Chapter 10

Chapter 10

”I’ve decided to go to the temple, Lisandro.”

Goosebumps rose up my spine. I covered my ears and looked around, but my sight became blurred, and soon, another space unfolded before my eyes.

I had definitely been in the library just now, but I suddenly found myself in Lisandro’s room.

Somehow, even as I turned my head to look elsewhere, my sight wouldn’t follow. The illusion played out like a scene that wouldn’t wait for me to settle down and comprehend everything.

In Lysandro’s room, I saw myself as Yurenia with Lisandro as they faced each other.

Not feeling my presence there, they continued their conversation.

“So?”

“Lisandro.”

Yurenia carefully called her brother’s name, but he only asked back coldly. He had a smile on his lips as though he couldn’t understand.

“You came into my room just to say that?”

“I’m…”

“Whether you live in the temple or somewhere else, I don’t care.”

I bit my lips as I held in the urge to cry. The mischievous Lisandro that I knew was nowhere to be seen.

The Lisandro I saw now, who was slightly taller, was cold… indifferent.

Yurenia couldn’t say anything more than a few stutters and just left the room.

As my mind wandered in so much confusion while my ears buzzed wildly, a clear voice suddenly pierced through.

“Noona.”

“……”

“Noona!”

After a brilliant flash of light, my blurred vision then cleared up. The first thing I saw was Frey, who was standing in front of me. After blinking a couple of times, I frowned.

“You shouldn’t keep that pretty face of yours so close to someone else’s face so suddenly.”

“…Did something happen? You’re so pale, Noona.”

Frey carefully touched below my eye, ignoring my playful words.

Perhaps tears flowed out without me realizing it, but there was some moisture on Frey’s finger.

Because I couldn’t answer, I just shook my head.

How could I possibly say, ‘Just now, I saw how twisted the relationship had been between the wicked Lisandro and me.’

…But what was that anyway?

It’s the second time I’ve seen an after image like that, and the first was with Lisandro, also in this library.

Was I looking at Yurenia’s memories?

“It’s complicated. And I hate it.”

While sighing deeply, my forehead wrinkled. Frey, who watched me silently, pressed over my forehead and rubbed it gently.

I was grateful for his consideration, especially because he didn’t ask why I cried.

“Then stop thinking about it, Noona.”

“Huh?”

“You just put it aside and come back to it later when it’s a matter that you can’t ignore anymore.”

“…Do you think that’s alright?”

When I asked cautiously, he nodded and answered brightly.

“Yes, of course. But you’ll have to bear the risks that will follow.”

God damn it.

“Thanks. That comforted me. A lot.”

“That’s a relief.”

That wasn’t gratitude.

Not knowing that I was being sarcastic, Frey just smiled and sat face to face in front of me.

“Then what about this?”

“Huh?”

“I know something that you can focus on, Noona.”

After spouting such random words, Frey looked confident.

“What is it?”

When I asked out of curiosity, he held my hand tightly and gestured over it. Then, a flame burst out on my palm and quickly disappeared.

I looked at him in surprise, and he puffed out his chest while speaking proudly.

“I entered a contract with a spirit.”

Frey’s contract with a spirit was a development that was similar to the time Lisandro was supposed to have learned swordsmanship after entering the academy.

I know you’ll do it eventually but…

“You did?”

“Yes!”

Frey smiled brightly and nodded vigorously.

It happened earlier compared to the novel.

Frey’s spirits weren’t ordinary spirits—as one could see from the sparks that had soared over my palm, his spirit was…

“It’s with the spirit king of fire.”

There. The spirit king. Not just any ordinary fire spirit, but it’s the spirit king.

Frey was also born with munchkin-like abilities, but he had been unable to keep his contract with the spirit king because his mind had been run ragged by Lisandro’s abuse.

The most important aspect of controlling a spirit was one’s own mind, and since he had collapsed, he had been unable to maintain the contract.

Even before Frey had entered a contract with the spirit king, Lisandro slowly unraveled Frey little by little, eventually pushing him off into the abyss.

Of course, Frey was only helpless.

That’s why his contract with the spirit king had been forcibly severed, and it was a chance for Lisandro to break him even further.

“…But why is it quiet?”

I wondered out loud with my head tilted to the side.

It wasn’t just something small, but Frey was someone who managed to enter a contract with a spirit king of all things.

An elementalist who had enough power to do this was very rare, and this meant that Frey was the most powerful one in the entire continent right now.

“Only Noona knows.”

“Why? But you have to tell everyone the good news!”

When I grew excited over it, Frey quietly shook his head.

“I’m still young. I’ll keep it a secret because I might be taken advantage of and threatened because of this power.”

Ah, now that he said this, I look so immature in comparison…

I couldn’t refute him because everything he said was right.

As soon as I entered the temple in the original, Frey entered the academy as well. He was very young back then.

He couldn’t hide his abilities while he was there, so everything was revealed. He received some praise, but that wasn’t all.

Just as Frey said, it was difficult because all sorts of people approached him.

This just made it easier for Lisandro to take advantage of him in his weakened mental state.

Hearing Frey’s foresight, I agreed.

“Then take care of your spirit well in the meantime. You can reveal it when you can control it to some extent.”

He was a child right now. Not yet an adult.

Since the spirit was stronger than most others, its strength could become poison towards someone like Frey, who couldn’t control it properly yet.

Lisandro, who had been able to break down the strong mental state of a spirit king’s wielder, was also someone amazing, come to think of it.

But then Frey…

Because of Lisandro, his mind became ravaged.

Right now though, I think Frey, who was smarter and wiser than me, would be able to overcome and withstand it.

