The sound of wood splintering echoed through the training yard.

Marcus Aldridge stood by the fence.

He held two water bottles and watched his brother.

Theodore Aldridge was a blur of motion.

His practice sword struck the training dummy.

Thwack.

Crack.

The dummy lost an arm. Then it lost its head.

Theo spun and delivered a final, crushing blow to the dummy's torso.

The wooden post snapped in half.

Dust settled in the afternoon sun.

Marcus winced. That was the fifth dummy this week.

"Good form," Marcus called out.

He walked over to the wreckage and offered a water bottle.

Theo took it. He was barely sweating.

"Thanks, Brother," Theo said.

He drank half the bottle in one gulp.

Marcus checked his mental checklist.

Today was Tuesday.

According to the Plan, Theo needed to bump into Seraphina in the library later.

Marcus had already arranged for a "misplaced" cart of books to block the aisle.

It would force them into close proximity.

"I need you to go to the library at four," Marcus said.

Theo wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"Why?" Theo asked.

"To study," Marcus lied smoothly. "Strategy. Very important."

Theo looked at the broken dummy. He frowned.

He didn't move to pick up his towel.

He looked at Marcus. His expression was uncharacteristically serious.

"Brother," Theo said.

"Yes?"

"I have a question."

Marcus adjusted his glasses. "Shoot."

"Why do the women destined for me keep looking at you instead?"

The world stopped.

The birds stopped singing. The wind stopped blowing.

Marcus felt his heart hammer against his ribs.

His grip on his own water bottle tightened. The plastic crinkled loudly.

"Excuse me?" Marcus squeaked.

His voice was an octave higher than usual.

Theo looked at him calmly.

"The women," Theo repeated. "The four from the prophecy. They are supposed to be my allies. But they prefer you."

Marcus felt the blood drain from his face.

This was it.

The plot was broken. The masquerade was over.

Theo knew.

"What prophecy?" Marcus asked. He tried to play dumb. "I don't know what you mean."

Theo sighed. It was a heavy, patient sound.

"The Headmaster told me," Theo said.

Marcus blinked. "He what?"

"Months ago," Theo said. "Right after I got the Sword of Light."

Theo sat down on a stone bench. He rested his practice sword on his knees.

"He called me into his office," Theo explained. "He showed me the scroll."

Marcus stared at his brother.

"He told you everything?"

"Yes," Theo said. "Four pillars. Political alliances. Romantic entanglements to secure the kingdom's future."

Theo recited the words flatly. He sounded like he was reading a grocery list.

Marcus felt dizzy. He sat down next to his brother.

"You knew," Marcus whispered. "This whole time."

"Yes."

"And you didn't say anything?"

Theo shrugged. "I was busy training."

Marcus put his head in his hands.

He had spent months scheming.

He had written fake letters. He had bribed gardeners. He had staged accidental meetings.

He had nearly died of stress trying to push these women toward Theo.

And Theo knew the script the entire time.

"Why?" Marcus asked. His voice was muffled by his hands.

"Why what?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Marcus looked up. "I've been running around like a headless chicken trying to set you up!"

"I noticed," Theo said.

"You noticed?"

"You act weird when they are around," Theo said. "You sweat a lot."

Marcus groaned.

"But Brother," Theo continued. "That does not answer my question."

Theo turned to face him fully.

"Why do they like you?" Theo asked. "I am the Child of Destiny. That is the rule. But they break the rule."

There was no jealousy in his voice. Only confusion.

He looked like a student trying to solve a math problem that had no answer.

"They don't like me," Marcus lied instinctively. "They are just... polite."

Theo narrowed his eyes.

"Brother," he said. "Do not lie to me."

"I'm not lying!"

"You are," Theo stated. "You are doing the thing where you rub your neck."

Marcus froze. His hand was on his neck.

He snatched it away.

"Okay," Marcus said. "Maybe they are a little friendly. But it's just because I'm helpful."

"It is not helpfulness," Theo said.

He pointed the practice sword at Marcus's chest.

"It is attraction."

The word hung in the air.

Marcus felt like the dummy. He had just lost his head.

✧✧✧

"Attraction," Marcus repeated.

He tried to make the word sound ridiculous.

"Yes," Theo said. "Like magnets."

Theo stood up. He began to pace.

"I do not understand it," Theo admitted. "But I have eyes."

