Levi's previously nervous and stiff expression slackened and then blossomed into a foolish grin of bliss. Sitting there with a bent fork in his hand, he should have looked like a lovestruck idiot, yet due to the virtue of his very handsome face, this bright smile didn't look idiotic but actually had a heart-stopping boyish charm. There was really something very special in witnessing a fierce and cold man suddenly display the pure and clean happiness of a child.
Even Maery, whose romantic interest in Levi was below zero, couldn't help but feel her heart skip a beat at the sight.
Then… she felt nausea climb up her throat. Bleurgh, how could she had gotten confused for a moment there?? This was clearly still that same scourge!
Noah couldn't see Levi's bright smile, but he could feel the sheer bliss radiating off Levi in waves through his mental power. Knowing that the other was feeling happy, Noah couldn't help but feel happy too. Carried along with these feelings, he imagined what their happy future would be like.
The two would, naturally, move in together. And rooming with a good brother should be pretty nice. Levi was really gentle and good to him, so their cohabitation should be a pleasant experience. And Noah's soothing would help Levi sleep soundly.
The two of them would be able to see each other every day and spending more time with Levi... he liked the sound of that. He enjoyed hanging out with Levi, so more was naturally better than less.
Levi was also lonely, so having Noah by his side should make him feel less lonely, right?
The more Noah thought about it, the better he thought this idea was. This marriage would be good for Levi and would make them both happier, so why not? Maery wasn't wrong when she said that this was the best solution for all the parties involved.
Noah's imagination continued to run wild. After they got the wedding over and done with, they could go on a vacation together in the guise of a honeymoon. They'd travel around and have fun. Levi could definitely use some time off from work.
And then later… Noah shyly lowered his head. Ah, he… he wouldn't mind having a little dumpling running around. (／≧ω＼) He grew up in an orphanage; he was good with children. He'd make sure that this little dumpling grew up happy with all the proper world views.
Blackie, (¬‿¬) 'I find it fascinating that your depiction of your marriage with Astar Levi doesn't include any R-18 stuff. I don't know whether to call you pure-minded or idiotic…'
Noah shyly spread the fingers covering his face to peek through them towards the other two. Levi was already a goner, with his brain far away in the la-la land, while Maery...
Maery looked at her baby brother as if he was a gift from the heavens above. Not only did this precious little one take away that position of Concordia city lord she didn't want, now he even took away that scourge of a fiancé she didn't want!
The more she looked at her darling little brother, the more touched she felt. He was simply more of an angel than actual angels!
She was simply so moved that even tears swelled up in her eyes. 'Ah, ah! All those years sister pampered you weren't in vain!'
Honestly, all that stuff Maery had said before wasn't just some nonsense she made up to coax her baby brother. She indeed thought that raising a perfect heir was too hard of a task. Especially if half of their genes came from Astar Levi! And now, even this arduous task was passed off to her little brother.
'Bless you, my precious!' Maery dabbed at her eyes. It was as if her brother was born just to make her life more comfortable! How would she not adore him to bits?!
The ardent gazes Noah was getting from both of his dinner companions made him feel rather embarrassed, so he strived to quickly divert their attention to something other than himself. "How do you intend to explain the change of the bride to the public?"
His question was indeed effective, Maery snapped out of her reverie, "We'll just say that Lev' and I have been friends all along and had nothing together because Levi is gay. We can even go a step further and say that our side had been putting off the wedding until you reached 18, in hopes that perhaps, you two boys might end up interested in each other. And lo and behold, our considerations were not in vain! Now that our little Aris is all grown up, Levi finally had his romantic awakening," Maery's eyes curved in a smile and she teased, "and thus he domineeringly declared, 'I will only marry Cordia Aris and no one else!' ergo…we had no choice but to change the bride."
Noah's mouth dropped open, "You can't dump the blame for this matter on Levi's head! Don't say something so unflattering!"
"We can't? But isn't that the truth?" Maery giggled, and seeing how her little brother agitatedly jumped to refute, she added, "I'm just teasing you. We'll omit that last part."
Noah's inner turmoil calmed down, and he grumbled, "Don't make it sound like it is Levi's fault... make up something touching and romantic. Like... like..." Noah's eyes spun around in thought, "Aha! You can say that we mutually fell in love with each other! A joyous event! A happy ending!"
Maery nearly choked on her drink. 'Make it up? Ain't that the truth??'
She eyed her dummy of a brother, who still seemed clueless of the fact that this future husband of his actually WAS gay and DID want to marry him due to love. "...we can't say that. What if some people think too much and say that you were greedy for inheritance and intentionally seduced your brother-in-law? It's better to dump this black pot onto Levi's head."
Levi felt the need to add his own two cents, "Yes, let's just say that I fell in love first and pursued you until you were finally moved and agreed to marry me."
Noah shook his head, "That's still dumping the blame on you! People will just say I had no choice but to agree because you refused to marry otherwise!"
Levi, Maery, Blackie, ( •᷄⌓•᷅ ) "…" 'Again... isn't that the truth??'
Wasn't this cabbage a bit too protective of the pig who dug it up? Maery suddenly found that this sugar between two men was a bit… bittersweet. Her fujoshi soul was happy, but the sister in her just couldn't completely resolve herself to sell off her precious baby brother like this… even if the picture of the two boys together was pure eye candy...
She sighed ruefully, finding herself in the Blackie-dilemma: happy that things were going according to plan, yet feeling bitter that her brother/host was so cluelessly easy to sell off. 'At least make the pig work for it! You are practically digging yourself up and happily rolling down the hill to greet the pig so he can sooner eat you up!!!'
Maery rubbed her temples and comforted herself with the thought that every cabbage had to be dug up and eaten eventually... At least this pig would take good care of her cabbage...
And thus, Maery, as the self-proclaimed smartest person in the room, bitterly offered a solution to her baby brother's difficulties, "…That's easy to dispute. Just act lovey-dovey on the wedding, and people will naturally think it's mutual love."
'...In other words, just be myself?' Levi immediately slapped his thigh and declared, "Done!"
Noah, "…" (っ °Д °;)っ 'Brother, how can you agree so easily?! Acting lovey-dovey with a man… can you even do it?!?'
Blackie, '…can he do it? ಠ_ಠ Host… I'm curious, if not acting lovey-dovey, what do you think he has been doing since day one??'
Noah's cheeks heated up again. Was Levi not embarrassed? 'Even if you are not embarrassed, I'm embarrassed, ok?!'
Yet now that this future husband of his had agreed, he, like a considerate wif– uh, spouse, couldn't openly refute him, lest he lost face in front of his in-laws...
Blackie, (ﾟдﾟ;) '...And I thought your sister accepted her change from fiancée to a sister-in-law fast! If I didn't know you aren't the real Aris, I'd say genetics sure were scary!'