༺ Capybara in the Water (2) ༻
Lady Louise cautiously opened her mouth, which, in a way, seemed rather dazzling. It was amazing how five pairs of eyes were instantly fixated on her with just a single word.
There was no way that we could ignore her words in the first place, but her admission that she had pretended not to know was an unsettling start.
Of course, no one dared to interrupt Lady Louise’s words, which she had mustered the courage to say. At the moment, it was more important to hear what she wanted to say than to entertain minor doubts.
“I had an older sister.”
Fortunately, our silence seemed to give her more courage as she continued speaking. The statement about having had a sister allowed us to predict the outcome.
And sadly, that prediction was not wrong. Oddly enough, negative predictions rarely missed the mark. Enen was indeed harsh on humans.
Lady Louise, who was fragile, the attention she received as the youngest, her relatively neglected sister, and her sister’s untimely death.
Those were all sufficient to leave a profound impact, to the extent that she felt resistance towards someone monopolizing love. To the extent that she believed everyone should be treated equally.
‘So it’s like that.’
To be honest, I had noticed that Lady Louise had drawn a faint line with us. It was something that couldn’t go unnoticed.
For a whole semester, I, along with Young Lord Erich, Prince Rutis, Prince Lather, and Tannian, had all tried to express our interest in Lady Louise. And for a semester, we had been unsuccessful.
I wouldn’t have been able to see it objectively if I was pursuing her on my own, but seeing others also hitting a wall made it impossible not to realize that Lady Louise had drawn a line with us.
So, I refrained from actively approaching her. Forcing oneself upon a lady who had clearly drawn a line was not polite. If we do, the faint line would only grow thicker, and any potential wounds Lady Louise could have would become even deeper.
I simply hovered around her and waited for the moment when she would open up her heart, not just as a fellow club member but as a close friend.
Except for the fact that I wasn’t the only one thinking the same thing.
‘It turned out like this in the end.’
When competitors who shared the same thoughts gathered, they secretly checked and balanced each other. However, none of us had managed to get closer to Lady Louise because we were preoccupied with keeping each other in check.
We did build friendships with her, and we could confidently call ourselves her close friends. However, none of us had become a presence close enough for Lady Louise to confide in.
And in this situation, if Lady Louise had opened her mouth first—
“I’m sorry; I know it’s too late, but I wanted to say it now.”
Rather than opening her heart to someone, what came was nothing less than a declaration to firmly push everyone away.
It wasn’t an apology for not speaking up until now, nor a promise not to do so in the future. From now on, the line she drew would become even more pronounced.
That much was obvious to everyone, which was why only silence hovered over the room. That included us, who were dumped before we even confessed, and Lady Louise, who dumped us before any of us could confess.
I looked down at Lady Louise, who was trembling with her head down. Did she think we would get angry? Did she imagine that we would think she was mocking us for not telling us until now and for daring to treat us this way?
It would be a lie if I said it didn’t hurt. But well, we weren’t exactly blameless ourselves.
“Thank you, Lady Louise.”
Ironically, maybe we were even more guilty of not being a reliable man to the woman we liked.
“It must have been hard for you to open up, but thank you for telling us everything.”
So, the image we presented was not of rational individuals simmering with anger but rather people comforting a friend who had mustered the courage to apologize.
…Wasn’t that right?
Looking around, I saw that the other four were equally composed. Well, they pretended to be composed, at least.
‘We even act similarly in situations like this.’
I felt like laughing. We held the same person in our hearts, attempted to hover around them in the same way, had similar thoughts about keeping each other in check, and now, even our thoughts after being rejected were similar.
These were people I had met just this year, but why did our hearts resonate so well? It was really strange. Were they actually my lost brothers?
“Since Lady Louise has been honest, should I also share my secret?”
I spoke softly with a slight smile. The most important thing right now was to comfort Lady Louise, who didn’t seem like she would raise her head.
We should show that we didn’t care about the fact that we’ve been rejected. We should show that we were thankful because she opened up about something difficult.
“To be honest, I have an awkward relationship with my brother.”
Upon saying this, I was met with her startled expression. I guess she was surprised that I had spoken so casually about imperial affairs.
Still, I’ve at least succeeded in dispelling Louise’s guilt.
Mentioning His Highness the Crown Prince was a bit uncomfortable, but I had only described our relationship as awkward, not as a threat to my life, so it should be within safe bounds.
“Now that I’ve spoken, it’s the others’ turn.”
“I don’t have any secrets.”
“Neither do I.”
“I guess I spoke too soon.”
We burst into laughter as we quickly brushed off the topic. Our hearts were indeed connected. This was how we lightened the mood.
