🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 28
The adults had to stifle their laughter at Clare’s sudden, out-of-the-blue confession.
If they laughed here, it would be rude to Clare, who was taking things so seriously all by herself.
A moment later, Clare’s confession began.
“About the lipstick that sister lost…”
Noah’s face, which had been smiling pleasantly, froze instantly.
“I said I didn’t know about that, but actually…”
“…”
“The truth is, well, me and Lily and Sensha…”
Noah shot up from her chair and stormed up to her room.
Moments later, a voice roared down:
“Clare Bello!”
Startled, Clare scrambled off her chair and ducked under the dining table.
Her chosen shelter was Leto’s lap.
“Mister, you’re sister’s boss, right? Please, save me!”
“Pffft—hahaha!”
The laughter everyone had been holding back finally burst out.
The lipstick Noah had lost was quite an expensive one.
“Do you even know how much this costs?!”
“…”
“You can’t just touch someone else’s things without permission!”
“But…”
Caught in her belated lie, Clare pouted after being scolded.
“Kids are born with this ability to recognize expensive stuff. It can’t be helped, you know.”
Trying to excuse herself, Clare even turned the blame back on Noah.
“Anyway, why didn’t you keep better track of your things, huh? You left it where a curious kid could grab it!”
“Did you just say that with your mouth wide open…?!”
“Uuugh, ughhh!”
In the end, Clare had her cheeks stretched as punishment.
“Don’t scold me in front of guests! It’s embarrassing!”
“Telling lies is even more embarrassing.”
“But I was in such a good mood after that delicious dinner! Let me enjoy it a little longer!”
Clare wriggled out of Noah’s grasp and fled into Leto’s arms.
Leto, who had been drinking tea for dessert, hurriedly set down his cup.
The way Clare nestled herself on his lap like a cat and shamelessly sought protection was astonishing.
“Mister, sister’s bullying me.”
“Didn’t you just say earlier that you were against her marriage?”
Noah, dumbfounded, asked as she sat down on the sofa.
“…Ah, right!”
Remembering what she’d forgotten, Clare quickly slipped away from Leto.
Leto watched his would-be sister-in-law retreat with regretful eyes.
“The mood was nice, though…”
“And what good would it do you to have a nice mood with my sister?”
“Don’t tell me you’re jealous?”
“You’ve really fallen for him already, haven’t you.”
Noah pinched his nose lightly, telling him to quit with the weird jokes.
“You’ve been waiting, haven’t you.”
“Aas, over here!”
Clare seated Aas, who had just finished tidying the dining room, in the seat of honor on the sofa.
Then she plopped herself onto Aas’s lap.
“Mm, then…”
With a grave expression, the head of House Bello spoke:
“So, you’ve come here because you want to marry our sister?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
With utter seriousness, Leto said to Clare:
“I love Miss Noah Bello.”
“Mm…”
Clare pursed her lips in deep seriousness, then whispered to Aas behind her.
“What am I supposed to say next?”
“You say…”
Aas whispered into the “head of the family’s” ear. Leto couldn’t help but think she looked like some regent holding council.
“Mm-hm, got it!”
With Aas’s help, Clare declared again:
“First, I need to check if you’re really a good match for my sister.”
She slapped her thigh twice.
“Play along with me.”
Noah whispered under her breath. But even without that, Leto was already taking it all seriously.
“What’s your name, mister?”
“Leto Oceanus.”
“Your job?”
“I’m a soldier. I work at Navy Headquarters, and I’m Noah’s superior officer.”
“Got any money saved up?”
The moment he heard it, he realized—that wasn’t Clare’s question at all, but Aas’s real intent.
“…”
Still holding Clare in his arms, Leto looked carefully at Aas, who was smiling kindly.
Because Noah drew so much attention, one tended to overlook her, but Aas was also strikingly beautiful.
Her black hair and pale skin gave her a pure, wholesome look.
Yet there wasn’t a single gap in her composure.
Strange… really strange…
Leto swallowed dryly without realizing it.
The woman before him was an ordinary person—someone who managed the household and diligently cared for her younger sisters.
So why did she give off the same air as the battlefield he’d faced seven years ago, where life and death had hung by a thread?
It just means I’m that nervous right now.
Steadying his breath quietly, Leto took out what he had prepared.
“Aas manages the household finances.”
“Then do I just hand over the money? My whole salary?”
“You only need to contribute to living expenses. But in return…”
At this point, all he could do was trust the advice Noah had given him.
“Rather than explaining in words, I believe showing you will build more trust.”
Leto handed Clare an envelope.
“It’s my pay stubs and a list of assets in my name. And at the back, proof that I’ve been fulfilling my tax obligations faithfully.”
