back to foot volleyball. This time, it’s 3v3!”
“3v3?”
How do you play 3v3 with just five people? Is one of us a ghost, now?
I pondered that and glanced around, only to spot someone who absolutely shouldn’t be there.
‘…Lord Villar?’
Why the hell is he here?
As our eyes met, Villar gave a slight, bittersweet nod.
“I thought the numbers needed to be right for Lather to admit defeat.”
Noticing the exchange of glances between me and Villar, Rutis burst into laughter.
It’s true; Lather had surprisingly failed to acknowledge his status as the weakest. He kept claiming that the numbers weren’t fair, or that this awkward game couldn’t adequately assess his skills. It was a sight utterly uncharacteristic of normal Lather.
And that’s precisely why Rutis brought Villar in for the 3v3 match.
‘This guy’s insane.’
Inviting a royal knight just to play foot volleyball?
‘Now that’s interesting.’
That’s a mad lad, and I like it.
Suppressing the thrill racing in my chest, I entered the arena. The slight worry I’d had for my brother earlier was completely washed away.
Yeah, I’ve done all I can. If things don’t change even after everything I said, it’s simply beyond my ability. And I firmly believe my brother will get better.
“Let’s go with a clean best of five.”
“Clean? Isn’t one round enough?”
I steeled myself as I watched the club members and Lord Villar settle into their positions.
Our foot volleyball match starts now!
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