The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 49
In the Ecclesia Dukedom, there are five siblings.
The eldest, Ron.
The second, Mariam.
The third, Van.
The fourth, Cal.
And the fifth.
‘All five are renowned talents. Except for the third, ‘Van.’
When it comes to picking the best among them, there’s no doubt that the following individual stands out:
Mariam Ecclesia, the second.
The foremost talent among the five siblings of the Ecclesia Dukedom.
‘In truth, the real top talent is the fifth, but Mariam is exceptional as well. Being elected as the mayor of the Empire’s top free city at such a young age speaks volumes.’
Mariam’s ascent in the Ecclesia was solely achieved through her own abilities, not by riding on the coattails of the family’s prestige.
‘Early admission to the Academy, graduating at the top of her class, rapid promotion in the bureaucracy after commissioning, with accolades and honors. It’s not for nothing that she’s considered a potential successor to the Ecclesia.’
Despite having a reliable eldest son named Ron, many still speculated on Mariam’s potential as the family’s heir apparent.
‘The problem is, this remarkable sister of mine seems to have the worst possible fate entwined with Van.’
While it’s often said that those from the same root cannot peacefully coexist under one sky, their relationship was particularly dire.
Enemies.
That single word summed up their relationship.
‘There’s no way she’d ever show me any favor.’
In other words, this encounter was a confrontation with an enemy.
Thorough preparation was necessary.
“Why do you need this kind of information?”
“It is useful.”
“Is it because of Mariam?”
“Have you met her too?”
My former fiancée, Emily, nodded.
By the way, she was leveraging the information I provided to solidify her position in the Rapalt Dukedom.
“Yes, she asked if we’ve become friends again.”
Mariam regarded Emily favorably and actively supported the idea of Van marrying her.
If a guy like you can marry Emily, it’ll be the greatest achievement of your life.
“Don’t worry. Our relationship is definitely over. No matter what she says, there’s absolutely no chance of us getting back together.”
“…”
However, Emily’s reaction was odd.
She remained silent.
With a smirk on her face, Emily changed the subject as if to divert the conversation.
“I’ll prepare the information you talked about quickly. Just be careful. Mariam is keeping a close eye on you.”
“Keeping a close eye on me?”
“…Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten?”
“??”
“At Mariam’s mayoral election celebration, you played a little prank, didn’t you? You… mixed dog feces into the chocolate cake she was going to eat.”
“….”
I fell silent.
‘…That’s a bit intense huh, Van?’
Though I’m well-versed in Van’s antics, I wasn’t aware of this one.
While I usually try to defend Van’s misdeeds, but yeah, this one was beyond unacceptable.
“…I’ll take care of it. Just make sure to prepare the requested information.”
I headed straight to the city hall.
“Lord Van, what’s the matter?”
Captain Gordon’s expression turned to surprise when he saw me.
Having worked together on several occasions, Captain Gordon had developed a fondness for me.
“I’ve come to see the mayor.”
“The mayor? Ah, now that I think about it, are you two related? It’s remarkable that the city’s two heroes are siblings. I’ll go inform her right away. I’m sure the mayor will be delighted!”
With enthusiasm, Gordon rushed off, only to return shortly with a troubled expression.
“W-Why is the mayor’s reaction like that? She’s not usually like this…”
“…I will go inside.”
Following the guidance of the city hall staff, I entered.
“Mayor, Lord Van has arrived.”
“Please come in.”
As I entered, I found a woman sitting in a meticulously tidy room.
‘Mariam Ecclesia.’
She had a resemblance to Van, as befitting siblings.
However, there was a difference; unlike Van’s sharp demeanor, hers was much softer.
Despite being in her late twenties, she exuded a youthful aura, sitting in the mayor’s seat like an academy student, which felt somewhat incongruous.
“Thank you for escorting him. Now, please return to your duties.”
As Mariam smiled gently, the young staff member who had escorted me blushed.
“Y-Yes! If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call me!”
“Yes, thank you. Van, care to join me over here? It’s been a while. How have you been, my brother?”
A warm tone, contrary to Emily’s concern.
As evidenced by the reaction of the city hall staff earlier, to a stranger, one might mistake her for an angel descended to earth.
Of course, I wasn’t fooled.
“You can relax around me, sister.”
“…”
“Aren’t we not that kind of relationship?”
The smile vanished from Mariam’s face.
Her expression changed like everything has been a lie.
It turned as cold as ice.
Even for someone like me, who had met all sorts of people as a former sales king, it was enough to give pause.
“So the rumors are true, you really have changed, huh? Who are you? You’re not my brother, are you?”
It wasn’t that she had figured out my identity, but rather an expression of astonishment.
“I’ve heard so many rumors about you being up to no good, so I called you here out of curiosity. I don’t know what trouble you’ll cause next.”
“…….”
“Still, it seems different from what I was worried about. Fine. You can leave now. I’ll keep an eye on you, so be careful from now on.”
Mariam turned away as if this were the end of the matter.
It was clear she didn’t want to be in the same space as Van any longer.
Although her attitude was not as bad as I had feared, I didn’t back down.
“Wasn’t I invited to tea time? You should offer some refreshments.”
Mariam glanced at me coldly.
“You want to have tea with me?”
“Of course. And with the tea, I’d like some chocolate cake. Preferably with a rich mousse.”
“!!”
Mariam’s face turned even colder than before.
