Chapter: 684
After experiencing the monumental events of the Crown Prince’s birth and Ferentz’s arrival, we’ve now stepped into December.
December, the month that wraps up the year and heralds the dawn of a new one. It’s when soft, white snowflakes fall gently, embracing the weary souls of humanity.
“Lately, I’ve been so shaky that the ink smudges every time I sign,”
“Oh dear.”
It’s also the month when Erich, on the verge of marriage, is clearly having a mental breakdown.
“It’s still 50 days away—what are you panicking for?”
Seeing Erich like this made me smirk. I wondered if he actually wanted to see me in the territory; turns out he just wanted to complain.
Fortunately, Erich and Zenobia’s wedding is set for mid-January. Given that it’s Zenobia’s first and last wedding, they decided on the Earl Horfelt estate as the venue.
As time passed, Erich’s eyes began to dart about frantically. Now that the wedding date, location, scale, and guest list are all confirmed, it’s a whole different ballgame from just thinking, “I’m getting married.”
“How did you endure this six times?”
Erich’s comment caught me off guard.
Is he trying to throw shade at me? Seriously? Attacking me over the number of my weddings holds no weight now! I’ve already had my weddings and raised kids. That’s a compliment in my book!
“…I was living like a married couple long before the wedding. I was nervous, sure, but not to the point of losing it.”
So I met his gaze for a moment and answered casually. His twitching eyes suggested he wasn’t trying to pick a fight; he was just stressed out and venting whatever came to mind.
“But you’ve been living like a couple, right? You’re all sharing a mansion together.”
In any case, I patted Erich’s shoulder, still shaking with anxiety. Like I had essentially been in a common-law relationship before getting hitched, he too was leading a similar life with his fiancées. Living together in the Crasius family’s estate doesn’t get more common-law than that.
“Still, it’s your first wedding. How on earth are you so calm? You must’ve been nervous during your first, right?”
His words made me dig into my memories.
My first wedding. The one with Mar at the cathedral…
“It was chaotic after that sudden blessing hit,”
“Oh.”
I got a blank stare in response, and it seemed he was satisfied with that answer.
The nerves of the first wedding? Regrettably, I don’t remember that. It’s been nearly three years now, and with Enen’s blessing crashing the ceremony, making appearances by cardinals, and scheduling posthumous canonizations, it was total chaos. It’s hard to recall any feelings of nerves from such a whirlwind of a wedding.
Of course, I remember feeling happy, but that’s probably not what Erich wanted to hear.
“Just take it easy. What good does it do to get all worked up? You’re not going to pull a stunt now, right?”
In the end, I had to slice him with some straightforward facts instead of soft encouragement.
I didn’t want to be like this, but honestly, there’s little that can be done if someone’s nervous. It’s not like I can step in for his wedding.
“Our youngest is cheering you on, you know. Big bro needs to show off his impressive side!”
“Wuh?”
Of course, it felt bad to just brush off the conversation with Erich. So, cradling little Teresa, who was tugging at my hem, I lifted her up.
“Hey, Teresa! Let’s tell your second brother to hang in there!”
“Hinay~”
My request got Teresa flapping her little arms as she cheered for Erich.
Honestly, I doubt Teresa was really telling him to hang in there. She was just mimicking what I told her to say.
But honestly, managing to get the words “hang in there” from that little cutie is a win in my book.
“If I screw up the wedding, Teresa won’t even remember it.”
‘That jerk.’
Yet, hideous second brother Erich was apathetic even in light of his little sister’s encouragement.
With your attitude, Teresa will wake up if she hears just your voice! You better accept facing your sister when she hits those teenage years.
“O-ppa.”
“Yeah?”
While I imagined Erich shaking with Teresa tugging on him, she pointed to him with her other hand.
“You’re going to second brother?”
“Wuh.”
Nodding her head, I set Teresa down gently.
She can walk now, but even when she couldn’t move, she was bursting with energy. She’s fallen a couple of times from her inability to hold back while running around, no doubt.
But if I just held her all the time, she’d throw a fit for it, too. So, I gotta let her down while watching to see if she doesn’t take a tumble.
“Oppa-”
Not knowing if she could see my uneasy expression, Teresa waddled over to Erich.
“Babo.”
Then she smacked Erich right on the shin.
“Ugh!”
I almost burst out laughing but forced myself to stifle it rapidly.
What an unexpected turn of events! Who would’ve guessed that the younger sister who was born twenty years later would end up bullying Erich?
