The Villain Wants to Live a Quiet Life

His sudden summons.

Sofia moved her steps, guided by Paula who had come to her room.

The flickering of the lights illuminating the corridor must surely be due to her mood.

As she stood in front of the door, Paula knocked and asked for permission, and the door opened as his voice was heard.

“I’m sorry for calling you so suddenly, Sofia.”

“It’s alright, Brother. Why did you call for me?”

“I thought we could talk.”

He seemed to have prepared tea himself, as a fragrant aroma tickled Sofia’s nose as she entered the room.

The person she admired had quite a few feminine hobbies for a man. Tea ceremony was one of them.

“Did you… prepare this tea yourself?”

“It’s the tea you like. I enjoy it too.”

In a teacup, slightly larger than usual, was a fragrant apple-scented tea with a short cinnamon stick.

Commonly called cinnamon apple tea, it was a tea Sofia particularly enjoyed drinking in contrast to tea brewed from tea leaves.

After seeing her drink it a few times, Ludwig started making apple preserves himself to brew this tea.

‘The scent is nice…’

To think he would even make this himself.

It was a newfound realization, but indeed, he was a man far removed from the men she knew.

Of course, such aspects gradually inflated her feelings for him.

“Sofia, do you like sweet things?”

“Yes. I tend to like them.”

Although it was a simple question about preferences, Sofia could infer one fact from his words.

‘It seems the Bayemühren lady doesn’t like sweet things.’

The fact that she liked sweet things wasn’t new information to Ludwig.

Nevertheless, the fact that he asked as if confirmed in this situation meant that he had recently met someone who disliked sweet things.

Who could that be? Of course, there could be more possibilities, but in her estimation, there was only one answer.

‘I wonder if Brother has feelings for the Bayemühren lady…’

The unique scent of apple preserves dissolved in hot water and cinnamon.

Sofia inhaled the mellow aroma as if savoring it, picking up the teacup, taking a sip, and falling into thought. 

Until now, she had never heard of Ludwig taking an interest in a specific woman, or showing enough favor to cause rumors among the servants.

He is infinitely kind to those he deems worthy of his attention. But conversely, he tends to be quite cold and indifferent to those he’s not interested in.

This was a fact that Sofia, who had spent over a decade with him like adopted siblings, could vouch for more than anyone else.

That’s why she could be certain. Even if he hadn’t developed feelings right away, he would eventually fall for this woman named Emilia Bayemühren.

If she had been just an ordinary noblelady, it might have been a different story.

However, even from their brief encounter, Sofia could tell that she had a unique charm that captivated others’ attention.

Because there were occasionally such people in life.

People who seemed to have been born destined to be the protagonists of the world, as if they had appeared in response to heaven’s call.

She thought that the man she loved would surely prefer someone special like her.

“Sofia, I have something to ask you.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“Lord Adolf asked how I would feel about promoting an engagement between us, saying we would make a good match. What’s your opinion?”

As he mentioned a conversation that hadn’t even taken place and asked, Sofia’s train of thought was broken and her eyes widened.

‘So he really did say it.’

Although she had received prior notice, she didn’t expect it to actually happen.

She had to answer well here. This was her only chance, after all.

“If it pleases you, Brother… I would be happy with it.”

“Isn’t it too sudden?”

Of course it’s sudden. Sofia had to swallow those words that almost slipped out.

His response was as expected. It might have been natural, given that he had never seen her as a romantic interest before, and they were merely like adopted siblings.

But she can’t back down now.

From her position, facing a formidable opponent like Emilia right in front of her, there was nowhere left to retreat.

Perhaps conscious of this, words unlike her usual self tumbled from Sofia’s lips.

“It’s just a simple engagement. I don’t think we need to dwell on it too much.”

“…Is that so?”

Ludwig’s eyes flickered for a moment at her answer.

It was such a subtle tremor that Sofia didn’t seem to notice.

After that, the topic of engagement didn’t come up again. Rather, even when Sofia tried to mention it, he would blatantly change the subject.

‘He must be concerned about the Bayemühren lady…’

Sofia concluded as she observed this series of actions.

If so, it might be better to push even harder here.

“Brother.”

“Yes?”

That question was her strategy to both confirm his feelings and create a foothold for herself to move forward.

“Brother… are you interested in the Bayemühren lady?”

“Me? In Emilia?”

“Yes.”

It was quite a disconcerting question from Ludwig’s perspective.

Perhaps it was because she was at an age where love was of great interest. He didn’t expect such a sudden question.

But he understood. Paula and Matilda had asked him the same question.

From a third-party perspective, he must look like just another man who had fallen for Emilia. Surely Sofia was just asking out of mild curiosity.

“…Brother?”

“…?”

“Please answer me.”

But why? There was a desperation visible in her eyes as she looked at him.

As if hoping it wasn’t true. As if she wanted to hear his answer and be reassured.

He met Sofia’s gaze in silence. The moment wasn’t long.

“Sofia.”

“Yes.”

Sofia nodded with a stiff face in response to the low voice calling her name.

The firm resolve in her eyes was like that of a warrior facing a decisive battle.

