Volume 8, Chapter 9 “The Youngest Son Colin”
Volume 8, Chapter 9 “The Youngest Son Colin”
Part 1
At that time, Colin woke up early in the morning and was wandering around the mansion of the Bartofalt family, looking for someone.
“Are? Where’s Noelle-neechan?”
When he comes to the living room, Finley is there, and when he asks where Noelle is, she answers him but looks displeased.
“She went out early this morning with aniki.”
“Eh~, wake me up too.”
“I don’t know”
The unfriendly Finley was still looking a little sleepy.
Jenna, the eldest, hadn’t woken up yet, and Finley was quieter than usual because of the absence of her tense older sister.
Maybe she’s bored, but she talks to Colin, who is waiting for Noelle to return.
“More importantly. Colin, you need to stop following Noelle-san around.”
“Why?”
When Colin did not understand the meaning of the words, Finley gave him a blunt order without telling him the details.
“You don’t have to know why. You just have to keep my word. ――Understand?”
Colin raised an eyebrow in annoyance at Finley’s remarks.
“No. Don’t tell me what to do.”
“Just stay away from her.”
“Why?”
“It doesn’t matter what”
Finley was definitely not going to tell him why.
That was what Colin found so annoying.
He felt like he was being ridiculed for being the youngest, and most importantly, Noelle was the ideal sister for him.
She’s kind and seems to enjoy playing with Colin.
She had become more important to Colin than Jenna and Finley.
“Absolutely no way. I’m going to play with Noelle-neechan again today. Besides, she’s going to Royal Capital soon, right? I won’t be able to see her for a while.”
Before he wouldn’t see her again, Colin was going to have a lot of fun with her.
To Colin, Finley showed a complicated expression――Perhaps she gave up, she let out a sigh.
“Do what you want. Whatever happens, I don’t care.”
“I don’t need Finley-neechan to tell me what to do~”
After saying that, Colin waited for Noelle to return.
.
Part 2
Spring break is just around the corner.
In a few days, I have to return to school and start preparing for the new semester.
“Are Marie and the others doing well? Is there any report?”
I ask Luxion about the situation of Marie and the others, but he gives me the same answer as usual.
[There are no abnormalities at this time. Although Creare’s solo actions have been conspicuous, Marie has been actively investigating the school. I judge that there is no problem.]
They are investigating, but the current situation is that there is no special information.
Still, when I heard that Marie was doing her best to gather information by following my instructions, I felt more worried than relieved.
“Is Marie serious about gathering information. I thought she’d be a little more relaxed about it.”
[Isn’t that better?]
“I’ll forgive you if she plays a little. I thought if I told her a little harder, she’d be moderately loosened up and have a good time.”
Marie is working more diligently than I expected.
So, I reflected that I had been a little too intimidating.
I’m sure she would have liked to relax more during spring break.
[Marie must have been affected by the incident in the Republic of Arzel.]
“That’s right. That girl was opposed to Lelia becoming a priestess until the very end.”
Noelle’s twin sister, Lelia, was a reincarnated person like us.
Lelia did what she wanted, which caused some problems, but in the end, she herself became a priestess instead of Noelle and remained in the Republic of Arzel.
She lost the man she loved and chose to live as a symbol of the Republic of Arzel.
Though it may sound enviable, the reality is much harsher than you might imagine.
As a priestess, she would be treasured, but it would not be easy to live as a symbol of the country.
Marie was angry that she couldn’t understand why Lelia chose such a position for herself.
We had a lot of things to reflect on, and many times I wished we had done better.
Marie must have regretted it.
“So, how are the five idiots?”
[Same as ever. I thought they had grown up, but the big minus just got closer to zero, so they are still negative.]
Luxion’s opinion of the Five Idiots is low.
I thought things had gotten somewhat better in the Republic, but what have they done?
“What did they do?”
[About Julius, he was raising livestock hidden on the school grounds. He even prepared a shed and kept chickens in it.]
“To make skewers?”
[Yes. He was called out and given a sermon, and is now under house arrest, but is eager to keep the farm. By the way, Master has been billed for compensation for the damage he caused to the school grounds.]
“Why?”
[Because Roland turned the bill over to Master.]
“Both father and son are troubling me. For now, I will hit Julius.”
[That’s very kind of you. And next is Brad.]
