“…What?”

Phil, who was combing his unkempt hair with his hand, turned around a moment later.

His eyes were round, he seemed to be quite surprised.

“Your engagement… is no more? But, the carriage that came here today, didn’t it belong to the Orfels family?”

“Yes, Gorman came directly to tell me that our engagement is annulled.”

“…Engagement, annulled.”

Phil slowly repeated my words. Then, he frowned.

“It’s only natural. I think Alves is depressed. Please go out and have some drinks with him.”

“…It’s only natural, you say—isn’t it strange? Your engagement was decided by your predecessors!”

“We’re running out of money this year, as well. As such, we can’t prepare the entire dowry in time.”

“Is that all?”

There were only a few people who could say that.

Since Phil cared about me, he dared to say so.

“There may be another woman. Lord Gorman doesn’t seem to like me very much.”

“…Which results in the annulment of your engagement… Lucia? It doesn’t matter even if it’s a count family, that’s just too much!”

Phil muttered with his hand on his forehead.

He sounded angry.

I was grateful for not only his kindness, but also for getting angry on my behalf.

Well, I had told him what I needed to. Time to prepare a delicious stew for Phil.

“I’ll carry the basket.”

“…No, let me. It’s quite heavy.”

Phil effortlessly held a basket full of turnips with one hand, pulled the reins of the horse with another, and started walking.

The destination was our house.

Phil, who walked in frustration, was so fast, it was difficult for me to keep pace with him.

By the time the house had appeared, I wondered if his anger had settled. After all, he had stopped. After managing to catch up with him, I sighed.

“Is Alves home?”

“He’s in the barn. We have to finish repairing the roof by the end of the day. Since you’re here, why don’t we do it together?”

“…Fix the roof? I’m not very good at it. Well, what can I help you with?”

Phil said in a low voice.

Although he offered to help, Phil wasn’t very good at carpentry. As such, Alves’ finish was more beautiful than him. Regardless, it’d take longer otherwise.

But if they did it together, the repair of the barn would be completed by the end of that day.

I was glad.

When my older brother returned in the evening, he seemed to be his usual self.

The repair of the barn seemed to have been successfully completed. Before dinnertime, Alves enthusiastically talked about how the roof planks had rotted.

Phil seemed to have been active in lifting new boards up to the roof.

Both of them were laughing happily.

However, that was until alcohol was added.

After having the simple stew, which was only seasoned with salt, they kept refilling their cups many times. They kept chugging the beer as if it were water.

As soon as he got drunk, Alves thrusted a dagger at a table.

“What’s with that guy!? What’s wrong with my sister?!”

Apparently, he was still frustrated at Gorman.

It didn’t matter if he were to get angry, but please stop hitting things. Because it wasn’t some high-class table, I wouldn’t complain about a few scratches, but still…

…my brother would end up having to repair it again.

When I stared at Phil to stop my brother, Phil was also spinning his knife.

W-wait, what are you doing, Phil?!

“Aside from being the successor of a count family, isn’t that guy merely the second son? Isn’t he underestimating you too much?”

“Maybe he has forgotten that I’m a viscount. Damn! My father got my sister engaged to such a stupid guy!”

“I mean, Count Orfels himself is sane, and he definitely has recognized the value of Viscount Ragulent… the problem is that guy. I bet he’s lusting over some other woman.”

Phil sounded calm, but he kept spinning his knife before throwing it at the wall.

C’mon, you guys…

…please do that in the barracks of the kingdom!

But I also understood that they were angry for my sake.

That was why, I gently put down the salt-boiled beans on the table. However, I couldn’t let things go as it was anymore.

“Brother Alves, please get some rest. You can get drunk, but be careful of the fire.

“Yes, don’t worry!”

“…I wonder if I can truly trust your words. Anyways, don’t play with candles, don’t throw knives, either. Phil, you too, you should go prepare the usual room. Don’t get drunk here.”

“It’s okay. It’s warm around here, so I won’t freeze to death…”

“Eh? What kind of reasoning is that? Oh, well, good night.”

When I said that, the two stood up at the same time. They stood up right and gave a beautiful salute—it was so graceful, it was difficult to think that they were drunk.

The way they saluted me was the way one would a princess.

…Yes, I bet they are heavily drunk.

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***T/N: That’s right! Slap this harvest moon lifestyle to your ex’s face!

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