Chapter 368: [Elizabeth's Engagement Party] [3] Jealous Brother-In-Law
Chapter 368: [Elizabeth's Engagement Party] [3] Jealous Brother-In-Law
"John..." I grumbled, stepping into the living room.
There, seated brazenly on the sofa with his legs crossed, was my brother-in-law. He was dressed in a sharp black suit for the special occasion. His red eyes turned toward me, clearly annoyed.
"What?" He snapped.
John's white hair, which had turned that color after his awakening, made him look strikingly different. It had some shades of red mixed in, and he exuded a presence that was far more intimidating than before. However, this newfound intensity didn't faze me in the least. To me, he was still the same sis-con tsundere he had always been.
[<I think that applies to you as well, Amael.>]
Only the sis-con part.
[<Seldom the second part too.>]
Ignoring Cleenha's commentary, I focused on John. "What are you doing here?" I asked bluntly, skipping any formal greetings.
It wasn't because I hated him. Our relationship was simply a twisted brother-in-law dynamic. I had to admit, I was also annoyed, especially these past few weeks.
As expected, she was there too. Sitting closely on the sofa next to John was a very beautiful girl with an aura of a princess. Her reddish-brown hair was tied neatly behind her, and her bottle-green eyes avoided mine when I looked at her. She wore a lovely green dress and seemed shy under my gaze.
This had become a familiar scene recently. Every time I saw John, Amelia Dolphis was with him. Even when I needed to discuss something important, he would drag her along. I had a theory that once a sis-con brother finds a lover, he becomes a yandere. Of course, I kept this theory to myself to avoid John's embarrassment-fueled wrath.
I didn't have anything against Amelia. In fact, I was grateful for her presence as she seemed to be a salvation for John. I had even sent her gifts, which shocked her, but that was the extent of my joy in knowing that Amelia's relationship with John meant his obsession with Layla was diminishing.
From an outside perspective, it seemed like I was a caring brother-in-law or a concerned friend worried that John wasn't finding anyone suitable and was potentially ignoring the only girl who would ever love him. However, my true motivations were much more personal.
I hadn't expected how close those two would become. It didn't take long for them to transition from mere acquaintances to lovers. John was eager to boast about their relationship, constantly showing off to me. I wanted to brag about having a beautiful fiancée waiting for me in Celesta, who happened to be his sister, but the distance made that impossible. Each passing day, I started to feel a bit envious.
[<Jealous, you can use that word.>]
I began feeling envious of the dynamic between John and Amelia. If I had stayed in Celesta, I would have been flirting with Layla and Miranda during my second year of school. I even had some dreams about it. Here, I had no one to counter John's displays of affection.
"Taking part in my brother-in-law's second engagement," John replied with a snort.
I snorted back.
It's not like I wanted it.
I'm tired of repeating that to this bastard."
"Well, you guys sure have gotten close these last few days," I said with a smile, taking a seat on the sofa across from them. "So, did you do it?"
John frowned. "Did what?"
His reaction said it all. He was still a virgin. Virgin John didn't understand, but the blushing Amelia clearly did. She glared at me. "O-Of course not!"
John's brain quickly processed what we were talking about from Amelia's reaction, and his cheeks flushed red. "You bastard..."
I smirked, crossing my legs. "There is no shame in being a virgin, John."
[<There is shame in having his virginity stolen away, though.>]
My smirk wavered a little, threatening to crumble, but I held it together.
"You are also a virgin if I'm not wrong," John scoffed, averting his gaze.
Right... He didn't know about my night with Elizabeth. He was also unaware of the true reason behind my engagement to her. I had somewhat cajoled him into believing that Duncan Tepes, a DemiGod, forced me into it and that it couldn't be helped. That was a complete lie, of course. And I had no intention of telling him the truth.
The first thing he would do is send a letter to Layla to inform her that I lost my virginity to a foreign princess. It sounds ridiculous, like the behavior of a jobless brother, but that was exactly how John was. The last thing I wanted was for Layla to learn about it. She might have already heard about the engagement ceremony between Elizabeth and me. Thankfully, I had anticipated this and sent Layla letters explaining the circumstances of the engagement.
