novelraw Chapter 308: Beggar Siblings – The Ladies
Chapter 308: Beggar Siblings – The Ladies
307. Beggar Siblings – The Ladies
Prince Vivian de Isadora of the Kingdom of Aisel entered Orville to grand cheers.
It was different from when Prince Arnulf de Klaus of the Kingdom of Astin had arrived. Back then, there was a tinge of contempt, as he was a prince from the land of barbarians.
He had even entered through the northern gate.
Nevertheless, autumn petals fluttered in the air.
Lean, who had come to watch the prince’s procession with his younger sister, enjoyed the current peace. By next spring, these petals scattered by the citizens would turn into dry straw, and the army would marChapter But for now, none of that mattered.
As Lean sipped his drink leisurely, Lerialia, looking out the window, shouted.
“So many people!”
Indeed, unlike those commoners, we weren't standing on the streets.
From the third floor of a spacious inn, they had a clear view of the eastern boulevard.A neatly prepared steak.
Steam rising from the soup beside a vividly yellow juice. Lean had lavishly rented out the entire third floor of the inn.
Of course, with Count Peter's money.
“Eat while you watChapter It’ll still be a while before the prince arrives.”
“It’s amazing! So cool! Heeing... Tian should’ve come too. And Jenia.”
That would have been nice, perhaps even better.
However, Lean wanted to commemorate today alone with his sister.
How many trials had they gone through just to watch the prince’s procession this peacefully? Lerialia would never even dream of—no, she wouldn’t be able to realize. Lean cut a piece of food for his sister.
“Open wide. Ah—”
He offered her a piece of juicy meat. He expected Lerialia to eagerly take it, but instead, she narrowed her eyes.
“I can do it myself!”
Still, since he was offering, she took a bite, though her petite figure was quickly outgrowing her girlish innocence. She handled her utensils quite skillfully, despite never having learned.
Lean felt a little disappointed. He lowered the napkin he had been holding to wipe her mouth.
Was it a twisted desire to want his sister to stay a naive girl forever? The memory of times when he couldn’t even feed her remained heavy on his heart. Lean let out a quiet, worried sigh.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t resolved his past regrets.
It was the slow yet perilous pace of his sister’s growth that concerned him. Sometimes, Lerialia’s golden eyes gleamed with dangerous brilliance.
The {Immunity} held it in check, but memories were slowly piling up.
The ‘dream’ was awakening her blood and talent. It had only been a month.
To be honest, it wasn’t something Lean welcomed. While his sister, as a self-aware princess, was outstanding, she had enjoyed playing dangerous games.
Twisting relationships, sowing discord, seducing, and redrawing the board—this was her specialty. If Minseo had been someone who actively used his sister’s abilities, their story might have unfolded differently.
There would have been no chance for him to receive my help.
Call it overprotection if you want. Determined, Lean picked up the napkin again and wiped his still-defiant sister's mouth.
He wished for her to remain an innocent girl, unstained by the world, forever.
At that moment, Lerialia stood up excitedly and shouted, “He’s here!”
Her figure, briefly glimpsed, seemed more mature.
She had grown taller, and her soft, chubby curves were giving way to a slender neck and waist. Lerialia, in high spirits, stretched out of the window, waving her hand, while Lean gently tugged at her dress.
“It’s the prince! He’s so handsome... Wait, I’ve seen him somewhere before.”
Yes, you were once married to him. You were engaged to him.
With mixed emotions, Lean asked, “How is he? Is the prince handsome?”
“He is! But he’s not my type. How should I put it... he’s too big.”
Oddly enough, Lerialia didn’t like large men. It wasn’t that she disliked them, but she preferred smaller figures, likely because of her own petite size, Lean guessed.
Lerialia glanced slyly at her brother.
“How’s the engagement going? Not much time left, right?”
“Yeah. About ten days left.”
“Is there anything I can help with?”
“You…”
It’s best if you don’t do anything. Lean swallowed the words that almost escaped his lips. She’d be hurt if he said that. What could his sister do, anyway? After thinking for a moment, Lean said,
“Let’s go shopping for clothes later. You should dress up nicely, but not too muChapter Jenia’s already pretty anxious about it.”
