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Leo’s Affection [Part 1]

Translated by: ME

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*****

「And so? How, exactly, did my dear little foster brother find the one he wishes to make his life partner?」

Having finished and sealed his letter, Eides handed it to the secretary he’d summoned with a hand bell. He then turned back to Leo, posing the question with a persistent, mocking grin.

(I missed my chance to escape...)

Internal clicking of the tongue aside, Leo offered a pleasant smile in return.

「Now, now, there’s really nothing special enough to report to my dear elder brother.」

「Leo. You’ve got quite the nerve trying to wear a mask in my presence, don't you?」

Eides narrowed his eyes, a sadistic glint shimmering within them. Leo couldn't stop a bead of sweat from forming on his brow.

Leo had been designated Crown Prince at the age of twelve. For royalty in other nations, it wouldn't have been strange to have a fiancée named the moment that title was bestowed, but several reasons explained why he still had none.

First, Leo's own constitution had been frail until he was about seven. Second, the internal affairs of the kingdom were not so desperate that they needed to play the "Prince's Engagement" card. Third, and most significantly, there was a custom in this country: unless there was a crisis at home or abroad, the Crown Prince does not decide on a fiancée until he reaches the age to enter the aristocratic academy.

Leo was brilliant, but due to his sickly nature, his father had initially withheld the title of Crown Prince. The seat remained vacant until Leo was deemed physically fit.

His younger brother, Prince Tygrim, was three years his junior. After Leo came a daughter, then twin sons/daughters, and finally a third son. It would have been somewhat premature to appoint Tygrim as the successor over the eldest son.

Furthermore, while the laws of the land allowed for a younger sister to stand as Queen Regnant with a talented consort, male primogeniture was preferred unless there was a significant issue.

Because the Royal Family remained skeptical of the necessity for concubines, a Queen or Consort was expected to have a robust body capable of bearing multiple children. However, this created a concern: since a Queen might be pregnant frequently, it could interfere with her ability to govern. No matter how healthy she might be, morning sickness and the natural process of growth are beyond one's will. It was only natural to prioritize her well-being; even Leo’s mother, renowned for her sturdiness, had been so depleted by morning sickness during her third pregnancy that she had been bedridden.

Once Leo’s health improved and these concerns were settled, he was successfully invested as Prince... but choosing a fiancée proved difficult.

Or rather, he simply didn't choose one.

To begin with, the high-ranking noblewomen of age brought before the Royal Family were either too closely related or lacked sufficient status. Some of the potential candidates had already secured other engagements during the period when the sickly Leo had not yet been named heir.

Had Leo taken a particular liking to someone, they could have maneuvered to break an existing engagement and form a new one. However, Leo didn't feel it was worth tearing someone away from their partner, and his father wasn't in any particular hurry either. Unlike a Princess, whose marriageable window was considered shorter, a young bride for a Prince was always an option, and the possibility of marrying a foreign princess for diplomatic reasons remained on the table.

For these reasons, Leo remained unengaged to this day. Knowing his "younger brother’s" circumstances, Eides was naturally dying of curiosity regarding the first lady Leo had ever taken a personal interest in.

「Looking at her grades, she doesn't seem particularly exceptional. As for her appearance, I’ve heard nothing but ill rumors. They say she was mocked as a wallflower in society, constantly compared to her younger sister.」

(He's saying that specifically because he knows the truth, isn't he?)

That was just the way Eides was. The more he liked someone, the more he enjoyed teasing them, tormenting them, and rubbing their nerves the wrong way. He never crossed the line into true malice, but because he was genuinely cold to those who didn't interest him, he had fully earned his reputation as the "cruel, misanthropic Magus Lord."

「It was out of consideration for her sister. You can tell that just by looking at the reports.」

Lola was hiding her true self. This wasn't just about her appearance; as evidenced by the swapped reports, she had forced herself to stay "below her sister" in every category, right down to her overall GPA.

Leo had asked her 「Why go that far?」 several times, but the answer was always the same.

『If I were to surpass Wellmy in anything, my parents would be displeased. And if they were to berate me for it... Wellmy would be the one who suffers.』

When she said that with a lonely smile, Leo hadn't understood her at first. He wondered if the "wicked" Wellmy could truly feel that way, or if Lola was simply convincing herself of it to protect her own heart.

However, whenever Leo spoke critically of Wellmy, Lola would look genuinely pained. He didn't get it then, but he did now.

「To say those two are 'close' might be a bit of a misnomer... they care for each other, but it's more accurate to say Wellmy is actively trying to make Lola hate her.」

「Hooh. And the reason?」

「To keep them from drawing their parents' ire. Those two understand exactly how their parents want them to behave to be satisfied. They’ve understood it and played their roles accordingly.」

「I see. And so the younger sister is doing everything in her power to save the older one, who was forced into the role of the oppressed. How touching.」

Eides stroked the two identical letters with his fingertips, his smile deepening.

(He's really taken a liking to Wellmy, hasn't he...?)

They were two people who had likely never even met, with no points of contact. As Leo thought this, Eides crossed his legs again.

「Well? I still haven't heard the story of how you and Lady Lola first met.」

It seemed shifting the topic was impossible. Leo gave up and began to tell Eides the story.

The first time he had met Lola was in the corridor leading to the school's courtyard.

*****

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