I Am the Hero's Immature Younger Brother Chapter 160: A Frozen Heart

hud!

Kneelingbeforetheking,Renseedtoremberthepast.

isbrother,calledawayagainandagainbytheking’scommandtofulfillhismission.isbrother,whohadnotbeenathisside,buthadbecoapillarforthekingdomandbeenusedasitssword.hekingwhohadcalledhisbrotherawayagain,justwhenRenhadfinallythoughthehadreturnedtohim.

isknee,whichhadstruckhardagainstthewintergroundfrozencold,throbbedwithasharpache.

Renliftedhisreddenedeyes.

heeyeswithburstbloodvesselsseed,ataglance,toholdaglimrofresentnt.

***

heroadtotheroyalcastlehadbeenlikeathornpathforthegroup.

Rencouldnotforgettheshockofthatday.

Dozensoftis,evenwhenhisbrotherturnedawayfromhimandleft,Renhadunderstood.ehadtriedtounderstand.Becauseheknewthemissionentrustedtohim.ehadhatedhim,resentedhim,missedhim.......Againandagain,hehadthoughtthathisbrother,wholefthimbehind,hadabandonedhim.hatwaswhy,whenemarleftwithoutaword,Renhadsobbedandsearchedforhimlikehewashavingafit.

Butthiswasthefirsttitheshockhadeverbeenthisgreat.

reatenoughthateventhehearthehadthoughtwasalreadytrainedbroke,andalmostgaveup.

Renhadlearnedthateventheillnesshehadtriedsohardtohideheldnoaningtoemar.

nthatinstantofterror,theonlythoughtinhismindhadbeenthathewantedtoleanonhim.fhecouldholdemar’slarge,thick,unbearably✪оvеlіgһt✪(fficialversion)hothand,itfeltasifeverythingwouldbeallright.ehadthoughttherewouldbeasenseofrelieffarbeyond,manytisbeyond,whathehadfeltwhenheheldPeruan’shand.

ButemarhadnotheldRen’shand.

hatenormousbackasheturnedandlefttheroom—thebackthathadwaveredthroughRen’stears.

Ren......resentedhim.

“Ren,howisyourbody.......”

Ren,whohadbeentakinghisdicine,liftedhiseyesandlookedathim.

Atthoseeyes,likeafrozenwinterforest,emarlosthiswords.

eseedtoknowwhatRenhadmisunderstood.Butemardidnothavetheeloquencetoundothatmisunderstanding.

“Doyouhavesothingtosay?”

AtRen’scoldattitude,emaronlyopenedandclosedhismouthbeforeturningaway.

Renwatchedthedoor,lefthollowlyopen,withoutshowinganythinganddrankdowntherestofhisdicine.Jepeto,watchinghim,fidgetedhelplessly.

“Ren,that......e...”

“’mtired.”

“......Rest,Ren.”

Clickinghistongueinwardly,Jepetoleftthecarriage.

hedoorclosed,andRenwasaloneagain.

Renleanedhisheadagainstthecarriageandquietlystaredupattheceiling.

utside,snowkeptblowingwithoutrest.

umanhadsaiditwaswinter’sfinalsnow.

Asexpected,Renhatedsnow.

othinggoodhadeverhappenedonasnowyday.

verytiemarleft,itsnowed,andthistihehadsufferedanunexpectedseizure.

Couldhethinkthatoncewinterpassed,everythingwouldbeallright?

hepersonhehadwantedmosttostaybesidehimhadnotstayedbyhisside,whilePeruan,astranger,hadremainedbesidehimtheentireti.

tmadehimfeelsothingimpossibletoputintowords.

Maybeitwouldhavebeeneasierforeveryoneifhehadsimplycriedoutinshock,screaming,“Mybrotherabandoned!”hentheywouldonlyhaveneededtosoothehim.hentherecklessfithewasthrowingwouldhavestopped,andasalways,hewouldhavelookedonlyforemar.

ButRenhadgrowntoomuchtostaytrappedinsidethoughtsandstubbornnessthatbelongedonlytohim.

heremusthavebeenareasonemarhadlefttheroomwithoutevenholdinghishand.

hereasonumanandJepetohoveredaroundRenwithdarkfaces,tryingtobringitup,wasprobablytomakeexcusesonemar’sbehalf.

heproblemwasthatRendidnotwanttohearthosewordsfromsooneelse’smouth.

emarwouldthinkRenhadmisunderstoodhim,butRenhadnotmisunderstood.eevenhadavagueguessthatitmighthavebeensochoicemadeforRen’ssake.

But.

hefactthathehadturnedhisbackatthemontRenneededhimmost.

tlodgedinRen’schestlikeathorn.

twasanemotionclosetobetrayal.

Sotis,anactionsankdeeperthananytruth.

Whateveremar’struefeelingswere,thefactthathehadturnedhisbackandleftafterignoringthehandRenhaddesperatelyreachedoutwouldnotchange.omatterwhathesaid.ocomfortwouldbeabletoerasethatfact.

Andso,allthewaytotheroyalcastle,Rendidnotsayasinglewordtoemar.

emarcouldnotcrosstherejectionRenusedagainsthim,refusingtolookforhimorlistentohim.eonlyclenchedhisteeth,hoverednearRen,oropenedhismouthbeforeshuttingitagain.

emarcouldnotcrossthelineRenhaddrawn.

emarcouldnotgrabhimrecklesslythewayRenwouldhave.

heyenteredtheroyalcastlethroughthewhirlingsnow,afterbeingtoldoverandoveragaintobecarefulhowtheybehaved.

hekingdom’scapital,whichRensteppedintoforthefirstti,didnotfeelallthatunfamiliar.tgavehimastrangefeeling.

