I Became the Youngest Sister-in-law of the Ruined Reverse Harem’s Male Leads - Chapter 116

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#.116

“Where is His Majesty?”

“His Majesty just finished a meeting and stopped by the Knight Order.”

Edith ran to the Knight Order looking for Marius.

He was there receiving reports about the search situation for the Order.

At the sound of urgent footsteps, Marius looked up. Their eyes met in midair.

“You came?”

Marius greeted her with a wistful smile, and Edith.

“Your, Your Majesty the Empress!”

“Senior!”

“Edith!”

Without hesitation, she grabbed him by the collar.

Ah, so you’ve finally learned everything too.

Thinking that what was bound to come had come, Marius closed his eyes and let out a heavy breath.

She grabbed his collar and pushed Marius against the wall.

Thud.

The back of his head and back hit the wall. Edith gripped his collar and pressed firmly against his chest.

“Is it true?”

There was no doubt about the truth Emilia had revealed, but Edith hoped Marius would refute it.

But Marius trembled his eyelids with a face that had given up on everything.

“I asked if it’s true!”

“Your Majesty the Empress. Please calm down—”

When Derek tried to stop her in alarm, Marius waved his hand.

Then all the knights and inspectors around quickly retreated tactfully.

“I’m sorry, Edith.”

“You bastard… how long were you planning to hide it?”

“As long as possible, until the very end.”

Edith swallowed her breath and lowered her head to suppress the endless waves of betrayal.

Even so, neither her burning chest nor her dizzyingly explosive head would calm down.

Unable to overcome her emotions, she raised her fist but trembled with her arm still raised.

Marius hung his head low, not knowing what to do with his guilt.

“I won’t make excuses. It’s my fault.”

To her, the fact that Marius was the Emperor didn’t matter.

What mattered first was that he had deceived her and what he had done to her family in the past.

She wished he would make excuses saying there were such and such circumstances. So she could be appropriately angry and then forgive him.

But Marius drew the line saying he wouldn’t make excuses.

She felt like the ground beneath her feet had collapsed and she had fallen into an inescapable swamp.

“You can hit me, curse at me. You can resent me. You can blame me.”

“Is that it?”

“What could I possibly say?”

“You should explain. The reason you approached me after committing such horrible acts! What you were thinking while chatting and joking around with Lilliana!”

“At first it was a sense of debt. Andrea asked me to, and since I had done wrong, I wanted to treat you well. But… you know, Edith. How much I cherish and love Lilliana. To me, that child is my, my…”

Whatever the beginning was, he had come to love Lilliana not simply as his wife’s sister, but as his own family.

When they played around, she seemed like his youngest sibling, and when he recorded her gradually growing height on the palace walls, his heart swelled as if his own child was growing.

But he had no right to say she was like a daughter to him.

So Marius bit his lips hard.

“You approached me because of my brother?”

“…”

“You must have been worried that Andrea Berchio, who should have died, was still alive. He might use his abilities again! Even if he doesn’t use his abilities, since he knows about your ugly past, he might pressure the Trobancha Government to do something! So you decided to use me to keep Andrea in check!”

Edith screamed like a shriek.

Marius felt like the desperate reproach was tearing him apart, so he covered his face with both hands.

It would have been better when he killed his half-brothers for treason.

Back then he could steel his heart and make decisions, but not with Edith.

“It wasn’t to keep him in check, but to protect. Since Lazas failed to descend because of Lilliana, I thought this time he would approach Lilliana when she was very young and destroy her.”

Before going to Trobancha, he had secretly investigated Lilliana.

Then he realized that Lilliana’s health was much worse than he had expected.

Since she was a child who barely survived and couldn’t properly fight Lazas before fading away, this time he decided to make excuses and protect her from this side.

“I had to save Lilliana, and I wanted to.”

Making eye contact with the small child, laughing together, carrying her on his back… the bond and affection he had cultivated during that time had grown to an indescribable depth.

He felt such clumsy paternal love that he even felt guilty for taking Lilliana away from Andrea.

“I caused you irreversible wounds.”

Edith would leave anyway. He didn’t think he could be forgiven.

Thinking that he had lost her, his stomach churned and his vision spun.

Marius knelt on the dirt ground, suppressing the urge to vomit right then and there.

“Edith, I’m truly sorry. I committed an unforgivable wrong against Lilliana too.”

