I Became the Youngest Sister-in-law of the Ruined Reverse Harem’s Male Leads - Chapter 12

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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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#.12

Did the original me ever get into a carriage accident?

Since the novel’s content just entered my mind rather than me seeing or experiencing it myself, I wasn’t sure.

Besides, in the original work, I was just a supporting character. Novels rarely delve into the detailed stories of supporting characters.

‘Getting trampled by horses would hurt terribly.’

I squeezed my eyes shut in terror.

Clatter, clatter. The sound of horse hooves striking the road grew closer.

Goodbye, big sister. Goodbye to little sister and youngest sister too. I love you all so much.

At that moment, something warm yet firm wrapped around me, and whoosh, my body lifted into the air.

Then I spun around frantically before suddenly coming to a stop.

‘What, what is this?’

Instead of pain, warmth and firmness.

Wondering what had happened, I cautiously opened my eyes to find Leopold collapsed on the ground, holding me in his embrace.

When I froze in terror and couldn’t move, he had rushed to me.

Leopold had wrapped me in his arms and rolled on the ground to avoid the carriage, and what I felt as firmness was Leopold’s muscular body.

The carriage passed through the spot where I had been standing just moments before and stopped quite a distance away.

“Lilliana—!”

“Leopold!”

My sisters and Marius came running toward us, their faces pale with shock.

I stared at Leopold, who wasn’t moving.

Since he was holding me tightly, I could see even the fine hairs on his face clearly.

“M-mister?”

I could feel his heartbeat from his chest against my cheek, so why couldn’t he open his eyes? Had something gone wrong because of me?

My heart sank with fear and worry, but big sister forcibly lifted me up to check my condition.

“Are you okay? Does your head hurt? Anywhere else?”

While big sister and little sister carefully examined my arms, legs, and head, Marius shook Leopold.

“Hey, hey! Leopold!”

When Marius raised his voice with a shocked expression, my heart shrank as well.

I couldn’t take my eyes off Leopold, who lay still as if sleeping.

“L-Leo mister… Leo mist—”

I was calling out to Leopold in great alarm when Marius, unable to watch any longer, slapped his cheeks with an agitated expression.

“Leopold, wake up!”

Either he wasn’t controlling his strength, or the slapping sounds were sharp.

Leopold’s cheeks grew redder and redder.

I was worried that Leopold might regain consciousness only to faint again because of Marius.

But Leopold suddenly gasped and opened his eyes wide.

He looked for me first, met my gaze, and asked.

“Lilliana, are you alright?”

He was truly a warm person.

Even though something terrible almost happened because of me, he worried about me first.

When my gaze met those green eyes carefully examining me, my heart, which had been startled breathless, released with a thud.

My nose stung, and tears burst forth like a fountain.

The crying erupted suddenly without a chance to hold back.

“Waaaaaah. Huuuuuh. Kyaaaaa.”

I thought not only I, but Leopold too had been hurt because of me.

The terror I felt in that brief moment was so profound its depth was unimaginable.

“L-Lilliana?”

“Huuuuuh. Leo mister, I’m sorryyy. Waaaah.”

I hugged Leopold’s neck tightly and wailed.

Flustered, he looked at my sisters, reading the situation.

Tears were followed by dripping snot, but I couldn’t stop crying.

Just as my sisters, unable to watch any longer, were about to separate me from Leopold.

“It’s okay. It’s alright.”

Leopold stroked my back.

Though clumsy, it was a touch as warm as his body temperature.

His comforting words made me cry even harder.

He could have been seriously hurt because of me, but instead of getting angry, he treated me so kindly that I felt even more sorry.

Leopold held and comforted me until the carriage owner came running to ask about our well-being.

After that, when I was handed over to big sister, I got scolded terribly.

* * *

Because Lilliana was too shocked and exhausted, they had to give up watching the circus and return home.

The person who carried Lilliana, who had collapsed after crying for so long, all the way home was Marius.

Following Edith’s guidance, Marius carried Lilliana, who had fallen asleep like she’d fainted on his back, to her room. Then he carefully laid her on the bed.

Seeing the child sleeping while sniffling gave Marius a strange feeling, and he playfully poked Lilliana’s nose tip.

“She must be tired from crying so much earlier. She seems to have been very frightened today, so comfort her well.”

After covering Lilliana with a blanket, Marius left the room with Edith.

Click. Only after the door closed did he notice Edith, who had turned pale.

Edith and Regina had been just as shocked by Lilliana’s near-accident with the carriage.

