If I Were Reborn, I Wouldn’t Marry You - Chapter 33

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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 34

 

“This, this is!”

 

Mother, who noticed what misunderstanding Lester had, shouted with a face that had turned subtly red.

 

“Unfortunately, that’s not it.”

 

Father, whose tension had already disappeared, gently stroked Mother’s belly and smiled mischievously.

 

“Aimers! Stop joking around!”

 

Even after getting smacked on the back of his hand by Mother, Father looked delighted.

 

“Eh, it’s not?”

 

Lester sat down, scratching the back of his head as if deflated.

 

“I thought I was getting another little sister.”

 

When even Lionel chimed in, Father chuckled.

 

“Two sons, two daughters. That would be nice.”

 

Zing.

 

Mother glared at Father with sharp eyes.

 

‘Hmm, escaping being the youngest wouldn’t have been bad.’

 

Being the youngest daughter who monopolized the family’s affection was nice, of course, but I secretly wanted to have a younger sibling too.

 

When I also looked disappointed, Mother deliberately cleared her throat to change the atmosphere.

 

“Aimers, enough of that and hurry up with what you need to say.”

 

Her fingers poking at Father’s side were quite sharp.

 

“Yes, dear.”

 

Father answered meekly, removed the playfulness from his expression, and spoke.

 

“Prince will be staying at the ducal house for a while. Father has agreed to become the Second Prince’s guardian.”

 

‘Already?’

 

In the first round, Leonhardt did stay at the ducal house, but that was four years later.

 

‘Is this the influence of yesterday? The Crown Prince’s interference will become more severe, but it’s not bad that Leonhardt is leaving the Imperial Palace early.’

 

I was calculating whether the drastically changed timeline would benefit us.

 

Lionel was also quiet, seemingly thinking about the impact of Leonhardt staying at the ducal house.

 

“Treat him well.”

 

At Mother’s words, Lester nodded with an annoyed expression.

 

On the other hand, Lionel, who had somewhat organized his thoughts, asked carefully.

 

“How should we treat Prince?”

 

It was a question asking whether House Roderick had decided to turn toward the Second Prince’s side.

 

“Well…”

 

While Father was silent, choosing words that would satisfy Lionel, Lester, the only cheerful one at the table, answered proudly in his place.

 

“Eh, brother, you don’t even know that? Since he’s a guest visiting the ducal house, we just need to treat him kindly and politely.”

 

‘Tsk, Lester. You’re also a young master, but you’re quite naive even for an eleven-year-old.’

 

When I was eleven, I think I was a bit more cunning than that.

 

The other family members seemed to have similar thoughts and laughed helplessly.

 

However, we didn’t consider Lester’s innocence a flaw.

 

‘As long as he grows up healthy.’

 

Then I suddenly remembered that I was six years old.

 

“Miela likes living with Prince! When the Second Prince comes, I’ll share snacks with him and play house together!”

 

Overcoming my adult self’s suffering and belatedly reacting like a child, the gaze of ‘as long as he grows up healthy’ that had been directed at Lester now turned to me as well.

 

Even Lester looked at me with those eyes.

 

But I bravely endured those gazes.

 

‘I’m six years old!’

 

Even tilting my head as if I didn’t understand why my family was suddenly looking at me.

 

“Huh? Why? Is there something on Miela’s cheek?”

 

Lionel made a strange expression like someone whose emotions had been stirred by seeing something too cute, and very carefully poked my cheek.

 

“That’s right, there is something. Cuteness.”

 

Compared to Lester’s touch, which couldn’t control his strength, Lionel’s cheek poke was slightly annoying but didn’t hurt.

 

‘This is all because I’m cute.’

 

I generously let Lionel’s cheek poke slide.

 

“That’s not something that got on there, it was there originally!”

 

Of course, making it clear that my cuteness wasn’t something that could be wiped off with a simple cheek poke.

 

Mother laughed loudly at my shameless tone.

 

And the three men of House Roderick each nodded as if agreeing that it was true.

 

‘As expected, Mother and I have the best sense of humor together.’

 

I cut off the three men’s impending fawning and changed the subject.

 

“So when is Prince moving in?”

 

Mother answered my question with a face still showing traces of laughter.

