Chapter 455
Convincing Sera was harder than persuading Zenobia. While Zenobia was more or less willing to cooperate, telling someone who had a crush on me since childhood, “You’ll just have to be satisfied being second,” felt like a blow to my conscience rather than just a negotiation.
But it can’t be helped. If Sera were the daughter of a Count, they would have sorted out who got to be Erich’s friend in order. Unfortunately, being a Baron’s daughter means if Sera snagged the first spot, Zenobia would be out of the running. I couldn’t do that to her!
“If you become his first, Zenobia will oppose you until the end. Then this situation will stretch on, and who knows if a third party might swoop in?”
– “That’s… true.”
What stung more was seeing Sera nodding with a bitter expression as she listened to my reasoning.
If she had shouted out about being the second choice or why she had to give Erich up to the ‘stray cat,’ I wouldn’t feel this guilty.
“Still, don’t worry too much. Erich isn’t the type to treat anyone differently based on their rank.”
I offered what little comfort I could, though it felt pretty flimsy. From the standpoint of someone being told they’re the backup, any words I say wouldn’t truly ease the blow. Still, it felt like a human duty to say it.
And it wasn’t entirely a lie. Erich has the emotional intelligence of a rock—well, his brain can be a bit questionable too, but he’s not a bad guy. He would treat both Sera and Zenobia equally; he wouldn’t put too much significance on who’s first or second.
But sure, his title would carry more weight for the first wife, Zenobia’s children, while Sera would at least inherit the title of Baroness of Zigel, making it not such a huge issue.
– “Well, if Erich takes after you, I guess that makes sense.”
That heavy pitch came at me like a fastball, and I flinched.
It wasn’t coming from a bad place, more like, ‘As your sibling who treats everyone equally, having two wives shouldn’t be a problem,’ but hearing it put into words made me realize how others saw me.
Here I was, the brother who was set to take in a half-dozen wives while planning to have my own brother pull the same stunt.
‘What a lunatic I’ve become.’
It felt dizzying. It’s as if I had transformed into the villain ready to destroy the concept of monogamy.
– “Honestly, I don’t want to be second. I want to be Erich’s only wife, and if I can’t be that, I at least wanted to be the first.”
But when I heard Sera’s gloomy voice, I quickly regained my composure. Yes, right now, I was undoubtedly a villain: not the victim, but more like a second perpetrator.
And the real culprit is Erich—the absolute jerk!
– “But if you’re taking such a clear stance now, that means it’s a tough situation even being second, right?”
“It’s not that you’re lacking; it’s just that Erich is too hopeless—”
– “No, it’s because I’m lacking. I’ve spent a year with Erich and haven’t made any progress—that’s my fault.”
I couldn’t find the right words in response to Sera’s faint smile.
I’ve entertained the thought before—if Sera had been more proactive, would Erich have reacted differently?
– “I’ve missed my chance, so what can I say? And like you said, Erich won’t play favorites.”
But if I had such thoughts while observing from the sideline, how much more did she feel it? Even if she didn’t outwardly express it, I could tell there were feelings of self-loathing and anxiety bubbling within her.
‘It’s dragging on too long.’
I suppressed a sigh while looking at Sera, still wearing that bittersweet smile. If it had only been three or four months, she might shake her head and refuse to budge. Her heart wasn’t broken yet; the fire hadn’t died down.
But it’s been a whole year now. It’s a cliché, but there’s a saying about a healthy body hosting a healthy mind. For someone like Sera, who seemed far from healthy, enduring a year of emotional turmoil was a heavy burden.
That’s why she displayed her gloom and self-loathing while still not rebelling against my persuasion. It’s genuinely a tragic circumstance.
‘Why does this feel so familiar?’
At that moment, I felt a pang of self-loathing. Watching someone love unrequitedly while they compromised their feelings wasn’t new to me.
Damn it. I shouldn’t be mirroring this mess with my sibling.
After getting the agreements from both prospective brides, I quickly held a wives’ meeting. I know, I know, technically, there’s only Mar at the moment, but call it what you will.
“So, it’s turned out this way, what should we do about it?”
“……”
Silence engulfed the room as the attendees exchanged glances. They probably didn’t know how to start.
It wasn’t like they didn’t know Erich’s girlfriend was as elusive as unicorns, Atlantis, and the Emperor’s conscience combined, or that Sera was suffering internally; it was just too evident.
That’s what makes it tough. Even though Sera and Zenobia had signed a cooperative agreement, there’s no guarantee their teamwork will lead to victory. I couldn’t be sure that even if they banded together, they could break through Erich’s unbreakable barriers.
