I Became the Youngest Sister-in-law of the Ruined Reverse Harem’s Male Leads - Chapter 60

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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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#.60

Time passed quickly, and I experienced my first summer in the Empire.

When summer arrived, the playground that Marius had built in the Imperial Palace was completed.

It was the largest and most magnificent playground I had ever seen in my life, complete with a treehouse.

‘The door is too small for the older sisters to enter.’

While the interior was spacious, the door was sized only for children to enter, so the treehouse became a hideout just for Edgar and me.

The two of us would invite Helen and Chris to play together.

“I’m going to write a letter. No matter what I give as gifts, my brothers probably already have everything.”

At Edgar’s words, I thought of Marius and my sisters.

Since they were all adults, they had plenty of pins and gloves that I wanted to give as gifts.

“Lily, don’t you have any good ideas?”

“I don’t really know either. Huung. It’s so hard.”

We had been pondering Parents’ Day gifts for thirty minutes already.

Parents’ Day was a day to express gratitude to the parents who gave birth to us and raised us.

In Trowance, it was divided into Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, but in the Empire, they celebrate both together at once.

“H-how about making a cake?”

At Chris’s suggestion, our eyes widened.

We could manage to spread cream on a cake base and decorate it with cookies.

Plus, it would be made with care and the family could enjoy eating it together.

“That’s a good idea. Lilliana and I just learned how to make cookies from Lady Regina last week.”

“Wow! Chris, are you a genius?”

I jumped up and hugged Chris tightly. Helene patted Chris’s head.

Then Chris blushed as if embarrassed.

“If we tell the nanny, she’ll help us.”

“I, I…”

“Chris. You come to our house and make it together with us.”

“Mm. Okay.”

“Edgar! Let’s secretly go to the kitchen and make it!”

“Yeah. In a few days- Aaaaah! Ah! Ah! It’s a spider!”

I looked at Edgar, who was terrified of the spider, with pitying eyes.

Seeing Edgar’s reaction, it seemed like the treehouse would soon become my personal hideout.

“Lilliana! Please catch that thing!”

“I’ll catch it if you say I’m the best.”

“Hurry! Aah! It’s coming this way!”

Perhaps because we were up in a tree, many bugs appeared in the treehouse, and Edgar was afraid of insects.

Helene, who had been invited to the hideout, also turned pale and hid behind Chris.

“Lily! Quickly throw it outside!”

“Eh-hyo-hyo-hyo. As the leader, I should be understanding.”

Worried the spider might come back in if I just threw it outside the door, I deliberately climbed down below the tree.

Then I placed it on the ground and returned to the treehouse.

“Just be my subordinate for one day…”

“Chris. Don’t catch that kind of stupidity from him.”

“Hey, Helene! I… received… So I’m worried…”

What were they talking about?

Creak. When I opened the door, Edgar was startled and screamed loudly.

“Uwah!”

“Did another spider appear?”

“N-no. Nothing.”

“Hmm. What were you three talking about?”

I narrowed my eyes and glared at Edgar, who was the least trustworthy.

Edgar subtly avoided my gaze. Helene shouted.

“The last person to reach the fountain is ‘it’ today!”

“Eh, hey! Helene, that’s cheating!”

Without thinking to ask more questions, I hurriedly chased after Helene, who was climbing down the ladder.

Running to avoid coming in last, my suspicious feelings melted away like ice under the midsummer sun.

* * *

Emilia explained her youngest sister’s physical condition to Marius and Edith.

“Magic and abilities are incompatible, so Francois’s magic power that Lilliana has been taking long-term is suppressing the abilities that leak out.”

“Is that why the fever and fainting episodes have decreased?”

“Yes.”

“Then does our youngest sister-in-law just need to keep drinking magic potions?”

“No. That’s not a fundamental solution. This also has limits. Looking at these results, the magic concentration in her blood decreases to varying degrees every time she grows taller. In other words, even if she drinks magic potions daily, her abilities push out the magic power.”

Emilia continued her explanation.

“The reason Lilliana gets sick is because her abilities leak out of a closed pump. Awakening fever is when the pump bursts open with growth and she pays the price all at once. So we just need to be able to open the pump when we want and suppress her abilities appropriately.”

“There are ability restraints in Trowance. Couldn’t we use those?”

“Restraints only respond to abilities above a certain level, so they won’t work. That’s why Francois and I are looking for a way to seal abilities with magic.”

Emilia and Francois considered telling the two about what research they were currently conducting.

But since it would only make the explanation longer, they decided to reveal that part when they had results.

“Little sister-in-law. How about I give you citizenship so you can naturalize to the Empire? We need talent like you.”

Emilia didn’t even pretend to listen and changed the subject.

“Where’s Regina?”

“She went to a tea party in my place. It would be awkward to go myself, but it would also be problematic not to show courtesy. She said she’d meet with Duke Baltrahen on her way back.”

