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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“…”
The Crown Princess was speechless.
Or rather, she was so shocked by Elena’s words that she couldn’t process them. She had heard them clearly, but the meaning was so outrageous that her mind struggled to comprehend it.
After a long moment of silence, she finally asked cautiously,
“…You mean… five brides…?”
“Exactly.”
Elena replied curtly, her expression annoyed.
In reality, she would be ecstatic if she could see Rudrick right now, but she wasn’t happy about sharing her future husband with four other women.
It was a natural reaction, but the Crown Princess, her face blank, pondered her sister’s words.
Five brides, one of whom was Elena. And the groom was Rudrick.
It wasn’t a complicated mathematical equation, but it was so absurd that it took a while for her to grasp the meaning. It was simply unheard of, not only for the Crown Princess and Elena, but for anyone in this world.
The Crown Princess’s expression slowly morphed into one of shock and disbelief. She covered her mouth with her hand and asked,
“…Seriously?”
“Of course it’s serious. Do you think I’m joking around? I have a lot more planning to do. I’m not that free.”
“Th-th-th…”
The Crown Princess stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence. She stared at Elena with wide eyes and slapped her on the back.
Slap!
“You crazy woman! Are you insane? How is that even possible?!”
“I would appreciate it if you could express your thoughts verbally. I’m too old to be getting hit by my older sister.”
“Do I look like I’m in the mood to talk calmly?! Get a grip! You’re royalty! What are you even thinking? This is… preposterous…”
The Crown Princess yelled, then trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.
If it were the other way around, it wouldn’t be such a big deal. If Elena married Rudrick and took four concubines, it might cause some gossip among the nobles, but it wouldn’t be a major problem.
But this was different.
One man and five women.
Even the trendy romance novels that were popular among young noblemen didn’t have stories about the protagonist marrying five noblewomen at once.
“…Elena, do you honestly think this is acceptable? Have you even considered what people will say about this marriage?”
The Crown Princess, having calmed down slightly, asked in a low voice.
She didn’t understand how her sister could be so infatuated with one man, but there were societal norms and boundaries.
Crossing those boundaries would inevitably lead to criticism. And for a member of the royal family, especially the Second Princess of the Empire, to announce such an outrageous marriage…
The Crown Princess felt a headache coming on. She could imagine the nobles, eager to weaken the royal authority and seize power for themselves, gleefully exploiting this situation.
“It’s perfectly acceptable.”
“What…?”
The Crown Princess frowned at her sister’s outrageous response, about to retort, when…
Elena replied calmly, as if she had no other choice.
“It’s actually quite simple, if you think about it.”
She spoke as if the Crown Princess was the one who didn’t understand.
She was speaking nonsense as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
The Crown Princess was speechless, but she gestured for Elena to continue, curious to hear her explanation.
Elena began to explain, her voice calm and measured, like a teacher instructing a student.
“What’s the point of me objecting when the other four have already agreed?”
“…There’s no point?”
“Exactly. It’s a simple equation. If I’m the only one who refuses, I’m the only one who loses. It might not feel good, but accepting it is the most pragmatic choice. Pragmatism over idealism. Isn’t that what they teach you in your royal studies?”
“Sigh…”
The Crown Princess rubbed her forehead.
Elena had always been pragmatic, even as a child.
It wasn’t that she was good with money, but she hated being on the losing end of a deal. “Give and take” was her motto, a principle she had often preached to her older sister.
That aspect of her personality might have been subdued in front of Rudrick, but when it came to matters like this, Elena hadn’t changed.
“…So, you’re saying that it’s better to accept it, even if it’s unpleasant, than to object and lose out on potential benefits?”
“You catch on quickly.”
Elena nodded in satisfaction, and the Crown Princess sighed deeply, defeated. She didn’t even have the energy to lecture her sister anymore.
She had come here expecting a fierce battle for the throne, concerned that her own sister might be plotting against her. But now, she felt foolish.
Elena was giving her a headache for entirely different reasons, and the biggest problem was that there was no way to stop her.
“…Elena.”
“Hm?”
The Crown Princess addressed her sister, who had returned her attention to the absurd wedding plans, and asked cautiously,
“Hypothetically… if I told you not to do this… would you listen…?”
“No.”
Elena answered before she could even finish her question.
The Crown Princess sighed.
She had expected that answer.
If she tried to forcibly stop Elena, her sister would likely resort to something drastic, like starting a civil war. She didn’t want to push Elena any further, so she simply asked,
“Just out of curiosity… who are the other four?”
“You might be shocked.”
“…I’m already shocked. Do you think it’ll make much of a difference?”
“That’s true.”
Elena nodded, agreeing with her sister’s assessment, and began counting on her fingers. She tried to be considerate of her sister’s feelings, listing the names in a specific order to minimize the shock.
“First, Arwen Nosferatu.”
“Who’s that?”
The Crown Princess frowned, unfamiliar with the name.
She had never heard of it. If it was a foreign noble or a commoner, it was understandable that she wouldn’t know.
“She’s a True Ancestor.”
“Okay, one of them is a True Ancestor… Wait, a True Ancestor?!”
“Also known as an Elder Vampire. Yes, the one you’re thinking of.”
“…”
Elena deliberately saved Eileen and Lassiel for last, knowing that her sister would be truly shocked if she knew that a Grand Duchess and a Lord Admiral were also on the list.
So Arwen was first, but even this was enough to make the Crown Princess want to clutch her head in disbelief.
The Crown Princess, speechless at the mention of such a grand title, asked for confirmation.
“An Elder Vampire… a True Ancestor… You mean… the Ruler of all vampires? The progenitor?”
“You got it.”
Elena nodded calmly, and the Crown Princess was once again speechless.
There was a saying, “My vision went dark.”
It was a figurative expression for a hopeless situation, but the Crown Princess literally felt like her vision was fading to black.
“This crazy bitch…”
She couldn’t help but curse, and Elena continued counting on her fingers.
“Sylphia Andres.”
“…”
This time, the Crown Princess recognized the name. Sylphia Andres was the late Court Mage Lorenzo Tonali’s new disciple, just like Rudrick.
She thought, “At least that’s not so bad,” but Elena quickly added,
“Oh, and Sylphia is a dragon. She’s currently in human form because she’s… playing around. It’s not as simple as you think.”
“A dragon?”
“Yes, a dragon. There are only two non-humans on the list, so you can relax.”
The Crown Princess wanted to scream,
“How can I relax when you’ve already mentioned a True Ancestor and a dragon?!”
She swallowed her expletives and nodded for Elena to continue.
“And third, Admiral Repert.”
“…The commander of the Southern Navy?”
“Yes, Admiral Repert makes three.”
“This is insane.”
The Crown Princess laughed, feeling a mixture of amusement and despair. She was losing the will to even be angry.
Elena, sensing her sister’s reaction, added cautiously,
“And lastly, my cousin.”
“…Your cousin?”
“Eileen.”
“The Grand Duchess of Nord?”
“Yes.”
With Eileen’s name, the Crown Princess finally snapped out of her daze. She began to list the brides Elena had mentioned, counting on her fingers.
Elena, the Second Princess, a True Ancestor, a dragon in disguise, the Lord Admiral, and the Grand Duchess of Nord.
It was a spectacular lineup. But the problem was, they were all willing to marry one man, even if it meant sharing him with four other women.
The Crown Princess, speechless, stood there for a long moment, then muttered a curse that conveyed a myriad of emotions.
“This is insane.”
More than anything, she was annoyed by Elena, who was casually working on her wedding plans as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
She resisted the urge to strangle her sister and lowered her head in defeat.
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Thank you for the chapter!!