Time continues to pass.

The final year of school flew by in the blink of an eye.

My life was generally smooth, with the only concern being that my brother’s pampering tendencies were intensifying. He would often say things like, “It would be a shame to let her get married,” and spoil me in various ways. It seemed that my brother was a hopeless siscon.

Despite saying quirky things, he always treated me kindly, reminiscent of our childhood connection.

By the way, even after the summer break, Isla wasn’t adopted into Duke Meldel’s family, remaining a baroness as always. It seemed that Isla’s rise to nobility didn’t happen because the robustly healthy Duchess Camilla Meldel, whom I casually inquired with, mentioned that she hadn’t even met Isla yet.

The Duchess Meldel continued to be friendly with me. As the head of academics, she mentioned attending the graduation party as an honored guest, expressing anticipation for “celebrating Mireille’s departure.”

Yes, the graduation party was approaching in less than three months, marking the end of our school life.

The end of the game was near. Recently, the close friends, daughters of nobility, were obsessed with discussions about the dresses they would wear to the graduation party. It’s customary for engaged daughters to receive a dress from their fiancé, usually custom-made to match the color of their fiancé’s eyes or hair.

However, there was no sign that the Crown Prince would give me a dress. So, I decided to have one made for myself and called a designer to the mansion.

“Making your own dress for the graduation party? But, Mireille, wouldn’t it be given by the Crown Prince?” My brother asked, expressing a very reasonable doubt.

“I can’t expect that,” I replied.

“Why can’t you expect it from the Crown Prince?”

After hesitating, I decided to confess to my brother about the’strained relationship’ with the Crown Prince. There was no point in hiding it, as it would likely be revealed at the graduation party.

I shared everything: the inability to communicate with the Crown Prince, the fact that he disliked me, his infatuation with Baroness Isla Donovan, and how he openly flirted with her but never gave me a single gift.

My brother listened to it all with a poker face.

“Well then, let me give you the dress.”

“No, it’s okay. I actually have quite a bit of pocket money…”

“For an unmarried woman, it’s customary for the dress to be provided by her fiancé or a male relative. If the Crown Prince won’t fulfill his duty, I will.”

My brother, in his typical fashion, didn’t forget to add a slight sarcasm, saying he would provide a dress with his own sense of style.

And so, the dress my brother obtained for me was an elegant A-line gown. It was dyed a pale blue color with delicate embroidery done in moonlit thread.

As I looked at myself in the mirror wearing the dress, my cheeks blushed, and I was captivated.

“It’s really lovely… The blue with gold thread, he made it to match Prince Judrich’s eyes and hair, didn’t he?”

It was slightly different from the Crown Prince’s color scheme, but it was rather refined and beautiful.

As I thought about this,

“No, it’s my color.”

“Huh?”

I stared at my brother. His eyes were ice blue, just like the color of the dress I was wearing.

“Dressing an unmarried woman in his own color is something a fiancé should do, right!? It’s not something a brother should do!”

My brother shrugged his shoulders as if he wanted to say something. What’s with that clearly awkward attitude?

“…It’s fine. I’ve always thought that my colors suit you better than the Crown Prince’s. If the Crown Prince isn’t needed, I won’t hesitate to step in.”

“???”

His siscon tendencies were reaching a critical level…

Despite thinking that, I couldn’t take my eyes off my brother’s meaningfully smiling face. My heart was pounding for some reason. Even though he’s family, it feels strange.

***

Since I found out that my brother could be one of Isla’s potential love interests, I wasn’t that worried.

It’s okay. Big Brother won’t fall for Isla.

I haven’t bullied Ira, so there shouldn’t be any encounter flags.

Big Brother, no matter what he says, is always kind to me.

I believe in you, big brother.

I beeeeeelieved in you, big brother!!!!

A month before graduation, in the school’s backyard.

I witnessed my brother wall-slamming Isla, and I was plunged into the depths of despair.

Why is big brother here at the academy?

Why is he wall-slamming Isla?

Various questions surfaced, but the still-like scene made my chest feel uneasy.

Whispering something into Isla’s ear as if pleading for love, my brother Mireld. Isla, with shining eyes, excitedly responded.

The sense of loss was greater than when the Crown Prince cheated on me. Because I had opened my heart, the shock of being betrayed by my brother was indescribable.

It felt like the same feeling as when my kind brother suddenly distanced himself from me in childhood.

Why does he always betray me without warning?

I wonder how long big brother and Isla have known each other.

Was he being kind to me just to gain my trust before betraying me?

If that’s the case, is this the ‘Mireld route’?

Playing the ally for Mireille and finally betraying her to marry Isla…

A betrayer.

I won’t rely on you anymore, big brother.

I left the scene pretending not to see, and after school, I immersed myself in the casino to focus on building my assets.