If I Were Reborn, I Wouldn’t Marry You - Chapter 26

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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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Chapter 27

In the end, both Leonhardt and I were half right.

The Crown Prince didn’t want to make House Roderick an enemy, but he wasn’t going to let things end just like that either.

This time, he summoned all three of us siblings.

It was a party held to celebrate the Crown Prince’s birthday and promote harmony among the children of pro-Emperor nobility, so we couldn’t refuse.

“Lionel, I don’t want to go to the Imperial Palace anymore.”

I had just met Leonhardt yesterday, and now I had to go to the Imperial Palace again.

‘And to meet the Crown Prince, no less.’

I leaned weakly against Lionel, who was sitting on my left, and grumbled.

Lionel smiled as if troubled and patted the back of my hand to comfort me.

“If you endure this time, from now on you’ll only have to go when visiting Prince Leon.”

Only his lips were smiling, and it seemed like Lionel was trying to soothe me but didn’t like this situation either.

‘Calling Lester as a playmate or Lionel as the future Duke makes sense.’

But the reason for calling me, who’s different in gender and younger?

Especially at this time when the Crown Prince’s engagement partner is being discussed?

It was obvious.

The Crown Prince was trying to win over House Roderick.

By dangling the hope that he might offer the Crown Princess position.

‘It’s like a tactic of pushing once and then pulling once, but seriously, such excessive self-consciousness.’

He must think that any parent with a daughter would covet the Crown Princess position.

‘At least our parents don’t.’

I snorted and rubbed my cheek against Lionel’s forearm.

“I just want to take a nap.”

My precious time…

Annoyingly, the weather was always nice on days we had to go to the Crown Prince’s Palace.

“You used to say you wanted to go to the Imperial Palace and hid in the carriage to surprise people.”

Lester poked my cheek with his index finger and teased me.

I looked back and forth between the cheerful Lester and Lionel, who was looking out the window with a cold expression, having erased even his polite smile.

‘Lester’s shoulders must be soft and squishy.’

It was one thing for me, being mentally an adult, but even fourteen-year-old Lionel had noticed the Crown Prince’s scheme, while Lester seemed completely oblivious.

‘He’s probably just thinking it’s annoying to see him twice this month, but at least he’s happy to go with me and Lionel.’

I grabbed the finger poking my cheek and bit it with a “waaang,” hoping Lester would continue to grow up cheerfully.

“Ouch, Miela, are you a butterfly? Why are you biting me?”

The butterflies that made the Duke’s Residence their territory would scratch if anything, but they don’t bite.

I bit his finger once more for the misunderstood butterfly’s sake, then grumbled.

“I’ll get dimples. Stop poking.”

“I only poked you three times.”

Lester protested as if wronged.

“You poked me four times.”

Lionel, who had been watching me and Lester, intervened.

“Lester, you shouldn’t tease your sister, should you?”

Normally, Lester would have grumbled that it was just cute teasing, but he stayed quiet.

He had ghostly intuition and sensed that Lionel wasn’t in a very good mood.

‘He has no awareness but good instincts. Really.’

Lionel chuckled softly watching such Lester.

“I know it’s just playing, but Miela might get hurt.”

“Got it. I won’t do it anymore.”

Lester answered in a sulky tone to the much gentler way of speaking.

Perhaps finding it endearing that he was being obedient for once, Lionel stretched his arm long to lightly pat Lester’s shoulder and rarely said something to me too.

“Miela, you shouldn’t bite your brothers either.”

His tone was much softer than when addressing Lester, but quite firm.

Since we were on our way to the Crown Prince’s Palace, he seemed to be setting boundaries.

‘He must be worried about taking young children to a party.’

I acted cute to ease Lionel’s tension.

“Then what about kisses? Hugging tightly?”

“Those are fine.”

Lionel melted like he had never made a stern face.

I lightly kissed Lionel’s cheek.

“I’m the one who got bitten, so why are you only giving kisses to big brother?”

