Episode 77
First, we went to the spot where we had parted with the children and moved in the direction Ian and Dahlia had gone.
However, it seemed they had moved on long ago, as we couldn’t see the children anywhere.
“Where could they have gone? Is there a place Ian might go?”
“I can’t think of any. It’s Ian’s first time at such a festival, so it’s hard to guess where he might be.”
Eventually, we continued searching for the children without any leads.
As we left the central area and passed through a less crowded alleyway, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu, and I could hear several voices from somewhere.
‘Could it be?’
The unsettling feeling surged from deep within me as memories of the day Ian was assaulted at the bookstore hit me.
“Let’s go this way, Duke.”
I headed towards the source of the voices with Lloydin.
As we reached the entrance of the alley and were about to go in, three boys quickly passed by us.
But they looked like they had taken a bad fall, as if they had been rolling on the ground.
“What was that all about?”
“I told you to just leave it! Father said not to mess with them.”
“How can I stand the way he walks around the academy so arrogantly!”
“Ugh, spit! I’ll never let that kid off! Aaaah!”
“What’s happening?”
It seemed something had happened, and I tried to catch the children, but they were so fast that they were already far away from us.
Then, the word “academy” triggered a sudden realization.
“Ah!”
I knew who those boys were that had just passed us.
They were the ones who had been bullying Ian at the academy.
“Duke, it seems something has happened to Ian. We need to hurry!”
Lloydin also seemed to grasp the situation, his brow furrowing deeply.
“Let’s go.”
Despite our worries, when we hurried into the alley, Ian and Dahlia were walking towards us from the opposite side.
“Ian! Dahlia!”
We called out to the children and ran towards them.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
I quickly checked the condition of the two children.
“We’re fine.”
“We’re okay. Totally fine.”
Ian and Dahlia responded calmly as if nothing had happened, and I sighed in relief.
“Thank goodness.”
They indeed looked perfectly fine, contrary to our worries.
“What happened, Ian?”
Lloydin asked Ian.
“…It’s nothing, brother.”
“It’s not nothing. We saw those kids coming out from here just now.”
“Ah, that…”
When Ian hesitated, Dahlia spoke up.
“Ian did nothing wrong. Those kids couldn’t do anything at the academy, so they followed us when they saw us on the street.”
“What? Really?”
“Yes. So, we were chased here, but when one of them tried to touch me, Ian had no choice but to stop them. Please don’t scold him; he was just trying to protect me.”
Dahlia’s explanation finally made the whole situation clear.
That’s why the three of them were covered in dirt, and why they were having that conversation.
“Are you, are you both really okay?”
“Yes. Ian took down those three all by himself. He was amazing!”
Dahlia’s face lit up with excitement as she recounted the incident.
I wasn’t surprised to hear that Ian had handled three boys on his own.
Although still young, Ian was a Blighton; like Lloydin, he was bound to be strong.
They just chose not to use their strength unless it was to protect themselves.
“It’s really a relief. I was so worried something had happened to you.”
“Sorry for making you worry.”
“…Sorry.”
When Dahlia spoke up, Ian followed by lowering his head and said.
“It’s okay. As long as you’re safe. But do you know who those kids were?”
“Yes, I know.”
Dahlia nodded vigorously and immediately responded to my question.
“We can’t just let this go. I’ll inform the academy and take action.”
“Yes, I’ll let them know right away. Their names are…”
“No, please don’t.”
Dahlia was about to tell me their names when Ian suddenly stopped her.
Then he said something completely unexpected.
“What did you say?”
“I’ll handle it myself since it’s my issue.”
I was quite shocked to hear such a statement from Ian, as I never expected him to say something like that.
Lloydin looked just as surprised as I was, his expression filled with confusion.
“Ian, but…”
Unsure of what to say, I hesitated and trailed off, prompting Lloydin to give me a look.
It meant he wanted to speak.
Understanding his intention, I quietly closed my mouth and stepped back.