He could hear Edith’s rough breathing above his head.

He didn’t realize that he was trembling.

It felt like being submerged in endless darkness with black water filling his lungs.

‘It was happiness that wasn’t allowed, but I wanted to hold onto it as long as possible.’

‘Family’ was a word he couldn’t receive even from blood relatives.

He had to kill his uncle and brothers with his own hands.

That’s why he was happy becoming friends and lovers with Edith, and becoming a couple while being lovers.

He learned about love while raising siblings like children. He learned how life becomes colorful when you have family.

He coveted what he shouldn’t have dreamed of, but he had no regrets. Because he had been so happy.

“…Let’s end it here. Our contract.”

“…”

“I’ll leave as soon as I hand over my assigned duties.”

Marius’s trembling eyelids slowly closed. A single tear fell from one eye.

He swallowed a watery breath.

The midsummer night’s dream had ended. Now what lay before him was the cold reality he had seen before falling asleep.

Now that he knew the sweet taste that sweets could give, could he go back and adapt to how things were before?

Marius wasn’t confident.

Like Francois who had kidnapped Rebecca to the tower, he wanted to confine Edith in the palace and continue playing family as he pleased.

But.

“Alright.”

To him, family was something he wanted to protect by changing anything in the world, something he had to defend even by destroying himself.

Having lost everything, Marius laughed as if sobbing.

* * *

Tap. Tap.

At the sound of rain tapping on the window, Regina looked up to check outside.

The sky had been overcast since morning, and it seemed like it was finally going to rain.

“My lady. The Duchess Ecroyd has sent another gift. It’s precious medicinal herb roots that are good for health.”

“She doesn’t need to send them anymore.”

As soon as Duchess Ecroyd heard the news of Regina’s pregnancy, she showered her with many gifts.

Normally one would expect baby supplies, but the Duchess was different.

She sent all kinds of jewelry including tiaras, brooches, necklaces, etc. that had been passed down from her great-great-grandmother’s time.

.

I don’t have any children to inherit my fortune anyway. So I hope Lady Regina will put it to good use.

That wasn’t all.

The Duchess, who had briefly come up to the capital last year to meet the twins, was so moved by seeing her great-grandchildren in her lifetime that she bequeathed a villa each to the children.

And for Regina, saying it was important to strengthen her health after childbirth, she had been sending all kinds of precious medicinal herbs for two years now.

“Since she’s advanced in age, she seems to find joy in sharing what she has.”

“It seems that way, so I can’t even refuse.”

From what I heard, she had long established a charity foundation in the region where she lived, operating facilities for orphans and widows.

Since she seemed to be the type who felt joy every time she gave, Regina wrote letters expressing her gratitude and updating her on recent developments.

Leo is so busy that he eats and sleeps at the Knight Order. Work is good, but I’m worried he might harm his health, so I should give him the medicinal herbs you sent.

‘Come to think of it, the atmosphere in the house has been strange lately.’

Lilliana, who had suddenly visited with a gloomy face, stayed for over a week before moving to Emilia’s house.

Emilia also seemed to have a lot on her mind, but when asked, she wouldn’t give any clear answers.

My sister was working day and night with Leopold because she had to deal with the Order.

Something was definitely going on, but they hadn’t confided in her either. So even if she asked, they wouldn’t readily tell her.

“Mama. Mama.”

Filippo shook her.

“When is Lili coming? I want to see Aunt Lili.”

“Don’t you want to see Brother Edgar?”

“Eddy is good too. But I like Lili more.”

Even though he pretended otherwise in front of Lilliana, Filippo was very fond of his youngest aunt, who wasn’t much older than him.

Moreover, after sharing the tongue candy that Lilliana had brought this time with his younger brother, Filippo looked for his young aunt every day.

“Go see Lili. Lili.”

Soon Yosiyas joined in and started pleading too.

Regina checked the intensifying raindrops and told the twins.

“Not today. Next time.”

“When is next time?”

Filippo asked a rather sharp question.

Since everyone was busy during this period, they couldn’t freely enter and exit the Imperial Palace.

Lilliana seemed to have something going on as well.

“When Daddy comes back.”

“Promise!”

“Yes. Promise.”

When they hooked fingers and made a promise, Filippo smiled with satisfaction.

Tap. Tap.

Regina looked at the raindrops roughly beating against the window and prayed for the rain to end quickly.

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