“Ugh!Bleeeeeghhh!”
“Please go outside if you are going to do that.”
Although it felt a bit wrong to ask, given that I was the one who made him drink sothing akin to a toxic substance, I couldn’t let him throw up inside the room either.
Darius quickly bolted out of the room, covering his mouth with his thick hand.
I thought he’d be back soon, but surprisingly, he took longer than expected.
I didn’t think it was bad enough to make him vomit multiple tis.
However, there was a reason for the delay.
“Findenai was cleaning the bathroom and wouldn’t let in.”
“…”
“And so it took a bit as I had to go use the bathroom on another floor.”
She was not the forr leader of Scrapyard Nomads for nothing.
Her relentless persistence was enough to call her a wolf.
In any case, I had cleared away Findenai’s tea, so we finally had the space to talk.
“So, what is the problem with Deia?”
Darius wore a look of dissatisfaction as if he had a lot he wanted to say to , but when I got straight to the point, he was unable to say anything and was forced to go along with the flow.
“What do you think of Deia?”
“What are you trying to say?”
It wasn’t clear what intention he had when asking about my thoughts on a family mber.
Even if Darius were a bit slow, he wouldn’t ask such a question despite being the eldest son.
“Huff.”
In the end, Darius couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh and began explaining his reason for coming in a sowhat roundabout manner.
“Deia has had an extre dislike for n since a young age.”
“This feels rather out of the blue.”
“And I think you know the reason for that.”
Darius continued, as if he hadn’t heard my remark in the first place.
“It’s because of Deus. That guy.”
I was aware.
The reason Deia naturally ca to despise n was due to Deus’ constant hateful remarks and incessant sexual harassnt.
However, if one were to ask whether she was attracted to won, that wasn’t the case either.
To be honest, it wasn’t a matter of n or won but rather an aversion to the concept of loving soone itself or being physically intimate with them.
“But it’s different now. You have managed to heal the wounds he inflicted on her.”
Darius subtly hinted with an intentional raise of his eyebrows. If I had helped heal her scars, that was truly fortunate.
“But, you know, uh… I think it might have gone a bit too far.”
“What do you an?”
I was starting to get a feel of what Darius was trying to say, but it wasn’t sothing the concerned person should be saying out loud.
He must have known that, too, which was why he ca to directly.
Eventually, Darius scratched his head, looking clearly conflicted, before speaking frankly.
“I think Deia has feelings for you.”
“…”
“I’d like to believe I’m mistaken, but honestly, I’m almost certain.”
“In my opinion…”
I slowly crossed my legs and responded in a calm, level-headed manner.
“I believe you are mistaken.”
Darius often spouted nonsense at tis, but he had sohow exceeded all appropriate levels this ti.
Did he even realize what he was saying?
“It is just familial affection. Deia has never had a proper older brother, so she is likely leaning on for that role.”
Deia never had a proper older brother, not only Deus but Darius as well.
Before I arrived, he was practically a living ghost, solely obsessed with the household’s prestige.
“Ahem.”
Unable to refute the fact that his past behavior hadn’t been great either, Darius coughed awkwardly and moved on.
“I was also hoping that it was just my imagination. However, just in case, I went to see Illuania. She had been spending a lot of ti with Deia while you were away.”
“…”
“And Illuania said there’s a good chance my suspicion is correct.”
This changed things a bit.
I could have ignored it if it were just Darius.
However, it was hard to dismiss the words of Illuania, soone who could be considered an expert in this field.
I furrowed my brows, lost in thought.
“You didn’t even listen properly when I was the one who said it…”
Though it was a bit annoying to see Darius grumbling in front of , I continued pondering.
From what I’d observed, Deia’s closeness to did seem a bit much for siblings.
However, I also thought that was just a reaction due to not having experienced familial affection. And I could relate since I, too, craved familial attachnt.
Besides, I have already addressed this kind of issue once before.
There were even tis when I deliberately emphasized the word ‘siblings,’ just to make things clear.
And Deia had naturally accepted it back then.
“I still find it hard to believe.”
Even if Illuania said so, it was still difficult to accept. After all, Deia was one of the most level-headed people I knew.
I couldn’t even imagine her doing sothing as foolish as falling in love with her own blood relative.
“Deia is not that foolish.”
However, Darius shrugged at my words and replied.
“It’s not about actions but emotions. People are swayed more easily by emotions than they realize.”
That was surprisingly insightful coming from Darius.
In that rare mont, he displayed the dignity befitting the eldest son.
“Huft, Deus.”
He let out a deep sigh and pressed his fingers to massage his eyes, clearly worn out.
“Kim Shinwoo.”
I flinched, having a strong aversion to being called by that na when I was Deus, but I decided to listen for now.
