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Chapter 13
“Big Sister. That’s enough. You should head back now. Father is looking for you.”
Perhaps the word Father really was magical. Though visibly fuming, Liana Stacy quietly left the lounge.
Watching her leave, Ruby let out a long sigh before walking over to Rose.
“Rose. That’s enough. Liana may be like that, but she’s still our eldest sister. You shouldn’t treat her so harshly.”
“I am holding back. The real problem is Liana Stacy, who keeps coming to embarrass herself even though she knows she’ll lose every time. She even went to the Academy, but somehow her brain gets emptier the longer she’s there. While everyone else is stuffing knowledge into their heads, maybe she’s training herself by emptying out whatever little she managed to learn.”
“Rooose.”
“Fine. I’ll stop.”
Ruby called her name with an unusually stern expression, reminding her that such language was unbecoming of a lady. Whether out of respect for Ruby or simply because she cared about her, Rose obediently dropped the subject.
Unlike the departed Liana, those two truly looked like sisters.
Ruby Stacy couldn’t compare to Rose in beauty, but she was still undeniably attractive. She shared some of Rose’s features, and her gentle, graceful appearance perfectly reflected her kind personality.
“…Those two really do seem like actual sisters.”
Rose’s hair had become messy from lying down, so Ruby helped her sit up before gently fixing her hair.
Anyone watching would have thought they were simply a pair of affectionate sisters.
Watching the scene, Hereis quietly commented.
Enoch immediately shot him a look that clearly said, If you don’t want us discovered, shut up.
Hereis instantly closed his mouth.
Just then, Ruby spoke.
“You’re so beautiful today, my little sister.”
As she stroked Rose’s hair, her words were completely sincere, her voice warm with affection.
Embarrassed but clearly pleased, Rose let out a cheerful giggle.
“Hehehe.”
Her smile was so irresistibly adorable that not only Ruby, but even the secretly watching Hereis and Enoch found themselves captivated by it.
“Everyone at the banquet kept looking at you today. Before long, my little sister will be getting married too.”
The moment those words were spoken, Rose’s face twisted into a deep frown.
“Nope. I’m not getting married. Ever.”
Ruby burst into laughter.
“So that’s why you’ve been throwing every marriage proposal into the fireplace?”
Hereis’s jaw dropped.
Even Enoch, though less dramatic, pinched the bridge of his nose in surprise.
Completely unaware of their reactions, Rose answered firmly.
“Big Sister, have there ever been any decent proposals for me? They’re either worthless idiots hoping to ride Sir Halbert Jeffrid’s reputation, or pigs drooling over my face. What exactly am I supposed to choose from? I’d rather stay single forever. Besides, I’ve spent far more days without a man than with one.”
She grumbled,
“And not a single one of the days I did have a man around was a good one.”
Knowing exactly what she meant, Ruby smiled awkwardly.
After all, the men Rose had reluctantly spent time with weren’t merely not her type—they were exhausting even from Ruby’s perspective.
“I know. Mother and Father don’t seem to have any intention of marrying you off anytime soon. If you actually got married, they’d probably cry.”
“Don’t worry about me. You should be the one getting married. Even if I never do, you will. You’re already twenty-one. Isn’t there someone you like? If the only problem is that his family isn’t prestigious enough, I’ll help. If I throw myself onto the floor and throw a tantrum, Father will definitely give in.”
Rose smiled proudly.
“If I cry hard enough, Father will be on my side one hundred percent.”
Ruby laughed.
“Haha. You’re right. Father would definitely give in. You’re his greatest weakness. Mother’s the same. If that ever happens, I’ll ask for your help.”
“Hm? So there really is someone? Someone you like?”
“Um…”
“There is! Who is it?”
Rose immediately pounced on her like she’d caught the scent of gossip.
Ruby’s cheeks turned bright red as she hesitated.
Clearly, there really was someone.
Hereis watched with great interest.
Other people’s romances were always entertaining.
After Rose repeatedly promised she’d keep it secret, Ruby finally gave in.
“Well… I am seeing someone…”
“But Father wouldn’t approve…”
“Huh? Why? Is his family beneath ours?”
“He’s the eldest son of a viscount’s family.”
“That isn’t even that low. If he’s the eldest son, he’ll inherit the family. Unless they’re broke, I don’t think Father would object.”
“They’re actually quite wealthy. Their family is famous for medicinal herbs.”
“Then that’s perfect. So what’s the problem?”
From Rose’s perspective, it made no sense.
Count Stacy cared first about family status, second about family status, and third about wealth.
Those conditions were all met.
So what was wrong?
Blushing, Ruby answered quietly.
“I think… Mother won’t approve either.”
“Mother?”