Her eyes spoke for her as if saying she wouldn’t waver no matter what answer she heard.

“Do you have an answer you’re hoping for?”

“Ah, no… not at all…”

“…Is that so?”

The moment he saw Sofia avoiding his gaze and fidgeting with her lips, Ludwig felt a strange sensation for the first time in his life.

Until now, he had been quite poor at noticing others’ goodwill towards him. Especially when it came to romantic interests.

He thought himself not particularly perceptive, so whether in that world or this one, he had lived a life unconnected to romance.

Nevertheless, he could tell. This child harbored romantic feelings for him.

He wondered if it might be an overestimation of himself, but somehow he felt certain this time.

She was a child who had expressed her ambition to marry him when she grew up while rolling around laughing in flower gardens. He had just dismissed it as a childish whim back then.

Although she was just a girl who would come of age next year, realizing that she could have such eyes when reflecting on her feelings made Ludwig smile wryly.

‘I saw her as too much of a child.’

The initial reason for calling Sofia to his room was simple.

He thought that if his father Adolf was hiding some scheme, she might have overheard something.

But that wasn’t it. He had been mistaken from the start.

As Ludwig reassembled the puzzle pieces in his head one by one, he could reach one conclusion.

‘The reason Lord Adolf was so insistent on promoting the marriage was because of Sofia.’

Perhaps “because of” wasn’t the right phrase.

To be precise, Adolf must have tried to use it when he realized Sofia’s feelings for Ludwig.

A family of the person his daughter loves, and at the same time, a family he had built enough trust with to let their guard down.

From Adolf’s perspective, the moment these two conditions aligned, he must have thought to push forward with his plan.

Even if he didn’t achieve much else, the moment Sofia was joined with Ludwig, he would become a man with the future head of the Aiphretz family as his son-in-law. It could be satisfying enough just to have his daughter marry the person she wanted.

If he could go further and use Sofia to shake Ludwig as a person, it might be possible to wield the authority of the Aiphretz family.

Either way, there was nothing to lose.

“Sofia, did Lord Adolf tell you anything separately?”

“……”

As he gazed at Sofia answering silently, he nodded his head as if chewing on something.

‘So she knew.’

Now he was certain.

The way she spoke of engagement so lightly was unlike her usual self.

Her attempt to confirm his feelings for Emilia.

All of it was the result of her feelings for him.

People tend to want to lay the groundwork before making any major decision.

For instance, if they like someone, they try to build as much trust and goodwill as possible before confessing.

In that respect, Sofia and Lord Adolf’s interests must have aligned well.

If Lord Adolf could somehow advance Ludwig’s relationship with Sofia even a little, it would be good for her to build a deeper relationship before confessing her feelings.

“Since when, Sofia.”

“Asking that now… is unfair, Brother.”

“…I suppose so.”

The story of when she first developed feelings for him. It was something he should have noticed and asked about earlier.

Asking in this situation with all the cards revealed wasn’t particularly pleasant for her or Ludwig himself.

Realizing his mistake, Ludwig downed the remaining contents of his teacup.

The tea, now cold, no longer had the sweet scent of apples, leaving only a bitter aftertaste.

“I’m sorry. For not realizing until now.”

“……”

Sofia wasn’t naive enough to not understand what an apology meant at this point.

If he had any intention of reciprocating her feelings, he would have stood up and embraced her right away.

“I’m sorry.” 

It wasn’t just for not noticing her feelings.

The moment she realized the implied meaning, a tear dropped from Sofia’s eye onto the back of her hand.

“Brother, will I always be… *sniff*… your precious little sister?”

“Of course.”

Towards him, who replied solemnly without a moment’s hesitation, Sofia clenched her fists and raised her head.

“Ha… I’m sorry. I didn’t want to cry…”

It wasn’t just tears of sadness.

Contrary to the rumors, Adolf was not a simple man unaffected by power or wealth, and Sofia knew this well.

The clever Sofia couldn’t have missed the intention behind her father’s words.

Yet she overlooked it because her desire to be with him was stronger.

Telling herself that her father was doing this to support her love. Surely nothing would happen if she could just be with him.

She deceived even herself and turned a blind eye.

Above all, she was most ashamed of this fact and couldn’t face him.

“You can cry more. Cry until you hate me.”

At his voice whispering as he embraced her, her emotions finally exploded.

“Hic…! Huuung…!”

As the tears she had been holding back burst at his words, Sofia began to sob loudly in his arms.

There was no way she could hate him. He must know that’s impossible. Yet she hated him for saying it.

She hated her father for harboring impure thoughts, him for not accepting her feelings, and the Bayemühren lady who stole his gaze.

But most of all, she hated herself.

She who couldn’t advise her father.

She who couldn’t even properly convey her feelings to her.

She who harbored jealousy towards the Bayemühren lady but ultimately couldn’t win.

She who shamelessly wished this moment in his arms could last forever.

‘In the end, I became neither the moonflower that receives your favor nor the violet that’s always by your side.’

The moment she realized this, the tears began to well up again.

Even if these tears were enough to fill the ocean, they couldn’t make a single withered violet bloom again.

translator’s corner

poor sofia needs a hug ;w;