The Drinking Sage 51

The atmosphere in the party hall was peaceful.

After the grotesque figure had been driven out by Silvia earlier, everyone had regained their composure and was conversing comfortably.

“…”

However, for some reason, it seemed that the area around me was not quite the same.

A spacious table. Having left the head table, we moved to a place where more than ten people could sit.

But only I and three women were seated there. No one else dared to approach this place.

Well, that was inevitable.

“Isn’t anyone going to talk?”

Seeing the cold air emanating from these three women, anyone would think twice about approaching.

Rinet’s tone was flat. A light manner of speaking, as if asking something trivial.

She took a sip from the water glass in her hand and spoke.

“It seems everyone here is thinking the same thing.”

Her words struck at the core.

All three gathered here. Well, in the case of the Sword Star, it might be different. Anyway, they were women who had romantic feelings for me.

In this unfortunate situation where poor young women who had fallen for the same man were checking each other, Rinet began to break the silence.

“So?”

The one who responded was Adela. The wine glass in her hand was already empty.

Adela poured a cocktail from the magitech wine bottle in her hand. With the gurgling sound of liquid being poured, she spoke softly.

“Are you saying I should give up because you liked him first?”

Adela, too, spoke without hesitation. Since Rinet had brought up a sensitive topic, she showed her intention not to beat around the bush either.

“…”

Rinet looked down at her water glass. When I was dancing with Adela, she had been drinking juice, but now she was drinking water.

The reason was simple. When the last woman said she would have juice, Rinet showed her displeasure and changed her drink to water.

“What are you talking about?”

In place of Rinet, who gave no answer, Silvia opened her mouth. She looked at the two women alternately with innocent eyes and tilted her head. She seemed not to understand.

What might be slightly impressive was that she had a straw in her mouth. She seemed to have taken a liking to the straw while drinking the juice in her cup.

“What’s this same thought?”

“Are you pretending not to know, or do you really not know?”

“Know what?”

Silvia didn’t flinch at Adela’s criticism. She just blinked her eyes as if she truly didn’t understand what was being asked.

“Haa….”

In the end, Adela let out a deep sigh.

‘This will be difficult.’

Even I, who had spent a long time with Silvia, found her difficult to deal with, so how much more so for Adela.

“The thing is.”

Rinet, who had been maintaining silence, opened her mouth. She shifted her gaze from the water glass and calmly looked at Adela and Silvia.

“It’s not a sin to love the same person, or to love multiple people.”

“?”

Silvia’s head tilted. It meant she didn’t understand what was being said.

However, Adela’s case was different. She frowned deeply, as if she had inferred the significant part of what Rinet had omitted.

“How does that make sense?”

“…”

Compared to the angry Adela, Rinet’s expression was calm. As if she had anticipated Adela would react like this.

“Is love done by two people or by many? Is that your common sense?”

“Then, is it also common sense that royalty only loved one person?”

“…ugh.”

Adela was at a loss for words.

I, too, listening to the ongoing conversation, couldn’t open my mouth. Of course, this was a fight between women, so it wasn’t something I should interfere with.

‘What is the Saint thinking?’

I was taken aback by the increasingly intense nature of Rinet’s remarks.

“…I can’t accept that.”

Adela gritted her teeth.

“The place beside my man is naturally mine alone. And of course, my man should only love me-“

Her gaze was fierce. She seemed unwilling to accept the idea of loving the same person.

Only that love is bidirectional. She probably wouldn’t accept anything beyond a triangle relationship.

But Rinet simply cut in with a dispassionate remark.

“Even if it means you won’t be chosen?”

“What…!”

“Think about it carefully.”

Rinet’s expression didn’t crack. It was the heart of a woman who had already finished all her deliberations.

“The prince will decide the winner. Isn’t it common sense that in love, the one who liked the other first is at a disadvantage?”

Silence.

Adela said nothing to those words. She just gritted her teeth and glared at her wine glass.

