Levi stood there, feeling mightily confused. Um… can someone tell him whether his ex-fiancé was for or against him marrying his baby?

But who could answer him when even the person in question had yet to decide her stance. Maery, after another heavy sigh, clicked her tongue, “And your courting method is all wrong! Aren’t you supposed to be smart? How come you’ve learned nothing from Case, Fynn, and Shaw! If you don’t confess, that silly brother of mine will never realize you have the hots of him!”

Maery recalled her brother’s earlier pure and sweet smile.

And then another image couldn’t help but pop into her mind.

An image of her kind and gentle little brother, all flustered and helpless, trying to escape from the naughty paws of the wild and imposing scoundrel, Astar Levi!

Such a contrast in personality and appearance!

And two men at that!

It was simply, simply…!

Simply a perfect pairing, ah!!!

(⁄ ⁄>⁄ ▽ ⁄

Why didn’t she come up with the idea to matchmake them up before this?!? How could she make such a huge oversight!?!

Oh, right. It was because she wasn’t even cruel enough to wish Astar Levi, this scourge, upon her enemies, let alone her precious little brother. (눈_눈)

Cordia Maery kept sighing several times in a row, each sigh heavier than the last. While Levi still stood there at a complete loss, as motionless as an ice statue, watching his ex-fiancée’s facial expressions shift from happiness to fury to bliss to depression and back.

However, if his brain was running properly, his reaction would have probably been the same as Blackie’s:

Blackie, OAO ‘Hey, woman, are you in a good mood or in a bad mood?? Could you please decide on just one of the two, thanks! I don’t know whether to expect a dog-blood drama or a sitcom!’

But how could the two possibly understand the complex feelings running through Cordia Maery at this moment?

On the one hand, the idea of getting rid of this hot potato, Astar Levi, was enough to make her happy any time of the day! But on the other, how would she be happy if that said hot potato ended up getting tossed to her precious baby brother instead?!

On the one hand, she should be excited and delighted that two of her boys would potentially end up happy together, more so considering how sweet the nibbles of this CP would be. On the other hand, how would she not feel furious when she deeply believed that her precious little brother deserved so much better than this EQ deficient workaholic who refused to go see a psychiatrist!

Undecided about what to feel, the woman turned her gaze towards the still petrified Levi-statue. Wow, look at him being stunned silly! She had never seen that facial expression on Levi before. Ai, it was kinda cute!

It was in this moment that it finally hit her – her emotionally stunted man-child was actually truly really smitten, ah! He finally had his first awakening of love! He finally found something he deeply cared about and learned how to cherish it! Tears welled up in Maery’s already red eyes. The child she had raised for 6 years had finally been enlightened in the matters between men and wo…uh, matters of true love between men!

‘Baby Levi, mommy is so proud of you!’

And just like that, Maery’s undecided heart went with its most instinctive choice.

She grabbed the hands of her big man-child, waking him up from his daze. The two locked eyes. One was still in disbelief, and the other had flames of passion flickering within, declaring with great conviction, “You might be a moron, but don’t worry, brother-in-law! You can count on me! This experienced big sis will help you out! Listen to me, and your chances of capturing the heart of your little darling will double– no, triple– no quadruple!”

Blackie spewed out his virtual drink, ‘Woah! That speed of changing address! Yo, brother-in-law, if I remember correctly, a minute ago, you were still a slag ex-fiancé, ah?!’

Levi, “…” ‘Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?’

Wait, wait, wait! So Cordia Maery’s most instinctive reaction was to help the two boys hook up?? How?! What?! Why?!

One-third of the answer to that question laid in the nature of Levi’s and Maery’s relationship, which was far from what outsiders believed it to be.

The second-third of the answer laid in the fact that this big sis was a huge bro-con and would naturally want to go with whatever made her little brother happy. And judging by everything she’d seen and heard so far from her little bro, it would seem that her little brother rather liked Levi.

Ergo, if her little brother liked this scourge Astar Levi, then she’d… beat the said scourge up until he turned a new leaf in life and stopped being such a scoundrel!!! ╰(*°▽°*)╯

Unless her brother liked his scoundrel self? In which case, she’d… ai, she’d still beat him up!! She regretted nothing!!!

And the final (but most definitely the largest) third of the answer laid in the study of wildlife in all of its different forms.

Cordia Maery. A perfect specimen of a wonderous species collectively known as fujoshi or “rotten women”.

In the wild, fujoshi can often be seen mingling with groups of normal human females, trying to pass as one of them. Though some fujoshi have evolved exceptional camouflage skills, you can always identify them through a simple test. You see, when a fujoshi detects a group of two or more attractive human males interacting with one another, the fujoshi will, without fail, display some form of an “aunty smile”. (not to be confused with a “pedo-smile”!)

These uniquely identifiable smiles are also often accompanied by a high-pitched cry to alert the rest of their group to the presence of “food”.

If you are an attractive man and notice a fujoshi exhibiting such behavior in your vicinity, do not be alarmed. The fujoshi is merely internally pairing you up with the attractive man next to you as a form of mental sustenance.

Rest at ease! A fujoshi displaying an aunty smile is in her most harmless and friendly state. You can just ignore her and go on your merry way. Preferably hand-in-hand with the man next to you. That will certainly make the spectating fujoshi very excited. Though if you choose to do so, beware! A fujoshi might take out her camera for a picture that will then most likely be shared online amongst their brethren.

And sure enough! Right now, Maery’s soul of a fujoshi was burning with fervor, her face blooming in an amiable and harmless aunty smile her kind were known for! She patted the stool next to her, lurin– no, inviting – her next vict– no, no, the attractive human male next to her, into a trap–ahem, to take a seat.

“Right, right, big sis will help you out! But first, sit, and let’s get most important things out of the way.”

Levi, unfamiliar with the fujoshi species, dazedly slumped onto the stool, not comprehending what just happened.

“Ah, Lev! That…” Maery looked at Levi, as if she had something important to say but didn’t know how. She sighed a few times melancholically and then finally asked, “What about the house our parents bought for us?”

Expression finally returned to Levi’s blank face – his right eyelid started to violently twitch, “…you can keep it. It’s you who did the interior design anyway.”

Maery looked very regretful as she nodded with a “can’t be helped” expression. Then, added, “…what about that hovercraft your parents gave me?”

Levi’s left eyebrow also started to violently twitch, “…you can keep that too.”

The graveness of Maery’s expression didn’t change in the slightest as she nodded again, only, now what was written on her face was, “Indeed, it isn’t right to return what has already been given.”

Finally, she sighed mournfully and spoke up again, “What about–“

“You can keep all of it!” Levi interrupted through gritted teeth. ‘How is splitting property considered “the most important thing”?!?’

As if hearing Levi’s unspoken reprimand, Maery shot him a displeased glare, “What I was gonna say was,” she huffed, “What about the issue of the heir? How do you intend to solve it?”

Levi fell silent.