Chapter 14
“What’s your brother’s name? Tell me your brother’s name!”
The coachman glared at me with fierce eyes as he shouted.
I wanted to tell him.
But I couldn’t.
The person I had come to meet wasn’t my brother.
It was Marius, the Emperor of the Empire.
And if I said Andrea’s name, it was obvious the hotel staff would say no one by that name was staying there.
Not knowing what to do…
I lowered my head and fidgeted with my fingers.
“This won’t do. Let’s go to your house. You said you have sisters.”
“N-No! I have to see my brother!”
“Then tell me your brother’s name. Do you want me to scold you? Do you want to go to the police station?”
“T-That’s…”
My mind was becoming completely blank.
Just then…
A luxurious carriage stopped behind the one I had arrived in.
The carriage was decorated with Trovancha’s traditional colors and crest.
The person who stepped out…
Was none other than Marius.
“Huh?”
It was definitely Marius.
But somehow…
He looked like a completely different person.
The man who usually wore a playful smile and loved teasing people was nowhere to be seen.
Standing there instead…
Was a cold ruler, as icy as winter.
At that moment…
I truly realized he was the original story’s male lead.
The merciless Emperor.
“…Big Brotherrr!”
Still being held by the coachman, I shouted at the top of my lungs.
I wanted to call him “Mister Marius.”
But he was the Emperor.
If I casually shouted the Emperor’s name in front of so many people…
I might get into serious trouble.
So I simply called him “Big Brother.”
Without realizing I was calling him, Marius strode straight toward the hotel with his long legs.
I jumped up and down while waving both of my hands.
“Big Brotherrr! Liliana is here!”
The moment I shouted my own name…
Marius hurriedly turned his head and found me.
“Little Squirt?”
The icy atmosphere around him disappeared like a mirage.
In an instant…
He became the Marius I knew.
Looking completely confused, he walked toward me.
The moment the coachman’s grip loosened…
I ran over and tightly hugged one of Marius’s legs.
His attendants panicked and tried to pull me away.
But Marius raised a hand to stop them.
Behind me…
I heard the coachman gasp.
“Little Squirt. Why are you here?”
“Lend me some money!”
“Money? What do you need money for?”
“I took a carriage… but I didn’t have enough money…”
“Why did you take a carriage?”
“Oh, come on. I came to see you!”
The moment I said that…
Marius’s expression became strangely suspicious.
How should I describe it?
He was trying to suppress his usual teasing smile to protect his dignity.
But he couldn’t hide how happy he was.
His nose twitched ever so slightly.
It honestly made him look a little weird.
Why did such a handsome face have to make expressions like that?
And more importantly…
How was someone with a personality like this the male lead?
“Big Brotherrr? Big Brother?”
Marius copied the way I spoke.
The corners of his lips twitched upward.
His eyes were already half-closed from trying not to laugh.
Meanwhile…
My own eyes trembled.
The day had finally come…
When I had to call Marius “Big Brother.”
This was my defeat.
Sob…
“Mhm. Hurry… Please lend me some money.”
“Alright. How much do you need?”
“Umm… five silver coins?”
After hearing my answer…
Marius searched his pockets before looking down at me awkwardly.
“What should I do? I only have one coin.”
“W-What?! That won’t work!”
I quickly covered my mouth and turned toward the coachman.
Then…
I heard someone trying to hold back laughter above me.
When I looked up…
Marius was covering his mouth with both hands.
His face was completely red from trying not to laugh.
What?
Why are you laughing?
While I stared at him in confusion…
Marius casually tossed a single gold coin to the coachman.
“That should be enough, right?”
“O-Of course, sir!”
One gold coin was worth one hundred silver coins.
Aliche had taught me that not long ago.
Which meant…
Marius had lied about not having any money.
“Liar! Mister, do you want to sit in the thinking chair?”
I puffed up my cheeks and started punching Marius’s thigh with my tiny fists.
Every time my fist landed…
Marius only teased me more.
“That doesn’t hurt at all. Little Squirt, your fists really are bean fists. They’ll never become hammer fists.”
“No! They’re hammer fists!”
“Alright, alright. Have you eaten? Want to have lunch with me?”
“I brought my own food. And they’re really hammer fists!”
“What did you bring?”
“Biscuits! They’re super yummy! I’m not sharing even one!”
“See? That’s why your fists are bean fists. I’m eating steak, lemonade, and fried shrimp. And for dessert, pumpkin chocolate. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it?”
“Umm… then I want one bite too. You’ll give me one bite, right?”
“Just a little.”
