“Rubetria.”
“Yes, Brother.”
“Why are you so…”
“…”
“Angry? Your tone and behavior are aggressive. It’s not like you.”
“Haha.”
It’s funny. I never raised my voice, I was just saying what I had to say.
It was bittersweet on the one hand to see Viego confused by the 180-degree change in .
How did he want his only sister to grow up? How long did you want to be a timid idiot who can’t even speak?
“You wanted a stupid sister who didn’t use her mouth. So I’ve just been obedient until now to fit in.”
“…”
“But after I almost died, I changed my mind. I’m going to live by saying what I have to say.”
Viego blinked slowly, staring blankly at .
“I am well aware that Brother has only Lillia as your sister and you don’t care about . But if you listen to her and co running to scold like a child, it will be unpleasant, so please refrain from doing it in the future. You’re just a brother, not a father. I don’t want to be educated by you.”
“What the hell does that an? What do you an I don’t care? My sister is you, not Lillia.”
“Pfft.”
I looked back at Victor behind , laughing openly.
“Did you hear that? I’m sure you’ll find it funny, too, right?”
Victor, who glanced at the air, tilted his lips and shrugged his shoulders.
Viego bit his lip after seeing the two younger siblings’ reactions.
After a long silence, he said.
“… I’m sorry if I’ve upset you by taking care of Lilly. But in my own way… I care about you too, Rubette.”
“Mm…”
“Every ti I visit you to spend ti with you, don’t you feel uncomfortable? So every ti I go to you, I notice—”
“That’s right! I did!”
I smiled brightly and clapped my hand once.
“Every ti you ca to visit , I purposely made you uncomfortable.”
Again, Viego wasn’t a bad brother.
He knows how to take care of his younger sister, who is confined to her room without ever going out because of her sluggish body.
So, squeezing his ti, he often ca to , who didn’t have anyone to talk to.
“Why did you do that? Instead of the father, who only drinks alcohol all day long, the poor brother who is caught up in his work that 24 hours a days isn’t enough, endure his fatigue and co to take care of his younger sister. I’m sorry about that, but I wish you hadn’t.”
Rubette had been so kind.
A child who had never complained even though she missed her family.
A child who had endured abuse, believing that no matter how difficult her condition it was, it was not as difficult as her father, who was drenched in the pain of bereavent.
A child who had wanted to play with her brother, but had also wanted him to relax and close his eyes comfortably.
I wanted to let everyone know how hard Rubette, who had grown up too early, had been coping with the loneliness.
“I did it because I was thinking of you. So you don’t have to worry about , saying I’m like a child even though I’m fifteen.”
I added with a smile.
“This older sister is much more mature than the little ones who tell on others because they’ve been beaten in the cheek, even though they deserved it.”
“…”
Viego, who looked at for a long ti with a surprised face, closed his eyes slowly and took a breath.
“You’ve been so considerate, but you are not obligated to go see my face.
“It must have been half-compulsory. Because you felt that you were taking care of the twins more than , so you were trying to get rid of your petty guilt.”
Viego stopped and hardened.
“If they got hurt while playing, was it my fault for not taking care of them? Do you rember how Ricky got mad at last year when he fell down a tree in the garden outside?”
“…”
“You woke up and scread like you did today, but I was puzzled. I didn’t even know where Ricky was playing.”
“…”
“Still, I just said sorry and moved on, and now I regret it a bit. I wanted to be a mature sister, so I thought it was fine. Then I almost lost my life, but ended up getting cursed at the end and got criticized. I had to be scolded for sothing I didn’t do, and I had to bow my head.”
“Rubette—”
“Don’t even call my na. Every ti you call my na, I get tired of worrying about what I did wrong this ti.”
Viego was silent with trembling eyes and bit his lip. It seed that he felt his fault when I pointed it out one by one.
“I’ve lived my life without saying anything even if I have a mouth because I’ve been trying to get complints from you.”
“…”
“I’m tired, now. I’m going to quit. I’m sick and tired of being hurt every ti Lillia sees you, and I’m sick and tired of myself trying to be loved by you.”