“Hehe. That sister. She’s so pretty herself, though.”
“You know you’re pretty too, huh?”
“Asking that is rude.”
Lerialia answered primly, taking a sip of her juice. Then, as she gazed out the window, her voice grew quiet.
“Brother.”
“What?”
“What happens to me when you get married?”
Her trembling eyes met Lean’s. She looked like a lost baby bird, full of worry.
“Sister Jenia is a noble, right?”
His sister must have thought that once he married, she wouldn’t be able to stay with him. Feeling guilty for not being more sensitive, Lean replied calmly.
“What happens? You’ll come live with me, of course. Nothing will change.”
“…What about where we live now?”
“Whatever you like. If you like the Rauno family, you can stay there, or you can live with me. There’s a room for you, and I’ll visit often.”
“……”
That’s not what I want.
Lerialia pouted. As spoiled as it sounded, she preferred the time when she lived together with her brother, building a home. She didn’t like being left to this place or that like some burden, so she thought hard to find another solution.
But…
“There isn’t one.”
There was no other option but to go with her brother to his new home. So how long would she have to live like this? ─ The thought frustrated her.
Lately, the world had seemed so easy to her. She didn’t think it would be difficult to protect herself, to live.
‘If I say that out loud, I’ll get scolded.’
Lerialia smiled. She wiped her face clean of any trace of her inner thoughts and said cheerfully,
“Okay! But you have to visit often! Promise.”
She extended her pinky.
Sometimes, she knew that waiting was necessary, until the day she gained the power to make her own decisions... A secret she kept from her brother.
The fallen empire’s siblings, their golden eyes gleaming brightly, enjoyed their time watching the bustling commoners and the prince’s procession from above.
---
While Lean was busy preparing for his engagement, a long-anticipated incident occurred.
In front of Prince Vivian de Isadora, Princess Chloe de Tatalia kissed Gilbert, and the furious prince stormed off.
The prelude to war had begun.
The price of weaponry skyrocketed, and armies slowly expanded their forces.
However, this was a matter on a national level, and daily life continued unchanged. The Kingdom of Bellita, a long-established powerhouse, stood shoulder to shoulder with the Aslan Kingdom.
The Cross Church did not intervene this time either. Since the war would take place far to the east, opposite the Jerome Holy Kingdom, the saintess issued no instructions. People accepted this without question. After all, considering the donations they made every year, it was only natural.
In Orville, where the atmosphere was tense with the threat of war, Count Peter’s mansion hosted the engagement ceremony the following week.
Count Gustav Peter and Lady Edlin Peter stood at the mansion’s gate, busy greeting the many guests.
“Thank you for coming.”
“Oh, thank you for inviting me. I thought the date was odd at first, but you had foresight. Those scoundrels! The Kingdom of Aisel has already issued a mobilization order.”
“Already?”
“Indeed. They’re not even trying to resolve it diplomatically... Tsk, tsk. They need to be taught a harsh lesson. Count Peter, will you be—oh dear, I apologize. This isn’t the time to discuss such things. Congratulations!”
As guests exchanged countless congratulations, laughter filled the garden where the ceremony was held. Male nobles mostly talked about the war, while the ladies expressed curiosity about today’s main figures.
“By the way, who is this Lean? Does anyone know?”
The ladies all shook their heads.
There was no one present who knew Lean, making any speculation pointless. However, there were those who were familiar with Jenia.
“She did run away from home. People tried to hush it up, but my daughter saw her working as an actress in a theater that commoners frequent. While I’m happy about the engagement—”
“Oh my, here you all are.”
Just as gossip was about to start, Edlin swiftly intervened. With a smug tilt of her nose, she said,
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen some of you. How’s your daughter? Wasn’t it Lady Clara?”
“Ah... yes, Countess. It’s been a while. Yes, Clara’s doing well.”
“I thought so! You must feel relieved lately. I heard Gilbert was put on probation. Rumor has it he might even be sent to the capital church...”
Gasps of exasperation echoed among the ladies. Everyone knew how many young ladies that reckless nobleman had toyed with.