Wait a minute? Don’t tell me, there is a report for each person?
Even though I haven’t received any important reports from Marie, isn’t it awful that all I get are bad reports about five idiots?
[He has taken the liberty of setting up a spectacle at school. We’ve received a bill from the school for repairs.]
“Did they charge me because Brad too?”
[Yes. He prepared an unfamiliar tent, which collapsed and caused damage to the school. Brad is Master’s subordinate, and as a result, Master has been asked to bear the cost of repairs.]
“Is it any better than before?”
[By the way, both Julius and Brad caused less damage.]
” ―― Oi, are there any idiots that caused more problems?”
[Please rejoice. All of them caused trouble without fail. Only Marie, Kara, and Kyle have been quiet.]
“I’m not rejoicing at all”
In other words, Greg, Chris, and Jilk have also done something.
“What did the other three do?”
[About Greg, he renovated his room without permission from the school. According to him, he wanted to turn his room into a training room.]
“Get permission, the permission!”
[And since he did the renovations himself, he made a lot of mistakes.]
It seems that an amateur had messed with it poorly and ruined a lot of things.
Of course, the school refused to convert it into a training room. They decided to return it to its pre-renovation state.
This is why the repair costs were incurred, but the five idiots’ pocket money couldn’t cover it, so the bill came to me.
“What about Chris?”
[―― The school’s bath was dirty, he said and he renovated it without permission. For this, a bill for the renovation has been sent to Master.]
The school was also a little happy that Chris had reformed all the bathrooms on his own. It seems that there is no intention of going back to the way it was before the renovation.
However, he has no intention of paying for it.
So the money for the renovation came to me, Chris’s boss.
They don’t have the ability to pay for it. ―― So why did they decide to remodel?
“Didn’t they just learn the value of money in the Republic? Have they already forgotten it?”
[Chris’s excuse is that he was going to pay eventually. I guess he thought he could postpone the payment.]
“Is he stupid?”
[Definitely an idiot. About the last one――]
“The worst person I don’t want to hear is the last one.”
All of them were too much, but it still made sense.
Normally, this would be impossible, but knowing how bad the five idiots are, I even feel like they’re growing up.
Considering what they’ve done so far, this level of damage is rather cute.
But of the five idiots, Jilk is the one with the worst quality.
[He regretted the trouble he had caused earlier with the purchase of the artwork.]
“Can that guy reflect?”
I was even a little impressed, but Luxion quickly brought me back to my senses.
If it were easy for Jilk to be decent, there would be no hardship.
[So he decided to start making his own art. So he set up a kiln and began to prepare for the production of pottery.]
“Oi, what did he prepare?”
[It’s a kiln. Furthermore, it was prepared on the school grounds. They charge us money to prepare it, but they also charge us money to destroy it.]
It’s amazing what a fool in action can do.
Do they misunderstand the school as their own property?
This makes Julius’s sneaking around raising chickens still look cute, as long as he understands he’s doing something wrong.
Is Brad better off now that the freak show was in a tent?
Greg’s just barely safe, considering the amount of damage he’s done?
Chris was ―― He was going to pay, so can I forgive him?
But Jilk is no good.
“When I get back to the school, I’m going to punch Jilk.”
[Will you let Julius go?]
“Compared to Jilk, I don’t think I’d have to hit him.”
[Master, have you gone soft on the five idiots?]
“I-Is that so?”
But I had understood that if I leave the five idiots alone, they really won’t do much good.
Could it be that Marie is seriously gathering information in order to somehow recover from the loss of the five idiots?
It’s strangely convincing to think that she was running around frantically, thinking that I would be in a bad mood because of the five idiots causing problems.
That’s more likely.
But then again, the five idiots are really useless.
If it’s just useless then it’s better, but they are only going to increase the burden.
“Just having five idiots around is going to add to our expenses.”
[They are true pestilence gods. ――Do you want to erase them?]
He asks lightly as if to say, “Do you want me to clean up the trash?”
“No”
[It’s a shame]
Luxion looked a little downcast and looked really disappointed.
This guy could easily dispose of the five idiots if he only had my order.
While I was thinking that I was troubled by Luxion’s disturbing statement, there was a strong knock on the door of my room.
It was Ange who knocked.
“Leon, if you have a moment, I need you right away “
.
Part 3
There is a room that Noelle is using for rehabilitation.