“Mm, impressive.”
Clare imitated the way her grandmother examined documents.
Of course, she didn’t understand a word of what Leto was saying, nor what the papers actually meant.
“…!”
But Aas was a different story.
“Good heavens…!”
Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
How much is all this?!
His salary was one thing, but the list of assets in his name was enough to make her chest tighten.
“As for expenses for maintaining appearances, I’m afraid I can’t provide that freely. Those costs have to be reimbursed with receipts…”
Leto apologized for the inconvenience.
“Aas, what’s wrong?”
Clare tilted her head up at her.
“Is brother-in-law no good?”
“N-no, it’s not that…”
Aas quickly calculated.
There was another man technically living in this house.
He had a wandering streak, so he rarely stayed home—and honestly, his absence was more of a blessing than a loss.
Right now, he was away again.
If Leto married in and moved into the house, the only available room would be his.
“…”
The conclusion was immediate.
“Please take good care of our young lady.”
Aas spoke from the heart.
“Sister-in-law…!”
Overcome with emotion, Leto grabbed her hand.
“Thank you for accepting me!”
“Brigadier, no—little brother-in-law! Welcome to the family!”
“Yay, marriage!”
While Leto and Aas solemnly pledged their future as family, Clare threw both arms up to the sky in celebration.
“…You’re going to approve it that easily?”
Couldn’t you oppose it a bit longer?
Left standing alone, Noah suddenly felt a little hurt.
With the backing of both sister-in-law and sister-in-law-to-be, Leto’s path was nothing short of a flower-strewn red carpet.
“Since you’re here, why don’t you take a look at the room too.”
Aas decided to show him the room he would be using once he moved into the mansion.
“Don’t you think this is too much?”
On the way, Noah whispered in a voice only Aas could hear.
Glancing back, she saw Leto and Clare had fallen a little behind, admiring the paintings in the hall—masterpieces Clare had painted since childhood.
“How could you accept him so quickly?!”
“What choice do we have?”
Aas actually looked indignant.
“You brought him here because you want to marry him, right?”
“Well, yes, but…”
“Would you not marry him just because I said no?”
“That’s not it, but still…”
“See?”
She insisted she was only saving them from wasting time.
“If he’s going to be family anyway, isn’t it better to start things off on a good note? After all, you’ll be living under the same roof.”
“….”
“And besides, most importantly…”
What really satisfied Aas was the gesture she made, forming a circle with her thumb and forefinger.
“At the end of the day, a person’s character shows in their money.”
“You mean his character is good because he’s rich?”
“I mean my character improves. From now on, I’ll be the most gentle and caring sister-in-law in the world to the brigadier.”
Leaving the exasperated Noah behind, Aas stopped in front of a certain door.
It was an oak-colored wooden door midway down the first-floor hall.
“This will be your room.”
“Huh?”
Clare peered in and asked:
“Aas, isn’t this brother’s room?”
“The brother who ran away from home?”
Leto muttered, and Noah nodded.
He recalled what he’d been told before—about a brother who’d committed some grave mistake and run away, and who would be severely scolded by their grandmother, the true power in the family, if ever caught.
“Clearing this place out makes sense.”
Noah muttered, staring at the door.
“Perfect timing, actually. I’d been meaning to clean it out. Once little brother-in-law gets married, this will make the perfect room.”
“Then where will brother sleep?”
Clare asked.
“There is no brother in this house.”
With a smile, Aas erased a whole person.
“He walked out on his own, so there’s no reason to take him back.”
“So Clare, don’t you go running away either. Your room could disappear just like this.”
“Okay, sis!”
What started as showing the new family member his room turned into a sudden lesson against running away from home.
…What an amusing family.
Leto’s quick impression soon turned into eager anticipation.
“Sister-in-law, would it be alright if I moved in even before the wedding?”
“Hey, that’s not—”
“Of course. You’re already family.”
“Brother-in-law Mister gets to live here too!”
“Ugh, would someone at least try to object…”
As if they’d known each other all along, the four of them stood chatting and bantering noisily in front of the door.
Leto found it strange—how naturally he fit in with them, and how the awkward sense of otherness he’d felt during dinner was completely gone.
“….”
Noah simply watched him with a quiet smile.
The navy was tasked with defending the kingdom of Adlabor’s coast, centering its fleet and detachments around the Sharpe territory.
They also built various facilities and welfare buildings to ensure the safety and convenience of the southern residents.
Occasionally, the navy even held its own events.
That was the very subject of the special unit’s meeting today.
“…Reports say it was sighted on the island.”
As Warrant Officer Feast briefed them at the front, the special unit members listened intently from their seats.
This particular event carried significant meaning for them.