Being promiscuous wasn’t a crime—after all, many nobles were.
But for parents with daughters, it was a different story. They wished the young men would behave more properly. Just thinking about it made them feel old-fashioned.
Old-fashioned? Hell, they’d been popular in their day too! But at least back then, things weren’t this bad.
Back in their time, attending a party required parental permission, and if you spent the night with someone, you introduced them to your parents. Even if it wasn’t an engagement, people knew who was dating whom, and the love was sweet and public. But nowadays, ugh...
At the center of this reckless new generation was Gilbert Forte.
Handsome and charming, he pursued noblewomen, commoners—anyone he fancied. He was so selective, always picking the most attractive women, that it created a strange trend in Orville’s high society.
If Gilbert showed interest in you, it meant you were desirable. If not, it implied you weren’t, and this became a subject of mockery.
A twisted situation. Many ladies wanted to catch Gilbert’s eye, and recently, Lady Clara had become involved with him. Her mother sighed with relief as she recounted her troubles.
“That’s right! Oh, I was so worried... but thank goodness it’s over now.”
“Exactly. It’s always best to find a man who loves only one woman. I had my own struggles, but my daughter has found a good man.”
“Oh my, really? You’ve secured a good son-in-law? Who is he?”
The ladies leaned in with interest. Without a hint of shame, Edlin replied,
“He’s a commoner. But once he joins our family, he’ll become a noble. You’ll meet him soon, and trust me, he’s incredibly handsome. My daughter certainly has high standards.”
She fanned herself playfully, raising the anticipation of her listeners. And rightfully so—her future son-in-law was indeed quite a catch in terms of appearance.
‘I’ll protect my son-in-law myself,’ she thought.
Edlin busied herself with mingling among the guests.
Phew, this is exhausting. If only Lina were here to help...
She had been excited to meet her old friend again, who had arrived with Prince Vivian. But Princess Lina had been forced to return early due to urgent matters.
Her son had caused a massive scandal... It must’ve been incredibly hard on her.
Edlin felt nostalgic for the days when she had spent time with Lina and the Marchioness of Tatian. The Marchioness of Guidan from the Eastern Kingdom used to visit frequently as well.
They were all good people. How did I end up the only one left?
The Marchioness of Tatian had gradually become frail, trembling every day until her early death.
The Marchioness of Guidan collapsed after a tragedy struck her son. And Lina, after suddenly divorcing her husband, had returned to the Kingdom of Aisel.
Since then, Edlin hadn’t found anyone she truly connected with. Now... she had to focus on her daughter and husband, pushing aside her loneliness. At least she wouldn’t have to send her daughter away, thanks to the marriage arrangement.
This will do.
After vigorously defending her future son-in-law, Edlin returned to her husband, who was chatting with the Marquis Tatian.
“Marquess Tatian! It’s been so long. How have you been?”
“It’s been a while.”
He didn’t used to be this cold, Edlin thought, recognizing the impact of his wife’s absence. Just as she was about to engage in some small talk, a hush fell over the gathering.
- Click, click.
A girl with neatly tied blonde hair that flowed down to her waist appeared. She wore a simple white dress. Yet, despite the plainness of her attire, all attention was drawn to her.
- Click, click.
The silence stretched.
Her soft, innocent lips pursed ever so slightly, casting a quiet stillness over the ceremony. She appeared utterly clueless, yet her eyes, full of curiosity, shone brilliantly gold.
The men felt a twinge in their hearts. The women covered their open mouths—whether with their hands, fans, or whatever they could grasp.
Her eyelashes were so long that if she fluttered them, it seemed music would fill the air. She looked around shyly, as though searching for someone. Realizing her brother wasn’t present, she quickly surveyed the venue and instantly figured out where she needed to go.
It was clear who held the most importance.
Lerialia strode confidently toward Marquis Benar Tatian, her heels clicking rhythmically against the ground. And then, she realized.
This man knows who I am. Lerialia boldly asked,
“Do you know me, sir?”
“...Of course, Princess Lerialia de Yeriel.”
The Marquis Tatian nonchalantly dropped a bombshell.