Chapter 454
At my proclamation, Zenobia fell into a state of silence.
After a moment of blinking and twitching her lips, she returned to silence once more.
– “Huh?”
She finally muttered with a dazed voice, as if she couldn’t comprehend what she had just heard.
I understand. It’s not like there’s any awkwardness between Zenobia and me, but we aren’t exactly close either. We’re in that casual relationship where we exchange greetings if we bump into each other and might check in when something noteworthy happens—just polite acquaintanceship, really.
Of course, Zenobia treats me with all the respect due to a prospective brother-in-law, but the feeling isn’t mutual since I’ve never openly supported Zenobia’s crush on Erich. So she probably thought I was just being formal.
“I’m here to help you marry Erich.”
But now, her whole world view has flipped. The person she needs to win over—her prospective brother-in-law—suddenly offers assistance. The joy must be overshadowed by confusion.
– “A-Are you serious?”
“Yep.”
Instead of questioning the absurdity of what I said, she’s verifying if I’m actually telling the truth, which suggests that her happiness outweighs her bewilderment.
My heart aches. How desperate and anxious must she be that she got lost in the excitement of this unexpected opportunity? I can’t help but feel ashamed for my clueless little brother.
“However, there is a condition.”
I needed to lay down the rules, and her face tensed at once. I could tell what she was thinking—worried I might demand some leverage from the Hiden family.
To be honest, if a prospective brother-in-law suddenly starts helping with a marriage, it does sound politically motivated. I would’ve thought so myself if I were in her shoes.
“Just don’t quarrel with Sera, and acknowledge her as the secondary wife.”
But no, I’m not interested in politics or family interests.
I merely stepped in for the sake of my mother, who must be soaking her pillow with tears, or the nanny who’s probably lost her mind worrying about her only daughter’s love life.
– …….
“…….”
– “Is that all?”
“Yep.”
Zenobia’s face fell blank again, but I remained serious.
If the two of them can hold hands and fight together, I couldn’t ask for more.
It’s a natural desire for someone to want to monopolize their lover’s affection. It’s a primal instinct that’s hard to call greed, and even noble families can’t suppress it amidst political marriages and polygamy.
Yeah, I get it. Both Sera and Zenobia would likely want to be Erich’s only wife. Asking them to work together might sound like nonsense.
But what can we do? If they engage in a war of rivals instead of cooperation, a cataclysmic end is all but guaranteed.
‘Romantic battles aren’t predetermined fights.’
If, by some luck, these were the only two women in the world, they could brawl it out till the end. After all, one would survive.
But alas, this world is half male, just like it is half female. While Sera and Zenobia are busy sorting their ranks, there’s no guarantee that another woman won’t set her sights on Erich.
Unfortunately, I have experienced similar situations. Watching them hurl jabs at each other only to lose to someone else—a heartbreaking reality of losing to an unexpected player.
‘Pastry Club.’
The members of the 77th season are the protagonists of that fiasco. They caught feelings for Rizie and launched rivalry after rivalry yet never managed to confess properly. And here I was, swooping in and becoming Rizie’s boyfriend without even participating in that circus of nonsense.
Thus, I can see the future clearly. Sera and Zenobia forming a peculiar rivalry—no, rather, becoming the set pieces of the 79th season.
‘Erich must be a hot commodity in the marriage market.’
Crucially, if Erich graduates from the Academy without a partner, he’ll inevitably align with a political marriage, and trust me, Erich is the kind of catch that’d make waves in any bride-hunting scenario.
He’s at the perfect marrying age, handsome, has a decent personality, is strong, and belongs to a reputable family. Not to mention he’s my brother. He’s practically flawless.
“Join hands with Sera, and you can secure half the deal. But if things keep going the same way, you might end up with nothing—maybe even lose him to a third party.”
It felt odd talking about my brother like he’s some kind of property, but I said it with all sincerity. Zenobia’s insistence on monopolizing things could lead to a headache—
– “Alright.”
Surprisingly, her response came back swiftly.
– “If I’m the first, that’s fine. It’s rare for a lower noble to have multiple wives, but with Erich, it’s plausible.”
“Are you sure that’s okay? It’d look strange for the Imperial Count to be a mere Baron’s wife. What if people start gossiping about him having multiple wives?”
My negative comments came out despite being the persuader in this scenario. Her positive answer took me so off guard that I needed to voice my concerns back.
