Inside the carriage, I expressed my gratitude to my brother.

“Thank you very much, dear brother. You went so far as to call His Majesty just to help me, didn’t you?”

“I heard about the discord between you and His Highness from you. But if I were to criticize His Highness recklessly, it would be considered disrespectful. There was no choice but to control the situation.”

“Dear brother…”

My chest started to feel warm.

This person had always been by my side.

I had foolishly believed that I had been abandoned by my brother.

However…

With a mischievous smile, my brother directed his gaze toward me.

“You are quite careless. Regardless of receiving funeral flowers, trampling on them due to emotions is unacceptable. If you had received a malicious gift, you should have preserved the evidence properly.”

“Yes… I apologize.”

I hadn’t realized at all that they were funeral flowers.

In any case, discarding them without thinking was a mistake.

“How did you find out about the disagreement over the bouquet? You even researched the types of flowers,” I asked.

“I went to the academy and asked Miss Donovan directly.”

“Eh?”

“I heard that the Crown Prince was showing interest in Miss Donovan, and I wanted to investigate the situation. Since it’s not easy to obtain information from within the school from the outside, I decided to go there under the pretext of work—about a month ago.”

a month ago. It might have been when my brother was cornering Isla against the wall in the school’s backyard.

“As soon as Miss Donovan saw me, she narrowed her eyes and approached me. a repulsive woman. It was unpleasant to be addressed casually by her at our first meeting. I can’t understand why Prince Judrick was infatuated with such a woman.”

Isla apparently exclaimed, “Wait, is this the Mireld route!?” while looking at my brother.

“Miss Donovan complained to me about being bullied by Mireille and having the flowers she gave you thrown away. So, I said to her, ‘To apologize for my sister’s rudeness, I want to send you flowers. I’m not familiar with flower shops, so if you have a favorite, could you tell me?’ After investigating the flower shop she mentioned, it became clear that Miss Donovan had indeed sent you condolence flowers.”

“I caused you trouble. I doubted my brother… I’m really sorry.”

“What, was I suspected?”

With a wry smile, my brother gently patted my head. His hand was warm, and it made me happy, as if I had returned to my childhood.

“I’ll never doubt you again, dear brother. Because you’re my only family. I want to be close siblings like we were in our childhood.”

For some reason, my brother frowned as if he were displeased.

“Siblings, huh?”

Why doesn’t he readily agree to that?

“Well, fine. Siblings, it is. It’s nice to be working with you from now on.”

“Huh?”

My brother didn’t say anything more; he just sighed deeply and sank into the backrest.

Afterward…

Judrick was officially stripped of his position as the Crown Prince, demoted to the commoner class, and exiled from the capital.

He was not allowed to enter the capital again and would have to live on his own from now on.

Despite being confident, he seemed oblivious to his surroundings, and it was doubtful how long he could survive on his own due to a lack of practical skills.

Oh, by the way, it wasn’t just him living on his own.

Isla, who had been disowned by the Donovan Baron family, also returned to being a commoner and was expelled from the capital.

Perhaps they could cooperate and try their best together.

At the graduation party, the moment the “Mireille side concubine statement” was uttered, it seemed like an irreparable rift had formed between Isla and Judrick.

But who cares?

Whether they stick together or drift apart, feel free.

Actually, a few months later, these two would do something even more outrageous and face severe punishment. It’s a long story, so I’ll talk about it another time.

By the way, I received ample compensation from the royal family and enjoyed a carefree life in my parents’ home.

“Fufufufu. Now, I can finally do what I’ve always wanted…!”

After finishing my perfect disguise in the dressing room, I happily walked out of the mansion’s entrance.

Now that everything around me had finally settled, I could finally afford to go meet my ‘beloved’!

Today would be the first time in my life that I would see my favorite person in person. Hehe, a live favorite… The excitement was unstoppable!

“Wait for me, Noel!”

“Noel? Is that the name of your lover?”

“Oh, dear brother!?”

Right behind me, as I was about to get on the carriage, my brother called out.

He was looking at me intently.

“Mireille, what’s with that attire? Wearing a commoner’s dress… You’re not infatuated with a commoner man, are you?”

My brother’s handsome face took on a sinister color.

What is with that intensity? It’s scary.

“N-no, it’s not like that. Anyway, I want to go out, so please leave me alone.”

“Do you think I can just leave you be?”

And with a stern expression, my brother said,

“Whether you were at fault or not, having your engagement broken by the royal family has turned you into a ‘damaged good.’ Finding a new place to marry will be difficult for you in the future.”

“It’s okay. I’ll manage somehow eventually.”

Can I go now? I really want to go to Noel’s place…!

As I fidgeted with excitement to go out, my brother lifted my chin with a “ku-i” sound.

“Will you live here for the rest of your life without marrying into another family?”

“Yes!?”

“I don’t mind. You have talent for managing territories, and you seem like you’d make a good partner. Think about it.”

“The meaning of ‘partner’ is mistaken!”

There was an unusual passion in his eyes.

Instinctively pushing him away, I got on the carriage.

“…Please stop joking! Anyway, pursuing my favorite is the top priority now.”

“What a shame.”

Muttering that, my brother also got on the carriage.

“Why are you coming along?”

“I’ll accompany you in your pursuit. I need to assess the man you are pursuing as your brother.”

“Wait a minute…”

My brother got on the carriage without permission and instructed the coachman to “depart.”

“Hey, what’s up with my brother!? I suddenly remembered that my brother is the target of a hidden route.

Marquise Mireld Gasstark, a bewildering marquise whose thoughts I can’t understand at all…

You don’t have to play with your own younger sister.

You’re not my favorite, you know!”