| Prev | TOC | Next
———
~ Please support this site by disabling your ad-blocker ❤️ ~
______
Chapter 140 What Happiness Means to Big Brother
“Well, yes, such a proposal was indeed made! But I politely declined it!”
“Really?”
"Yes! I could never possibly become queen…”
More importantly, she wanted to support her father and big brother here.
That was why she clearly told Victor that she couldn't accept the marriage proposal.
Prince Victor had said “Let me know if you change your mind,” but he was probably just teasing Ortansia.
Hearing Ortansia's explanation, Gérard looked deep in thought.
“...Then, someone else?"
"Um, what do you mean...?"
"Which marriage proposal are you planning to accept”
"What!?”
The conversation had indeed taken a rather abrupt turn.
It wasn't that marriage proposals never came for Ortansia. More accurately, an overwhelming number of proposals were constantly flooding in.
She was a Duke’s daughter of marriageable age, bore the grand reputation of ‘Saint of the Nation’, and enjoyed a favourable relationship with the Crown Prince.
While she had the blemish of having been kidnapped and becoming, quite literally, ‘damaged goods’, it seemed she was judged to have more than enough advantages to compensate for that.
And for some reason, Gérard believed Ortansia had accepted one of these numerous marriage proposals.
‘Why!? I never said anything like that, right!?’
As she pondered on it, Ortansia suddenly recalled the words Gérard had spoken to her earlier and gasped.
…”You've been rather flighty lately.”
“Could it be... he thinks ‘accepting a marriage proposal’ = ‘getting a lover’ = ‘being flighty’!?”
She couldn't reproach Gérard for jumping to conclusions like that.
After all, Ortansia was well acquainted with that distinctive aura a maiden in love gives off, like a spring meadow in full bloom, just like her friend Emily, for instance.
At this age, more young ladies in Ortansia's circle were acquiring lovers or fiancés.
Some seemed trapped in Loveless relationships arranged between families, but most maidens were perpetually happy, nestled close to their lovers.
Seeing Ortansia mysteriously elated, Gérard might have mistakenly thought, “Has she found a lover or fiancé?”
Determined to clear up the misunderstanding, Ortansia declared emphatically.
“Brother! I have accepted no marriage proposals whatsoever, nor do I intend to!”
Upon hearing this, Gérard looked taken aback.
Rare for someone as perceptive as he was, he appeared to have truly thought Ortansia intended to accept one of her marriage proposals.
“... Really?”
"Exactly! After all... surely your marriage proposals are more important than mine, Big Brother!”
At this, Gérard's expression grew complex.
“Forget about me.”
“No, you mustn't! Because I want you to be happier than anyone else, Brother.”
Gérard had said before that he had ‘no intention of marrying out of ‘obligation,’ and if that was truly how he felt, Ortansia accepted it.
‘But Brother is definitely changing. His thoughts might shift from how they were back then.’
Perhaps one day he would meet someone who could completely melt his frozen heart, making him fall head over heels in love immediately.
Until that day came, Ortansia intended to support Gérard by his side.
...While taking care not to become a troublesome sister-in-law.
"You want me to... be happy?”
Gérard murmured softly.
“What does happiness feel like for you, Brother?”
Before she could stop herself, the question slipped out. Gérard stared intently at Ortansia.
The intensity of his gaze made her flinch for a moment.
Her heart pounding, she waited for his answer, but Gérard said nothing.
“Um, Brother...?”
When she timidly spoke again, Gérard placed his hand gently on Ortansia's head.
“...Figure it out for yourself.”
Though the words seemed cold on the surface, his tone was remarkably gentle.
Giving Ortansia’s head a gentle pat as she blinked in surprise, Gérard strode off without another word.
‘Hmm...?’
~ Please support this site by disabling your ad-blocker ❤️ ~
It was all a bit confusing, but perhaps the misunderstanding had been cleared up, which was good.
But…
‘What did he mean by telling me to think about what happiness means to him...?’
The way he phrased it made it sound as if Gérard knew exactly where his own happiness lay...
‘It's no use, I don't understand.’
Ortansia quickly abandoned her thoughts and leaned back against the sofa.
‘Well, I'll figure it out eventually, one way or another.’
Surely Ortansia simply hadn't observed or understood Gérard enough yet.
If she spent time by his side, it would naturally become clear.
‘It's alright, I've got plenty of time.’
The demon Lord threatening them was gone. She had prevented her father's death.
All that remained was to watch over Gérard at her leisure.
In an unusually light-hearted mood, Ortansia indulged in such sweet thoughts.
That night, she dreamt again.
Realising she was dreaming, Ortansia shuddered at the scene before her.
‘No, that can't be...!’
It was the dream of her father's funeral, one she hadn't seen in quite some time.
‘Why!? Father was meant to survive...!’
The funeral proceeded just as in her memory and the countless times she had dreamt about it before.
Then, it was Janet and Emily who spoke to Ortansia.
“The Duke... I simply cannot believe it.”
“How could such a noble soul as His Grace fall victim to a random attacker…”
‘Wait, a random attacker?’
This was strange. The cause of death was different from before.
Father was supposed to have been poisoned...
Ortansia staggered towards her father's coffin.
Surrounded by countless flowers, her father slept... looking far healthier and more fleshed out than she remembered from her first life or from dreams she'd had before.
‘In her first life, Father had been declared dead from an unknown illness’
Though she hadn't known the details, being at the Palace as a potential bride for Prince Victor, there must have been symptoms sufficient for doctors to diagnose it as an illness.
Indeed, when he passed away, he was emaciated, looking nothing like his former, vigorous self.
But now it was different.
The father before her looked so peaceful that one might believe he was merely asleep, were it not for the coffin.
...It wasn't because he had been poisoned, developing symptoms resembling illness before dying.
If Janet and Emily's words were correct, he had been attacked by a random assailant.
“The perpetrator hasn't been found yet, has he?”
“They say it was the work of a highly skilled criminal…”
“...Someone who bears a grudge against His Grace the Duke of Vérité, perhaps?”
The surrounding whispers reached her ears, whether she wanted them to or not.
‘It was him…’
Ortansia knew it instinctively.
That man who bore a grudge against her father—Ducasse
She could have prevented him from poisoning him. But that alone wasn't enough.
‘If poison fails, he'll find another way to kill Father...!’
To think she had believed she could alter her father's fate, what utter folly.
The stark reality that she had achieved nothing left Ortansia feeling as though darkness itself had descended before her eyes.
~ Please support this site by disabling your ad-blocker ❤️ ~
—————————
Translator Note:
Hello readers, check out one of our latest translation The Fake Daughter Became the Favorite After the Whole Family Gained Mind Reading Abilities its actually interesting.
Hope you enjoyed the read!! If you did, please vote on for this novel on novel updates, leave reviews, and support; pretty please.
—————————
Please support this translation by dropping a Vote for this novel on novelupdates.com and donating!
—————————
Translator Note:
Hello readers, check out one of our latest translation The Fake Daughter Became the Favorite After the Whole Family Gained Mind Reading Abilities its actually interesting.
Hope you enjoyed the read!! If you did, please vote on for this novel on novel updates, leave reviews, and support; pretty please.
—————————
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
0 Comments
What's on your mind...