Chapter 11

A warm sunlight poured down into a garden drifting with the fragrance of roses.

“Bell… could you settle down already?”

“My younger brother is finally coming today! I can’t possibly settle down!”

As I muttered that while pacing back and forth around the area, the prince let out a sigh for what felt like the nth time.

“My dress isn’t weird, is it?”

“Bell, why would you wear a weird dress in front of your fiancé?”

“Ah… I’m sorry.”

He sighed at me once more.

“Is Lord Schwarz not coming today?”

The prince’s sharp gaze was too painful, so I hastily changed the subject. His beautiful blonde hair sparkled brightly.

“Yeah. He needs to start learning the ropes of work soon, too.”

Lately, Schwarz’s visits had decreased.

Around the time I underwent my crown princess education, the prince would also begin learning his duties in earnest. It was a simultaneous, parallel course of training for both of us. The work required of his retainers would naturally increase alongside the master they served.

As for Schwarz, he held the crucial position of an aide among the retainers, and he was apparently a minister’s son to boot. The burden on him was heavier than anyone else’s.

“I suppose you won’t be able to play with Bell like this anymore, either.”

When I stole a glance at him, the prince was smiling with a hint of loneliness.

“Did you have fun?”

I didn’t dare specify what. When I asked timidly, the prince slowly nodded in response to my question.

“Extremely. It has been the most enjoyable time of my life.”

I figured the prince was smiling straight from the heart at that moment. He surely meant it when he said he truly enjoyed himself. I was glad. Letting out a relieved breath from the bottom of my chest, I offered words of gratitude myself.

“Thank you for putting up with my selfishness until today. For me, too, these days have been immensely fun and fulfilling.”

I gave the prince my warmest smile and expressed my utmost gratitude. After blinking in surprise for a moment, the prince let out an amused, exasperated chuckle and tilted his head.

“What’s with that way of speaking, like this is the end? You’re my fiancée, so I’d listen to your selfishness anytime.”

“That’s… true, I suppose.”

For a split second, my heart skipped a beat.

I couldn’t remain the prince’s fiancée forever. Once we entered the academy, staying by the prince’s side would become even more impossible. Even so, was it selfish of me to want to watch him find happiness from up close?

I genuinely hoped that the prince would marry the heroine and find happiness. He was someone who deserved to be happy. Yet, even if he played around with us like this, it wouldn’t truly heal the fundamental wounds inside him.

If the prince managed to find happiness, I would bless him with all my might. If possible, I wanted him to invite me to his wedding, too. It would be even better if he designated the heroine’s bouquet toss for me.

“Besides, there are still a few months left before my work truly begins.”

The prince’s voice snapped me back to reality.

I was wishing for the prince’s happiness, so what on earth was I doing getting ahead of myself!

“You’re right, let’s play a lot more!”

When I said that with gusto to clear my head, the prince nodded in agreement.

“After all, teasing Bell is a lot of fun.”

“Teasing me…”

When I shot a menacing glare his way, the prince laughed again. It wasn’t his usual teasing expression, but a tender, affectionate smile.

“Bell. I want to thank you, too.”

The prince gently enveloped my hand in his.

Surprised, I looked up at him to find his blue eyes narrowed in a soft expression.

“Thank you for giving me happiness. I’m still grateful that you faced me with such sincerity back on that day.”

The corners of my eyes grew unbearably hot.

Did he really have to say that now? Was he trying to make me cry?

That meant it hadn’t been a mistake to try and fill the void of the prince’s loneliness on that day. If anything, I was the one who had been saved.

The sheer abnormality of possessing past-life memories. The irregular existence of knowing the future. I had done things the original Bertia would never have done. I had done countless things unthinkable for a young lady, let alone a royal fiancé. If anything, thank you so much for accepting such a bizarre existence as me.

Before I knew it, I was crying uncontrollably.

“Ah, look at that. Your eyes are going to get all puffy if you cry.”

The prince smiled wryly and wiped away my tears with the sleeve of his expensive-looking clothing. For all his teasing, the prince could be so gentle at times like this.

As expected, I truly wanted him to find happiness.

After seeing the prince off, I cooled my swollen eyes with cold water.

“My new younger brother is about to arrive now… Will I be okay?”

“Please, wait just a little longer.”

I was waiting with my father at the entrance for my brother to arrive, but the swelling simply wouldn’t go down. If I looked like this, it would leave a terrible first impression on my new brother. Because the prince had to go and say things like that…

The memory threatened to make me cry all over again, so I frantically redirected my thoughts.

