Chapter 428
It’s a bit sad. I really thought it was a perfect, indisputable, flawless idea. The person involved seemed satisfied, so I felt a small sense of pride, thinking my brain still had some use left.
So, I decided to share this joyous triumph with my lovers in the system. Happiness is doubled when shared, right?
– It’s not great.
But that wasn’t the case. From the perspective of a third party who wasn’t part of the discussion, it was a far-from-flawless idea, riddled with flaws.
– What’s up with “Lu”? Is it a nickname for a cooking girl?
Seeing Erich shake her head vigorously made both agitation and injustice rise up within me.
Even if I’m a bit of a lunatic, I wouldn’t name a lover’s nickname like that. I genuinely thought “Lu” sounded nice!
– If you were going to call her Lu anyway, why not just say “Cookie”? That’s way more familiar and sounds better.
“Enough already… I got it…”
After a barrage of attacks, I ended up crying internally. Hearing the message of “your idea sucks” delivered without pausing for breath was harsher than I expected.
Let’s admit it. My idea was terrible. Louize’s liking it was merely out of politeness; she probably just smiled because it was a nickname given by her lover.
‘Looks like I don’t have any nicknames of my own.’
Then, all of a sudden, I arrived at an uncomfortable truth. Mar, Tricky, Lin, Eri, Pene—none of those five nicknames were created by me.
Mar, Tricky, Lin, and Eri are all nicknames I’ve just adopted from others, and even Pene was heavily influenced by Eri’s suggestions. My own uniquely crafted nickname didn’t even exist in this world.
Except for Lu, of course.
…
“Well, isn’t Rizie okay?”
– Yeah.
I quieted my head, as if to signal a “Why do you even need to ask something so obvious?” I decided to bow my head. From now on, if I have to create nicknames for my future children, I’ll just leave it to my wives.
After finishing up with Eri, when I told Pene that I’d decided to call Louize “Rizie,” she said it was a really nice name.
That made me feel even more miserable.
*
Since yesterday, I could feel my mouth tilting up at just the slightest touch of happiness. I found myself snickering unexpectedly in class, exchanging awkward glances with the teacher several times.
But what could I do? It was my first time getting a nickname, especially one directly given by my Oppa, so it’s only natural to feel joy.
‘Lu.’
I subtly held my hand up to cover my mouth while gazing out the window. If I lowered my hand, I might get caught grinning like an idiot by everyone around.
‘That can’t happen.’
I nodded resolutely to myself. Yes, yes, that can’t happen. My joy couldn’t shine through an ugly face, no way!
I’m the lover of Oppa. I’m the bride-to-be he’s given the nickname “Lu.” If I can’t handle myself well, it wouldn’t just be my personal honor at stake—it would also affect Oppa’s reputation.
“No one would dare insult Carl directly. However, they might target those close to him, like his lover or subordinates.”
That was something Marghetta said to me and Irina back when I just became Oppa’s lover.
If a wife shows unusual behavior, her husband also gets wrapped up in the social backlash. Since they wouldn’t dare speak ill of Carl directly, they’d aim to insult him through those of us close to him.
I couldn’t stand for that. I could bear the blame if I was at fault, but I couldn’t allow someone as perfect and amazing as Oppa to take the heat because of me.
‘Sneaky bastards.’
My smile began to falter. Those envious, petty individuals looked to take advantage of my shortcomings, lacking the guts to speak ill of Oppa to his face. I couldn’t let those wolves find a chink in my armor.
‘I am a noble in title too.’
That realization rejuvenated my spirit. Technically, I’m still a heir and not yet a full noble, but someday I will be a legitimate noble. Sure, I might only be a Baron in title, but that still places me among the elite few within the nobility.
That means if I hold my ground and act decisively, no one will dare to speak ill of Oppa. In fact, I’ll have the power to punish those who envy him.
In the future, I’ll possess that strength. The title of Baron and being the sole disciple of the Duke will grant me a lot of leverage in the Empire.
Though it feels a bit embarrassing to rely on other people’s strength.
“My disciple will always be you. For those who fear my name, they can hardly see you as just a simple Baroness.”
If it was Sensei—no, Sister Beatrix, she’d probably be thrilled that I would utilize what I have effectively.
So, let’s put some energy into this! I need to be someone who can support Oppa, not a weakness for him.
With the nickname he gave me on the line!
With the name Lu on the line!
Upon arriving at the club room with this renewed mindset, I was greeted with an unexpected remark from Oppa.
“I think ‘Rizie’ sounds better than ‘Lu.’ Plus, ‘Lu’ kinda feels like a lazy way to just snag the first letter.”
I jolted at his words.
