I Became the Youngest Sister-in-law of the Ruined Reverse Harem’s Male Leads - Chapter 18
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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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#.18
The restaurant Marius had reserved was a place with private rooms assigned separately for security and safety.
Edith carefully reviewed the documents Marius handed her.
“The marriage duration is 10 years from the day the Empire holds the state wedding. The compensation and benefits according to this can be seen in the documents―”
Edith cut off his words and spoke firmly.
“Add one more thing to the healing through divine power.”
“What kind?”
“My second sister is a scholar who researches various things. According to her, various attempts can be made through magic as well. So please arrange for the Mage Tower Lord or a mage with skills equal to the Mage Tower Lord to research and treat Lilliana’s condition.”
“I think I’ll need to meet with Francois Cassel separately to discuss that part. I’ll contact the Mage Tower Lord today, so could you wait just one day?”
“Good. And please specify that family members can stay in the Empire at any time during the marriage. Without needing any permission or approval.”
“Thorough. I’ll arrange that too. Is there anything else?”
Instead of hastily answering yes or no, Edith examined the contract again.
After checking several times and finding no particular issues to point out, she asked Marius.
“Does Your Majesty have any requests?”
“Me?”
Marius smiled broadly as if her question pleased him and shrugged his shoulders.
“When I have Miss Edith, what more could I want?”
Edith clicked her tongue softly at his cheesy response, failing to notice the strange glint in Marius’s eyes.
It was dark and serious to the point of being damp, but such a faint passing light that it was a blurry emotion barely noticeable unless one concentrated intently.
And Marius completely erased his inexplicable emotion with a frivolous smile.
* * *
It was late evening when I could finally return home with Liliana.
When I opened the front door and entered, I saw Edith and Liliana.
The two were having some conversation and didn’t even glance at me despite my arrival.
“I’m home!”
As I ran to the living room with jelly in one hand, Liliana shouted from behind.
“Wash your hands first!”
“I know, I know.”
After washing my hands and roughly wiping the water on my clothes, I came out to see Leopold in the living room, whom I hadn’t noticed earlier.
At the same time, Liliana checked on Liliana and gestured.
“Emilia, come greet Mr. Leo. Leopold, this is my twin sister Emilia.”
Sensing something was off in the atmosphere, I clutched my jelly tightly and ran to Edith’s side.
“I’m Leopold von Waldrafen. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“I’m Emilia. But what brings you to our house? Oh, I heard you helped search for Lilliana when she disappeared last time, is it because of that? Welcome. Actually―”
“It’s not that. Emilia, you know. I’ve decided to date Mr. Leo starting today.”
“A long-distance relationship?”
“No. I’m going to the Empire too.”
“Huh?”
I made a strange sound without realizing it.
I still don’t know whether I should be happy or not about Liliana going to the Empire together.
“Sigh.”
Edith, who was beside me, sighed and pressed her forehead. Edith seemed to have already finished talking with Liliana.
I looked at Liliana, whose face was getting redder, and quickly covered both ears with my palms.
At the same time, Liliana let out a shout.
“Regina Berchio, are you crazy?”
“Emilia, lower your voice. I’m not deaf.”
“Why would you suddenly go all the way to the Empire?”
“I don’t like long-distance relationships. Mr. Leo is a good person, so I want to meet him often up close. Anyway, let me introduce my new boyfriend. Ta-da. Ohohoho.”
Liliana made her characteristic nasal sound and clapped her hands.
It was such a happy-sounding laugh that I unconsciously moved jelly’s hands to clap along.
“You, that…”
Liliana couldn’t bring herself to say the rest and ground her teeth.
Even as a six-year-old, I could easily understand what Liliana wanted to say.
“Let’s talk.”
“No.”
Bang!
Liliana, who slammed the table, glared at Liliana for a long time.
The one who lost the staring contest was Liliana.
“How wonderful, really!”
Liliana grabbed her wallet and stormed out of the house irritably.
The front door slammed shut with a bang, making the air vibrate.
As I became restless due to the ruined atmosphere at home, Liliana suddenly turned her gaze to me and asked.
“Little one. That’s a doll I haven’t seen before. Did Emilia buy it for you?”
“No. A handsome uncle gave it to me as a gift. But Liliana. Are you really dating Uncle Leo?”
“Of course. Little one, you like Uncle Leo, don’t you?”
“Yes! I like him!”
But I had wanted Liliana to get together with Leopold before Edith announced her marriage to Marius.
Now that Edith is settling in the Empire, if Liliana also works out with Leopold, half the family will be in the Empire and the other half in Trowance.
My heart is troubled, but I can’t completely oppose it since the person receiving the crazy romantic’s love is none other than Liliana.
Moreover, Liliana had many experiences of being hurt by people.
‘Leopold would truly love Liliana…’
Unlike Edith who loves work or Liliana who dedicates herself to research, Liliana wants to date and marry normally.
But Liliana’s ex-boyfriends were all trash without exception.
They were so cowardly and pathetic that they spewed terrible words that shouldn’t be said to someone you love before breaking up.
Unlike them, Leopold is a strong and kind person. So even if Liliana has a ‘secret,’ he won’t make her sad.
“…Are you two seriously dating?”
Edith, who had been quietly keeping her place until now, finally spoke up.
“Yes. I’m serious.”
