Male Lead, Please Dump Me Three Times - Chapter 16

“Sister…?”

This annoying, ominous feeling…

It was definitely my younger brother’s aura.

Ray’s gaze soon followed the voice of a stranger.

“……You’re my sister, right……?”

I wish this would just pass by…

I pulled away from Ray’s touch and turned my head.

‘Thud.’

Dermian dropped the snack bag he was holding in his hand.

Ray just stared blankly at Dermian.

“Ray, this is my younger brother. Dermian Carnelian.”

“Oh.”

“Wait a moment. I think Dermian’s been acting weird again.”

Ray nodded in agreement with my words.

I left him behind and approached my younger brother,

Up close, Dermian’s face was pale. He seemed absent-minded, and his pupils were slightly trembling.

“Dermian, what are you doing here?”

“…Why…”

“What are you doing here? Why is your face like that again?”

Dermian started to answer my question with a trembling lip.

“I, I just pretended to go out for a moment because Father was scolding me, asking when sister was coming home…”

“And then?”

“So I was passing by here…”

“If you were just passing by, you should have just passed quietly. Why are you acting like this here? It’s embarrassing.”

Dermian, who had fallen into contemplation, had a somewhat ridiculous expression on his face.

It was the expression he occasionally wore when he was being scolded.

“Since it’s come to this, greet him. Don’t be rude.”

I took hold of my younger brother’s hand, which was twitching like he was malfunctioning or something, and led him away.

“Ray. This is my younger brother, Dermian. You know him well too, right? He’s the Duke of Croit.”

I was caught in the strange atmosphere between the two.

Something feels off…

“D-Duke Croit, what on earth brings you here…”

That fool.

Stop beating around the bush and just greet him normally.

“I came to see Daisy for a moment.”

Huh…?

Dermian’s body swayed again. His knees seemed to have lost strength and were wobbling.

He looked like a marshmallow melting slowly over a fire.

I quickly supported his shoulder.

As I supported him, Dermian turned to Ray with a trembling voice and asked,

“D-Daisy…? So you’re quite close…”

Ray still nodded with vacant eyes.

“Oh, why are you like this? Hey, Dermian!”

I gently slapped my almost-fainting younger brother’s cheek.

“Hey, snap out of it.”

Dermian seemed to have seriously misunderstood something.

I wanted to tell the truth… but it seemed too late for that.

Despite my worries, Dermian didn’t completely lose his mind.

“Escape…”

“What did you say? I can’t hear you well. Speak up.”

“Quickly… escape… it’s dangerous…”

When my brother seemed unable to regain his senses, I gave his cheek a few more slaps.

“Get yourself together. What disrespectful behavior is this?”

“Why of all people… my sister…”

With those words, my brother finally collapsed, as if his legs had given out.

‘Thud.’

“What’s wrong? Why are you like this?”

“Sister, my legs… my legs feel weak… I’m sorry, but I need to rest a bit.”

“Do you have to rest here? If you want to rest, go somewhere else. What embarrassing thing are you doing right now?”

I reprimanded Dermian for his absurd behavior.

“Well, I want to do that too… I really want to get out of here faster than anyone else, okay? But my legs won’t listen to me.”

“Geez, seriously…”

“So just ignore me and finish what you were doing…”

Finish what we were doing?

“What do you mean? What are we doing?”

I looked at Ray, who was silently watching us both, and said,

“Ray. I think I should go in first to check on my brother. He doesn’t seem well.”

“It does seem that way.”

Ray nodded in agreement.

And running into that unfortunate guy, Killian…

A lot of things are going wrong today.

Of all places, why did we have to meet Dermian here too?

“Dermian, try to stand up and put some strength in your legs. I’ll support you.”

I helped Dermian up, and he began to sway slowly like a person would.

“Ray, I’ll go in first today. Take care!”

“Are you sure? I can help…”

“No, it’s okay. Take care!”

“Daisy.”

As I turned to leave, Ray caught me and faintly called out my name.

“Yes?”

“Next time. I’ll visit again on my way through.”

Ray said, his voice trailing at the end of his sentence.

I couldn’t help but smile at his gesture.

It was a pleasant smile.

“Yes. Please do!”

With those words, I continued walking.

* * *

It was a slightly later than usual dinner time.

“A man who falls weakly… tsk.”

Dad looked at Dermian pitifully.