“Father, would you tell me my brother’s name?”

“His name? Wouldn’t it be better to hear it directly from him rather than from me?”

“You’re quite right.”

As the two of us were talking, the front door clicked open, and a servant entered. I quickly hid the ice pack I had been pressing to my eyes behind my back.

The servant bowed politely and continued.

“Lord Father, Lady Bertia. The members of the Tirefia family have arrived.”

“Show them in.”

“As you command.”

The maid gave a respectful bow and vanished back through the door. I handed the ice pack to a nearby maid-in-waiting and straightened my attire.

At last, they were here. My younger brother.

“Now then, they’re coming.”

As if prompted by my father’s voice, the servants swung the large doors open, and three people walked inside. A plump woman, a fairly handsome man, and a child a bit shorter than me. The child was standing behind the woman, with only a tuft of silver-gray hair peeking out.

That child had to be my brother.

“It’s been a while, Lord Sieg. I am Bahar Tirefia, head of the Tirefia family.”

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lord Father. I am Bahar’s wife, Merli. And this is our child.”

Bahar bowed his head gracefully, while Merli twisted her vividly painted lips, grabbed the back of the child’s neck from behind, and shoved him out in front of us. Because Merli gave the boy’s shoulder a rough shove, he stumbled slightly.

What a rough way to treat a child…

When I glanced sideways at Father, he apparently felt the same way, as he was scowling deeply. From the perspective of us, the main family, treating one’s own child like that was utterly unthinkable.

Even as I furrowed my brow and turned my gaze to the child pushed out in front, I was hit with a shock akin to a bolt of lightning.

Shimmering, wavy silver-gray hair and large, round, blue-tinged eyes. Pale skin complemented by faintly cherry-blossomed cheeks and small, red lips. He was a beautiful boy possessing a charm different from the prince.

The prince had a look that was beautiful, ethereal, and touched with a hint of shadows, whereas this boy was the picture of cuteness. Even though both of them possessed large eyes and fair skin, the reason they felt so different must have been due to this boy’s youthfulness.

The boy, who had been keeping quiet and still, was nudged by Merli and reluctantly bent his knees.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m… no. My name is Will. I look forward to working with you…”

The cute Will’s greeting was adorable, too. This practically begged to be called “Big Sis.”

“Ufufufu, well then, we shall take our leave. Will. Don’t you dare cause any trouble. You won’t hear the end of it if you make a fool of yourself before you get back.”

Merli twisted her makeup-caked face and glared at Will with a sharp, venomous look.

“Merli. Watch your tongue. Excuse us, Lord Father.”

The head of the Tirefia family issued a perfunctory scolding to Merli and left our house. Father smiled silently, but he was exuding a rather dark aura…

“Will isn’t actually their biological child, you know.”

“Eh?”

“Well, you see that head of the family, right? He’s a child that fellow had with a prostitute. They apparently had him made because they lacked an heir, but since a legitimate eldest son has now been born to the Tirefia family…”

“So he’s essentially served his purpose…”

“Pretty much.”

Father whispered quietly in my ear, then offered a bright smile. Finally, leaving behind a remark to get along well, he turned back to face Will.

“Will, welcome to the Tybus family. From now on, we are family. Let’s get along—though I suppose you won’t be able to accept that right away. Let’s see…”

Father wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me right in front of Will.

“Father?”

“Why don’t you start by getting along with this child? She is my daughter, but…”

“Father, I’ll introduce myself.”

When I spun around to face Father and said that, he chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

“Ah, right. Sorry, sorry. Oh, is it already this time… I wanted to talk more, but I have work to do, so I must excuse myself. Well then, Will, Bell, I’ll see you at dinner tonight.”

Checking his pocket watch, Father dropped the outer corners of his eyes apologetically and briskly turned on his heel.

Left behind were just me and Will. An awkward atmosphere settled over the room. What on earth was this agonizing sensation?

“Um… may I call you Will? I am Bertia. I’m going to be your older sister. Well, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d love it if you called me Big Sis.”

When I offered a bright, reassuring smile so as not to frighten him, Will—who had been silent the whole time—stole a quick glance up at me. Our eyes met, and I smiled brightly again.

After looking me up and down from the top of my head to the tips of my toes as if appraising me, Will twisted his adorable face into an equally adorable grimace and let out a scoff through his nose.

…Did he just scoff?

“What’s with this pint-sized squirt?”

An outrageous piece of verbal abuse tumbled right out of those adorable lips.