The room is equipped by Luxion with handrails and other facilities for rehabilitation.
Noelle, who had been in rehabilitation earlier, was now sitting in a wheelchair for a break.
“Somehow I managed it in time.”
Near Noelle, who was happy with the results of her rehabilitation, was the figure of Livia.
She is accompanying Noelle to her rehabilitation, and she seems to be happy for her.
“All your hard work has paid off.”
“Yes!”
Livia had been helping Noelle with her rehabilitation on a regular basis.
Therefore, she was really happy to see Noelle recovering so well.
Watching the two of them was Colin, who had been watching Noelle’s rehabilitation.
He looks at the two of them, who are having a great time, and looks lonely.
He wants Noelle to pay attention to him, but right now there’s Livia.
Besides, his parents had been very strict about not interfering with the rehabilitation.
Actually, he wants her to play with him, but since Noelle is in rehab, he’s probably waiting patiently for her to finish.
Perhaps Livia was concerned about Colin, she looked at him and smiled.
“This is boring for Colin-kun, right? Why don’t you play outside?”
“I’m fine here”
Livia was also trying to get Colin out of the rehab room for some reason, only today.
Colin doesn’t understand the reason, but he refuses because he wants to be by Noelle’s side.
” ―― I see”
Livia had a complicated look on her face, but quickly returned to talking with Noelle.
Today it made Colin’s heart ache more than usual when he looked at Noelle.
(Seeing Noelle-neechan makes my heart out racing)
Lately, he always looks for Noelle.
And yet, when they are alone, he can’t speak well.
This had never happened before, and Colin was confused.
At first, as a child, he thought it might be an illness, but his heart ached only when he was with Noelle or when he was thinking about Noelle.
Although this symptom made him uneasy at times, Colin was beginning to realize the true nature of this feeling.
(Is that what I think it is? Jenna-neechan and Finley-neechan also talked about it, so is it correct?)
What they were talking about was that they wanted to have a heart-wrenching love affair.
Even the child Colin knew that falling in love made his heart ache, and he somehow understood that Noelle was the cause of it.
Once you start realizing it, you can’t stop.
(I’m, about Noelle-neechan ――)
When he became aware of it, he blushed to his ears and was embarrassed, but as he did so, Ange came back into the room.
“I brought him”
Behind the bright-voiced Ange was the figure of Leon with Luxion.
Leon didn’t seem to know that Colin was in this room, but he didn’t find it strange since he has been following Noelle around lately.
“Colin was here, too?”
Colin was also happy when Leon, his favorite brother arrive.
“Un. I’m worried about Noelle-neechan.”
“Oh, that’s nice. I’ll give you some pocket money later.”
“Is that okay!”
[Master, you spoil your brother too much.]
Luxion, as usual, admonishes Leon for being so soft on Colin.
It was a familiar sight, but to Colin, it seemed a little odd.
“Are? Why is Leon-niichan here? You don’t usually come here, do you?”
When asked, Leon answers honestly.
“Usually Noelle disapproves.”
Leon said, and looked at Noelle, who was sweating.
It seems that Noelle had told him not to come.
“It’s not right for you to keep me company while you’re on break, right?”
“You don’t have to worry about it.”
“I am worried about it”
Seeing the two of them talking, Colin unconsciously clutched his chest with his right hand.
(Are? Noelle-neechan sound happier than when she was with me)
When Colin fell silent, Leon returned his gaze and answered the other question directly.
“That’s why I don’t usually come here, but today Ange told me there was something she really wanted me to see.”
When her name was mentioned, Ange turned to Noelle and nodded to her.
Taking this as a sign, Noelle tried to show the results of her rehabilitation.
Livia seemed to be supporting Noelle’s wheelchair, helping her avoid falling over in case she fell.
Then Noelle slowly stood up from her wheelchair.
“Noelle?”
[This was unexpected]
The reason why both Leon and Luxion were surprised was because Noelle could already stand up.
Noelle was injured so badly that she could have died at one point, but Luxion and the others treated her and saved her life.
After that, with various supports, she had recovered enough to stand up.
The person is pushing herself a little too hard in front of Leon.
Her legs were shaking a little, but she was smiling and showing that she was okay.
“Sapling-chan has grown up well, so I should do my best too.”
The growth of the sacred tree has nothing to do with Noelle’s rehabilitation.
