Deadline Is Raining in the Status Window - Chapter 207

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The man wiped away the sweat from exercising after so long and cleared his throat. In the Reception Room sat Cecilia and Evan side by side. They occupied identical rocking chairs, knitting with perfect serenity.
“Yikes!”
Cecilia was frightening, but Seian cried out nonetheless. Seeing Evan’s face brought relief, yet a crushing sense of injustice flooded through me all at once.
“You owe me an apology!”
It was the first thing Seian spat out, holding back tears.
Meanwhile, Evan Laef continued moving the knitting needles with her hands while staring intently at Seian. His tearful expression was endearing, but the sight of Seian sweating was so rare that I committed it to memory.
Even if it meant death, Seian was of the Royal Family and rarely exerted himself. During morning exercises when he’d shout “Down with the Crowell Empire! Huu!” he did sweat, but this sweat was different from that.
Flushed cheeks, the terror of having entered the Crown Princess Palace, the relief of meeting Evan—it was a spectacular composition born from all these elements combined. It wasn’t something you could witness more than a few times in a lifetime. It was like a double rainbow hovering over a waterfall. Evan swallowed hard, licked her lips, and gazed at Seian.
He had clearly demanded an apology, but all that came back was a sinister gaze. Just as the man was about to grow angry, an unexpected voice rang out in the room.
“I’m sorry.”
Why are you apologizing?
Seian’s eyes widened. In his entire life, he had never heard an apology from his older sister. So she was the type to apologize when asked to apologize. Seian felt something like cultural shock.
“But it’s strange. Why is he moving?”
Just as Seian found Cecilia strange, Cecilia found Seian equally strange. She had clearly sent a poison so potent that drinking it would destroy the kidneys and liver first, render the limbs useless within half a day, and cause death within a day—mixed into expensive liquor—yet he was bounding about in perfect health.
“Why do you find it strange that Seian is moving?”
She must have done something absurd again. As Evan deduced and asked, Cecilia closed her eyes and puffed out her chest proudly. In the past, that sinister smile would have looked terrifying, but now that Evan had built some rapport with Cecilia, she looked like a fool.
“He drank the poisoned liquor I sent, yet he’s perfectly fine.”
She really had done something foolish. Evan knew Cecilia didn’t act out of malice toward Seian, but from genuine care and concern, which made it all the more foolish. Evan wanted to tell Cecilia she was being ridiculous, but she held back out of fear of the Bachelor’s nagging.
“What? No, what?!”
Even Seian’s pale face was adorable. Evan continued knitting while examining Seian piece by piece. As she scrutinized him bit by bit, she noticed the jewel on the precious ring she had given him was shattered.
In that moment, Evan could understand everything. For reasons unknown, Cecilia had sent poisoned liquor to Seian. The ring, desperate to protect its master, had performed an emergency detoxification and shattered with a sharp crack. Seeing the ring destroyed, Seian had raised a fuss about attempted assassination of the Royal Family and come here. Upon seeing Evan, sorrow welled up, and he demanded an apology. Case closed.
“Why did you send poisoned liquor to Seian?”
“He needs to marry soon. He can’t keep relying on Sera’s household forever.”
Isn’t your method of bringing back your runaway sibling a bit too extreme?
Fortunately, thanks to the ring Evan had given him, he could bound about in perfect health. If he had simply consumed the poison without it, even with an antidote administered, he would have suffered for the rest of his life. What a close call. Evan remonstrated gently, but Cecilia of the Deep Abyss Organization wore an expression of complete incomprehension.
“There’s no problem if he lives in the Imperial Palace.”
She would help him move about, bathe him, and even attend to his bathroom needs. A little organ damage wouldn’t matter, Cecilia said with a slight smile.
At that sight, Seian felt endless terror, and Evan felt Cecilia was truly being ridiculous. She wanted to flick her forehead.
So Evan did just that—flicked Cecilia’s forehead. Then the Bachelor came screaming and struck Evan on the head.
“How disrespectful!”
“Those who lose their health become unhappy. They are unconditionally unhappier than when they were healthy. Don’t force unhappiness upon your sibling.”
Whether the Bachelor continued striking her head or not, Evan pointed this out to Cecilia. But just as Evan paid no heed to the Bachelor’s words, Cecilia seemed to have given up on understanding Evan’s words.
“But I already apologized.”
“Right, there’s no reasoning with you.”
Truly, Cecilia of the Deep Abyss Organization. If she weren’t a woman, she would have smoked a cigarette right now. Just one—she desperately wished it. Evan shook her head. Besides, cigarettes here probably wouldn’t even have fruit flavoring. Evan wanted to smoke a peach-flavored one.
“What are you doing anyway?”
