Bang-!
The door slammed so hard that I could feel the floor tremble slightly.
“……”
A stunned silence settled over us. Lucas’s confusion, anger, and anxiety were suddenly left behind, becoming entirely our burden.
Calypse sighed deeply, a complicated look shadowing his face.
“…Why… what happened? What’s the issue?”
“I don’t know.”
Knox asked, but Calypse had no clear answer.
Frozen like a rabbit caught in headlights, my mouth stayed wide open from the moment Lucas stood up.
Gulp-
As soon as Lucas disappeared, I swallowed the remaining piece of meat.
‘Why did he act that way? At first, he seemed eager to finish the heir selection quickly.’
As I carefully reconsidered the conversation, something struck me.
Lucas’s expression had darkened precisely when the Marquis of Lillis was mentioned.
‘Does he hate the Marquis of Lillis? But why?’
Knox and I disliked Marquis Lillis because of previous events, which was understandable. But Lucas, who wasn’t present back then, showing this level of dislike…
‘Something must have happened.’
Lost in thought, I skewered the remaining meat pieces onto my fork and ate them in one big bite.
“Thanks for the meal! I’ll go check on my brother!”
Leaving the dining room quickly, I stopped by the chef to grab some sandwiches and headed straight for Lucas’s bedroom door.
Knock knock-
I knocked gently.
“Go away! Nobody’s here!”
An irritated voice echoed from inside.
I leaned against the door and whispered softly,
“Brother, it’s me.”
“……”
Still no reply.
After waiting a bit, I turned around, leaning fully against the door.
“I came alone.”
“…Really?”
“Nope, just kidding.”
“……”
Wow, the air suddenly turned chilly. Not even a joke is allowed?
“Of course, I didn’t come empty-handed! I brought delicious sandwiches.”
Worried I’d get kicked out again, I quickly waved the sandwich, whispering,
“…Come in if you want.”
After a long pause, the door finally opened.
‘Phew, finally.’
Inside the room was only darkness.
Was he planning to sleep early, or was he just more comfortable in the dark?
Under daytime light, the luxurious bedroom must be quite stunning. But with only a dim candle lit, the room felt strangely bleak.
Lucas quickly wrapped himself tightly in the blankets.
“You left without finishing dinner, right? Let’s eat this.”
As I plopped down beside the bed, Lucas hesitated before speaking.
“What about you?”
“I didn’t finish eating either. I brought mine along to eat together.”
Slowly, his white face peeked from under the covers.
“Why didn’t you finish? You’re at the age when you should eat a lot.”
“Same goes for you.”
“…I’m used to going hungry after five years.”
Used to it? Yet our young lord’s nostrils flared noticeably at the sandwich aroma.
Swish swish.
Smiling playfully, I waved the sandwich scent toward him with my plump hand.
“…Ah, seriously. You think something like this could lure me out?”
Pretending he had no choice, Lucas reluctantly crawled out and sat beside me.
We had a proper tea table, but seeing both of us huddled on the floor made me realize neither of us had fully adapted to noble life yet.
Munch munch-
When I bit into the sandwich, Lucas hesitated but soon followed suit.
His wary eyes slowly widened.
The sandwich was apparently better than expected. After briefly zoning out, Lucas hurriedly devoured it.
Glad he likes it.
Now that Lucas’s stomach was filled, it was time to get to the point.
“Brother.”
“What.”
“Do you hate the Marquis of Lillis?”
“Cough, cough!”
Wait, maybe that wasn’t the right timing. Awkwardly scratching my cheek, I watched as Lucas’s face turned bright red.
“Do you always say such things without warning?!”
“But that’s what I was most curious about. Can’t you tell just me?”
Lucas turned his body away.
“…You’ll just tell Dad everything.”
“Hmm. If you tell me not to, I won’t.”
I extended my chubby pinky finger.
Lucas, who had turned away, slowly faced me again, eyeing my finger suspiciously.
Why was he so hesitant? The Lucas I knew wasn’t this wary.
“But brother.”
“What?”
“If it’s because you hate Marquis Lillis, couldn’t you just say so at the dining table earlier?”
“……”
“I also really dislike Marquis Lillis, we could’ve bashed them together.”
At my repeated question,
“……”
Lucas sighed deeply and finally turned to look at me.
“…Actually, more than not wanting to tell, I think I’m scared.”
“Why?”
“Because Dad abandoned me.”
“What?!”
Wait. What kind of shocking revelation was this?
My jaw dropped mid-sandwich bite.
“It’s true. Marquis Lillis kidnapped me when I was three and told me himself.”
Marquis Lillis again?
“He said Dad could get me back if he paid 5,000 gold. But Dad told him I wasn’t worth that much and to handle me however he wanted.”
“…Brother, you believe that nonsense?”
“Believe it or not, Dad eventually brought me back. That’s enough.”
He seemed to firmly believe it, given that he didn’t deny it.
At three years old, being kidnapped alone must’ve been traumatizing enough, preventing him from thinking rationally.
But rather than imagining the harsh past Lucas endured, another question arose within me.
“…Then what did the Marquis do?”
“He sold me overseas.”
The candle flickered, casting restless shadows over Lucas.
“I kept getting sold from place to place until I ended up in the circus.”
Feigning indifference, he eventually buried his face in his knees.
“…Now even seeing a Marquis or nobles makes me sick.”
My appetite vanished, and I set down the sandwich.
“Lucas.”
I had underestimated how deep his wounds were.
He had seemed fine around Calypse, hiding his pain remarkably well.
‘But over five years, he must’ve suffered greatly.’
In front of such suffering, I couldn’t say a word.
Whether my words were comforting or encouraging, they might feel like arrows to his fragile heart.
“Lucas.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you want to sleep together tonight?”
“What?! Are you insane?!”
Sometimes comfort didn’t need words.
Why was he turning red?
I shrugged.
“I thought you might feel alone here. But if you don’t want to, it’s fine…”
“No! There happen to be two pillows!”
“Huh?”
Lucas jumped up, cutting me off.
“Luckily, the bed is king-sized, pretty big! But seriously, don’t ever say that carelessly elsewhere!”
He was already on the bed, patting the empty space.
“Dandelion, warning you again, I’ve never slept with anyone, it might be uncomfortable and…zzz.”
He fell asleep in five seconds.
“…Lucas?”
I poked his nose gently, but his handsome face didn’t budge.
Better to sleep quickly than suffer insomnia.
“Goodnight, Lucas.”
Quietly whispering, I lay down beside him so he wouldn’t feel alone.
Once, in my now distant past life, I lay alone in a tiny room, overwhelmed by loneliness.
No family, no relatives who wanted to see me, and no friends close enough to spontaneously meet.
I’d suggested sleeping together so Lucas wouldn’t feel the same.
“Sleeping well, huh? Not even a nightmare. Shouldn’t you at least have a nightmare like a handsome novel character?”
Nope, just peaceful snoring~
Whistle- Pop!
Even his nose blew a happy sleep bubble.
“…Gross.”
Shuffling away as far as possible, I closed my eyes.
