Everyone Was Obsessed With Me After I Became the Youngest Princess Favourite - Chapter 104

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“Sigh….”
Lucio gazed out the carriage window, and when Diana shifted in her sleep with her head resting on his knee, he carefully steadied her head.
She had spent the entire day wandering the Capital City with me, so even Diana, with her excellent stamina, appeared exhausted.
It was then that while observing my younger sister sleeping peacefully, Lucio discovered something she clutched tightly in her hand even as she slept.
It was the gift Diana had chosen from the Clothing Shop today, saying “This is for big sister!”
His eyes, gazing down at it, furrowed slightly.
Spending time with my younger siblings before becoming busier after graduation had been Lucio’s long-standing plan.
And at some point, Lia had naturally become included in that plan.
But since returning home, the girl who wouldn’t even meet my eyes properly had rejected our outings without hesitation.
Perhaps it was strange that he was newly startled by the fact that she was avoiding him.
A few days ago, she had suddenly brought back the library key I had given her and returned it.
“Young Master, I’m returning this to you.”
“…Why?”
“It seems I won’t be able to visit the Main Library frequently going forward.”
Even then, the girl had cast her eyes downward and simply placed the key carefully on the desk.
Besides, now that a separate Study had been prepared for the Young Master, I wouldn’t be spending as much time in the library as before anyway.
He wondered if she had discovered the secret place and realized everything, but honestly, Lucio didn’t mind if Lia knew his secret.
Rather, the way she was so blatantly avoiding him bothered him more.
‘Why is this?’
Why did she avoid him, and why did that bother him so much?
Moreover, the more he dwelled on such thoughts, the more the emotions he had been suppressing surged up within him.
Just as when Lucio first saw Lia, whenever he looked at her, his heart still ached in one corner, hurt… and often felt resentful.
He couldn’t understand himself this way and found it frustrating, but he couldn’t stop it by sheer will.
Moreover, lately even his friend Askart Bellus had begun to irritate him greatly.
“The Grand Duke seems like such a kind and wonderful person.”
During breakfast, the girl who went to the Marquis’s Residence every day as if stamping her attendance had mentioned today too that she was going to meet Askart Bellus, adding those words.
Lucio, pretending not to notice his mother’s awkward smile as if she regretted asking, couldn’t hide his bitter feelings.
The reason his mood was even more uncomfortable then was perhaps because he himself couldn’t help but acknowledge Lia’s words.
Askart Bellus was a capable and virtuous person whom even Lucio, who held a sharp and skeptical stance toward humanity, had to acknowledge.
‘…Though he does lack a bit of perceptiveness.’
According to what he heard from his father, that was a trait inherited from his parents, so it couldn’t really be called a particular shortcoming of Askart’s. It wasn’t even a flaw to begin with.
“Brother.”
As Lucio continued dwelling on such frustrating thoughts for quite some time, he lifted his head at the small voice calling him.
“Thank you for taking me out today.”
Allen, my younger brother who was usually cheerful, spoke with an awkward expression and smiled.
But the forced smile quickly darkened.
Lucio’s heart also grew heavy, despite his expressionless face.
He had seemed quite cheerful spending time outside today, but once Diana had quieted down and as they approached home, he appeared melancholic again.
When Lucio simply stared at him without responding, Allen, embarrassed, fidgeted with his interlaced fingers.
His hands were a mess, callused from years of training rendered useless by the sword he’d been gripping from dawn until late into the night.
“Allen.”
Lucio called his younger brother’s name with uncharacteristic hesitation.
Everyone believed Allen spent his days in the Training Grounds preparing for his Academy entrance, but Lucio knew the truth was far different.
“It’s not your fault.”
At those difficult words, Allen’s eyes widened, and he blinked before laughing weakly, as if drained of strength.
“You sound just like Lia.”
The unexpected name caught Lucio off guard, but Allen continued without noticing.
“Lia said the same thing. No matter what happened, she said it wasn’t my fault.”
“….”
“But it is. No matter how much I think about it, it’s my fault. I was foolish enough to be deceived by Sid Valery once, and then I was stupid enough to fall for the Head Maidservant…!”
“Allen.”
Lucio called out to stop his younger brother, whose emotions were escalating and whose chest heaved with agitation.
Allen’s strength suddenly drained away, and he spoke quietly.
“Brother, I don’t understand. It feels difficult, and it feels frightening….”