Having heard without filter that his older sister intended to cripple his organs and render his limbs useless so she could keep him from leaving the Crown Princess Palace, Seian hid behind Evan and trembled. Unable to resist curiosity even while frightened, the dark-furred ferret asked Evan about her knitting, but terrifyingly, the answer came from Cecilia instead.
“I’ll make it for your child.”
“Eek!”
The moment Cecilia spoke, Seian let out a sound close to a shriek and scratched his entire body frantically. Chills had covered him in goosebumps, and apparently displeased by his appearance, Cecilia pursed her lips sharply.
“This one certainly makes a fuss every time I speak to him.”
“It’s because you frighten me.”
“Me?”
Cecilia’s eyes widened in surprise, and she tilted her head with a confused tilt. She seemed entirely unaware of what kind of threat she posed to Seian in her everyday interactions.
“That can’t be.”
“It can be. Most siblings don’t get whipped by their older sister for not listening.”
“Different families have different disciplinary methods.”
“Most families don’t do that kind of discipline.”
“Mother was hardly ordinary, but I suppose you could blame me for it.”
Wait, what kind of person was this woman that Cecilia killed? Did that mean the beatings Seian received to keep him in line were something their mother used to do?
Evan wanted to hear the details of the story, but Seian suddenly embraced her from behind and trembled so much that she had no choice but to change the subject.
“Let’s talk about something else.”
“This one always gets like this whenever his deceased mother is mentioned.”
He has these episodes often. It was strange—he usually called her scary and creepy, and occasionally mentioned Cecilia, but he absolutely refused to speak of his parents, even under duress.
Evan gently stroked the head of Seian, who had buried his face in her shoulder, and Cecilia prepared a seat for him. At Cecilia’s instruction, the Bachelor was ordered to bring a chair, and Little Seian Mark III worked diligently. Remarkably, this place contained no one but those who loved Seian.
“Please, sit down.”
“You’ve been drinking all this time, haven’t you? I’ve prepared tomato juice.”
Both the Bachelor and Little Seian Mark III attended to Seian as they would to Cecilia. If Cecilia hadn’t been so gloomy, unpleasant, and prone to beating her brother, they might have formed a good family relationship. But Cecilia was gloomy, unpleasant, and beat her brother, so she ruined everything.
“What we were knitting was….”
“A head covering for your child.”
Newborns need to maintain their body heat, after all. When Evan nodded in agreement with Cecilia’s words, Seian, who had barely calmed down after drinking the tomato juice, trembled like a vibrating bell once more.
“I, I’m not having a child!”
“But you have a betrothal arrangement with the Countess’s Daughter, don’t you?”
“Your child would surely be adorable.”
So we were knitting away with cheerful laughter, befitting a noblewoman of a romance novel. When Evan spoke confidently with “hehe, hoho,” Seian slammed down his empty tomato juice glass and cried out.
“I’m not getting engaged! I’m not! And whose fault is this?! You said you were getting married, so I did it in a fit of anger!”
The man who had been firing off words in irritation suddenly realized his slip of the tongue, and his face flushed crimson as he shut his mouth. The way he said it made it sound as though he had gotten engaged in desperation because Evan was getting married.
Which was actually true, but it could easily create a misunderstanding that Seian had done this because he harbored feelings for Evan.
Though that was also true, it was something Seian would rather die than let Evan discover.
“So you did get engaged in a fit of anger, but now you’re scared to actually go through with it?”
“My goodness, so you won’t be having a child then?”
Seian carried many misfortunes, but the first among the misfortunes present in this moment was that none of them showed any interest in Seian’s romantic feelings whatsoever.
“So that’s why you were drinking and complaining.”
“If you had consulted with your sister from the beginning, I would have solved it for you.”
Evan and Cecilia laughed at Seian with “hehehehe, hohoho.” The second misfortune present in this moment was that they were both complete fools.
“Which house is it? Once the investigation is complete, I’d like you to share the information with me as well.”
“Of course.”
“And reflect on yourself. Because you’re dragging out this succession struggle, everyone from dogs to cats is starting to mock the Imperial Court.”
“I have nothing to say to that.”
As Evan spoke with reckless abandon, Cecilia’s eyes widened wickedly as she glared at her opponent. No matter how evenly matched we’ve become lately, she’s still terrifying when she puts on that expression. Evan felt a chill run down her spine and shuddered before offering an excuse.
“My mouth was far too free. Don’t take revenge on me later.”
“I’ll consider it.”
“Oh, come on.”
Since Cecilia was being difficult, Evan picked up knitting needles and sparred with her playfully. They clashed with the needles like swords for a moment, and Seian watched Evan with an expression of shock.
“Why are you doing that?”
“No, you really have no fear, do you?”
“I suppose I’m that way inclined.”
Evan, who had heard similar words even when entering a lion’s den to feed them, accepted Seian’s remark with a hearty laugh.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————