Beauty and the Ugly Count

Delicately embroidered white dress, sparkling diamond tiara and colorful flowers. Everyone in the mansion was busy preparing for the wedding tomorrow. Among them, the only leisure person was the new bride, Velita.

She yawned a little to get rid of the boredom. There was no excitement or irritation in  her reading the book. It was just drowsiness and quietness. It was her younger brother, Rael, who broke through the door and came in roughly. Velita tried to hide the book in a hurry, and after confirming that it was Rael, she sighed of relief.

“Sister! Are you really going to marry him?”

“Why are you shouting in broad light?”

“Sorry. But, sister, please think again.”

“Just because I think about it again, there’s no way that tomorrow’s wedding is not going to happen, and what else can I do?”

“But the other person… Isn’t Count Erten? Oh, even if I think about it, it doesn’t seem like this.”

Rael bowed his head and clenched his fist. Vellita looked at him with dry eyes, then got up from her seat and stroked Rael’s head.

“What the hell are you worried about? What is Count Erten’s grumbling? Isn’t this all, that I don’t care about? But you shouldn’t talk about the person’s appearance. You know how rude and low excuse this is?”

“I know, but if you go, you may never see me again. You don’t know what it will be like to be the wife of Count Erten, who doesn’t come out well in the social world or even outside the castle?”

“Rather, this is a good situation. I can live quietly as I wish…I mean.”

“Sister!”

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep in touch with you only. And, if I say I’ll meet my only brother. With what rights can he stop it, anyway?”

“Sister.”

“Rather, I looking forward to it. Rumor has it that Count Erten was crazy about buying a variety of books. I am excited to see about how big the study is.”

“You’re not marrying a book.”

“But I’m marrying a man who can buy me a bunch of books.”

“Sister really….”

“Rael, whoever I marry is no different. In the end, it’s not something I can decide.”

Rael, who heard the words, seemed to give up, with a powerless gesture he sat on the chair.

“It would have been nice if I was born as the eldest son.”

“Rael, it’s only a headache for you to become a lord. At the right time, go up to the capital, take the scribe exam, and get out of this house. That’s the smartest way.”

“It might be the smartest way but… I’m not as smart as my sister, so I don’t know if I am wise enough to take the exam. Is it really wise to live flat on my face while paying attention to my father’s eyes, then one to be sold and one to run away?”

“If you lives as well as he wants and finds his life, it is enough. Instead of being a proper benefit to the family he is so obsessed with, he get a foothold to live the life he want. Your mother told you to survive, right? Then Survive.”

“Are you still unable to forgive, father and eldest brother?”

“Forgiveness? There is no reason to have such feelings toward a stupid father who does anything for his greed.”

Velita crossed her legs and smiled. It was a very friendly-looking smile, but Rael did know the poison and regret contained in it. Rael couldn’t say anything to her lies. This was because the two could benefit the family in front of their father and survive only if they were good children without rebellion.

“So you mean you’re going to get married in the end?”

“Why is the story back to the beginning. I don’t think there is such a good condition. If I were to stay in the capital, I will always be be interfered indirectly.”

“Sister, you’re being quite too much.”

“That’s right, I want to sit around peacefully and read my favorite book for my life. To be honest, I just want to end this marriage by filing at church, but it’s the end, so I have to pretend to be an obedient daughter to the end. Just leave the house and when you’re free just visit me.”

Rael shook his head at the words of his sister, who had no expectation of her marriage.

“Okay.”

“Okay, then go ahead. You’re busy saying hello to the guests, right? This sister has to clean her mind before marriage, so she can’t leave this room.”

“Are you pretending to be a new bride only in this case?”

As Velita shook her hand as if he was a bother, Rael got up from his seat, staring at her with an unpleasant face. Then he looked at the book on the table.

It would have been tattered if it hadn’t been for a piece of paper wrapped around the corners so that the end of the cover wasn’t damaged.