Chapter 80: Chapter 79

Those who were watching them with interest thought so. Duke Verdick doesn’t want to marry off his sister, but he will have no choice but to send off the youngest daughter Aristasia, who is already in love with the Crown Prince. If that happens, wouldn’t it be possible for another woman to squeeze into Duke Verdick’s heart, who is lonely after losing his sister, and maybe it could be themself or their daughter.

“Leon. Let’s go. You can’t keep interrupting the banquet here.”

“Then let’s go to my room, sister. If it’s the Knights Commander’s office, it’s close to here.”

“You don’t have to, I’ll give you my room. After all, Lady Aristasia will be coming there soon, isn’t it? To my room.”

Evan’s forehead was wrinkled because of the Crown Prince’s insistence on emphasizing his room. And it was the same with the Crown Princess and Marquis Owen.

“No. If it’s my room, she can receive treatment from the doctor who resides in the Knights right away.”

“Can you let Lady Aristasia be healed by him? I will send the imperial doctor to my room.”

“The Knights’ doctors are also very good.”

“Who doesn’t know that? But the person being treated is Lady Aristasia, and she deserved to receive treatment from the imperial doctor.”

The more Leon spoke, the more certain it seemed that Aris would enter the Imperial Palace, and he was annoyed. He regretted that he should rather have killed the Crown Prince and his men before coming to the Imperial Palace, and told her sister to insist that she had been attacked by an unknown assailant.

“I cannot bring Aristasia, before she even got married, into the Crown Prince’s room.”

“It’s not too far away anyway.”

“As I said a while ago, please refrain from telling baseless things in front of others.”

This time, the conversation between Duke Verdick and the Crown Prince started again as before. Aris thought that the Crown Prince would urge her and ask her for an answer again, so she gave her answer before that.

“I have been to the Knights Commander’s office before, so I think I’d be more comfortable there. I will be treated by the Imperial doctor with a grateful heart for the Crown Prince’s attention.”

The Crown Prince was not happy because he could not bring out the best results. Still, it wasn’t too bad, as he had told other people several times that Aris would enter the Imperial Palace.

“Yeah, I will do that. Then, Lady Aristasia, I will send you the necessary medicine to help you recover quickly.”

“The Duchy’s doctor knows the medicines suitable for Aris’ condition, so you don’t have to worry about it too much.”

As the fierce battle of nerves between Duke Verdick and the Crown Prince continued, Leon, who was not accustomed to the politician’s dialogue, intervened in the middle and said that he would leave.

“I will go so that she can receive treatment.”

And as soon as Leonhardt withdrew, Evanstein followed. After they left, there was silence for a while, and as the Crown Prince gave a clap to the band, the melody flowed again, and words came out of the nobles’ mouths, creating a tumultuous atmosphere again.

º º º

After arriving at the Commander’s office, Aris let out a long sigh. She was so stressed that her head was dizzy. As Leon sat her down in the chair, Aris lost all the strength she had been giving her tense body.

“…… Ha.”

“Aris, you don’t have to obey the Crown Prince.”

Why can’t she? Even if she doesn’t want to, she has to protect her older brother and Leon. No matter how bad Leon’s usual behavior is, she can’t make him be treated like an animal blinded by his desire.

“You can do whatever you want.”

She thought she could too. But that wasn’t it. She just has to endure it alone. There is no need for Leon and her older brother to be under this kind of stress.

Her older brother and Leon have been protecting her until now. But not now, she will protect them from the Crown Prince instead. As they have always protected her, now she will protect them.

“…… After I got married.”

“Don’t.”

Leon and Evan told her simultaneously. Don’t get married.

“If you find someone you really like, there’s nothing we can do about it. But that’s not the Crown Prince is it?”

“The person you like is me.…… and older brother. Who are you marrying?”

Evan spoke like that as he blocked all other men from approaching her to prevent her from liking them. With no intention of giving her up at all. Meanwhile, Leon said the word ‘and older brother’ in a small ant-sized voice, which was funny.

“I’ll get married and live happily ever after, so I hope brother and Leon do the same.”

“Are you telling me to marry another woman now?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t want to. No one can replace you.”

“I have no intention of getting married. Who am I going to marry?”

Leon and Evan also rebutted her words. It broke their hearts that the woman they loved deeply in their heart told them to meet another woman. They wanted to keep her mouth shut, either by kissing her or putting their flesh in to prevent her from saying that, but they needed to talk more. Just closing her mouth won’t solve the problem.

“…… So Leon, get married and find another woman. I think you’ll be fine with other girls.”

“Now, it doesn’t stand up to other women. You have to take responsibility.”

“Aris, what about me? What am I going to do when you get married?”

“Older brother……. Since you can touch me well, wouldn’t it be okay to touch other women too? If you practice.”

“I don’t like that kind of practice. I got to hold you, so how can I give it up.”

Strength entered the hands of the two who were holding Aris. The more they looked at Aris with eager eyes, the more they clinged to her, and her eyes were filled with tears.

‘No, it’s actually a lie. I can’t believe in another woman. I want older brother and Leon to be happy with me.’

She wanted to go to the opera again with her older brother, and I wanted to go out to drink and ride a horse with Leon. It was fun to watch him train, and it was amazing to see her older brother at work.

She didn’t want to be the Empress nor the prince’s mother, she just wanted to be the one standing next to Leon and Evan. But why is she a Verdick? Being a Verdick made her close to her older brother and younger brother, but by also being a Verdick she had to stay away from them.

“Give up though. I will no longer be Verdic.”

Aris swallowed her tears and spoke firmly, and they tried to say something to stop Aris, but she was unable to speak any more because the imperial doctor sent by the Crown Prince arrived.