Of course, I gave one to Lester too, who was on the verge of sulking.

When we arrived at the party venue, most of the guests had already arrived.

‘Well, we came at the last possible moment because I didn’t want to spend even one more minute at the Crown Prince’s Palace.’

Because of that, we were getting an enormous amount of attention.

“Isn’t that Lady Roderick over there?”

“I think so, seeing how the two young masters are taking care of her like that.”

“Oh my, she’s really as lovely as I heard. But what brings such a young lady here?”

“Could it be that the Crown Prince’s fiancée isn’t Lady Elodi but the Young Lady…?”

“I heard from Mother that the Sun and Moon have differing opinions.”

This party was both the Crown Prince’s birthday party and a gathering to promote harmony among the children of pro-Emperor nobility.

In other words, the attendees were all around the same age as the Crown Prince.

I thought Lester was particularly lacking in awareness and maturity, but with so many people whispering loudly enough for everyone to hear, he looked relatively better.

People were whispering here and there, seemingly interested in the love triangle (ugh) between me, Lady Perington, and the Crown Prince.

Lady Perington, who was gathered with her group near the Crown Prince’s seat, glared daggers.

Lester openly furrowed his brow, and Lionel smiled as if wearing a mask while gripping my hand a bit tighter.

‘They’re gossiping just as the Crown Prince intended.’

To show House Perington that there were other options and gain the upper hand in the relationship, while dangling hope to House Roderick that they might offer the Crown Princess position to make them compliant.

‘Please just marry Elodi who likes you. Stop with the pointless schemes.’

I was confident I could make an even more menacing expression than Lady Perington, but I smiled brightly for now.

‘You’re not the only one who knows how to play politics.’

And with a face that was the exact opposite of my inner thoughts—completely innocent—I asked Lionel.

“Brother, but what’s a fiancée?”

When I tilted my head as if genuinely curious, Lionel smiled and answered.

“That means someone you’ve promised to marry.”

His voice was a bit loud, but it was somewhat awkward to call out their whispering among themselves.

But the situation changes when a child who accidentally overheard asks about it.

“But I never promised to marry His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“That’s right, false rumors must be spreading.”

Lionel made eye contact with each of those who had been talking about fiancées earlier.

It was somewhat amusing how people startled and flinched every time their eyes met.

“Right, I’m going to marry my brothers and Father!”

I swung our joined hands up and down cheerfully.

Since this was the highest level of affection a young child could express, both Lionel and Lester looked at me simultaneously with beaming smiles.

Just then, perfectly timed, the Crown Prince appeared.

‘I bet Lester’s eyebrows that he was watching the situation from outside and came in because things weren’t going as he wanted.’

“Oh my, did Lady Roderick just reject me?”

Though his tone was playful, his eyes scanning the surroundings were cold.

The young guests who had been running their mouths lightly, though not saying anything particularly condemnable, fell silent while reading the mood.

A hush fell over the brightly decorated party venue.

“Everyone’s like that at that age. My sister also said she’d marry me when she was six, but lately she says she has a boyfriend and won’t even look at her brother.”

Andrew Lombran, who had known the Crown Prince since childhood because his uncle was the Crown Prince’s chamberlain, tried hard to smooth over the atmosphere.

“Then should I wait a few more years?”

The Prince treated Andrew Lombran’s words like a joke as he made eye contact with Lionel.

He was gauging the Duke’s House of Roderick’s intentions through the reaction of Lionel, the heir.

“I’m afraid waiting won’t help. Miela has promised to live with her family for life.”

Lionel countered the Prince’s words while pretending to make a doting brother statement.

“Is that so?”

The Prince smiled, lifting the corners of his mouth.

It was the moment when the controlling and self-centered Prince classified the Duke’s House of Roderick as an enemy.

Hiding the emotions he had briefly revealed, the Prince returned to his usual pretense of kindness and had the party begin.

Then he gave some instructions to his attendant.

‘What is he plotting?’

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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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