When I visited Sherylâs room, he seemed to be in the shower.
Nicole must have also gone in to assist him, a faint sound of the shower can be heard inside.
[Oh well, I guess Iâll just wait without permission.]
I unceremoniously laid down Sherylâs bed.
Thinking about the topic of our discussion, I feel depressed.
Will it make me sad? Or perhaps he might hate me.
Rather, once he showed me his tears, I wonât be able to forgive myself.
Even still, it must be talked about.
Itâs not for anyone elseâs, but for Sherylâs own sake.
[Huh? Big Brother, youâve come?]
Sheryl who just got out of the bath had a tinge of redness in his cheeks and felt more human-like compared to his normal self, and even for me who is his brother couldnât help but feel fidgety.
And I feel like heâs become sexier, tooâŠ. so dangerous, so dangerous.
I donât want to think that the cause of the change is His Highness even if I die.
[Thereâs just something I want to talk about.]
When I got up the bed, I picked Sheryl up and sat him next to me.
Sheryl who was approaching me without any sense of suspicion emits a fragrance from the soap.
With Sherylâs defenseless presence, my feelings shake. The fire burned down because of Nicoleâs cold gaze, though.
But when I thought that something like this should be acceptable, I held Sheryl in my arms.
Although Sheryl moved a bit, he didnât refuse because weâre not within public eyes.
Should we sleep just like this?
Since I know that I will become the villain, I wish I wouldnât need tp talk about it.
Maybe I shouldâve talked to His Highness about Sherylâs feelings before my visit, but I need to point out that thereâs a clear line between friendship and further than that, and that he might regret it.
I regularly receive reports from Nicole, and itâs exactly at the moment that Nicole who was looking for more information, found out that Sheryl is being favored by His Highness, which is disadvantageous.
Since I didnât speak even though I said I wanted to talk, Sheryl looked at me as if wondering whatâs wrong. Looking at the same red eyes as me, my stomach tightens.
[Itâs about His Highness.]
[Is something wrong with Rafael?]
[Doesnât he like you a lot? And you also donât seem to hate it.]
[ThatâsâŠ.]
Sherylâs eyes that are looking at me seem to be swimming around uncomfortably.
Realizing that he really doesnât seem to hate it, I feel like crying for some reason.
Why is it His Highness of all people?
[Iâll make it short. Youâre aware that he favors you, right?]
[âŠâŠâŠâŠ]
Just why did I notice His Highnessâ feelings?
On the other hand, it would be strange for others to not notice when His Highnessâ eyes is full of affection while looking at Sheryl.
Is there anyone who doesnât notice it after seeing?
Sheryl should have also noticed. His silence is the proof.
[I will state my own opinion. Sheryl, give up on His Highness.]
[Big Brother, IâŠ.]
Ahh, No. Please donât make such a pained expression.
[I will exclude the fact that youâre both men. Sheryl also understands His Highnessâ status, right?]
[Yes, I plan to understand it.]
[Then you should also be aware of what I want to say? I donât want Sheryl to get hurt.]
Sheryl is smart.
Without appearing in any social gathering, he understands his position as a noble. And he should also understand His Highness standing.
Thatâs why I may not need to say it now of all times.
But if Sheryl still hasnât found an answer, if thereâs still a room for consideration, I want to stop those feelings.
Even I used to welcome His Highnessâ Â power of authority.
Whether itâs because of the long time he spent on the bed, Sheryl tends to solve everything within himself.
Without relying on anyone, he hides his own trouble in his heart.
So speaking, Nicole might be an exception, Â but he knows not to speak of anything.
His Highness pulled the Sheryl, who trapped himself, out of his cage.
As a result, only His Highness knows of Sherylâs âweaknessâ other than Nicole.
I donât have any objection if theyâre just friends, though.
If itâs His Highnessâ reliable existence then Iâm grateful.
But if thereâs love mixed in, then thatâs a different matter.
Thereâs probably no one greater than His Highness. Regrettably, I can see them parting ways.
He will someday meet someone else, and thereâs no future with someone who understands that he needs to have a child, even I donât even plan on letting him walk on such a thorny path.
[I⊠I like Rafael.]
[Sheryl.]
