181: A Conversation Between Brother and Sister
That night, Emilia lightly stepped into her brother Listeard’s private chamber.
She had spent a wonderful time with the Villainess Avril Allingham that day, and she had even come up with a brilliant idea. There was no reason not to be excited.
Her brother, sinking into a couch, listlessly stared at her while holding a glass of distilled liquor.
Without hesitation, Emilia voiced a simple request, “Brother! Please become Lady Avril’s lover!”
“Huh? What the heck are you going on about?”
His gaze was filled with bewilderment, but Emilia had no intention of giving up.
“Lady Avril is apparently considering taking our national exam, so please become her lover! There’s nothing to worry about, I’m sure you can become her most important person! That special envoy, Marquis Sherard, is indeed a formidable rival, but you’re the king. I believe you’ll be able to surpass him one way or another with that advantage.”
“How did this even come about. Clearly explain it to me from the beginning.”
His eyes were wide from disbelief as he stared at her. Emilia sighed and responded.
“This is also to ensure Lady Avril remains in our kingdom. It goes like this: Lady Avril is interested in the national exam → she passes the exam → she can be officially employed by our kingdom, or she can remain for an extend period without anyone objecting.”
“Your reasoning is sound for what you want, but that’s without a doubt an outrageous plan! To come up with something like this? Are you really my sister? No, you can’t be.”
“My body may be frail, but in return, my heart is strong! I’ll use any means necessary to obtain what I desire. See? I am your sister, aren’t I?”
“Yes, I understand. Still, give up.”
Listeard’s expression stiffened as he refused outright. Regardless, Emilia was determined and continued her plea without backing down.
“Of course, Lady Avril passing the exam on her own would be best, but isn’t that simply impossible no matter how you think of it? In that case, she could be passed through a special placement. Then ultimately, I think it would be best if you welcomed Lady Avril as your queen.”
“What’s the logic behind that?”
“Do you really need to ask? It’s just love.”
At that moment, Emilia’s thoughts revolved around her desire of keeping the person she admired within her kingdom. She realized she was being a troublesome woman, but she had no doubt this was the best path for Avril’s happiness as well.
Emilia, growing more excited, continued speaking rapidly.
“After all, Prince Lawrence of the Kingdom of Branwill already has an official wife, doesn’t he? The idea of Lady Avril being second is unforgivable! I’d prefer a man like that envoy, who cherishes Lady Avril above all else while still allowing for her own indulgences, would be much more suitable, but life is never that easy, is it?”
Listeard sighed, looking into the distance.
“Is that your goal? I always thought you were just a strange little sister with a strange infatuation on some woman, but I never thought it was this extreme.”
“Oh my, but you don’t dislike Lady Avril, do you? She’s a villainess who bewilders all men, and aren’t you a man as well? There’s no way you wouldn’t be drawn to her.”
“You really are…”
Emilia, in appearance, was a delicate and graceful young lady who seemed frail and sickly. Her true nature, however, was completely different. She was assertive, deeply stubborn in her beliefs, and had a strong personality.
Hence why she never got along well with ordinary tutors, and she ended up having to plead with a cultured lady who was visiting from a neighboring country to temporarily act as her tutor.
Incidentally, it had yet to be decided who would assume the role of her tutor once that woman, Anastasia, returned to her country.
This lack of stability was precisely what led to the recent incident in the audience chamber the other day where, “no one could assist Emilia when she had a coughing fit.”
“See? As long as Lady Avril agrees, why don’t you welcome her as your wife?”
Listeard sighed at his little sister’s excessive pleading.
“…Emilia. As this is a good opportunity, I’ll tell you now.”
“?”
Until now, Listeard had only been responding to Emilia’s words with exasperated denials. Now, all of a sudden, his gaze sharpened. He spoke firmly as if instructing his sister.
“That peculiar woman called Avril is not a villainess.”
“What? What are you saying? That can’t be true!”
“Think carefully about everything she has said and done so far. Doesn’t it seem strange no matter how you look at it? At the same time, she doesn’t strike me as a well-trained diplomat either. For now, Avril Allingham is an enigmatic strange woman. In other words, don’t get too close to her.”
“…Brother, what are you saying… This is Lady Avril we’re talking about! There’s no way any of that could be true!”
After desperately thinking it over, Emilia’s brows furrowed. At that, Listeard ruffled her hair and gazed off into the distance.
“Well, I don’t know her true identity, either. It’s possible that she’s simply not thinking anything at all.”
“This is all just your speculation, Brother! I refuse to believe that Lady Avril isn’t a villainess!”
Emilia’s voice was light and distant, as if floating. Even as she denied her brother’s reasoning that Avril wasn’t a villainess, she couldn’t help but admit that something indeed didn’t quite sit right with her either.
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