“I ran into Regina on a date recently, but I escaped within ten minutes. The two of them, ugh. It wasn’t a sight I particularly wanted to see.”

“Still, they suit each other well. By the way, how’s the house you moved to?”

“It’s quite nice. Incomparable to the Magic Tower dormitory.”

“Little sister-in-law. You’ll invite us over when you finish organizing everything, right?”

“I will. Brother-in-law, bring a good gift when you come. Oh, I should go now. I have a dinner appointment with a Magic Tower colleague.”

After saying goodbye to Edith and Marius, Emilia immediately bumped her forehead against the carriage window as soon as she sat down.

“Like hell it’s fine.”

Nothing was fine at all.

“Sister… actually, there’s a crazy guy living next door…”

She regretted leaving the perfectly fine dormitory to move here to the point of going insane. Because.

Screech! Thud! Thud! Bang! Crack! Creak-creak-creak!

Strange sounds periodically came from her next-door neighbor.

And the important thing was that the owner of the next-door house was Francois Cassel.

* * *

Regina, who attended the tea party, encountered an unexpected person.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Marie Eckroyd, Leopold’s great-aunt.”

The Duchess Eckroyd came to meet Regina first as soon as she came up to the capital.

To avoid letting Leopold know she was meeting Regina, she moved secretly, even getting invited to the tea party through an acquaintance.

“Hello. It’s my first time meeting you. I’m Regina Berchio.”

“You’re much more beautiful than the rumors say. I understand you came to the Empire around early spring – are you adapting well to the Empire?”

“Of course. Countless people, including those here, are helping my family and me adapt.”

Regina expressed her gratitude by smiling gently at the people attending the tea party.

The Duchess Eckroyd, sitting with her back straight, looked Regina up and down.

“I have something I’d like to discuss privately with Miss Regina. Due to travel fatigue, it would be difficult to make time another day. Could you all excuse us for a moment?”

“Of course.”

At the duchess’s request, everyone vacated the drawing room.

She was from the great noble House of Waldrafen, and though elderly, she carried the solemn and haughty demeanor that her status had meticulously cultivated.

Regina waited somewhat nervously for what the duchess would say.

She had a good idea of why she had come to see her.

“Miss Regina. I have no children. So I have deep affection for Leopold, my brother’s grandson.”

“He’s family. I understand the deep love in your heart.”

“Thank you for understanding. That’s why I’ve always worried about Leopold. He’s been absorbed in work and has been raising his younger cousin since he was young.”

She continued speaking.

“But then one day, I started hearing stories that Leopold was meeting with someone. Having dinner together every Friday evening, going to the theater, and so on. Anyone could see he was in love.”

“We’ve been quietly dating, but I suppose meeting frequently has led to many rumors.”

“Yes. So I investigated Miss Regina. Please forgive the rudeness.”

It was rude, but bear with it—wasn’t that what she meant?

Regina didn’t mind and focused on the duchess’s words.

“I would prefer Leopold to be with someone from the same Empire. If that’s impossible, then at least someone from the same nobility.”

“….”

“If there’s a man you want, tell me. If you marry that man, I’ll give you a very expensive gift. Oh, of course I’ll give you a large sum just for dating another man.”

Regina’s eyelids trembled.

Though she was someone who smiled easily at any moment, right now her lips felt too heavy to lift into a smile.

The classic warning to stay away from Leopold was interesting, but the method was insulting.

‘Taking money and leaving would be quite unpleasant too, but….’

Not only picking out a man for her, but trying to shove money at her to make her disappear.

What did she think my life was?

She must have looked down on her from the start, thinking she’d arrange for her to meet a man who met her desired conditions.

For the first time since the hearing, her head grew hot with anger.

So Regina smiled brightly. To make her opponent let down her guard.

“How much are you offering?”

“I’ll pay 50 million berks upfront. 100 million berks upon engagement. If you marry, I’ll give you jewels worth 300 million berks.”

When Regina casually asked, the Duchess Ecroyd sipped her tea with an expression that said she knew this would happen.

Regina rolled her eyes as if thinking for a moment, then smiled broadly.

She loaded her cheerful voice with plenty of angry feelings.

“That’s 450 million berks total.”

“I heard you’re from a fairly well-off family in Trobancha. Even so, that amount of money is certainly not small. Is there something more you want? If you wish, I’ll give you more within reasonable limits.”

“Duchess. How about this?”

“What?”

“I’ll give you that money.”

“Pardon?”

Deep wrinkles formed on the duchess’s brow. Her head spun at the unexpected answer.

Clink.

Regina, who had set down her teacup, spoke confidently.

“I have a lot of money, you see. I’ll give you double—900 million berks—so give me your grandson.”

It seems like quite a good offer.

Watching the duchess’s face contort, Regina let out a snickering sound.

What the Duchess Ecroyd didn’t know was that Regina wasn’t as pure and gentle as her appearance suggested.

At the same time, the Berchio family wasn’t just a fairly well-off family, but an extremely wealthy one.

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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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