“It’s time for Adelaide and Stefan to bend their stubborn wills. Let’s overwhelm them with our numbers.”

Felix rolled up his sleeves, declaring his participation.

Wilhelm smiled contentedly at his brother.

“Why are you looking at me with those sappy eyes?”

“I’m just thinking how much we’ve changed. For the better, of course.”

“What do you mean?”

“When Vivian tried to persuade us to withdraw the lawsuit before, we should have listened. We were so foolish. I’m sorry, Marie.”

Marie waved her hands in disgust at those words.

“Ugh, I find these situations awkward and embarrassing. Everyone can stop apologizing now.”

“Are you keeping me at a distance? You’re still using formal speech with just me……”

“That’s right, brother. You still have a long way to go. I’ve already narrowed the distance with Marie sufficiently.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m Marie’s favorite!”

“Favorite? What’s that?”

“It’s short for ‘most beloved.’ I learned it from Marie.”

Felix and Vivian jumped in with victorious smiles as Wilhelm hung his head with a hurt expression.

The younger brother nodded with interest.

Adults typically tried to learn whatever new slang was popular.

“Marie, you’re so up-to-date with trendy expressions because you’re young!”

“No, it’s not trendy……”

“So am I the favorite congressman of Valdek citizens? Hahaha!”

Felix pointed at himself with both thumbs and laughed heartily.

“Little brother, that’s not how you use it……”

Please don’t use fandom terminology in politics……

The embarrassment was entirely Marie’s burden.

In fact, the Korean-patched jokes that occasionally slipped out of Marie’s mouth were from over twenty years ago.

Marie was now twenty-two years old after transmigrating into a baby in a book.

Since she was the only one who knew Korean, she had no idea what expressions were currently used in Korea.

‘I’m becoming so outdated…… Wait. Is time in the book world different from the real world?’

Come to think of it, many novels had that setting.

That famous British fantasy novel was like that too.

The siblings who had adventures and became rulers in another world inside a wardrobe returned to find that barely minutes had passed outside.

Suddenly, she became curious.

If that were the case, how much time had passed in the real world by now?

“Don’t be fooled by that fellow’s seemingly good-natured smile.”

Wilhelm, eliminated from Marie’s favorite competition, spoke resentfully.

If he couldn’t be the favorite, he would at least damage one strong contender before leaving.

Wilhelm deployed a negative strategy, highlighting unfavorable comments and negative images against his opponent.

‘What? Are you all politicians now or something……’

Marie struggled to adapt to the rapidly changing situation.

“Felix, have you forgotten what you said to us after Vivian left that day?”

“It’s too long ago for me to remember?”

Felix scratched his ear, deploying the memory loss defense.

Was this the classic hearing testimony tactic, the feigned ignorance skill?

This was another strategy commonly used in politics, and the Klein siblings’ fight for Marie’s favorite position was evolving from an audition-level competition to resemble a political battlefield.

“I remember every single word exactly. As you know, I have an excellent memory.”

“Don’t listen to brother. How can you believe what he says when he’s just jealous of my closeness with Marie? Whatever comes out of his mouth is clearly fabricated!”

Felix, sensing danger, quickly laid the groundwork for his defense.

Wilhelm revealed his past statement before the audience could be persuaded.

“You definitely said, ‘I won’t fall for this emotional manipulation. I need that money anyway. Anyone who wants to give up can leave.'”

“Oh, brother!”

“I’m hurt, brother. You said that after I left?”

“Sir, even I find that a bit……”

“How could you say something like that? Apologize right now!”

Everything flowed according to Wilhelm’s plan.

The tide had turned again.

Having lost public favor, Felix immediately knelt before Vivian and Marie.

His knees were always light when it came to his siblings.

“I’m sorry. I think I was blinded by money back then. But not anymore. Vivian, Marie, you’re my most beloved siblings, and that will never change.”

“Hmph. What about sister?”

“Adelaide makes you three my favorite siblings!”

Felix, the second of six siblings, had four younger siblings.

Three out of four.

‘So that means everyone except the youngest brother?’

Marie bit the inside of her cheek to hold back her laughter.

Respect to Stefan who proudly took last place among the four……

“How can you have three favorites? A favorite is just one. It can’t be two. Decide right here. Who is your favorite sibling?”

At Vivian’s sharp words, the indecisive Felix fell into contemplation.

It was obvious that choosing Adelaide, his favorite until now, would get him nowhere.

If he chose Vivian, Marie would feel hurt, and if he chose Marie, the secretly vindictive Vivian would harbor resentment until her dying day.

“I have three hearts! That’s why I can embrace you all!”

Three hearts cried out.

Wilhelm, watching his brother’s desperate excuse, seized the opportunity to promote himself.

“Unlike the abundant Felix, I humbly have only one heart, but I love all of you equally.”

