Episode 25
On Brother’s face, there was a soft smile, and his expression looking at me was filled with contentment.
“I understand.”
“Anyway, the youngest can’t lose.”
The two Brothers, who had been exchanging glances with me, soon nodded with a bitter expression.
“Ayla, but you will forever be our sister. So, if you ever need our help, just let us know.”
Jade Brother spoke to me as if making a solemn pledge.
“I will. Brothers, it’s the same for you. I am your one and only eternal sister.”
Finally, the four of us burst into relieved laughter.
My reliable Brothers.
On this day, I keenly realized that, thanks to them, I could face the future more courageously than anyone else.
*
The next afternoon, when we went outside the mansion to go to Duke Blighton’s estate, Noah Brother was standing in front of the carriage, just like yesterday.
“Noah Brother?”
“Ayla.”
“What’s going on?”
Even with my questioning, Brother seemed to hesitate for quite a while before speaking.
I waited quietly until Brother opened his mouth, even with an inquisitive look.
“I’m going with you to Duke Blighton’s estate.”
As unexpected words popped out of Brother’s mouth, I looked at Noah Brother with surprised eyes.
“What? You’re going to Duke Blighton’s estate with me?”
“Yeah. I think it’s better to see how Duke Blighton is doing directly.”
“But, Brother…”
Since I knew very well how Noah Brother felt about the Blighton family, Brother’s unexpected decision to go there felt strange.
Staring at Brother with a worried expression, Brother urged me as he gently ruffled my hair.
“Let’s leave quickly.”
“…Uh huh.”
So, the two of us headed to Duke Blighton’s estate in the carriage.
Inside the carriage, I still observed Brother with eyes full of questions and couldn’t bear my curiosity, so I opened my mouth.
“Brother, are you okay?”
“Of course.”
“If it’s because Father told you to go forcibly…”
“Would I do that?”
“No, it’s just…”
Noah Brother was particularly stubborn among our siblings.
If he had something he wanted to do, he didn’t listen to anyone’s words and thought and acted as he pleased.
That’s why he wasn’t someone who would do something just because someone told him to.
“I thought it would be better to see Duke Blighton’s condition for myself after hearing what you said about Ian.”
After we finished our conversation with Brothers yesterday, Noah Brother called me aside and asked about Ian’s condition.
I explained in detail about the incident where the medicine containing Brother’s power didn’t work for Ian, and I almost ended up piercing his heart.
After hearing my words, Brother seemed lost in thought with a quite serious expression.
After that, since we didn’t say anything, I went straight back to my room. I had never dreamed that Brother would accompany me today.
“Thank you, Brother. If you come with me, the Duke will be very pleased.”
“What kind of person is Duke Blighton?”
Suddenly, Noah Brother asked about Duke Blighton. I hesitated on how to answer and eventually spoke my mind.
“The Duke? I haven’t seen him many times, so I don’t know him completely, but he seems like a good person.”
“A good person?”
“Yeah. Actually, he could have pretended not to know about my illness, but he helped me. And, well, no.”
“What’s wrong?”
“That… “
After hesitating for a moment whether to speak or not, I opened my mouth again.
“You know, Brother. Probably, due to the environment he grew up in and the way people look at him because of the power the Duke possesses, it hasn’t been favorable.”
Understanding my words, Brother blinked slightly.
“So, he had a kind of self-loathing.”
“Self-loathing?”
“Yeah. He said he felt dirty about himself.”
“Dirty, well, that’s true.”
“Brother!”
A few days ago, when Noah Brother called Lloydin dirty, I yelled at Brother again, feeling upset.
“Ayla, calm down.”
“How can I calm down? I told you not to say that.”
“Magic is dirty and ominous. I can’t deny that it’s true. It’s an absolute fact acknowledged even in the temples and universally accepted by people.”
An absolute fact.
Once the truth is established, the possibility of change is almost nonexistent.
No, it was more accurate to say that it was entirely impossible.
Facing such a world and fighting a lonely and difficult battle to endure somehow, I couldn’t help but feel a bleak feeling thinking about Lloydin.
“So, what do you want to say?”
Without realizing it, my words came out abruptly to Brother.
“You definitely said something, right? Someone got sick after entering a place where demons were boiling.”
“Oh? Oh, right.”
When Brother mentioned the lie I made up to circumvent the way to cure the illness, I answered with momentary confusion.
“It was probably the Black Forest.”
“The Black Forest?”
“Yeah. It’s called the Black Forest, a place where demons gather at the northern border. It’s densely packed with magic. Most demon invasions start from there, and most people believe that the origin of Duke Blighton’s estate is from the Black Forest.”
“The Blighton estate started from the Black Forest? People from the Blighton family are not demons.”
“They are not demons, but since they have magic, people believe that.”
“No, how can they believe that?”
It was too absurd that I couldn’t find the words.
Even though I hadn’t seen him properly, and I hadn’t made any effort to find out who he really was! To those who treated a perfectly healthy person like a demon, they were on the verge of insanity.
“I haven’t seen him, but His Excellency mentioned meeting Duke Blighton once. At that time, His Excellency felt an incredible magical power inside the Duke’s body that couldn’t be considered human.”
“But he’s still a human!”
I was frustrated and angry. Although that man is undoubtedly human, it felt like everyone was shouting, “He’s not human, don’t consider him human!”
“Ayla.”
“You’re all really mean. How can you brand an entire family and reject people from there to this extent? Even if you think they’re dirty, fine. But you use them. You use those people while preaching to protect the empire.”
I vented my frustration at Brother, knowing it would be useless.
“Yeah, I agree with that. Since the temple and the empire lack the power to deal with demons, they use Duke Blighton’s estate.”
“If that’s the case, then treat him accordingly. It’s really horrible, how selfish.”
A person who has done nothing wrong is calling himself dirty. Recalling the conversation with Lloydin, I clenched my teeth and lips, suppressing my emotions.
While trying to calm down alone, I felt Brother’s strange gaze.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Even though it’s been only a few times, you’re getting angry as if it’s your own business.”
“Of course. The Duke will be my husband now. If anyone dares to ignore and persecute Duke Blighton and his family, I won’t just stand by.”
“Yeah. Now that our family is connected with them, we can’t just stand by. But Ayla.”
Brother, who always had a generous look like a priest, momentarily glared sharply.
“If something happens to you because of that, me, Hyung, and Luke won’t just stand by. Still, be careful. As I mentioned earlier, going against the absolute truth believed by people is always accompanied by danger.”
“Got it. I’ll always be careful.”
I nodded my head, even though I shrugged it off internally, knowing that no matter what danger lurks ahead, I will continue moving forward.
* * *
While sharing various stories, the carriage that carried us arrived at Duke Blighton’s estate.
The door of the carriage opened, and Lloydin showed his face slightly, extending his hand to me. However, when he saw Noah Brother, he hesitated.
“Your Grace.”
“Welcome, Lady. Is His Grace here as well?”
I quickly took Lloydin’s hand and got off the carriage. As I touched Lloydin, a pleasant energy flowed into me. Even with Brother by my side, I didn’t let go of Lloydin’s hand and held it tightly.
Seeing me like that, Lloydin smiled affectionately.
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