ALL NOVEL Chapter 124
“First, grab your luggage and come out.”
“No, excuse me, sir! I’m not the one at fault! It’s unfair! I have absolutely no interest in Madame Ruby!”
It’d be a big problem if he were…
Lark chuckled as he complained unfairly and left the quarters first. “It’s not like that, so pack your things quickly and come out.”
“Wait a moment!” Victor quickly followed Lark and caught up with him. “Please tell me why you’re doing this!”
“Go home and play the part of a big brother.”
“…What?”
Out of nowhere, being a big brother?
“If she’s bored, entertain her, make sure she eats well, and, well…” Lark, who was fidgeting with an uncomfortable expression for some reason, added, “If someone bothers her, protect her. Got it? The young duke isn’t trustworthy.”
Victor, who was blankly listening to Lark’s words, was puzzled.
No matter how he looked at it, the subject seemed to be his little sister…right?
“You mean Ruby?”
“Yeah.”
“She’ll probably be doing just fine without me, won’t she?”
“Hush!”
When Lark gave Victor a threatening look, Victor hesitated.
“You won’t be participating in morning and evening training. You don’t have to show up. Have lunch, return to your quarters at 1 PM, and do a 3-hour afternoon training session before heading back.”
“Wh-What did you say?”
Had he become a freeloader overnight?!
“While you’re at home, it would be good to watch the princess’s safety. It’s not like she can rely on just any escort.”
“B-but…”
As if he wouldn’t entertain any more objections, Lark patted Victor’s shoulder several times and turned away.
“Pack your things and return home within 10 minutes. That’s an order.”
***
“What the…”
“…That’s what happened.”
That evening, Victor returned. Quite unexpectedly. He was carrying his belongings from his quarters. Lark kicked him out, saying he couldn’t trust Viego to care for me…
‘Maybe he’s still bothered by my getting slapped by Ricky?’
That was highly likely. Lark, who probably never expected we’d go as far as exchanging blows, seemed quite shocked by this turn of events. Since he couldn’t trust Dad and Viego, he sent Victor as my shield.
Well, Viego’s threat was effective, and the twins wouldn’t dare to confront me in front of Victor…
‘Hehe. Well, it’s better than having nothing, I suppose.’
Thinking about the house that would soon be bustling with activity after a long time, I didn’t mind it.
At that moment, Rebecca spoke in my room, causing Victor to jump in surprise. “Um, Young Master.”
“Ugh! How long since I’ve been called ‘Young Master’!? Gives me the creeps!”
Rebecca chuckled and said, “For now, you’ll be commuting from the duke’s estate, right? So… your room hasn’t been cleaned in a long time…”
“It’s fine, really. I can sleep in the guest room tonight. It’s always been like this whenever I come.”
“Yes. Please bear with it just for today, even if it’s inconvenient. I’ll tidy up your room quickly.”
“Alright, thanks.”
As soon as Rebecca left, Victor pouted.
“Am I really part of this family? I come home after a long time, and there’s no room…”
“Hmph.” I was sitting on the bed, applying a face mask in front of the vanity, and I turned to look at Victor with a smile. “You act like it doesn’t matter, but you seem upset. Why would we clean up a room for someone who rarely comes home? That would be a waste of manpower.”
“Tch, are you making a fuss over a room? Not to mention you’re the only one who welcomes me…” Victor stuck out his lower lip and grumbled.
Seeing his disappointed expression, I suddenly felt sorry.
“It’s too late now. They’ll probably say hello tomorrow.”
Molga and the twins pretended to go to bed early, probably guessing the obvious reason Victor had come home. Dad and Viego only said ‘I understand’ before returning to their quarters.
“Hmm.”
Moreover, while Dad had the personality to do that, Viego’s reason for not seeing him was probably because of me.
‘He doesn’t want to see me.’
That’s right. Well, more accurately, he felt extremely sorry for me. Rather than not wanting to see my face, it was more like, “I won’t make a scene in front of you.”
Anyway, I tried to cheer up Victor, who was feeling disappointed. “Brother, brother, brother. Tomorrow morning, let’s have breakfast with Dad and Brother Viego in the dining room. How long has it been since we did that?”
“…Sure, let’s do that.” Victor, pretending to be gruff, responded while still being quite excited, “Hey, but I have a question.”
“Huh? What is it?” I answered while looking in the mirror, and Victor suspiciously approached me from behind.
“Are you dating His Highness?”
“Huh?”
I assume by “His Highness,” Victor means Lark, right? I turned to him and shamelessly replied, “No?”
“Can you take off that strange mask before talking to me?”
“No, I just applied it. But why are you suddenly asking that?”
