Chapter 82

“This is a really serious problem.”

I slammed my glass down. Anne absentmindedly nodded while eating the stir-fried sausages that came with the drinks.

“I’m already twenty-three! If I want to marry by twenty-four, I can only date Peter for a year! But a year isn’t enough to know everything about Peter!”

Of course, Peter holds the record for the longest relationship I’ve ever had. It’s been a whopping 65 days!

Others might say I could have a sweet year-long relationship with Peter and marry him around this time next year, but I’m different.

None of my relationships have ever lasted more than 100 days, so I keep drinking to drown the anxiety of not knowing when it might end.

“Am I unattractive? Anne, do you think I’m ugly? I don’t think so, but… Are my beauty standards just weird?”

Anne stared closely at my face.

I moved my head back and forth to encourage a more honest opinion, and Anne put her fork down in irritation.

“You know, rich people are the worst… You deserve a smack.”

Anne lightly flicked my forehead.

“But, you don’t even like Peter that much, do you?”

“Well… he’s alright, I guess. And if I break up with Peter, I might not be able to get married next year.”

“You don’t have to get married next year. Don’t be tied to your age; just date freely.”

“I want to start a family. I think it’s because my parents passed away early… But more than that, I want someone who’s completely on my side.”

“What about your siblings? No matter what, they’ll always be on your side.”

“Once they get married, they’ll obviously side with their wives!”

I’m twenty-three, Edward is twenty-two, Daniel is nineteen, and Leo is seventeen.

They’re all at the age where it wouldn’t be strange for them to have girlfriends, and Edward is only a few years away from the ideal marrying age.

In fact, if this were the Empire, they would have been married by now.

“Anne, to be honest… I’m scared.”

“Scared of what?”

“What if Peter wants to break up?”

“Then you’ll just date someone else.”

I sighed at Anne’s cynical attitude. Does becoming an economist turn everyone into this kind of person?

I stabbed my beer with a fork, hating the economics that stole my once-sweet friend.

“You’re so cold. Boohoo.”

“It’s not like Peter is your only option, so why are you so worked up?”

“Here… drink this warm beer and warm up your heart!”

“Ugh. You’re drunk again. Stop stabbing the beer. It’s not a sausage.”

To prove I wasn’t drunk, I stood up to walk straight, but the floor suddenly jumped up and came at me.

The world spun around, and that was the last thing I remembered.

***

“Thanks again, every time.”

Daniel thanked Anne. Lilibet was curled up in a chair, fast asleep.

“It’s like you’re always on standby, coming right away?”

“It’s obvious when our sister doesn’t come home late. I was prepared for her to be completely drunk like this.”

“Anne, it’s been a while. Big brother, wait a bit. The sausages are really good, so I ordered some to-go.”

“You pig, did you come to pick up our sister or to buy food? Hurry up and carry her already.”

Leo, now seventeen, had grown taller and had long surpassed Daniel in height.

He was now about the same height as Edward, the tallest in the family, but his build was so impressive that he was a step above Edward in sheer size.

Leo easily lifted Lilibet onto his back. After paying, Daniel grabbed Lilibet’s bag and left the pub.

He wanted to teleport, but since Lilibet had been drinking, there was a high chance she’d get nauseous and throw up.

It was late at night, and the moon was up, with stars twinkling in the sky.

“Mmm. It’s cold.”

At Lilibet’s mumbling, Daniel wrapped a blanket around her.

Leo, who used to always cling to his sister, now much taller than her, spoke up.

“But why does she want to get married so badly? Are we really that unreliable?”

“Our parents looked so happy together.”

“Did Mom and Dad really look that happy?”

Daniel gave a small nod. Leo pouted, dissatisfied.

Despite his large build, Leo was still a child when it came to Lilibet.

“I’m happiest when I’m with you, sis.”

Daniel’s gaze landed on the sleeping Lilibet.

He didn’t say anything, but he thought he understood his sister’s feelings.

She must need someone she can completely rely on.

Lilibet had been responsible for her younger siblings since she was fourteen, far too young.

Even though money wasn’t a concern now, the weight she had borne alone since then had probably left scars.

‘It would be nice if she could rely on us a bit more…’

Even though they’d grown to over 180 cm, were strong enough not to be messed with, and had all secured positions in society, in Lilibet’s eyes, they still seemed like boys she needed to protect.

Are all younger siblings like that? Daniel didn’t feel much about Leo, though. He was more concerned and affectionate toward his sister than that musclehead.

That’s why he couldn’t let her just date anyone.

Especially not a gambling addict like that idiot Peter.

***

“Mmm-mmm-mmm.”

Warm spring air came in through the open window, filling the carriage with the scent of the season and lifting her mood even more.

Edward, sitting across from her and reading a newspaper, raised his eyebrows.

“Sister, you seem to be in a good mood.”

“I had a good dream last night. I think something good is going to happen.”

“Something good?”

“Yeah. Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket?”

She took out a hand mirror and checked her face. She looked much more vibrant with makeup on than when she was bare-faced.

“Sister, you’re pretty even without makeup.”

“I know, I know.”

Giving a lifeless response, I put the hand mirror back into my bag. The carriage had arrived at the meeting spot before I knew it.

“Thanks for the ride.”

“It was on the way. Oh, there’s Mr. Peter.”

At the end of Edward’s gaze, Peter came into view.

Peter looked pale, as if he wasn’t feeling well. And when he noticed Edward, his expression stiffened, and he quickly lowered his head.

“But how do you know Peter? I’ve never introduced him to you.”

“You described his appearance.”

“Did I? Anyway, see you in the evening.”

“Sure. Have fun and be safe.”

After the carriage left, I approached Peter. Up close, his lips were a purplish hue. And what on earth were those bruises around his eyes?

“Peter, what happened? What’s wrong with your eyes?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. I’m just a bit tired.”

“Nothing? Who did this to you?”

“Let’s sit down first. I need to tell you something.”

As I sat down, Peter’s hands trembled as he took a sip of the drink he had been holding.

“Are you really okay?”

“Yeah, but why was your brother here?”

“He gave me a ride because it was on his way. That guy earlier is my oldest brother, Edward. He looks stern, but he’s actually nice.”

“Ni-nice?”

“Yeah… he’s a bit cold, but once you get to know him, he’s fine.”

At my words, Peter started to hiccup. He kept glancing around nervously.

I know that look all too well. I’ve seen it countless times with my past boyfriends.

A familiar sense of déjà vu swept over me. My repeated experiences allowed me to guess what Peter was about to say. He was definitely going to tell me.

“Let’s break up.”

Break up.

I knew it. 67 days was a pretty long run.

I just wanted to get married quickly, have kids, and live happily ever after. But my dream was slipping away once again.

They say history repeats itself, and my love life was no exception. It was following the same pattern as always.

Am I really that unattractive? I’d been dumped so many times that I didn’t even feel self-pity anymore.

At this point, I must have been blessed by the star of singles.

I held back a sigh and asked Peter the obligatory question.

“Why? What did I do wrong?”

And with that question, I was in for a shocking answer from Peter.

He claimed that Edward was the king of the underworld, that Daniel had financially pressured my ex-boyfriends, and that Leo was into one-sided physical confrontations… utter nonsense.

I didn’t believe Peter’s words. But I still had to check.

Actually, since I didn’t trust him, there was no real need to verify anything… but what Edward said earlier bothered me.

“I can see Mr. Peter.”

Thinking about it, I realized I’d never properly told Edward about Peter.

It was embarrassing to keep getting dumped, and Peter’s presence was so vague that there hadn’t been much to tell.