I Don’t Trust My Twin Sister

How narrow-minded the years I’ve been living, how much I judged the world only with my eyesight, and how foolish I was. I had to accept that I couldn’t always be confident, that I couldn’t always be successful. I was dumb and arrogant. Just because I helped, Ian wasn’t a man inferior to me, and my grandfather’s father didn’t disappear right in front of my eyes. I still needed to lean on, but I was so tired I wanted to collapse.

“Lean on me this time.”

He smiled softly and patted his chest lightly. Was it to be held like I was hugged by my grandfather? I smiled. I liked the lightness of this man. For a moment, it erased my worries.

Ah.

“We’re close.”

He sighed as I looked at his narrow eyes.

“Please give me back my impression.”

What should I do with that lightness? Although it was only for a moment, the impression that raised the woman’s heart disappeared like water and a comfortable atmosphere filled the room. Did he take care not to be uncomfortable, or is this his original personality? I couldn’t understand this man’s true intentions so I asked again.

“So why are you here?”

The main topic, which had passed in an instant after being evasive, came up on the table again. Ian reached into his arms and pulled out a piece of paper, shaking it. What was that? Ian smiled as I narrowly opened my eyes and looked at him. Why was he laughing?

“You sent me a letter.”

“Ah.”

That’s right, I sent it. It was a letter from last week. To be precise, it was a kind of report. A brief summary of the current situation. It contained predictions about how the budget allocated to welfare projects would be used. I forgot to send one this week.

“I did. What’s wrong with that?”

“Actually, I had a lot of expectations. The letter arrived in about a month, so I was very excited to see what it was saying. Could it be that you missed me? Was it a letter asking when I could see you again? Or..!”

He frowned. What nonsense was he talking about, man?

“I wonder if it’s a letter asking me to come see you right away. A letter I haven’t received in a while makes me feel like an adolescent boy. With such a beating heart, I took out the letter and listened to it. But what, isn’t it?”

He looked visibly disappointed and opened the letter. Then he quietly opened his squirming mouth and began to read the contents inside slowly and clearly.

“…We are carrying out welfare projects more broadly based on a clue from the last conversation. It is hoped that the project for the soldiers suffering from the cold and those suffering from other difficulties will be an opportunity for the North to breathe, at least temporarily, and support will be increased in the future. It reads like this. What does this mean?”

What did it mean? Leaning back on my back, I replied leisurely. It was something Ian did often.

“Is that all written there?”

“…Is this all?”

“Yes.”

“…”

He glanced over the letter once more, narrowed his brows, and looked at me curiously.

“What’s the point of sending this?”

“Oh, just see? Or notice?”

“…Why to me… That’s…”

I briefly organized my thoughts. Why did I send this at that time? Perhaps I thought he would like it. A complicated idea floated in my head. What should I answer?

“Aren’t we partners?”

I heard the winding sound. He looked at me with a ridiculous look and rubbed his brow with his fingers. Why was he doing that?

“Hey… Lady Lawrence. I want a partner with a good contract, but I want it to be tied in a more sound word. Huh? Do you understand?”

“For example?”

“For example, to have a more intimate relationship.”

He opened his hands and put it on his knees.

“Like friends?”

“…I want you to put one more word in front of it.”

“Best friends?”

In my simple and plain answer, Ian slightly crumpled his face. I enjoyed his reaction and laughed. I didn’t know what he was thinking. I had a lot of years of life, but I didn’t know about this. It was true that he expressed a crush on me and could lean on me. But right now, he didn’t have any strong feelings. It was just a partner who had a partner contract in business.

Ian was not easy to accept. Not because I didn’t know him well, but I was not ready. How could I believe in people after having been betrayed by humans for more than 10 years? More time was needed. To trust him a little more and open the door of mind and heart.

“Lawren…”

“I know what you want to say.”

I cut his words in my name. This man was straightforward and the goal was me. It was understood even if I turned it around, but on the contrary, throwing a fastball was not the one who would be able to get rid of it.

“I actually tried a little bit of trouble. I officially said that two people were dating, but nothing had happened. In other words, I also thought about having a wedding.”

His eyebrows went up. I didn’t know what he was thinking.