“It just seems strange. You know how high-ranking I am in the Order, right?”
“I do.”
“So, he asked me to play the part of a big brother. He wants me to entertain you, take care of meals, and such.”
“Well, maybe you haven’t been taking good care of your cute little sister, so His Highness is giving you a chance now?”
“That’s exactly why! Why would he worry about everything?”
“Hmm.”
“I’m not trying to nag, just tell me the truth. Is there something going on? Are you dating?”
“No, really not.” I was still not in a relationship. That wasn’t a lie. Ignoring Victor’s suspicious gaze with audacity, I added, “If we ever do start dating, you’ll be the first to know.”
“What are you talking about? You mean you could start dating?”
“Heh heh~”
As I looked back into the mirror and daydreamed, Victor, obviously frustrated, muttered something under his breath.
‘I’m sorry, but it’ll be better if you don’t know anything…’
I thought secretly, glancing at Victor through the mirror. Lark had insisted that Victor be kept in the dark about matters related to Molga and other recent developments, and of course, I had agreed.
“Things could get complicated if Victor finds out.”
“I think the same. I can’t even imagine him patiently waiting without causing a fuss.”
While Dad and Viego were fairly rational, Victor was the complete opposite. He had a choleric temperament, and his emotional personality erupted like a volcano at the slightest provocation. We were concerned that Victor, with his unpredictable nature, could become an unnecessary variable if he knew the truth.
I could reassure Victor, curious about my relationship with Lark, that we were at least on good terms, but…
‘If I do that, he might start prying into when and how things developed, so it’s better not to say too much.’
Feeling a bit sorry, I got up from my seat.
Time for a cute apology!
“Hehe.”
“Oh, what’s this? So cringeworthy!”
I clung to Victor playfully, and he scowled, but despite his expression, he was actually quite adorable, staying there quietly.
“I love it. It feels like it’s been years since you were home.”
“…”
“Oh!” I had a great idea, so I clapped my hands once. “How about sleeping in my room instead of the guest room tonight?”
“…? What.”
“With Dad, all three of us!”
“What?”
Suddenly, I remembered how Rubette used to envy the twins when they were kids, sweetly snuggling with their mother in the middle.
Mom may not be here, but…
“I’ll bring Dad, okay? My bed is big enough for us to sleep together.”
“Are you suggesting that Father would come all the way here to sleep next to his grown daughter and son? How creepy.”
“Don’t worry. If it’s my request, Dad will do anything. I think.”
“Well, I think not.”
“We won’t know until we ask. Anyway, you’re okay with it, right?”
Looking down at me, who had excited eyes shining brightly, Victor nodded with a sigh. “Fine, do whatever you want.”
“Great! I’ll go ask Dad then!”
Ah, I felt so happy.
I tossed the face mask on my face onto the vanity and left the room.
***
“I love it. It feels like it’s been years since you were home.”
“I’ll bring Dad, okay? My bed is big enough for us to sleep together.”
As Rubette left, Victor recalled her excited voice and sighed momentarily. He had liked the change in his younger sister’s cheerful demeanor from some time ago, which had relieved him…
But she must have been lonely and bored. The first brother doted on the twins, the second brother left the house as if fleeing, and her father rarely left his room.
Now Victor could somewhat understand what Lark had in mind when he suddenly chased him out and told him to play the part of a big brother.
Feeling a bit down, Victor suddenly got up.
“Alright! Since I’ve got some time off, I’ll entertain you until you’re completely fed up!”
He smiled proudly, raised his arm, but then furrowed his brows as he glanced around Rubette’s room.
“Ugh, this brat!”
It looked like she had been choosing a dress for tomorrow, as at least five outfits were strewn across the bed, and the duvet was in disarray. Her vanity was in chaos, filled with makeup products that he had never seen before.
“How am I supposed to sleep in this mess? Ugh!”
Victor started organizing Rubette’s clothes one by one.
“Will she be able to marry properly… Tsk, tsk.” Grumbling to himself, Victor tidied up her room with determination.
He had been in the Order’s barracks for four years. He skillfully folded the duvet with military precision and neatly arranged everything, then he smiled satisfactorily.
“Now, what’s this?”
The nightstand next to the bed was a mess, too. There were pens and perfume bottles scattered all over.
Scratching his head in annoyance, Victor swept them into a drawer haphazardly.
But then, suddenly…
‘Huh?’
In the bottom drawer, Victor discovered a locked notebook.
“Hmm.”
It was clearly a diary; it even had a key next to it, as if shouting, “Come take a look at me!”
