Life after a Broken Engagement
Translator: Z
Editor: Geli
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
A/N: Thank you to everyone who has bookmarked my series. In return for my gratitude I have written an extra edition. Please read about His HIghness Willacliff and Ernis from Lydnis’ perspective.
Extra Chapter: Something on His Royal Highness Lydnis’s chest
I had two mothers.
The first one was a daughter of a Marquis, my birth mother. The other one was the companion of Elder Brother, my adoptive mother. Another way of looking at it was that I also had two fathers; Elder Brother was still Elder Brother, but he was also my adoptive father.
But for me, my father was still my father, and Elder Brother was still my brother. Elder Brother also said to me, “You can continue thinking of me as your older brother.” I had never once thought of Elder Brother as my father.
Even regarding my mother, there would only ever be one. I had never once thought of Sir Ernis as my mother.
“Though he is more mother-like than my real mother.”
For as long as I could remember, Sir Ernis would always play with me. Sir Ernis would always read books to me, and he knew more about books than my real mother. Instead of a royal tutor, Sir Ernis was the one who would teach me.
Because I had desperately asked for it and because Sir Ernis hadn’t been displeased by it, I would visit the crown prince’s palace and have Sir Ernis teach me about many things. Things about plants, animals, foreign countries, as well as cooking methods, table etiquette, and even social mannerisms were all taught to me more by Sir Ernis.
That was why I thought of him as more mother-like than my real mother.
I was turning six years old, and would need to start studying full-fledged royal studies. This was what Elder Brother told me.
“Your Highness Lydnis will also be as excellent a crown prince as His Highness Willacliff.”
Sir Ernis said this to me with a smile, so I was determined to become an excellent crown prince.
I would become an excellent crown prince and wanted a companion like Sir Ernis. Someone who was very kind and would teach me a lot of things…and someone as gorgeous as Sir Ernis. I would want someone like that as my princess.
I was determined to be a crown prince that Sir Ernis would admire, but there was only one downside to it.
It was that I wouldn’t be able to see Sir Ernis as much as I used to.
This was because I couldn’t go out and meet Sir Ernis while I was learning Empirical studies, and I also couldn’t go to the Crown Prince’s palace because I would be studying at the Emperor’s outer palace.
“Mother, why doesn’t Sir Ernis leave the Crown Prince’s palace?”
“What brought this question about?”
“…That’s because…”
I thought that if I couldn’t go to the Crown Prince’s palace then Sir Ernis could still go out to meet me, but then I remembered that my mother told me that Sir Ernis never leaves the Crown Prince’s palace.
“Lydnis seems to like Sir Ernis.”
“Yep!”
I liked Sir Ernis the most. Of course, I also liked my mother, my father, the Queen, and my kind elder brother, but Sir Ernis was my favorite person.
I didn’t hate my other elder brother, Hartward, and his princess. However, he was so different from Elder Brother Willacliff that I never really got used to him. Additionally, since he was currently settled in the southernmost part of the royal territory, I rarely got to see him.
With the death of my great uncle, Elder Brother Hartward took over. Elder Brother Willacliff said, “Because there is a big harbor, they can get a lot of foreign goods; Hart likes flashy things, so he will be happy.” I heard that Elder Brother Hartward is living life happily every day.
“Isn’t Sir Ernis so gorgeous?”
“That’s not all. He is very kind, he knows a lot about books, and he can speak different languages fluently.”
“Oh my, Lydnis hasn’t changed one bit since you were a baby. You’re always going on about Sir Ernis.”
They had told me that when I was a baby, I had a phase where I would always throw tantrums. The maids would talk fondly of how, even though I was like that, I was able to sleep peacefully as soon as Sir Ernis carried me in his arms.
“When I start my royal studies, I won’t be able to see Sir Ernis as often. If it’s like that, then I thought that maybe Sir Ernis could be the one who could come out here.”
Even Sir Ernis, who didn’t enter the outer palace, could probably enter the room where I would take my royal studies. I didn’t think there would be any problems because that room could also be accessed by the royal tutor and outsiders.
I told my mother about these thoughts of mine, but for some reason she made a troubled face.
“Lydnis, I think that it is wonderful that you like Sir Ernis so much. I also like Sir Ernis very much.”
“Yes.”
“Sir Ernis is also like a mother to you, please don’t forget that, alright?”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Yes, if that’s the case, then it should be alright.”
As my mother said that, she patted my head gently…..Hmm, I didn’t really understand what my mother meant by that. I didn’t understand, but I could somehow understand why Sir Ernis couldn’t go out of the Crown Prince’s palace.
