Chapter 562
Pedi was diligently polishing the dust off the mansion’s corridor, and with each passing day, my pants near the knees were wearing thin.
I was starting to get the hang of it and was becoming quite agile on all fours. If I were to exaggerate a bit, I thought I could give Titi a run for her money!
“Oppa?”
“Yeah?”
As I was roaming the mansion with the CDI duo of Pedi and Titi, Rizie awkwardly approached me.
‘Ah, looks like it’s showing.’
It was sudden, but as I looked up at Rizie while lying down, I noticed her belly had grown.
Of course, just before Rizie, there was Trixie, who had been pregnant with triplets. Having gotten used to Trixie, I was oblivious to the subtle changes in Rizie’s pregnancy. My threshold for recognizing growing bellies was set way too high.
“Is everything alright? Do you need something?”
I was a bit awkward, gazing at Rizie’s belly before slowly sitting up.
Being on all fours in front of my wife felt quite embarrassing. Just then, Pedi, who was energetically moving about, seemed excited to be near one of his six moms and started circling around Rizie.
“Well, it’s just—”
“Ahh!”
Just as Rizie opened her mouth, her gaze shifted downward to Pedi.
“Looks like our Pedi will need another wash, huh?”
“Woof!”
With a smile, Rizie picked Pedi up and gently brushed off the fur from Titi that clung to him.
Truthfully, even with all that careful brushing, he would be back to a fluff ball within ten minutes, but I didn’t want to spoil Rizie’s efforts by mentioning it.
“I feel like Rin has been a bit troubled lately.”
After clearing off enough fur, Rizie continued.
“Rin?”
Hearing that the bride-to-be was troubled set off alarms for me.
Of course, family worries weren’t something to brush aside, but a newlywed’s troubles needed to be handled with even more care. No one should enter such a once-in-a-lifetime ceremony with a heavy heart.
Moreover, if that worry was directly related to the wedding, as an experienced groom, it was my duty to lend her an ear. Marriage isn’t a solo gig; it’s about creating shared memories together.
“She doesn’t seem to show it, but I’ve noticed she’s been looking a bit down. Even when we’re doing floral arrangements, she just stares at the flowers blankly.”
“That’s serious.”
I furrowed my brows upon hearing that Rin’s favorite hobby was now stifled.
Rin, who actively manages the mansion gardens with the gardener, zoning out over just one flowerpot? That’s like a cat refusing fish or Erich trying to charm a woman. It’s simply unheard of.
“So, I was wondering if you could talk to Rin? She just brushes it off whenever I ask…”
“Of course! Don’t worry.”
I gently ruffled Rizie’s hair as I nodded.
‘Had no idea at all.’
And inside, I was bitterly smiling. I’d met Rin during family dinners, and with the wedding approaching, it should have been easy to pick up on any signs. Rizie had every chance to tell me.
But I didn’t know. Rin might have been completely poker-faced in front of me, but that meant I hadn’t given her the confidence as her future husband to be someone she could share her problems with. That’s definitely not a good situation.
‘I’ve just been too preoccupied crawling around.’
Time for some introspection. Focusing too much on crawling like a baby had dulled my wits.
From now on, I should really stick to walking on my own two legs…
*
I reassured Rizie not to worry, but to be honest, I had no idea how to approach it.
I was keeping mum with my close friend, and I hadn’t even noticed until Rizie pointed it out. If I asked Rin if she had any troubles, all I’d get in response would be a laugh and a dismissive shake of her head.
‘What now?’
I glanced at Pedi and Titi lying on the floor beside each other.
Forcing her to talk might backfire, and waiting endlessly would lead to nothing. The wedding day was approaching fast, so I couldn’t afford to just sit still.
There were countless messy conditions piling up, but I couldn’t just give up. It was inconceivable for a bride, whose heart should be the happiest, to harbor worries.
“Hey, Pedi, just bear with me for a sec.”
“Woof?”
After pondering for a while, I quietly cradled Pedi in my arms. I still had plenty of time to play with him, but I needed to lay him down for now.
I had to have an important chat with his fourth mom.
*
I blinked a few times, looking at my older brother beside me. Then I glanced at the scenery before me, and back again at my brother.
“Isn’t it beautiful?”
“Ah, well… yeah.”
When our eyes met, he smiled warmly, and I instinctively nodded.
It was indeed beautiful. My brother and I found ourselves amid the stunning Emerald Sea, a famous tourist spot even within the Empire located south of the Duke’s territory.
“Rin? Do you want to take a little wind break with me?”
As I felt the refreshing ocean breeze, I recalled what my brother had said just ten minutes ago.
When I first heard those words, I thought he meant a stroll around the garden. I didn’t expect we would end up all the way at the southern end of the Empire.
‘Rizie must have spilled the beans.’
I felt a bit embarrassed because I could tell why my brother was acting this way. Lately, Rizie had been subtly probing if I was okay; it seemed she told him in the end.
