Kays Translations

Chapter 44: Good Night

After dinner, I took a bath. All that remained was to go to bed.

I was exhausted. I had never imagined that simply being in His Majesty’s presence would be so nerve-racking.

My relationships with Chloe and Caro were another source of anxiety. I didn’t know exactly what they thought of me, but they clearly didn’t dislike me. In fact, they seemed rather fond of me, which made the situation even more troublesome.

In the future I imagined for myself, I would marry a commoner. As the third son, I expected to leave the noble household and become a commoner when I came of age. I had no intention of avoiding that by marrying the only daughter of another noble and being adopted as her husband.

If I became a commoner, then I would marry a commoner. Chloe was a princess, and Caro was a marquis’s daughter. I couldn’t imagine either of them living an ordinary commoner’s life.

“Big brother!”

A knock sounded at my door. It was Rosalia. I let her in, and she immediately sat on my bed.

“What is it, Rosalia?”

“Did you kiss Caro?”

“No.”

Apparently, my sister’s imagination had become as lively as Chloe’s. Perhaps Chloe was to blame.

“As I said earlier, I would never do anything improper with someone who wasn’t my fiancée.”

“What about your sister?”

“What?”

What was she asking? Family members sometimes kissed one another on the cheek, didn’t they? I had never seen Father and Mother use it as a greeting, but it appeared often enough in picture books.

“Perhaps that would be all right.”

“I’ve seen it in picture books,” Rosalia said.

“Have you?”

Had we owned such a book? My memories from my former life and this one were becoming mixed together.

“Father and Mother kiss each other good night too.”

“Ah…yes.”

I vaguely remembered sleeping in my parents’ room when I was very young. They would kiss, and later the bed would begin creaking, at which point I would hurry beneath the blankets.

“So it’s allowed!” Rosalia declared confidently.

She was family and my little sister. A kiss on the cheek should be harmless.

“All right. Good night, Rosalia.”

I lightly kissed her soft cheek. She immediately covered it with both hands and beamed. She truly was adorable.

“I’ll give you one too!”

Before I could answer, Rosalia kissed my cheek.

We were siblings, so there was nothing strange about that…right?

The following days passed with Chloe visiting and Caro coming to play. When neither of them came, I went into town with Gyre and Christopher and spent time with Fabienne and Edward.

Edward was envious of all the attention I was receiving, but when I reminded him that I was a third son and couldn’t easily support a noble bride, he gave me a sober look and agreed. His situation was much like mine. Unless we achieved something on our own, we would struggle to provide for a wife.

Before long, the summer-retreat season ended. With autumn came the social season, and the nobles who had spent the summer in the Heine Margraviate quickly returned home or travelled to the royal capital.

Naturally, Chloe and Caro also left. The two girls had somehow become friends and were reluctant to part, but Caro would visit the royal capital during the social season, so Chloe was pleased that they would soon meet again.

“You’re coming to the royal capital too, aren’t you, Julius?” Chloe asked.

“No, I’m staying here.”

“Why?”

“House Heine only sends the family members who have business in the capital. I have no particular reason to go.”

“You could say you’re going to see me.”

“That would create the wrong impression.”

“Why are you refusing so firmly?”

Chloe protested, but it truly was impossible. Everyone would assume we had a special relationship. Daniela was already a leading candidate to become Alex’s fiancée. If Chloe and I also became engaged, the connection between House Heine and the royal family would become excessively close.

For both houses, one marriage alliance would be enough. The remaining children would be used to establish ties elsewhere, especially by the royal family.

It would have been cruel to explain that to Chloe, so I chose a gentler excuse.

“Rosalia is remaining in the territory. I can’t leave her here alone.”

“Then bring Rosalia with you.”

“She’s only six. There would be little for her to do in the capital. She’s better off here, where she can study and spend time with her friends.”

Rosalia had Gyre, Christopher, and other children to play and study with. There was plenty to occupy her in the territory.

“I see. That’s disappointing.”

I felt sorry for Chloe, but I had little interest in the royal capital. If I went there, she would undoubtedly summon me to the royal castle, and that sounded exhausting.

Thus, I successfully avoided the journey and remained in the Heine Margraviate with Rosalia.

Brother Cain, however, would travel with Father and the others. Father had apparently agreed to let him enter the royal academy the following year.

When had that been decided?

Cain explained that the horse races I had proposed were generating substantial income. More visitors were coming to the territory, money was circulating, and tax revenue had reached an unprecedented level.

House Heine could now afford the tuition, so Cain had been granted permission to attend. Naturally, he thanked me.

“At this rate, Julius will be able to enter the royal academy too,” he said.

I politely declined.

The academy taught magic-potion making, but its lessons were unlikely to be very different from what I could learn here. There was no reason to pay the enormous tuition.

Cain longed to live independently in the royal capital, but I had already lived alone in my previous life. From that experience, I had concluded that it was far more comfortable when other people handled everyday chores.

Here, servants bought what I needed, cleaned my room, and prepared tea whenever I entered the salon. Why would anyone willingly give that up?

I would eventually have to manage everything for myself. Until then, I intended to enjoy this comfortable life as much as possible.

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