It was the day when I would borrow a book from Sir Ernis. I went to the Crown Prince’s palace every seven days; I talked with Sir Ernis then, and I also borrowed three books from him.
I’d been nervous since the morning, which made my mother laugh at me many times. I was supposed to go a little later, but I couldn’t wait any longer. I sneaked into the Crown Prince’s palace.
I checked with the maids to make sure my attire was appropriate. I had my hair trimmed properly. My shoes were also shiny. I made sure to bring the book I borrowed previously with me. I also brought a share of my mother’s flower tea that Sir Ernis said he liked.
“Uhm, if I remember correctly, I turn this way and… ah, it’s that room.”
The room nearest to the entrance of the Crown Prince’s palace was the room where I would always talk with Sir Ernis. Despite feeling nervous, I walked quickly till I got close to the door of the room.
“S..Sir Will… don’t…Wi..l, that’s…ahh…”
I heard a voice coming from behind the door. Perhaps Sir Ernis was already inside.
I slightly opened the door, thought I was still nervous because of the atmosphere within it that seemed different from usual.
Sir Ernis! …And Elder Brother…?
Sir Ernis was inside the room, but Elder Brother was right beside him there as well. I hurriedly stopped myself from fully opening the door. I realized that I might get scolded if they found out that I came here without any maids or attendants.
Though he was a kind elder brother, he always told me to behave properly as a member of the royal family, and as a crown prince. I was sure that he would scold me if he found out that I selfishly came here on my own.
That was why I was about to close the door. Suddenly though, I heard aloud cry coming from Sir Ernis, and I unconsciously started to peep through the crack.
……?
Elder Brother was hugging Sir Ernis tightly from behind.
For some reason, Sir Ernis’s face was extremely flushed; he was moving his mouth as if he was saying something in a panic. Elder Brother also moved his mouth like he was saying something.
His mouth was on Sir Ernis’s neck …Sir Ernis let out another cry.
Crying… was what it seemed like, but at the same time it wasn’t. I didn’t know what it was, but somehow it seemed different.
And, Sir Ernis’s gorgeous face was flushed…Sir Ernis has always been so beautiful, but somehow he seemed …more…
Throb.
While looking at Sir Ernis’s face, the pit of my stomach started getting hot. It felt like it was twitching, and my chest was pounding painfully.
What is this…
That day, I was not able to return the book that I had borrowed from Sir Ernis. For some reason, I felt embarrassed to go see him.
After hurriedly returning from the Crown Prince’s palace, I sneaked into bed and thought about Sir Ernis’s gorgeous face.
That flushed face made him look different from usual. He looked as beautiful as always, but for some reason, he looked even more alluring that time.
Thinking about it, he looked like he was crying a bit. His red lips had been parted just a little, and from those lips I heard crying sounds that I had never heard from him before…
“Lydnis”
“…!”
I jumped out of bed when I suddenly heard my elder brother’s voice.
“Oh, Elder Brother…”
“You weren’t able to come to the Crown Prince’s palace, right? Runa is very worried.”
“Uhm… I’m sorry.”
“Were you sick?”
“No! I am well!”
If I were to get sick and was not able to go to the Crown Prince’s palace, then I would only make Sir Ernis worry.
I shook my head and told my elder brother that this was not the case.
“Oh, then that’s a relief. It’s because Runa was really worried when he heard that you had a fever the other day.”
“I am alright now. I do not feel unwell anywhere.”
During that time, Sir Ernis had sent a lot of fruits and snacks for me. It made me really happy. But it made me think that I worried him a lot, and I felt like I did a bad thing because of it.
That was why I decided to not get sick ever again.
“Elder Brother, I’m sorry. And I’m also sorry to Sir Ernis…. I will…return that book next time.”
“That’s alright. It’s better if you do that.”
Elder Brother patted my head. Father’s hand is also big, but Elder Brother’s hand felt bigger and stronger… For some reason, I thought that.
“Lydnis, do you like Runa?”
“Yes!”
I really did like Sir Ernis the most. That was why I nodded and looked up at my older brother who was still patting my head.
“….nph!”
Elder Brother, who had the same green eyes as me, was smiling. Elder Brother, who I liked as much as father, was laughing.
…He was laughing, but somehow, it felt terrifying. The big hand that was patting my head, felt extremely terrifying.
“That’s right, it’s because Runa is easily loved by everyone. That’s a very good thing.”
Older brother was scary. It was the first time that I’d ever thought of him as someone terrifying.
“Next time, be sure to properly return the book. Or else, Runa will be worried again.”
