16 – A younger brother needs a sister.(4)

As the dinner time drew to a close, Elena was waiting in her room tidying up her clothes for today’s dinner. But even then, Damian’s exclusive butler, Ken, who briefly entered Elena’s room, informed her that Damian was absent from the dinner.

“Due to unavoidable circumstances, the head of the household and Prince Damien will not be able to come to dinner tonight.”

“Ah. I see. Thanks for letting me know, Ken.”

Elena was saddened by the news that the dinner with Damian she had been waiting for was canceled, but she couldn’t help but feel sorry for her because she guessed why Damian and Count Krause couldn’t come.

There was no way Damian would just ignore the events that took place in Isilia Hall today.

When I think of Isilia Pavilion, I naturally met a young boy there. Alphonse’s face came to mind.

Unlike Damian, who looked exactly like Count Krause, the face of that young child resembled Arwen Krause, the woman in the portrait we saw today, who was the owner of Isilia Pavilion.

Alphonse Krause.

That child, like Damian, was a child who had a connection with Elena in a previous life.

In the first life, because of Damian’s twisted possessiveness, they did not meet often even though they were living in the same lordship, but after breaking off the marriage with Damian, Elena meets Alphonse, who has grown up due to a certain incident.

Alphonse at that time was a man worthy of being called a hero.

He met and encouraged the people who had lost their home one by one, and was able to save himself because he was in the position of the successor of the Krause family, but he ran to the forefront of the crumbling southern front and led the troops himself. At that time, he was only seventeen years old.

Even though the situation at that time was so urgent that even a child had to lend a hand, it was not something ordinary people could do to move forward carrying tens of thousands of lives at such a young age.

The burden of filling the vacant seat of the successor after Damian disappeared must have been heavy. Alphonse, who rose up on his own in such adverse conditions, was a hero.

However, as ‘he’, not Damian, takes the place, Alphonse Krause’s story begins to change.

“I’ll bring you a meal to your room if you’d like.”

At Ken’s words, Elena shook her head.

“No. Master Alphonse, do you eat at the same place as yesterday?”

“Yes. It is.”

“Then I have to go there too. I am Krause’s fiancée and will become the hostess of this place in the future. I can’t miss a meal with my family. Most of all, I can’t leave the still young boy alone.”

At Elena’s smiley words, Ken looked at her with a stunned expression for a moment, then answered Elena with a small smile as if in response.

“That’s right. Lady, you’re about to become Krauss too. I made a mistake. I’m sorry. Meal will be ready before the bell rings at 6 o’clock, so you can move after the bell rings.”

It wasn’t long after Ken left the room that the bell announcing six o’clock rang through the castle.

Elena found her way straight to the restaurant, not like someone who had only been here for a day. Haley, who had been trying to figure out the structure of the castle all day long to help her master, was only bitter to see her smart master who naturally found a way.

When I got to the door, Haley knocked a couple of times and opened it.

Upon entering, the same restaurant as yesterday caught my eye. However, unlike that day, the seat of honor was empty, and the person who should be next to Elena’s seat was not present. Alphonse was the only one sitting in his seat, forlornly guarding his seat.

Alphonse’s face lit up with joy as he saw Elena entering the restaurant.

The boy in front of her was too lonely a child to recall the Alphonse Krauss in Elena’s memory. I knew Damian was going to talk to the Count about Alphonse, but it was too soon. Unfortunately, Damian’s move to solve the problem quickly left Alphonse alone again.

But now he had Elena.

“Good evening, Master Alphonse.”

“Ah! Yes. Good evening. That… Elena… who… sister?”

‘Sister’ came out while thinking about what to call Elena. Alphonse immediately looked at Elena’s face to see if he was rude after he said it, but Elena rather seemed to like the title.

“Nuna… It’s nice. I have one older brother, but no younger siblings.”

“Is it really okay if I call you sister?”

“Of course. You’re Damian’s younger brother. I’m his fiancée, Alphonse, though not formally yet. We are a family.”

Alphonse was delighted to hear that they were Elena’s family, but Alphonse’s face began to darken again when he saw the empty seat next to Elena. Alphonse also knew why Count Krause and Damian were not here.

Alphonse lowered his head and spoke to Elena in a crawling voice.

“I’m sorry. Originally, older brother and father would have been here.

