A deep look of confusion was also etched on Klen’s face.
I can understand his reaction somewhat.
While Klen and Fabian were decent brothers, their relationship was far from intimate like this.
If the two of them suddenly showed such behavior, the manor would be completely turned upside down.
I can’t even imagine the two of them acting that way.
“Ah~ So you’re Klen Valuncio, right?”
Brother, who had been quietly listening to the conversation for once, suddenly spoke.
Now that I think about it, even though I had told Brother my name, these two… hadn’t formally introduced themselves.
I quickly nudged Klen in the side.
“…Klen Valuncio, the third son of the Valuncio Count family.”
“Marcus Caldrich, the third son of Caldrich. Since we’re both third sons, let’s be friends.”
“…”
This is not the atmosphere for that.
His sword was already sheathed, but unlike Brother, who was radiating a friendly atmosphere, Klen remained cold.
Seeing this, Brother let out a deep sigh.
Judging by the way his shoulders rose sharply and then dropped heavily as if sinking into the ground, this action was not sincere.
“Ah~ That’s harsh.”
And what came out of his mouth also sounded unnatural, like a line from a play.
“Adrian. Can you pass on a message for me?”
“What is it?”
Although they were close enough that there was no need to relay the message, I decided to play along with the dramatic line that flowed out.
“Tell him that if you had completely refused, I might have been the one marrying this fellow.”
“…Ah.”
[Is that how humans normally get married?]
Klen’s eyes widened as he looked at me.
The surprise must have been great enough to instantly scatter the ominous aura that had been surrounding him.
However, contrary to him, a fierce storm seemed to brew and churn inside my heart.
“Th-That is correct. When the marriage talks first began in earnest, my father was considering which of us to send.”
“…”
Our marriage wasn’t fixed on just me and Klen.
It just needed to be a Caldrich and a Valuncio.
Naturally, at that time, other combinations were possible.
Especially if I had absolutely refused, the probability of these two becoming a couple was the highest.
The words had already left my mouth, but tension belatedly surged through my body.
It felt like coarse grains of sand were rolling around in my parched mouth.
Even though I wanted to add more words, I couldn’t even open my mouth, let alone produce a sound.
“Such words have no meaning now.”
Unlike me, who was swayed by my own words, Klen regained his composure.
However, his brow slightly furrowed, as if he disliked the possibility of what might have happened.
“After all, isn’t Adrian my wife now?”
“…!”
The cold and firm words flowed from his mouth.
Regardless of the possibilities, the result was that I became his spouse.
His words implied that there was no value in thinking about things that didn’t happen.
[Take your spouse’s words to heart. Is that not fate?]
“That reaction is no fun.”
Despite his tone, Brother let out a snicker and finally dropped the battle-ready posture he had been holding. It was obvious.
While acting friendly, he was trying to find a way to irritate Klen’s nerves and provoke him into fighting more.
After all, if you draw a sword, you must properly resolve the match.
But realizing he couldn’t provoke Klen any further, he pouted his lips.
“Never mind. He’s not my ideal type anyway.”
“…”
“Ah, Klen. Brother Marcus’s ideal type is…”
“There is no need to tell me. I am not curious.”
Klen cut me off with a stern expression.
If I hadn’t listened to his restraint and had continued speaking, he would have either covered my mouth or blocked his own ears.
“Yes. More importantly, Adrian.”
Brother, who had tidied his rumpled clothes, removed the smile from his face and looked at me.
The playful atmosphere that had pervaded him until now vanished without a trace, and I, too, finally faced him seriously.
However, since Klen was gripping my shoulder, I couldn’t move closer to Brother.
“How did you end up as his wife?”
“…What?”
All my tension collapsed due to the words that came out of his mouth.
It was me who heard the absurd story, but instead, Brother’s shoulders slumped.
This time, the action was clearly sincere.
“N-No! I came to Valuncio, so I had no choice!”
Because of that, I ended up shouting defensively.
This was not a decision I made; it was decided by both of our fathers.
Conversely, if Klen had come to Caldrich, he would have become Klen Caldrich.
Klen Caldrich.
The combination of the two words I thought of felt strangely unfamiliar.
“But you should have insisted on staying Caldrich until the end. Just because you live in the Valuncio mansion, do you need to become a Valuncio?”
“Huh?”
“There are plenty of cases where it’s the opposite.”
‘Is that true?’
Brother’s words quickly swayed my mind.
Indeed, hadn’t I initially worried about whether to call myself Caldrich or Valuncio?
I don’t know when that evenly balanced scale tipped to one side.
Recently, haven’t I been referring to myself as ‘wife’ too naturally?
“If Adrian wishes, I don’t mind becoming a Caldrich.”
“Oh.”
“…Hmm?”
Klen reacted lightly, as if changing his family name was no big deal.
Perhaps he saw it as a good opportunity to distance himself from his title.
If that happened, could I call Klen my wife?
‘My wife Klen is this strong,’ I would say.
I turned my head with a lifted heart, only to see Brother’s face, which had been watching our reaction, subtly stiffen.
“You two, surely…”
“What?”
“No. How long has it been since you got married? Hmm. No, still.”
Brother muttered to himself, his head tilting to one side, then slowly tilting to the opposite side repeatedly.
As if that wasn’t enough, his anxious steps moved in small, circular motions.
Brother, who had been spinning in place, suddenly stopped.
And as if he realized something, he looked straight at me.
“Right. That’s our Adrian.”
With a short sigh, he then turned his gaze away.
“Why?”
“No. I just thought you were still young, after all.”
“You and I are only one year apart, Brother.”
“I didn’t know that one year could be so significant. This big brother here is filled with deep worries. I should have educated you before sending you away, after all.”
This time, he put a hand to his head and shook it.
The way he looked down at me, as if he alone had grasped all the world’s truths with only a one-year age gap, was subtly grating on my nerves.
“I suddenly feel tired… I want to rest now. Surely you won’t send your brother, who has traveled a long way, back like this?”
“It’s fine. We have plenty of guest rooms.”
I belatedly checked Klen’s reaction, but even though I made the decision on my own, he showed no particular response.
In the end, the two of us turned around and led the way.
Since Linda had guided me here, I had to rely on Klen to find the way back.
Walking along a sparsely populated path without conversation, it felt as if a chill, like a light snowfall, was slicing through the space between us.
Even Aren, who rarely picks up on the atmosphere, kept its mouth shut.
Just as we were about to exit the garden, I saw Vis running towards us, out of breath.
“Lord Adrian! Are you alright?!”
“I’m fine.”
Given the pale complexion on his face as he rushed over, it seems Linda had intended to send Vis to rescue me.
Since he was the attendant and bodyguard who always followed me, that was probably natural.
“Why is it that the attendants here always ask Adrian if he’s alright?”
My shoulder twitched at Brother’s subsequent words.
