Edward led him toward the garden, where their mother was waiting.
Along the way, many servants greeted them, and the brothers responded in kind. After all, etiquette was one of the most important values for nobles, and they had been taught its intricacies from a young age.
Fortunately, Vivian possessed the memories he had gained after transmigrating, so he did not feel the least bit awkward.
'Though I hadn't met my father or rather Vivian's father,since transmigrating, I knew it was because he was currently away, visiting the royal family for some important business.'
'Mother, on the other hand… hmm, how should I put it? She's incredibly doting, especially toward me.'
'Probably because I have the bad habit of coughing up blood from time to time.'
Vivian thought for a moment before asking, "Edward, when is Father coming back?"
"Hm… I don't know," Edward replied after a thoughtful hum. "You should ask Mother."
" Well, have you finished your morning training?" Vivian asked, his gaze fixed ahead.
"Yes. I've completed my physical training, and I'll do my mana cultivation after noon," Edward answered.
'Mana cultivation.'
Vivian mused. 'I have the talent for it, but my body's a mess. I can't practice for long, and if I push it, the pressure will damage my mana core.'
'Sigh..'
He let out a sigh. 'If it weren't for my rotten luck, I could've enjoyed a life full of fascinating things. Instead, I'm stuck with this half-broken body… unable to live like those reincarnated protagonists who get to enjoy power, adventure, and a harem of wives.'
'If there really is a god, then curse you. Vivian glared up at the ceiling.'
'What did I ever do to you? Why are you so obsessed with making me suffer through illness, huh? Can't I just live a normal life for once?'
He let out a long breath. 'When I first heard I'd only live for a year or two, I thought, fine,at least after dying, if I got reincarnated, I'd be like those overpowered protagonists who get all the girls. But no… here I am. Sure, I'll admit I have a good face, but so what? I won't even live long enough to enjoy it.'
"Brother."
Vivian's train of thought was broken by Edward's voice.
"Where are you going?" Edward asked, raising a brow.
So lost in his thoughts, Vivian had kept walking straight instead of turning into the garden.
"Oh,are we here already? Let's go then," he said with an awkward smile. To be fair, this house was so enormous that even finding the right way sometimes felt like a challenge.
As they stepped into the garden, they were greeted by a vibrant view,flowers of many kinds blooming alongside tall, well-kept trees.
Butterflies fluttered through the air, while rabbits and other small creatures moved about, adding life to the serene space.
At the center of the garden stood a white-polished table, where an exceptionally beautiful woman sat.
Her long black hair cascaded past the chair, reaching almost to her legs, and her clear blue eyes mirrored those of both Vivian and Edward.
Complementing her striking features was the gown she wore,pure white, flowing gracefully, and elevating her beauty to another level.
'No wonder I have such a handsome face,' Vivian remarked inwardly.
He'd had this thought countless times before, but every time he saw his reflection,or his mother,it was only reinforced.
"Mother!" Edward called with affectionate eyes as he ran toward her.
"Hm?" At the sound of his voice, she turned her head, catching sight of Edward dashing in her direction.
"My son!" Seeing Edward running toward her, she immediately set aside the teapot and stepped forward, wrapping him in a tight embrace.
"What took you so long? Mother's been waiting," she said, hugging him as though they hadn't met in years,ignoring the fact that they had just seen each other a little while ago.
"It was because of Brother. He was doing weird things in his room," Edward complained.
"Weird things?" she repeated softly, her gaze shifting toward Vivian.
'This brat… ' Vivian's excuse clearly hadn't convinced Edward. Thinking quickly, he forced a smile. "Well, my hands were sore, so I was just stretching them like this…"
He then demonstrated the same ridiculous pose he had struck earlier, the one from when he'd been daydreaming about becoming the strongest man in the world.
"What? Your hands were sore?" Ignoring everything else he had said, she seized on that single detail and immediately approached him.
"Well, Mother… it's nothing serious," Vivian tried to reassure her, but she wasn't listening. She carefully checked over every part of him,his hands, legs, head, even his nose,before pulling him into a tight embrace.
Here we go again, Just yesterday, when he had been coughing up blood, she had held him like this the entire time until the healer arrived.
"Mom, it hurts," Vivian complained as she rubbed her cheeks against his. Her eyes were slightly teary, but of course, she didn't listen and continued nuzzling him affectionately.
After a while, she finally released him from her embrace and returned to her seat at the table. Vivian and Edward followed suit, taking their places beside her.
Pouring tea for them, their mother spoke softly, "Your father will be returning today at noon."
"Hm? He's returning?" Edward blinked in surprise. "But didn't you say he would be coming back at the end of this month?"
Vivian's brow twitched. 'Oh, really?' Earlier, when he had asked about their father, Edward claimed he didn't know. Now he was saying he was supposed to return at the end of the month? The contradiction was glaring,and more than a little annoying.
"Well, his work was finished earlier than expected, so he's returning ahead of schedule," their mother explained.
But Vivian wasn't fooled. As he glanced at her, he understood the real reason. They hadn't disclosed his illness to Edward.
'But surely Mother had informed Father about what happened yesterday. After all, hearing that his son had been coughing blood again,how could Father not come rushing back immediately?'
Vivian raised the teacup to his lips, sipping quietly as his mother continued, "And Princess Charlotte will be accompanying hi—"
Pffft!
He couldn't hold it in. The shock of that name sent the tea spraying from his mouth, splattering all over the table.
"What happened?!" His mother rushed from her seat, panic flashing in her eyes. She grabbed him by the shoulders, frantically checking him over with her hands and even channeling mana to scan his body.
Her face was full of worry, so much so that she didn't even notice the mess of spilled tea soaking the tablecloth.
"Mom, I'm alright. It was just the sudden shock, that's all," Vivian said, trying to calm her down,and Edward as well, who was watching with a worried gaze.
But of course, she didn't listen right away. Only after thoroughly checking him again and confirming for herself that his body was unharmed did she finally exhale a long, shaky breath.
Returning to her seat, she sank into the chair, her shoulders easing slightly though her eyes still held traces of worry.
On the outside, Vivian forced himself to remain calm. But inside, his heart was pounding. 'Why is she coming here? Why?!'
Charlotte von Indrath,the only princess of the Indrath royal family. In the novel The Order of Love, the very story he had written, she was the main antagonist.
'A dangerous existence. A ticking time bomb. So why in the world is she coming here?!'
'She is so ruthless that once she executed a couple just because they were having fun infront of her. So why is that lunatic coming to meet me?'
Trying to steady his racing heart, he asked carefully, "By the way… why is she coming, exactly?"
"Why else? To meet you," his mother replied as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
"To… meet me? Why?" he pressed, completely unable to understand.
His mother gave him a puzzled look. "Did you forget? She is your future marriage partner,your fiancée."
:Fiancée?! Vivian's throat went dry as he swallowed hard. Why, why, why?! Why is my luck so damn shitty… Wasn't it enough that I'm dying from an illness? And now the worst villainess of my novel is my fiancée?!'
In his imagination, he screamed, rolled on the floor, and foamed at the mouth.
But in reality, he couldn't even faint,because if he did, his mother would immediately summon every healer in the estate and feed him all sorts of medicinal herbs.
"Hehe, Brother, I heard she's as evil as a monster." Edward scrunched up his face in an exaggeratedly sinister expression. To their mother, it looked adorable,but to Vivian, it was disturbingly accurate.
He forced a smile, but inside, his heart plummeted.
'The villainess princess… my fiancée?.,
'I'm so dead.'