Chapter 14: Kind and Cruel
Since then, I have gotten somewhat closer to Sigren.
I hope it’s not just my imagination. Well, at least he didn’t ask me not to touch him like before. I thought it was a good development. Moreover, I now understood that since Sigren had been subjected to such persistent abuse in the first place, it was natural that he was sensitive towards any stranger’s touch. And now that i think about it, Sigren seemed to have prevented me from touching his scar even more.
“It would hurt! I told you, don’t move!” I slightly slapped his shoulder to which Sigren refuted with a look of injustice.
“This is fine. I’m almost cured.”
“No, you don’t know when you’re well. Listen to this older-sister.”
Sigren chuckled at my nagging.
“I’ve been wondering since before…”
“Hmm?”
“You keep calling yourself ‘older-sister,’ honestly, how old are you?”
That question was, uh… I swallowed my saliva. Honestly, at physical age, I was a year younger than Sigren.
I answered back with a small voice. “Thirteen years old.”
Surprisingly, Sigren did not get angry. On the contrary, he spoke in a rather muted tone as if he had anticipated it. “That’s more than I thought. I thought you were about ten years old.”
I got up and stood up. “What?!”
I let a loud sigh. Abel kept nagging me every day that I was small and should be fed more. And now this boy was saying that I look like I’m ten-years-old. Did I really look that small? Well, I can’t help my slow growth. I was stuck in the attic at the height of my growth and couldn’t eat well.
“I was a year older anyway.”
“Mentally, I will be more.”
Sigren snorted.
“You must be the only one who thinks that way. The Duke of Heilon is feeding you so much. What the hell is up with your body that’s not getting bigger?”
“That’s true..”
In fact, I was also poor in physical strength. Because of that, even though my magic power was good, it couldn’t be used for long periods of time. In terms of running, it was similar to being strong in short distances and not being able to travel long distances. In other words, it meant lack of endurance.
“It’s okay, because I’ll grow a lot more in the future.” I came to Heilon castle at thirteen-years-old and was eating three full meals without lack. It was not too late. From now on, it would be enough. At my positive words, Sigren laughed.
“Yeah, grow up well.”
I glanced at his face. Sigren, whose condition had improved and the atmosphere around him was more relaxed, shone like a tesserae. He was my kid, but the face I was really looking forward to he would grow into a few years later. ‘This kid, use that shining beauty for the female lead!‘
“Have I got something on my face?”
“Huh? No.”
“Then why are you staring at me like that?”
“You’re so handsome. Oh! And also, later, make sure to keep good principles in your relationship!”
‘No matter how handsome you are, I will not let you go if you make the eyes of the female lead shed with tears.‘
“…..”
Sigren was silent for a moment. Then he said, “I always think, but sometimes you really… No, forget it.”
“Why???”
Sigren laughed mischievously and disheveled my hair. “I don’t know who here telling me whose mental age is higher. You don’t even know how scary people are.”
I looked at him. It was really unfair. I really was older than him. “No, I’m not. I’m really—”
“Lady Fiona!!” Suddenly, the door burst open, and at the same time Sigren’s hand fell off my head quickly. It was Jeron who came in a hurry.
“It is reported that a giant monster is approaching the wall. I think we need to gather all the soldiers now.”
“Alright. I’ll go right away.”
After a long time, it seemed that the monsters had entered the castle walls. It was reported that it was on a massive scale.
It was time to work so I got up in a hurry.
“What are you talking about? Why would you go there?” Sigren grabbed my wrist and asked urgently. He looked like he couldn’t understand the situation.
Ah, really. I haven’t told him I was a mage in the war yet.
“I’m a battle mage here. The main thing that i need to do is to protect the second wall.” After answering his question, I looked towards Sigren with a look that asked for his understanding. Yet, He still didn’t let go of his grip on me.