“I admit it, Father… it seems like sister’s strength is much greater than mine.”

Is that kid really clueless or just overly innocent?

‘Sigh. If he keeps this up, we’ll hear another lecture.

As I expected,

Dad reprimanded Dermian with a strict, solemn, serious, and sharp voice once again.

“Be quiet! After seeing your older sister’s wrist that looks about to break, how can you still say such things?”

“……”

“You went to see her and came back looking like a deflated balloon… tsk.”

Despite Dad’s harsh words, Dermian couldn’t close his mouth, as if he had been hurt.

And his emerald eyes began to shake violently.

“Weakling.”

Dad didn’t show any mercy towards the dejected Dermian and continued scolding him harshly.

Under the continued attack, Dermian couldn’t hold on any longer and lowered his head. Then he pouted like an innocent child.

‘What nonsense is this…?’

Although Dermian is clearly an adult…

It’s like there’s a ten-year-old kid inside him.

He looked like a child being scolded by a parent.

His expression couldn’t hide his deep disappointment.

“Well, Daisy. I have something I’m curious about.”

My mother, who had been scolding the youngest son for a while, suddenly changed her expression.

She had been leisurely eating, but she soon spoke to me in an elegant and affectionate voice.

“Yes?”

But something was off about my parents’ demeanor.

They exchanged secret glances with each other.

“Ahem…”

“I… I can’t do it. You ask.”

Mom’s blue eyes, which had been shaking Dad’s arm, began to sparkle.

“Daisy.”

“Yes?”

What exactly are you trying to say with such a hesitant attitude?

I, who had no particular thoughts, felt unnecessarily nervous at that sight.

“There’s a rumor going around recently that you’re dating someone.”

“What???”

“Is it true?”

“W-Well, there’s no way that’s true… Why would there be a rumor about me that even I don’t know about…”

“Rumors are usually like that, aren’t they? Who would dare talk about rumors concerning you in front of you? Normally, the subject of rumors only hears about it much later.”

Dad, a high-ranking official from the imperial palace, is very sharp, incisive, and rational.

That’s why he often speaks so accurately that it leaves the other person speechless.

Except for Mom, who is Dad’s only weakness.

“Well, even so, I’m not really dating anyone, okay? If I was, I would have told you both first.”

I shrugged nonchalantly.

“So, is it a no?”

“Yes. It’s probably just groundless gossip.”

I replied nonchalantly.

Suddenly, I felt Dermian’s gaze.

Dermian, who was sitting next to me, looked at me in disbelief.

Then it occurred to me.

The way Dermian saw us earlier was suspicious enough to be seriously misunderstood.

But on the way to the mansion, I didn’t clear it up with him.

I widened my eyes and gave Dermian a stern look.

Soon, Dermian’s head dropped, just like when he was scolded by Dad earlier.

“I think I’ve seen Duke Croit’s carriage near the mansion often these days?”

When I heard those words, I dropped the fork I was holding. With a forced and harmless smile on my lips,

“…Haha.”

“And someone even saw you getting on that carriage.”

Dad’s words were sharply poking at me.

“Well… that’s…”

“That?”

“He’s helped many times… even now…”

“Duke Croit is off-limits.”

Dad said with a stern look and a firm voice.

“What?”

“Remember. Absolutely not. I can’t allow it even if a knife is held to my throat.”

“Just for that?”

It was a rather extreme choice of words for Dad, who is usually blunt but knows how to draw the line.

“Why? It’s not like there’s anything special between us… Why are you so against it?”

“There’s no particular reason. I just don’t like it.”

So that means…

In short, this is it.

‘There’s no particular reason, but I don’t want to see my daughter with him.’

The sight of a father’s stubborn attitude toward his daughter’s man made me laugh out loud.

“Heh… Yes… Don’t worry. I’ll live with both of you for a long time.”

At that moment, Dad’s lips formed a smile.

“But I’m still a bit disappointed.”

But Mom’s subsequent words were filled with regret. She soon sighed.

Well…

Even if it’s Dad…

It wasn’t unreasonable for Mom to worry when her adult daughter was holed up at home without showing her face in social circles.

* * *

Did my parents’ worries come true just now?

That night.

A letter arrived in front of me.

The ivory-colored envelope was tied with a red ribbon.

It was from the imperial palace, emblazoned with the elaborate emblem of the Kaliad Empire.