Roxana
Chapter 58
Chapter 58
The Way to Protect the
Female Lead’s Older Brother
Chapter 58
* * *
That night, I could not fall asleep even as the hour grew late.
Tonight’s banquet seemed far livelier than yesterday’s. Naturally so, as all five families had finally gathered in one place.
Though, of course, there were some who did not attend the banquet, like me.
Still, tomorrow being the final day of the Harmony Conference, I suspected everyone would make an appearance.
According to what the butterfly planted in the banquet hall relayed, Sylvia was undoubtedly the star of the night.
A lovely girl with mystical silver hair like moonlight and golden eyes shimmering as though dusted with stardust—it was only natural that she captured the gaze of every youth gathered in the hall at once.
Yet, watching the imagery transmitted by the poison butterfly, I could not help letting out a laugh.
Jeremy seemed to have gone down to the banquet hall for dinner tonight.
Likely out of curiosity about Cassis’s younger sister, Sylvia.
But Jeremy’s reaction upon seeing Sylvia was…
“Fuck, she looks way too much like that damn Blue mutt. Makes my stomach turn.”
Unlike in the novel, it was a terribly harsh assessment.
The sight of Jeremy muttering to himself with his face crumpled like scrap paper was quite amusing.
It seemed that in reality, Jeremy falling for Sylvia and kidnapping her would never come to pass.
Ruzark Gastor had also slightly furrowed his brow upon seeing Sylvia, but perhaps he did not feel the same disgust as when looking at me, for his reaction was far milder.
Noel Bertium did not attend the banquet, remaining motionless inside his room.
Lant seemed to have attempted to make contact in between, but Noel did not accept the visit.
“Thank you. That will do.”
I finished checking earlier than usual and sent the poison butterfly back to where it belonged.
As expected, wielding the poison butterflies for long in this place put a strain on my body.
The night had grown deep.
The castle was completely silent without the slightest trace of presence, as though not a single soul remained awake.
Even as considerable time passed, sleep simply would not come.
Richel, whom I had encountered earlier, and Sylvia’s appearance seen through the poison butterfly’s vision crossed my mind.
And naturally, another face resembling theirs followed in its wake.
After tossing and turning in bed for a while, I eventually rose and slipped out of the room.
Though it had been so warm during the day, winter was still winter; the night air was freezing.
I wondered if I should have thrown on a thicker coat, but for just getting a breath of fresh air, this was not bad as it was.
Looking from outside, a couple of rooms still had lights on even at this hour. From the location, one of them belonged to Richel Pedelian.
It was already past four in the morning—did he intend to stay up all night like this?
Of course, coming outside at this hour, I was hardly one to talk.
I gazed quietly up at the lit window for a moment, then finally lowered my head.
Then, I resumed my paused steps.
Midnight in Yggdrasil was incomparably tranquil. Was it because of this dense, heavy silence?
Somehow, it felt even more solemn and weightily magnificent than during the day.
“You haven’t died after all.”
Parting the bushes by the roadside, I stepped in and crouched down, resting my back against a tree trunk.
There grew a plant bearing red berries.
Last year, when the indoors felt suffocating and I had come out alone just like this, it was a poisonous herb I had stumbled upon by chance.
I remembered feeling quite pleased to discover such an unexpected plant in such an unexpected place.
Though, calling it a poisonous herb, it was only potent enough to cause an upset stomach at best.
Regardless, having a familiar poisonous plant before my eyes brought a slight sense of peace to my mind.
As I let out a deep breath, white plumes of frost blossomed in the air.
As it had been continuously these days, my heart felt restless today as well.
I knew very well why that was.
Originally, this year—when the female lead Sylvia turned eighteen—was the point where the novel was supposed to begin.
But the story in reality was bound to take a different turn from the novel.
For one, Sylvia’s older brother, Cassis, was alive.
After safely escaping Agriche, he had not shown himself at any official gathering to this day.
So Lant believed with absolute certainty that Cassis was dead. Thinking of that, a soft scoff escaped me.
I was already looking forward to the expression Lant Agriche would wear when he saw a living Cassis.
How entertaining it would be to see that shocked face.
Just then, the faint sound of horse hooves echoed through Yggdrasil.
From the carriage that came to a halt, a figure clad entirely in black from head to toe stepped down.
Because the hood of his outer garment was pulled over his head, only a glimpse of his jawline was visible, making it impossible to see his face.
Yet, judging by the tall stature and the solidly built frame that gave off a well-trained presence even from a distance, the person stepping down from the carriage was undoubtedly a man.
His jawline, revealed pale beneath the moonlight, was sharp enough to cut.
Deon?
I furrowed my brow.
Deon was the only person I had ever seen with such great height and a solidly balanced physique.
Above all, the aura flowing around that person.
That imposing aura, which seemed to heavily suppress the stagnant air around him by his sheer existence alone, was not something one could sense from just anyone.
Come to think of it, I had been thinking that Deon might arrive around this time.
I had assigned him troublesome tasks before leaving to ensure he would arrive as late as possible to the Harmony Conference, but had he already finished them?
At this point, it was truly sickening.
Watching with cold detachment as the man began walking toward me, I turned my head away.
I will just pretend not to notice him. I have no desire to ruin my mood by exchanging pointless words.
But Deon, as he always had, dashed my expectations far too easily.
The footsteps following the path suddenly halted right behind where I was.
The soft rustle of fabric brushing sounded.
Feeling a gaze on me, he seemed to have turned his head.
I already knew it, but his night vision was exceptionally keen.
To pinpoint me so accurately even in the dark and direct his gaze straight toward me.
With a measured step, he took a stride toward me.
I could not help letting out a sigh.
“How utterly tiresome…”
The moment I opened my mouth, his approaching steps halted.
Ghostly bastard. I had erased my presence completely, so how did he know I was here?
Yet, considering how Deon had relentlessly pursued me from long ago, such tenacity was hardly surprising anymore.
“Just how sick of you do you have to make me before you’re satisfied? I told you I don’t want to see your face. You really never listen no matter how many times I say it until my breath runs dry.”
I was truly fed up.
Such feelings were undoubtedly laid bare in my voice as well.
Because I did not wish to see even Deon’s shadow, I did not spare him a single glance.
“Don’t say a word and just leave, Deon. For once, tonight is a night where my mood isn’t foul.”
At any other time, I would have attacked him with harsher, crueler words.
But tonight, I did not want to. Ruining a rare, peaceful night because of Deon would be a waste.
For a while, there was no reply from behind. The surrounding air was so silent it was confusing whether he had simply walked away or not.
Step.
Then, the footsteps that had stopped moments ago resumed.
They were drawing closer toward me. Flaring with irritation, I parted my lips again.
“I told you not to come any closer—”
Whoosh.
Right at that moment, a gentle warmth enveloped me from the crown of my head down.
Warmth spread through my chilled body. Catching my breath, I froze completely in place.
What covered my body was the cloak the man had been wearing until just a moment ago.
A heavy weight pressed down on my shoulders. Permeating within it was an unfamiliar scent.
For some reason, I could not move my body.
And so, unable to stir even a single finger, I simply held my breath in stillness, as if time had stopped.
Then, the moment the faint chirping of grass insects reached my ears, I suddenly snapped back to my senses.
Startled, I sprang to my feet and hurriedly turned around.
But in the spot where someone had stood just moments before, there was already no one.
Only cold frost pooled in the empty space.
…It wasn’t Deon.
Only that vivid realization pointed toward an incontrovertible truth beyond a shadow of a doubt.