“Brother, that’s essentially the same thing!”

The indignant Felix jumped up and shouted.

“Felix, I love you just as much.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! Would someone who loves his brother try to ruin him?”

“Ruin? You’re taking this too seriously. It’s just our family business. Let’s stop trying to determine Marie’s favorite here. It’s something that could change anytime.”

“Just wait and see, brother. It will never be you!”

“Felix, you should be more gracious.”

Marie snickered as she watched the two bickering brothers.

“Such harmonious siblings today!”

“Marie, are you serious?”

Hans asked with an already exhausted expression.

“This is why being popular is so tiring.”

She shrugged as she spoke.

Marie was enjoying this situation of being her siblings’ pick more than anyone else.

Seeing her mischievous smile, Hans couldn’t help but smile too.

Paul Klein had been right.

The six siblings, once fractured and more distant than strangers, were gradually gathering around Marie.

Once someone gets to know Marie, they inevitably end up liking her.

If someone said they don’t like her, they would be lying to themself.

‘Marie, when will I be able to tell you how I feel?’

He didn’t know when that would be.

Fearing he might not even remain friends with her, he kept swallowing his feelings.

The experience of his failed confession attempt last time held him back.

“Marry me.”

“What?”

“That’s how I feel, but if marriage is too much pressure, we can start dating. I’m confident I’ll treat you really well. Will you give me a chance?”

“……”

“If you don’t like it, you can dump me anytime. Though it would break my heart.”

Marie gave no answer.

“Is this how it’s done?”

Seeing her expression freeze as if troubled, he retreated one step, pretending it was a joke. Cowardly.

If he confessed again, he wouldn’t back down.

‘What face will you make if I tell you I love you?’

If you smiled at me then like you’re smiling now, I’d be happier than anything.

※※※

Some time later, through Felix’s arrangement, Marie and Hans met Adelaide at a café.

“Brother, is this why you called me out?”

Adelaide glared at Felix sitting beside her with fierce eyes.

He avoided her gaze while sweating nervously.

Marie, sitting across from them, stepped in as a relief pitcher.

“Don’t blame my brother. I asked him to do this. Brother, please go pay the bill.”

“This place is pay-after— Ouch! I understand. I’ll be right back.”

Felix was explaining the payment system when Marie stepped on his foot, making him finally understand her intention and scurry away.

“I’ll get straight to the point since you probably don’t have much time.”

“Go ahead.”

“I hear you’re looking for a divorce lawyer. Let our firm handle it.”

“Did you come here to solicit business?”

Adelaide asked, seemingly incredulous.

“I don’t really need to actively seek clients. We already have a constant stream of requests.”

Hans added from the side.

It could have come across as arrogant, but Adelaide knew well that Hans was the most famous in the field.

If he weren’t working with Marie, she would have hired him immediately.

“Marie, I was planning to meet you sometime.”

“Why?”

“To thank you for reconciling our brothers.”

“Then why not withdraw the lawsuit out of gratitude?”

“That’s a different matter.”

Adelaide retorted primly.

She was certainly not an easy opponent.

Marie decided to take a direct approach.

“Your novel is a huge hit, and now you have a lot of money.”

“Money is always better when you have more.”

“Well, that’s not wrong, but……”

“Fortunately, everyone else dropped out, so the three of us can split quite a large sum. Holding out was the right answer. You should just settle here too. Even taking one-third, that’s not bad, is it?”

“My share was originally ten, and you think I’d be satisfied with three?”

“I didn’t take you for someone so greedy.”

Like sister, like sister.

Adelaide, who had tried to gloss over things like Marie, found her strategy ineffective and raised one eyebrow in displeasure.

“Honestly, I think I deserve at least this much. What haven’t I done for this family? I reconciled our brothers. I solved everyone’s family problems. Father must have known it long ago—that I’m the lucky charm of our family!”

“That’s between you and our siblings. You haven’t solved my problem yet.”

“If I solve your problem too, will you withdraw the lawsuit?”

“Well, that depends on what you do.”

Oh my! Look at this sister!

Adelaide’s face already looked half-convinced.

It seemed that reconciling Wilhelm and Felix had made a big impact.

Perhaps she was hesitant to request reconciliation first because of the Vivian incident?

But this was enough.

Marie resolved to graciously take her eldest sister’s hand.

“So all we need to do is resolve the divorce in your favor? Then you won’t need to pay a large settlement, and you can keep all the money you earned.”

“The divorce is one thing, but there’s another reason I want to hire a lawyer.”

“What is it?”

After a brief pause, Adelaide gestured for them to come closer, as if conscious of their surroundings.

Marie and Hans leaned forward over the table to listen attentively.

“Someone seems to be…… trying to k*ll me.”

Adelaide confessed in a trembling voice.

What genre is this novel, anyway?