How to Save My Time-Limited Brother

A tense atmosphere hung between Kasion and me. Of course, it was Kasion who held the reins of that tension, not me. He leisurely tugged on the reins, toying with me.

 

This is bad. I intended to position Serhen and Lireania behind my impenetrable walls, but it turns out I was more like a wooden board than a steel wall.

 

“Ariel.”

 

No, I’m more like paper, just paper.

 

My eyebrows twitched at his call. My confidence momentarily vanished.

 

“No, I don’t want anything right now,” he said.

 

“Phew,” I let out a sigh without realizing it.

 

Before he could change his mind, I quickly seized the opportunity. I hurriedly grabbed some parchment and a quill, then held them out to him.

 

“Then please write a confirmation right now.”

 

“If I do something for you without getting anything in return, you’ll only become more spoiled.”

 

I widened my eyes at his remark as if he were more concerned about me than my own brother would be.

 

As I furrowed my brows and glared at him, Kasion uncrossed his legs. He leaned in closer, giving me a sly smile.

 

Was he always like this? The words sly’ and ‘smile’ didn’t suit him at all.

 

“So, what do you suggest?”

 

“Let’s say you grant me one favor.”

 

I blinked, not responding right away. If I hadn’t realized this was a novel, I would have likely accepted his proposal without a second thought, foolishly happy.

 

“I’ll make you a wish ticket!”

 

I might even have repeated the foolish words I once said when I was six years old.

 

“You can make me a wish ticket like before.”

 

The hairs on my body stood on end. Could he read my mind too?

 

But I wasn’t going to fall for it so easily this time.

 

“Please clearly define the scope of that favor.”

 

This seemed to catch Kasion off guard as he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

 

“Kidnapping, confinement, murder—don’t ask me to help with those kinds of things.”

 

“What kind of person do you think I am?” he asked, his lips twitching as if he was offended. He even let out a small sigh as if trying to emphasize his unjust treatment.

 

How was I supposed to know if he was acting or not?

 

“Also, don’t ask me to do anything that the temple’s priests would judge as immoral.”

 

Kasion hesitated for a moment. As expected, he had some bad intentions in mind.

 

“If it’s not something like that, there shouldn’t be a reason why you can’t do it, right?” I said, now smiling triumphantly. I sat back and waited for his response.

 

Kasion clenched and unclenched his large hand a few times. His slightly threatening gesture made me wipe the smile off my face. I waited for his answer, watching his serious face and the subtle movement of his eyes until he finally spoke.

 

“I was thinking of asking for a cup of tea.”

 

I looked at him with a slightly dazed expression. His request was so simple that it made me even more suspicious of his intentions.

 

“With me? Just the two of us?”

 

“Serhen wouldn’t like it if I met with you alone, so you can bring Lady Soler along.”

 

I knew it. This man had a black heart inside, just like his hair.

 

I hesitated momentarily at his transparent request. How could I protect Lireania from his clutches…?

 

“No, let’s just have tea, just the two of us.”

 

The only way was for me to be the barrier that stood between them.

 

Kasion’s brow twitched slightly. It must have been because things weren’t going his way.

 

Regaining my confidence, I pressed one. “If one time isn’t enough, we can do it three times,” I said with a wide smile as I wrote down the details of our agreement on the parchment.

 

Kasion simply watched in silence as I scribbled away. Without hesitation, I handed him the parchment and quill.

 

“Sign here. Surely the hero of the empire and the only duke wouldn’t go back on his word, right?”

 

Kasion, clearly annoyed that things weren’t going his way, crossed his arms and sat back. He didn’t seem eager to sign.

 

I barely held back a hum of satisfaction. His fist tightened slightly under my hand. A wrinkle formed on his nose, just as it did whenever he was displeased with me.

 

“Kasion?”

 

“Fine, I’ll sign it.”

 

He suddenly became decisive, as if he had come up with another plan. He signed without hesitation, which left me feeling uneasy.

 

“By the way, preparing for Serhen’s wedding can’t be easy. Do you think you can handle it alone? It doesn’t seem like he’ll have time to manage his own wedding preparations.”

 

What’s this? Is he planning to interfere with the wedding? Just as I stood up to confront him, the butler knocked on the parlor door.

 

“Marquis Mellin has arrived.”

 

Serhen entered the parlor, looking exhausted. He walked right past Kasion, the host, and came to stand beside me.

 

“You’re here.”

 

“Brother? You’re here.”

 

Serhen sighed deeply when he saw me.

 

What is it? Did I do something wrong?

 

Serhen, who rarely gets angry with me, asked with a slightly stern look. “Ariel, do you know what time it is?” he asked.

 

I glanced out the window. The sky was pitch black. Honestly, this wasn’t my fault.

