Chapter 23
Chapter 023.
The deal was done.
Refusing Lord Rune's escort, I returned home and went straight to bed.
I hadn't even done anything, but I was strangely tired. It must be because of my visit to The Duke's Residence.
"It's weird, I feel like my energy is being drained whenever I go there..."
I had so many things to think about, but as soon as I lay down on the bed, I fell asleep.
Perhaps because I had experienced so many strange things all day, I was so exhausted that I forgot I hadn't eaten dinner.
I slept soundly and woke up to a dark night.
I opened my eyes to a strange sound in my ear and saw a shadow flickering by the window.
I instinctively knew who it was, so I stirred and sat up.
"Come in."
I unlatched the window, and the moonlight streamed in, brightening the room.
It was only enough to make out the shapes of things, but it was enough.
Enough for someone to jump into my room.
I crossed my arms and smiled faintly at the person.
"I thought you said you wouldn't be visiting my room late at night anymore."
"I told you to secure the windows."
"I had it closed until just now."
"Lock it."
If that's what you're going to say, then don't loiter near the window every time.
I don't think he knows how embarrassed I get every time the guards patrolling the area feel something suspicious and visit the mansion.
I placed a soft cloth over his hair, which was slightly damp from the morning dew, and wiped it.
His skin was cold to the touch, probably because he had been outside for a long time.
I slowly lowered the cloth after drying the moisture.
"Are you angry because of what I said last time?"
"About what?"
He wouldn't meet my eyes, probably embarrassed that he had gotten angry and ran away. I grabbed Jen's cheeks and stared at him.
Fortunately, his complexion wasn't bad, so it seemed he hadn't stayed up all night.
He doesn't need to feel sorry.
I felt like he would blame himself again for getting angry for no reason.
What should I do to soothe this scaredy-cat who gets startled even after getting angry?
I deliberately used a playful voice.
"I'm sorry, but the casting for the older brother role in Lenny's melodramatic drama is already finished, Jen. You'll have to give up, even if you're disappointed."
"Who said I wanted to play that kind of role?"
"Weren't you sulking because you wanted to do it but couldn't?"
Jen silently took my hand away from his face.
Then, he turned my hand over so that the palm was visible and dropped something onto it.
It was a pendant with a red ruby embedded in it.
The ruby pendant, hanging from a thin platinum chain, shone beautifully and mysteriously.
"I came because of this."
Unlike the one he used to carry around, it felt slightly heavy.
An initial was engraved on the inside.
I felt the rough back with my fingertips.
If he had commissioned a craftsman to make it, the seams and finish wouldn't be so crude.
'Did he make it himself?'
I felt a pang in my heart when I imagined him struggling to make it, even though he wasn't particularly good with his hands.
I gave a faint smile as I watched him watching my reaction.
"You really are smart."
"You know how to make it so I can't refuse."
He let out a sigh-like breath.
"You told me not to do anything proactively. You told me to hide behind you and just breathe. What else can I do besides this?"
His sullen voice was still full of dissatisfaction.
I looked down at the object in my palm for a moment and replied.
"Okay. I'll do it."
As if he had been waiting for my words, he took the pendant from my palm.
I could feel his breath as he stood behind me.
He lowered his head close to me and said briefly.
"Hair."
As he gathered my hair with both hands, a thin necklace chain was wrapped around my neck.
He had probably never worn such accessories before, nor had he ever helped anyone else wear them, but he surprisingly fastened the chain quickly.
I carefully asked him as he was arranging my hair for the last time.
"Is this also an artifact?"
"I put Protective magic on it. And communication magic too."
Wasn't that enough?
He continued with a very dissatisfied but helpless expression.
"I took out the communication surveillance magic."
"What's communication surveillance magic?"
"Magic that detects who you're communicating with."
He was so confident that I couldn't get angry.
After all, the only people I ever communicated with were him, Mom, Lenny, or Berry, so why would he bother tracking that?
Sometimes I can't tell if he wants to protect me or if he's obsessed with me.
Of course, it could be both.
"Did you take out the location tracking too?"
"Why would I take that out?"
"Oh, so you're doing that?"
He nodded with such an obvious and serious face.
I fiddled with the pendant around my neck with a complicated heart.
Jen took a few steps towards the open window, leaving me behind.
"Are you going?"
"Of course."
"You could sleep here for a bit. You probably haven't been sleeping properly."
I knew he always had light sleep and suffered from nightmares, so I suggested it.
I had slept soundly since early evening, so I was wide awake.
I felt like I could at least stay by Jen's side to help him sleep.
Jen flinched at my offer to pat him to sleep.
His jet-black hair, like the night sky, mingled with the moonlight.
"I can sleep well without that..."
