Chapter 26

"Th-That's not it, Big Brother!"

Diona shouted, her face pale.

However, Durante did not react and politely greeted Aristine.

"Then, Your Highness, since there seems to be no particular problem with the preparations, I will take my leave now."

"Alright."

After bowing, Durante turned to leave but suddenly stopped.

"Oh, congratulations on your marriage."

Aristine's lips stretched into a long smile at the parting words.

"Thank you. This is the second time I've received congratulations."

"No, I should be the first."

At those words, Aristine paused.

Durante's steps were resolute as he bowed and left the waiting room.

'Oh, he must be quite angry.'

Indeed, Diona's words were easily misunderstood.

Even if one knew the whole story, there would still be those who could not tolerate it.

'Because it's me, he didn't misinterpret my intentions and just took it as a simple boast about a lover. If it were someone else, it would have been impossible.'

Aristine marveled at his own excellent character, despite being confined and raised in isolation.

With a click, the door closed, and Durante's figure disappeared completely.

Diona, standing there in a daze, was startled by the sound.

Without a second thought, she hurried to follow Durante.

"Where are you going?"

Aristine asked Diona, who was about to leave without even a greeting.

'Where can I go in this situation!'

She wanted to snap back, but she couldn't.

Diona, feeling both anxious and irritated, replied casually.

"To the bathroom...!"

Aristine's eyes widened at her sudden departure.

'So desperate to go to the bathroom?'

Or, perhaps she was constipated.

The realization hit him immediately.

'Hope you have a good bowel movement.'

Aristine wished Diona good luck.

* * *

"Big Brother!"

Even Diona's call did not make Durante stop.

His pace neither quickened nor slowed.

He continued walking at a steady pace, as if he couldn't hear anything.

Diona bit her lip and ran.

Only when she grabbed his firm arm did Durante stop.

"Big Brother."

Durante's dark blue eyes looked down at her.

Diona opened her mouth to explain but couldn't bring herself to say anything.

They were in the reception hall of the banquet.

This wasn't just a royal wedding but a national marriage between the empire and the end of a war.

Most of the nobility, including high-ranking nobles, journalists, and prominent figures from various sectors, were gathered.

The prince's wedding couldn't receive more attention than this.

Because Diona called out to Durante loudly and chased after him, everyone's eyes were on them.

"No, no."

She could only whisper so softly.

"What is it?"

At the low question, Diona's grip on Durante's arm tightened.

This can't be happening.

'It's because of my Big Brother that you're all still alive.'

Diona's eyes darkened.

'My Big Brother saved you all and died...!'

How could they treat her like this?

'Of course, you should take my side, respect me, and hold me in high regard!'

She wanted to argue.

"Let's talk outside."

But all Diona could do was bow her head and say that.

However, Durante said nothing.

"Big Brother, please..."

Diona's voice was trembling, as if it might disappear at any moment.

Durante silently looked down at her.

His dark blue hair fell over his bowed head, hiding his face.

The knuckles of the hand gripping his arm were prominent.

Durante sighed softly and took a step.

Diona, fearing he would leave her behind, looked up.

But when she saw he was heading for an empty room, her face brightened.

Diona hurried to follow him.

* * *

"What the hell is going on?"

Mukali frowned as he saw Diona and Durante enter an empty room together.

He was surprised when Durante came out of the bride's waiting room and Diona followed right after.

He didn't expect Diona to be with the princess.

Moreover, Durante ignored Diona's call...

'Whatever happened, he shouldn't treat Diona like that.'

Seeing Diona with her head bowed, unable to lift her face, made his heart ache.

'What a temper that guy has.'

Mukali shook his head and moved toward the room they entered.

He had no intention of eavesdropping.

That was something only scoundrels did.

Standing in front of the door, Mukali snorted.

He just wanted to make sure Durante wasn't bullying Diona.

He needed to protect that poor child from the nasty Durante.

Yes, that's all.

'But to do that, I need to know what they're talking about...'

Pretending not to, Mukali leaned closer to the door and listened.

"Big Brother, you're being too harsh on me..."

Diona's voice, faint but wet with tears, reached his ears.

"How can you treat me like this?"

Diona had always been a brave and composed child, even after losing her family.

She never showed any disappointment in living without her brother.

Seeing her like this...

He wanted to burst in and comfort her.

But.

'...Even if Durante is a bad-tempered guy, he's not the type to bully someone for no reason.'

This thought made his hand hesitate on the doorknob.

"After losing Big Brother so suddenly... I've been thinking of you as my Big Brother, how can I...!"

But the moment those words reached his ears, Mukali forgot his hesitation and roughly opened the door.

Bang!

The door slammed against the wall with a loud noise.

Durante, seeing Mukali blocking the door, narrowed his eyes.

Then he bowed his head.

Mukali slammed the door shut again.

