CH 20

Chapter 20 Fiancee

I knock on the door but Ethan won’t come out.

I could feel his presence in the room, so I knew he was there.

“Elder Brother! Elder Brother Ethan!”

*Thud* *Thud* *Thud* I banged on the door, but there was still no response.

That dumb musclehead was ignoring me!

“Elder Brother! Sexual harasser! Muscle Head! Enemy of women!”

“F*ck you! Shut the f*ck up, or I’ll blow you away! I don’t need you so get the f*ck out of here!”

Finally, he responded.

If you can hear me, get your *ss out here!

“I have something important to discuss with you, It's about Karina and Krista!”

—Clank

“?”

I heard a noise coming from the empty hallway.

I looked around and noticed the trees outside swaying and the windows rattling.

….Was it really just the wind?

I don't have time for that, I have to drag my dumb brother out of there as soon as possible and make him face Karina and Christa.

“Come out, muscle head Elder Brother! I've reported everything you two ordered them to do to Mother!”

“Who’re you calling a muscle head…!?”

Then, with a loud bang, Ethan finally opened the door.

“Elde—eh?”

I was about to say something to him when my gaze was drawn to someone else in the room.

It was Sheena, Mana's maid, whom I had talked to a little in the morning.

“E-Edward-sama! It’s not what you think! Please help me…!”

I don't need him to explain what he was doing because her maid's uniform was opened a little bit.

I guess he was trying to seduce her and get information about the saint.

“...What the heck are you doing, Elder Brother? Are you in the heat all year round?”

“Huh!?”

He might have forced her by threatening to lose her job if she doesn't follow what he said.

I guess I should report this one as well…this was troublesome and my head was starting to hurt…

I placed my hand on my forehead and sighed while  Ethan was standing in front of me.

“I don't know what you reported, but I just introduced Karina and Christa to you. More importantly, how were Karina and Christa? Did you have a good day with them?”

I was about to argue that, “We were just talking,” when a rattling sounded violently at the window.

The wind was strong.

….Don't tell me something happened to Mana…?

Did Alvin barge into her room!?

I turned around and looked towards Mana's room, but it was quiet…

Was it just a normal wind that was unrelated to Mana?

I guess I'm too sensitive to natural phenomena these days.

Then I returned my attention to Ethan.

“They are your potential fiancées, so please stop using their feelings like a tool! Can't tell you how much it hurt them when you told them to go to my place because they adore you!?”

“Then why don't you go right ahead and comfort them? You don’t have confidence as a ma—”

When I heard the insulting words "Comfort them," I was so mad that I head-butted Ethan, who was standing right in front of me, across the high nose.

I would lose in a fistfight, but I'm hard-headed enough to win in a headbutt!

“I guess you are what you say...I thought you were just a musclehead...But you have disappointed me.”

I looked at Ethan who was holding his nose while writhing in pain.

I assumed he had some redeeming qualities simply because he had muscles for brains, but it appears I was mistaken.

“I don't give a damn what you think of me!”

In a fit of rage, Ethan came up to me.

Oh! Bring it on!

I don't think I can win, but I'll manage to head-butt him one more time and break his nose.

I was just about to do it, when—

“I am also disappointed in you.”

I turned around to hear a voice behind me.

There were three women.

Behind them were Yuno and the knight escorting them.

“Mother!? Karina and Krista as well! What are you doing here!?”

“I brought them here with my permission. I also heard Yuno's report, and since the other parties were here, I thought I'd bring them all together for a discussion. Ethan, what is wrong with you? Your Father, who is counting on you, will weep.”

“Mother! Leave the matter about the Saint to me! I’m better at handling women than him!”

Ethan's direct talk made the Queen's face turn serious.

That was the expression she makes when she was really furious.

I really don’t know what to do about this…I wanted to get out of her quickly, but the Queen’s angry voice echoed throughout the hallway before I could. 

“Who are you to say you’re better at handing women!? Isn’t there a Daughter of a Noble who was hurt by your shallow thinking!?”

The Queen’s dominance naturally made me correct my posture.

She was so terrifying that I vowed to myself that I would never make her angry.

Ethan's large body shrank as a result.

“M-Mother! That's not true! That woman approached me solely because I am a prince. She's not really hu—”

“That's not true!”