“No, I’m not the kind of bad big brother who secretly snoops on his little sister’s diary,” Victor muttered to himself, shook his head firmly, resisting the momentary temptation, then closed the drawer with a resolute thud.
During this, Lark’s words came to mind.
“If she’s bored, entertain her, make sure she eats well, and if someone bothers her, protect her. Got it? The young duke isn’t trustworthy.”
Victor was sure not because of Lark’s uncharacteristic behavior but because he knew about Rubette’s situation, which had accidentally entangled her in court disputes. He knew that this had led to them becoming somewhat closer.
That had become a turning point, as something peculiar developed between them!
Furthermore…
“If we ever do start dating, you’ll be the first to know.”
Even Rubette’s words had sounded significant upon reflection.
“It’s not like I’m going to eat her or anything, Why hide it? Are they really just friends?”
Victor cautiously cleared his throat and reopened the nightstand drawer. Their relationship was unique, but he had also been curious about how Rubette had been coping on her own all this time…
“I’ll just check if there’s anything about Crown Prince Lark. Alright?”
With that compromise in mind, Victor unlocked the diary and began to read.
[Imperial Calendar November 28, 1520
Today, my dear Brother Viego slapped Ricky’s cheek. It was so satisfying. To preserve this refreshing feeling, I’m writing in my diary for the first time in a while. I should start writing again today.]
Victor absentmindedly skimmed through the diary’s last entry, raising an eyebrow.
‘Brother slapped Ricky? What’s going on?’
No matter how foolish his actions might have been, Viego, who had been captivated by Ricky’s beauty, would never lay a hand on him, unless it was something significant…
Victor, growing increasingly curious, carefully turned the diary pages backward. Rubette hadn’t been writing her diary for a while, as the content for the year 1520 only mentioned Ricky being hit by Viego.
However, the entries from before were discontinued around the spring of 1519.
[Imperial Calendar April 4, 1519
Why don’t I lose weight? I ran for 30 minutes yesterday…]
[Imperial Calendar May 6, 1519
I will really eat only today. If I eat again tomorrow, I am not a human being.]
[Imperial calendar May 7, 1519.
I am not a human being.]
“Pfft.”
Victor stifled his laughter with his hand, unable to help the spontaneous chuckle.
‘How adorable.’
In the end, she got what she wished for and became slimmer. His little sister’s determination was quite something.
[Imperial Calendar March 27, 1519
Ah, today was the day Ricky got hurt. I foolishly forgot about it. I should have told him not to climb trees…
Brother Viego was angry as usual. I was sad, but I apologized because it was partly my fault for not stopping Ricky even though I knew.]
Victor’s eyes narrowed.
Today was the day Ricky got hurt.
…not stopping Ricky even though I knew.
‘What is she talking about?’
Curiosity piqued, he turned a few more pages backward.
[Imperial Calendar March 15, 1519
Ricky pinched my belly again today, but for some reason, it hurt so much that I had bruises when I checked during the evening bath.
I’m upset. Be a bit gentler, Ricky. You can be really mean.]
[Imperial Calendar March 18, 1519
As far as I remember, today was the day I saw Kedrick after a long time. I dressed nicely and went out with expectations, but the twins weren’t feeling well.
The twins were really sick today, so we couldn’t play together…
Ricky and Lillia made fun of me; they said I smelled weird when we saw Kedrick. It was so embarrassing. I had taken a thorough bath. I’m upset.]
“What is this nonsense!” Victor cursed under his breath, his face devoid of expression.
As he turned a couple more pages, his hand had become rough.
[Imperial Calendar February 8, 1519
There was a social gathering. I remember that day being really awful, so I made up an excuse about feeling sick. Lillia cried hard, saying she didn’t want to go without me.
In the end, I went. I lost in a game and felt dizzy and sick when imitating an elephant’s trunk on stage.
But what hurt more than anything was the kids making fun of me, saying I was a pig imitating an elephant.
I need to lose weight.]
[Imperial Calendar February 15, 1519
I told Brother Viego that Grandma hates me. I hope he believes me this time because I don’t want to live the same way this life.
So, I told him more firmly than before…
But my brother still believes only Grandma and the twins. I feel so unjust, frustrated, and terribly sad.]
Victor’s breathing became heavy.
The diary entries all contained similar content – traces of torment that were difficult to read. However, what confused him the most were the occasional phrases that seemed to have no apparent meaning: as far as I remember, I remember that day being, I don’t want to live the same way this life.
Victor licked his parched lips and nervously turned the pages, flipping back to the beginning.
The first page, the first diary entry.
After reading its contents, Victor froze in place.
[Imperial Calendar January 7, 1519
I’m back.
Dad is alive. Thank you, God.]