"Mukali Big Brother!"

Diona's voice was filled with disappointment, hurt, and injustice.

Mukali quickly went to her.

"Hey, Diona. Your big brother is here."

Mukali's thick hand patted Diona's shoulder.

He immediately turned to scold Durante.

"Durante, why are you treating Diona like this!"

"...I just expressed my opinion."

Durante's eyes, looking at Mukali, were filled with annoyance and irritation.

It was as if he was telling him not to meddle without knowing what happened.

Mukali flinched.

Indeed, he didn't know the whole story.

Still—

"It's definitely your fault!"

Mukali shouted, defending Diona.

"What kind of child is Diona!"

Durante, watching this with a cold eye, sighed.

"Sometimes, I envy you."

"What?"

"Your simplicity. You only see what's in front of you."

Muttering these words, Durante moved to leave the room.

Just before brushing past Diona, he stopped and whispered.

"Diona, remember what I said."

Durante's face, looking down at her, was cold and devoid of any warmth.

"I don't care what you do with the princess."

Mukali frowned.

'Princess? Is this about the princess?'

The face of the small and insignificant Thumb Princess flashed in his mind.

While Mukali hesitated, Durante took another step closer.

"But if you upset the lord."

Durante left the rest unsaid.

His cold, dark blue eyes merely swept over Diona's face.

Durante brushed past the two and left the room.

'...Maybe I should have listened to what happened.'

Mukali, clicking his tongue, looked at the already closed door.

Diona, clenching her fists, bowed her head.

Her burning gaze fixed on where Durante had stood.

'The princess must have misunderstood me. I didn't mean that, I just wanted the princess to get along well with Prince Tarkan...'

Diona, as soon as they were alone in the room, started her explanation.

Glancing at Durante, she saw his face was the same as before.

'I was just trying to tell the prince what he likes. I explained that I know his preferences because we've been close since we were young.'

'I didn't expect the princess to take it that way. I just wanted to help.'

She was speaking out of pure goodwill, to help the princess.

The princess had misunderstood.

That was the essence of Diona's long speech.

Seeing Durante listening quietly, she mustered the courage to add.

'Why did the princess say something that would make Big Brother misunderstand? She's smart enough to understand my intentions, right?'

Diona's words were clear.

Aristine had deliberately slandered her.

While praising the princess's intelligence, that was the underlying meaning.

'Diona.'

'Yes, Big Brother.'

'Why are you telling me this? What does it have to do with me?'

'Huh?'

'You don't need to explain to me. Didn't I already tell you before?'

He meant the time right after his conversation with Mukali.

At that moment, Diona realized.

'He heard it...!'

He had heard her conversation with Mukali.

With his quick judgment, Durante would have immediately understood her intentions.

Diona's face lost its color.

'Are you blaming me for this? Big Brother, you know my heart, I...!'

'That kind of feeling won't help Prince Tarkan at all.'

It was a cruel statement.

'You're being too harsh, really. Big Brother, you're being too harsh on me...'

Even as she cried, Durante's expression didn't soften.

Not even when she brought up her deceased brother as her trump card.

Instead, Mukali entered the room to comfort her.

'...Mukali Big Brother.'

Diona quietly called out to Mukali.

'Ah, Diona. Are you okay?'

Why was he so angry about the princess and her?

He said it didn't matter, but his attitude was clearly warning her.

Hiding her boiling anger, Diona gave a sad smile and looked up at Mukali.

'I'm fine, I understand. I must have done something wrong. I must have upset Big Brother Durante...'

Diona's sea-blue eyes glistened with tears.

'Diona!'

Mukali, at a loss, comforted her.

'It's not your fault. It's all Durante's fault. I'll go and scold him, okay?'

At those words, Diona wiped her eyes and smiled.

'Hehe, Mukali Big Brother is so kind. Really... like my Big Brother.'

'Yeah, I'm your big brother.'

At those words, Diona looked down.

'I thought of Big Brother Durante as my real big brother... But it seems he doesn't feel the same.'

'Diona, Durante must care about you deep down.'

'I don't know... He didn't use to be like this, and I don't understand why he's suddenly acting this way. Maybe the princess said something to Big Brother Durante about me...'

Diona, muttering to herself, quickly shook her head.

'No, no. That was a mistake!'

Diona forced a smile and waved her hands. Mukali's face turned serious.

'Did something happen in the bride's waiting room?'

'What do you mean? Nothing happened.'

Diona's face, however, clearly showed that something was wrong.

'Um, Mukali Big Brother. Remember what I told you about the princess last time?'

'Yeah.'

'Forget about it, please.'

Usually, when someone asks you to forget something, you remember it even more.

She wanted Mukali to cause a scene at the banquet in his excitement over her failure.

That would make things awkward for Mukali, but Diona didn't care.

But then—

'Forget the husband, I'll just make money.'