When I started laughing, Prince Rutis joined in as well. Yes, he was the one who would join first in such an atmosphere.
“I haven’t lost a single time, since taking up the sword, but it seems I’ve lost to Louise for the first time.”
“I-I’m sorry…”
“There’s no need to apologize. It’s only natural to reject someone who doesn’t suit your taste.”
Maybe that was also Prince Rutis’s way of offering comfort, albeit in a slightly peculiar manner.
“I’m actually grateful that you were honest. It’d be sad if you couldn’t reject us despite not liking anyone.”
Prince Rutis’s expression, which was originally cheerful, seemed even brighter now. It was as if he was speaking sincerely rather than just offering consolation.
“One-sided love is futile, after all.”
“That’s a rare thought.”
Prince Lather, who had been maintaining silence, finally acknowledged Prince Rutis’s words.
“The real problem is if you didn’t push us away out of consideration. Sticking together without knowing each other’s hearts would have been even worse.”
Yes, that was a valid point. We could all remain friends after she confided in us like this; otherwise, we would have graduated with a relationship that was neither here nor there.
My gaze inadvertently turned to Young Lord Erich and Tannian. It was now their turn since the other two princes had said their piece.
“I feel the same way.”
“You’ve said it all before, so I don’t have anything to add.”
What a pity.
After that, I had a hard time soothing a sobbing Lady Louise.
She looked so pitiful as she mumbled her apologies and thank-yous, seemingly on the verge of collapse if we didn’t comfort her quickly. Ironically, I wanted to cry, too. But I couldn’t afford to cry considering my status as a prince, so I convinced myself that Lady Louise was crying on my behalf.
“Wow, the second semester is off to a brilliant start.”
Young Lord Erich’s comment made Louise, who had stopped crying, blush deeply. It certainly was an eventful start.
“It’s a memorable day. Isn’t it a day when the five of us got rejected at the same time?”
“Do Armenians have a culture like that?”
Celebrating being rejected was not exactly a cheerful tradition.
However, Prince Rutis, unfazed by such reactions, rummaged through the club room and spoke.
“Today isn’t just about being rejected. It’s a day when Louise showed us her true feelings and became closer to us.”
His optimistic interpretation was astonishing.
Prince Rutis wasn’t exactly normal, but that was what made him appealing.
“It’s a pity the club advisor isn’t here, but let’s start by ourselves.”
Even though it was an unheard-of celebration called a ‘Rejection Tea Party’ and we didn’t know what we’d say when the Advisor walked in, we decided to go ahead with it. Everyone seemed a bit dazed, probably still in shock from the unexpected rejection.
“It’s been a while since we’ve eaten in the club room.”
Of course, I felt the same way.
***
Ainter explained the situation while Rutis went to refill the tea.
“…Really?”
Moments like these left my mind blank.
I thought they were joking when they mentioned celebrating getting rejected. I even thought they were exaggerating when they suggested we all go out somewhere in celebration.
But damn it, this was for real.
‘What on earth…?’
This was unexpected. I knew these idiots weren’t making progress with Louise, and I feared there’d be no news until graduation.
But I never imagined an early ending where Louise rejected everyone before any of them could even confess. How could anyone anticipate such madness?
Could this also be part of the original story? Was it supposed to go this way? Was this a story where Louise, moved by the determination of those who were rejected, opened her heart to them?
‘But that can’t be right.’
If being unyielding was enough to move her, Louise would have been swayed dozens of times by now. These guys might be competing with each other, but they were persistent.
I glanced at Louise, and she quickly bowed her head when our eyes met.
“You did well.”
Trying to organize my chaotic thoughts, I patted Louise on the shoulder. This unexpected early ending was driving me crazy, but the fact that Louise had become open about her trauma was something to celebrate.
Half of her life had been consumed by that trauma, and she had finally revealed it to others. Now, all that remained was to move forward.
‘I didn’t see this coming.’
In truth, I expected Louise to confide in one of the five. I expected it to be a decision-making event when she found someone she loved.
But instead of making a choice, they were all rejected after she revealed everything.
“Thank you, Oppa.”
Louise smiled as she raised her head cautiously. The sight of her made me realize how futile it was to even be thinking about this.
‘As long as she’s happy.’
For now, let’s just be happy about her escaping her trauma.
“Indeed.”
As I continued patting Louise’s shoulder absentmindedly, I heard Ainter’s exclamation from beside me.
I turned to look at him and saw him smiling while stroking his chin.
“So that’s why.”
‘Why what?’
I’m about to lose my mind, so don’t beat around the bush with strange hints and just give it to me straight.
But Ainter, seemingly oblivious to my frustration, turned his gaze to Erich with a look of deep sympathy.
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