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Jean-niisama is shedding tears, beyond words, and John-niisama is biting his lip, enduring.
I send an eye contact to Federico-aniue, who is staring at them in confusion.
(Federico-aniue! Now's your chance, comfort Jean-niisama and John-niisama!)
All I can do is hold Jean-niisama's hand! Now's the time! The only one who can comfort Jean-niisama and John-niisama, who have gotten rid of the lingering feelings in their hearts, is Federico-aniue!!!
When I glared at Federico-aniue with that thought, Federico-aniue visibly began to panic.
(Come on!! Hurry!!!! Hug them here!!!!)
(D, don't ask me the impossible!!!! I can't do that...!!)
(What are you being such a wimp for!!? It wouldn't mean anything if I comforted them here, would it!?)
Come on! Come on, come on, come on!! I urge Federico-aniue on, jerking my chin repeatedly, and he stands up and approaches Jean-niisama and John-niisama as if he has given up or made up his mind.
"Gia, Giancarlo. Giovanni."
Ideally, he would be able to hug or comfort them from the front, but since there is a table in front of Jean-niisama and John-niisama at the tea party, he can't do that.
So, Federico-aniue put his hands on the shoulders of the two brothers from behind the sofa where the three of us, me, Jean-niisama, and John-niisama, were sitting.
The two with tears in their eyes turn to face Federico-aniue.
"...Ah... Um... I... I'm not good at talking about myself, but I want to know more about the two of you... So, even if it's just sometimes, will you come to see me like this again...?"
"Y, yes...!! B, both of us, Jean and I, will definitely come again."
"M, me too...!! D, definitely, definitely... I'll come..."
Jean-niisama and John-niisama, unable to bear Federico-aniue's words any longer, turn around and hug Federico-aniue's neck.
"Um, Aniue, I'm sorry. I've calmed down now."
"Um, I'm fine now too. I showed you an embarrassing side of myself."
Perhaps he was very embarrassed to have cried in front of people, especially John-niisama, who didn't seem to intend to cry, and was covering his face with his hands.
"Eh? Isn't it fine? You were cute? You usually don't come near us or rely on us at all, do you?"
"Andrea-aniue! Please don't tease us so much!!"
"Ehehe. But it makes us happy, doesn't it? As far as we're concerned, our only brothers are John, Jean, and Lai. You can rely on us more, you know?"
"Ugh... Orlando-aniue is mean too."
Jean-niisama puts his arm around my body, trying to escape Orlando-aniue's lukewarm gaze.
"Right now... The movements of each faction aren't as active as they were before Maya-sama was isolated. We're also different from the old days when we couldn't move because of the movements of the factions. Now that Maya-sama and Father are on good terms, the power of the Maya faction's nobles has fallen sharply. At most, they're just sending potential fiancé candidates to try to bring us princes into their own faction. Even that can be suppressed by the Karina faction's nobles. Feel free to rely on us if anything happens."
Bertrand-aniue also gave a soft smile to Jean-niisama and John-niisama.
"Ah. Come to think of it, Giancarlo is... Eleven now? Right?"
"Y, yes. That's right, Andrea-aniue."
"Hmm. John isn't going to advance to the secondary department, is he?"
"Y, yes. I don't have the talent for magic or swordsmanship, and Father introduced me to a music teacher. Besides, Jean's health wasn't good last year, so we postponed his enrollment in the academy."
That's right, the academy that we talked about the other day, it is generally common to enroll in the secondary department in the year you turn fourteen.
Of course, there is a lower limit of twelve years old or older for enrolling in the secondary department, which is the year of the nobility's social debut, but there is no upper limit in particular, so John-niisama, who will be fifteen, can enter the academy whenever he wants if he wants to go.
However, as John-niisama chose, many people who can find a teacher on their own do not enroll in the academy.
"Hee. What about Giancarlo?"
"I'm still worried about my health, so I don't plan to enter the academy either."
"Then the immediate problems are Giancarlo and Raimondo's social debut and the problem of the three of you, including Giovanni's, fiancés, right?"
"Oh? I thought Lai-sama would have Baltzer's backing?"
Andrea-aniue gives a look of exasperation at Ludo-san's words.
"Father hasn't approved it yet, has he? Besides, there's no way the Maya faction would just sit back and watch."
"Most likely, the Maya faction will also try to get a bride for Raimondo. On top of that, they'll probably try to bring Giovanni and Giancarlo, who are good friends with Raimondo, under their influence as well."
What? That sounds like a lot of trouble.
"I want to become a monk."
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