[But I still canât figure out where that feeling is stemming from. Still, Rafael is looking at âmeâ.]
In my arms, Sheryl slightly takes off his eyes.
Thereâs no hesitation when the words came out from his mouth.
[I want to properly face this, and give Rafael my reply. Big Brotherâs worries, I also have my thought about it. But right now, I want to properly face Rafaelâs feelings.]
[I see⊠then thereâs nothing else I can say about it.]
[Big Brother?]
He probably wasnât expecting me to give in so easily, I laughed at Sheryl who looked at me with his widened big eyes.
[If Sheryl is this determined, since itâs you, you must have worried about it more than I did, right? Thatâs why I wonât say any more. And I also donât want you to hate me.]
[Thereâs no way I will hate my big brother.]
[If thatâs what you think then good. Yosh, letâs sleep just like this!]
[Uwaaah?!]
After speaking, I fell on my back while holding Sheryl.
In the past, I used to worry that an activity like this might affect his body.
But itâs different now that heâs overcome the Dreaming Illness.
Weâre changingâŠ. Iâm growing up, and so is Sheryl. To the point that I canât keep pulling his hands.
When I thought so, sorrow is surfacing.
[Sheryl, I will be your Big Brother forever, got it?]
[Shouldnât that be naturalâŠ?]
I still donât know what answer Sheryl will come up with.
However, no matter what happens, I decided that Sherylâs existence wonât change in my heart.
ââââââ
(SHERYLâS POV)
I was also surprised about the topic Big Brother mentioned, but when I think about how much heâs worried about me, I feel thankful.
I donât know where he heard about Raphael and me, but he probably heard the majority of it from Nicole.
It seems an event is regularly happening in places I donât know, and the number of times Lydiâs name comes out from everyoneâs mouth increases each day.
Welmina is also getting along well with Lydi, and although we also often meet, but the number of times we talk isnât much.
âŠ..I donât feel like Iâm being avoided, though.
But I canât think of a reason.
While I wasnât aware of it, did I perhaps do something that has hurt Lydi?
[Ah!]
As we were advancing through the hallway, Welmina raised her voice.
At the end of our sight, Schpudreine together with the usual two girls with her talking to Lydi about something.
Are they perhaps talking about mental preparations for nobles?
[Schpudreine-sama sure doesnât get tired of it. Even though sheâs just a fiance âcandidateâ.]
[Itâs not that I donât understand where sheâs coming from, thoughâŠ.]
Itâs true that there are classes among the aristocrats.
But itâs not that easy to work on human relationships alone. But before I run out of reasons, Rafael will have probably caught me.
[Is it about Rafael and the others?]
[Most probably. Theyâve been getting along well lately after all.]
So theyâre getting along with each otherâŠ
If the event is going according to the game, then it might be so. Since itâs a game to fall in love with the capture targets.
Is it because I know where itâs heading, the inside of my heart feels murky.
Even though the ones who will give their reply will be them, there shouldnât be a need for me to care about it.
[They seem about to finish their talk.]
Schpudreine didnât seem to change the location like she did with me.
Lydi who was about to leave the place with her head down, noticed us.
She immediately ran towards Welmina.
[Will!]
[Lydi, are you okay?]
[Yeah! I just got warned.]
[Are they planning to join the Public Morals Committee or something? Sheryl-kun has also been called out by them.]
[He, didâŠ.?]
As I thought, Lydi becomes awkward when the topic is me.
Even though weâve only had bland conversations, I wonder what I did bad to Lydi?
I thought of asking her personally, but when I look at Lydi who doesnât want to meet eyes with me, it makes my inquiring feelings go sour.
[Hey, Will. Whereâs could Camille-kun possibly be right now?]
[SInce he got called by the teacher earlier, heâs probably in the staff room.]
[I see, thank you! See you later!]
She probably needs Camille for something so she asked Welmina his whereabouts and hastily ran.
As I was watching the hurrying Lydiâs back, Welmina called out.
[Sheryl-kun, did something happen with Lydi?]
[Hmmm, I also donât have any idea.]
Welmina has apparently also noticed the difference in Lydiâs attitude.
Iâve never met with Lydi except when Iâm with Welmina, and Welmina who knows about all our conversation tilted her head.