I Became the Youngest Sister-in-law of the Ruined Reverse Harem’s Male Leads - Chapter 162
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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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#.162
When Emilia came out wearing her outdoor clothes, Francois, who had been sitting on the living room sofa, asked in a sensitive voice.
“Where are you going?”
“Marius asked to see me briefly.”
“I’ll quickly change clothes and come out, so wait a moment.”
“I’m going to the Imperial Palace.”
“Can you guarantee that nothing dangerous will happen at the Imperial Palace?”
Even though he had said he was miserable because of Emilia, Francois tried not to be apart from her for even a moment.
Forget about stopping by the Magic Tower or going to the temple – even if she just went out to get the newspaper from the front gate, he would be startled and chase after her barefoot.
“You’re dressed lightly. You’ll be cold.”
“I’m fine.”
No proper conversation took place during the journey to the Imperial Palace.
Francois, who still hadn’t overcome the shock, remained by her side in a dazed state.
Seeing his face drained of all vitality, Emilia had to swallow her sighs several times.
“It’s been a while. Oh, Francois came along too.”
Marius greeted them with a haggard face.
“Did you call me because of Edith?”
“No. That’s a problem between Edith and me. The Knight Order offered to provide an escort, but seeing that Francois came with you, it seems like a foolish thought.”
“Brother-in-law, no, ha. Is that all you wanted?”
“A few days ago, we received a report that a pod of dolphins was found dead in the Keneas Sea Region, west of Trowance and the Empire. Just in case, I dispatched a priest, and they said there were traces of dark magic.”
“That means…”
“They’re likely to land in the Empire.”
“Is there a ritualist there?”
Francois gritted his teeth and reached his arm in front of Emilia, pushing her back while growling.
“I’ll handle subjugating those bastards. Don’t even think about dumping it on Emilia.”
“I was thinking of asking you to stay with the children by providing them a safe place. I thought it would be reassuring to have the Holy Maiden nearby.”
“Emilia will move to that place, and I’ll stay behind to handle it instead.”
It was an excessively self-righteous attitude, but Emilia couldn’t say anything.
Francois, whose eyes flashed with vengeance, seemed to blame everything that had happened between them on Lazarus.
“Since we’re in military training, I’m thinking of having talks with Trowance as well, but Leopold’s expedition has been confirmed for now. If you go to the Knight Order tomorrow, you should be able to get information about the sect’s route.”
“Alright.”
“Oh, and I’d like one of you to visit the school the kids attend.”
“School?”
At Emilia’s question, Marius rubbed the back of his neck and explained.
“In case of emergency, they evacuate to the school. Since it’s the largest school in the capital, they requested that we bestow even a simple blessing.”
“I’ll go there tomorrow right away.”
Afraid of being beaten to the punch again, Emilia quickly responded.
She couldn’t give up on looking into the school her younger sibling attended.
So it was decided that Francois would go to the Knight Order, and Emilia would visit the school.
* * *
I don’t know what I was thinking about all afternoon.
When I tried to read a book, I kept remembering the faint breathing sounds I had heard from Edgar.
And that unfamiliar face he had shown me.
That face I had seen hazily in the darkness kept flickering in my mind.
“Aaaah.”
I thrashed around on the bed and buried my face in the pillow.
Then Antonio, who was lying next to me humming a song, tapped my arm telling me to stay still.
“You have something going on with Edgar, don’t you?”
“No. I said no.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. If that’s not it, then why do you keep blushing?”
Why does this guy keep getting on my nerves? Should I grab him and make him have an intense conversation with Oliver?
When I ignored him out of annoyance, he made another comment from beside me.
“Did he confess?”
“Why do you keep doing that? It’s not funny at all.”
“Edgar likes you. It’s so fun watching him.”
“That was when we were young.”
“How ridiculous. Who looks at someone they don’t like with those eyes?”
Antonio pointed out sharply while twirling his hair.
“He must be pretty frustrated too. What can he do when you’re this oblivious?”
“Whose side are you on anyway?”
“I’m on the winning side.”
“Hey!”
“Well, whatever. Let’s go eat dinner.”
Antonio didn’t care that I was fuming and got up abruptly to drag me along.
I insisted on staying in the room because Edgar would obviously be in the dining hall, but I couldn’t match Antonio’s strength.
I had no choice but to be dragged to the dining hall by Antonio.
But Edgar happened to be sitting in the seat across from me.
‘I’m going crazy.’
Every time my heart beat, a strange sensation spread through me as if soap bubbles were bubbling up inside.
It felt like I would get feverish if someone just poked my arm from the side.
