SADIC v1c21

Chapter 21

“Big sister, what is that?”

“It’s a box of sweets I received from the prince.”

“That’s not what I’m asking. You went to the palace to avoid an engagement, but somehow you ended up becoming the official fiancée and even got something like that. Just what on earth did you do to make that happen?”

As soon as she arrived home, she was dragged—no, escorted—into the reception room by Aiden.

On one side of the sofa sat Father and Mother, and on the opposite sofa across the table sat her older brother Ian and her younger brother Aiden. Lilianna was made to sit in seiza on the carpet beside the table.

“Yes. I want you to explain everything clearly and step by step so that everyone here can understand. All right, Lilianna?”

“…Yes.”

Normally, it would have been absolutely impossible to reject a royal engagement. But her parents had worked so hard for their daughter’s sake to somehow grasp a chance to avoid it, and that very opportunity was spectacularly crushed by the very person in question—Lilianna.

Oliver was clearly dissatisfied.

Surrounded by people who were not on her side, Lilianna, who was already small, seemed to shrink even further as she began her explanation.

She told them how the king had said, “Young people should talk among themselves,” and how she saw it as a chance to escape the engagement.

How she tried to pass the responsibility to another young lady but failed.

How, for some reason, the prince made her eat sweets.

And how he prepared a whole assortment box because he thought she might still be hungry.

“If you say I closed the distance, I honestly don’t remember doing anything or having anything done to me. If I had to pick one thing, I suppose I told him not to underestimate nose hair.”

This left the entire family (except Lilianna) speechless.

They wondered how the conversation could have gone so far that she would tell the prince not to underestimate nose hair.

And they also wondered which part of Lilianna the prince had possibly taken a liking to.

Oliver let out a weak sigh and dropped his shoulders.

“It’s already decided, so there’s no point in talking about it anymore. In the near future, Lilianna will receive crown princess education. After your school classes end, you will go to the royal palace. You will be busy, but this is something you brought upon yourself.”

“Eh—”

When Lilianna made a reluctant sound, Oliver glared at her and said only one word:

“It’s settled.”

Then he left the room with Gianna.

Ian and Aiden crouched beside Lilianna and patted her head.

“Well, Lilianna did try her best in her own way, right? Even if it was in a pretty wrong direction.”

But Lilianna’s inner cry was heard by no one.

‘My legs are numb… (crying)’