Father Arthur Krause, one of the best prosecutors on the continent. Although he is still young, he is an outstanding older brother who is showing a perfect image as the successor. Damian. Can Alphonse, who grew up under the two of them, be full of confidence?

It wasn’t that Alphonse was incompetent. The future that Elena has been through proves that fact.

However, even so, the ability of the people around him was too great to fill the confidence that Alphonse lacked in ability. Furthermore, with Damian becoming the youngest sword master on the continent along with Reinhardt of the Kromel family, the gap grew even further.

So was the Alphonse of the future that Elena knew, but this inexperienced child would have done more, not less.

Elena did not accept Alphonse’s apology. Instead, he asked Alphonse a question.

“Do you feel sorry for Damian, Bocchan?”

“Yes? No! I feel sorry for you…”

“Then why didn’t you answer Damian today when you were in Isilia Hall?”

“I am…”

Elena said to Alphonse, who was about to blur his words again.

“Alphonse, if you don’t speak, people can’t understand each other. Conversation is the easiest way to convey your feelings to others. If you wait forever for the other person to know first, you’ll end up doing nothing.”

If you don’t talk, others won’t know. That was one of the things Elena desperately realized through her previous life. Alphonse doesn’t have the confidence he has. That’s why, even though he wants something from his older brother or father, he can’t easily say it.

I don’t know what effect Elena’s words had on Alphonse. However, it was clear that Alphonse had made up his mind.

Elena’s warm voice reached Alphonse’s ears.

“Bocchan. If you have regrets, don’t store them in your heart. You’re still young, so if you want to pamper yourself, you can pamper him. Is Damian a person who can’t accept his little brother’s pampering? If so, that’s disappointing…”

“Oh, no! Hyung-nim isn’t that kind of person. It’s just that I didn’t talk… so he didn’t know.”

Basically, Alphonse Krause is a good man.

The reason why Alphonse, still young but deep in thought, did not tell him was not just because he lacked self-confidence, but also because he did not want to burden his older brother who missed his mother. However, it couldn’t be good for Alphonse or Damian to not say that and carry him alone in his arms.

Alphonse immediately denies that he will be disappointed. Elena smiled knowingly and affirmed Alphonse’s words.

“Of course I know. A person who can’t eat sweets and still can’t throw away the caramel he received from the attendants can’t be such a narrow-minded person. So, Alphonse, trust your brother and tell him.”

After finishing the story, Elena takes a spoonful of the soup in front of her with a spoon and puts it into her mouth. The lukewarm temperature of the slightly cooled soup had changed to a state suitable for eating.

“Shall we stop eating before it gets too cold?”

Alphonse smiled and replied to Elena’s words.

“Yes.”

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Meals started again.

***

happy.

What happened today between Alphonse and Damian was more than just a sibling conflict and had a deep meaning to him. It was because in the previous life, when ‘he’ was Damian, a new story entered into the empty one-year time due to the breakup of marriage.

After breaking off her engagement, she would meet him again because it was at the academy she would enter a year later. He hasn’t even broken off his engagement now and is slowly melting into his life.

It makes me happy to know things about him that I didn’t know. What he thought of Arwen Krause and what happened with his father and younger brother, he himself is going through with him.

does he know? The future and destiny he knew had already become nothing but a blank slate due to his own existence.

There is no more unhappiness left in our future. I will make it like I did today.

“Hmmm~”

He hums and walks towards his room.

In his hand were refreshments and a meal for him who hadn’t eaten dinner yet. Originally, an attendant should have delivered it, but I want to talk to him, so I’m carrying it instead. Having never been to his room, Haley wondered why I knew the location, but it was only a minor matter.

It was only to deliver meals, but it was true that I felt a little excited as if I had come out for a tryst in the middle of the night.

smart-

“Come in.”

As soon as you knock on the door, you hear his voice. Did you think of yourself as a servant? Then what is it? Perhaps you will see him startled by the sudden appearance of himself. With such anticipation, I opened the door with all my might.

“Is meat stew tonight? The smell wafts through the door. But I’m sorry I just came, but bring your bandages and some medicine… Elena? Why is Elena here?? No, wait! Leave first… .”

“eight…”

His bewildered face was clearly visible.

along with his bleeding right arm.