1All sorts of thoughts ran through my mind as Erhan mentioned being siblings and said he’d stay until the wedding day.

Could there be rumors in social circles that we don’t get along? Is that why he wants to show a close relationship? Or maybe he received some hint from the Duke or Mother.

‘Even if such rumors were circulating, given Erhan’s personality, he wouldn’t care much. Or is it because he doesn’t want to stay at the mansion?’

Come to think of it, Erhan had returned to the Serpentine mansion to attend my wedding, so he would have to stay with the Duke. They had a strange father-son relationship that exuded coldness. Erhan probably thought it would be better to stay with me instead.

‘Still… it feels off.’

What could he be thinking? Suddenly, I wanted to open up Erhan’s head and take a look inside.

But no matter how much I doubted and questioned, there was likely no information I could get out of Erhan. He wasn’t the type to answer straightforwardly if asked, so I could only guess that he had some hidden intentions.

“Alright.”

Whatever his intentions, I had no reason to refuse his request to stay here for the time being. After all, as he said, we were siblings.

‘It’s not like we’ll run into each other much anyway.’

Although I wanted to spend time alone until the wedding, it didn’t seem to matter if Erhan stayed at this mansion. He was such a free spirit that he’d probably be out all day and only sleep here.

“Thank you.”

“See you tomorrow.”

I closed the door as I stepped into the corridor. Through the gradually closing gap, I could see Erhan still watching me.

After safely closing the door, I walked down the corridor. The corridor, touched by the Raven family’s hand, looked like a well-decorated art museum. As only moonlight illuminated the corridor, I slowly stopped and looked out the window.

‘Come to think of it, Erhan doesn’t ask much about my marriage.’

Even if it’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other, wouldn’t most people be curious? Or maybe he’s just not particularly interested in me.

‘Whatever the case… I just need to focus on what I have to do.’

I quickly moved my feet as if I hadn’t been staring out the window. I still had a lot to do.

***

Erhan ended up staying at the newlywed house before Genevieve, the owner of the mansion. And while staying here, Erhan…

“Why are you following me around again today?”

He kept following me around.

“Just trying to see what I’ve missed.”

Even saying strange things like that.

Being surprised by nonsense only works a few times; now, no matter what bizarre things Erhan said, I didn’t bat an eye. After I showed little reaction the first few times, Erhan smirked as if finding it bland.

Regardless, I was completely focused on my work. It wasn’t just empty words; I was truly busy all the time. With only three days left until the wedding, the paperwork kept piling up instead of decreasing.

Right now, I didn’t even have the capacity to hire a decent butler, so I was handling things directly, but mansion management needed to be entrusted to someone more professional and competent than me.

‘If it was going to be like this, maybe I should have spent time with Mother.’

Mother was probably feeling a bit hurt inside. She had told me to check out the newlywed mansion, but she probably never thought I wouldn’t show my face until the wedding day. Just yesterday, she sent a letter asking when I would make an appearance.

‘Mother, there’s just too much to handle.’

It looked like I’d be stuck here working until the wedding.

“Oscar. Want some tea?”

Moreover, whenever I had a moment to rest, Erhan would cling to me strangely, making it difficult to relax comfortably.

“No, I need to go to the study.”

I answered indifferently, but then I belatedly noticed what Erhan was holding and was startled.

‘When on earth did he bring that?’

On the tray he was holding himself were snacks and two teacups. Erhan was more sociable than I had thought. At first, I thought he had entered the mansion by revealing to the servants that he was my brother. But the next morning, the servants were shocked to see him. In short, it meant he had sneaked in without the servants noticing.

But after that, he started to get along well with the servants, and on days like today when I was working, he would appear with snacks.

‘Even though he won’t eat a single bite anyway.’

I had never seen him put any snacks to his mouth. Even for breakfast, he would only touch light dishes like boiled eggs a little, not even looking at the rest. If at the Serpentine mansion he seemed to pretend to eat even if he didn’t like it, here where there was no one to mind, he didn’t even touch the food.

‘He wouldn’t even pick up a cup if it wasn’t tea he brewed himself.’

His obsessive cleanliness was still the same.

However, he would often touch me and show interest in the tea or snacks I ate, so I sometimes forgot about his obsession with cleanliness. Seeing him now, looking at books in the study with gloves on, reminded me again of his obsession. Abandoning the tray he brought on the desk, Erhan stroked the spine of a book and asked me.

