I Became the Youngest Sister-in-law of the Ruined Reverse Harem’s Male Leads - Chapter 15

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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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#.15

Emilia was the first person to notice Lilliana’s disappearance.

She had entered Lilliana’s room to help her prepare for going out to see Francois when she realized the situation.

“Lilliana!”

When Emilia began searching the entire house for Lilliana, Regina and Edith also became aware of their youngest sister’s absence.

Emilia, who had checked the Playground just in case and returned, said breathlessly.

“She’s not at the Playground. She didn’t go to any of the nearby friends’ houses either. I didn’t hear her leave, so where could she have gone?”

“She’s not in the attic or basement either. I searched everywhere, even under the bed and inside the closets…”

As Regina anxiously bit her nails, Edith hurriedly prepared to go out.

“Let’s file a missing person report first. For child disappearance cases, the optimal time is 3 hours. After that, disappearances tend to become long-term, so if she’s not in the house, we need to search quickly to find her.”

At Edith’s explanation, Regina turned pale and covered her mouth.

Emilia also bit her lower lip and turned back toward the entrance.

“Then I’ll go find a mage. Mages can use search magic or tracking magic, so they might be able to help.”

Just as Emilia, gritting her teeth, was about to open the front door, there was a knock from outside.

If it were Lilliana, she wouldn’t knock but would swing the door open and come right in.

Nevertheless, Emilia opened the door, hoping the person standing beyond the front door would be Lilliana.

But the person who had knocked was Leopold.

He had a date with Regina today and was standing there holding an armful of lilacs.

“Excuse me. I came to see Miss Regina…”

Leopold, who had naturally expected Regina to welcome him, was flustered when he met Emilia’s hardened face and trailed off his words.

Though he had a calm personality and rarely lost his composure over most things, perhaps because they were Regina’s family, he found himself naturally reading the mood.

After confirming who it was, Emilia let out a sigh and passed by him.

Leopold, left alone unexpectedly, cleared his throat and looked around.

“…Duke Baltrahen?”

Edith discovered Leopold standing at the entrance and called to him with a troubled expression.

“Ah, hello.”

Leopold’s gaze reached Regina, who was wiping away tears behind Edith.

Seeing her clear eyes bloodshot, Leopold’s heart also dropped with a thud.

“Is something wrong?”

“Well, Lilliana disappeared… Sister, hurry and file the report first. Just in case, I’ll stay and guard the house.”

“Okay. Contact me if you find Lilliana.”

“I’ll also search the neighborhood.”

Since Edith was equally flustered, she bowed to Leopold and quickly left through the entrance.

Leopold set down the bouquet in the entrance shoe cabinet and was about to follow Edith.

Then Lilliana’s voice was heard from outside the house.

“Can’t I not go home? Coachman, let Lilliana stay at the Hotel too. Please? If I go home, my sisters will scold me.”

“No. You said you came out without telling anyone. Your sisters have probably fainted from worry by now.”

“Coachman doesn’t understand my feelings. Not at all.”

Edith gasped. With a flushed face, she went down the entrance steps and spotted Lilliana half-lying outside the gate.

“Gasp! Edith…”

Lilliana, who spotted Edith, was startled and quickly hid behind Marius.

Confirming that her youngest sister was safe, Edith couldn’t even hear Marius’s explanation that the child had come to the Hotel.

Relief that it was fortunate, anger at herself for not properly protecting the child – something burst out turbidly.

“Lilliana. How much, how… how much I worried.”

Drop. Drop drop.

For the first time, tears fell from eyes that sometimes shone gently, sometimes strongly.

When Edith burst into tears, Lilliana was startled and tightly gripped Marius’s clothes.

Then Edith pulled Lilliana over, firmly grasped the child’s arms, and shouted.

“If you’re going outside, you have to tell us! Your sisters worry!”

“I was wrong. Huuung. I was wrong.”

“Sob. What if something terrible happened to you going out alone! How many times have I told you to always tell your sisters when you go out! Sniff.”

“Edith. I’m sorry. Waahhh. Don’t cry.”

When Edith, who had never shown weakness even once, shed tears, Lilliana also burst into tears without realizing it.

Lilliana clung to Edith, who was streaming tears, but she didn’t hug her youngest sister.

Instead, with a red face, she continued scolding fiercely.

“Are you going to keep not listening to your sisters? Edith doesn’t like Lilliana who doesn’t listen!”

“No no. I like Edith the most. Waahhh.”

“Are you really going to keep not listening to your sister like this? Huh?”

“Sister. I’m sorry. Huuuung. So don’t abandon me. Waaahhh.”

Eventually, Lilliana also trembled all over and wailed even louder.

‘Don’t abandon me.’

Edith’s face turned deathly pale and she pressed her lips tightly shut, unable to cry or shout freely.

