I Don’t Trust My Twin Sister

“Well, it’s a little hard to say this out loud, but I don’t think there’s a particular need for a sense of authority regarding Ercia’s marriage. But my grandfather wants someone who will help in the business even if he is not a high-ranking noble or rich person. He probably won’t give up on this part.”

That’s why it was a topic that was brought up in advance. It doesn’t matter if two people just start dating and end it, but if they want to develop deeper and move forward, they have to deal with all these problems. We had to embrace bombs that were too big to handle. I didn’t want to watch that.

“Of course, the most important thing is Ercia’s heart. If Benson’s confession is not accepted, all of these stories would be as if they did not exist, but if accepted, these are the problems that will come to the surface. This is just a list of the most representative ones. “If I were to mention one more thing, their relationship is not easy.”

One side of my chest felt heavy as I spoke. I told Ercia to meet someone she likes, but marrying someone who was really nothing was a big problem. I had a good opinion of Benson. But even if I give permission…

I thought for a moment, looking at the strong shoulders of the man who could not say anything anymore. How will I answer? Should I cheer? I had no right to stop Ercia’s love life. Even though she was her older sister, she didn’t control everything about Ercia like before. If Ercia wants to, she will love as much as she wants. If a problem arises related to marriage, I can help, but I have no right to create a problem. Because Ercia and I are sisters, not guardians.

But I didn’t want to see Ercia hurt. I also didn’t want to draw the line that she shouldn’t date Benson. No matter what happened to her, she was sure to be hurt. I knew what Benson was like from the sidelines. At least, saying he likes someone isn’t just an internal whim. He was not a man with a heart as soft as a marshmallow, nor was he a man with a heart as hard as freshly smelted iron. He was an ordinary, common man. If I were to ask the exact question, he is a good man, sincere and kind, and I like the kind of person who understands others.

It couldn’t be helped. Even if I can’t cheer, I shouldn’t interfere. I didn’t want to be remembered as a saboteur between the two people.

“I’m not sure how I should react to the absurd incident of being hit in the eye after being assigned to watch and monitor Ercia…”

I shook my head when I saw him lowering his head to hide his eyes. He didn’t need to hide. I snapped my fingers to make him look at me, then rolled my eyes and looked at him.

“Are you confident?”

“Which…?”

“Are you confident that you can at least become a man who can stand next to Ercia?”

I drew a sharp, thin line like the string of a bow and asked him. Benson was blank and he looked at me. He lifted his chin, examined him, and opened his mouth again.

“It will be difficult. If Benson wants, I will send him as a trainee knight to the Berdian territory so that he can abandon his mercenary status and become a knight. It will take a few months at the earliest, a few years at the longest, and within that time, he will be qualified to become a full-fledged knight. If I return later, I can make him a knight because the Ajstain family has the qualifications to do so, and I will be able to attain baronet status and be relieved of my status as a commoner.”

His eyes brightened slightly. I’m so busy with my dating business, but I can’t believe I’m putting a lot of effort into my younger brother’s dating business… Life, I don’t know, he said with a smile, tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Past subdivisions cannot be erased, but you can cover them up by using the information guild to come up with a slightly better subdivision. However, as it does not disappear completely, all of your actions in the future will be on the chopping block. Even if someone starts a fight, you must avoid it and do not raise a sword. Even if someone chases you, you have to suppress them. Even if you get angry enough to grind your teeth and vomit blood, you have to endure it at least until the results of the two are revealed.”

“This is a life I lived for my younger brother. Now, for me and for Lady Ercia, I can do even more.”

“Good.”

I laughed out loud at the satisfactory answer. He opened his mouth, putting on the coat he was holding to adjust the temperature of his body, which had dried out of sweat and was a little chilly.

“And, the most important thing is business. It’s not something I can help you with, but… I’ll give you a chance.”

“Do you mean opportunity?”

He nodded.

“There is a mercenary group run by the Aztain family. It is not a mercenary group that carries out requests or participates in battles, but rather one that escorts the transportation of goods for businesses. I will send Benson there as the person in charge. He is not the general manager, but rather observes the scene. As someone who can do it.”

“What can I do there?”

“It’s simple.”

The eyes looking at me seemed to have regained some vitality. It probably means you have a spirit of challenge.

“If we are able to successfully deliver all shipments without a single failure, and subsequently increase the size of the mercenary group, I will consider that positively. Coincidentally, even within Ajstain, we are increasing the size of the mercenary group to prepare troops to be mobilized in case of emergency. It has been said that you need to develop a group of mercenaries by mobilizing your connections or building trust with people… Whatever it is, if you can show growth, it can be quite useful. I will personally report it to my grandfather so that you can be recognized.”

I stopped talking, met the tense gaze looking at me, and smiled.

“We’ll talk again after that.”

It’s probably going to be very difficult. It would take more than a year at the earliest to complete what I requested. How painful it must be to spend that time apart. However, if you run into something without any preparation and the pain increases, you may give up. It was obvious that it would be more painful if love failed for a long time without seeing each other.

