Chapter 5: Marry This One! Sorry!
The Noart estate was in complete turmoil.
After entering my room, washing up, and preparing for bed, Heidi quickly brought me the latest news.
"She arrived this afternoon. Her name is Cecil Doroa, and she was Lord Julian’s lover."
Cecil was described as a tall beauty with purple hair and purple eyes. She was two years older than Julian.
"Lord Julian apparently hid her away for her safety... That’s why no one in the family knew about her."
"But after hearing the rumors that Lord Julian had lost his memory, she grew anxious. And then... she discovered that she was pregnant. So she had no choice but to come see him."
"...Is there any proof?"
I asked, my face skeptical.
"Is there any evidence that she was my brother’s lover?"
"Well... their relationship was short-lived, and Lord Julian was extremely cautious, afraid she might be exposed to danger."
Julian had hidden me in the annex of the Noart estate for the exact same reason, saying, "I have too many enemies." So I couldn’t outright dismiss it as impossible.
Heidi let out a sigh.
"Still, since she’s pregnant, we can conduct a paternity test once the child is born. That’s why the Count decided to let her stay in the estate for now."
Grandfather’s decision seemed reasonable for now. We couldn’t trust her completely, but if there was a chance she was carrying Julian’s child, it made sense to keep her close and observe.
...But something’s off.
I tilted my head as I stared at my reflection in the mirror.
Zahid never mentioned anything about this.
When I asked him to investigate my brother in the past timeline, he should have found this out.
Back then, Zahid had strong ties to the information guild while opposing the Temple.
He had told me everything—down to the smallest details.
So how was it possible that he missed something this big?
"Lord Julian, of course, has no memory of her... He’s completely bewildered."
"And none of my brother’s people can vouch for her?"
"No, there are no witnesses. But Lord Julian was always someone who acted alone, so we can’t rule it out completely."
"Yes... Even Lady Rosie, you somehow managed to find him on your own and just suddenly brought him back one day."
"That’s true... My brother does have a serious lack of community spirit."
I nodded reluctantly.
Of course, in all my past conversations with Julian, I had never once heard him mention someone named Cecil.
"Brother, aren’t you going to get married? You’re at the right age for it, aren’t you?"
"I already have my hands full raising our little Rosie-Rosie. Marriage? What marriage?"
"Still. Having a niece or nephew would be cute. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a big family?"
"That’s something for the distant future."
Sure, I was much younger than him—twelve years apart—but would he really have had a lover and never even mentioned it?
But then I recalled what he once told me:
"I told you, Rosie-Rosie. I have too many enemies. I can’t afford to create anything else precious to me. Honestly, just having you already makes me feel like I’m losing my mind with worry. If I had someone else like ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ that... I wouldn’t be able to handle it."
At that time, Julian had looked utterly exhausted.
"And marriage... Hmm. Rosie-Rosie, this might sound strange to you, but to me, it’s one of my strongest weapons."
"Yeah. Grandfather used marriage alliances to build our family’s power. If I can use marriage to climb higher, I will."
"Hmm? What’s with that face, Rosie-Rosie? Why do you look so sad?"
"I’m just worried about my poor, lonely future niece or nephew, raised by a heartless father who cares more about success than family."
"...Don’t say things like that about your still-single brother..."
That was what Julian had said to me just before we were separated.
And now, I was supposed to believe that he had fallen in love, had a relationship, and even fathered a child?
There were just too many things that didn’t add up.
There was a knock on the door.
And the person who entered was—
To my surprise, Cecil herself.
I silently observed her.
Purple hair. Purple eyes. Tall. A subtly rounded belly. A confident expression.
The moment I locked eyes with her haughty, violet gaze, my breath caught.
Unconsciously, I took a step back.
"So you’re Rosie. Nice to meet you."
She strode forward without hesitation.
Every step she took made my chest feel tighter, but I managed to keep my composure.
I responded smoothly.
Naturally, she was much taller than me.
I took a deep breath and stared at her quietly.
"She arrived this afternoon. Her name is Cecil Doroa, and she was Lord Julian’s lover."
I slowly closed my eyes, then opened them again. Smiling faintly, I spoke.
"It’s nice to meet you."
"I’m really glad to meet you too."
Cecil smiled and reached out to stroke my hair.
Then, she whispered kindly.
"Actually, your brother talked about you all the time. That’s why, even though it’s late, I just had to come see you."
"I see. It must have been something truly important if it brought you to the room of a child who really should be asleep by now."
"Well... he said that you adored him."
Her lips curled into a smile.
"He said he was worried about it. What if you got jealous of me, Julian’s lover? And if we had a child, what if you felt deprived?"
At that, Heidi, who had been standing next to me, gaped in shock.
This was definitely not something one should say immediately upon arriving at the estate.
But Cecil carried on as if nothing were amiss.
"Back then, Julian said he would naturally put some distance between himself and his sister. But now, he doesn’t remember any of that."
I blinked up at Cecil, unimpressed.
"So I came to personally teach you."
"Right now, Julian might be soft on you because he has no memories. But originally, that’s how he thought."
Cecil rubbed her stomach with confidence and smiled.
"Julian’s priority was me, not you. That’s only natural, after all."
Behind me, Heidi looked like she wanted to say something, but she seemed at a complete loss for words.
"Unfortunately, Julian doesn’t remember me. So, starting tomorrow, I’ll be getting closer to him again... and I’m just letting you know in advance not to interfere."
"Of course, that makes sense."
"I’m glad we understand each other. Julian did say you were an ‘attention-starved little fool who only cares about her big brother,’ so I was a bit worried."
"He said your obsession with love was suffocating. That even if you were just a pitiful kid who grew up with nothing, you should have known better, little girl."
"Well, I suppose you’ve gotten the message now, so I’ll be going."
Cecil flashed a bright smile and turned away.
Heidi, looking like she had taken personal damage, breathed heavily, utterly appalled.
I didn’t react much. I simply watched Cecil’s retreating figure for a moment before calling out.
Cecil turned around slowly.
I smiled and took a step closer.
"I’ve heard about you too."
"My brother once mentioned that there was a woman he found interesting."
"He said she was quite the beauty. And looking at you now, you really are stunning. I was always curious. You must be the one, right? The woman who loves lemon tea and dislikes meat?"
As soon as I finished speaking, I darted forward and stood in front of her, blocking her path.
Looking straight into her eyes, I added.
"My brother has only ever talked about one woman in front of me. So I’m fairly certain it’s you."
"O-oh? Um, I see. Julian told you about me..."
"Yes. He also said that she was so ill-tempered that she’d probably end up picking fights with a twelve-year-old like me. And you know what? He was spot on."
I grinned as if I were genuinely pleased to see her.
"It’s definitely you, Cecil. No doubt about it. Someone like you isn’t exactly common, right? I’m truly glad to meet you. And thanks for the advice."
"Let’s get along, Cecil. After all, we’re living together in the Noart estate now, as one big family."
Cecil raised an eyebrow but slowly reached out to shake it.
Then, flashing a sharp smile, she added.
"Take care. And be mindful of your future. Julian has far more responsibilities now than just you, you know?"
A hint of disdain flickered across her face as she looked at me.
"Well, since we’re about to be family, here’s a piece of advice: know your place. Otherwise, people will talk. Keep that in mind."
"Oh, that’s fine. Then I’ll just talk back. That’s how the world works, isn’t it? People give and take."
Bracing my feet firmly on the ground, I met Cecil’s gaze head-on and smiled.