She noticed that I intentionally brought up the topic of “chocolate cake.”
“Instead of reflecting on your actions… “
“Why should I reflect? If anything, I should be the one receiving an apology.”
“…What?”
“On that day, didn’t you falsely accuse me without even properly investigating the incident?”
“Accuse you? What nonsense is this? There were witnesses who testified that you were the one who did it.”
“Is there a possibility that the witnesses were manipulated? Have you investigated them?”
“!!”
Mariam remained tight-lipped.
‘No matter how much Van might be trash, he wouldn’t stoop so low as to mix feces into his sister’s congratulatory cake.’
Though the truth is, I don’t know.
Because it’s something I truly don’t know.
But if it’s the ‘Van’ I know, he wouldn’t do such a thing.
It’s more likely that someone framed Van, just like many other accusations against him.
Many of the wrongs ‘Van’ committed were actually accusations orchestrated by others.
He was an easy target for framing.
“You’ve had many enemies since being elected at a young age. It wouldn’t be surprising if someone used it as an excuse to embarrass you and undermine your support.”
“…I can’t trust your words. There’s no evidence, after all.”
“Whether there’s evidence or not, what does it matter?”
“…What?”
“As long as you can’t refute my words, I have the advantage. Even if my words are lies. Manipulating the situation to fit your own agenda, regardless of the truth, isn’t that what politics is all about?”
Mariam fell silent.
She realized my intention.
I was letting her know that I wasn’t the same scoundrel as before.
“You’ve really changed.”
“If you understand, would you at least offer me a cup of tea? I have something to discuss with you.”
Mariam wore a bewildered expression, but soon rang the bell to have tea brought in.
“What is it then? I’m busy, so make it brief.”
“Wouldn’t you make a deal with me?”
“What kind of deal?”
“I’m going to cause an incident, and you’ll cover it up for me.”
“!!”
Whether Mariam recalled Van’s past incidents or not, she wore an expression that clearly indicated she wouldn’t agree, but…
“In exchange, I’ll assist you, my sister, in entering central politics.”
“!!”
Central politics.
It’s where she desperately wants to be.
Of course, she showed a baffled reaction.
“What leverage do you have?”
“Well, for now, I can only ask for your trust. But I hope you realize this is a one-time opportunity. After I leave this room, I plan to visit Ron. I hope your vision is keen enough to recognize my greatness.”
Mariam’s face stiffened.
Ron.
The mastermind behind Mariam’s exile from central politics to the free city, and the paramount figure of Ecclesia.
‘Though I’m far from the succession dispute, the intense rivalry between them is evident.’
“Implying a threat?”
“I’ll frame it as giving you a chance first. Among the siblings, you’re the one who values me the most.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You’re pretending, but I know. You called me today because you’re worried, right?”
“W-What nonsense?!”
Mariam jumped in surprise.
Her demeanor, so cold and impenetrable until now, changed.
‘…Marriam actually has a brother complexion. Being colder is a way to hide her true intentions even more.’
It was hard to imagine, but it was the truth.
Even the protagonist, Mariam, who viewed everyone as mere tools, had a soft spot for Van.
She kept it hidden thoroughly until the moment when “Van” faced death during the story.
‘When they were young, perhaps it’s because of the memory of how well Mariam treated him when he was sick, or when he was crazy? I don’t know. As someone without siblings, it’s a feeling I find difficult to understand.’
In truth, my reluctance to meet Mariam stemmed from this inner turmoil of hers.
It was awkward.
“Haa, seems like you’re misunderstanding something. Let me make it clear, I am not fond of you.”
“Understood. I will keep that in mind.”
“…”
“Anyway, what’s your answer to my proposal?”
“Before that, I want to ask. What are you planning to do?”
“I want to take care of some unpleasant individuals.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Is it? After all, I am an Ecclesia.”
“…”
I smirked.
“People tend to misunderstand. They see Ecclesia as upright and just. But don’t you know, too? Our Ecclesia isn’t such a noble family.”
House Ecclesia.
It’s the oldest lineage in the Empire.
Its history runs even deeper than the reigning imperial family, which has changed once.
How could such a family be righteous?
It was all just superficial appearances.
“They’ve angered Ecclesia. Should I hold back?”
“…No, there’s no need to hold back.”
Mariam shook her head.
“But remember, Ecclesia’s wrath must be perfect in every aspect.”
It was a phrase laden with many implications.
Ecclesia doesn’t easily get angry.
But when it does, it must crush its opponents perfectly.
To prevent even the thought of crawling up.
Furthermore, Ecclesia’s wrath must be just.
It doesn’t mean acting justly in truth.
Even if it’s unjust wrath, it means blaming everything on the opponent and leaving no trace behind.
In fact, the most hypocritical family was the political dynasty Ecclesia.
“If you don’t think you can do it properly, give up. You’re not qualified.”
Sharp words.
But deep down, there was a concern directed towards me.
Why?
A smile escaped me.
It felt strange to have such emotions as someone without siblings, but still, I didn’t dislike it.
A fleeting memory passed by, reminiscing about the distant past when I envied the presence of someone with siblings.
‘Nowadays, I’ve long passed the age for such antics.’
Instead, I had to become a pillar-like sibling.
With that in mind, I lifted the corners of my mouth.
“Don’t worry. They’ll find out why I’m an Ecclesia.”
