Chapter 4

"Oz, it seems the two of them are not satisfied with your complaint."

"How dare they try to escape punishment after making me go through this! What a bunch of scoundrels!"

Oswald roared. Thanks to Alex's presence, he was acting even more domineering than usual. ...Incidentally, Alex himself was sighing on the throne, unnoticed by Oswald, who then approached me.

"But rejoice, Leila! I am merciful! If you promise to behave and return to being my fiancée, I will overlook this matter, including your sister!"

"...What?"

After I was the one to break the engagement, he wants me to come back? After he found my presence annoying and chose the cute-looking sister instead? I was puzzled by this sudden change of heart.

"Isn't this a good proposal? If you just behave, everything will be resolved smoothly."

Oswald emphasized the word "behave" unusually.

...Could it be?

He means I should stop all unnecessary nagging from now on and just spread charm, right?

"No."

"What!?"

"Maintain proper manners and knowledge. It's you who will be embarrassed."

"Even at this point, you still nag at me!?"

"It's not nagging. It's advice as an old friend."

"~! Brother, please impose severe punishment on these people!"

Oswald turned around, his face as red as a ripe fruit. Alex nodded thoughtfully and then, as if remembering something, raised his index finger.

"By the way, Oz. There's someone else who is not satisfied with this complaint, besides them."

"Who!?"

"It's me."

"...Huh?"

When Alex pointed to himself, the flames of Oswald's anger instantly diminished.

"Reason one: Leila had no reason to break the engagement. She has been worried about you since childhood and cares about your future. She is one of the few who hasn't abandoned you, even though you've remained a child."

"Ah... Brother?"

Alex continued calmly.

"Reason two: You had a reason to break the engagement. I heard your complaints about Leila through the butlers and maids."

...So I was being complained about.

"Reason three: You said you were hit by Sophina... but she only uses violence when Leila is hurt."

"That's not true!"

"No, it is."

Alex stated this with certainty. I saw him smile wryly and somehow understood. Probably, he has also been hit by Sophina before.

Looking at my sister, she smiled as if she understood my thoughts and made a gesture of hitting something with her fist.

"It's an old story, but I gave her a light hit when she belittled my sister."

"..."

Perhaps there are more victims of Sophina than I know.

"---So, just thinking off the top of my head, there are this many reasons."

"..."

Alex continued listing reasons. By the time he finished, Oswald was just opening and closing his mouth like a fish gasping for air.

"Any counterarguments?"

"A, oh—"

"Oz, it seems you lack the awareness required as a member of the royal family. I realized this through this incident."

Alex, pressing his temples, then announced his decision to Oswald.

"Since you are no longer Leila's fiancé, there's no need to hold back. Out of the country—"

"Please wait."

Alex's words were interrupted by my sister.

"Sending Lord Oswald abroad is dangerous. Despite being of royal blood, he is foolish, rash, and lacks discipline with women, making him easy to manipulate. The consequences will fall on our country."

"What, what did you say!?"

Oswald, who had lost his momentum, became angry again. Ignoring him, Sophina took a step closer to Alex.

"I understand your point, Sophina, but what do you suggest?"

"I have a good plan. A brilliant idea that will punish me for my violent behavior and re-educate Lord Oswald in one go."

"What is it? This plan of yours?"

...Could it be, Sophina?

"It's simple. I will become Lord Oswald's fiancée."

"If you're curious about how many victims Sophina has, please bookmark and give ★★★★★."

(Comics Chapter 3, pages 1-6, first panel)