IBYSRHML | Chapter 47

Episode 47

“Kkeuheoo… Why would Edgar do that? We’re friends…”

Leaving Helen behind, I ran after Edgar in a panic.

But Edgar pushed me away and ran off to Orion Palace, where he lived.

Shocked by the unexpected declaration of breaking off our friendship, I nearly burst into tears.

Helen, who had no idea what was going on, calmly listened to my rambling explanation and comforted me like an older sister.

“That must be really upsetting. You two are best friends… Edgar was mean.”

“Kkeuheong… Kheuung. I… Hic! I thought we were close… Hic! Huhuhuhuhung.”

Maybe because I cried too much, my head was tightening, and my body felt chilly, my skin even hurt.

But I couldn’t stop crying from how upset I was.

“Should I go hit Edgar for you?”

“No. I have to hit him. Heoheoeong.”

“D-Don’t cry, Lilliana.”

Even Chris joined in patting my back, and I suddenly felt embarrassed and struggled hard to stop crying.

Once I barely managed to stop, the maids came looking for them.

“Miss Helen. Young Master Chris. It’s time for you to leave.”

“But we want to stay with Liliana longer.”

“If you’re late, the adults will scold you. You can go now. I’m not crying anymore.”

“Are you really going to be okay?”

“Mm-hmm. I’ll be fine.”

“Lilliana, t-try talking to Edgar, okay? I-I really hope you two make up. Helen and I had a big f-fight before too, but we made up after.”

“Okay. Thank you, Helen, Chris. Let’s play together again next time. Then we’ll eat yummy things and play even more fun games.”

“Okay. I’ll definitely come back with Chris.”

I wiped my puffy eyes and saw Helen and Chris off.

Helen worried about me even until the moment we parted.

Chris waved from inside the carriage until it was completely out of sight.

As I sniffled and returned to my room, the ground spun around me.

It was a very familiar feeling.

I’d probably get a fever again and feel like my whole body was falling apart.

I opened a bottle of medicine my second sister had left in the room and said to the maid sisters,

“I think I’m getting sick, please call the others.”

The moment I lay down in bed, my head went fuzzy and I quickly drifted off to sleep.

When I came to, Marius was beside me instead of the sisters.

“Did my little sister-in-law wake up? The sisters are asleep because it’s so late.”

I checked the clock. It was 4:50 a.m.

After drinking the water Marius handed me, the fog in my head cleared right up.

“You need to eat something. You didn’t even have dinner and got sick. You have to eat.”

“Uuu… I don’t want to.”

“No. If you take medicine on an empty stomach, your stomach will hurt. Your fever was so high that even Uncle François came, and the sisters were really shocked.”

I felt so sticky from sweat that I wanted to bathe before eating anything.

Marius didn’t seem to mind the sweat and brushed back the hair stuck to my face.

Then he had someone bring soup.

“Lilliana doesn’t want to eat.”

“Just one bite. Here. Ah.”

When Marius held the spoon up to my lips, I couldn’t refuse.

Gulp. After one bite, another was sneakily delivered.

“Jelly says, ‘Hurry and eat the soup and get healthy soon!’”

“Wow. My little sister-in-law even eats soup well? I should tell Alice to give you praise!”

Thanks to Marius’s skillful coaxing, I kept taking bite after bite and eventually finished the whole bowl.

Before I realized it, I had also taken the medicine with a confused “Huh?” escaping my lips.

Ugh. It was bitter. I frowned, unable to spit it out or swallow easily, and Marius exclaimed,

“Wow! It’s powder medicine, so it must be bitter, but you took it so well? You’ll be a hero when you grow up! So brave—you deserve some chocolate!”

Pop. A piece of chocolate slipped into my mouth.

As I swallowed the powder medicine and sucked on the melting chocolate, I thought,

I totally got played by Marius.

I puffed up my cheeks and crossed my arms.

Then I glared hard at him.

“Huh? Did I do something wrong?”

“You’re not my brother-in-law! You’re just a mister.”

“But we’re married now, so I’m your brother-in-law.”

“Hmm. That may be true… Anyway! You did something wrong to me!”

I had planned to confront Marius about the soul vow but had forgotten.

If he wants to call himself my brother-in-law, he should keep his promises to his sister-in-law properly.

I’ll take this chance to show him how scary a sister-in-law can be. Hmph!

“You’re saying I did something wrong? What was it?”

“You have to sit in the Thinking Chair too. Go over there and reflect for ten minutes.”

“R-Really?”

Just as I opened my mouth to scold him, Marius asked,

“Want another chocolate?”

