I’m the fifth son of a count’s family, but I became the head of a duke’s house
I successfully cleared up Leila’s misunderstanding together with Lady Selene.
“I’m sorry… I jumped to conclusions,” Leila said, looking apologetic.
Lady Selene, however, reassured her with a warm smile.
“It’s alright. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes.”
“Lady Selene…”
“You don’t need to call me that. In terms of noble rank, you are above me, Leila.”
Selene seemed a bit flustered at being addressed so formally by Leila.
Technically speaking, as the daughter of a duke, Leila outranked Selene. However, within the earl faction, Selene—being the future wife of the next Earl and the daughter of a powerful marquis—held a higher position in the internal hierarchy.
Leila, unsure of how to address Selene, wore a troubled expression, but Selene appeared to have an idea.
“Then, how about this? I’ll call you Leila, and you can call me whatever you like—big sister, sis, anything that feels right. After all, we’re family now.”
By framing their relationship in terms of family rather than rank or faction hierarchy, Selene showed her true character.
“A-Alright… Selene… big sister,” Leila responded shyly.
Selene accepted her words with a satisfied expression.
Man… That’s nice. I kinda wish someone would call me ‘big brother’ too.
Wait a sec. Now that I think about it, Leila always calls me by name. She’s never called me ‘darling’ or ‘my husband’ before. I wonder if she’d do it if I asked.
As I was lost in thought, Selene suddenly turned to Leila with a smile and asked,
“You really love Ainzich that much, don’t you?”
“Ugh… y-yes,” Leila replied, her face turning bright red.
Selene and I couldn’t help but grin as we watched her reaction.
Ahh, I swear, there’s some kind of special life-giving energy that comes from seeing Leila all flustered like this.
“But isn’t it a bit unfair for a lady to be the only one confessing her love? Don’t you think so, Ainzich ?”
“Wait, what?”
Damn, I was too busy enjoying the moment and now I’ve been dragged into it.
Leila and Selene were both staring at me, waiting. Yeah, I get it. No choice but to say it now…
“I… I love you too, Leila.”
“Oh my.”
Kill me now!
Saying something so embarrassing is bad enough, but having a third party present makes it ten times worse.
I glanced over at Leila. Her face was completely red with embarrassment.
But considering she was the one pressuring me to say it, seeing her flustered made it feel a bit more bearable.
“You two really are quite close,” Selene said, watching us with an amused smile.
Wait a minute… Did she just play us both?
It feels like Selene came out on top here.
Just as I was thinking that, a knock echoed through the room.
Before anyone could respond, the door swung open, revealing my older brother, Josef, cradling a peacefully sleeping infant in his arms.
Josef smirked at me.
“Ain. Here’s your child.”
“Ain…?”
You idiot, Brother!!!
Leila doesn’t know what’s going on, and now she totally thinks I have a secret love child or something!