‘Guess I tried really hard to hide it.’
No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t fool a friend’s eyes. Should I be happy about that or sad?
And with my brother bringing me to the sea, it was clear he wanted to hear about the troubles I was holding back.
‘What should I do…?’
I was conflicted. I could brush it off as nothing or fabricate a fake worry. If I did that, my brother would just nod along and drop the topic. He was the type not to press further.
But I couldn’t fully trick him. He was certain I was troubled and, being the head of the Information Department, he could probably tell if someone was hiding something.
So the more I tried to hide it, the more I might hurt him. The last thing I wanted was to make him sad because of my own worries.
‘Is it okay to be honest?’
The reason I was still hesitating was simple. If I asked my brother why he accepted me and he said it was out of pity, I wouldn’t be able to stand it. I wouldn’t know how to react if my worst fear came to life.
…
‘Let’s just say it.’
After a long stretch of silence, between the pauses my brother patiently allowed, I made up my mind.
Just say it. If it’s something I’ve held onto for life, I should burst it out as soon as possible. It’s better for both me and my brother.
“Um, Oppa.”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
“I… why did you accept me?”
As soon as I said that, I lowered my head. I felt ashamed for asking such a question right before our wedding.
“…You’ve had a tough time. It must have been so hard carrying that alone.”
His soft voice and gentle touch made me feel like I might cry.
It really had been tough. I was embarrassed to share my worries with anyone and had kept them inside. Asking myself, “Does he really love me?” after freely confessing felt ridiculous.
“Since you had the courage to ask, I will be honest too.”
As my brother continued, my hands began to tremble.
It felt scary. His promise to be honest sounded like a death sentence. I wanted to cover my ears and run away right then.
But I held tight. If I run away now, there wouldn’t be another chance.
“It felt more like I accepted out of coincidence than love.”
Even if today, the worst I feared came true, I stood ready.
*
Seeing Rin shaking with worry, I deeply regretted my words. I could have whispered sweet nothings without saying this.
But Rin had the courage to reveal her heart. It would be rude not to reciprocate with complete honesty. I had to share everything, all my thoughts and emotions.
“I was a bit… no, very out of it at the time. Trixie’s confession had me all confused, and then Rizie came with hers, and right after that, you told me you loved me. Anyone would have lost their mind.”
I’d received confessions not just from Rin, but also from Erich and Phine. That moment was one of the busiest times mentally in my life, almost rivaling the post-great hunt war.
So it’s true that I accepted Rin’s confession by accident. I was simply happy to know someone loved me, and I didn’t want to hurt anyone by rejecting them. In that process, it’s kind of hard to deny that Rin was also carried along.
“Back then, I didn’t feel so much love as pity or guilt, I think.”
“Y-yeah, of course…? I wasn’t in a position to be loved by you.”
Rin said that resolutely, but her voice trembled, revealing her insecurity.
“But I felt pity for you, and I felt guilt because of you.”
I gently embraced her. I was worried she might push me away in anger, but thankfully that didn’t happen.
“Because you forgave me for the damage I caused to the Yourun family; because you call me your brother despite being such a gloomy person; because you gave me a pure gift with no ulterior motives; because you’re someone who, despite your busy schedule, laughs with me in the Club Room.”
That’s why I accepted the confession.
If it was someone completely unrelated to me, would I have accepted them? Would I care about them getting hurt or not?
All I had were people I met through work and those merciless friends who left without me. Rin was someone I could proudly call a personal friend. She was the person who unexpectedly approached me when I craved emotional connection.
“…At first, I might have thought you were a substitute for those people. I might have accepted you thinking you’d be someone to share my life with again.”
No, it’s not “might have”; it was the truth. Back then, when I got those confessions, I longed for the joy of having seven companions again and accepted them. And with six of them professing their love, I thought it must be fate, even just fleetingly.
Looking back now, I couldn’t have been more disrespectful. Treating the living as a substitute for the dead is madness, after all.
“Certainly, the beginning was strange.”
As I said that, I let go of the hug and looked into her eyes.
“But I don’t want to ruin how we’re doing now.”
After becoming lovers with Rin and sharing experiences with her, I began accepting her for who she truly was. I came to recognize her as Rin, simply Rin.
I no longer saw her as a replacement for an old friend. I saw her as my lover, someone who loved me and whom I was learning to love in return.
“Even couples brought together for political reasons can have great relationships if they genuinely connect. We’re not even in that situation; we’ve chosen each other, so we can definitely go further.”
Seeing Rin’s tear-streaked face, I kissed her forehead.
“I was honest, so did that help in any way?”
Despite the crooked start, my answer made it clear that things weren’t as they used to be.
I resolved to make amends for the wrong buttons I’d pushed at the start.
“Rin.”
“Y-yeah…”
“I love you. Will you marry me?”
After a long pause, I finally undid the misbuttoned button and began fastening the right one.
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