This Time, My Brother-in-Law Proposed - Chapter 1.8

The coachman of the Count Dunbury’s family flinched at the sight of Aiden beside me.

“Is he an acquaintance of the miss?”

“……In a manner of speaking. Sorry, but I’d like to talk with him for a while.”

“Then shall I return in about half an hour?”

Aiden cut in.

“After Lady Irene’s business is concluded, I will escort her home myself. Return.”

“Pardon? Uh……. You’ll be staying that long?”

The coachman’s gaze wavered.

I understand why he’s conflicted. He means, ‘How can a woman before marriage spend time with an unknown man and return together?’

I want to avoid unnecessary rumors.

I borrowed Ernst’s name.

“This man is the younger brother of my fiancé, Ernst. We have things to discuss regarding the marriage. Ernst is busy, so he came in his place.”

“Aha! Yes, I’ve heard about it. They said he had a very brave younger brother!”

Suddenly, the coachman’s eyes sparkled.

He started chattering on his own about things I didn’t ask.

“I heard it from my younger brother who lives near the Western Fortress. They say he pierced a wyvern’s head with a single spear! And it was to save a comrade everyone had given up on. That area is buzzing with the rumor, why don’t you boast about it a bit around here too!”

It’s later that Aiden becomes famous as a battle-mad soldier. So at this time, there are people who know him by word of mouth?

And in a good way at that.

But Aiden neither confirmed nor denied it to the coachman, and the coachman mumbled awkwardly.

“W-well, you probably don’t want to talk about work when you’ve finally come out on leave. Then I’ll entrust our miss to you!”

“Yes.”

A dispassionate, resolute reply. The coachman hesitated and then stepped back, and I awkwardly looked up at Aiden.

Aiden opened his mouth.

“I’m not accustomed to escorting a Lady, so I might commit some discourtesies. Shall we move elsewhere first?”

“……And you’re not accustomed to tailing either?”

“That is also true.”

Quite brazen, isn’t he.

We moved to a table inside a nearby tea house. I wanted to sit on the terrace, but with a man in military uniform under the bright sun, the passersby were all whispering, so I had no choice.

Of course, even inside, avoiding other people’s muttering was impossible.

“Oh my, why is a soldier here? Is he on a mission?”

“What if monsters are attacking nearby?”

“Surely not! Shall we go ask?”

“Ask and ask him to protect us too?”

Customers giggling. But when Aiden looked their way, the customers flinched, promptly paid, and fled from the tea house.

He’s probably a year or so younger than me, but he has an air of intimidation that doesn’t suit his age.

But to the current me, he’s just an ex-brother-in-law.

Compared to the battle-mad Aiden from three years later, he even looks boyish now.

“Mr. Aiden. Will you explain why you were tailing me, and why you ‘got caught’ tailing me?”

“My older brother asked me yesterday. ‘My fiancée Irene is acting unusual. Track her to see if she’s meeting another man,’ he said.”

“…….”

My fist clenched involuntarily.

That future adulterer says the damnedest things. Does he think I’m like him?

Aiden looked at me and said.

“As a soldier tailing a civilian is wrong, I refused immediately, but my older brother insisted ‘Isn’t a fiancée colluding with another man even more wrong?’ and wouldn’t back down, so…… I came out after promising him it would be my last favor.”

Ernst, you’re full of tricks.

“Then why did you stop tailing and reveal yourself?”

“Because I heard Lady Irene shout, ‘There will be no man in my life.’ I thought it wasn’t a matter that could be resolved by tailing.”

“Ugh, you heard that too?”

“It was audible as I entered the shop. Excuse me, but my older brother still seems to consider you his fiancée. Is that a misconception on my brother’s part?”

“Yes.”

I cut him off firmly.

“I can’t say what happened, but I don’t want to marry Ernst.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen Lady Irene speak so resolutely. My older brother must have said something unpleasant.”

Aiden didn’t seem very surprised. He didn’t look like he intended to defend his brother. Well, Ernst has always subtly looked down on his younger brother, so the younger brother probably can’t like his brother either.

“Understood. I will convey that Lady Irene has no other man.”

“Hmm……. Excuse me, could you add something else?”

“Pardon?”

Even if I say there’s no other man, Ernst might cling to me again.

Therefore, the answer I chose was!

To horrify Ernst.

“Could you say that I was just having fun with my life?”

“……Specifically, what kind of?”

“Watching plays, wasting time in gardens, walking through shopping districts picking out snacks, sometimes laughing and running among the children at the fountain……. In short, that I looked hardly like an adult preparing for marriage.”