I held my thumb and index finger close together to show how little I wanted.
The next second…
Marius bent over, clutching his stomach as he laughed even harder.
Why does he always laugh whenever I say something?
I was about to show him another hammer fist…
When I suddenly realized something.
A moment ago…
I had been hugging his leg.
But somehow…
I was now in his arms!
As expected of the male lead who could steal your nose while your eyes were still open.
He had quietly picked me up without me even noticing.
By the time I came back to my senses…
I was already sitting beside Marius in the hotel’s dining room.
As he tied a bib around my neck, he asked,
“So… why did you come to see your ‘Big Brother’? Did you miss your ‘Big Brother’?”
“No. I didn’t miss you. And you’re not Liliana’s big brother.”
“But you called me Big Brother first.”
“I was just saying it.”
“Hahaha! Where did you learn to say things like that? Max, did you hear that? Isn’t my youngest sister-in-law adorable? She’s so cute I could die. These days, seeing my youngest sister-in-law is the best part of my day.”
According to the newspaper…
The Emperor’s attendants had arrived in Trovancha before his official visit.
The man Marius called Max was probably one of those attendants.
“Huh?”
Only then did I remember.
I hadn’t come to the hotel just to eat with Marius.
Without realizing it…
I had been completely swept along by him and forgotten my original goal.
I puffed up my cheeks and glared at him.
“I’m not your youngest sister-in-law. You haven’t married my sister.”
“I will soon.”
“No. Don’t. I’m against it.”
“Why are you against it? If my little squirt is against it, I’ll be so sad that I’ll cry.”
“Then cry! I’ll buy you chocolate to cheer you up. But give up on my sister. Okay? Promise?”
“Why don’t you like me?”
Even while grumbling…
Marius cut a piece of steak and placed it into my mouth.
Without thinking…
I simply ate what he fed me.
“Mmm… because my Big Sister is too good for you. She’s the prettiest, coolest, and strongest person in the whole world.”
“I’m the most handsome man in the world. I have the most money, and I’m strong too.”
I couldn’t help opening my mouth in disbelief.
Did everyone become this shameless after becoming Emperor?
Of course…
Marius was handsome.
At his level, it wasn’t about who was more handsome anymore.
It was simply a matter of personal taste.
Among the three male leads…
There wasn’t really a winner.
As for money…
Well…
He was the Emperor.
He probably did have the most.
But strength?
That definitely belonged to Leopoldt.
Leopoldt was practically a human weapon.
“Mister… do you even have a conscience?”
I was so speechless that my face became completely serious.
Instead of bursting into loud laughter like usual…
Marius quietly brought another piece of meat to my mouth.
“Say ah. Eat first, then talk.”
I only continued glaring at him.
So he lightly tapped my lips with the piece of meat.
In the end…
I had no choice but to open my mouth and take a big bite.
“By the way, Little Squirt, you didn’t come here alone, did you? If your sisters came with you, you wouldn’t have run out of money. Where are they?”
“Hm? I came by myself.”
After hearing my answer…
Marius fell silent.
Then he asked with an uneasy expression,
“…You told your sisters before leaving, right?”
This time…
It was my turn to be silent.
Before leaving home…
I had planned to leave a note saying I was going to the playground near the house.
Or…
Had I?
No matter how hard I tried to remember…
I couldn’t remember writing one.
I had been so focused on sneaking out…
That I must have forgotten.
What do I do?!
As I stayed silent…
Marius’s expression slowly stiffened.
The moment I imagined my sisters panicking because I had disappeared…
The dining room suddenly felt freezing cold.
My whole body trembled.
So I quickly took Cookie out of my bag and hugged him tightly.
Whenever life became difficult…
Or something scared me…
Rubbing my face against Cookie’s soft fur always made me feel calm.
“Cookie?”
Usually…
Just rubbing my face against him like this was enough to make my fear disappear.
But today…
Cookie’s magic wasn’t working.
“Cookie… your big sister is having a hard time. Hurry and give me courage.”
Come on…
Use your Cookie Magic already.
To threaten him…
I started twisting Cookie’s ears.
Meanwhile…
The stunned Marius turned toward one of his attendants.
“Prepare the carriage. Her family must be in chaos after realizing she’s missing.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to send someone ahead to explain the situation?”
“They won’t be able to relax until they see her face. Instead of waiting for them to come here, it’ll be faster if I take her home myself.”
After the attendant left…
Marius placed another piece of meat into my mouth and gently patted my back.
“It’ll be alright. Of course it will.”
It wasn’t comforting at all.
