I Became the Youngest Sister-in-law of the Ruined Reverse Harem’s Male Leads - Chapter 45

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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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#.45

Cold water swallowed all three of us.

Our hair and clothes got soaked. Suddenly falling into the water, we flailed our arms frantically.

Edgar and Helene were in the same state, so for a while we tangled together, struggling in the fountain that only came up to our knees.

The first person to come to their senses was me.

I was used to this kind of situation since I had immersed myself in seawater whenever I got the chance in Trowance.

“Puhaaa!”

Exhaling breath, I pried off Edgar who was clinging to my clothes.

Then I grabbed Helene, who was still flailing, and pulled her up.

Edgar wiped his face with his hands to shake off the water. Helene was…

“What is this!”

Angry at looking like a drowned rat, she burst out in fury and glared at me.

“He, Helene! Are you okay?”

Chris, who had chased after us, was restless.

The guy looked around, trying to call an adult immediately.

“Ugh!”

I splashed water at Chris. Chris, hit by a few drops of water, blinked his eyes blankly.

“Huh?”

“It’s a water fight!”

I splashed water even more enthusiastically at Chris who was standing there dumbfounded.

Ahhh! Chris squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head.

Helene splashed water at me.

“Don’t bully our Chris!”

“Lilliana is my subordinate! Don’t touch her!”

Not to be outdone, Edgar poured water on Helene. I pulled Chris into the fountain.

Splash!

Chris fell into the fountain, lost his balance, and tumbled over again.

Chris, who regained his balance while flailing, looked at me with surprise, breathing heavily.

Helene looked at Chris in confusion. She seemed to be wondering whether she should get angry.

I flicked my fingertip at Chris’s face, sending water droplets at him.

Then Chris bit his lips tightly and glared at me.

“Chris. Are you okay—”

Before Helene could finish speaking, Chris frantically poured water on me.

So much water splashed that it was hard to keep my eyes open.

Edgar joined in from the side, helping me splash water at Chris.

Then Helene helped Chris.

“Ahhh! Edgar, we can’t lose!”

“Helen! We must win!”

After splashing water frantically, at some point we ran out of energy.

All four of us sat down on the fountain floor at the same time.

“Wheeew.”

We had played in the water so much that my arms felt like they would fall off.

It seemed Edgar, Chris, and Helene felt the same way.

Clearly revenge had been the goal at first, but somehow we ended up having too much fun.

My eyes met with Helene’s across from me.

At first, her hair had been neatly braided with ribbons, but now Helene’s ribbons had disappeared somewhere and she looked like a drowned rat.

I probably looked the same way.

That’s why just looking at each other made us grin.

When Helene laughed, an even deeper laugh came from me.

Edgar beside me also laughed like an idiot, perhaps feeling deflated that the revenge had fizzled out.

“Kihihing. Kheng.”

While laughing, water got into my nose and made a strange sound.

Then Chris burst out laughing.

Eventually, without anyone starting first, we all looked at each other and giggled.

“Ahaha. Hahahaha.”

Just then, maids spotted us from far away and came running hurriedly.

“Young Duke! Lady Lilliana!”

“Uh oh… let’s run!”

When I shouted, all four of us jumped out of the fountain in a hurry and ran toward the inner part of the garden.

Wet footprints remained on the ground and water dripped from our clothes.

From the banquet hall, delicious smells stimulated our noses and we could hear music.

And excited laughter burst from us four as we ran away.

In the inner part of the garden, we huddled together in a small shade under bushes where adults would have difficulty finding us, crouching with our bodies curled up.

“Where did they go? They definitely went this way.”

“Shhhh!”

Helene pressed her finger firmly to her lips, signaling for caution.

Excited Chris covered his mouth with his flushed face.

Edgar and I wrinkled our noses trying to hold back laughter, but we couldn’t help our shoulders from shaking.

We had definitely planned revenge to make those two into a donkey and servant, but our month-long operation had failed completely.

Still, since it was fun, this didn’t seem too bad either.

* * *

“…If you knew my true self, you would despise me.”

Regina gripped her skirt tightly to hide her trembling hands.

“What do you mean?”

“My ability.”

A red aura seeped into Regina’s eyes.

Leopold couldn’t take his gaze away from those red, rippling eyes.

Not because the light was beautiful, nor because it looked cruel.

It was ‘power’. The power to captivate one’s gaze, make the mind hazy, and unknowingly make one submit.

