"Why! Not!"
I was rolling around in the room, throwing a tantrum.
"That······ of course, that's impossible."
There was a sigh mixed in Rachel's voice, my second older brother, while coaxing me.
"Why! Why! Why!"
At Rachel's words, she jumped out of her seat and raised her objection.
"He's the man who dared to rebel against the Fairspren Empire. He's a traitor. Technically, he and his relatives for three generations should have been annihilated, but the merciful emperor spared him."
"That's because the emperor is also his relative."
"······That's right."
Because Richt was the emperor's half-brother.
"Even if it isn't that, he's a man who is said to have a sloppy personality. Didn't you hear the rumor that he broke a court lady's leg?"
"That's because the court lady, when the Empress was still the Crown Princess, ignored her and didn't feed her, and most especially, she was mean."
"There's also a story that he cut off some nobleman's arm."
"That aforementioned nobleman harassed the current Empress. Besides, he didn't just cut it off but applied for a fair duel. The arm was cut off during the battle.
"······Peony, how do you know so well about the Grand Duke?"
That······ that's because I read it in a book.
Not just once, but several times.
In addition, I always read the part where my favorite character appeared over and over again, I almost sweetly memorized it!
······But, of course, I can't say that.
"That, that's because the Grand Duke is so cool. I figured it out in my own way."
"Oh, my God! Are you saying you've fallen for him since way before?"
······Of course. I fell for him the first time I read the novel.
"When the hell exactly did you saw him?"
"Umm······."
I took the time to reply because I had nothing to answer.
As a princess of a small country next to the empire, it was most likely that the original Peony would have met Richt. I just didn't know when that was.
She's a princess that doesn't have any importance in the story, that's why she didn't appear in the novel.
"Don't tell me you met him at brother's Prince Bookstore's opening ceremony?"
"······uh, yeah."
"······At the party after the ceremony?"
"······Yes."
"Did you even dance together?"
"....Perhaps?"
"So you saw him up close, danced with him, and fell in love with his handsome face?"
Ah! So it's possible to explain it that way too?
"That's right, brother. I first met him at the after-party of our eldest brother's Prince Bookstore's opening and I fell in love with the handsome Grand Duke at first sight."
I nodded eagerly to Rachel, who completed my love story.
"Peony, think about it again. That person is in the cold Stern right now. It's not just cold. It's a harsh place in the northernmost part of the continent that doesn't even produce a single blade of grass."
"I can wear thick clothes."
"You're just being complacent because you really don't know what you're saying."
Rachel stated as if she was awfully pathetic.
"Our Garten is a small kingdom, but the land is fertile and abundant, and it is a place warm enough to not feel the coldness of the winter season. In addition, you have grown up as a princess of Garten who hasn't experience any hardships all your life."
Rachel, who had reminded me of my situation, paused, and glanced at me.
"What was worse, you even have a weak constitution. It's too precarious for you to go to Stern. You might get sick right away in the cold wind of the north and weaken as days go by."
His expression, who looked at me seriously, contained a lot of affection for his younger sister.
"But······."
But there was something brother didn't know.
That my favorite character was also left alone in that harsh land that Brother Rachel was speaking of.
Born as a prince of the empire, who grew up without any shortage as a member of the imperial family more than I was, he was now thrown alone in that harsh Stern.
Even abandoned by the woman he loved like his own life. And that woman married his only brother, the emperor, whom he had sworn allegiance to.
Her heart aches for him!
"Grand Duke Stern is also there alone!"
"So, what does that have to do with you?!"
"It's because I like Grand Duke Stern!"
I started rolling around the room again, and Rachel held his forehead as if he's having a splitting headache.
"I want to marry Grand Duke Stern!"
To be honest, I'm shouting that I want to get married at the moment, but I didn't really mean to get married.
First of all, since I've already transmigrated inside the novel, I wanted to see my favorite character's face for even just once. Second, I wanted to pay tribute to him by offering him the things he likes.
To do that, I needed a reason to visit the north, and marriage is a very plausible excuse.
But if we really end up getting married, then it would be much better.
"Hyuu·····."
A sigh came out of Rachel's lips.
It was natural that his head hurt. This is because it's been three hours since I've been rolling around the room.
"Peony."
My brother's low voice sounded very grave.
"I'll tell you for the last time."
For Rachel, with a firm look on his face, there was a sense of seriousness that says this was the really the last time.
"Brother."
And I, too, stopped rolling, stood up, and looked at him.
The basis of the victory was pre-emptive strikes.
"Oppa~"
I struggled to elevate my expressions and approached Rachel on my knees.
"My beloved older brother~"
Still, as I stood in front of him with me on my knees, I had no choice but to look up as high as I could and Rachel had no choice but to look down at me.
"Please, I'm begging you."
I lightly grabbed his pants and bawled.
"Please send me to Stern."
"Peony······."
"It breaks my heart to think that Grand Duke Stern is there alone."
"You can't······. You going there······."
"Please, please be on my side, brother."
I thought a drop of tears would be perfect for this moment, but my acting skills didn't go that far.
"Brother, won't you be on Peony's side?"
"Of course I'd like to be on your side, but·····."
"For me, even if there are two sides in the world, I would always choose brother Rachel's side·····."
"Peony······."
"I believed in brother······."
I peered up at Rachel with the saddest expression in the world on my face.
The blue eyes that resembled mine shook aimlessly.
"Brother······ Please······."
"Damn it!"
Racheln turned his head away.
As I sighed, wondering if the operation was a failure, I heard a little murmur that came from Rachel.
"······so cute······."
······huh?