So I kept my head down and focused on eating.
“Eddie. Let’s play with toys in the attic tomorrow.”
“Filippo, you know you’ll get in trouble if you climb onto the roof through the attic window again!”
“Mom. I won’t do that anymore.”
“Uncle! Eddie eats fried eggplant well now too? Look at this!”
Thanks to the twins and Eddie, the dining table was very noisy.
It was the moment I picked up the tongs to get more grilled meat from the plate in front of me.
“Ah.”
Edgar also reached for the tongs to get some meat.
I quickly pulled my hand away, but the moment our fingers brushed was unavoidable.
Even though we only touched briefly, all my nerves concentrated on my fingers and I unconsciously swallowed.
Edgar quickly caught the tongs that were falling toward the table.
Our eyes met in mid-air. Edgar’s eyes trembled finely.
Seeing his reddening nose bridge, I quickly looked away.
“You use it first…”
Edgar held out the tongs to me.
My gaze kept going to his hand with its prominent knuckles, making it quite difficult to receive them.
In the end, Edgar put meat on a new plate and pushed it toward me.
“…Thank you.”
When I answered in a voice so small I could barely crawl, my throat felt parched.
I gulped down cool water, trying hard to suppress the heat rising helplessly to my face.
I was so nervous throughout the meal that I was cutting cream sauce with my knife until Antonio brought me back to my senses.
Like my heart that had been pounding in the closet, I couldn’t control it at all.
‘Really, what’s wrong with me.’
The faint breathing sounds I had tried to ignore but couldn’t.
An unfamiliar face, unfamiliar expression, unfamiliar emotion.
The emotion that had lingered on his flushed face after coming out of the closet, the emotion he couldn’t hide no matter how hard he tried, came back to me vividly.
The moment I confirmed that face, I realized for the first time that those comfortable and warm green eyes could make a person tense from head to toe.
And even now, I continue to feel tense because of Edgar in front of me.
“Liliana. Aren’t you eating more?”
“Yeah. I’m full. I’m not feeling well, so I’ll go upstairs first.”
I quickly greeted my older brother and sister, then went up to the 2nd floor.
As soon as I entered the room, I got under the covers and took a deep breath.
In the quiet with just me alone, the heat on my face felt burning hot, and my heartbeat sounded loud.
In the midst of that, creak. There was a faint hinge sound and footsteps.
“Antonio. If you came here to tease me, you’re really going to die.”
There was no answer.
Did the twins sneak in to play a prank? Or Eddie?
When I lowered the covers, Edgar was standing in front of me. When Edgar saw my face, he rubbed the back of his neck and turned his gaze away.
“I brought medicine. Sister-in-law was worried.”
“What medicine?”
“I brought digestive medicine and cold medicine for now… Are you in a lot of pain? You don’t have a fever, do you?”
Edgar unconsciously reached out his hand to check for fever, and I was startled and avoided his touch.
Then Edgar bit his lips with a darkened expression.
He had a clouded face for a moment, carefully choosing his words, then suddenly apologized.
“Sorry.”
“For what?”
“Just everything. You seem uncomfortable because of me.”
Edgar rubbed his forehead as if troubled, and bit his lips repeatedly as if regretting something.
His cheeks that had been flushed red returned to their original color. His face was full of undeniable self-blame.
“I said something unnecessary. I didn’t mean to make you tired.”
“That’s…”
“If I make you uncomfortable, I’ll stay on the first floor for a while. Be comfortable.”
Though his tone was calm, the emotions Edgar was feeling seeped through the pauses between words and very subtle intonations.
I could feel an innocent heart that was hard to define with just a few words like disappointment, sadness, and melancholy.
Would he be like this if I spoke up too?
Hesitation and trembling, emotions of not knowing what to do were subtly revealed in sentences that tried to be calm.
My face began to turn bright red from embarrassment and anticipatory awkwardness.
“You do make me uncomfortable, but not tired. You don’t need to apologize.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
“Do you know something?”
“What?”
“I… like green eyes.”
My heart feels like it’s going to jump out of my mouth. I want to get under the covers right now and scream.
“Always, I always have. So.”
Enduring the deadly trembling, I met eyes with Edgar.
When I met those green eyes that had frozen in bewilderment, the emotions I felt while watching Edgar’s back in my previous life came to mind.
The sad certainty that I would long for this child for the rest of my life.
“You’re not bad to me.”
After confessing the clumsy sincerity I had wanted to say in the vanished past, laughter escaped me without realizing it.
Now I understand why Edgar confessed that he used to like me in the past.
It really felt overwhelming enough to die. Hot enough to burst.
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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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