By Some Unbelievable Twist, I Became the Villainess’s Older Brother - Chapter 6.2
Zyla had been angry that the Crown Prince sent a letter instead of coming in person… But Enoch had secretly been relieved. It was better for the novel’s male protagonist, the Crown Prince, and its villainess, Zyla, to avoid each other whenever possible.
The Crown Prince and Zyla were, in fact, childhood friends. They had even been quite close before the story began in earnest.
Of course, Zyla hadn’t always loved him so fiercely. It began after she came of age, when a monster nearly devoured her in the forest and the Crown Prince sacrificed one of his hands to save her.
After that incident, Zyla no longer hid her feelings for him, and so their tragedy began.
That was why Jaeyi hoped the two would meet as little as possible. If he could have his way, he wanted them to stop being childhood friends altogether. It would be even better if they never occupied the same place again.
He sincerely hoped that love would never drive Zyla to lose herself and go mad.
For that reason, Jaeyi decided he had to avoid danger as much as possible. If a perilous situation arose and Zyla fell in love with the Crown Prince again, events would follow the original story and become deeply troublesome.
Zyla was, of course, only eight years old. But the human heart was impossible to predict.
That made him secretly anxious. Perhaps because he had become ‘Enoch,’ Zyla no longer felt like a stranger.
After much thought, he finally decided that he would find her a good man before she ever had the chance to fall for the Crown Prince.
‘Yes. That’s what I’ll do.’
There were plenty of people better than the Crown Prince. Jaeyi nodded, his resolve firm.
When Jaeyi suddenly nodded, Zyla, who was pressed close beside him looking at a picture book about a rabbit and a tortoise, gazed up at him with curious eyes.
Jaeyi, no, the man who had become ‘Enoch,’ sat on the couch with his fist clenched. Feeling Zyla’s stare, he turned his head.
When their eyes met, Enoch asked.
“What is it?”
“Brother, were you imitating this just now?”
Tilting her head, Zyla pointed to something in the picture book. It showed a tortoise sweating profusely as it struggled up a hill. Far away, a relaxed-looking rabbit lay watching.
Zyla was pointing at the rabbit with the irritating expression. Feeling rather sheepish, Enoch closed his mouth and shook his head.
“…No.”
“You weren’t? But you looked exactly the same.”
“So this is why you shouldn’t behave carelessly in front of a child…”
When he muttered as though reaching a fresh realization, Zyla’s brows twitched. She snapped the picture book shut and pouted as if angry.
“I’m not a child. I’m all grown up. I can even get married!”
Enoch gave an incredulous laugh.
“How old are you now?”
“Eight!”
Zyla proudly held up eight fingers. Enoch was momentarily lost for words. He knew perfectly well that she was eight, but hearing her say it after making such a claim was still rather absurd.
“Is that so?” Enoch soon laughed under his breath and nodded vaguely without taking her seriously.
It went without saying, but in the Pelinaoswyn Empire, neither nobles nor commoners could marry before reaching adulthood. In other words, this little lady was speaking of something quite impossible.
But the sight of the adorable girl speaking so seriously softened Enoch’s heart despite himself. He patted the crown of Zyla’s head.
After glancing at Zyla’s reddened face, Enoch rested his chin on his knee and asked.
“Who are you going to marry?”
“……”
“Hm?”
“…Y-you, Brother.”
Me? At the answer she barely managed to give while hesitating, Enoch blinked rapidly.
You want to marry me? When Jaeyi pointed at himself with his index finger and asked again, Zyla fidgeted with her small hands and nodded.
Enoch scratched his chin with his index finger. The Imperial Family might allow it, but marriage between blood relatives was forbidden for nobles and commoners. Naturally, he and Zyla couldn’t marry.
Enoch firmly shook his head and said.
“We can’t marry.”
“Why not?”
“Because we’re brother and sister.”
Zyla tilted her head with a sullen expression.
“Helina said she could.”
“Helina?”
Hmm, who was Helina again? Enoch fell deep into thought.
Then he suddenly raised his head. Helina Shanli von Pelinaoswyn. It was the name of the Empire’s Sixth Imperial Princess.
In 〈The Tyrant’s Hidden Blade〉, Zyla and the Imperial Princess shared a friendship that transcended rank. Naturally, Helina also greatly disliked the female protagonist, Ellione.
She must have said it because marriage between blood relatives was permitted within the Imperial Family. Enoch glanced at Zyla.
Her face was steeped in gloom. He was not good at comforting others. A sigh slipped naturally from Enoch.
Zyla’s shoulders suddenly flinched. Enoch cautiously raised a hand and gently stroked her soft hair.
Zyla lifted her head and looked at Enoch. The look in her eyes weakened his resolve.
Right. There was no need to discourage her already.
“Well. Perhaps it isn’t absolutely impossible…”
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