However, Noelle probably thought that if the sacred tree was trying to live strongly, she would try her best too.
Colin was happy to see Noelle standing up more smoothly than usual.
(Noelle-neechan has been doing her best until now. It’s really amazing)
Colin often saw Noelle’s hard work on a daily basis.
He couldn’t say that he understood the hardships of rehabilitation, but from the way he looked at her, he could tell how much she was undergoing.
He honestly respects Noelle for overcoming this and being able to walk.
Then Noelle walks toward Leon.
Slowly and surely, step by step, she was getting closer to Leon, and Colin wanted to cheer her on.
(Do your best! Noelle-neechan, do your best ――)
However, he noticed.
“――Eh?”
As Noelle walks up, Leon spreads his hands in embarrassment.
When Noelle crossed the goal line, she looked happy as she jumped into Leon’s chest.
Leon was shy at first, but he was impressed by Noelle’s performance.
He closed his outstretched arms and hugged Noelle, saying kind words to her.
“Good job, Noelle”
“Ehehe, thanks to everyone. Olivia-san, Angelica-san, mother-in-law and others also helped me.”
“――I didn’t help much, though.”
“Don’t be depressed. I am the one who refused. I think Leon should take a break while you can.”
“No, that’s true, but”
“Besides, I wanted to surprise Leon by showing off my walk.”
They hugged each other happily, and even the child Colin could understand what was going on.
Seeing the stunned Colin, Ange and Livia approached him with troubled looks on their faces.
Ange looked perplexed, but bent down and made eye contact with Colin to talk to him.
“Colin, I have some sweets, so let’s go to another room.”
She must have been very careful.
The reason she went to the trouble of preparing sweets was because she knew this would happen.
So is Livia.
“Ange has prepared some delicious sweets. If you don’t hurry, it’ll be eaten by your sisters.”
They were trying to force Colin out of the room, hiding Leon’s hugging Noelle with their bodies.
Colin felt tears welling up in his eyes.
What he could see through the gap between the two bodies was Noelle, who was blushing ―― hugging Leon happily.
Colin gained two experiences at this moment.
One is the first love.
It was at the moment that he realized that he was in love with Noelle.
The other is a broken heart.
He sensed that Noelle was not in love with him, but with his big brother Leon.
Colin, who has realized his first love and experienced heartbreak at the same time ―― starts crying and runs out of the room.
“Leon-niichan is idioo~oot !!”
Yelling at Leon, Colin runs from the room.
From behind him, he could hear the impatient voices of Ange and Livia.
“W-Wait!”
“Colin-kun, listen to me!”
There is also Noelle’s surprised voice.
“What’s wrong, Colin”
Colin ran away, but Noelle’s voice almost stopped him for a moment, as if his back had been pulled.
But then he heard Leon’s loud voice.
“Colin! What did I do?”
Unable to bear the sound of his voice, Colin started running again.
Running as fast as he could to his room, Colin didn’t have time to worry about passing someone on the way and being told not to run in the hallway.
Running to his room, he got into bed and pulled the blanket over his head.
As he continued to cry, there was a violent knock at the door.
Outside were Leon and Luxion ―― and voices of Ange and Livia could also be heard.
“Colin come out! I’ll apologize if I’m wrong! Let’s talk about it. If we talk, we’ll figure it out. “
[I don’t think it’s possible]
“Don’t make fun of me now!”
[I’m not making fun. Leaving him alone for now is the right thing to do.]
“Colin! Talk to me. Please come out of the room.”
When Luxion told him it was impossible, Leon’s voice was impatient.
It must have been a shock to him that his brother Colin hated him.
Leon is known for his disregard for his sisters, but on the contrary, he is known for his forgiving attitude toward his brothers.
In fact, he loved his little brother Colin more than his little sister Finley.
It must be hard for him to believe that Colin hated him.
He heard Ange quieting Leon down.
“Calm down already. Leave him alone for now. “
“No! I don’t want my little brother to hate me”
Livia admonished Leon who sounded pathetic and reluctant in a gentle voice.
“He needs some time. For now, let’s wait for Colin-kun to calm down. Okay, Leon-san? Let’s give Colin-kun time to calm down. “
“But ―― because ―― “
The usual thick-skinned Leon was not there.
Finley was just passing by the room and seemed to get angry when she saw Leon.