My head told me I should stay angry, but my mouth said something else entirely.

“Okay. But I want one with almonds inside.”

“There’s none of that. But we do have pumpkin chocolate.”

“I don’t like pumpkin. Just give me what you have.”

“Okay. Oh, and don’t tell the sisters I gave you chocolate, okay? They said not to give you any because it rots your teeth.”

His babying tone made me snap back to my senses.

Clutching the chocolate tightly in my hand, I clacked my teeth together.

I wanted to show that I had strong teeth to bite through anything, but he just burst out laughing.

I’m actually a really scary person… a hammer-fist warrior…

“Don’t laugh?”

“Are you sulking because brother-in-law didn’t grant your wish? Lilliana is still a baby, huh?”

“I’m not sulking! Am I a baby? I’m all grown up now!”

“Hmm~ You’re mad, so that means you’re sulking, right?”

“…I hate you!”

I pouted my lips and kicked the blanket with both feet.

Marius pulled the kicked-off blanket back up to cover me.

“I do feel sorry about that. I couldn’t avoid making a soul vow, but I did make some other arrangements… But Lilliana, you’re still young, so you wouldn’t understand yet.”

“You’re right. I’m too young to understand. But I still hate it. You hurt Edgar. Even if he’s annoying, don’t be mean to him. I won’t forgive you.”

“I’ve never found him annoying.”

“Liar.”

“It’s not a lie.”

Marius’s voice turned more serious.

It was already late, and he should’ve been tired, but he didn’t seem worn out—instead, he looked deep in thought.

“I know. Not everyone in the world loves their younger siblings like my sisters do. That’s why our brother didn’t love me and left for the countryside.”

“That’s not true. Andrea really, really loves you.”

“If my brother does like me, then that’s a weird kind of love. Love isn’t supposed to be like that.”

“Pfft. What would a little kid know about love? What is love, then?”

He probably asked because he thought it was funny hearing a kid talk like an adult, but I was being serious.

Because the relationship between Edgar and Marius seemed just like the situation between me and Brother Andrea.

I popped another chocolate into my mouth.

“Love doesn’t make you walk on eggshells.”

“…”

The sweetness filled my mouth as the chocolate melted.

“…Eggshells?”

“Yeah. I can’t act the same around my brother as I do around my sisters. I eat gross spinach without complaining and never beg for toys. Because I like him more than he likes me.”

“Liliana, Andrea—”

“I’m scared my brother will forget me. So I write letters often and pray every day that he remembers me.”

“You don’t think that’s love?”

“No. It’s a one-sided love from me alone.”

Thinking of my brother made me sullen again.

Every day, I forget a little more of his face, and he’s probably forgetting mine too.

What if the day comes when we can’t even remember each other?

Then maybe I won’t love him anymore, and we won’t be family anymore.

My sisters and brother grew up together, but I didn’t.

“Edgar’s probably the same. He wants to act up in front of his older brothers and throw tantrums too, but he can’t. I know that feeling. Lilliana is the same.”

“No. It’s okay to act that way. Edgar and Lilliana can roll on the floor begging for toys, and eat only sweets while ignoring nagging. That’s how much they’re loved. They just didn’t know how to express it properly.”

“You’re such a fool.”

“Huh?”

“You can only be a brat who doesn’t listen if you believe you’ll still be loved no matter what. Don’t you know that, even though you’re an adult?”

Marius’s face went pale for a moment.

His lips trembled, and his jaw clenched so tightly his jaw muscles stood out.

What’s wrong with him? Did I say something wrong?

Is he sulking because I didn’t share my chocolate? W-Want a bite?

Just as I was about to slip a chocolate into his hand, he pressed his large palm over his eyes.

At first, I thought they hurt, but looking closely, he was exhaling painfully as if quietly sobbing.

W-What’s this? Did I hurt an adult’s pride?

Was it really that upsetting to say adults don’t know love?

“So… that’s why… when he pointed a sword at me… he trusted me. He thought if he staked himself, I’d stop.”

I didn’t fully understand what he was muttering, but I was sure he was crying without tears.

“It’s o-okay.”

In my panic, I reached up and gently patted him.

Compared to Marius, my hand was tiny and my arm too short to reach his back.

But he seemed to need comfort in any form.

Then suddenly, Marius pulled me into a tight hug.

“…Where did such a pretty kid like Lilliana come from?”

What would I have done without you.

He whispered softly as he stroked my hair.

He probably did it to show he was okay, but his eyes, expression, and the tear-tinged voice all didn’t seem okay at all.

So I had no choice but to let him keep stroking my hair as long as he wanted.