“…”
“Don’t think of cleaning up your petty guilt by visiting from ti to ti, and I hope you don’t see in this house without any business in the future.”
As I walked past Viego, I grabbed the doorknob of the wide open room and looked back at him.
Viego stared at with still shaky eyes at the silent gesture, and slightly licked hip lips.
It looked like he wanted to make an excuse, but I didn’t want to hear it, so he quickly avoided his gaze, and after being silent for a while, he slowly left the room.
Before closing the door, I said.
“And Brother, if you’re going to open the door before the owner gives permission, knocking is aningless.”
When I pointed out his act of entering my room without asking for permission, Viego’s back flinched.
In front of him, who twisted his body as if trying to turn around, I said again.
“The next ti you co ‘for a business,’ I hope you will be mindful of that level of courtesy. Then, see you later.”
Bang.
The door closed.
***
There was a small commotion in the Duke’s house and… that afternoon.
Crown Prince Lark’s office.
Victor, who ca to report, was standing blankly, thinking of Rubette.
“Well, it took quite a bit of ti because of the intruders. I’m sorry, Brother Victor.”
After kicking Viego out and closing the door cheerfully in front of him, Rubette smiled as if nothing had happened.
‘It was refreshing.’
Victor was stunned, but at the sa ti, a magnificent sense of freshness filled his heart.
It was an undeniable fact that the eldest brother, Viego, favored the twins enough to make his own siblings sad.
Even if it’s because of the sense of debt toward the Molga that raised the three siblings like her own children since they were young…
‘Honestly, there was no need to upset or Ruby because of that. He deserves it.’
Yes. It was definitely refreshing.
‘But what about Ruby… How long has she been suffering alone?’
His sister, who told his older brother all the things he couldn’t say, had changed like a different person while he hadn’t seen her.
How frustrated that timid child must be, enough to burst out like that.
He felt sorry for her, but honestly, Victor was very happy with the changed Rubette.
It was refreshing to see her stand against Viego, but what he liked more than that…
“By the way, Brother, you said you ca to ask a favor. What is it?”
“Oh! That… Um, before that, you, have you really given up on Kedrick—”
“Brother.”
“Uh, uh…”
“I’m sure you’ve felt it from the commotion you just saw, but I’m very annoyed at every situation where the fact that I’ve been following him since I was eight is attached like a tag.”
“Well, it seems so. Sorry for the misunderstanding.”
“So, in the future, please don’t even bring out Kedrick’s ‘K’ in front of . I’ve definitely finished making up my mind.”
…was Rubette who was trembling just by talking about Kedrick.
Victor said excitedly, without hesitation.
“I am really happy. So, let’s have dinner outside tonight. I have a friend I want to introduce to you.”
In fact, the reason Victor stopped by the duke’s residence without contacting was to grant Lark’s request in exchange for losing in a mock match he had placed a bet on the other day.
“… Who is your friend?”
“Actually, it’s the crown prince. He wants to see you!”
However, Rubette…
“What? His Highness the Crown Prince wants to see ? What’s the reason?
“Huh? Th-The reason? No, well, it’s just that he’s close with , um… to get acquainted with you, my younger sister…”
“Aah! Mm, I understand.”
…saw through Victor with a keen eye…
“I’m sorry, Brother. I’m losing weight, so let’s have dinner next ti.”
…and imdiately turned down the dinner offer.
“And you know what? Maybe it’s because I’ve been burned for 7 years, now I’m sick of Kedrick and all n. If I want to live a good life, I don’t have ti to et n like that.”
“… Yes?”
“Well, I’m just saying. Please tell His Highness the Crown Prince that we will et next ti when we have the chance.”
Did she notice that it wasn’t a plain dinner invitation, but with purpose?
Victor, who was stabbed by Rubette’s words, was forced to say yes and return.
“… Sir.”
“…”
“… Sir —tor.”
“…”
“Sir Victor!”
“Ah, that surprised !”
Victor, who had been engulfed in thought, was startled and gasped like a bird that had been shot.
He looked ahead and saw Lark, with his chin resting in the gap between the piles of papers, raising his eyebrows.
“So, you couldn’t even talk to the princes because of a family quarrel?”
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