The next day I didn’t get out of bed and was lying in a cluttered, unorganized room.
I didn’t have the strength to get up. I didn't even have the will to try. The fact that the twins actually hated seed to take away my purpose of life.
What have I been working so hard for?
After transmigrating into this world, I lived first to take care of my orphanage siblings, and then I lived for the twins. I did my best to be their support and all I got, in turn, were insults.
If they had acted like that in front of , I would not have felt betrayed. It hurt, even more, to know the truth through soone else.
– Knock! Knock!
‘Hyung, are you awake? We have to go to class.’
Eric’s voice was heard. It was as if he was knocking lightly on the door and checking my well-being.
I didn’t answer. I just really wanted to rest today.
When I did not respond, there was no sound for a long ti. Just as I wondered if he had left, the voice ca again.
'Take care... I'll go first.’
Eric gave a light greeting and left.
He was a really good friend. Maybe it was because he was the main character. Or maybe he actually understood my situation; Eric was also born into a weak noble family and was having a difficult life at the academy. Although I belonged to a strong family, I was also treated on a similar level right now. Maybe he sympathized with and hence he was worrying about .
Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my palm. Still laying on my back, I raised my hands toward the ceiling – Deford hands ca into my view; My hands were still blistered and ssed up with calluses cut here and there.
My hands symbolized my hard work and efforts. Looking at those hands, I fell into thought.
✧ ✧ ✧
Keirsey waited for Cayden on the first floor of the n’s dormitory for a long ti. But Cayden seed to have overslept today because he didn’t co out yet.
‘It’s not long before class starts…’
Keirsey looked closely at everyone who left the dormitory – Cayden’s face was nowhere to be seen.
Waiting here a little longer, the tardiness was almost certain, but Keirsey did not move.
She rembered him from last night and thought she was going to die. From the ti other won showed interest in him, Keirsey tried to beco more precious to him.
She wanted him more, and not seeing him just for a day annoyed her. If she didn’t start the day with a hug or a kiss, she felt like her day wasn’t complete.
At that mont, soone caught Keirsey’s eyes.
“Eric!”
She called him out loud.
Though It’s been quite so ti since Keirsey talked to Eric, there was a common link called Cayden between them, hence it was easier to talk to him than other strangers.
Eric heard her voice and started walking slowly. His expression didn’t look that good.
“..Keirsey.”
“Good morning.”
She greeted him before coming to the main question.
“..That..can you tell where Oppa is?”
“……”
Eric did not answer, and his expression subtly hardened. It was a strange reaction for Keirsey.
“Where is my Oppa? Oversleeping is-“
“-Keirsey.”
Eric interrupted her.
Considering the difference in their families, it was a huge disrespect, but Keirsey didn’t mind.
“…yes?”
“……”
Eric sighed. It looked like he was holding back what he was trying to say.
“...Actually, I don’t know either. I left without checking Hyung's room.”
✧ ✧ ✧
I had a dream of the past; I rembered eting twins for the first ti.
I rembered how I made happy mories with them. mories, when we exchanged emotions and when we made promises.
I saw the scene when I decided to be their support. The mont I held the sword for the first ti and the mont I got on a horse. All those mories seed to co back to vividly one by one.
I never even thought that this path was wrong – I felt proud that the cruel twins leaned on , that I made them good human beings and protected them from following the path of destruction.
But suddenly, the atmosphere of the dream changed. I began sweating profusely and it beca difficult to breathe.
Asena’s voice rang first – She told to return the Pryster surna as I was just adopted anyway...
She said she never thought of as a brother in the first place.
“..haha…”
As if pressed by a mountain, my body didn't move.
Next was Keirsey – Kyle’s words were transford into Keirsey’s voice;
'Ewww you sll!!'
'Why is Oppa so crazy about won? And… why are you so incompetent?'
I saw twins laughing while watching as I was being bullied.
‘Ah! It is fun.’ Asena said coldly.
It was not the Asena I had always known, but the Asena of the novel.
‘Did you really believe that I liked you? We're different from birth…how could I like you? I just thought you were a toy. Hehe.’ Kirsey also said.
My feelings didn’t even matter.
“No!”
I moaned, rejecting the scene in front of my eyes—
These were not twins. They could never do that to .
—But the reality didn't change...
“…Puah…”
Soone shook my body but I was still seeing the nightmare.
'The bond we have built cannot be so light. no matter how evil they are. No matter what kind of monster there is in their heart, they can’t be like this to .' I spoke because, without that belief, I couldn’t stand it.
“Oppa!!”
I opened my eyes to Keirsey’s voice.
“Huff!! Huff!!”
My whole body was wet with cold sweat. I was short of breath and my heart was pounding.
The vicious voice buzzing in my ears was fading away.
“Oppa..! Wake up..!”
Keirsey was next to , shaking with a worried expression. The image of her I had seen in my dream overlapped, so I couldn't say anything for a while. It was important to understand the situation.
When I rolled my eyes, the orange sunset was coming through the window. Perhaps I was asleep the whole day.
Maybe it was because I had rested for a long ti, and my heavy head had beco lighter.
“…Drink so water.”
Soone handed a glass of water.
With a burning thirst that I felt for a mont, I took the glass and drank it in one breath which cald a little.
I looked around the room. In the still ssy room, Asena and Keirsey were there.
Asena had a firm expression on her face, but Keirsey had a worried look.
She wiped my forehead with her sleeve and said, "Where are you hurting? Why are you sweating like this…!”
My eyes were trembling.
“…When did you co?”
“Just now…! I haven’t seen you all day… But what’s going on?”
Was this the sa Keirsey who talked behind my back?