Though she was a sister, she had raised her with love rather than obligation. She had given her whole heart, but…

Lilliana’s short words asking not to be abandoned slashed at Edith’s heart.

No matter how much she raised her with love, could she never provide the same sense of security as parents? No, in the first place, I… because I…

She forgot about crying and swallowed whatever was rising up her throat.

If she had loved Lilliana more, would the child not have felt the fear of possibly being abandoned?

Her heart was breaking so much that she couldn’t breathe.

“Sister?”

Regina, who came out late after hearing the commotion and thus missed the conversation between Lilliana and Edith, hugged Lilliana.

“Huuuung.”

“Baby. Do you know how much your sisters worried?”

“I was wrong. Sob.”

“Lilliana. Stop. Stop crying and let’s go inside first.”

Marius gestured to Regina to take care of Edith and took Lilliana inside.

Regina tactfully guessed that something had happened to Edith and wrapped her arms around her sister’s shoulders.

“Sister, what’s wrong? Lilliana returned safely too, so what happened…”

Her always strong sister now looked fragile as if she might collapse.

Edith held back even her gasping breath and forcibly swallowed her tears. She closed her eyes, swallowed her emotions, then spoke in a thoroughly soaked voice.

“I need to tell Emilia that we found Lilliana… Do you know where she was supposed to meet?”

Regina’s eyelids trembled.

She tightened her arms around Edith, hiding many thoughts and emotions beneath her deep blue eyes.

* * *

Our house doesn’t use corporal punishment. Instead, they make us write reflection essays, and when I make a big mistake, one more thing gets added.

The thinking chair.

“Huuuk. Hic!”

Because I had cried so hard, even as my tears were stopping, I kept hiccupping.

The image of Edith crying was vividly etched under my eyelids and wouldn’t disappear even when I closed my eyes.

It was the first time in my life I had seen Edith cry.

Only then did I realize that I had made a very big mistake and that my sister had been very frightened because of me.

After wiping my eyes, someone suddenly held out a water glass next to me. It was Marius.

Thirsty from crying, I took the cup Marius offered and gulped down the water.

“Ten minutes have passed.”

“No. Regina said to sit for fifteen minutes.”

“Really? Then let me sit with you.”

Marius suddenly plopped down next to me.

I glanced at the wide-open room door. Regina had prevented me from closing the door in case I disappeared silently again.

“Ugh.”

A groan escaped me without realizing it.

Marius asked carefully.

“Did you really come all the way to the hotel because you didn’t want your sister to get married?”

“Hic. I was going to ask you not to marry Edith.”

“Does the little one not want Uncle to marry Sister Edith?”

“Mm-hmm. I don’t like it.”

“Why? Does it feel like Uncle is taking your sister away?”

“….”

That was actually the correct answer.

While Leopold, being a devoted man, would likely immigrate to Trowance if things worked out with my sister, Marius was the Emperor.

Far from immigrating to Trowance, it was obvious that living in the Imperial Palace would make it difficult to even see my sister.

Most importantly, it wasn’t Liliana or my youngest sister, but Edith.

My beloved Sister Edith, whom I love most in this world….

They say most people feel warm and cozy when they think of their mother.

For me, that’s how Edith’s embrace feels.

‘And I don’t want to be separated from my other sisters either….’

To me, who has no mother or father, my sisters are everything in the world. But if my sisters scatter in different directions, I’ll be living in a fragmented world.

The experience of losing someone precious was enough with Andrea abandoning me.

“Fifteen minutes are up. Lilliana, do you want to go to the bathroom?”

Instead of answering, I got up from my seat and headed to the bathroom.

I could feel Marius’s gaze following me. My head was throbbing from the crying fit.

“Liliana….”

I splashed water on my face and scrubbed it clean before coming out to look for Liliana.

I wanted to tell Liliana that I had reflected deeply and promise not to make the same mistake again.

It would be right to go to Edith first, but I didn’t have the confidence to face her yet. Thinking of Edith in tears made my chest sting painfully.

“…I keep causing trouble for Mr. Leopold.”

“Not at all. Have you calmed down a bit?”

“Yes. I’m fine now. Oh, thank you for the bouquet. It was lilacs, which I love. I think I’ll feel happy every time I look at the bouquet.”

“I’m glad you liked it.”

Just then, I heard Regina and Leopold’s voices from one side of the living room.

“Mr. Leopold. I have something I’d like to ask you seriously….”

“What is it? Please don’t feel burdened and tell me.”

“Sister—”

I was about to call out to my sister, but then I had to gasp and swallow my breath at the bombshell statement Liliana dropped next. And for good reason.

“I’ve also decided to follow my sister and live in the Empire. Do you think there might be a job I could have while staying in the Empire?”

Because even Liliana had stepped forward saying she would go to the Empire.

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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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