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Chapter : 4
“Big sis! Is it true the Crown Prince cheated—ugh, tell me it’s not true?!”
The one who appeared, grinding his teeth, was a beautiful boy with the same honey‑blond hair as me.
“…Lua.”
Luaque von Heim.
My one and only younger brother, and the protagonist of the novel The Degenerate Young Lord of the Magic Household.
…This is bad.
A crushing sense of dread washed over me.
Because Luaque was written to slaughter the entire Duke of Heim family — including me — should his mind break.
Priority number one for survival was always taking care of Luaque’s mental state.
Thanks to my desperate, years‑long project to care for him and mend our relationship, Luaque had shed the persona of the novel’s “degenerate young lord.”
Except now, the side effect was that, whenever something involved me…
“Why aren’t you saying anything, sis?!”
…he turned utterly reckless.
This is exactly why I begged Father to keep it secret!
I could already picture how he’d gotten here today:
He must have been tailing me again, stalking my whereabouts — and then overheard the rumors about the Crown Prince.
What am I supposed to do with him?
After a brief moment of thought,
I slowly opened my mouth.
“Lua, did you eat breakfast? I haven’t eaten yet.”
“My name’s not Lua — it’s Luaque! And stop changing the subject!”
I ignored that.
I sat him at the table and rang the bell.
Soon, two servings of breakfast were laid out. Luaque glared at me, his eyes flashing.
“Sis, just tell me the truth. Is what I heard real?”
“Yes, it’s true.”
“…Ha!”
Luaque stomped his foot in rage at my nonchalant answer.
But the angrier he grew, the calmer and more detached I became.
“Why are you just taking it?! This isn’t like you! Shouldn’t you be raging and demanding a divorce?!”
“Divorce? Don’t get ahead of yourself, Lua.”
“Grrk!”
“I’m happy right now.”
…Happy, my foot.
Even as the words left me, I hated them.
But priority one was subduing the wild animal in front of me.
“Even if the Crown Prince had an illegitimate child, I wouldn’t divorce him.”
BAM!
Dishes jumped on the table.
“Did you really just say that?”
Luaque slammed the table with both hands.
“…”
His grotesquely twisted expression was almost frightening, but I couldn’t be dragged in.
With a hand pressed to my heart, I closed my eyes and murmured,
“I am the Crown Princess of this Empire. How could I possibly get divorced?”
Right.
I can’t divorce him.
Even though my husband cheated, I couldn’t just scream for a divorce.
It was maddeningly unfair — but what could I do?
If I cried, my brother would flip out and go berserk…
Smile!
If I didn’t want him thrown into a dungeon someday, I had to look like the happiest Crown Princess alive.
“Wh…at…?”
When I simply smiled silently, Luaque stared at me, shocked into speechlessness.
“For the Empire…?”
His eyes — filled with disbelief — slowly shifted into the reverent gaze of someone beholding the Empire’s final saint…
What on earth does he think I am?!
I watched warily as Luaque bowed his head.
“Sis. Even so, I can’t just sit and do nothing.”
…What now?
“I know you’re secretly crying blood inside. There’s no way I’m doing nothing.”
“…”
Hearing that, I rose from my seat without a word.
“…Sis?”
As I walked toward him slowly, Luaque stiffened.
I stopped behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Don’t worry, Lua. You know our family creed.”
He flinched, then answered,
“An eye for an eye — if someone makes you cry blood, gouge their eyes out yourself?”
“That’s right.”
“…Huh?”
“I’ll do it myself.”
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
I was planning to return the pain I’d suffered — exactly as it came.
Meaning…
“Revenge is mine, Luaque.”
CRACK!
I picked up the knife and obliterated the steak in front of him.
“…Fine.”
At last, Luaque settled down.
But then…
…Maybe I should’ve just let him kill the Crown Prince?
The next day at noon, after sending Luaque back home—
“Your Highness the Crown Princess Rtie!”
“—!”
Flinch.
I had been having a peaceful breakfast, deliberately keeping calm, when the maids’ shrill screams made me drop my spoon.
Right. I ordered them to confirm the rumors about the Crown Prince and the young lady.
My appetite vanished.
After wiping my mouth, I called out calmly.
“Come in.”
A loud bang — the door burst open.
“Your Highness…”
“What is it?”
“…”
The head maid stared at me speechlessly, eyes trembling.
So they confirmed it.
The other maids were already teary‑eyed.
They were probably pitying the poor wife who was about to be told her husband was cheating.
Except—
I already know.
I’d seen that bastard cheat with my own eyes.
The real question was: how should I react?
I will not waver.
So when the verdict came, I was ready to shrug and say—
“So what if the Crown Prince cheated?”
As if it were nothing.
Simulation complete.
“Speak.”
At my order, the head maid squeezed her eyes shut and shouted—
“His Highness the Crown Prince Abel has petitioned Her Majesty the Empress to appoint Lady Nevia Kalid as a maid in the Crown Prince’s palace!”
“…What?”
I nearly fainted.
Has that idiot lost his mind?!
Rumors were already blazing like wildfire — Crown Prince and Western Noble Lady.
And instead of quelling the scandal, he went to the Empress to make it official?!
I shot up from my seat.
And then—
“Ugh—!”
“Your Highness!”
Darkness washed over my vision, and I squeezed my eyes shut.
When I opened them again—
“Your Highness…”
I was being held up by panicked maids.
No, no, this is just low blood pressure!
I only collapsed because I stood too quickly.
But…
To everyone else, it looks like I fainted from heartbreak.
I felt horribly embarrassed.
But there was no room to explain.
“Haaa…”
With a throbbing head, I forced each word out calmly.
“Where is His Highness right now?”
The head maid answered, voice trembling,
“His Highness is currently… ahem… strolling in the Empress’s garden.”
She left out the subject, worried I’d break — but my twisted face said it all.
So he’s with Lady Kalid? Of course.
My fists shook.
Is he planning to spend the whole day with his mistress?
“…Prepare the carriage—no. I’m going there myself.”
I staggered to my feet.
Moments later, entering the rear of the Empress’s gardens—
“Gasp.”
“Oh…”
“Good heavens.”
My maids groaned — and I regretted coming.
A broad‑daylight date? Really?
Two heads sat atop an ornate bench.
A silver head tucked a flower into the red head’s ear.
The red head giggled and wrapped herself around him.
The silver head stiffened — then accepted it.
Abel…
What kind of expression was my husband — or the man I once thought was my husband — wearing now?
My time stopped.
Under the bright blue sky, only their time flowed beautifully forward.
“Your Highness.”
I turned. The head maid met my eyes.
Then, with a hard, resolute look, she advised:
“If you’re planning an ambush, now is your chance.”
