Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I happened to catch a glimpse of what Frey was reading and got interested in it, so I asked him to lend it to me. He told me he’d give it to me right away but I forgot about it already until just now…

Frey brought it to me anyway. But I completely forgot.

When I thanked him, his eyes crinkled up as he smiled.

“If you have other books you want to read, tell me anytime.”

As if Lisandro wasn’t in his mind anymore…

Frey smiled brightly only to me.

I glanced sideways at Frey, who was sitting beside me.

Lisandro had shown early signs of obsession already, but Frey on the other hand was acting a bit differently from the novel.

First of all, Frey didn’t pay too much attention to Yurenia in the original text.

This could be a result of a change of heart because I butted in between them.

But it hadn’t been long since I started playing with them, so it was weird to see him like me already this much…

…Welp.

This change was like an annoying piece of food stuck in my throat, but it shouldn’t be grave enough for me to overreact to.

Or maybe it’s because I’ve been too sensitive to even the smallest things because I’m thinking too hard about the original novel.

I shook my head to get rid of my doubts. Then, I looked at Lisandro.

He was staring intently at Frey, who he’s so determined to keep liking.

“Lisandro, is it fun to stare at someone you like?”

“But he’s getting in between Noonim and me…”

“What’s wrong with me being here, Lisandro?”

Frey took his eyes off the book he was reading and looked at the other boy. He had a pure expression on his face that really said he was clueless.

Looking at that expression, I realized that sure, maybe I really was overreacting.

“I just want Lisandro to grow a little more.”

“What?”

“Lisandro is a year older than me but you still look like a child.”

I could feel Lisandro seething already, but I nodded to agree with what Frey said.

Compared to Lisandro, Frey was a decent kid who’s well-behaved for his age.

Well actually, Lisandro was only acting his age.

As expected, it’s true that a normal person would look strange amongst the company or weird people.

Although he was being emotional again, Lisandro looked between me and Frey alternately.

“No, I’m a year older than you. I’m not going to cry anymore. Just like Noonim.”

“Haha, well I don’t think you’re that mature either,” I said as I smiled and pinched Frey’s cheek as well, but without hurting him.

* * *

Whether or not it was Frey’s words that catapulted him to action, from then on Lisandro threw himself into his studies, including swordsmanship. This was a much faster development than what happened in the novel.

At first, I was satisfied to see that he finally came to his senses and became a bit more mature, but I wasn’t really in any position to admire my brother’s achievements.

The sword that Lisandro held…

That damn sword was the biggest problem.

My cute baby brother’s innate talent with the sword was so good that, even when he originally started learning late in the novel, he still went above and beyond in terms of skills.

Lisandro should have learned swordsmanship a year after I entered the temple, which was the year he entered the academy.

It wasn’t too late for a nobleman’s son, but as I mentioned earlier, our parents weren’t the pushy type. We were encouraged to learn from a young age, but they didn’t really force us.

Anyway, Lisandro had crazy talent and was obsessed with swordsmanship, so his skills got better exponentially. Even if he started training later than his peers, he stood out at the academy.

As if to live up to the expectations, Lisandro would later become the youngest sword master.

It became easier for Lisandro to trap Frey and do whatever he wanted with him due to this strong power.

But if he’s now starting this early even before entering the academy, then he’ll just get stronger…!

This change for the better deserved to receive applause, but Lisandro learning swordsmanship earlier was definitely not good for me! So I always headed down to the training grounds to disturb his progress.

Originally, after he was knighted, he became one of the top sword masters of the continent. No matter how hard he struggled, it was impossible for Frey to escape Lisandro.

Lisandro’s swordsmanship was just that formidable.

We’re gonna have to get rid of that sword!

Of course, I can’t really get rid of his skills, but still, I’ll work hard to at least interrupt his determined spirit.

As I neared the training grounds solemnly, Frey suddenly popped up.

I was startled by his sudden appearance, so I stepped back, but Frey smiled and took my wrist in his hand.

“Noona, where are you going with such a scary face?”

“To play with Lisandro.”

In fact, I was on my way to disrupt Lisandro’s training so that you can live longer.

Frey burst out into laughter without knowing what I was thinking.

Wow, it’s like the serene sound of jade beads rolling into each other.

“Lisandro started learning how to use a sword. Are you bored?”

Somehow, our roles seemed to have changed.

On the outside, I looked like a child, but inside I was an adult.

Right now, Frey was acting more maturely than me. He seemed to enjoy me being more immature, but it didn’t matter.

Even if it looked like that, I was dead set on preventing that disastrous future.

“Yeah, I’m bored because I don’t have anyone to pick on.”

I clenched my fist because my palm suddenly felt itchy. When I stretched it out again, Frey grabbed my hand. His soft touch made me pause and appreciate it unknowingly.

“Then play with me.”

“No, it needs to be Lisandro.”

I turned down the offer right away.

But Frey continued to smile brightly.

“Then, should we go to the library?”

He asked again as if he didn’t hear what I said just now.

