The Maid In The Reverse Harem Game Wants To Quit

Chapter 61

Otis laughed coldly.

It was humorous that a human who had so much confidence in himself did not even notice even a simple lie if it was what Irene said.

‘Of course, if I want to solve a misunderstanding, I can solve it.’

While it may be possible to reveal that the scandal is actually a ploy, Otis recalled Irene’s request.

“You must never tell the truth about the scandal to the other young masters. It’s okay if it’s just mentioning the spy…”

“What’s the reason?”

“It’s the same reason I didn’t tell the young masters about the spies in the beginning. You don’t know where in this mansion they’re listening from. And, the more the young masters pay attention, the easier it would be for the spy to notice that the situation is strange.”

In short, to deceive your enemies, you must deceive your allies as well.

Of course, as Otis was suspicious, he did not trust every word of hers. It was because Irene looked desperate enough to explain it even though it was simply about being careful about the eyes of the spies.

Nonetheless, he, as usual, bit his mouth.

In the beginning, he was someone who does not normally share things with anyone — be it a person or an object — much less when he had no intention to.

“I understand what you’re concerned about, though there was no coercion between us. Of course, you wouldn’t want to get involved in your little brother’s love affairs like this.”

At his words, Ahibalt’s eyes fluttered wildly.

Otis, the one who actually created the wave, was just watching the tumult with a leisurely smile. Even in the face of his father’s death, a man who was calm could not keep his composure because of such a scandal.

Sneering to himself, he kept feeling like he wanted to laugh at his older brother.

Recalling when Ahibalt, who had visited Irene’s hospital room before him, and the night he had to turn in front of him. Then, Otis remembered that Irene, who had refused his temptation with a nonchalant face, lost her composure in an instant at the mere sound of his footsteps.

“Can I ask you now? What happened between you and your brother that made you act like that.”

“There was nothing special. It’s just that I… I don’t have the courage to face him yet.”

Saying that, Irene’s gaze fell with a voice full of rare confusion. The agitation, which she could never have elicited, twisted her mind firmly.

So, rather, Otis wanted to ask Ahibalt a question.

Brother, what the hell have you done to get her shaken up like this…?

…How did you do something I could not possibly do?

‘It was always like this.’

This lowly feeling towards Ahibalt was always his own.

Throughout their lives, he had never won once… and, he had never been able to escape from Ahibalt’s shadow. It was a past that could easily turn into a sense of inferiority if it were any other person. Still, Otis loved his half-brothers.

It was, of course, great that they shared a similar childhood.

However, the biggest reason he could not be eaten by the inferiority complex was also Irene. Unlike a father who favored his children, and a mother who was obsessed with playing with a lady, their maid was equally indifferent to everyone.

Irene may not seem to have seen it, though Otis would often notice that there were onlookers at his tea time with her.

A blonde-haired boy stopped and glanced at them with a strange expression…

The boy would stare at them for a long time before moving away.

In the face of that fact, Otis used to fall into a strange sense of superiority. The bond between Irene and himself which Ahibalt, no matter who it was, dared to intervene

He was quite proud of it.

It used to give him a feeling similar to when he picked up a particularly pretty stone at the shore of a lake. A strange sense of intoxication that only he and the lake secretly know the beauty of the stone.

Hence, in this situation, whenever he encountered something between Irene and Ahibalt that he could not intervene… Otis is driven by an unknown jealousy, thinking that he was the only one who shared the secret with the lake.

He could see that the child next to him had unusually beautiful stones in his hands.

In a young mind, a stone in another child’s hand looks more beautiful. Because of that, it made his own stones start to look insignificant as if they were just rolling along the roadside. Though to throw it away with anger, it had already entered his heart and had become a precious little memory.

Ultimately, the child had only one choice after a conflict…

…Never show the stone in his hand to anyone. If no one knew how insignificant his stone was, no one would notice how beautiful it was even if he exaggerated.

Otis glanced back to check the time before getting up and placing his gun in his arms.

“I’m here today to give you a notice. I’m going to visit the Lowens region with Irene in three days.”

“If it’s in the Lowens region…”

“Since the invitation came to Lavrenti, brother would know. The Marquis of Millight’s hasn’t fallen behind yet, and he’s now one year older.”

“So, you’re going to take Irene with you?”

“Yes. There’s a scandal going on right now, too, isn’t it? It’ll be quiet when we leave for a while, you know right? Though if you go and talk to her, I don’t know if Irene will change her mind.”

At his question, Ahibalt didn’t answer.

Otis was surprised by that fact and widened his eyes before opening his mouth.

“Why aren’t you nitpicking? I thought you’d tell me not to force Irene like that?”

“…Irene isn’t a child that needs to be protected unconditionally so there’s no need for me to do that. If she had chosen you, I wouldn’t be able to step in.”

Muttering to himself, Ahibalt smiled brightly as if there had been no agitation from a moment ago. It was that faint smile that came out when he was dealing with the elders.

“However, I don’t want you to do it your way. Since Irene also has work to do at the mansion, I’ll go to Lowens myself and talk to her. Otherwise, do as you please.”

One of Otis’s eyebrows rose in response to the clear answer.

Just a moment ago, he was making promises not to be hasty with Irene so he thought Ahibalt was going to say a few more words.

“Is that all you got to say about her?”

“Yes. And, no matter how it looks to you, Irene has a strong will.”

Ahibalt slowly got up and approached Otis.

The shadows of the two men, slightly different in length, came closer.

“It’s the same thing when I trust her, I don’t force her. Coercion is not going to work unless she wants it on her own, she’ll never come over.”

His friendly voice was rather uncomfortable.

Otis used to feel that he was particularly young when he was next to Ahibalt, although it had been a long time since he felt so uncomfortable. He shot the answer like a child pushing a carrot to the edge of a plate.

“So, brother, isn’t going to do anything? Until the moment Irene doesn’t believe us and says she’s leaving the mansion…?”

“It’s probably your position to feel that I’m not doing anything. It doesn’t matter what you do outside, though don’t leap in front of me. You’ve got into a bad habit.”

Ahibalt gazed down at Otis with a smile on his face. It was unspoken coercion.

“Don’t ever use Irene to provoke me again.”

It was not Otis who would not have noticed that he meant not to cross the topic. In addition, the fact that he provoked Ahibalt properly.

Haha—Otis sneered to himself.

After all, his half-brother was a person to take a step back and watch until things happened.

“In the end, you won’t be able to step up—not now, and not later.”

“I will.”

So, there was no need to rush.

‘…What is in my hand has not been discovered yet.’

The pebble in his hand was still shining in the illusion.

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