Did I rush to get that nickname? Is that why it’s changing…?
“‘Rizie’ sounds better than ‘Lu,’ right?”
Whether “Lu” or “Rizie,” I meant to say it didn’t matter since they were names given by him, but for some odd reason, a sadness lingered in his eyes.
What do I do? What kind of response should I have? Either way, it feels like choosing “Lu” or “Rizie” might end up hurting him.
“Ah, yeah. I think ‘Rizie’ sounds better too.”
After a quick mental debate, I opted for the latter. It seemed that Oppa’s expression leaned more toward “Rizie.”
“Well, ‘Lu’ isn’t that great. Anyone hearing it would think you’re making soup.”
That was strange. Oppa was laughing as if making a joke, yet somehow, it felt like he was on the verge of tears.
“I’m sorry, Rizie. I ended up changing your nickname after just a day.”
But seeing him smiling and opening his arms, all the worry and anxiety melted away like snow.
Right, I was overreacting. There was no way Oppa would be sad about anything. I must have mistaken my excitement for anxiety about his new nickname.
With that thought, I embraced Oppa, and he wrapped me in his arms and kissed my lips.
‘…This feels great.’
It’s like I’m floating in the sky.
*
Since the nickname fiasco, I quietly prepared for the vacation.
“This will promote you to Bishop.”
Of course, me being quiet doesn’t mean the club members were too.
Fortunately, it wasn’t like they were causing chaos outside. But every day the club room was filled with noise, as if they had decided to pour out all the water they could inside.
“Oh wow, I see we have four Bishops again this time.”
“……”
Despite the provocative voices and the sounds of people grinding their teeth, Louize calmly ignored it while munching on her baked cookies.
‘That cruel bastard.’
I internalized my disdain for the ruthless redhead while chomping down a cookie.
For a while now, club members have chosen indoor activities over outdoor sports like jogku. With winter in full swing, that was to be expected, but the biggest problem was that one of the main indoor activities of the baking club happened to be chess, and that environment allowed Rutis to unleash his absurd 5 Knights and 4 Bishops tactics.
And the poor victim of that insanity was most often Lather. Regardless of others shunning Rutis, Lather consistently went toe-to-toe with him.
While he boasted a pitifully long losing streak.
“Where has the chess player gone?”
Finally, Rutis’s classic—while certainly provocative—question flew out of his mouth. Even I, who had been ignoring him, instinctively turned my gaze.
‘Oh great.’
But just as I turned away, I saw Lather trembling with fury, and I quickly turned back.
If only he had lost normally due to a lack of skill, Lather might have been able to forgive himself. However, having lost to the unorthodox 4 Bishops strategy would have crushed any pride he had left while driving his competitive spirit to new heights.
To even make four Bishops means he could have easily finished off his opponent but chose to hold back instead.
But then to say something so insulting to him? Even Tannian would feel inclined to give him a whack on the head!
“…You bastard!”
Before long, Lather’s furious voice echoed, followed by something soaring through the air.
The once calm individual had finally snapped from the absurdity.
Truly an unfortunate event.
*
After Lather’s epic overturning of the game, a brief silence fell, but the atmosphere quickly returned to its original chaos.
Rutis had provoked them too much, and Lather had taken an unsportsmanlike action. They seemed to have decided to forgive each other’s wrongs.
‘What oddballs.’
Watching them was confusing. Should I label their actions as broad-minded or simply call them simple-minded?
‘Better than fighting, I guess.’
After some thought, I reached a modest conclusion. It’s better than seeing the princes of the second and third-ranked countries go at it in physical brawls.
While my gaze shifted toward the male members huddled around a poker game, I looked toward the female members. Despite the chaos of chess pieces and boards being tossed about, the girls were calmly engrossed in making treats.
Surely even they had moments of surprise from the ruckus their fellow members caused. Yet, two years of experience had given them hearts of steel, able to overlook such disruptions.
Actually, one year alone would have sufficed.
‘She’s grown stronger.’
Remarkably, even Sara, of all people, had developed a strong heart. Just a glance at Lather’s shouting indicated her changing focus before she quickly dismissed it.
I felt a swell of pride. Is this really the same Sara who once tensed up around royalty? Now she saw nobles as little more than stones rolling around on the floor—it seemed my members have truly become legends.
Though, admittedly, I couldn’t feel proud of that at all. Those foolish kids.
‘At least our royalty retains some normalcy.’
With a mix of bitterness and relief, I turned my attention toward Ainter, who was quietly playing poker. At least among them, Ainter was the most decent. Aside from joining the baking club for Louize, he hadn’t caused much fuss.
After all, domestically grown was always better than imported.
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