"Theo, listen," Marcus said. He stood up too. "We can fix this."

"Fix what?"

"The deviation!" Marcus waved his hands. "The prophecy says they are yours. We just need to... re-calibrate."

Theo stopped pacing. He looked at Marcus with genuine horror.

"No," Theo said.

"No?"

"I do not want them," Theo said firmly.

Marcus paused. His brain stuttered.

"What do you mean you don't want them?" Marcus asked. "They are incredible women!"

"They are confusing," Theo corrected.

He began to count on his fingers.

"First, the Professor," Theo said. "Lady Seraphina."

"She is brilliant," Marcus argued. "And powerful."

"She is scary," Theo said. "She looks at me like I am a dirty chalkboard. She only smiles when she talks to you."

"She's just strict," Marcus said weakly.

"She is terrifying," Theo insisted. "I do not want to date my teacher. That is weird."

He folded a finger.

"Second, the Duchess," Theo continued. "Lady Catarina."

"She owns half the kingdom!" Marcus said. "She's rich! She's beautiful!"

"She talks too much," Theo said. "She uses big words. She talks about taxes and grain."

Theo shuddered.

"I tried to talk to her once about swords. She looked bored. Then she asked me about your health."

"She was just being polite," Marcus tried again.

"She asked about your favorite tea," Theo said. "She took notes."

Marcus opened his mouth. He closed it.

"Third, Lady Vivienne," Theo said.

"She's a legend!" Marcus cried. "The Crimson Viper! She fights with daggers!"

"She is older than you," Theo pointed out.

"So?"

"She is Damien's mother," Theo said. "Damien is my rival. If I date his mother, the locker room will be very awkward."

Marcus had to admit, that was a valid point.

"Also," Theo added. "She treats me like a child. She pinches my cheek. It is humiliating."

"She's maternal," Marcus offered.

"Exactly," Theo said. "I do not want to date someone who reminds me of Mom."

Marcus winced. "Okay. Fair."

"And finally," Theo said. "The Elf."

"Iris," Marcus said. "She's perfect for you. She's logical. She's calm."

"She asks me to hit wood," Theo said.

"Well, yes. Research."

"She watched me eat an onion," Theo said. "She took notes on my chewing speed."

Theo looked deeply disturbed.

"She does not want romance," Theo said. "She wants a lab rat."

He lowered his hand.

"None of them make sense, Brother."

Theo looked at the sky.

"I am a warrior," he said simply. "I understand steel. I understand mana. I do not understand these women."

"You don't have to understand them yet," Marcus pleaded. "That's what character development is for!"

"I do not want character development," Theo said. "I want to fight the Demon Lord."

He looked back at Marcus.

"Romance sounds exhausting," Theo said. "You have to write letters. You have to buy flowers. You have to guess what they are feeling."

He shook his head.

"I would rather fight a dragon," Theo concluded. "At least the dragon tries to kill you honestly."

Marcus leaned against the fence.

His entire strategy had been built on a false premise.

He assumed Theo wanted the harem.

He assumed Theo was just bad at it.

But Theo wasn't bad at it. He was opting out.

"But the prophecy..." Marcus muttered.

"Prophecies are vague," Theo dismissed. "The Headmaster said 'Alliance.' He did not say 'Marriage.'"

Theo looked at Marcus pointedly.

"You are already allied with them," Theo said. "So the condition is met."

Marcus stared at his brother.

"That's not how it works," Marcus said. "This is a genre convention!"

"A what?"

"Never mind."

Marcus rubbed his temples.

"So you're saying," Marcus said slowly. "That you have zero interest in any of them?"

"Zero," Theo confirmed.

"And you've been avoiding them on purpose?"

"Yes."

"And that's why you keep sending them to me?"

"No," Theo said. "I do not send them. They go to you on their own."

Theo picked up a pebble. Then he dropped it.

"Gravity," Theo said.

"What?"

"They gravitate to you," Theo explained. "Because you actually listen to them."

The words hit Marcus harder than a physical blow.

He slid down the fence until he was sitting in the dirt.

"I've messed everything up," Marcus whispered.

"No," Theo said. "You just succeeded at the wrong task."

.

.

.

A/N:

Hey guys character arts are out, you can check them out in the mobile app.

How are they? Are they good?

Are they... hot? (≖⩊≖)

And for those who aren't on mobile, do you want me to create an auxiliary chapter in Volume 0?

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.