My Wives Of Simulation

Chapter 8: Nero's Love

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"Go away! I've said it countless times—my brother doesn't need any concubines!"

In the grand palace of the Roman Empire, Nero glared at Bruce, the former leader of the Guards who had now risen to the rank of marshal, her tone sharp and unyielding. Without hesitation, she tore apart the portraits of the so-called "beautiful girls" presented to her.

"But, Princess Nero," Bruce began cautiously, "His Majesty is now 25 years old. He should have an heir to secure the future of the empire."

"This isn't just a personal suggestion; it is the will of the entire empire."

By 55 AD, Elric, who had ruled the Roman Empire for five years, had reached the age of 25. While considered young in future eras, for the Roman Empire, he was the center of the empire's hope and stability. Many voices clamored for him to produce an heir.

Countless women—both nobles and commoners—dreamed of capturing the Emperor's heart. Elric's reputation for unmatched charisma and beauty only fueled their ambitions. Even foreign nations had sent their princesses, hoping to secure alliances through marriage.

But none of this moved him. He rejected every proposal without hesitation, to the frustration of many.

Standing before Bruce, Nero, now 18 and fully grown into the most beautiful Olympian flower in the Roman Empire, fixed her emerald eyes on him and declared sternly, "Marshal Bruce, I won't repeat myself. My brother doesn't need a concubine."

Bruce hesitated under her intense gaze but eventually relented. "I understand, Your Highness."

Even as he turned to leave, his expression was complicated. He, like everyone else in the empire, was well aware of Nero's feelings for Elric. In fact, the entire empire could see it.

By blood, Nero, as the great-granddaughter of the first emperor, and Elric, the son of Claudius IV, shared a distant familial connection. However, their relationship spanned enough generations to be considered permissible by Roman standards. In fact, sibling marriages were not uncommon among Roman royalty.

The real mystery was why Elric hadn't married Nero, and none dared to broach the subject with him.

As Bruce's footsteps faded, Nero murmured softly to herself, "My eighteenth birthday is approaching. My brother will marry me then."

The thought of her birthday brought a faint smile to her lips. After all, Elric had promised her.

Over the years, Elric had been everything to Nero—her family, her teacher, and her emperor. He had raised her since childhood, nurturing her into the person she was now. His plan had always been to prepare Nero for the future, even to the extent of considering her as a possible successor to his throne.

For Nero, her feelings for her brother were clear. As she grew older, her affection transformed into something far deeper. She had confessed to him long ago, her words earnest and filled with unwavering determination: "Brother, I like you. I like you very, very much!"

For Elric, however, his relationship with Nero was more complex. To him, Nero was a sister he loved dearly, a student he had guided, and now a young woman he had helped shape into a symbol of Rome's future.

When Nero was younger, her parents' neglect had left her starved for affection. She experienced the warmth of family for the first time when Elric arrived at her home and declared that she would be his sister from then on.

As years passed, Elric became more than just a brother. He became her mentor, teaching her knowledge, music, and the intricacies of governance.

Later, when he ascended the throne and became emperor, the dichotomy of his character emerged. To the world, he was the cold and unyielding Eternal Night Emperor, a ruler who held absolute control over life and death. But at home, he was gentle, warm, and undeniably devoted to his sister.

Who could resist a man with top-notch looks, power, wealth, and a sense of self-assuredness?

Certainly not Nero. She couldn't resist him at all.

I don't know when it started, but I began to see Rhine as my only one. Watching my brother, Nero realized that his presence had already consumed her heart completely.

"Nero, you… like me?"

Elric's voice broke her reverie.

To be honest, Elric had no romantic feelings for Nero.

It was akin to having a younger sister who grew up alongside you. No matter how beautiful she was, you would only feel familial affection toward her.

Even though he and Nero didn't share a childhood together, Elric truly regarded Nero as a little sister.

Hearing her sudden confession left him stunned. He hadn't expected Nero to harbor such feelings for him, let alone fall in love. As he looked at the girl standing before him, baring her heart, Elric realized something—Nero was no longer the little girl who clung to him with endless questions and childish demands for attention.

She was not the imperial ruler of the original story, plagued by the poison her mother inflicted.

No, this was Nero Claudius, Reinhard's sister.

The life of a tyrant, after all, is not set in stone. Elric, too, had come to this world and rewritten his story. Unlike the rigid pages of history, the Nero before him was entirely her own person.

Confidence, beauty, pride, boldness, strength, fairness, justice—Nero possessed all these wonderful traits. But layered atop them were the memories she shared with Elric in this world. These experiences had shaped her into someone new.

"Brother, I like you. This is not Nero's admiration for the emperor, nor a sister's faith in her brother. As a girl, I like you with all the sincerity of my heart."

"I've always liked you, ever since I was young. I was afraid, though—afraid that saying it outright would make you hate me, afraid that you'd reject me and push me away."

"So I hesitated."

"But…"

Her tone was unusually soft, a gentleness Nero rarely revealed. Yet at this moment, in this fragile stillness between them, she confessed her love toElric.

"But even if you reject me, even if you hate me… you're the one who taught me to embrace who I am. I am Nero. I will do everything I set my heart to, even if it means failing."

Tears glistened on her delicate face, her emotions a turbulent storm within her heart.

Looking directly at Elric, Nero found the courage to be bold, fueled by the love that now engulfed her.

Because, no matter what, she would always be Nero—a confident, fearless girl.

And Elric, seeing this side of her, could not bring himself to utter words of rejection. Though he did not yet fully love Nero in the way she loved him, he could never bear to see her leave. After all, the Emperor of Eternal Night was renowned for his tyrannical stubbornness.

"Nero, I can't promise that my feelings for you are entirely love right now. But I won't run away, nor will I leave you. From now on, I will try to see you as my lover, not just my sister."

"In the days to come, I will walk with you as your partner."

Under the witness of heaven, earth, and time itself, Elric accepted Nero's feelings.

"Oh, and while this might seem a bit odd to say," he added, glancing at her earnestly, "Nero, even if we love each other, I need to make something clear: we'll only marry when you come of age."

Despite his transformation, Elricp still retained some of the traditions from his days in the former world. He wasn't about to compromise those principles, even for her.