His voice trembled slightly as he turned away and faced the window.
"Really?"
"I'm not a kid. A few sleeping pills are enough to make me sleep soundly."
After saying that, he jumped out of the open window.
What is he even saying right now?
"I'm worried because you're taking sleeping pills to sleep."
I rested my chin on the windowsill and followed Jen's trail, which had already disappeared.
Whether he used teleportation magic or not, he was nowhere to be seen in our garden after jumping out of the window.
"He's been trying to act like an adult lately."
But he still hasn't fixed his quick temper.
I stared outside for a few more minutes before slowly closing the window, unable to withstand the cool breeze.
"It's not like I have time to think about this right now."
I'm worried about having to play the melodramatic setting of Lord Rune and my stepsibling in the novel, and of course, his ambiguous request, and Orion, who ran away like a tragic heroine...
There were so many things to worry about.
I had neatly organized all the things I had to do in life into a schedule, but at some point, everything fell apart.
Was it arrogance to think that everyone would move according to my will, according to what I thought?
It feels like I'm being punished even though I did my homework diligently.
* * *
Orion Miller's close friend and confidant crossed the corridor of The Duke's Residence with a troubled face.
Every servant of the mansion he met glanced at him with fishy eyes, which seemed to indicate that his reputation had suffered considerably.
'It's not my fault.'
He felt wronged, but it was difficult to make excuses.
The damage he had suffered from one small act of spite was too great.
He just didn't like the way she kept her distance, unlike him, who was always anxious.
He had broken up with his best friend and was about to be branded as a 'shameless man who stole his best friend's sister and became her brother' in the place where he was staying.
'But she seems to have a diligent personality.'
If he fulfills the request, she will keep her promise.
That alone was enough to find hope to move forward.
He was a little daunted by the thought of having to do an unwanted play.
But if he was told to do it, he couldn't refuse.
He rolled up his sleeves and muttered self-deprecatingly.
"I've done worse than this to survive."
He must have become complacent because he felt a little more comfortable.
As he regained his composure, the youngest of the royal guard running towards him breathlessly.
"Lloyd, what's wrong?"
"The captain..."
From his pale lips came the title 'Captain' instead of 'Vice Duke'.
Beyhan nodded.
Orion Miller was an excellent knight and heir to the Duke's family, with impeccable political sense and excellent judgment, but,
"The captain won't come out of the Training Grounds."
No amount of modifiers could help with the problem of his new sister.
Lloyd whispered into the vice-captain's ear with a serious face.
"He's rampaging like a wounded beast."
"I figured."
Beyhan nodded calmly.
He could almost hear the silent screams of the knights in the distance.
"Since when?"
"From before sunset until now."
"Hmm."
W.
Lloyd Jief was a rookie who had not yet completed a year since joining the royal guard.
His cheeks were gaunt, as he was always caught up in the captain's 'plan to win his sister's heart' because he had a sister.
"Can't you do something about it?"
"If I go now, the situation will get worse."
Beyhan patted the young knight on the shoulder and encouraged him.
"Just bear with it a little longer."
"A little longer?"
He smiled at the horrified rookie and turned away from the Training Grounds.
It was clear that he should avoid Orion for the time being.
As he headed to his room, he inadvertently turned his head at the sound of people in the garden and saw the Duke and his wife getting along well.
The woman with long red hair was so young and beautiful that it was hard to believe she had a teenage daughter.
She was smiling sweetly and talking to the Duke, holding his arm.
'Madam Tetiana.'
The flower of high society.
The object of desire for many men.
A woman who spread rumors and scandals, but at the same time was envied by women more than anyone else.
It's a strange thing to think about.
How is it possible to act so recklessly without offending the arrogant nobles?
She didn't even have a known backer.
Is it really possible with just her charm and artistic talent?
A voice calling from afar reached him as he was lost in thought.
"Vice-Captain, the Captain has called all the knights together!"
Hmm. He finally exploded.
Beyhan nodded lightly.
"All-night training, huh."
"We're going to die without being able to go home to see our rabbit-like children."
"It's been a while since I've had a good workout. It'll be fun."
Beyhan turned his stiff shoulders and replied to the grumbling knight.
Lloyd Jief, who was standing stiffly next to him, gaped.
One of the senior knights next to him nudged the poor rookie on the shoulder.
"He likes training."
"He's a knight by profession, swordsmanship is his hobby, he doesn't have a girlfriend, and he doesn't have rabbit-like children or parents to be filial to. The sword is everything in his life."
The culprit who made the entire royal guard suffer headed to the Training Grounds with a refreshing face, holding his sword.
'Should I not explain for the time being, and have everyone do some hard training for the first time in a while?'
It was a thought that would have made the other knights foam at the mouth if they knew.
