~ Mark’s Side ~
I’m feeling extremely uncomfortable right now. The cause is, needless to say, the girls.
“I was told this dress suits me.”
“Me too.”
“Then me as well.”
“And me too.”
While Mother and the other adults were conversing with the noble wives from the other families, we children moved to a corner of the venue after briefly greeting each other to avoid getting in their way.
Up to that point was fine, but the moment we moved, Princess Tiara immediately started talking about Brother, saying “Rolando-sama really is wonderful, isn’t he.”
Certainly, Brother is an amazing person. I think he’s much more suited to being the Malbert family heir than someone like me. However, Brother has a goal he wants to accomplish.
Achieving Brother’s goal of seeing and traveling around this world would certainly be difficult while being a noble lord. But that’s if he were an ordinary person.
If it’s Brother, who can instantly travel anywhere, I think he could do it on the side while being a lord. But considering the vast scale of the world, it would still be difficult – I understand that as well.
And thanks to Brother refusing to become heir, I, who was only meant to be a spare next head, am now able to become the Malbert family’s next head. I really look up to Brother for that.
“By the way, what should we do from here on?”
“…About the engagement issue.”
“For now we have no choice but to wait, don’t we?”
“You’re right.”
While I was thinking about Brother, their topic shifted to talks of becoming engaged to Brother. For some reason, Laura had naturally joined in, which was unnatural, but Laura’s feelings for Brother are nothing new, so I didn’t pay it any mind.
Princess Tiara and the noble daughters, with very serious expressions, were discussing what they needed to do to become engaged to Brother, saying “not this” and “maybe that”.
I had asked Brother about marriage some time ago, and his nonchalant reply was “I’m not interested in stuff like that right now, so whatever.”
The fact that his reply included “right now” means the possibility of him looking for a partner someday isn’t zero, but who knows when that day will come…
“Are you listening, Mark-sama?”
“Huh? Ah, my apologies, Lady Laufa. I was lost in thought a bit.”
“Honestly, Mark-sama…”
I’ve also been caught by Laufa, the second daughter of the Byreus family. Currently, I’m engaged to Lauren, the eldest daughter of the Margrave Byreus family, but it’s only nominal.
She had told me she planned to become the Byreus heir herself, and welcome Brother as her husband. And as part of that, she nominated her sister Laufa as my fiancee in her place.
Apparently, just as Brother ceded the role of heir to me, she wanted to become the Byreus heir, so she chose Laufa to replace her as my fiancee – she proudly told me as much.
I felt a little uncomfortable hearing her say that in front of the person herself, but since I’m also someone who was swapped out by Brother, I could somehow understand where she was coming from.
“Anyway…”
While pouting at me, she soon smiled brightly and cheerfully spoke to me. Due to being a noble, her features were elegant – you could say she was like an exquisitely crafted doll.
However, her rich emotions and smile, which shone like the sun, had a mystical charm, making me feel as though I was face to face with an angel. Because of that, I unconsciously muttered,
“Cute…”
“Huh?”
“Ah, no, it’s nothing. Nothing at all.”
I hastily tried to gloss it over, but she likely understood full well the meaning of my words. While it was unconscious, those words I murmured while looking into her eyes were heartfelt.
Silence followed for a while after that, but Princess Sheryl and Laufa’s younger sister Laurie came over, allowing the matter to be dropped.
「「「「Hmph, go explode!」」」」
“Wha-!?”
Seeing that, Princess Tiara, Lady Lauren, Lady Fahren, and my twin sister Laura hit me with scathing words. I could overlook the others, but Lady Lauren? Weren’t you the one who orchestrated this?
“Rather than that, this is a good chance to get closer to him.”
“You’re right, I haven’t even held hands yet.”
“K-kissing too…”
“Wh-what audacity! Have you no shame!?”
As Princess Tiara, Lady Lauren, and Lady Fahren fantasized about Brother in turn, my sister Laura dropped a bomb here.
“I’ve already held Brother’s hand.”
「「「……」」」
“I cling to Brother every time we meet.”
「「「……」」」
“We haven’t kissed on the lips yet, but on the cheek―”
「「「You go explode too!!」」」
While the three of them tolerated it as something allowed between siblings since she’s his sister, it seemed kissing was a step too far even between siblings, as they shouted for her to explode as they did for me earlier.
Laura watched them with a triumphant look, but I wonder if she realized. That siblings can’t get married…
No, perhaps that last remark was precisely because she does realize it. My sister isn’t stupid. Normally she would never say such things. And yet she acted that way, so I understand it comes from feelings of envy and jealousy that the other three are qualified to be with Brother. Twins really have it rough.
“Cough, the point of this tea party is to deepen ties with a princess from a certain nation. You mustn’t lose sight of the purpose, but it also is a good chance to get closer to him – that’s a fact too. Do your best, everyone!”
「「「Yes!」」」
While the princesses are huffing like that, I honestly think it will be difficult. Brother still has no interest in such things and is focused on moving straight ahead for his own goals. If you want to move the heart of that kind of person, ordinary resolve won’t be enough. You might need the resolve to stake your entire future life.
“Which is exactly why surpassing that high wall will be worth it.”
“Mark-sama, you weren’t listening to me again, were you? Honestly…”
I got scolded by Laufa Laufa again for thinking unnecessary things, but I didn’t regret it since I got to see her cute face again.
After that, I spent the time conversing with Lady Laufa and the others until the tea party preparations were ready. It was a while longer before the host of this tea party, my brother, appeared.