Though called a sister, with the large age gap, Lilliana was like a daughter they had raised together.

She had been weak since childhood and raised with love and care, but if not for Leopold today, they might have lost her forever.

“You should rest well today too, Miss Edith. You look quite unwell.”

Edith was in no condition to say she was fine, even out of politeness.

Once they returned home, her tension released, making her heart flutter so much she had to take deep breaths repeatedly.

If just Lilliana’s near-accident was this difficult, what if she helplessly lost her to illness someday…

When her thoughts reached that point, Edith decided without hesitation.

“Let’s do it.”

“…What? Do what?”

“The arranged marriage, let’s do it.”

Actually, Edith preferred friends and siblings over romance.

She had never even thought about getting married in her life.

Rather than marrying and having children, she was full of ambition to be recognized for her abilities at work and become the best.

Looking back at the career she had steadily built and her future life plans, if things continued as they were, it would surely be smooth sailing.

But it was Lilliana. Lilliana, who was like a daughter though she was her sister.

Her youngest sister, whom she loved so deeply in her heart that even without giving birth, she felt as if she had experienced it because of Lilliana.

She loved her so much that just looking at her made her eyes sting, so Edith couldn’t bear to let Lilliana go.

She had to prevent her youngest sister’s death from illness by any means necessary.

“Let’s start with a contract about how much and to what extent you can help.”

Edith’s eyes, now resolved, had sunk low and serious.

Looking at Edith, Marius thought she looked like a warrior ready to leap into battle at any moment.

At that overwhelming intensity, he found himself smiling broadly and answering.

“I promise. Nothing will happen to Lilliana.”

* * *

While Edith and Marius were discussing the arranged marriage, Regina sat with Leopold on the living room sofa.

Having rolled on the road several times while holding Lilliana, Leopold had scraped hands and small cuts on his face.

Regina brought a medicine box and examined his wounds.

Leopold held his breath, afraid his visibly tense state would be discovered.

The distance… was incredibly close.

“I’m wondering if you briefly lost consciousness earlier due to a concussion—are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital?”

“Actually, I didn’t really lose consciousness… I was pretending to be unconscious to play a small prank on Lilliana. I thought she’d find it amusing if I surprised her… If I had known the child would be that shocked, I wouldn’t have done it. It was my oversight. I’m sorry.”

“Not at all. I’m just so grateful that you saved our youngest.”

Leopold’s body and speech had stiffened like stone.

That was because Regina was holding his injured hand and gently applying medicine to it.

The slender fingers gripping him made Leopold feel as if static electricity was crackling across the back of his hand.

Regina’s curly, brilliant golden hair shimmered before his eyes, almost tickling him.

Regina had come so close that he could see each of her long eyelashes clearly.

Seeing her bite her lip in concentration as she applied the medicine made him feel like his breath would stop.

Leopold had never been this nervous in all his twenty-five years of life.

His heart was pounding so wildly that he worried Regina might hear his heartbeat.

“Mr. Leopold. Following the playground incident, I’m truly grateful once again.”

“N-no. I only did what had to be done. You don’t need to keep thanking me.”

“But you could have been in danger too, Mr. Leopold. And if Lilliana had gotten hurt, I would have…”

Regina’s shoulders trembled.

Edith wasn’t the only one who treasured Lilliana.

The same was true for Regina and Emilia, who wasn’t present.

If something had happened to Lilliana today, Regina would have cursed herself for life.

For not properly holding her little sister’s hand, causing this incident.

“So I’d like to invite you to our home sometime. Could you spare some time before you return to the Empire?”

“…You don’t need to invite me.”

“Oh…”

Leopold wasn’t smooth like Marius or skilled like Francois.

He had a blunt and stiff personality. Generally, he chose silence rather than speaking and expressing himself honestly.

But now he couldn’t remain silent.

Even if he couldn’t express his feelings as elegantly as other men, he had to at least throw a straight pitch.

With his heart feeling like it would burst out of his mouth from nervousness, he confessed to Regina.

“However, I’d appreciate it if you could go on one date with me.”

Regina’s eyes widened and her surprised lips parted slightly.

Leopold feared she might think of him as a despicable person who was cunningly asking for a date in return for saving her sister.

He was more nervous than when he had gone on his first campaign.

When he faced five barbarians alone, he was confident he’d return alive, but now his vision was dark and he could barely breathe.

“That’s not expressing gratitude. I’m the one who’s been hoping for that…”

The fear that had overwhelmed Leopold vanished completely at Regina’s response. She had accepted the date.

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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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