What was scary was that I hadn't received a reply to those letters. I forced myself to believe that Layla bought my explanation. It was better for my mental health to think that way. Some might think I was acting too cowardly, but I had played through Layla's Villainess Route. Believe me, nobody wants to see an angry, broken, yandere Layla. Without sounding arrogant, her love for me was intense-extremely heavy. I could feel it and see it in her eyes, several times more than what she had with Alfred, and it kept growing.
So, to play it safe, I waved my hand dismissively. "Yeah, whatever."
"Amelia, is that you?" My sister's voice rang out as she descended the stairs. She spotted Amelia and yelled out.
"S-Senior!"Amelia stood up and rushed toward Christina, hugging her. "I'm so happy to see
you!"
Christina, who was very popular at the academy and close to the students, especially the princesses of the Great Houses.
She had a bitter smile as she patted Amelia's back. We were all aware that Amelia wasn't in the best state at the moment. Her capital had been destroyed and was in the process of
reconstruction.
Her father was still undergoing treatment after battling an executive of Behemoth, who turned out to be his supposedly dead brother and consequently Amelia's uncle. Both she and her mother had been kidnapped, and her brother had fallen into a coma-like state after our fight. Despite everything, Amelia didn't resent me; her brother was alright when she went to see him. The Dolphins House believed Behemoth had done something to Adrian. She had gone through a lot.
The only reason she could smile and be happy at this moment was John, her recent lover. He was doing an excellent job of supporting her.
"Now, now, you will get your dress wrinkled," Christina said, stepping back.
"R-Right," Amelia chuckled, taking a step back. But when she spotted two beautiful girls behind Christina, she exclaimed loudly, "Woah! Who are these beauties?!"
In that moment, she looked and sounded just like she did during the first months of the academy. That was the Annabelle and Samara effect.
"I am Annabelle, pleased to meet you," Annabelle said, lifting the hem of her yellow skirt awkwardly. She had learned etiquette at home and deemed it worthy to show it to Amelia,
who was a princess.
"So cute!" Amelia hugged Annabelle tightly.
"Ha!" Annabelle was caught off guard and tried to pry herself away. "My dress...!"
"Ah, sorry!" Amelia quickly stepped back with a smile. "You were just too cute-huh?"
Amelia froze upon seeing Samara.
"Samara," Samara said coolly with her arms crossed.
The reason Amelia froze was likely because of Samara's appearance. She was wearing a dark blue dress that stopped just above her knees, reminiscent of Cinderella's dress but in a darker hue. Samara's white legs were visible, and she exuded a cold presence, yet she was undeniably beautiful. She had nothing to envy from any princesses of the Great Houses. Vampires were known for their cold and elegant beauty, whereas Elves were celebrated for their noblest and purest appearance. Samara, born as a Half Vampire and Half Elf, had inherited the best of both worlds. Her beauty was unique and surpassed the norms of Sancta
Vedelia.
Ignoring Amelia, she approached me. "Am I pretty, Edward?" she asked, looking up with a neutral gaze. However, I could sense her emotions thanks to our banshee contract. She was expectant of my answer.
Her glossy black hair was beautifully braided over her shoulders, and her eyes were a mesmerizing blend of blue and green, flickering with hope as she waited for my response.
I smiled as I stroked her slightly pale face. "Of course you are, Samara. Nobody among the Elves can compete with your beauty."
I couldn't help but throw a jab toward the Elves. Samara was clearly pleased by my answer, as her lips broke into a rare, small smile. "Um."
The way she shyly lowered her head and smiled while keeping her expression in check was honestly doing a lot of damage to me, especially since I could feel her emotions.
"Ugh..." Someone wasn't pleased, though. It was John, of course. Even his lover, Amelia, was
dumbfounded.
"This guy...is flirting with another girl a few hours before his engagement to Eli?" she groaned, probably annoyed since Elizabeth was her friend.
I ignored her and focused on Annabelle, who was pulling at my sleeve with a similarly
expectant look.
[<You are a sinful man, Amael.>]
I haven't even said anything yet!
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