Chapter 79
However, Kaiden didn’t seem to recognize this as a problem.
“Even if a child were born between Reina and me, the heir would still be Dalia. That’s a fact the elders already know all too well.”
At his brother’s indifference, Aiden let out a low scoff.
“Well, I doubt the northern nobles will see it the way you do. I’ve heard that opinions are even divided among the elders.”
“I’ll give them another warning, then.”
“That’s not enough, brother.”
Kaiden felt a wave of fatigue from the persistent dragging on of the conversation.
“……Why are you being so sharp with me? It’s not like you. What exactly has you so anxious that you’re acting this way?”
Seeing his brother’s face hardened with tension, Aiden felt an indescribable frustration welling up inside him.
If things continued like this, their talk would just loop in endless circles.
In the end, Aiden chose to speak frankly.
“Dalia doesn’t want that position.”
“You know it’s not about wanting it or not. Dalia carries Crencia’s bloodline. She’s already manifested her aura—how can you call that weak nonsense?”
“I know. I do know that…… But I just want my daughter to live a little more freely.”
This was nothing more than a parent’s selfish desire.
Since his brother and sister-in-law had no children yet, it was only right for Dalia to undergo the heir’s training.
But what if they did have a child?
Even if there were no issues between the brothers themselves, it was only a matter of time before the northern nobles split into two factions.
Moreover, if Dalia were suddenly stripped of her position after receiving the heir’s education, she would surely be thrown into confusion.
He feared his daughter would end up hurt.
In the end, he blurted out the words that had been hovering on his lips all along.
“Wouldn’t it be better if you just had a child?”
“What?”
“If the two of you had a baby, this whole issue would be resolved. Use it as a chance to deepen your relationship with sister-in-law……”
“Aiden. Know your place.”
Kaiden, who had been listening in silence, warned him not to cross the line.
It was because he had absolutely no intention of forcing a relationship on Reina by using the heirship as leverage.
Yet Aiden couldn’t stop the thoughts swirling in his mind.
“You two like each other anyway. Sister-in-law might want a child too. Honestly, a child born between royalty and Crencia would be incredibly powerful……”
Seeing his younger brother—who had never shown interest in such matters—wavering like this, it seemed someone had whispered in his ear.
Watching his anxious sibling, a sigh escaped Kaiden unbidden.
He wasn’t unaware of why Aiden was acting this way, but precisely because of that, Kaiden had no choice but to respond coolly as the family head.
“Aiden, I don’t know where or what you’ve been hearing, but if even you start getting shaken, what are we supposed to do?”
“……”
“It’s just the usual chatter.”
“That was only tolerable because you were unmarried back then. You have no idea how much people are talking behind our backs now.”
“Why does it matter what others say? We made a promise to handle it this way.”
“I can’t just brush off other people’s words as lightly as you do. If you’d fulfilled your duties as the family head from the start, there wouldn’t even be this noise……!”
Aiden raised his voice and stormed out of his seat.
He couldn’t bring himself to look at his brother, feeling ashamed of the pathetic things he’d said to him.
But just then, he came face-to-face with Reina, who was standing right at the door.
“Ah.”
From the look on her face, it was clear she’d overheard the entire conversation inside.
“Sister-in-law, this is……”
As Aiden tried to stammer out some explanation, Kaiden came out after him.
“Aiden! How can you just storm off like that……”
He, too, spotted Reina a moment too late and froze solid.
A heavy silence descended among the three of them.
Unable to endure it any longer, Aiden was the first to push his way between the two and flee the scene.
“Come on in.”
Kaiden led Reina into the study with a complicated expression on his face.
He couldn’t just leave her standing in the hallway.
Reina looked at him with concern, noticing how tired he seemed.
“Are you okay?”
Kaiden smiled bitterly.
Fights between brothers were commonplace, but it was a side of himself he didn’t want to show Reina.
Moreover, since the argument had been about the succession, it left him feeling even more uneasy.
“I’m sorry. You had to see that ugly scene.”
“No, it’s fine. Actually, I had something to say to you about that very issue.”
Reina pulled Kaiden toward the sofa, her face suggesting that what was bound to happen had finally arrived.
“I overheard from outside. It seems like the succession problem is causing you trouble.”
“It’s not something you need to worry about. Aiden just got a bit emotional for a moment.”
He looked conflicted inside.
He was trying to act like everything was fine, but Reina could tell.
She knew how much he worried about his younger brother.
“No. It doesn’t seem like something we can just brush off.”
Reina thought Aiden’s concerns weren’t light at all.
Even before her regression, the succession issues had been endless.
After it became known that Dalia had the potential to go berserk with her aura, questions about her qualifications arose, tormenting both father and daughter.
At least back then, Kaiden had been unmarried, so they could hush it up, but now Reina was by his side.
Her mere presence meant the father and daughter had to endure stress they otherwise wouldn’t have faced.
“Aiden’s right. We’ve been avoiding our duties all this time.”
“I told you, didn’t I? In this marriage, I have no intention of forcing a husband-wife relationship on you.”
“What if I want it?”
“What?”
“What if I say I want a child? What would you do then?”
Kaiden was speechless at Reina’s piercing question.
It was something he’d never once considered. He hadn’t imagined that Reina might want a child.
“Reina, I…”
Kaiden couldn’t continue carelessly. Seeing this, Reina took his hand.
“I don’t mean I want one right now—I’m just saying it’s not something you can declare so definitively.”
“…”
” Circumstances can always change. Just like how you said you wouldn’t marry, but then you married me. That’s probably what’s going to keep making Aiden and Dalia anxious from now on.”
“I’m not sure I follow. What exactly is so anxiety-inducing about it? Do they really distrust me that much?”
It seemed Kaiden was angry because Aiden didn’t trust him.
Reina calmly defended Aiden.
“It’s not that Aiden distrusts you—it’s more that he doesn’t want to be the subject of gossip from people who love to talk.”
“But Reina, you can’t completely silence everyone’s mouths. That would be like tyranny. Someone who’s going to take responsibility for a family needs to know how to bear that weight to some extent.”
“Like you did?”
“…Yes.”
Kaiden’s expression grew heavy. At a young age, he’d become the head of the family and had to protect it amid enemies.
Now, he was fully recognized as the Duke of Crencia, but there were still those who looked down on him because of his youth.
“The nobles of the empire are like a pack of wolves—they swarm if you show weakness. So you have to train yourself to be strong. Especially if you have a lot to protect.”
As he said, Mernie’s social circles were survival of the fittest.
A society where you couldn’t let your weaknesses be exposed.
On the surface, it was all laughter and pleasantries, but behind your back, they could stab you at any moment—that was the social scene of the Mernie Empire.
In the past, Isabelle had tormented Reina because she seemed weak.
When Reina fell silent, Kaiden spoke up.
“Of course, I don’t mean for Aiden to do it like I did. That guy’s inherently soft-hearted and can’t be ruthless. Whatever happens, I planned to be their shield until Dalia grows up well.”
“I know how much you care about your family.”
At Reina’s words, Kaiden let out a low sigh. She patted his hand reassuringly.
“Tell Aiden that next time. He’ll understand.”
“…How am I supposed to say something so embarrassing?”
He frowned, as if the mere thought made him itch.
In this regard, he was truly awkward. Reina let out a small laugh and said,
“You say embarrassing things to me all the time. I’ve lost count of how many times you’ve told me you’d protect me.”
It was half in jest. But Kaiden replied seriously.
“That’s because it’s you.”
“Pardon?”
“It’s not comparable to Aiden.”
And so, it was Reina who ended up flustered instead.