“…Yes.”
“The thing is…”
“He’s… incredibly handsome.”
Enoch didn’t understand.
Hereis understood instantly.
There was an old saying.
“A handsome man always lives up to his face.”
Beautiful men naturally attracted women.
Wealth and status certainly mattered, but attraction began with appearance.
Any parent with a daughter would naturally worry if her future husband were exceptionally handsome.
The Genoa Empire allowed people to date freely.
Having lovers before marriage was normal.
Even if an unmarried noblewoman had premarital relations, she was still considered a virgin by society.
Noble marriages were essentially alliances between families.
Personal feelings came second to political and financial benefit.
Because marriages were political, noblemen commonly kept mistresses, and if those women bore children, they could even become concubines. Affairs with noblewomen were equally common and rarely condemned.
Women also had affairs after marriage, and it wasn’t particularly scandalous.
The difference was visibility.
Men’s affairs were often public knowledge and socially accepted.
Women’s affairs, however, had to remain secret.
Everyone could gossip about affairs in salons, but openly revealing the identity of one’s lover or displaying the relationship was unacceptable.
It was an unfair system.
But it was simply how society worked.
Since women usually prioritized raising their children, many avoided affairs altogether.
In such a society, marrying a husband who constantly attracted women meant a lifetime of heartache.
No wonder parents opposed it.
Of course, Enoch Chester—who had no interest whatsoever in such matters—couldn’t understand.
Hereis clicked his tongue at Enoch’s complete lack of humanity and glared at him.
From Enoch’s perspective, that was completely unfair.
But Hereis remained convinced he was right.
Until Rose dropped an absolute bombshell.
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“…Huh?”
“…What?”
Ruby and Hereis exclaimed at the same time.
Fortunately, Hereis’s voice was quiet enough that Rose didn’t hear him.
Ruby froze, completely caught off guard.
Rose continued with utmost seriousness.
“Big Sister, think about it carefully. Where in the world are you going to find a perfect man? Handsome, rich, high status, kind, and loves only you? That’s something out of a fairy tale.”
She shrugged.
“Actually, even fairy-tale princes aren’t perfect. Fairy tales never say the prince is amazing in bed, do they?”
“R-R-Rose! H-How can you say something like that?!”
“Your reaction is making me feel weird. Haven’t you ever gone to a salon with Mother? Sit there for twenty minutes and you’ll hear conversations far worse than this.”
“N-No! I’m shocked because you said it! Who’s been telling you these things?!”
“They said I’d have to learn eventually, so they told me everything without holding back. They even recommended some erotic novels and said I should read them at least once.”
Ruby buried her face in one hand, blushing furiously at Rose’s innocent reply.
The balcony wasn’t faring any better.
Hereis’s face had turned scarlet as he buried it against the balcony railing.
Enoch wasn’t much different, covering half his face with one hand.
Objectively speaking, what Rose had said wasn’t even particularly obscene.
Men often spoke far more bluntly among themselves.
The gossip in noble salons was a hundred times more suggestive.
Both men knew that perfectly well.
But hearing those words spoken so casually by someone who looked like the most innocent girl in the world had an entirely different level of destructive power.
Completely unaware that she had mentally destroyed two grown men, Rose continued earnestly.
“Anyway, Big Sister. Perfect men don’t exist. Girls in their teens are getting married off to men in their fifties. Do you really have time to dream about Prince Charming?”
“So you need to find a man who has at least one truly outstanding quality.”
“Power? Money? Sure, those matter.”
“But imagine this.”
“He has endless wealth and enormous power…”
“…but his face belongs to an absolutely disgusting pig.”
“You have to spend the rest of your life with him.”
“And that’s not all. You’d have to sleep with him to continue the family line.”
“Would you want that?”
“If you had to have sex with a pig like that, do you honestly think you’d still care about his money or power?”
“R-Rose…”
“So just choose the handsome one instead.”
“Even if he’s a little poorer, even if his family isn’t quite as prestigious, if he’s handsome, life will already be so much better.”
“There’s a reason people say they can ‘live just by looking at a beautiful face.’”
“You’re not obsessed with money or power anyway.”
“And with our family’s status, it’s not like you’re going to marry beneath yourself that much.”
“So enjoy staring at a handsome face for the rest of your life!”
“…O-Okay.”
Overwhelmed by Rose’s passionate speech, Ruby found herself nodding automatically.
Everything Rose had said made perfect sense.
Logically, she wasn’t wrong at all.
And yet…
No noble lady in the world would ever express those thoughts so openly.
It was a way of thinking completely unlike anything this world had ever seen.
Enoch and Hereis could only stare with their mouths hanging open in utter astonishment.
