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Chapter 182: That’s Why I Can Never, Ever Tell Him
“With the version of me in that world where you were trapped... just what happened between you two?”
“...Wh-what?”
The moment GĂ©rard asked that question, Ortansia panicked.
Of all the things in the world, that was the absolute last question she wanted to hear.
Her visible distress clearly did not escape GĂ©rard’s notice.
He seized both of her shoulders with his hands, pressing her further.
“He had the nerve to blabber on about you being ‘his Ortansia.’ What was that supposed to mean?”
“...!”
Hit right where it hurt most, Ortansia instinctively averted her eyes.
...There was no way she could tell him.
In that world, GĂ©rard and Ortansia were not brother and sister.
Though separated by social status, they had met as complete strangers.
—“Every time I see you cry, my heart is thrown into turmoil... You are the only one who can make me feel this way.”
—“I have never harbored such emotions for anyone before. But I knew instantly... that this feeling is called love.”
—“Nobility or servant, none of that matters. It is you that I want.”
The GĂ©rard of that world had loved Ortansia.
...Not with the affection of a family member, but as a woman.
—“From this day forth, no matter what happens, I will protect you. So... please become my wife, Ortansia.”
He had even gone so far as to propose to her.
Granted, that world was an illusion created by the devil, and there may have been some ulterior design behind it.
Yet, it was undeniable that GĂ©rard had harbored romantic feelings for her... and that it had served as the catalyst for Ortansia to realize her own hidden feelings for the GĂ©rard standing before her now.
...But how could she possibly confess such a thing to this GĂ©rard?
‘If I say it out loud, we’ll never be able to go back to how we were.’
Ortansia knew that with absolute certainty.
...She didn't want to destroy what they had right now.
If she forced these feelings onto him, she wouldn't even be able to remain his “family.”
‘That’s why I can never, ever tell him.’
...It was fine if they could never be together.
She was content with an unrequited love that would last forever.
At the very least, she wanted to stay by his side as his “little sister,” just like always.
So, no matter what, she had to keep what happened in that world a secret—!
“N-Nothing happened at all! Nothing that you would need to worry about, Brother...”
However, in her sheer panic, Ortansia's desperate mind failed her.
Under normal circumstances, it would have been blatantly obvious that phrasing it like that would only deepen GĂ©rard’s suspicion.
Sure enough, GĂ©rard knit his brows as if trying to suppress his rising anger, his grip on her shoulders tightening forcefully.
“...Did he do something to you that you can't bring yourself to tell me? Some despicable act that led him to delude himself into calling you ‘his’—”
“N-No! You have it all wrong...!”
Realizing that GĂ©rard was taking a terrible misunderstanding to a whole new extreme, Ortansia panicked.
The GĂ©rard of that world had been steadfast and sincere at every turn.
He never forgot his pride as the heir to the ducal house, never used his status as leverage, and had loved Ortansia with complete honesty.
Not once had he ever degraded her existence or forced himself upon her just because she was a servant and he a noble.
That was precisely why... even if it was the real GĂ©rard speaking, she couldn't sit by and allow him to speak ill of that other self.
“He was not the kind of person who would ever do such a thing! You’re misunderstanding him, Brother!”
“You certainly seem eager to take his side.”
“Because... he...”
In that world where she had been all alone, he was the one who had reached out his hand to her.
She had genuinely been saved by his presence.
Averting her gaze, Ortansia reminisced about that other GĂ©rard. It was impossible to tell what was running through the real GĂ©rard’s mind as he watched her.
Releasing his grip on her shoulders, he cupped her chin with his hand and forced her face upward.
Trapped in his unyielding gaze, Ortansia caught her breath in fear.
“Tell me what happened between you two. If nothing occurred to justify my concerns, then you should have no trouble telling me.”
“...!”
Intimidated by the terrifying intensity radiating from him, Hortensia trembled violently.
An anger he could not fully suppress seeped from the depths of his eyes.
Ortansia couldn't comprehend why he was so furious.
...Was he simply irritated at the thought that an entity wearing his face might have done something improper to his foster sister?
‘...If I don't speak, Brother won't let this go.’
Seeing his unusually rough demeanor, it was clear that GĂ©rard’s resolve was unshakeable.
If she tried to hide the truth with awkward excuses, it would only drive his misunderstandings deeper.
‘Even if he was just an illusion... I don't want Brother to think ill of the GĂ©rard from that world…’
Hortensia hesitated, but she quickly steeled her resolve.
If nothing else, she wanted to protect the dignity of the GĂ©rard in that world.
...Even if revealing the truth meant that her relationship with the real GĂ©rard would never be the same again.
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