A frustrated voice could be heard.
“What are you doing?”
“Colin’s locked himself. He told me I was an idiot ―― do you know why?”
“He called you an idiot because you’re an idiot.”
“What did you say!”
“In the first place, you, brothers are too soft on Colin. You should treasure me, your sister, too. “
“I hate a being that called little sister!”
“What, you want to fight?”
“Don’t think I’ll go easy on you just because you’re my little sister. I’ve been tormented by little sister for years, and I’ll get revenge on you, too!”
Luxion pointed out in a dumbfounded tone of voice to Leon, who declared that he would payback even if it was his sister.
[When it comes to payback, you’ve been hit at least once, haven’t you? Shouldn’t you take action before she does it?]
“Colin. I was wrong. I’ll apologize, so please come out!”
Leon was fussing at the door, as if he didn’t have time to answer Luxion’s comment.
Colin let out a sob, hiding under the blankets in his room.
“I don’t believe this”
And so ended Colin’s first love.
.
Part 4
“Colin hates me. I’m done.”
In the living room where the family was gathered, besides me, Nix, Jenna and Finley were all there.
Luxion is also there, but Ange and Livia are out of the room.
Siblings were around, and they were all aware of my depressed state.
But no one came to comfort me.
Nix held the letter in both hands and let out a small sigh of worry.
“It would be cool if I could write poetically at times like this. I should have studied more seriously at the academy. I know all the old phrases, but I don’t know anything about the latest trends.”
The sender of the letter was Dorothea-san.
When we returned from the Roseblade territory, the two of them were immediately exchanging letters.
Nix is struggling to think of a response.
Brothers surrounding the table in the living room.
Jenna, sitting across from Nix, was teasing Nix as she picked up a cookie from the table and brought it to her mouth.
“Poetic writing by Nix who has no sense? Stop it, they’ll laugh at you.”
Nix, who was told, blames Jenna for her attitude.
“I’m aware that I don’t have a sense. But I’m your big brother. Stop calling with my name.”
“Do you want me to call you a foolish big brother, like Leon a foolish little brother?”
When Jenna showed her unafraid attitude toward her big brother, Nix seemed to have given up.
“Sometimes you call me foolish brother. Ha~a, more importantly, what should I say in reply? Should I get her a gift or something?”
When he says gift, Finley raises her hand.
“I want accessories. I’m going to school soon, right? I want to dress up a little.”
Finley, who was looking forward to entering the school, asked for some accessories to go with her uniform.
Hearing that, Nix shows slight discomfort.
“You don’t need it”
Jenna agrees with Nix, but this one seems to have a different reason.
“It’s safer to buy it in the royal capital. It’s better to see what’s popular over there before you make a mistake.”
Finley leans over to Jenna and asks her a question.
“Eh, is that so? Onee-chan, don’t you know anything about current trends? You were in the royal capital a while ago, weren’t you?”
“Why is it a question? Fashions change every year.”
“Eh~, in that case, I’ll buy it in the royal capital, so tell me about a good store. Ah, do you want to go to the royal capital with me?”
“That’s a good idea! Maybe I’ll go shopping with Finley and get a hottie to marry me over there?”
“Isn’t that impossible?”
“It’s not impossible! If I don’t, I’ll be stuck here in the countryside forever. I want to live in the city!”
Noisy brothers and sisters.
I sat with my knees in my chair and slowly lowered my legs before getting up from my seat and swinging my hands down to the table.
Bang! When the sound of “bang” echoed through the room, everyone’s eyes were drawn to me, as if they couldn’t ignore it anymore.
“Why don’t you listen to me and worry a little? Colin hates me and he’s locked himself away! This is a big deal, and you’re all talking about things that aren’t important ―― “
I don’t want to listen to your unimportant talk! Listen to what I have to say! I was about to say something like that, resulting in the anger of my brother.
Nix looks at me with a furrowed brow.
“Regardless of Colin’s story. The letter with Dorothea-san is more important to me than your unimportant story.”
Jenna is so angry that her hair looks like it’s about to stand on end.
“I don’t care about your brotherly quarrels! My future is at stake! I want to marry a beautiful rich man in the royal capital and become a city girl!”
She was so fierce that I said, “O-Oh”.
After graduating from the school, Jenna, who hadn’t had much chance to go to the royal capital, seemed to be quite impatient.
