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Erich's words caught me off guard for a moment.

However, I quickly regained my composure. After all, Erich was still a budding student who was engrossed in his studies at the academy. He was already overwhelmed with learning the established truths, so it was only natural that he would find the new and radical ones hard to grasp.

So, it was no surprise that he thought I was crazy. How could he not be confused when confronted with a truth so different from what he'd been taught?

"You'll understand what I'm saying someday."

I spoke calmly, trying to reassure him.

Learning was all about acquiring knowledge, breaking it down, and finding your own truth. That was the essence of learning.

With that in mind, I patted Erich's shoulder. He was only 17, so he still had a long, long way to go.

"There will come a time when you won't be so bound by what you've been taught."

"You never learned any of this, though."

Damn it.

His quick and sharp retort left me speechless. It felt like a cheap shot.

"And isn't having just one first wife common sense?"

His look of pity rendered me speechless.

But I had to argue. Setting limits in the name of common sense only hindered human progress.

"And what about the ladies? What kind of misfortune are they in for?"

"What?"

His low mutter struck a nerve. Was he suggesting that I was imposing my will on others?

I would never do that. I would never force my standards on those who cared for me. That was why I spoke up so that everyone would be happy being the first wife.

Even though only Marghetta spoke directly, Louise and Irina, who heard from her, didn't object.

So it's not coercion.

Everyone would agree once I informed the Patriarch and the Minister. It wasn’t just my unilateral decision. I had never coerced anyone.

"...They all said they're okay with it. They might find it strange now, but they didn't say no."

"How could they say no? What if you called off the wedding if they did?"

His words silenced me. If that was the reason, then was it really my unilateral decision—?

No, it wasn’t. I tried to create a gentle atmosphere. I wanted to make it easy for them to refuse if they didn't like my proposal.

"If they truly didn't like it, they would have refused."

"To a lunatic spouting nonsense?"

No.

Was he seriously calling me a lunatic so casually? I was still his brother.

"They were probably worried that you would exclude them if they said no, or that you'd become even weirder if they spoke out."

Erich sighed deeply, pulled a chair over, and sat down.

It reminded me of a weary civil servant who was resigned to a long report session.

"Louise thinks you're not feeling well."

My eyes widened at the unexpected words.

I knew that she was concerned about me, but I didn't realize that she thought that way. For Louise, of all people, to say I was unwell—

"She must have been desperate to ask for my help."

Erich sighed again, roughly scratching his head. Then, he sighed again, wiped his face dry, and gave another sigh.

He was showing with every fiber of his being that he had no idea how to continue the conversation.

"Hyung."

"...Yeah."

"Are you crazy?"

In the end, the same conversation repeated itself.

"Everyone becoming the first sounds nice. But..."

Erich sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time, his face seemingly worn with fatigue.

"If everyone is first, then doesn't that also mean that everyone is last?"

I hadn't thought of it that way. Could it really be interpreted like that...?

Sure, if you think there's no one above you, it's like being tied for first place. But if there's no one below, then it's like being tied for last place, too.

"Plus, there are multiple brides who are supposed to be the main focus. Do they really have to share the spotlight on their one special day?"

It was a harsh but accurate observation. Hearing it made me realize how critical the issue was.

Why hadn't I seen it before? Or had I been intentionally ignoring it all along?

"Even during the wedding, the order of giving rings, kissing, and walking out hand in hand... All of it has to be in some sequence."

"..."

"You can't avoid setting an order. You're just forcibly denying it."

Erich leaned back in his chair after saying that, looking like he had nothing more to say.

But his gaze stayed on me, and it felt like it was saying, ‘You're an idiot if you’re still going to deny it,.’

That gaze made my emotions surge again. It was all too easy to lecture someone, wasn't it?

"Maybe you're right."

This time, it was my turn to sigh.

Yes, Erich might be right. Perhaps this method of making everyone first wasn't suitable for this time. Marghetta, Louise, Irina—maybe they were all putting up with it because they didn't want to upset me.

But, so what?

"What am I supposed to do, then?"

Did he think I came up with this idea for no reason? It was driving me crazy to think of ranking the people who cared for me, of dividing the Mage Duchess and the daughter of a duke into first and second.

"You know that noble marriages are extensions of politics."

I had feelings for Marghetta. I was also grateful that she liked someone as lacking as me. She deserved to be the first wife and more.

But then the Mage Duchess got involved. Of course, I was grateful to her too, and I'd been seriously considering our relationship after the incident in the capital. Actually, I was already thinking beyond that.

I liked both Marghetta and the Mage Duchess as people. However, behind them were the Valentis and the Catobans.

"The other house gets pushed aside if I choose one. It means that the current Executive Manager of the Prosecutors’ Office would be picking one side over the other."

It was maddening, but I had to endure it. It was the duty of those who wielded power to consider the repercussions of every action. That was the responsibility of a noble.

That duty and responsibility fell on my shoulders from the moment I let Hecate go and from the moment I could no longer choose someone first.

"So this is the best solution."

Even if I was called crazy, at least it wouldn't lead to conflict. It wouldn't form a rift between the two houses. This method was chosen to maximize the happiness of the majority.

And maybe my resolve reached Erich, because his mouth, which looked ready to call me crazy, stayed shut.

