Chapter 9
The Annoying Crown Prince
Even though I proudly declared that “I won’t die!”, my big brother has been excessively worried about me ever since.
From the moment I wake up in the morning, I eat breakfast with him, read picture books quietly by his side while he studies, share lunch together, nap while he trains in swordsmanship, then enjoy snacks and play in the garden with him before dinner.
From dawn till night, it’s an all–big-brother schedule.
Dear gods, thank you so much for this divine blessing.
Even when my excitement spikes from being around him, Moko and the Holy Sword help absorb my overflowing magic, so I can indulge fully in my brother’s glorious presence.
Ahh, this happiness is unparalleled…
But then—someone appeared to ruin it.
That someone was none other than my brother’s so-called best friend, the Crown Prince Elvin Highclare.
Elvin Highclare — in the novel “Gran Avelle”, he’s the arrogant prince who travels with my brother to defeat the Demon King.
He constantly looks down on the hero Abel for being a commoner and insists that he, the crown prince, is the one truly worthy to wield the Holy Sword.
Over the course of their journey, he grows to respect Abel… but during the final battle against the Demon King, Elvin dies because of Abel’s mistake.
That death becomes the turning point that drives my brother to become the final boss.
After Elvin’s death, the next monarch becomes his younger sister, Princess Fiona. Her fiancé? Serios Rosenberg — my brother.
But Fiona and Abel are actually in love with each other.
Because of that, my brother begins to hate Abel — for both Elvin’s death and for stealing his fiancée — and ends up turning into the last boss.
It’s not Elvin’s fault directly, but still… if this boy doesn’t die, my brother never turns evil. So, I can’t help but glare at him a little.
And maybe he noticed, because ever since the moment we first met, Elvin’s been in a bad mood.
“I’d heard you had a younger sister, so I was expecting something impressive… but she’s not as cute as I imagined.”
Wow. How incredibly rude.
Sure, there’s no way anyone could match my brother’s level of beauty, but still! Once I grow up a little more, I’ll definitely be cute!
“That’s fine. As long as I’m the only one who knows how cute Letty is.”
“Nii-tama~!”
I threw myself into my brother’s arms dramatically, and Elvin’s face twisted in frustration.
Why is the Crown Prince even here in our ducal mansion?
Well, apparently, since my brother stopped going to the royal castle to visit his friend, the friend decided to come to us instead.
And to make matters worse, he appeared right in the middle of my happiest moment — eating snacks on my brother’s lap in a garden full of blooming flowers.
There was no way I could possibly welcome him.
“If you were a little more charming, I might have considered making you my bride someday.”
“I refuse.”
“No way! Lechi loves Nii-tama!”
My brother answered instantly, and I echoed him right after.
Seriously, I have zero interest in arrogant “I’m-the-best” types.
My ideal will always be my brother.
If only I could find someone like him someday…
“…You two sure are close.”
Maybe because both of us rejected him so quickly, Elvin pouted, his lips forming a little sulky line.
Elvin’s life as crown prince was a bit complicated.
His mother, the former queen, was a princess from a neighboring country, but she died giving birth to him. The current queen — his stepmother — was chosen afterward from a count’s family within this kingdom.
Still, the new queen loves Elvin dearly. Rumor says she dotes on him even more than on her own daughter.
“Still, Serios, you’re going to be my right-hand man someday. I think you spend a little too much time with your sister.”
Coming from the guy who barged into our home because he was lonely when my brother stopped visiting him, that statement has zero persuasive power.
“Don’t you have any other friends?”
My speech has gotten much clearer lately — only a slight toddler lisp remains.
Soon, I’ll be able to talk with my brother properly!
“There are many who wish to be my friends, but only Serios is worthy of that honor.”
He said that proudly, but… isn’t that basically admitting you only have one friend?
“I’m sorry, Your Highness, but I want to stay by my sister’s side for a while longer.”
“Is your sister really that wonderful…?”
Elvin tilted his head and looked at me.
Hmm… maybe he isn’t that close with his little sister, Princess Fiona.
It still bothers me that she fell for the hero instead of staying loyal to my brother — but to be fair, the Fiona from the novel was kind, perfect, and the quintessential heroine.
Then again, her engagement to my brother was purely political.
Maybe that’s why she chose love over duty…
But wait—if that engagement never happened, wouldn’t that solve everything?
If the Rosenbergs and the royal family need a political marriage, it doesn’t have to be my brother who gets engaged, right?
A brilliant idea struck me, and I turned to Elvin.
In the novel, Elvin never had a fiancée.
He was arrogant, sure, but he was still my brother’s best friend — so he couldn’t be that bad.
And he’ll grow up to be a handsome blond, blue-eyed prince, no doubt about that.
So maybe, temporarily, he could get engaged to someone instead — just until the Demon King is defeated.
If both sides agree to break it off later when they find someone they love, wouldn’t that be perfect?
“Nii-tama.”
“What is it, Letty?”
“Lechi wants to be friends with this person!”
Start with friendship first. Build trust.
But the moment I said that… my brother’s face froze solid.