As I sit quietly with my mouth closed, Luxion sneers at me.
[You’ve made her angry.]
“Noisy, shut up”
[I will do so. Older brother-kun, would you like me to help you answer the letter?]
I told him to shut up and he accepted, but then he immediately went up to Nix and started blabbering.
“Is it okay?”
[Yes. I’m sorry for the trouble Master caused you. Please leave the support to me. As for the gift, I have picked out a few candidates.]
“Thank you for your help. Luxion is more dependable than Leon.”
[Of course]
Jenna raises her hand to Luxion and speaks.
“Ah, then introduce me to a beautiful rich man.”
[It’s a difficult matter for me, but I can provide you with a candidate.]
“Can you really do it?! W-Who? What kind of person ?!”
Jenna takes the bait, and Luxion gives her the name of the son of a bitch.
[The man’s name is Roland. His age is in his forties, but I judge his appearance to be passable. He looks younger than his age and is classified as beautiful. He is also one of the wealthiest men in the kingdom.]
“Age is a bit of a problem, but it’s not too bad. Can you tell me who and where he is?”
[He is the King of the Holfalt Kingdom]
When she heard that he was a king, Jenna pulled Luxion.
However, Jenna is in more pain because she hit a chunk of metal.
“His Majesty the King! Of course it’s no good!”
“Since he has many concubines, I judged that you could blend in as one of them.”
“No! Why must I go with a guy who has a lot of women ―― N-No, isn’t it make you afraid to be with His Majesty the King?”
[I see. That’s too bad]
She tried to tell that she didn’t want a man with a mistress, but even Jenna seemed to respect the king.
Is she respecting him or scared?
But even I don’t like the idea of my sister being Roland’s mistress.
Although my sister is like that, I feel sorry for her because she is a family member.
Finley spoke to me while I was sadly watching from the side as Nix and Jenna were making a ruckus with Luxion.
“Leon-nii is really no good. I can’t believe this guy is some kind of a hero.”
She couldn’t believe they called me a hero because of my daily behavior.
I agree with her.
“I think so, too. If I’m a hero or something, this country’s finished, right.”
“You say it yourself?”
Finley was taken aback by my unexpected response.
.
Part 5
Around that time.
Ange and Livia were in front of Colin’s room.
They had prepared some snacks and drinks and were speaking to Colin at the front door.
“Colin, you don’t have to answer. But you do have to listen to what we have to say.”
Ange spoke to Colin through the door, but there was not a single sound coming from the room.
(I wish my in-laws were here)
Both Barkas and Ruth were absent, and it was Ange and Livia who had taken on the task of comforting Colin.
Ange talks about the situation.
“I haven’t told you the details, have I? Have you heard that Noelle is from the Republic of Arzel?”
There was no answer to her question, but Ange continued her explanation.
“Leon was studying abroad, right? That’s when they met. Noelle is in a complicated position. She’s also been in danger in her hometown. ―― And Leon is the one who saved Noelle.”
It was out of consideration for Colin, who was still a child, that she did not talk about the sacred tree or the priestess.
Ange summarized the story in a clumsy way.
“Leon is the only one who can protect Noelle. I know this is hard for you, but I need you to accept the truth.”
(I’m not really good at this kind of talk)
His brother’s fiancé was his first love, and he was heartbroken before he could confess.
He was falling in love with the wrong person.
When Ange was in trouble, Livia took over and spoke to him gently.
“I’m sorry. I know it’s hard for Colin-kun. But don’t resent Leon-san and Noelle-san. Actually, we should have told you first, but we weren’t sure what to say.”
What should they say to Colin, who still doesn’t realize it’s his first love? His mother, Ruth, was watching over him, saying, “He has to experience heartbreak.”
Neither Ange nor Livia taught according to that opinion.
Livia puts her palm against the door.
“There are a lot of adult reasons why they can’t be apart. When Colin-kun is older, I think you will understand the situation. So ―― “
Before Livia could continue, there was a sound from inside the room.
The door was opened and Colin’s tear-stained face peeked through the gap.
” ―― I am sorry”
.
Part 6
Colin invited them into the room.
Ange and Livia were sitting on either side of Colin on the bed.
They placed their hands on Colin’s shoulders and thighs, comforting him.
When Colin finally regained his composure, he talked about his feelings.