It’s unheard of for one trying to persuade someone to willingly expose their weaknesses, but she’s so cooperative that ignoring it just feels wrong.
– “You brought up the topic of a second wife, you know.”
“That’s true.”
I honestly didn’t expect her to agree so readily.
– “And while I hate to say it, since I like Erich, I understand Lady Sera’s feelings too. It’s just that if Lady Sera becomes the first, I won’t have any chance, so I’m not backing down.”
Seeing Zenobia mumble bitterly made it clear why she was so agreeable.
She never had the goal to monopolize. She merely set the first position as her target and last bastion.
‘Falling for Erich of all people.’
I looked at Zenobia with mixed feelings. While Erich may be a prime catch in the marriage market, Zenobia is absolutely up to par herself. No, given she’s currently an Imperial Count, she’d be seen among the top tier.
Plus, her understanding of Sera shows she possesses great character and intelligence.
Yet, here she is, falling for Erich, that calamity of a clueless guy. What a sad tale this is.
‘Lucky punk.’
It isn’t something I’d ever say, but Erich seems to have a fortune in love far beyond his reach.
*
I lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. It’s something I’m quite accustomed to, but right now, I’m feeling emotions deeper than mere familiarity or calmness.
‘I want to die.’
I whispered to myself as I quietly closed my eyes. Given my lifelong struggles with diseases since birth, saying such things would lead to misunderstandings, so I’ve never even joked about it. But this time, it’s sincere.
Truly, I feel like dying. My mother, filled with anticipation regarding my impending marriage with Erich, and I have to tell her that we aren’t even in a relationship.
It drives me crazy. It’s unbearable to say such a harsh truth to her, and it’s equally torturous to watch my mother’s hopes crumble into disappointment.
‘After spending a whole year together, we should have made some progress…’
Tears welled up in my eyes from the sorrow. It feels so unfair. A whole year—an entire year of school life spent together. I’m not even a stranger to Erich; we’re good friends, and yet, why?
When Erich became the Baron of Hardiner, I briefly held onto hope. Maybe there were feelings developing that he just wasn’t expressing. Perhaps our bond was finally deepening.
But nope. His choosing the Hardiner barony had something to do with me, sure, but it turned out it was more about friendship rather than love.
‘What do I do?’
I’m starting to genuinely worry about the future. If things have ended up like this after a year, what can I expect from the last year?
Once we graduate, we’ll go our separate ways again. And even though it’s close by, it’ll be physically distant compared to sharing an Academy life together.
Then what will happen? If I couldn’t win his heart while we were close, what would happen when distance comes into play? Will I never reach him? Is it going to end with my heart kept hidden forever?
‘I don’t want that.’
I bit my lip and shook my head, defying such an end. I do not want to accept that conclusion.
But if I don’t want it, what can I do? What difference does my refusal make?
‘I could just barge into Erich’s room—’
An extreme thought crossed my mind, but I quickly shook it away. That wouldn’t win his heart. It’d trap him with a debt of feelings instead.
Besides, the very notion of me seeking him out would just result in my defeat. I’ll be overpowered and tossed back out in no time.
‘…Huh?’
In that moment, I noticed my communication device beside my pillow lighting up.
After a second of peering at the gadget, I dabbed at my eyes and prepared to answer. Whomever it is, I can’t afford to be sulking when I pick up the call.
– “Sera?”
“Yeah, Big Brother?”
A familiar face popped up, causing my eyes to widen in surprise.
After a year spent at the Academy and in the Pastry Club, I’d say I’ve gotten relatively close with Brother Carl, but this marks our first time reaching out to each other like this. There’s not a personal topic to share, and if there were, it would’ve been through Erich.
Shaking off the surprises, I straightened up, aware I couldn’t just lay back while chatting with him.
– “Sorry to contact you out of the blue. I need to ask something urgently. Is anyone around?”
“Nope, it’s just me.”
– “Thank goodness. It’d be kinda embarrassing if others overheard.”
Carl’s expression shifted from casual to serious in an instant.
– “Sera, would you prefer to secure even part of what you want or lose it all?”
“…What?”
My hand gripping the device trembled.
The remark seemed out of nowhere but I could decipher its meaning right away.
– “If it’s the former, I can assist you however I can.”
Brother Carl could help me—there’s only one way he could.
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