Having been hurt by people so much, Liliana’s answer of being serious had to carry more weight than others’.
‘If Leopold loves Liliana even knowing her secret, they’ll go all the way to marriage in the Empire…’
I rubbed my forehead against jelly’s crown. I don’t want to leave Trowance.
And I don’t want to go to the Empire and not be able to return.
The warm climate and beautiful beaches you can see everywhere, delicious and cheap lemons, my friends. And memories with my family.
“Then Liliana won’t come back to Trowance with me?”
“Ahem. Hmm.”
Leopold, who cleared his throat, asked.
“Does Lilliana want to stay in Trowance?”
“Lilliana is…”
I couldn’t bring myself to answer and just glanced at Edith, when I noticed an unfamiliar ring on her finger.
An engagement ring? Oh my, what should I do! Edith really seems like she’s going to marry Marius.
Even if I tried to stop her, it wouldn’t work. I’m a six-year-old kid and my sisters are adults responsible for their own lives.
‘Most importantly, I don’t want to be hated for carelessly interfering.’
Although I believe my sisters wouldn’t hate me, I can’t help worrying that I might be abandoned.
Since Andrea suddenly left for the Southern Region, my sisters are the only family I have left.
I have two choices.
Either stubbornly stay in Trowance with Liliana or follow Edith and Liliana to the Empire.
Can’t we just continue living as the four of us like we have been?
I pouted and stood up from my seat, holding Jelly.
“Lilliana is going to bed now. This got boring.”
I still had more than ten years left before becoming an adult.
Ten years meant I had to sleep through more than three thousand six hundred and fifty nights.
Not just a hundred nights, but three thousand nights was too much. I went into my room and flopped down on the bed.
Only Jelly in my arms was there to comfort me in that moment.
* * *
“Ugh. My head.”
When I came to my senses, a terrible headache pierced through me.
Emilia blamed herself for drinking herself to death the night before and pulled up the blanket.
It was to avoid the morning sunlight.
‘Sunlight?’
Only then did Emilia realize something was wrong.
First, her room had thick blackout curtains installed so sunlight couldn’t get in.
Second, her blanket didn’t rustle like this.
Lastly, she shouldn’t be sensing another person’s presence beside her.
At that moment, chills ran down her spine.
Feeling all her hair stand on end, Emilia kicked off the blanket and sat up.
Then what she saw was…
“You’re finally awake.”
It was Francois Cassel, sitting calmly in an armchair beside the bed, drinking coffee.
Dumbfounded by his utterly shameless appearance, Emilia asked.
“What happened?”
“What? You don’t remember?”
Francois asked as if disappointed.
His openly disappointed gaze and drooping eyebrows made it seem like something had definitely happened.
Emilia gaped like an idiot.
Was this headache really from a hangover?
Or was it punishment her body was giving her for yesterday’s reckless choices?
Emilia clutched her head tightly and flopped back down on the bed. At her reaction, Francois’s eyebrows shot up.
“Let’s just pretend nothing happened, even if something did.”
“How refreshingly simple. Must be nice having such an uncomplicated life.”
“Do you want compensation or something? Or should I take responsibility?”
“I should take responsibility.”
Could the words “take responsibility” be such a terrifying statement?
As Emilia broke out in cold sweat and closed her mouth, Francois wiggled his finger with an indifferent expression.
Then from somewhere, a stained shirt came flying toward her.
“It’s a 15-gold shirt made of the finest silk. You grabbed onto me saying you felt dizzy and threw up… It was really disgusting.”
Unlike Francois, whose veins were bulging with disgust, Emilia’s face brightened as if sunlight had fallen on it.
Emilia smiled brightly and kicked the shirt that had fallen in front of her to the floor.
“I’ll give you 16 gold including interest.”
“The Emperor contacted us asking if you could work hard for your sister’s health for the next ten years.”
Emilia’s face, which had been ready to cheerfully pay for the shirt, hardened like stone at Francois’s unexpected statement.
Regardless, Francois continued speaking in a nonchalant tone.
“Your big sister and the Emperor. No matter how I look at it, it’s a contract marriage.”
“I figured as much. Do you think it’ll be very difficult for our sister to establish herself in the Empire?”
“A woman who’s neither royalty, nor nobility, not even a minor noble becoming Empress – do you think the Imperial Nobility will just sit still?”
“Big sister is stubborn, she’s not someone who’ll be stopped just because we try to stop her. Especially if Lilliana’s health is at stake, she’ll never give up.”
Though he seemed to be watching Emilia, Francois Cassel’s gaze was touching on secrets that others couldn’t read.
He took out a pill from his pocket and crunched it between his teeth.
It was medicine that eliminated emotional fluctuations to prevent his rationality from weakening. The bitter taste of the pill spread throughout his mouth.
This damn medicine barely helped, but for now, this was the best option. But… he just had to endure a few more years.
When that time came, he’d be able to solve this problem no matter what.
For that, it would be important to make preparations in advance.
“In that spirit, let’s make a contract ourselves.”
“What kind of contract?”
“I’ll help you and your sister, so in ten years, you help me too.”
“What kind of help do you need?”
“You’ll find out when the time comes.”
Despite his angelic beauty and smooth smile, his eyes were sunken, filled with darkness.
Emilia thought the faintly smiling Francois was a bit eerie.
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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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