Karina, who had been standing quietly, raised her voice.

“I had the pleasure of dancing with Ethan-sama at a party…”

Karina came forward and started talking about the first time she met Ethan.

It happened at a party hosted by the country—

Karina, who had never attended a large party before, was nervous and did not fit in.

It was then that Ethan approached her and invited her to dance.

Karina was happy, but she was even more nervous when the prince unexpectedly invited her to dance, and because of it she stumbled while dancing.

She almost fell down, but Ethan was a gentleman and helped her up.

“Without breaking a sweat, Ethan-sama guided me and turned our dance into a wonderful step. He told me that my dancing was so pretty like a butterfly that he thought I was playing with it, thinking it was going to flutter and fly away. He not only forgave me for my mistake but also cared for me in that way.”

“Maybe that's someone else…I’ll just shut my mouth…”

I couldn't resist and unintentionally interrupted her, and the queen gave me a look that said, “I'm going to sew your mouth shut.”

But I'm sure that was definitely a different person…

“I was so taken by his personality and his resilience that he could easily keep me afloat. Ethan-sama…I have been in love with you since that day…”

When she told him about this, Carina began to shed a few tears.

She must have been even more hurt by being told that she had approached him for his power, even though she had feelings for him.

Ethan also seemed to be very upset.

“Butterflies…Are you the girl that was wearing a lapis lazuli colored dress?”

It seems that there was something that came to mind in his memory.

Was this really Ethan?

“I’m sorry for trampling your feelings…”

Only I still had my doubts, but…Ethan apologized!?

I have never seen him apologize so honestly…

“Please apologize to me too.”

“I've caused you a lot of trouble…my bad.”

Ethan honestly apologized to me!?

I thought he would never say it, so I took advantage of it because of the situation…

As far as I remember, whenever Ethan apologizes to me, he always says it reluctantly because he was in front of the Queen.

But now there was no sign of that now.

“Ethan, you have one officially confirmed fiancée, right?”

“Yes.”

If I remember correctly, Ethan was engaged to the daughter of a Duke family who had produced many knights, and I believe several others, including Karina and Krista, were still candidates.

“Then, these two should be officially added as your fiancées.”

“Your Majesty the Queen!”

Karina was so surprised that she stopped crying.

I was surprised too.

Some of the candidates were daughters of higher-status families who desired a relationship with the Royal Family.

“...I understand…”

“And the daughters of the house of Ahrens and Bernette. Keep quiet about the Saint until the word is out.”

“W-We understand…”

I see, does it include keeping their mouths shut?

I guess she also wanted Ethan to take responsibility.

“I apologize for interrupting Your Majesty, but may I speak?”

It was Christa who raised her voice fearfully.

Unlike the emotional Karina, she was much quieter.

“Daughter of the House of Bernette, speak.”

“Thank you very much. I did not have the same feelings as Karina did for Ethan-sama. However, it would be an honor for the Bernette’s to be included in Ethan-sama’s betrothal. I only listened to Ethan-sama’s proposal for the sake of profit. Therefore, I cannot ask you to officially add me as a fiancée along with Karina, who had pure feelings. Please forgive me for declining.”

I knew that Christa did not like Ethan.

There had always been a heat gap between her and Karina, and she hadn't talked about Ethan except when I asked her to.

“I don't mind you declining. But when you went along with Ethan's foolishness for the benefit of the house, are you willing to throw away the benefits you gained, albeit unwillingly?”

“That’s…”

My eyes met Christa's.

Eh? What?

Was there something that we had been discussing?

No, there should be none…

“I know I am shameless to make such a request while declining an honor that I do not deserve. But, I would like to ask you to make me his fiancée, not Ethan-sama, but Edward-sama.”

…….Ha?

Me…?

I was startled by the sudden mention of my name.

When I pointed to myself, Christa nodded and gave me a smile.

“Wait, no, Christa what are you sayi—”

*Dooooooooooooooooooooooo*

There was a sudden lighting strike.

Because of it, the castle shook a little when it hit the ground.

‘Did something fall nearby?’ I thought.

Then, while we were wondering what was happening, it began to rain.

It was a downpour like an overturned bucket.

“No way…”

Wind gusts, lightning strikes, and this downpour…