“Still, it’s a good thing they’ve decided to join forces. It’s unnecessary to expend energy in pointless disputes when they should be focusing on their goals,” Mar finally broke the silence.
Mar is the sole hostess of the Krasius family. Since Erich’s wedding is tied to the family’s prosperity, it makes sense for her to speak first.
“But that’s all it is. They haven’t really faced off against each other much. Even joining forces won’t result in a significant change.”
“True.”
I nodded in agreement because that was undeniably valid. Back at the club fair last year, the clash between Sera and Zenobia was intense. Still, the times they had confronted each other directly were pretty limited. They had to be in the same room to actually fight!
Thus, even though they declare they’re teaming up, we shouldn’t expect any dramatic transformations. Sera and Zenobia’s energies had mainly been directed at Erich this whole time.
We just needed to make even the slightest change because the overall situation was that dire.
“Then we need to change the fundamental approach.”
“Change the approach?”
“Yes.”
Mar nodded resolutely before pausing to gather her words cautiously.
“Instead of slowly approaching, we should go direct and honest, just like we did with Carl.”
That brought back memories of the storm from the confession relay incident, starting with Trixie, followed by Rizie, Lynn, Erich, and Finne—all in a dazzling display.
‘It was definitely effective.’
I understood it. Back then, I hadn’t seen my friends romantically until I received the confessions. Admitting feelings requires undeniable bravery, and the risk involved is substantial; however, expressing your feelings can be exceptionally effective.
If Erich received a confession but ignored Sera and Zenobia’s feelings, then he’s just soulless.
“Does everyone share this thought?”
I cast a glance towards the other lovers. While Mar’s idea was effective, it felt somewhat like “Drop a nuclear bomb and you win, lol,” which makes it hard to adopt that tactic without caution. Does everyone have that kind of courage to confess?
Plus, what if, after pouring their hearts out, their response is, “Let’s just be good friends,”? That would be crushing!
“A shock therapy might be needed since we’ve gone a year without progress. Even if we’re rejected once, just showing our feelings matters.”
“Exactly. At the very least, they’ll perceive us differently from simply being friends. Even if they refuse now, their thoughts might change in the future.”
Trixie and Lynn, who caught my eye, agreed with Mar.
Alright, we have unanimous consent.
“I, um… also think so…”
But of course, Rizie, unaware of my nonverbal encouragement, expressed her thoughts in a whisper.
I silently patted her head. After all, discussing my little brother’s marriage in a committee like this couldn’t be a comfortable topic for her.
But I felt that there was no need for Rizie to be singled out when all the other lovers were present, even if it meant awkwardness.
‘All of this is Erich’s fault.’
Seriously, it’s all on Erich.
*
After finishing my training like any other day, I sat down in a corner of the training hall to catch my breath.
Even though it was winter and the weather was cold with snow falling, I couldn’t slack off just because of that. Being affected by the weather is for soldiers, not knights. A true knight or warrior should be able to fight under any circumstance.
‘I need to look for another sparring partner soon.’
As I set my empty water bottle down, I let out a sigh. I had been born into the Krasius family, and here I was, nineteen years old, having fought countless training bouts with the knights of the family.
Of course, the knights wouldn’t actually go all out against their lord’s son, so they’d probably hold back a lot, but even with that, I had sparred with the same opponents for years. Finding a different challenger seemed almost impossible.
So, I desperately needed another sparring partner. Since enrolling at the Academy, I had classmates and upperclassmen, but with two years of that, it had gotten stale.
‘I miss Rutis.’
I pictured my fiery-haired friend who might be somewhere back in our homeland right about now.
While Rutis was a tiring opponent back in the day, I found myself missing the unique dynamic he brought. When he was close by, he was a pain; now that he’s gone, I can’t help but feel this strange void. What a peculiar guy.
‘Do I need to go to a different territory?’
If the knights of Krasius weren’t enough, should I challenge knights from other houses? Since Zenobia is a Countess, I might be able to ask her to arrange something.
“Your Lordship.”
“Huh?”
Just as I was itching to complain to my sister, one of the knights stepped forward.
“Lady Sera from the Trimala Barony has come to visit.”
“Sera?”
“Yes.”
That made me jump to my feet. While I used to visit Sera, lately, she seemed to be coming to me more often.
As a friend, that thrilled me. The friend who used to be confined to her bed now attended the Academy and even dropped by my house to hang out.
‘What’s this about?’
I felt a bit puzzled, though. I had communicated with her via the communication device yesterday, and she hadn’t mentioned coming over.
‘…Maybe she just came to hang out.’
After a brief moment of contemplation, I reached that conclusion. What reason is there for a friend to visit? If she wanted to see me, she’d just come over.
Could I not have that kind of friendship with Sera?
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