“Brother, it’s not just a spur-of-the-moment thing. I want to do it now. I want to overcome it by myself.”
Ian looked more mature and determined than ever.
‘He’s changed.’
Ian had changed.
The way he spoke about changing his own life with a straight gaze wasn’t the Ian I knew.
The child who had learned to resign without a fight at a very young age had now chosen to stand up and fight on his own.
“Ian.”
Lloydin called out to him softly, his voice full of affection and trust.
With that one word, I could tell what decision Lloydin would make.
He must have felt it too.
That his brother had changed and that nothing could stop him now.
Then the answer was clear.
“Yes.”
Ian responded briefly.
Ian’s reply also conveyed his affection and respect for his brother.
“Are you really okay?”
“…Yes. I’m fine.”
“Alright. Then that’s settled. Do as you wish.”
“Brother, thank you.”
Trusting and waiting.
Although initially, he might have stepped in to solve things directly, now was the time to watch Ian from behind.
Their conversation ended there.
No other words were necessary.
* * *
After leaving the alley and returning to the carriage, we said goodbye to Dahlia.
“Ian, did you have fun today? See you at the banquet later.”
“Yes. See you later, Dahlia.”
“I guess I had too much fun. I feel like I could fall asleep any minute now.”
“Dahlia sleeps a lot. Sometimes she sleeps all day.”
“That’s true. But what can I do if I suddenly feel sleepy?”
As soon as I heard Dahlia’s words, I realized that she was showing the same symptoms as my illness.
She was still young, so the progression of the disease was less severe.
Given more time, the disease would likely worsen drastically, as it had with me, and she would end up sleeping not just all day but for days on end.
“I wish I could do something.”
Not because she was the main character in a story, but because the Dahlia I had come to know was such a sweet and kind child.
I didn’t want such a lovely child to waste her life due to a terrible disease like mine.
“Here, hold my hand. Holding my hand makes you feel alert, right?”
“Right. It’s really strange. When I hold Ian’s hand, even if I’m about to fall asleep, my eyes just pop open.”
Then Ian and Dahlia held hands.
Seeing them naturally perform the ‘touch’ that served as a treatment without knowing anything made me feel there was no need to worry.
Just as Lloydin was there for me, Ian was there for Dahlia.
Moreover, from their conversation, it seemed that Dahlia’s condition was still very mild.
That meant the treatment could potentially be very straightforward.
“Look at this. I suddenly don’t feel tired anymore.”
Then I felt Lloydin’s gaze on me.
Lloydin and I exchanged glances, sharing our thoughts.
His look made it clear.
He had keenly noticed that Dahlia might be suffering from the same disease as me from listening to their conversation.
“Well, we should leave now. We’ll meet again in an hour or two anyway.”
“Yes, Duke, Duchess. Take care. See you later.”
“Alright. Dahlia, take care and see you again.”
“Take care, Dahlia.”
After saying goodbye to Dahlia, we boarded the carriage and headed for the mansion.
The day had turned to dusk.
“Hey, brother.”
During a light conversation, Ian called Lloydin with a slightly serious expression.
“Yes?”
“What do you think about what Dahlia said earlier?”
As soon as Ian finished speaking, Lloydin and I looked at each other again.
I nodded, and Lloydin spoke up.
“Are you talking about Dahlia being very sleepy?”
“Yes. I’m a bit suspicious.”
As Ian finished speaking, Lloydin and I once again looked at each other.
I nodded, and Lloydin opened his mouth.
“Are you talking about Dahlia being very sleepy?”
“Yes. I think… I’m a bit suspicious.”
Ian glanced at me as he responded.
When our eyes met, I finally realized.
Ian had deliberately had that conversation with Dahlia.
“So, you brought it up in front of us for that reason?”
It seemed Lloydin had also realized this.
“Yes. There was a day recently when we couldn’t see Dahlia all day. I was really worried, but the next day she told us she had fallen asleep and couldn’t wake up. She said it happens sometimes, very rarely.”
Ian methodically explained to us what had happened so far.
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