Chapter 79
Kaiden seemed unfazed by the issue.
“Even if Reina and I have a child, Dahlia will still be the heir. The elders know this.”
Aiden scoffed quietly. “I’m not so sure. The Northern nobles don’t think like you. Even the elders are divided.”
“I’ll remind them again.”
“That’s not enough, brother.”
Kaiden felt weary at Aiden’s persistence. “Why are you so on edge? What’s got you this anxious?”
Seeing his brother’s hardened expression, Aiden felt a surge of frustration.
This conversation was going in circles.
Finally, he spoke plainly. “Dahlia doesn’t want the position.”
“It’s not about wanting it. She’s Crensia blood, and she’s already manifesting aura. That’s not weakness talking.”
“I know, but… I want her to live freely.”
It was a parent’s selfishness.
With no children from Kaiden and Reina, Dahlia’s heir training made sense.
But if they had a child?
Even without sibling rivalry, the nobles would split into factions.
If Dahlia lost her place after training, she’d be devastated.
Aiden feared her pain.
He voiced the thought lingering in his mind. “Why not just have a child?”
“What?”
“If you two had a kid, this would be settled. It’d push things forward with Reina too…”
“Watch your line, Aiden.”
Kaiden, who’d been listening quietly, warned him not to cross it.
He had no intention of forcing a relationship with Reina over succession.
But Aiden couldn’t stop. “You both like each other. Reina might want a child too. Honestly, a child of royal and Crensia blood would be incredibly strong…”
Seeing his usually indifferent brother so agitated, Kaiden suspected someone’s influence.
Sighing at Aiden’s unease, he responded as head of the house. “I don’t know who’s been talking to you, but if even you waver, what then?”
“…”
“This is just the usual noise.”
“It was fine when you were single. You don’t hear how much talk there is now.”
“What do others’ words matter? We made a promise.”
“I can’t brush off gossip like you. If you’d fulfilled your duties as head, this noise wouldn’t exist!”
Aiden’s raised voice echoed as he stormed out, unable to face Kaiden after his outburst.
But at the door, he ran into Reina.
“Oh.”
Her expression showed she’d overheard everything.
“Sister-in-law, this is…”
Aiden fumbled, but Kaiden followed, stopping short upon seeing her.
“Eiden! How can you just—”
A heavy silence fell among the three.
Unable to bear it, Aiden slipped past and left.
* * *
“Come in.”
Kaiden, troubled, ushered Reina into the study.
Leaving her in the corridor wasn’t an option.
She looked at him with concern. “Are you okay?”
He gave a bitter smile.
Sibling quarrels were normal, but he didn’t want her to see this, especially over succession.
“Sorry you had to witness that.”
“No, I was going to talk to you about this anyway.”
Reina, as if expecting this, led him to the sofa. “I overheard. The succession issue seems serious.”
“It’s not your concern. Aiden’s just emotional.”
His complex expression betrayed his attempt to downplay it.
She knew how much he cared for his brother.
“No, it’s not something to brush off.”
Reina saw Aiden’s concerns as valid.
In her past life, succession disputes never ceased.
After Dahlia’s aura instability surfaced, her eligibility was questioned, tormenting father and daughter.
Kaiden’s bachelorhood had kept it quiet, but Reina’s presence changed that.
Her existence alone burdened them with undue stress.
“Aiden’s right. We’ve been avoiding our duties.”
“I told you, I won’t force a marital relationship on you.”
“What if I want it?”
“What?”
“If I want a child, what then?”
Her piercing question left Kaiden speechless.
He’d never considered it—she wanting a child was unimaginable.
“Reina, I…”
He trailed off, and she took his hand.
“I don’t mean right now, but you shouldn’t make such absolute promises.”
“…”
“Things change. You swore off marriage, yet here we are. That uncertainty will keep Aiden and Dahlia anxious.”
“I don’t get it. What’s so unsettling? Do they distrust me that much?”
Kaiden seemed hurt that Aiden doubted him.
Reina calmly defended him. “It’s not about distrust. He just doesn’t want to be the subject of gossip.”
“But you can’t silence everyone, Reina. That’s tyranny. A house leader must bear that weight.”
“Like you did?”
“…Yes.”
His face darkened.
As a young head, he’d protected Crensia amid adversaries.
Though now recognized as Duke, some still belittled his youth.
“Weakness invites wolves in the Empire’s nobility. Those with much to protect must steel themselves.”
Mernie’s high society was cutthroat.
Exposing weakness was forbidden; beneath smiles, knives waited.
Isabel had tormented Reina for appearing weak.
As Reina fell silent, Kaiden spoke. “I don’t mean Aiden should be like me. He’s too gentle for ruthlessness. I planned to shield Dahlia until she’s grown.”
“I know how much you care for family.”
He sighed, and she patted his hand. “Tell Aiden that. He’ll understand.”
“How am I supposed to say something so sappy?”
He grimaced, as if the thought tickled him.
Reina laughed. “You say sappy things to me all the time. I’ve lost count of how often you’ve promised to protect me.”
Half-joking, she was surprised when he replied earnestly, “That’s because it’s you.”
“What?”
“It’s different with Aiden.”
His words caught her off guard, leaving her flustered.
