Chapter 1. I was abandoned by my family
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Count Aster, and his wife, recommended aristocrats who would be good for Enoch to share a friendship with and prepared items for the party. Enoch was grateful and asked them to have dinner together that night, but the two returned to their mansion, saying they should work hard.
At dinner, while they were sitting and eating their meal, Elle peeped at Enoch.
“Since when did you two become like this?”
Leticia was quietly eating her soup while looking straightforward, she hurriedly covered her mouth with a napkin.
Unlike Leticia, who was embarrassed and didn’t know what to say, Enoch looked unconcerned.
“I don’t take personal questions.”
“Then, what about marriage?”
“When are you doing this?”
Who said they weren’t twins? If the conversation wasn’t enough, their expressions and eyes were the same.
They knew they were asking extremely personal questions, but they just waited for an answer as if they didn’t realize. However, Enoch continued to eat quietly as his gaze naturally turned to Leticia.
Leticia noticed right away, turned her head away and mumbled to herself.
“I won’t, I won’t do it.”
She meant not yet, but she didn’t know what they understood. Elle and Ian began to look at Enoch with pity.
“You got dumped.”
“You got dumped.”
Unlike their pitying expressions, their two mouths were suppressing smirks, they seemed to want to keep teasing their brother. Leticia slowly called out to Elle, who had a glint of mischief in her eyes.
“Elle”
“Yes, Sister?”
“I don’t think I can go to the boutique tomorrow.”
Not going would be more correct.
Leticia took another sip of her soup after saying that. Elle, who was sitting on the other side of the table, looked at her with an incredulous look on her face.
“Why all of a sudden? I’m sure you said you’d be free tomorrow.”
The dress she’d ordered for Leticia for the party arrived that day. Elle had been waiting to see Leticia try it on, and now she felt like collapsing.
Leticia was not done yet.
“Ian, I think you should go see the third exam results on your own.”
Ian felt a heavy rock fall somewhere in his heart.
A few days ago, he’d asked Leticia to go see the list together on the day the final successful candidates for the Imperial Civil service was announced. It was because he didn’t want to go alone that day. Fortunately, Leticia answered that she would go with him, as if it was a matter of course.
Now her words had changed.
Ian, who was upset by the sudden change in attitude, tried to understand her actions.
“I’ve been waiting for the day you try on your dress.”
Elle began to whine that she’d give anything, except for that. Ian, who would normally tell her not to be stubborn, also played a part.
“I wish you could go see the list of successful applicants on that day.”
Elle and Ian looked at Leticia with pitiful expressions, as she had made a promise with them. Leticia was feeling flustered by their puppy dog eyes. Enoch, who’d been quiet until now, opened his mouth.
“Elle Achilles, Ian Achilles.”
It was a different voice than usual.
They had a bad feeling when Enoch called out their full names. Unfortunately for them, their expectations didn’t deviate.
“Come on out.”
“Older brother.”
“Brother.”
Only then did Elle and Ian start to realize Enoch’s thoughts. He looked at Leticia with the meaning that he would no longer allow them to make her uncomfortable. His eyes cooled down more.
“I won’t say it twice.”
“….”
“….”
Knowing that nothing good would come from any more interruption, they followed Enoch’s order quietly.
About half an hour later, the three of them finally returned and started to eat again. Not a word was said about what happened, and the evening passed in silence.
***
For a gloomy looking Elle, Leticia rescinded what she’d said the day before and went to the boutique with her. Perhaps because of this, Elle looked more relaxed as they looked around at several dresses.
In the end, as soon as Elle saw Leticia in the dress she had ordered beforehand, she felt so pleased it was as if she’d never been depressed.
“I knew my eyes were correct! I guess my sister is beautiful no matter what she wears.”
Elle was already so lost in thought that she couldn’t hear Leticia. She began to draw in her head what kind of accessories and hairstyle would look good with the dress.
Leticia grabbed onto Elle’s hand because she was worried she would stay lost in thought if left like that.
“Elle, you should try on the dress we ordered for you.”
“Will your hair be prettier if we leave it loose or tie it up? I’m worried that you’ll be pretty both ways.”
Leticia’s face grew redder as Elle mumbled earnestly as if there was nothing more important to worry about.
She wanted to hide in a corner from the unfamiliar praise. Elle opened her eyes wide, wondering if she’d done something wrong.
Why is shyness her job?
Leticia hid her blushing face with one hand and pulled on Elle’s clothes.
“I’m going to look at your dress now.”
“Oh, I forgot.”
“….”
Leticia was speechless at the expression that she’d sincerely forgotten. It was obvious that Elle had come to the boutique to look at dresses made exclusively for Leticia.
“I want to see you in a pretty dress too.”
“Um… But there’s still something I have to do first.”
“What is it?”
Usually at Leticia’s words, Elle would choose a random dress and wear it right away. Now she frowned slightly, as if she was in a difficult situation.