“Honestly, I would have welcod it if you were the one she chose. I’ve never seen a man like you, soone I could trust and rely on. Sure, my little brother in spirit becoming my brother-in-law would be strange, but we’d still be family.”
Unexpected praise.
But Darius wasn’t done speaking.
“However, not as Deus.”
It was a resolute declaration.
These weren’t the words of a man nad Darius Verdi.
It was the verdict of the Head of the Verdi Household.
The Margrave of the Norseweden.
The giant of the northern mountain range.
The weight of a family head’s authority bore down upon .
“I won’t just stand by and watch the order of this family collapse.”
“…”
“And I’m saying this just in case. I know you wouldn’t since you also cherish Deia, but… I’m just making sure.”
I understood his point.
But there was sothing crucial he had overlooked.
“Yes, Deia is indeed important to .”
“Hmm?”
“But Darius, you are also important to .”
Wasn’t it obvious?
“Because we are family.”
As I said this while I calmly t his gaze, Darius, who had been staring at blankly, gradually brightened up.
Deia’s feelings were important, but so was not doing sothing that Darius would hate because both of them mattered to .
It was just an honest expression of my thoughts.
“Ha! Hahaha! That’s right! Exactly! Of course! Indeed, you’re my brother!”
Perhaps feeling acknowledged, Darius burst into a boisterous laughter, exchanged a few hearty words, and then left the room.
It was his way of saying he trusted .
“Phew.”
It was about ti I departed from Nosweden. I needed to head back to Graypond and let everyone know I had returned.
However, it seed like there was an issue I needed to resolve first.
“…”
Suddenly, the worn-out teddy bear keychain she always carried on person ca to mind.
***
Knock knock.
“Co in.”
Deia responded as soon as I knocked. When I opened the door and stepped inside, I saw her intently reviewing docunts on her desk.
“Deus?”
Was she surprised because I dropped in unannounced?
Startled, Deia put down her pen and greeted .
“Are you busy?”
Although Darius wasn’t incapable of handling this sort of work, Deia’s skills were outstanding, which naturally led her to take on everything.
I would’ve naturally lent her a hand if I were here, but I was not in a position to stay in the territory all the ti.
“A little. I’ve been writing reports for the palace regarding prisoner transfers and incident investigations.”
Was my timing bad?
I was about to apologize and take my leave, but Deia preempted with a gesture.
“Go sit on the sofa over there. I’ll be done shortly.”
Her hand gripping the pen moved a little faster.
I hesitated but accepted her goodwill and slowly sat on the sofa for guests.
“There are so snacks on the table, so feel free to help yourself.”
Even while she was busily working, she didn’t forget to be considerate. Though honestly, the snacks were the sa as those in my own office.
I left them untouched and simply watched her as she focused on her work.
She had a truly beautiful appearance.
She was soone I could proudly call my younger sister. If one day, she were to introduce the man she wished to marry, I might sulk, feeling like I was losing my family.
Just like a father would.
However, it would be only to that extent.
I’d certainly clap and congratulate them, bless their future, and perhaps even smile for once as I pushed her forward.
Watching her work, I wondered if she would ever feel such emotions for .
Was it even possible for such a capable woman to be swayed by her feelings alone?
Perhaps my own lack of emotions made it easier for to say this, but it was hard for to accept.
Even if it was Illuania, it doesn’t an she knows everything.
Although she was indeed sowhat of an expert in this topic, she couldn’t predict everything—especially when it ca to soone like Deia, who was adept at hiding her thoughts and feelings.
At so point, I realized my thoughts were drifting in the direction I wanted them to, but I didn’t resist.
I thought it wasn’t necessarily the wrong direction.
Perhaps because of that…
Waiting here in silence felt like a bit of a waste of ti.
I also wanted to reassure Darius as soon as possible.
“Do you like ?”
I casually threw out a blunt question.
While my choice of words might sound arrogant, no other phrase ca to mind.
Deia, whose eyes had been glued to the docunts, slowly turned her head toward with a creaking motion.
Judging by her expression, it seed like she didn’t quite understand what she just heard, so I repeated myself.
“I an romantically.”
It was a question I could ask only because I trusted her.
And she indeed responded to my trust.
“Are you drunk?”
“…”
“You’ve really gone off the rails now that you’re back, huh? Practicing nonsense, are we? What? ? What did I do?”
“Never mind.”
“You’re not on so drugs or sothing, are you? Do I need to call Findenai to escort you out?”
“I will see myself out.”
As expected, Deia’s face filled with irritation. She didn’t bother to stop as I walked out, pretending she hadn’t seen anything.
“It was a pointless worry.”
Thinking that Darius and Illuania’s concerns were unfounded, I shut the door to Deia’s office.
Feeling relieved, Deia suggested that the two of us head out to town for a bit the next day.
***
sko-fi/genesisforsaken
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