“Sit.”

Despite being a light command, Leopold’s body swayed.

Thanks to his long training, Regina’s ability didn’t work perfectly on Leopold’s strong mental fortitude.

“…Do you understand now?”

“Miss Regina.”

“My ability is mental domination. If I seriously used my ability, I could make you go into the banquet hall and tap dance alone, Mr. Leopold.”

At the same time, the end of her past romance flashed through Regina’s mind.

Thinking that this man would also despise her like they did, piercing pain washed over her.

Regina wanted to run away somewhere.

She liked Leopold, so for the first time she had hidden her ability and said goodbye with lies, but now she wanted to be honest. She had to be.

Regina could no longer hide anything from this innocent man.

Telling Leopold the truth and showing proper courtesy was her way of confessing her love.

So when she saw Leopold’s expression freeze stiffly, she bit down hard on the soft flesh of her cheek.

‘It’s okay…’

Even if countless people criticized and despised her just because they felt repulsed by her ability, she had family who loved her.

Family who would suffer and get angry together when she was hurt. And family who would never turn away from her in any situation.

So even if Leopold came to hate her, the pain would only be temporary, and she would overcome it all with time.

Regina watched Leopold as he slowly parted his lips.

He answered with a locked voice.

“I know.”

“…What?”

Unable to easily understand what he said, Regina thought she had misheard.

He knew about her ability?

“I’ve known what Regina’s ability is for a while now.”

“How, how did you…?”

“Would I have gone to Trowance without that much investigation? Edith was already designated as empress before we entered Trowance. So the investigation about you, Regina, was already completed.”

“You knew and still said you liked me…”

Had she fallen into a fantasy because she didn’t want to be rejected by the man before her?

When Regina became visibly flustered, Leopold carefully and very politely grasped both her arms.

Meeting Regina’s gaze, he asked.

“Are you saying you want to break up over something like that?”

“Don’t you think I created emotions that didn’t exist through mental domination?”

“I know that mental domination can’t make even emotions submit. And Regina, you said you could make me dance… but your ability isn’t that powerful, is it?”

“Even knowing that…”

Regina couldn’t continue her words. Leopold also couldn’t say anything.

Because Regina had slumped down in her seat and was crying like a child.

* * *

“Lady Lilliana. Here are today’s letters.”

“Huh?”

While Edgar and I were playing with building blocks in my room, a maid brought a bundle of letters.

Because of that, my concentration broke and the tower I was building came tumbling down.

“Ah!”

“I won. Forehead.”

“Ow…”

I squeezed my eyes shut as Edgar flicked my forehead.

The forceful flick hurt so much it felt like my forehead would crack.

“Just wait and see. I’ll win next time.”

I glared at Edgar then checked the letters the maid had brought.

The letter on top was from Helene Aldridge.

Last time at Edith’s wedding, we played while soaking wet, watching an ant hill in the garden behind the banquet hall.

Then when I started coughing, Edgar forcibly dragged me inside and we had to part ways.

I was disappointed we couldn’t say goodbye properly, but today a letter came like this.

Without even checking who sent the other letters, I opened Helene’s first.

Can I come play next week? Mother said if I get permission, she’ll bring me to the Imperial Palace tomorrow.

Edgar, who was checking the letter with me, made a subtle expression.

After naturally writing a reply saying she could come play, I was checking the next letter when I unconsciously let out a scream.

“Aaaaaaaah!”

“What! What is it! Why are you doing that!”

Edgar jumped up, startled by my scream.

I was so excited that I hugged Edgar tightly and bounced around in place.

“What should I do! Edgar! I’m so happy!”

“Wh-what kind of letter is it to make you like this?”

“It’s Antonio! Antonio! A letter came from Antonio!”

“Antonio? Who’s that?”

“My friend! Kyaaaah! Antoniooo!”

Unlike my sisters who received floods of letters after coming to the Empire, I hadn’t received a single letter yet.

If I had no friends, I wouldn’t have been waiting either.

But I was the child with the most friends at the National Kindergarten.

If you add up all the friends from Lemon Class, Olive Class, Grape Class, and Pomegranate Class, there would be about 60, but none of them had contacted me.

But today, finally, a letter from Trowance came for me too.

“Friend?”

Edgar’s mouth fell open.

Then, as if something didn’t sit right with him, he scowled fiercely and glared at the letter envelope in my hand.

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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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