Chapter 82
I first went down the stairs to check the situation.
On the first floor, there were mini tables and sofas for guests to sit and wait. On one of them, a lady with brown hair was sitting comfortably.
Is this your home? Sitting there so casually right in front of Elber, who’s clearly annoyed!
Soon, she looked up at Elber and spoke.
“Sir Elber, don’t stand—please sit here. Your legs must be tired.”
The audacity level is off the charts!
People like this need to be confronted head-on. But Elber? Dealing with such boldness isn’t really his thing. He just pinched his forehead and sighed.
“Leave.”
“Why? I just wanted to talk a little more with Sir Elber.”
“Today, my duties at the General household are done. From now on, I will attend to my responsibilities as a member of the Schleger family.”
“Hmm, then shouldn’t you also attend to greeting the guests who came to the Schleger household?”
“……”
“Please, at least serve some tea! I’ll handle the chatting!”
Hey, Elber! You can’t handle this!
I stomped down the stairs, making a loud clatter. At the rude noise, both Elber and the lady turned to look at me simultaneously.
“Sol?”
“Brother, help me!”
“Help you… what… gah!”
From the top of the stairs, I ran full speed, jumped, and leapt straight into Elber’s arms. He caught me without shaking, though clearly startled.
Once he had a proper stance, Elber spoke.
“Sol, you shouldn’t do that in front of guests! Don’t waste the efforts of the etiquette instructors. Before I become even more disappointed in you.”
Tsundere vibes are fine, but maybe you could do something about that sparkling gaze and that smirk first.
Determined to wipe that smile off his face, I grabbed both of Elber’s cheeks and stretched them as I answered.
“Brother, you’re way too fussy. This is my house—why follow etiquette?”
“Huh?”
“And why, when you tell me to mind my manners, do you bring in a ruffian who can’t follow them at home?”
“……Lady, are you calling me a ruffian?”
Correct.
I glanced at her.
From the front, she was a cute beauty. Like a mix of small, adorable birds—sparrow, titmouse, bunting. Her age seemed about the same as mine?
But my mental maturity is higher! And my childishness is stronger.
“Isn’t anyone who sneaks in without the owner knowing a ruffian? Neither my father nor I had any idea you came in.”
“I just came to see Sir Elber. Sir Elber isn’t the kind of person to deny a lady tea time!”
“But earlier, Brother Bell shouted at you asking why you came.”
“You overheard that? And calling your father ‘Dad’—truly, your etiquette is terrible! Who are you?”
I reconsidered my thought that I was more childish. This was classic “What I do is romance; what others do is scandal.”
I puffed up my chest and stood before her.
“Sol Schleger. I am the youngest daughter of this house.”
“……Ah, I’ve heard a lot about you. I didn’t expect you’d boldly claim to be a Schleger daughter yourself.”
Oh, rubbing people the wrong way, are we?
No need to use “predictable development.” Clearly, if I ask what she means, she’ll probably say something like, Do you really think a commoner like you could become a Schleger daughter?
I simply said my piece.
“Huh? I don’t want to hear etiquette advice from a stalker.”
“……Excuse me? A stalker?”
“People who barge in uninvited and sit like the owner are called stalkers.”
“A stalker? That’s absurd! I only brought snacks and sent a letter or two!”
I suspected “a letter or two” might be more than that. I tilted my head, deliberately spouting nonsense.
“Don’t like being called a stalker? Then pick up a knife or take something—voila! Your title changes to robber or thief!”
“Ah!”
Finally, the lady stood up, veins bulging in her neck. It would have been fun to exchange some absurd words with her—but she addressed Elber instead.
“I can’t stand it any longer! Sir Elber, please say something to my sister like before!”
“Like before?” Ah, yes. Elber had said, Don’t waste the efforts of the etiquette instructors.
But I didn’t want to add any burden to Elber, who already had worries. I’d handle this woman’s nonsense myself.
While I was selecting my next ridiculous retort, unexpectedly, Elber moved first.
…Suddenly, he turned his back to the lady and lifted me like a child. My upper body leaned over his shoulder in an instant.
“Eek! O-Oh, brother?”
“Sir Elber?”
Without looking back, Elber said,
“I apologize for my sister’s rudeness. I will take responsibility and teach her.”
