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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Even so, throwing dirt on your mother’s grave is a bit…”
“But think about it. My mother trying to stop me from marrying whoever I want? That’s something you’d see in a weekend drama.”
Arwen frowned at Rudrick’s response, then cautiously voiced her concerns.
Rudrick replied, confused,
“I… don’t know what a weekend drama is, but it’s natural for parents to be concerned about their children’s marriage prospects-”
“It’s fine. I’m not going to ask them for money.”
“…That’s not the point.”
“I’m a little worried about my father’s reaction… but my mother will be fine.”
Rudrick thought about his parents for a moment and nodded.
It was his father, not his mother, who had pressured him about getting married before he left for the capital. It was a universal parental instinct to be frustrated with a child who was of age but showed no interest in marriage, but Countess Aline Weiss had been relatively lenient.
She had allowed Rudrick to remain single until he turned twenty. Even though their county was small, the Weiss family was still a prominent one in the western regions of the Empire.
Finding a suitable bride wouldn’t have been difficult.
If they had actively sought out a bride for him, they could have easily arranged a marriage. But they had respected his wishes and allowed him to remain single. His mother had even hinted that she wouldn’t oppose a love marriage, as long as it met certain conditions.
“But I’m still a little worried.”
“…Worried about what?”
“I’m worried she might faint from shock.”
Rudrick frowned.
His mother’s acceptance of a love marriage came with certain conditions. For example, she would have vehemently opposed a marriage to a commoner, as it would violate the social hierarchy.
This case was a bit ambiguous.
It wasn’t like he was marrying a commoner. His brides were of higher status than him.
The only problem was that he had five brides instead of one.
He scratched his head sheepishly and muttered,
“Maybe I should… subtly… hint at it to my older sister before we visit my parents.”
“Your sister…”
“Don’t worry. My sisters aren’t like that.”
Arwen’s expression tensed at the mention of Serilla. She had been immersed in romance novels lately.
He reassured her,
“I’ll talk to my sister first, and then we’ll visit my parents.”
“…Well, they’ll all follow you wherever you go, but I’m worried about what will happen after that.”
“Worried about what?”
“Don’t worry. Even if your mother blames you, we’ll protect you. No matter what insults they throw at you, we’ll-”
“You need to stop reading those ridiculous novels.”
He cut her off, unable to listen to her nonsense any longer.
“I’m going to throw away all those romance novels when we get back to your room.”
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Serilla Weiss.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that she was the most talented member of the Weiss family.
She had graduated second in her class from the academy and joined the Imperial Knights, an elite force that only accepted the top 1% of graduates.
She had quickly risen through the ranks, from a trainee knight to a full-fledged knight.
Rudrick might have overshadowed her by becoming the Court Mage after moving to the capital, but she had been the family’s hope, the one who was expected to restore their former glory.
Her father had even considered holding a county festival to celebrate her achievements.
And lately, she had been struggling to adjust to the sudden change in how people treated her.
“Greetings, Senior Knight.”
“Oh, Serilla. You’re on guard duty?”
“Yes, sir!”
“You’re a full-fledged knight now. Relax, there’s no need to be so formal. You don’t have to be so nervous anymore. Good work.”
“Yes, sir! Have a good day!”
[T/N: I will reiterate again I’m leaving it as the intended pronoun by the author]
Guarding the Imperial Palace was one of the main duties of the Imperial Knights.
Serilla, on duty as usual, saluted her senior knight with the obedience of a new recruit. Her senior was known for being strict and by-the-book, making her a formidable figure among the younger knights.
But now, even she was being treated with leniency.
And it all started after Rudrick became the Court Mage.
“…This is… strange.”
She muttered to herself, bewildered, as her senior knight walked away.
It wasn’t a new experience. It had been happening ever since Rudrick’s appointment ceremony. But she still hadn’t gotten used to it.
She didn’t want to flaunt her brother’s position, so this change was rather awkward for her.
According to the rumors, Rudrick had reached an unattainable level of mastery in magic at such a young age. There were even stories circulating about him defeating a dragon in the north, like the heroes of old.
Few people dared to disrespect the sister of the new Court Mage.
She smiled wryly and was about to resume her patrol when she saw a familiar face.
“I’ve been looking for you. You’re here?”
“Rudrick?”
Only the Court Mage had the privilege of using flight magic within the Imperial Palace. Rudrick, who had been flying around the palace, landed as soon as he saw her.
She tilted her head in confusion and asked,
“What are you doing here at this hour?”
“I have something important to tell you.”
“You could have just used a crystal ball… Wait, is it really that important?”
“It’s… important. Are you working? Do you have some time?”
“I’m almost done. Can you wait a bit?”
“Sure.”
It was her beloved younger brother. They had only recently reunited after ten years, but he had grown so much in that time and had even become the Court Mage.
She smiled, remembering how he used to follow her around as a child, and ruffled his hair. She waited for her replacement to arrive and asked,
“What’s so important that you had to come here in person?”
“It’s really important.”
He replied briefly, glancing around to make sure no one was listening, then added in a low voice,
“It’s not something I can talk about here… Just… try not to be too shocked.”
“Shocked? Why? Did you find someone to marry?”
Rudrick flinched at her casual question. It was a brief reaction, but Serilla, with her sharp eyes, didn’t miss it. He didn’t answer verbally, but his flustered reaction was a clear affirmation.
Her eyes widened in surprise.
She covered her mouth with her hand and asked,
“Seriously? You found someone to marry?”
“Uh… yeah.”
“Who is it? Tell me!”
Her reaction had done a complete 180.
Her beloved younger brother had grown up and was now talking about getting married. It was a bittersweet moment for her, a mix of surprise, happiness, and sadness.
“…It’s not something I can talk about here. I’ll tell you after your shift.”
“Marriage…”
She murmured.
Logically speaking, Rudrick was old enough to get married. In fact, he was a bit late, so she should be happy that he was finally settling down.
But just like how older brothers often doted on their younger sisters, even with a significant age gap…
She couldn’t help but feel curious about the woman who was about to steal her precious brother away.
“…Who is she?”
She asked in a low voice, her tone completely different from before.
Who was this woman?
She imagined the face of the woman who was about to marry her brother and gritted her teeth.
She didn’t care about waiting for her replacement anymore. That wasn’t important right now. The most important thing was to investigate this woman who was about to become her sister-in-law.
Rudrick, bombarded with questions, glanced around nervously, then replied in a small voice,
“It’s not… ‘who is she’…”
“Hm?”
“It’s more like… ‘who are they’…”
“…?”
Serilla stared at him blankly, confused by his answer.
Then, she began to process his words.
He had corrected her, saying “they” instead of “she.” The addition of that one syllable meant it wasn’t just one person, but multiple people.
She closed her mouth, her mind reeling.
She stared at him, her eyes pleading with him to tell her she was wrong.
But Rudrick, aware of his own transgression, avoided her gaze.
Serilla was three seconds away from exploding.
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