“…?”

Silvia just tilted her head.

The atmosphere at the table was chilly. No one could easily open their mouth.

‘This is awkward.’

It was a long silence that made even my emotionless heart quite uncomfortable. Yet, I couldn’t easily speak up because of the many sins I had committed.

Just as I was wishing for someone to break this atmosphere, something I had never done before—relying on others—

Surprisingly, help came from outside.

“Brother!”

Tap-tap-tap- The sound of a woman’s distinctive footsteps approaching.

She might be wearing a dress, holding the hem of her skirt with her hands and diligently moving her slender legs—that image formed in my mind.

Above all, this familiar voice striking my ears.

A feeling of joy rose in my expression as I stood up.

“Lorela.”

“Brother! It’s been a while.”

The figure approaching our table was a girl with blonde hair tied and hanging down to the nape of her neck.

A mature yet childish body on the verge of adulthood. The audaciously protruding breast fat was already close to that of an adult.

My younger sister, the Fourth Princess Lorela von Welert.

She was carrying large baskets in both hands. Judging by her slightly heavy breathing, she seemed to have been running.

“What brings you here?”

“I thought brother would be at this party, so I came too.”

Well, Lorela is also royalty. The Tower Master, who invited influential figures, wouldn’t have left Lorela out.

Then, what was the reason for her late arrival?

When I inquired with a look, Lorela chuckled and replied.

“I was late because I was making snacks for you, brother. Oh my, it’s a bit embarrassing…”

I smiled awkwardly at the familiar content. I was happy, but the smile was formed because I thought she was still inexperienced.

Running up so noticeably would draw the attention of many people. As I expected, the hall was already buzzing again.

-Is that girl the Fourth Princess?

-She doesn’t seem very royal-like. Someone running in a place like this.

-And what’s with the basket in her hand?

But Lorela seemed not to care about such reactions. She brought a nearby chair and plopped down.

“…”

Three pairs of pupils staring at her.

They might have been surprised by the sudden change in the situation, but they would have quickly noticed that this girl was my younger sister.

Lorela seemed not to have taken them into account yet, and she urged me to sit back in my chair.

She quickly placed two baskets on the table. As she took out each wrapping, it was clear that everything was handmade.

“Here, brother. I made these with great effort. This chocolate is made from fruits grown in the southern part of the Empire…”

“Lorela.”

I put on a troubled smile and held Lorela’s shoulder.

I usually don’t enjoy touching women’s bodies, but I was comfortable with Lorela, being my sister.

Lorela, with her skin touched, finally looked at me and tilted her head.

“Yes? What is it, brother?”

“First, wouldn’t you like to introduce yourself to these people?”

At my words, Lorela’s head turned again.

Blue pupils crossing with three pairs of pupils. After exchanging glances with each person, Lorela looked back at me and.

“…Brother.”

“Yes?”

“Who are these people?”

I was momentarily speechless at the question filled with doubt.

‘How should I answer?’

I could say they were just acquaintances, classmates. I could make any number of such statements.

‘But that would be unfair.’

I was reluctant to make such statements to women who expressed affection for me.

Inevitably, I explained appropriately, trying not to shock Lorela’s heart.

“They are my academy classmates, women I’m close to.”

“Ah, is that so?”

Lorela smiled brightly at my words. As if she had heard something amusing.

“Then they’re my future sisters-in-law, aren’t they?”

“What?”

I was so shocked that I even forgot to behave in a royal manner.

Ignoring my astonished expression, Lorela politely bowed to them.

“Hello, future sisters-in-law! I’m Lorela von Welert. I’m brother Loran’s younger sister.”

She began by introducing herself simply.

“First, would each of you tell me about your status, abilities, or anything worth boasting about?”

-If any of you seem like you might burden my brother, I, you know, won’t tolerate it.

…There didn’t seem to be a grain of falsehood in Lorela’s statement, which made it truly difficult.