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chapter 56
Whistler’s voice rose, his teeth clenched as he exhaled roughly.
Heirace let out a small laugh, curling one side of his lips. Whistler raised an eyebrow, his face hardening with a cold expression.
“Do I need to say it again so my little brother can understand?”
Heirace didn’t care that Whistler grabbed him by the collar threateningly. He seemed to consider Whistler’s strength nothing more than a drop of water, and he pressed down with his heel.
Heirace lowered his body and pressed his fingers firmly against Whistler’s chest. Every little gesture carried a hint of mockery.
“It’s something my little brother brought upon himself. If Philena hadn’t overheard the things you said behind my back, wouldn’t the person now by her side have been you, not me?”
“……”
“Oh, no, it would’ve been you. Back then, you were much closer to her.”
Even though Heirace could easily push Whistler’s hands away, he just tilted his head from side to side. Annoyed by the brat-like provocation, Whistler shoved him strongly with both hands.
Yet Heirace let himself be pushed around, even though he could have avoided it entirely.
Bang! With a loud crash, Heirace collided with the bookshelf. Books tumbled down behind him in a cascade.
“……Damn it—”
Disgust flickered in Whistler’s eyes. Why hadn’t he dodged when he could have? He was silently scolding him.
This was the first time Whistler had lost control like this. It was also the first time there had been such a commotion in the mansion.
Brushing his shoulders, Heirace lifted his head.
“Don’t play around! What are you doing lying there instead of getting up!”
Whistler rushed forward, reaching out his hands. He grabbed Heirace’s hands, trying to lift him up. At that moment, a distant voice faintly reached them:
“Hurry—!”
At that instant, Heirace, rising to his feet, grabbed Whistler’s arm with his other hand. He made the outstretched hand clench into a fist, aiming it at him.
Screeeek. As the door opened, more movements entered their line of sight. And as soon as their vision widened, thud!—a louder sound echoed.
Whistler had punched Heirace in the face.
Crash! Heirace collapsed to the floor, letting out a soft sigh.
“Oh no, what to do, little brother.”
Frozen, Whistler stared at Heirace. He gave a fresh smile toward the younger brother, startled by his unexpected defiance.
“Even if I get jealous, violence isn’t allowed. Ow, that hurts. Look—there’s some blood, isn’t there?”
“……This isn’t my fault.”
“You’re younger than me, so it’s okay. It can be hard to control emotions sometimes. I’ll forgive you.”
Heirace’s gaze flicked upward. Several servants had entered the room.
“So, no spreading weird rumors, and you have to celebrate my marriage to Philena, okay? You’re the one who taught me to be kind to my little brother, not to bother him. At least you can do that, right?”
Heirace laughed heartily, wiping his split lip. Under furrowed brows, his eyes shone brightly.
If this incident were to spread, Whistler couldn’t leak the romance contract between him and Philena. Given the circumstances, it was more likely he would be suspected of lying than gain any benefit. Whistler is the type to seek another opportunity if there’s any risk at all.
It seemed as though Heirace could read Whistler’s thoughts.
‘This trash… How did I even get the reputation of being an angel…’
Even so, thoughts of his parents flickered. Ultimately, Heirace had no choice but to erase them from his mind.
Over the past few days, I—Philena—had been extremely busy. Not only did journalists request interviews, but letters kept arriving without end. They piled up like a tower.
Is this what a celebrity’s life is like? If being famous is this exhausting, can I really handle becoming even more famous? These thoughts briefly flashed through my mind.
‘I must become famous, though.’
Obviously, for the right reasons.
I didn’t know what false accusations the pre-remake Philena had suffered or the circumstances surrounding them. I had to become someone close to an angel like Whistler to feel secure.
Suddenly, I became curious about Whistler’s reaction.
Whistler must have heard about my marriage to Heirace. Because he feels inferior to Heirace, wouldn’t he despise the fact that he can’t marry before him?
‘He didn’t reveal the contract.’
Even if Whistler exposed the contract, the media wouldn’t blindly support him.
Among the nobles, loveless romances, engagements, and marriages are common. Measuring the advantages from love and marriage is entirely plausible.
Of course, the problem wasn’t the contract itself but that we pretended to love each other. But if it hadn’t been a marriage based on love, it would have been nearly impossible to proceed so quickly. People would understand that marriages typically don’t happen this fast without love.
So, we can just say it started as a contract but eventually grew into love. The romantic pretense of the contract would make them never expect it to become a marriage.
If it had been purely for benefit, we would have had to consider each other carefully for at least a few months before engagement, and then move to marriage in proper order. If it wasn’t love, the great Gray Duke family would have no reason to skip engagement and marry a count’s family so quickly.
‘So the contract loses much of its credibility. Timing helped too.’
I live in an era where romantic marriage is rare. Neither men nor women can freely choose it.
In the meantime, the story of my romance and marriage with Heirace satisfied their catharsis. As it raised hope for their future and society, public opinion couldn’t simply turn against us.
“This is the extent of the argument I prepared.”
Since Heirace had accepted the proposal immediately, there was no need to say more. I felt a bit of regret, but I was relieved that I no longer had to worry.
“Miss.”
“Yes?”
“What are you doing now?”
“I’m reviewing the process that brought me here, refreshing my mindset, and planning what I need to do next.”
“You must be busy with all the pending tasks. You were busy buying the Duke’s gift, right?”
I nodded. Although I didn’t need to give it immediately, I went out to get it before losing the opportunity. It was a wise move.
“This is everything we need to prepare.”
“No, you also need to prepare clothes not just for the wedding but for after the ceremony as well.”
I skimmed the list Clara handed me, shaking my head.
Weddings in this era were far more inefficient than in my previous life. I had to buy clothes, shawls, hats, and underwear to wear for years. Fashion tastes and trends change, after all. But it couldn’t be helped.
When in Rome, one must follow Roman law. Accepting reality diligently, I checked off what was needed.
“And I also need the Four Things (Something Four)?”
“Miss! Now you really understand these things! I, Clara, am so touched! I’m thrilled by your growth! Even if I earn a lot of money, I’ll stay by your side for a long time!”
“I said a long time. That means at least a few years.”
I didn’t have to explain what ‘long time’ meant; Clara’s loving gaze was enough.
“Still, preparing the Four Things for the wedding must be quite a dilemma for you.”
I nodded.