“I only just realized that I like her. I ―― I didn’t realize I was in love. And I felt so uncomfortable that I ran away.”
As Colin sobbed, Livia spoke softly to him.
“It makes you feel uncomfortable. But you should apologize to Leon later.”
Colin honestly accepted Livia’s suggestion.
“Un. I’ll apologize properly.”
Ange was relieved by his reply and patted Colin on the head.
“Impressive, Colin”
Colin, who was comforted by the two, was offered sweets and tea.
While indulging in their kindness, he talks about his feelings for Leon and Noelle.
“I want Noelle-neechan to be happy.”
Ange nodded.
“You are a strong boy. Even if you don’t end up together, it’s great to be able to wish for the happiness of the person you love. ―― I couldn’t do that.”
Colin looked up into Ange’s face.
She looked at him with a troubled smile on her face, which made him curious.
“Did Angelica-neechan suffer from a broken heart too?”
The question puzzled Livia for a moment, but she didn’t say anything as Ange chuckled and smiled.
Ange tells a broken heart story.
“Yes. I went through a terrible heartbreak. I couldn’t really wish for their happiness. Colin is a lot stronger than I was at that time.”
“Even Angelica-neechan suffers from heartbreak. What about Olivia-neechan?”
When the next question was asked to her, Livia looked troubled, and Ange prompted her.
“Why don’t you talk it?”
At Ange’s suggestion, Livia’s gaze wandered as she spoke.
“O-Onii-san in the neighborhood? I-I think I adored him.”
Colin seemed to be wondering about Livia’s unclear phrasing.
“Adore? Not like?”
“E-Etto. That ―― “
Since Livia didn’t want to talk about her first love, Ange urged her.
“I’m curious, too, so tell me. That’s okay, right? You may have had your first love, but you’re with Leon now, aren’t you.”
Ange seemed to think that Livia was hesitant to talk about her first love because she felt bad for Leon.
When Ange says that past loves are irrelevant, Livia hides her face with her hands.
“You’re wrong. Until I came to the school, I had never been in love. It was only recently that I became aware of it. That ―― “
When Ange heard that, she realized why Livia had hesitated to speak.
Colin notices it too.
“Could it be that your first love was Leon-niichan?”
Livia nods.
“I’m sorry. It’s not something we need to talk about right now, so I tried to cover it up.”
It seems that Livia couldn’t say that her first love had come true to Colin, who had a broken heart.
Ange looks apologetic.
“M-My bad. I-I see. You’re just devoted to Leon. I-Isn’t it good? Sometimes, it happens.”
“I am sorry”
Livia apologizes to him, but Colin shakes his head.
“I’m glad Olivia-neechan’s first love came true!”
Livia is a little surprised when Colin tells her that, then she compliments him.
“Colin-kun is really kind”
They told him he was great, but Colin couldn’t understand what was so great about him.
But when he saw them looking so happy, he wondered if one day he would be able to do the same. Such a question popped into his head.
“I wonder if I’ll ever find someone I really like, like you two?”
Ange says to Colin.
“You’ll meet. For that, you have to learn well. And interact with a lot of people.”
Colin’s eyes narrowed at Ange’s advice.
“Don’t you just want to use this story as an excuse to make me study?”
Ange gently tapped Colin’s forehead with her fingertips as he learned about his broken heart and learned to be a little wary of people.
“Idiot. If you don’t learn, you don’t grow, and if you don’t interact with people, you will never encounter someone in the first place. Or do you think it’s okay that you never grow and never meet anyone?”
” ―― Not okay”
Colin is convinced, and now Livia gives him some advice.
“Colin-kun will meet someone someday. Maybe it’s someone close to you or you will meet in the future. So, please continue to cherish the encounter.”
” ―― Is that how you two met Leon-niichan?”
Colin asked this question, but he would soon regret it.
Ange’s cheeks blushed a slight red.
“I guess so. Looking back, I want to praise my decision to get involved with so many people at the school. Meeting your brother was one of the luckiest moments of my life.”
Livia blushed with embarrassment, but spoke happily.
“In my case, it was Leon-san who approached me. Leon-san was really cool at that time. He invited me to tea when I was in trouble. He was a gentleman and kind, and ―― “
The two of them got excited and started to talk about their history with Leon.
While listening to it, Colin thinks.
(Are? Do I have to listen to everything?)