Finally, my brother understood—

"Yeah, I guess it drove you crazy."

Or maybe not.

The silence that came after that was then broken by a painful remark.

"Hyung, don't overthink it."

“You want me to think of something simpler than this...?”

I instinctively questioned him seriously. It wasn’t like me to ask, but could there be a simpler and more straightforward solution than a joint wedding?

"The order of wives usually follows the order of the marriages."

"Right."

That was why I was talking about getting married simultaneously.

"And marriage is the result of a confession."

"That’s correct."

I nodded, though I wasn't sure why he was bringing this up.

"Then isn't it fair to marry them in the order of their confessions?"

?

"The academy graduates students in the order they enrolled, so why not marry them in the order of their confessions?"

???

What the hell is he talking about?

I felt like I was losing my mind. Could you really compare something as significant as confessions and marriages to academy enrollments and graduations?

But then again, maybe he wasn’t wrong. If the order was going to be set anyway, perhaps the order of their confessions would make sense.

"And the most important thing is..."

Erich paused and quickly glanced around. Even though we both knew that no one else was nearby, his cautious behavior suggested that he was about to say something important.

"The Iron-Blooded Duke will be angry if Lady Marghetta gets pushed back. But if the Mage Duchess gets pushed back, you can persuade her."

Oh.

I stared at Erich in awe as soon as I heard that.

Was he a genius?

***I slipped out of the club room, leaving hyung alone with his thoughts.

I bumped into Louise, who was wandering in the hallway, and suggested that she leave him alone for a while. He was just starting to get his thoughts together, so any interruption might set him back.

It was just a simple problem.

I sighed softly as I stepped outside. Talking with hyung made me realize that it wasn't a complicated issue.

It wasn’t that his dilemma was simple, but rather about curing his madness; it wasn't as difficult as it seemed.

If only he had someone to talk to.

The problem would have been solved if someone had just told him, ‘You seem crazy’ when he first started acting out. Even now, a simple nudge brought him back to reality.

He knew it, too. He realized that he was acting irrationally, but he had no direction to go to and was trying to escape reality by pushing forward recklessly.

And because no one stopped him and instead kept reassuring him, things got out of hand.

Well, wasn’t it unavoidable?

After all, how many people could tell someone they loved that they were acting crazy?

Of course, he was lucky that he had a younger brother who could. If he was going to make Louise worry before the wedding, then he should at least make her happy.

Anyway, it seems like it worked out. Judging by his expression, he probably wouldn't mention the joint wedding idea again.

"Erich! Where have you been?"

Rutis waved enthusiastically when I returned to the field where the club members were playing soccer.

"Bathroom. I said I was going earlier."

"Did you?"

"I didn't hear anything."

Tannian shrugged even though he was right next to me earlier.

These jerks really didn't care at all.

"Well, you came back just in time."

Rutis said with a grin as he tossed me the ball.

I caught it, but something felt off. The ball was fully inflated, but it was patched up like an old rag.

"We're going back to foot volleyball. This time, it's three on three!"

"Three on three?"

There were five of us. Was one of us going to be the referee?

I looked around while thinking that and saw someone standing there who definitely shouldn't have been.

...Sir Villar?

Why was he here?

Sir Villar gave me a slightly bitter nod when our eyes met.

"We need even numbers for Lather to accept his defeat."

Rutis spoke with a laugh as he noticed our exchange.

Lather, surprisingly, never admitted to being the weakest. He always claimed the games weren't fair because the numbers were uneven or that such abnormal conditions couldn't measure his skills. It was disgraceful and something you'd never expect from him normally.

So, Rutis brought Sir Villar to make it a fair three-on-three.

You madman.

Calling a royal knight for a game of foot volleyball?

Sounds like it’ll be fun.

Crazy as it was, I liked it.

I suppressed my excitement and stepped onto the field. My lingering worries about hyung also vanished completely.

Yes, I had done all that I could. If things didn't change after everything I said, then it was beyond my control. Besides, I believe that hyung would be fine.

"We'll play best two out of three."

"Shouldn't it be a single match if you wanted to make it simple?"

I steadied myself, watching the club members and Sir Villar take their positions.

Our game of foot volleyball was about to begin!

***I had been crazy.

That was my conclusion after careful consideration. I had truly lost my mind.

Damn it.

I buried my face in my hands in embarrassment. Thinking about the ridiculous logic I had proudly stated in front of Marghetta, the 2nd Manager, and Erich made me want to die.

Marghetta, Louise, and Irina had also been incredibly kind to me despite hearing my nonsense. I wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.

"Just thinking about it makes me happy. Thank you."

Marghetta's gentle voice echoed in my mind as she patted my back. Remembering it made me cringe all over again.

I instinctively looked out the window. Would I get amnesia if I fell headfirst?

This is insane.

However, running away by losing my memory would be cowardly. I had already acted cowardly by succumbing to madness; I couldn't do that twice.

I sighed and picked up the communication crystal. There were things I needed to fix immediately.

— Executive Manager?

"Yes, it's me."

Seeing the nervous face of the 2nd Manager made me avert my eyes. Had I ever felt this embarrassed in front of this jerk?

"About what I said earlier..."

— Ah, yes.

Also, had he ever looked this stiff in front of me?

"...Did you tell anyone else?"