 

“It’ll be around next month. We need to prepare a new room too.”

 

“I see, which room will be Prince’s?”

 

I asked various things while ignoring the three men who were gripping and releasing their forks and knives tightly, their fingers itching to give cheek pokes.

 

Thus ended the dinner time that was harmonious only between Mother and me.

 

Leonhardt’s ‘move’ scheduled for next month happened earlier than my parents had planned.

 

It wasn’t clear exactly where the information had leaked, but rumors that Father would become Leonhardt’s guardian had spread.

 

The Empress, who treated Leonhardt as if he didn’t exist, remained silent, the Emperor and Empress Dowager sent subtle support, and the Crown Prince only smiled on the surface while pretending nothing was wrong.

 

It was a surprise move that happened while the nobles were temporarily silent, trying to interpret the meaning of this tectonic shift as the Imperial Family’s reactions were divided.

 

While murmurs continued outside, the inside of the ducal house remained peaceful.

 

“This is your room.”

 

Having volunteered to guide Leonhardt, who had brought very modest luggage, around the Duke’s Residence, I first led him to the room I had enthusiastically decorated.

 

“It’s the same room as last time.”

 

As he said, it was the room Leonhardt had used in the first round.

 

‘So the location is…’

 

I suppressed my mischievousness and smiled inwardly as I opened the door like unwrapping a gift ribbon.

 

Walls covered with blue silk wallpaper with colorful patterns.

 

Floor covered with soft pastel-toned carpet.

 

And toys and fairy tale books filling one side of the room.

 

Finally, a large rabbit doll with fluffy fur placed on the bed.

 

“How is it? Do you like it?”

 

I pointed at the interior that was obviously decorated childishly like a four-year-old boy’s room and demanded approval.

 

Leonhardt raised one eyebrow and alternately checked the room’s interior and my expression.

 

“Miela.”

 

Thanks to Leonhardt calling my name with so much meaning, the laughter I had been holding back finally burst out.

 

“Ahahaha!”

 

As I laughed out loud, celebrating the success of my prank, Leonhardt sighed, swept his bangs up, and said quietly.

 

“Thank you for caring. You must have worked hard decorating it completely opposite to my taste.”

 

With an expression that wasn’t grateful at all.

 

Leonhardt had very stark tastes.

 

He had such a practical personality that he disliked cumbersome decorations, to the extent that even after becoming Emperor, he only kept the absolute minimum furniture in his bedroom.

 

Since Leonhardt first came to the Duke’s Residence when he was eight in the first round, having such a colorful room would be a first in Leonhardt’s entire life.

 

‘This is so fun.’

 

I smiled brightly and returned modest words to Leonhardt’s sarcasm.

 

“This much between us is nothing. You know, right? Getting 0 points on a multiple-choice test is slightly harder than getting 100 points?”

 

Leonhardt chuckled at my teasing words.

 

“My wife is quite remarkable.”

 

Just as I was exaggeratedly shuddering at the cringe of a four-year-old with soft features talking about a ‘wife’, Leonhardt erased his smile and brought his index finger to his lips.

 

“Shh, someone’s coming.”

 

I nodded slightly as if I understood.

 

As we were exchanging a few awkward words, pretending to be casually getting along as others would expect, Mother and Nanny appeared.

 

“Miela was showing His Highness the Prince to his room.”

 

“Mother!”

 

I ran to embrace Mother, who had appeared while speaking so as not to startle us, pretending to just notice her, and chattered away with slight embellishments as if asking for praise.

 

“Yes! The Prince said he likes the room.”

 

Mother, who had decorated Leonhardt’s room together with me, smiled with relief.

 

“Hehe.”

 

As I grinned bashfully, I could feel Leonhardt startle at seeing my six-year-old act for the first time in a while, since we’d mostly been meeting alone recently.

 

I naturally turned to look at Leonhardt and smiled with just my lips.

 

‘Hey, four-year-old.’

 

Conveying the meaning that you too now have to keep up this childish act all day long.

 

Leonhardt, who had little experience with childish acting since he mostly spent time alone at the Separate Palace despite improving somewhat, was greatly flustered.

 

‘Ah, this should be fun too.’

 

I grinned mischievously like a little troublemaker.

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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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