“In every business, there is a certain amount of money invested at the risk of loss. The business reaches a certain level and makes a profit, and within a few years there comes a time when the profit equals the investment cost. That is called the turning point. Benson.”

He flinched at the sound of my voice and looked hard at the eyes looking at me.

“Are you confident you can pay that cost? Depending on your ability, it could be one year, or it could extend to three or four years if it is delayed. It could fail. In the meantime, Ercia might change her mind. As the distance grows, so does the heart. Do you have the confidence to handle all of this?”

“I am…”

He opened his mouth and eventually raised his head. The moon shined as his eyes were calm and he was quietly thinking about something for a while. As I felt before, Benson was a man with courage and the ability to pioneer his own future.

“I will finish everything within a year.”

“It’s arrogance.”

“We will make it possible.”

“If you manipulate me and it goes wrong, Ercia will try to kill me. Don’t manipulate me.”

“No.”

He smiled coolly. He looked generous with a smile that stretched the corners of his mouth to match his large size.

“I will definitely, definitely pass.”

He bowed his back.

“Thank you.”

“Is there anything to be thankful for? I haven’t done anything yet.”

It’s too early to thank me even though I haven’t even started. If I were sent to Verdian Gabun as a trainee knight, I would suffer every day because of discrimination and training based on my status. Also, there may come a day when you have to go through documents every day and look at difficult numbers and legal codes, which is out of your nature. His promise to finish quickly was just hubris. However, it was cool to see him clenching his fists and trying to carve out his own path and a future with Ercia.

A man like this might be able to entrust Ercia to him. He smiled and tilted his head as a thought suddenly occurred to him.

“But what are you going to do if Ercia refuses?”

Seeing his crumpled expression without an answer, I also made a bewildered expression. I narrowed my eyes and looked at him.

This is what it means to not even think about the person you are giving rice cake to. Ercia hasn’t said anything yet, and we’re not making a fuss about playing the drums. I shook my head and waved my hand.

“Let’s get Ercia’s heart. We’ll talk about this again later.”

* * *

Judging from yesterday’s conversation with Benson, I thought Ersia’s condition today would be very complicated. Sure enough, unlike usual, I made a lot of mistakes and couldn’t concentrate on work, so it seemed like I was out of my mind.

Tsk.

Clicking my tongue inwardly, I quietly examined Elsia’s condition. Perhaps because she didn’t sleep well, her eyes, which were as vivid as leaves covered in morning dew, had lost their vitality, and her skin was also a little dull. Her lips were chapped and she looked tired. As she moved around holding the pen, I was worried that she had lost her senses in a daze. It seemed like he didn’t even know I was looking at him, as his eyes were fixed only on the document.

Although Benson’s confession bothered her so much, the truth is that if Ercia wanted it, the two could have been together for as long as they wanted. As I said yesterday, the problem in the end was when you got married, not now. There was no law telling her to date someone who was said to be a noble lady and then marry that person. It wasn’t a bad idea to meet different people and experience things. In fact, I have never been in a romantic relationship. It’s almost my first time meeting Ian. Now that I think about it, I guess this is Ian’s first time too? I don’t know because I’ve never brought up the topic of other women and I’ve never been particularly curious about it.

Did he ever have a girlfriend? After thinking for a moment, I shook my head. Was that possible? Indigo was a human being who has a subdivision, and if it had existed, that subdivision would not have existed. Aside from the daughter of Duke Sabeldrick chasing her around, she didn’t seem to have anything to do with women. It’s a clean area. I grabbed hold of the thoughts that had fallen to bottom and brought them back. I looked at Ercia and wondered what to do. He seemed out of his mind and too worried to leave it alone. She thought for a moment, then stood up, walked over to Ercia, and knocked on her desk.

As if she didn’t even know I was approaching, she lifted her head in surprise and stroked Ercia’s cheek with her palm, cheering her up a bit.

“Where do you hurt?”

“Oh, no.”

“But why are you looking like that? It looks like you couldn’t sleep. Are you worried?”

“I’m worried. There’s nothing like that.”

My eyes narrowed as I forced a smile and shook my head. Was it because they were afraid that I would worry?

My eyes scanned Ercia as she spoke. Ercia felt her gaze on me and twitched the corner of her mouth with an awkward expression. She didn’t know what to do, so she looked at his expression, thought for a moment, and then sighed lightly.

“Ercia.”

“Yes, sister.”

“Even though I’m only a few minutes early, she might still be able to help, if you tell me what’s going on.”

“…”

I didn’t mind asking first and pretending to know, but it was still an expression I threw in the hope that Ercia would speak up first. Ercia bit her lip, her eyes lowered as if she was thinking for a moment, she took a breath, and then she looked at me again.

“Huh.”

“Sister.”

I smiled calmly and answered. Ercia slowly opened her mouth as if she had made up her mind.

“My sister and the Grand Duke…”

I nodded once.

“Who confessed first?”

“Huh?”

 

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