“…yes, elder brother.”
The big hand that was patting me pulled away, and my older brother exited the room.
I gripped my hands tightly; my jacket and trousers were damp with sweat and felt disgusting. I felt like I’d just finished horseback riding practice.
I really loved Sir Ernis. More than my mother and father. And I liked him more than Elder Brother.
But it seemed like he couldn’t be my favorite person anymore.
If not, then something scary might happen.
That was the most terrifying thing I had learned when I was little.
Ever since that day, I tried not to get close to Sir Ernis more than I needed to, On the other hand, I was more on the lookout for Elder Brother. When I was officially adopted at the age of twelve, I quickly and clearly understood that it was not my father, the king, but my elder brother who had become my adoptive father, who I should never go against in this world.
I also found out that all the instances of Elder Brother’s imperial wrath were connected to Sir Ernis.
Around the time I was born, I heard that there was a foolish gardener who poisoned Sir Ernis.
I was curious about that case, so I investigated it. It seemed that the gardener had been tempted to commit such a foolish act by a foreign princess who was a princess candidate. The poison, which had been administered to Sir Ernis, eventually came into effect, and the day that he fell ill, the gardener was executed by my elder brother’s command.
The princess who had tempted the gardener returned back to her homeland, but died of an illness after returning to her homeland in March; they weren’t really sure if she really was ill.
There might have been more people that had been purged by Elder Brother, but their identities were left unknown. It may include not only domestic individuals but also foreigners.
In any case, all of them were blamed for approaching Sir Ernis, and as a result, they ended up receiving Elder Brother’s imperial wrath.
At first, I was not able to understand Elder Brother’s feelings.
It was true that Sir Ernis’ beauty seemed out of this world, and I knew that Elder Brother cared for him to the point of obsessiveness. But in the end, he was still just a Crown Consort.
Besides, except when it came to Sir Ernis, Elder Brother has been praised as being the wisest king by far in the history of our country.
For a long time, I wondered if such an individual… would truly do a purge for just one person.
“It seems like I can finally understand Elder Brother’s feelings.”
When I turned 16, I was presented with five princess candidates. One of them was Elder Brother’s recommendation.
She was a princess who was the grandchild of the former duke and was related to Sir Ernis. The last born child of his aunt, who was the main reason for the accident that had caused the death of Sir Ernis’s mother.
Unfortunately, she didn’t have black hair, but her beautiful gray-blue eyes were similar to Sir Ernis’s. Her face was also similar to his, and her slightly shy smile looked so similar that it wouldn’t be strange to think that they were siblings.
It was rare for a princess to say that she liked reading. I preferred that because it made her resemble Sir Ernis even more. I’ve seen her several times at her birthplace. I was sure that in the next few years she would grow up to be a princess who looked a lot like Sir Ernis.
“I heard that she is just seven years old…no, at that age, with a little help…”
I decided to ask Elder Brother to let me use the Crown Consort’s collection of books.
I think she would probably be fine because she is a princess, but I can’t have her go horseback riding. And I would prefer it if she could avoid riding on carriages.
And…That’s right, I’ll have her learn various languages.
“In three years, Elder Brother will be the official ruler of the country. And when that happens, I will become the Crown Prince.”
In three years, she will be ten years old… it does seem a bit too early to make her mine.
That’s right, I wonder if I could ask Sir Ernis to raise her. In getting education from Sir Ernis as a Crown Consort, she will surely be…
“I need to talk to Elder Brother about this right away.”
If it was Elder Brother, then he would definitely give permission.
As I tried to hold back my feelings, I hurried to Elder Brother Willacliff’s office.
A/N: The moment that obsessive love is inherited. His Highness Lydnis will gracefully succeed His Highness Willacliff (in many ways).
Hah this child hahaha thankfully he’s quickwitted and understand quickly that he’s not allowed to like Runa more than how he currently likes him lol
Will is still nice enough to give his younger brother a somewhat female version of Runa
Aww it’s the end now but thank you for translating this somewhat scary story hahahahaha lol
Though it’s a bit of a shame for her to be treated as a substitute. Setting her life path to be so similar to Runa takes away so much of her free will. Imagine the chaos if she falls for beautiful kind Runa instead of the controlling crown prince who always seems to be looking at another person through her… It would have been good if he truly viewed Runa as his mother or if she had something that stood out about her that was unique that he loved. That couples children is likely to be heavily favored by the ML though. They will be his adoptive grandchildren and have traits from both husbands.
Thank you for the story.
The obsession
Yeah, this pair of brothers definitely are related!
Thanks for your hard work translating!