“Want to read?”

“I don’t even have time for that.”

I answered with a slightly gloomy voice to Erhan’s casual question.

I wasn’t here to read books now, but to find materials. The study was so large and extensive that I expected it would take quite some time to find the necessary materials.

However, Erhan, who had disappeared for a moment, leisurely appeared in front of me and held out a book.

“Here.”

“What’s this?”

I carefully received the book and checked the title.

<Laws Applicable to Noble Families>

I couldn’t help but be surprised at that boring title. I looked at Erhan with round eyes, and he smiled. His face, with a mischievous smile, was full of the feeling of a playful boy.

“…How did you know I needed this book?”

The reason I was looking for that book was because the tax-related laws applied to each family were different.

It was truly a ghost-like intuition, how he knew and found it for me.

“It’s obvious.”

“…I spent a long time looking for that obvious book.”

“This is what experience is, isn’t it?”

I was exasperated, considering he was only three years older than me. But I had no words to retort, so I just shook my head.

“I’m going to work.”

I looked at Erhan with eyes that said, ‘Aren’t you going to leave?’

“Work then. I’ll mind my own business.”

Yet he didn’t take his eyes off me.

“I’ll enjoy the tea… and snacks. Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.”

To be honest, it was close to an empty promise as I had no appetite at all. Whether he knew my feelings or not, Erhan smiled strangely.

I just sighed and started to focus on the book to find the necessary materials.

As I was searching through the book and taking notes for a while…

‘Ah, it’s already this late.’

When I raised my head, feeling a crick in my neck, I found that it had already gotten dark outside.

I was surprised, wondering if I had focused so much that I didn’t even notice the sun setting. Sometimes when I get absorbed in something, I don’t notice even if someone calls me.

I placed the memo paper filled with dense writing between the pages of the book and was about to stand up.

Just as I was getting up, I froze in a half-standing position.

I saw someone who had fallen asleep with their head on the table. It was Erhan.

‘…He still hasn’t left?’

Only then did I notice the candlestick placed close to me on the table.

The reason I could focus on the book without realizing my surroundings were getting dark was thanks to this candlestick. And the only person who could have brought the candlestick near me while I was reading was Erhan.

‘Should I wake him up?’

But Erhan looked so sound asleep. Seeing his long lowered eyelashes, I found it hard to disturb him carelessly.

‘He looks uncomfortable though.’

But I couldn’t just leave him here like this. His posture looked very uncomfortable, and it was late.

In the end, I approached him with the intention of waking him up. As I approached, I thought he might wake up from the presence, but Erhan showed no signs of waking. It almost felt sorry to wake him.

‘I think this is the first time I’ve seen him sleeping so deeply.’

It felt strange to see Erhan so defenseless, as it was also the first time. What was somewhat amusing was that his brow, always sensitively furrowed, remained so even in sleep. That stubborn brow was just so Erhan-like.

‘Ah, the garden lights are going out too.’

Although we weren’t going to stay here all night, I wanted to let Erhan sleep a bit longer since he was sleeping so soundly for once.

‘Well, I brought the documents I need to review anyway.’

After hesitating, I took off my outer garment. And I was about to drape it over Erhan’s shoulders.

But as expected, no matter how deeply he was sleeping, Erhan was sensitive by nature. As soon as I reached out my hand, he opened his eyes as if by magic. I met his eyes, which were irritably furrowed as if annoyed at being disturbed from sleep.

“…”

Erhan’s eyes widened slightly. My image was clearly reflected in his exposed gray eyes. That is, the image of me standing awkwardly, trying to cover him with my clothes.

“Ah, this is.”

Would he be displeased? As I stepped back slightly, I instinctively wrinkled my nose in embarrassment. Feeling that anything I said would sound strange, I spoke honestly despite the awkwardness.

“Just… it’s not good to be cold while sleeping. You might catch a cold.”

When I glanced at Erhan, the irritated expression had already disappeared.

Rather, his face looked more languid than usual. Facing Erhan, who was exuding an unfamiliar atmosphere, I felt like I had to say something. As I was about to open my mouth carefully.

“That’s right, you were…”

Erhan’s lowered voice reached me first. He slowly closed and opened his eyes that contained my image, then closed them again.

“Kind.”

His voice, close to a whisper, dispersed lowly.