Chapter 236: My Boss Isn’t Sick (4)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.
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