Sensingthepeople’sbewildernt,Renfeltlikeanuninvitedguest.

Whatmadehimmostdispleasedwasthewaytheytreatedtheeroes.

Facesthatseeduncomfortablesohow,asifafraid.Renkeenlyreadthesubtleanxietyandtension.

Andwhathehatedevenmorewastheeroes’attitude,asiftheywereusedtothosereactionsfrompeople.

Rencouldnothelpimaginingit.

Whentheyfoughtonbattlefieldstheyhadgoneouttohundredsoftisandreturned,hadpeopletrulywelcodtheeroeswhocabackbleeding?adtheynotbeentreatedcarelesslyinstead?isbrother,whohadbeenchosenasachildaftershowingthequalitiesofaeroandsenttothebattlefield—hadhealwaysbeentreatedlikethis?

Ren’sfrozenheartswirledfromdeepwithin.Asifitmightbreakthroughthesurface.

***

Andsohefacedtheking.

Renhadoftenimaginedwhatkindofpersonthekingwhocalledhisbrotherawaymightbe,butnotoncehadhethoughthewouldlooklikethis.

Ren,whohaddroppedtohiskneesasifdrivingthemintotheground,fixedRagnielclearlyinbotheyes.

Ahandso,frail-lookingimpression.ooyoungtobethekingofanation.

RagniellookedatRenwitheyesthatseedtoknowhimverywell.

hatgaze,tenderandsoakedinpity,cloudedwithembarrassntwhenRenkneltonthegroundwithaloudsound.

twasimpossibletoreadtheemotionsinRenashestaredatthatsoftface.otevenRenhimselfknew.

hiswasthekingwhohadcalledhisbrotherawayagainandagainandsenthimtothebattlefield.heonewho,despitehavingpermittedhisresignation,hadcalledhimbacktotheroyalcastleandtakenhisbrotheraway.Andyethewasthekingofanation,theonetowhomarofferedloyaltyaspreciousashisownlife.SoRenwouldneverdaredefyRagniel,theking.

Butthatdidnotanhisheartwouldbethesaasemar’sloyalty.

BeforeRagnielcouldgestureforhimtoriseandsayitwasallright,Ren’schillyvoicerangthroughthepalacegarden.

“amdeeplygratefulforYourMajesty’sgrace.”

twasavoicethatsoundedcoldaswinterwind.

tdidnotsoundatallasifheweregratefulforthatgrace.

Ren’sstraightgaze,withoutturninghishead,lookedatRagnielasifbindinghiminplace.

heservantswhohadpausedquietlyloweredtheireyes,andaheavysilencesettledoverthem.Withonlythesoundofthewindscrapingattheirears,Ragnielmovedslowly.

epersonallyhelpedRentohisfeet.

“hereisnoneedtooffersuchcourtesy.Areyounottheyoungerbrotherofemar,thebrightestshiningstar?”

PattingRen’scoldhand,Ragnielcontinued.

“feelsorrytowardyou.Butthereisthekingdom’sgreatundertaking,yousee.canonlyhopeyouwillunderstand.”

isquietvoice,filledwithsincerity,knockedonRen’sheart.

Buttherewasnowayaheartthathadagedsolonginbitternesswouldltfromafewwordslikethat.Ragnieldidnotseemtohopeforiteither,anddidnotblaRenforgivingnoresponse.

umanwatchedRenwithaworriedface,whileemarsilentlystaredstraightahead.

iselleobservedRenandRagnielwithasubtleexpression.

“YourMajesty.willreportwhathappenedinDelfona.”

“......Shallwe,then.”

Ragnielsmiledapologetically.hegentlydroopingcornersofhiseyesmadehimlookevenfrailer.

“nmyheart,wouldliketoletyourestcomfortablybeforehearingit.Butwillyouunderstandthatcannot?”

Ragnielspokequietlyashelookedoverthegroup.

“Myking.”

iselle,whohadopenedhismouth,lookedatthekingandbentonekneehalfway.

“YourMajestyneedonlygiveyourcommands.heSevenStarsshinesolelyforyou.hereisnoneedforyoutoseekanyone’sunderstandingorofferanyapology.”

“.......”

hen,ifhetoldthemtogiveuptheirlives,weretheysupposedtosimplyhandthemover?

Ren’seyessankashelookedatthem.

eloman,uman,andemarallnodded,asifiselle’swordswereonlyproper.

heonlyonewholikelydidnotthinkthatwasproperwasRen.

Ragniel,whohadbeenlookingatiselle’slonghairwhippinginthewindwithapitifulgaze,clappedhishandstogether.

hesoundoffrictionsplittheheavyair.

Withacleansmile,Ragnielledtheminside,sayingtheyshouldgoinnow.

Afterexchangingafewwordswithiselle,umanlookedforRen,whowaswalkingattheveryback.

“Ren,thereportwilllikelytakequiteawhile.atfirstinyourroomwithJepeto.fanythingmakesyouuncomfortable,lookforaservantnadoe.ewillseetoyourconvenience.”

“.......”

“Ren.......”

Seeingisellestandingstillandwatchingthem,umangrewanxious.

Followinghisgaze,Renturnedhisheadandstaredatiselle.Withoutavoidingtheeyesthatthis,Renopenedhismouth.

“Whoisthat?”

“......hat’siselle.eservesasstrategist.Ren,moreimportantly......onceyou’reshowntoyourroom,don’tgooutfornow.otuntilcobackandtellyouthethingsyouneedtobecarefulabout.Allright?”

ookingattheworryfillingthosegoldeneyes,Renreluctantlynodded.

“Wherecouldevengoinaplacelikethis?”