“I need someone to hit. It needs to be Lisandro.”

“Hit me, then.”

Can I really hit someone who looks like doing just a high five would immediately send him to the Grim Reaper?

“Don’t you want to play with Lisandro? It’s been a while since you played ever since he picked up a sword.”

Of course, I asked this not with the intention of letting them play together again.

I just need to stop Lisandro from training.

“I’m learning swordsmanship, too.”

Huh? I didn’t hear about this.

In the novel, Frey never even lifted a sword. He was so weak that he couldn’t even hold one.

“So it’s okay because I’m still playing with Lisandro from time to time. But I haven’t seen Noona lately.”

He spoke so well that I wondered if he was really a kid. Ever since he was a kid, he’d always been smart, so I guess it’s natural that he spoke this way.

He was very mature even at a young age in the novel.

Rather, it was Lisandro, who would later turn into a lunatic, that was the kid who knew nothing when he was younger.

Lisandro was so sheltered, like a finely raised colt who’d become a fine steed.

Who knew that foal would later become a mad dog instead and would rip people to shreds when he grew up?

“Are you feeling well enough for it?”

Even so, the most worrisome thing now was Frey’s physical condition.

I wondered if he could really train with that feeble body of his and with the poison threatening his heart, but he replied with a nonchalant shrug.

“Don’t worry too much, Noona. So we’re leaving, right?”

Why was he so obsessed with the library?

“Hm…”

He caught me glancing sideways towards the training grounds, which was only a short distance away from where we were. I could see Lisandro there, who’s clearly skilled even though he started late.

Maybe it’s better to keep Frey away from him than to disturb him.

With my hand still in his, I nodded.

“Okay, let’s go to the library.”

Frey smiled with satisfaction at my answer. Then, he asked me some questions on our way to the library.

“How was [ Dawn of the Full Moon ]?”

“It was fun and exciting. A bit creepy though.”

“What about it?”

As I remembered the story, I continued speaking.

“Hmm, the part about the witch turning back time again and again and the girl remembering it all anyway?”

I was a little uncomfortable having a conversation like this with a kid, but I expressed my opinion without any hesitation anyway because I wanted to hear Frey’s take on it. He read much more difficult books than me.

And this book was fun to read.

In particular, my situation was similar to the main character who had all the memories of a different timeline. It’s just that with me, I was reborn and I retained memories of my past life.

[ Full Moon’s Dawn ] was actually a difficult book for children to understand, but since I wasn’t really a child, I had no difficulty understanding it.

The witch kept rewinding time because she was bored with life.

And it was all just entertainment for the witch.

The protagonist was a girl who remembered everything even as the witch turned back time, and her main goal was to stop the witch before her mind eventually collapsed from it all.

The book conveyed the despair of a girl who lived her life repeatedly every day, alongside the listlessness of the witch who kept turning back time, saying that her life was boring.

Why would she turn back time if she was just bored?

If I were the witch, I’d just destroy the world.

To be honest, it wasn’t a bad book for me to read, considering that I was only a child in appearance.

But no matter how intelligent he was, it’s still not something suitable for Frey to read.

Fortunately, the book had a happy ending.

Frey gave me a bright smile and replied to me.

“Me, too. I think that the girl who persevered until the end even when time kept repeating is amazing. It’s really hard to hold on when despair is coming from all directions.”

I wonder if it’s just me reading too much into it, but it felt like Frey was saying that about himself, about the time he suffered from Lisandro’s clutches in the past life.

“…”

As I looked at him wordlessly, his deep, golden eyes turned to me.

The strange smile on his lips disappeared quickly.

Frey now looked very much like an innocent child who knew nothing about suffering, so it was enough for me to conclude that it was just a trick of the light.

“If you were that girl, would you have looked for the witch? Do you think you can survive that despair?”

I stared at him before opening my lips.

“No. I think I’ll just allow myself to lose my mind.”

I wasn’t like that girl. I wasn’t confident enough to move forward and face all those difficulties.

It also meant that I wasn’t as strong as Frey, who suffered from all kinds of hardships under Lisandro.

He struggled and wanted to survive until the end, but eventually, he took his own life.

His way of escaping Lisandro was by doing that. I wouldn’t be able to hold out that long like Frey.

I wasn’t sure, but rather than his question just now, it felt like Frey wanted to ask instead ‘Would you keep holding on?’

It was a cruel answer, but death was better than being locked up by Lisandro.

I couldn’t even think about Lisandro’s sins.

Regardless of how Frey interpreted my answer, he still gave me another big smile.

“It’s okay. I’ll protect you when that happens. You can rely on me.”

I could only smile in return.

I wanted to say that I’d take care of him and keep him away from Lisandro, but I just swallowed my words.

Instead, I casually asked him a question, assuming that he knew something.

“Frey, do you happen to know about it?”

“About what?”

Actually, since we started this conversation, my eyes kept gravitating to the book because it felt suspicious.

At my question, Frey closed the book and faced me without hesitation.