"Our Peony's extremely cute. If you beg me like this, then I can't help but listen!"
No matter how cute I am, how can that be your reason to change your mind brother······.
"Alright. Peony, I'll be at your side."
"Really?"
I quickly got up. Though I still had to look up at Rachel.
"Brother's really the best!"
* * * * *
"Do you think that makes sense?"
Leon, the first prince of Garten, the heir to the royal family, and my eldest brother looked at me and Rachel with a stunned expression.
"Get ahold of yourself, Rachel. What's wrong with you too?"
"But······."
"Don't be stupid, how can you agree to send Peony to the far north to marry?
"That's because it's what Peony wants."
"There were many other things Peony wanted. Don't you remember? There was a time when Peony wanted to remove all the roses from the garden and replace them all with pasque flowers."
"And you let her do just that."
"...Of course, although I did let her·····."
Was there a time like that? You know, being a Siscon······ It's scarier than I thought.
"Pi, Peony once wanted the palace to be pink! Does that make sense?"
"······That doesn't make sense, but you painted Peony's room pink instead."
"...Though, I did do that for her also."
"All the way to my room too. For your information, I was a 15-year-old boy who admired masculinity and bravery, whose future hope was to become a knight."
"When Peony went to brother's room to play, she said she wanted her brother's room to be pink too."
"Then why didn't you do it with your room?"
"At that time, my tutor visited me every day······ that's why······."
Leon mumbled some excuse, but in the end, he must have hated for his room to be painted in color pink.
"Re, regardless! I can't listen to everything Peony wants!"
"·····It was you who listened to Peony's ridiculous wishes the most. Either the pasque flowers or the pink palace."
"Yes, but this is different!"
As if to convey his disagreement, Leon hit the desk in front of him with a bang!
Due to that, as I was standing in front of him, got surprised and flinched, reflexively clutching my shoulders.
"So, sorry. Did you get started?"
Why does Leon look more surprised than me?
Ah······ Perhaps······
"Brother Leon····· did you just yell at me?"
"N-No, I didn't mean to do that······."
"I can't believe you yelled at me······."
"Ah! Brother! You're too much! No matter how angry you are! How can you do that to Peony?!"
Rachel, who was next to me, as if I were about to burst into tears, grumbled to Leon, and patted me on the shoulder.
I put my head on Rachel's shoulder, with a disheartened look on my face.
"Are you okay, Peony? I told you to just leave him alone. That nasty-tempered Leon."
"Hey! Rachel!"
"But······ Leon is also a precious family for me that's why I really wanted him to understand."
"It's all right. You have me, Peony. Just throw Brother Leon away."
"What do you mean, throw away! Don't say anything weird to Peony!"
As though he couldn't bear it any longer, Leon jumped up from his seat, circled around his desk, and came in front of us. Then he shook off Rachel's hand, who was on my shoulder.
"If it's Brother Leon, I thought he would definitely understand me. Because my brother knows me the best."
"Of course I'm the one who knows you best······."
"Lies! You don't even know how I feel!"
"How could I not know Peony's feelings?!"
"You don't know!"
"I know!"
"Brother don't know!"
"I know! Stern or whatever. You said you wanted to marry a bonehead!"
"However, even if you know, you don't understand anything!"
"Why don't I understand you!"
"You don't understand! You don't even listen to me, you just blindly object to my wishes!"
"It's not that I blindly object······."
"Normally, Brother Leon wasn't like this······."
I looked at him with resentment in my eyes, as if I were looking at a traitor.
Of course it was just acting. A soulful performance that encases all one's inner acting ability.
Haa······ I can't believe it's so hard to see my favorite character's face.
"You made the room pink when I wished for it······."
"That······."
"You filled the garden with pasque flowers when I wished for it······."
"That's not it······."
"You've changed, Brother Leon."
"What are you saying I've changed?! Peony, you misunderstand!"
"No! Brother has changed!"
"I haven't changed! I swear! I'm still your I-will-give-you-everything-you-want Brother Leon."
"······Really?"
As I look at Leon, he nodded his head vigorously.
"Then, Brother Leon is also on my side right?"
"Of course."
"Then you'll take my side again this time, right?"
"T-That······."
"As expected, Brother Leon abandoned me."
"That's not it, Peony!"
"Then you'll take my side?"
I did my best to look at Leon with sorrow showing in my eyes and with a mournful expression on my face as I clasped my hands over my chest.
Leon's expression, while looking at me, increasingly turned into a distressed one. I'm sure he is currently fighting his inner self.
"Yes. I'm on Peony's side. Absolutely."
Brother Leon finally ended up uttering his words of surrender.
"You're the best, Brother Leon!"
* * * * *
"So·····."
Our father gazed at us three brothers and sisters with a very pathetic look in his eyes.
"I certainly said no, yet, the three of you came together like this asking me to grant permission to marry Peony and that Northern Grand Duke?"
I nodded with glistening eyes, and my brothers, who had fallen into my gimmick and came with me, nodded reluctantly.
An emotion of anger raged on my father's face.
He stared at us one by one, and the charisma of the king of one country made us quite terrified.
"Definitely no."
Our father who enunciated every syllable in staccato, declared with a firm expression on his face as though he would never assent it.
However, I couldn't back down like this either.
I took a step forward with an equally stiff face.
Hng! When our father blew his nose, his beard fluttered.
His countenance exhibits his insistence that he never intended to retract his words.
But, so was I. I absolutely wanted to go see our favorite character.
Looking at the face of the majestic king, I threw a word.
"I hate you, Dad!"
······Then there was a moment of silence.