“Eh? No… even if you call me sister, I’m not a child! I’m still old enough to be responsible for myself—”
“I must take responsibility. Because adopting this child as my sister was my own choice.”
“……Excuse me?”
“Then I will do my duty and leave. I don’t want loud noises in the house. Please come back after her etiquette training is complete.”
Elber didn’t look back. He patted my back and said,
“Sol, I can’t look back. Will you bid Lady Pine farewell for me?”
“Yes, understood!”
Of course, the farewell from Sol Schleger, a commoner unfamiliar with etiquette, was brief:
It was unpleasant being with you; let’s not meet again.
“Th-This……”
The lady trembled violently—signs of imminent explosion. Would a refreshing insult follow?
But I didn’t hear it. Elber had tightened his hold on me and energetically dashed upstairs.
Soon we entered an empty room on the third floor. As soon as Elber set me down, he shouted:
“Absolutely, we’re nothing! Don’t misunderstand!”
“Who’s misunderstanding? Clearly looks like a miserable pair to me.”
“…Glad to hear that. Really?”
“Yes. Brother’s expression didn’t look good either. How could anyone misunderstand that?”
“Every time I go out, people gossip about us as a perfect pair.”
“Those kinds of people exist. They have nothing else to do socially, so they try to play matchmaker.”
“Ahahaha!”
I thought he’d scold me for my rough wording, but Elber laughed loudly, seeming pleased with my frankness.
“You’re right, Sol. There are always people who can’t rest unless they pair off a man and woman of suitable age and similar status.”
“Nobles are like that too, huh?”
“Yes. Well, I can understand Lady Pine’s position too. At the age when marriage talks start, I must have seemed approachable to her.”
“…Approachable?”
“When someone pressures her to marry, if I say, ‘The Schleger family is discussing matters with Youngsik,’ it stops them from interfering nicely.”
“….”
It’s not just about status.
I looked at Elber, seated across from me after so long.
He’s just turned eighteen. The youthful look from around age twelve only faintly remains in his expressions. Now… he has the physique of the most solid, senior member of a five-year-debut idol group.
A sturdy build that makes people glance back even in passing. And an appearance that naturally draws attention. Truly handsome.
“Sol? Do I have something on my face?”
“You’re handsome, brother.”
Take that, a direct hit.
Elber flustered.
“Sol, what did you just say?”
“You’d turn heads just walking. Forget popularity because of family. It’s annoying.”
“…Really?”
“I looked in the mirror every day and didn’t notice, really?”
“No, but…”
Elber hung his head low. His ears reddened.
“Well… I did think I was somewhat handsome! But I thought more about resembling my father and having a strong look.”
“Father’s handsome. You’re handsome too.”
“…Thanks.”
“Especially since father has an imposing image. He’s like a dragon turned handsome, while you’re more human. Still handsome.”
“S-Stop! Embarrassing!”
“I’ll keep talking, so you won’t make excuses like ‘because of my status’ or ‘because of my sword skills.’”
“Sorry. Fine, I’m handsome!”
By now, he covered his face with both hands, even his fingers were red. I could tell his expression without seeing it.
I moved his hands away, restraining the urge to tease him. Meanwhile, Elber pressed his face against a glass on the table to cool down.
“But Sol, why did you suddenly bring up that I’m handsome?”
“You don’t like that other woman clinging to you, right?”
“Yes.”
“Try saying something like, ‘Lady must be attracted to my status.’ It will make her find you incredibly cute.”
“…Why? What’s cute about someone my size?”
Brother casually touched his broad shoulders—exactly the problem.
Sigh… after being home so long, some strange woman’s got a hold on him.
“I’m not under her spell yet!”
“Anyway, did father say anything? That he likes her as a potential bride?”
“No. Just the mention of Lady Pine makes him frown.”
“Hmm, have you consulted father?”
For a duke, marriage talks aren’t personal matters—they concern the whole household. Even if the son is favored, he’d likely meddle.
Elber nodded.
“I tried talking to him once.”
“Uh-huh.”
“He said that many ladies will approach while young. Since he went through the same, I should handle it myself.”
“….”
That’s hardly natural, you irritating human!
“My butler said that gossip disappeared the day father proposed to mother. But I can’t do that…”
“Got it, Brother Elber. I’ll help keep that woman away from you.”
“Really?”
Elber’s eyes sparkled.