“As you know, there will be many aristocrats at this party.”
Count Aster made a list of nobles who had good reputations and it would be important to cultivate their friendship. However, it also included aristocrats who they had no choice but to invite, because nothing good would come from being caught excluding them.
“There will be aristocrats who chase after my brother.”
The purpose of the party was to show that the fortunes of the Duke of Achilles had changed. The invited nobles who came were aware of this fact.
“Brother is older, so there will be talk of marriage.”
Half of the nobles that were coming to the party would naturally aim for the seat next to him. After Enoch was fully recognized as a duke, the person who married him would become a duchess.
“We should prepare our combat gear so that we won’t lose.”
“If it’s combat gear, it couldn’t be…”
“It’s the prettiest dress in the whole wide world and the most beautiful jewelry to match. Of course, I also need my sister, who’s the cutest in the whole world.”
Leticia, who quietly nodded to Elle’s words, paused for a moment. She thought she’d heard something wrong.
“What’s the cutest thing in the world?”
“Who do you think it is? It’s Leticia.”
“….”
“You have to get married as soon as possible and change your last name to Achilles. When will that day come?”
“….”
“Oh, don’t tell on me. I was scolded yesterday because of this.”
Elle’s shoulders began to tremble at just the thought of it.
Eventually, they chose Elle’s dress and accessories so that they matched Leticia, and they finally left the boutique. Contrary to Leticia’s expectation that they would look around in other stores, Elle decided that they’d finished for the day.
Leticia, who noticed that the carriage was taking them back to the Achilles mansion, immediately asked.
“Why are we going home early?”
“I have something to do…”
While they were talking, Leticia looked at Elle, who was currently making a tearful face.
The party preparations were somewhat complete, but there was nothing special left to do. She was acting differently from her usual self when she rode in the carriage. She was sitting still, without looking around like a lively person.
Leticia was worried that something might have happened.
“I’m going home to pull weeds.”
“Weeds?”
Why weeding all of a sudden?
She didn’t understand, so Leticia looked at her in confusion. Elle leaned back against the carriage bench and let out a conflicted sigh.
“He gave me this punishment. I need to weed for a week.”
“Ah…”
Only then did Leticia understand. She nodded with a sad look.
It was a simple task, but it wasn’t easy to squat and weed. In addition, it has been a while since the garden has been managed, and Elle became depressed at the thought of pulling out overgrown weeds.
“I thought I had graduated from weeding, but… Ha…”
“Then is Ian doing it with you?”
“Ian is chopping firewood.”
It would be easier if they did it together. Unfortunately, Enoch never punished the twins together.
“He begged me to let him pull out weeds.”
He’s a frail guy who only knows how to study, so he’ll probably be exhausted for a while.
Leticia was quietly watching Elle, as she gave a quick click of her tongue and swallowed another sigh. Unlike her sympathetic expression, the slight smirk on her face made it obvious that she knew she was in a better position than Ian.
***
Enoch was looking into whether anything was missing from the upcoming party, and was finally checking the invitation list. No matter how much he looked at it, he didn’t like it and the frown wouldn’t leave his face.
“….”
Count Aster was a very good person. In addition, he’s learned a lot from him because he is someone who can think of practical benefits.
Enoch was very grateful to receive a list created by such a person. He still couldn’t help, but not like it.
[You have to keep your enemies close to you.]
This was what Count Aster said when Enoch first looked at the invitation list, and saw his face harden. It was clear that Count Aster did not like the invitation list he had written either.
[Do I have to invite Marquis Leroy?]
In fact, Count Aster’s intention to include Marquis Leroy on the invitation list was evident.
Marquis Leroy had achieved great success with his pink ore, Rose Velvet, these days. It had also attracted attention from commoners by adding the meaning of ‘A long life without illness’. Anyone could tell that he was keeping the pink diamonds in check.
He’d ignored it on purpose because it was childish to deal with it, but now it’s hard to pretend not to know. This was because Marquis Leroy was secretly spreading bad rumors about pink diamonds.
In fact, he could almost understand why Marquis Leroy was invited. However, when he saw ‘Levion El’ below it, he sighed unconsciously.
He thought his name was on the list because he was from one of the prominent families of the Empire, but Enoch’s expectations were wrong.
[I think they know that Leticia has awakened.]
Leticia told no one about her ability, except for Enoch and Count Aster. It was a wise choice, but he had begun to notice that something was changing around him.
Count Aster added that he didn’t really recommend inviting them after writing the list. Marquis Leroy and Levion, both of them would make Leticia uncomfortable.
“You can’t ruin the party.”
Enoch muttered quietly and firmly erased the two off of the invitation list. It was a party for him, but he was also offended in Leticia’s place.
When Leticia returned to her room after visiting the boutiques, she looked over the invitation list and her heart remained undisturbed.