~ Mark’s Side ~
I’m feeling extremely uncomfortable right now. The cause is, needless to say, the girls.
“I was told this dress suits me.”
“Me too.”
“Then me as well.”
“And me too.”
While Mother and the other adults were conversing with the noble wives from the other families, we children moved to a corner of the venue after briefly greeting each other to avoid getting in their way.
Up to that point was fine, but the moment we moved, Princess Tiara immediately started talking about Brother, saying “Rolando-sama really is wonderful, isn’t he.”
Certainly, Brother is an amazing person. I think he’s much more suited to being the Malbert family heir than someone like me. However, Brother has a goal he wants to accomplish.
Achieving Brother’s goal of seeing and traveling around this world would certainly be difficult while being a noble lord. But that’s if he were an ordinary person.
If it’s Brother, who can instantly travel anywhere, I think he could do it on the side while being a lord. But considering the vast scale of the world, it would still be difficult – I understand that as well.
And thanks to Brother refusing to become heir, I, who was only meant to be a spare next head, am now able to become the Malbert family’s next head. I really look up to Brother for that.
“By the way, what should we do from here on?”
“…About the engagement issue.”
“For now we have no choice but to wait, don’t we?”
“You’re right.”
While I was thinking about Brother, their topic shifted to talks of becoming engaged to Brother. For some reason, Laura had naturally joined in, which was unnatural, but Laura’s feelings for Brother are nothing new, so I didn’t pay it any mind.
Princess Tiara and the noble daughters, with very serious expressions, were discussing what they needed to do to become engaged to Brother, saying “not this” and “maybe that”.
I had asked Brother about marriage some time ago, and his nonchalant reply was “I’m not interested in stuff like that right now, so whatever.”
The fact that his reply included “right now” means the possibility of him looking for a partner someday isn’t zero, but who knows when that day will come…
“Are you listening, Mark-sama?”
“Huh? Ah, my apologies, Lady Laufa. I was lost in thought a bit.”
“Honestly, Mark-sama…”
I’ve also been caught by Laufa, the second daughter of the Byreus family. Currently, I’m engaged to Lauren, the eldest daughter of the Margrave Byreus family, but it’s only nominal.
She had told me she planned to become the Byreus heir herself, and welcome Brother as her husband. And as part of that, she nominated her sister Laufa as my fiancee in her place.
Apparently, just as Brother ceded the role of heir to me, she wanted to become the Byreus heir, so she chose Laufa to replace her as my fiancee – she proudly told me as much.
I felt a little uncomfortable hearing her say that in front of the person herself, but since I’m also someone who was swapped out by Brother, I could somehow understand where she was coming from.
“Anyway…”
While pouting at me, she soon smiled brightly and cheerfully spoke to me. Due to being a noble, her features were elegant – you could say she was like an exquisitely crafted doll.
However, her rich emotions and smile, which shone like the sun, had a mystical charm, making me feel as though I was face to face with an angel. Because of that, I unconsciously muttered,
“Cute…”
“Huh?”
“Ah, no, it’s nothing. Nothing at all.”
I hastily tried to gloss it over, but she likely understood full well the meaning of my words. While it was unconscious, those words I murmured while looking into her eyes were heartfelt.
Silence followed for a while after that, but Princess Sheryl and Laufa’s younger sister Laurie came over, allowing the matter to be dropped.
「「「「Hmph, go explode!」」」」
“Wha-!?”
Seeing that, Princess Tiara, Lady Lauren, Lady Fahren, and my twin sister Laura hit me with scathing words. I could overlook the others, but Lady Lauren? Weren’t you the one who orchestrated this?
“Rather than that, this is a good chance to get closer to him.”
“You’re right, I haven’t even held hands yet.”
“K-kissing too…”
“Wh-what audacity! Have you no shame!?”
As Princess Tiara, Lady Lauren, and Lady Fahren fantasized about Brother in turn, my sister Laura dropped a bomb here.
“I’ve already held Brother’s hand.”
「「「……」」」
“I cling to Brother every time we meet.”
「「「……」」」
“We haven’t kissed on the lips yet, but on the cheek―”
「「「You go explode too!!」」」
While the three of them tolerated it as something allowed between siblings since she’s his sister, it seemed kissing was a step too far even between siblings, as they shouted for her to explode as they did for me earlier.
Laura watched them with a triumphant look, but I wonder if she realized. That siblings can’t get married…
No, perhaps that last remark was precisely because she does realize it. My sister isn’t stupid. Normally she would never say such things. And yet she acted that way, so I understand it comes from feelings of envy and jealousy that the other three are qualified to be with Brother. Twins really have it rough.
“Cough, the point of this tea party is to deepen ties with a princess from a certain nation. You mustn’t lose sight of the purpose, but it also is a good chance to get closer to him – that’s a fact too. Do your best, everyone!”
「「「Yes!」」」
While the princesses are huffing like that, I honestly think it will be difficult. Brother still has no interest in such things and is focused on moving straight ahead for his own goals. If you want to move the heart of that kind of person, ordinary resolve won’t be enough. You might need the resolve to stake your entire future life.
“Which is exactly why surpassing that high wall will be worth it.”
“Mark-sama, you weren’t listening to me again, were you? Honestly…”
I got scolded by Laufa Laufa again for thinking unnecessary things, but I didn’t regret it since I got to see her cute face again.
After that, I spent the time conversing with Lady Laufa and the others until the tea party preparations were ready. It was a while longer before the host of this tea party, my brother, appeared.