“But I don’t want to do it yet. You know, if you follow the law of the Imperial Law, Lirius Empire, if you and I are married, my dwelling naturally moves to Berdian’s, and then the successor of the Ajstain will be a -in -law’s or other member of my own family. I would like for that person not to be Ercia.”

This was the biggest problem. If I got married to Ian in the aristocratic way all my rights to inherit Ajstain’s family would fall off. When a man and a woman got married, the woman became part of the man’s family so because I was still an heir I was going to lose all my rights in succession.

If I go this way, the Ajstaan family would naturally go to Ersia. It was almost impossible for my younger sister who knew nothing to work with the real power of the family to do well. If so, it’s only left…

“If Ersia is considered a successor, she will definitely need a representative.”

“…Berald?”

“Yes. Berald is possible. A Duke with his own estate cannot own the title below, but the Marquis can manage two territories. It happens.”

Berald was trying to push the Berdian family by absorbing the Ajstain family. If I was married to Ian, it was like handing Berald a delicious food.

“Of course, today’s work is no longer a successor, but there is a possibility. If the person who received the keys is handed over the operating authority of the Ajstain family, the problem increases.”

“So shouldn’t you marry me?”

“That’s it. But there’s only one way to solve this situation.”

His eyes shook. I didn’t know if I was shaking or rejoicing. He opened his finger and caught his eyes and said slowly.

“If I have a child to inherit the family.”

“Do you have to give birth? What?”

“Ian and me.”

His expression changed his face strangely. He scratched his head and wanted to be locked for a while and opened the thread carefully.

“That’s not a little bit too much to talk about marriage and a baby at the same time? Oh, of course, I don’t hate it. It’s good. It would be nice to have a child between us. But that’s usually a talk for after marriage.”

What was he talking about? I looked at Ian, who was gibberish, and I looked back at what I said at the moment.

“What are you talking about! I don’t mean right now!”

“That’s right? After all, I think it is too early.”

Haha, I sighed and sat down in the chair.

“Even if we got married, I don’t hold the real power right now and I don’t want it to go to Ersia.”

“You’re worried that after the marriage, your sister will sell your family to Beralt.”

I nodded. Soon, the day my grandfather would die would arrive. Grandpa was visiting on a rainy day. The wagon was overturned over the mountain and it seemed to have met a group of wolves in the meantime. I remembered the loss of words to see the torn body of my grandfather. Of course, I tried to change the future. At that time, I was going to reorganize the road where my grandfather died and stop it during that time. But no matter how hard I worked, I didn’t know if the changes would work. In this situation, I wanted to avoid increasing risks.

“My grandfather is traveling a lot outside. No matter how many knights or mercenaries he hired, they can’t guarantee his safety.”

“That’s not a problem.”

Wasn’t it a problem? My grandfather’s life was in danger, but Ian shook my hand as I looked at it with frowning eyes.

“Oh, of course, it doesn’t mean that the life of Ajstain’s ower doesn’t mean anything. What I want to say is that we don’t have to get married right away.”

“But the gold is…”

“Double household”

“Double household?”

“Have you heard of it?”

That was a term I didn’t know the exact meaning of. But Ian continued to explain as I leaned my head.

“In simple terms, if there is only a person to inherit the family, even if you are married, they cannot deprive you of the right to connect the family.”

“But there’s also Ersia in the family.”

Ian shrugged.

“You can get rid of it.”

“…I beg your pardon?”

It was so easy to answer in a powerful voice. To get rid of it… How could he say something so cruel casually? Of course, I also wanted to drive her out even if it was disgusting. But it was far from wanting to kill her. I didn’t want to get blood in my hands.

“Oh, there’s a misunderstanding, but it’s not that intention.”

He tapped the back of his hand and spoke lightly.

“Let Ercia marry first. Then we can marry.”

“…”

Let Ercia marry first? It was an unexpected solution. Ian spoke lightly after pouring out a bunch of documents prepared in advance.

“I stopped by this problem to talk to Ajstain today. In the meantime, I listened to very interesting words and saw an unpleasant scene… Well, if you talk about this, the poor…”

He looked at me with serious eyes. His red eyes were passionate.

—————————————————————

Translator Note:

Want to read more?