 

“Sorry, I was just about to head home.”

 

“Sigh…Let’s go,” he said, extending his hand toward me.

 

Serhen seemed unusually tense today. Did something not go well with the merchant guild?

 

I looked at him with concern and took his hand. He squeezed it gently. Seeing him unable to smooth the wrinkles on his forehead, still looking tired, made me feel guilty.

 

He was busy with the recent issues in the trade, and I had made him come to pick me up. I had ruined the day he was supposed to spend with Lireania. I also added another thing for him to worry about by bringing up the marriage issue.  Feeling sorry, I gave him a small, reassuring smile.

 

“Serhen, am I invisible to you?” Kasion called out sharply.

 

At his call, the shadow returned to Serhen’s face. Serhen and Kasion stared at each other intently. Not a single word was exchanged. Caught between the two, I felt seriousness in their unusual expressions.

 

It was the beginning of the crack. Had something already started to go wrong between these friends who used to sacrifice and devote themselves to each other?

 

My heart started pounding anxiously at their brief standoff. The story from the novel began to echo in my ears again.

 

[Ariel clutched her cold older brother’s corpse, sobbing uncontrollably. Kasion shamelessly approached her and patted her back with his cold hands, the ones that had just wiped off the blood.

“Ariel, I will definitely find and avenge the one who killed Serhen.”

Could he have felt a pang of guilt as he looked at his friend’s sister, who had always followed him around in their youth? The small silver cross in her hand dug into his skin. A moment later, the small silver cross was stained with his dark blood.]

 

It became hard to breathe. My hands began to tremble.

 

That will never happen. I’ll stop it no matter what. I whispered it to myself like a mantra.

 

Kasion was watching me intently.

 

“Ariel, why don’t you wait in the carriage?”

 

Serhen’s voice brought me back to my senses. His warm words calmed my startled heart, just as they always did.

 

I pulled my gaze away from Kasion. Then, pretending to be calm, I answered Serhen. “Okay, I’ll do that. Kasion, I’ll be going now.”

 

“Alright,” Kasion replied, his gaze already fixed on Serhen. His expression had become sharper as if he wouldn’t back down from the provocation.

 

I held my racing heart in check and walked out of the parlor toward the carriage.

 

* * *

“Kasion.”

 

“What do you want to say?”

 

The two friends exchanged brief words and then fell silent. Both had a lot to say but couldn’t bring themselves to do so, especially Serhen.

 

Serhen knew that if Kasion asked for what he wanted first, he wouldn’t be able to refuse. Kasion had been a pillar of support for the Mellin siblings’ toughest times. More than anything, he didn’t want to break his friendship with Kasion.

 

Serhen carefully chose his words. “Ariel is an adult now.”

 

“Yes, she is.”

 

“It’s best to refrain from calling a grown noble lady at a late hour without a guardian.”

 

Kasion raised an eyebrow at his contradictory statement. A guardian for an adult. Instead of arguing, he chose to remain silent.

 

The tension flowed with the silence. They knew each other too well, so a hasty provocation could be dangerous. One wrong word could lead to an irreversible outcome.

 

“Have you been looking for a marriage match for Ariel?” Kasion finally asked, breaking the silence.

 

Serhen brought out an appropriate shield against Kasion’s attack. “Not yet. Ariel doesn’t seem to be interested in marriage.”

 

“At this rate, she’ll miss her chance. Are you still being overprotective and unwilling to let her go?” Kasion pressed.

 

“Even so, I can’t just marry her off to any man.”

 

The emphasizing of ‘any man’ made Kasion sit a bit crookedly.

 

“You’re saying you’re looking for someone with suitable qualifications. The only families with men of similar age to her who can match Lady Mellin’s conditions are either members of the imperial family or the duke.”

 

Serhen swallowed nervously. He was completely caught by his friend.

 

After seeing how Kasion’s gaze had become more dangerous since returning from the war, Serhen should have been more cautious. He realized that the precious treasure he had guarded for so long was at risk of being taken. Although Serhen knew Kasion was the most suitable person, it still bothered him for some reason.

 

Trying to maintain his composure, Serhen continued. “If there’s a man who is dedicated and trustworthy, I’d support him, even if he were a commoner. I want her to have a normal, happy family.”

 

Maybe that’s why Serhen felt uneasy. Kasion’s life was precarious, always at risk of being dragged into another war by the emperor’s whim.

 

“But Ariel’s feelings come first,” Serhen added.

 

“Yes, I knew you would say that,” Kasion said, smiling. The dangerous smile made Serhen swallow nervously.

 

“I hope you keep that promise.”

 

On the battlefield, where war had been declared, Kasion had never lost. This time would be no different. He was determined to tear down every wall that had stood in his way by any means necessary.

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