Chapter 418: Royal Outfit
AFTER WINTER got caught by Julian, he had no choice but to face him.
We need to talk face-to-face anyway.
Fortunately, his brother looked calm now.
"Winter, I’d like to apologize for the way I behaved last night," Julian said. His voice was warm, but his eyes were cold. It was as if he was forcing himself to be kind and understanding even if he didn’t want to. "I was just feeling unwell."
Haaah.
Winter could tell that Julian was falling into depression again.
And, so...
"Young lord, I like you."
"Huh?"
"I like you more than I like your father," Winter said firmly and sincerely. "If I were going to steal someone’s affection, I’d still yours. I want you to spoil me and treat me like your precious younger brother, after all."
It wasn’t like he hated his father.
But Daddy in this timeline is mean to Brother Julian!
Winter considered snitching to his mommy, but he decided against it in the end.
I’ll let it stay in the past, but I’ll make sure that Daddy will treat Brother Julian better in the present!
Anyway, he got sidetracked again.
So, he belatedly realized that Julian looked confused by his sudden ’confession’ at first.
But, all of a sudden, his brother burst out laughing.
"Winter, how can I hate you when you’re this adorable?"
I don’t get it, but I think Brother Julian is in a good mood now?
Whew.
All’s well now.
"Can you promise me that you’re not here to steal my father from me, Winter?"
"Huh?"
Julian’s face suddenly turned red. "I know I’m acting juvenile. But my father is the only family I have. Since I’m his only son, I want to monopolize his love and affection. I’d like it if I don’t have to compete with you for that."
Winter waved his hand dismissively. "Young lord, your father treats me like you would a pet. I assure you that he doesn’t see me as his son. So, I can promise you that I won’t steal your father from you. Not that I could."
This time, Julian didn’t say anything.
But Winter could tell that his brother was relieved.
And that actually broke his heart.
This is how neglected Brother Julian is...
"I heard that you’re going to attend the royal banquet now."
Winter nodded, welcoming the fact that Julian had finally changed the topic. "Yes, my lord. I’m going to attend the royal banquet now."
"May I know what made you change your mind?"
"I just realized that I shouldn’t put your father in an awkward position," Winter lied with a straight face. "It isn’t polite to turn down the king’s invitation, is it?"
Julian nodded in agreement. "I’m glad that you changed your mind, Winter. But I hope you’re not forcing yourself."
"I’m not forcing myself, my lord."
"I know that you don’t like the king."
Winter neither confirmed nor denied it by keeping his mouth shut.
It wasn’t like he didn’t trust Julian.
But his brother in this timeline seemed to be fond of the king.
It’s better safe than sorry.
"I’m sorry for saying something that could get you into trouble, Winter."
"It’s alright, my lord— I know you didn’t do it on purpose anyway."
Julian just smiled and nodded. "As an apology, let me choose what you’re going to wear at the royal banquet."
Winter tilted his head to one side. "You don’t have to do that for me, my lord."
And Julian just smiled.
***
HAAAH.
I’m tired.
Winter felt like a female lead in a Korean drama where the rich male lead took her out for shopping.
That was exactly what happened.
Julian summoned the merchants who supplied clothes for his family.
And then Julian made Winter try on a lot of clothes.
Ready-made clothes, to be precise, since we don’t have time to get a tailored one.
It didn’t matter, though.
After all, the ready-made clothes were of fine quality.
They’re heavy, though.
Having said that, it was actually quite fun.
I don’t think I’ve gone shopping with Brother Julian that much.
"Have you chosen what outfit you’d like to wear at the banquet?"
Winter was about to answer Julian’s question, but he was interrupted when the door suddenly opened without warning.
Only one person could enter the young lord’s room that way.
"Father."
Aigoo.
Winter saw how Julian’s face beamed when their father entered the room.
He really loves our dad.
"Are you done choosing clothes for the child?"
"I’ve narrowed down the choices to ten clothes, Father," Julian answered politely. "I just asked Winter what he liked the most among the options."
Their father then turned to Winter.
He didn’t say anything, but it was obvious that their father was waiting for his answer.
Daddy is really a man of few words.
"I liked the third outfit I’ve tried the most, my lord, Young Lord," Winter said, pointing at the only outfit that caught his attention. "The design is simple. It won’t make me stand out, but it won’t also make me look like a background character. Since it screams quiet luxury, the nobles in attendance who have the eye for luxury will hesitate to look down on me because I’d look like a young noble in that. Plus, the color is safe since it’s neutral. Only the royal family can wear red. But the other noble families have also claimed their own color. I don’t want to offend them, so..."
He stopped talking when he realized that Julian and their father were looking at him in disbelief.
Did I say something wrong?
Winter only realized his mistake when his father spoke.
"Child, you can’t be a peasant."
Oops.
"It’s common knowledge that only the royal family can wear red, but only the nobles have a silent agreement about the colors that represent their families," Julian added, now looking at Winter suspiciously. "And it’s amazing how you can tell which among the clothes I chose for you has the highest quality."
Ah.
The royal blood in Winter slipped out unconsciously.
Me and my big mouth...
***
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