I couldn’t even believe it when I saw her. She was so sweet and so cute in front of . But she was the cause of my bullying.
“Why is the room so ssy..!”
“…Who is it?”
Asena asked coldly. Her face was calm, but her voice was not.
“Who did this? Are they soone from the Knight's Departnt?”
To be honest, it didn’t make sense. The anger they were showing right now, how could it be a lie?
Do you really not know at all who did this?
“Oppa—“
I interrupted Keirsey and spoke with a broken heart.
“—Soone was spreading rumors about . They think I’m starting to be ignored, so they're bullying lately.”
They both shut their mouths at the sa ti as if they were caught. I had to hold back the burst of laughter.
Look. You know why.
Their reaction confird to that Keirsey had indeed said those things and apparently even Asena had a hand in it.
My head was dizzy, but I continued.
“…I don’t know about politics like this. I don’t know who’s behind it.”
“…..”
“…..”
“…if you want to catch them, you catch them.”
For , knowing that they were the culprits ant I couldn't do anything anymore.
As in the case with Asena, I didn’t want to fight with Keirsey right now. It would only weaken the Prysters.
My mind was also not in the right condition. I was not ready to make big choices.
“…”
I didn’t understand anything. After all this, I still liked them. The mories I had accumulated made it impossible to forget them.
But how could the twins, who lived those sa mories with , do this to ?
I looked up at the twins but they slowly avoided my eyes as if they were caught.
It made cry once again.
I looked down slowly and said, "Ah! But even if you catch them, don’t bring them in front of .”
It was hard to hold back the sadness that erupted.
I wished they could taste the sa pain even a little bit, just in case, if they had even the slightest bit of emotion.
“…Really. I think you’ll hate them a lot.”
Of course… not being able to hate them was the hardest part.
The mories we made were stopping from actually hating them. But it didn't an I was able to forgive them either. It was impossible.
Asena gently grabbed my arm with one hand.
Keirsey shuddered and sat next to .
“…Oppa, hug .”
As if anxious, Keirsey begged.
It confused .
In the end, I decided there could be two cases.
The first was that the twins really hated . They just pretended in front of to betray as they did in my dream to see my despair. It could be that they hated for a commoner to have a Pryster surna. So they just wanted to tornt .
The second was that they said those things behind my back for so reason I didn't know. They actually liked , but they had their own reasons for not being able to express themselves in public.
I couldn’t even imagine what the reason could be... Was it for the family?
But I was leaning towards the second possibility more and more. Because if that was not the case, I couldn’t explain the two innocent heartbroken girls wailing in front of .
“…Oppa?…Quick…”
Keirsey was still grumbling.
Even if the second case was true, it didn't an that their actions were justified.
My broken heart was not going anywhere.
I wanted to ask Keirsey who wanted to hug right now – You said I sll horrible, right? So why do you want to hug ?
I really wanted to ask.
“…”
Instead, I gently hugged her. Though I didn't hug her tightly like before, instead, I hugged her gently like friends.
After giving her a short hug, I fell onto my bed. Keirsey tried to cling to , but I pulled away and said, "Can you both just leave? My head is dizzy. I need so alone ti.”
“….Head hurts? …I’ll take care of you.”
Asena said, but I shook my head. I was frustrated because I didn’t even know her real intentions.
“…. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I just cut her off.
My tone didn't allow any rebuttal.
✧ ✧ ✧
It was late at night when I finally cald down.
Finally, I reached a conclusion after taking an emotional rollercoaster ride.
“…okay.”
My head felt light and clear.
It didn’t matter what reason the twins had for betraying . What mattered was they indeed betrayed ; Insulting from behind, who cherished them. They were even going to kick out of the family, so I decided to make my own decisions now.
I considered a few facts while deciding my future actions.
-Asena and Keirsey were my sisters. We were together for 10 years and shared many mories, this fact could not be changed.
-I never intended to break my promise so I would indeed beco their support. Though the thod would solely depend on my convenience.
-And I was a Pryster.
Yes, I was a Pryster for 10 years. Just because my surna could be taken didn't an my pride could be taken as well.
I had forgotten that.
‘Don’t touch us.’
The days when I pondered over our motto ca back to .
A Pryster must never act pathetic, I decided.
Right now, Asena and Keirsey were touching my feelings. Even though I was their older brother, my heart was being dragged around in the mud.
It was necessary to reverse the relationship.
The stigma of being a commoner seed to have influenced my behavior as well... Not anymore.
I always heard people beca stronger in trials. I thought sothing like that was happening to too.
My heart hardened, it refreshed my head and made things clearer.
I decided not to be ignored and looked down upon anymore.
'Am I incompetent?'
'Am I going to be expelled from the family?'
I wouldn’t let you do it even if you wanted to; It would depend solely on myself if I wanted to keep Pryster behind my na.
But it was not that easy. I would have to be in an overwhelming position if I didn't want to let the Head of the House Pryster dictate my life.
To prevent the twins from insulting anymore, I just had to be better than them.
There were several ways.
One: Beco the strongest and most reputable knight.
If I could beco such a knight, any family's status would rise just by affiliating with .
Two: Get a backer.
If I had soone with imnse influence as my backer, anyone would want to have a good relationship with .
Suddenly, grandma's words began to ring in my ears. If I could marry a girl from a strong noble House... No more words were needed.
Three: Get followers.
If I could gain followers in the academy, I could create my own powerful factions that would help only .
'So which of these three thods should I choose?'
The decision was made quickly.
I decided to follow all three thods at the sa ti.
[T/N: And with this chapter, the mass release cos to an end. Chapter 18 will be updated next week.
Thank you,
Dylan]
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