Above all, there was no need to worry about Lisandro anymore. Except for his whining, Lisandro was an idiot as usual.

Frey’s mental state seemed to be healthy enough.

Either way, the spirit king of fire was famous for his eccentricity and pride.

Seeing as Frey had already been able to enter a contract with the most powerful kind of spirit even before how it happened in the novel, it seemed that I won’t need to worry about his mental fortitude.

The spirit king of fire. He had the strongest offensive power, but it was a shame that he was taken away from Frey even before he could use that strength.

There’s also the matter of his body.

His body was so, so frail.

Although his mental fortitude was amazing, his physical condition also needed to be strong enough so that he’d be able to wield the spirit king to the best of his potential.

Frey was weak. He was weaker than even an ant.

Unlike how he was in the novel, he underwent swordsmanship training occasionally, but he would still collapse every now and again.

Since the most urgent concern was his body, I’ll take responsibility and make sure that he’ll be in the best condition.

That way, he won’t be swayed by anyone at all.

“Since you entered a contract with the spirit king of fire, you just need to think about getting your body healthy while maintaining the best state of mind!”

“Yes, Noona. I’m trying to strengthen my mind these days. And I think my body’s gotten healthier recently.”

Huu. That’s not gonna be enough. We’ll need to make sure that you recover enough that you’ll be able to fly above and beyond Lisandro’s head.

Frey smiled calmly as he looked at my face.

“Noona, you look happy.”

My delight must be showing because the events that were transpiring were going the opposite direction as the novel.

“There are so many fun things happening lately. And Lisandro became nice, too.”

“I know. And I enjoy spending my time with Noona the most nowadays.”

His hand covered the back of my hand.

Without realizing it, my heart started pounding as his bright smiling face came closer to mine.

Feeling like I was about to fall for that beauty of his, I pulled back my hand.

“Your face is red.”

He said this jokingly as he patted my cheek. Then, I answered him candidly.

“It’s because you’re so pretty. Adequately pretty. Adequately.”

“I’ll try my best.”

…Was this something being done with effort?

But contrary to this, I actually knew that Frey didn’t like his own appearance.

The reason why he hated it… well, it’s making my jaw hurt from saying it over and over.

Of course, it was due to Lisandro.

It was also because of his face that all kinds of detestable bugs flocked around him, and this included my brother.

But they would come a little later.

Frey twiddled with a lock of my hair, an amiable expression on his face.

“But Noona is also pretty. I can’t take my eyes off you.”

“Huh, you think so? Me too.”

When I pointed a finger at him and spoke with a tone that came straight out of an advertisement, he suddenly laughed gleefully.

I guess he thinks I’m joking.

I knew well enough that my face wasn’t as pretty as Frey’s, but still, it was so pretty that I would sometimes stare into a mirror for a long time.

Of course, Lisandro’s looks were also formidable.

Perhaps because I interacted mostly with only these two every day, I was worried that my standards had become unnecessarily high.

As I carefully scrutinized Frey, he was gradually turning red.

I became worried at once because he was still in a condition where he could collapse at any given second even though he was fine just a minute ago.

“You don’t look so good.”

I wrapped both my hands on Frey’s cheeks, and my palms instantly heated up. I’m sure it’s a fever.

“This can’t be. I’ll take you to the doctor.”

“I’m alri—”

The moment Frey smiled shyly and tried to pull away from my touch, he collapsed on top of me.

“Frey!”

“I think I’m a little sick…”

“What do you mean just a little?!”

Frey only laughed weakly as I freaked out and supported him up so that he wouldn’t fall down.

Since this was something that didn’t happen just once or twice, I quickly called out to the librarian grandma and asked her to summon a servant so that Frey could be carried.

“I knew it. You’re overdoing it these days.”

“…Are you worried about me?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

I responded right away and glared at Frey, but as he was on the back of the servant, he reached out to me.

“Can you hold my hand, Noona?”

I held it without saying a word.

He was only asking me to hold his hand. It wasn’t a big deal.

Terry, the family doctor, was the first to greet us as we entered the clinic. I was still holding Frey’s hand, which had gotten a little warm because of his fever.

“Princess, what brings you here?”

Terry looked at me with concern because visiting the clinic meant that I was ill, but I pointed to Frey, who was being carried by a servant behind his back.

“I’m fine. It’s Frey who’s sick.”

Terry couldn’t hide his relief at this, then he looked at Frey.

Even as his face was flushed while his body was wracked with cold sweat, Frey still hadn’t let go of my hand.

Terry was a good doctor, but he wouldn’t be able to cure Frey’s illness. He could only alleviate his pain a little, but there couldn’t be anything done unless he woke up. After he did, Terry carefully examined Frey, then he spoke.

“You must be straining yourself these days. I think it’s better to reduce your training so you can rest, Young Lord Frey.”

Terry laid Frey on the medical cot and brought out some pills, which he handed to Frey with a glass of water. After that, Terry left the room.

After I watched Frey drink his medicine, I spoke to him anxiously.

“You should stop training for the time being.”

As I swept his hair back, his face stiffened with worry.

“But I’m still too weak…”

I pinched Frey’s cheeks slightly as he was disappointed.

“It’s only natural that a child is weak. You can improve yourself slowly, Frey.”

I consoled him, and in turn, he smiled gently as our eyes met. Then, with my hand still on his cheek, he reached up to hold it, and he suddenly kissed my hand.

When he saw me flinch, he smiled brightly with an innocent face.

“Yes. I will, Noona.”

How cute……

This small child was acting cute while thanking me… there’s no way that’s not adorable. I clutched a hand over my chest, feeling my pounding heart as I watched him laugh lightheartedly.