Plus, she pronounced “babo” quite clearly, as if it revealed Teresa’s true feelings.
‘Has the teenage angst already arrived?’
I always thought Erich would encounter Teresa’s teenage years at some point, but maybe that time has already come—one tailor-made specifically for Erich.
“Babo…”
With his little sister berating him, Erich’s expression turned blank.
It’s satisfying to think that this heavy tension is meeting an even heavier shock. Indeed, family are the only ones capable of comforting each other.
*
Only after finishing dinner did I return to my estate.
Honestly, the moment Teresa called him a fool, all I wanted was to hide in my room, but since we were at the territory, family dinners are a must. There wouldn’t be many chances to see the parents at the estate otherwise.
So, clinging to that bittersweet heart, I made my way back to the mansion,
– It’s been a while, Brother.
A message from Tannian arrived.
It was a sudden message, but I brushed it off. Tannian often reached out once a month for no real reason since he left the Empire to do a pilgrimage in other lands.
Seems like he gets bored wandering the continent and checks in with me every now and then. He may be the next saint, but roaming around the holy sites for almost a year could get tiring.
“It’s only been a month; what do you mean ‘it’s been a while’?”
– Isn’t it human nature to not know what could happen in a month? Thankfully, it seems you’ve been well.
“And you? You doing okay?”
– Thanks to God’s grace, I’m doing just fine.
Seeing Tannian chuckle softly made me nod quietly.
In fact, few on this continent are as safe and well-kept as Tannian. Known as Enen’s son, he enjoys treatment almost equal to the Pope at the Dawn Sect’s dioceses spread across the continent. If he faced discomfort, that would be more unusual.
More precisely, it’s likely that even if there were discomfort, he wouldn’t let it show. If Tannian merely coughs, pandemonium would ensue in that region.
“Last I heard, you were in the Bazhen Kingdom, right?”
I opened my mouth softly while watching Tannian chuckle.
When I spoke with Tannian a month ago, he mentioned he was in Bazhen Kingdom, a nation located on the eastern edge of the continent, just north of the United Kingdom of Yuben.
That means he has probably wrapped up his pilgrimage there and is now entering Yuben. Since Yuben is the last country on his pilgrimage, it won’t be long before he heads back to the Holy Kingdom.
– Yes, I crossed into the United Kingdom of Yuben a few days ago after finishing my pilgrimage in Bazhen. It’s a pleasure to see you, Brother Lather, after so long.
At my remark, Tannian replied while still smiling.
A bit envious, really. Thanks to his travels, he has met every friend from the Academy, including me, Ainter, Rutis, and Lather.
– You haven’t changed much, but your chess skills have improved so much that it’s unrecognizable. I could tell you’ve been living each day seeking revenge against Rutis.
“Yeah, but we probably won’t get the chance again.”
– I’m sure you’ve imagined the countless matches in your mind already.
Hearing such a pitying remark made me chuckle.
No matter how hard Lather practices, he will forever lack the chance for a rematch. And even if that opportunity arises, there’s no guarantee he’d win. With Rutis developing, there’s no way he’d just sit idle.
– In place of that, albeit embarrassing, I managed to contact Rutis while I played chess on his behalf.
“…What?”
– I managed to display the chessboard via the communication orb, so I could relay commands from a distance. Brother Lather seemed pretty pleased.
It sounded like a lot happened in the word “pleased,” so I maintained silence.
From the flow of things, it seemed that Tannian won while following Rutis’s orders. I could only imagine what Lather felt, losing not only in face-to-face chess but also in long-distance chess. The thought alone is enough to give me chills.
– By the way, did you know?
What’s that? That you sniped Lather’s pride?
I almost let that slip but held it back. Tannian must have tried the long-distance chess out of genuine goodwill—
– I’ve heard Brother Lather is getting married soon, too.
“Wait, what?”
My ears almost couldn’t believe it. Lather is getting married?
– Haha, seems like I’ve startled you quite a bit. I was startled when I first heard about it, too.
Tannian chuckled at my reaction.
– However, isn’t it such joyful news to hear good tidings from an old friend after so long?
Seeing Tannian nod his head in satisfaction made me feel a mix of frustration and bewilderment.
Come on, can’t you just finish the sentence? Why is the topic suddenly about marriage?
‘What the heck has happened since graduation?’
Rutis was in chaos while at the Academy, and things haven’t changed since returning home. What about Lather…?
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