I thought I would never make such a mistake again.
Such foolishness—believing Sid’s words and hating Lia—was now too shameful even to recall.
“If something happened to Mother because of me, then I….”
Lucio fell silent, watching Allen struggle to continue.
His younger brother’s growing pains—the one who had always viewed the world so simply—had arrived in an agonizingly painful way.
Seeing him suffer like this weighed heavily on his own heart as well.
“You’re not the only one who finds it difficult. I do too, and so does Father. Humans are not perfect.”
Allen, who had admired Lucio as nearly a perfect human, opened his eyes wide in surprise at his brother’s words.
Disbelief was plainly reflected in his gaze.
Lucio laughed at himself, knowing that if his younger brother learned what he had been thinking just moments ago, he could never wear such an expression. He opened his mouth again.
“Since you brought up Sid Valery’s name, by your logic, that’s Father’s mistake. Not only did he trust such a man and place him as Vice-Captain of the Knight Order, but he even assigned him as your mentor.”
“Well… that’s…”
Allen’s lips moved soundlessly, as if he had no words to counter with.
“Even adults find such things difficult. Sometimes we can’t even be certain of our own hearts—how could we possibly understand another’s? Of course we make mistakes and get hurt.”
“Then what should I do…?”
Lucio momentarily lost his words at the gaze Allen fixed upon him.
He could not simply tell him his own personal convictions and thoughts.
Allen was different from him—his one and only younger brother.
His eyes when looking at the world and people were always straightforward, and he possessed a righteous and just nature.
That was why he did not wish for Allen to live as he did, always wary and suspicious of others.
After a moment, the silent Lucio slowly parted his lips.
“Treat people with just a little more caution than you do now. As for who to trust and who not to trust—you’ll come to understand that yourself as you live your life.”
Allen slowly repeated Lucio’s answer in his mind.
Though still engulfed in darkness, as if lost in confusion, a glimmer of clarity seemed to emerge.
Lucio, watching Allen’s expression gradually ease, found himself thinking.
He had lived his entire life suspecting everyone except family, making judgments based on information he’d gathered—but could he truly trust Lia, who was riddled with mysteries?
* * *
“Brother, look at this! Isn’t it absolutely beautiful?”
Diana called out to Allen as he entered the Dining Room for dinner.
Her eyes were bright and alert—she must have slept soundly in the carriage on the way back from sightseeing in the Capital City.
“What is that? Sand? Why are you bringing dirt to the dinner table, Diana?”
Allen replied flatly as he observed the glass bottle Diana was holding and shaking.
Diana’s expression immediately turned pouty.
I sighed softly and spoke on her behalf.
“Young Master, this was sent by Prince Aiden. A letter arrived today, and he enclosed sand from the Dhamba Kingdom in a bottle with it.”
“Aiden sent this? Is this really desert sand?”
As Allen showed interest, Diana lifted her chin again with renewed confidence.
“It really is! Isn’t it pretty?”
“Oh, it’s sparkling!”
He tilted the sealed glass bottle this way and that, examining the fine sand with fascination, but only briefly.
Allen picked up the letter on the table and quickly scanned its contents, raising his eyebrows.
“What? My name isn’t mentioned at all?”
At Allen’s disgruntled remark, I recalled the letter from Aiden that I had read to Diana earlier.
Aiden had written that the journey was grueling, but at some point, sand dunes appeared, and he was left speechless by the endless, breathtaking vista. He said it was incomparable to what he’d imagined from the few lines he’d read in books.
He lamented that he should have studied painting harder, expressing his regret at not being able to show this sight to Diana and me—his excitement and overwhelming emotion came through clearly in every word.
Instead, he closed the letter by saying he was sending sand he’d personally collected in a bottle, but the letter mentioned only Diana and me; Allen’s name was nowhere to be found.
“After all the effort I put into teaching him, this ungrateful wretch! Just wait until he comes back!”
Watching Allen vow that all his previous training had been child’s play and that he would now put him through proper discipline, I could only offer my condolences to Aiden.
A familiar face entered the Dining Room.
“My Lady! You’ve returned from your reading circle already?”
I rose with delight, and the Duchess Elrad sat down with a smile, asking the question.
“Yes, it ended early today. But Lia, I heard you rushed back from the Marquis’s Residence without even eating lunch. Is something the matter?”

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