CH 18

Well she can’t help it. 

Yana had no clothes, no jewelry. She had a small jewelry box, which she apparently inherited from her parents, but it didn’t have anything that a girl her age could wear. 

Even the few pieces of clothing that Rin started to take care of were rapidly getting smaller. It made sense since she was growing and those clothes were getting older. 

“Hmm. Time is too tight to find clothes and shoes now.” 

Jihad looked at Rin with a grave gaze. It wasn’t that she liked or disliked anything. 

“Wouldn’t it be better to fix your hair? Come here, Yana.”

What? 

You’re going to fix what? Rin looked at the large man standing in front of the dressing table with a bewildered look. 

“What are you going to do with my hair?” 

“No matter what style I fix it into, it will look better than it does now.” 

Olga looked at Rin with a disapproving look, but Rin ignored her gaze. She didn’t believe in Jihad. She just wondered what kind of confidence he had in declaring that he would style her hair himself directly. 

But Jihad’s confidence had good reasons. 

As soon as Rin sat down at the dressing table, he began to touch her hair with very skillful hands! 

Jihad first gently combed her tangled hair, then calmed it down with oil. Grabbing her hair with one big hand and running it around, he pulled Rin’s hair up halfway and tied it up. 

Finally, after slightly raising the volume of her flattened hair, he inserted a hairpin that was at least in good condition .. 

“Yes, my God, Miss Yana! You have become very cute!” 

Huh? Ignoring Olga, who hurriedly shut her mouth, I looked carefully at Yana in the mirror. 

Nonsense. There is no way he was able to style my hair so well.

Unlike the second and third lord and ladies, Jihad was still single at the early age of nearly thirty. 

How does a man with no children tie a child’s hair so well? Did he experiment on his niece’s and nephew’s hair? 

. . .Come to think of it, Master also styled girls’ hair very well.

It was the result of years of suffering in the orphanage. Even a blunt and bad-tempered prosecutor will naturally learn how to raise children if they live among children long enough.

Is the master alive and well? 

If he still has a temper, I’ll spot him out even after thirty years. When I remembered his face, it left me with a yearning feeling. I missed him a lot. 

“Is there anything more to do?”

“No.” 

“Then follow me.” 

Rin quickly followed behind the fluttering black cloak. 

Why are you walking so fast? 

Did he hear Rin’s grumbling thoughts? He, who had swiftly walked in front of her, stopped abruptly and looked back at her. 

He watched quietly until Rin arrived in front of him. He then threw a word, “Did you hurt your leg?” 

.. .I walked as casually as possible. 

It is not easy to deceive the attention of an astute observer like Jihad. Rin answered meekly, “My knee is a little bruised.” 

“Looks like you fell over while running?” 

“How did you know that?” 

“Everyone who goes to and from the gym knows the rumor that Yana Tuslena runs around the gymnasium of the St. Bright Knights for forty minutes every morning.” 

Rin’s cheeks heated slightly. 

Well, I didn’t notice it, I just ran. . .Rumors spread. . .goodness. 

That was the moment. 

“Oh!” 

Rin’s body was pulled out into the air and settled into a firm embrace. It was an unfamiliar sensation that she felt for the first time in Yana’s body. 

Instinctively, he struggled, but the lord’s tightly trained arms did not budge. 

“What, what are you doing?”

Jihad, who had been moving without answering, suddenly muttered with a serious expression, “It seems you have gotten heavier.” 

“. . .Are you going to be able to do this, Uncle?”

He glanced at her face once, but there was no answer. 

Come on? 

I knew he was a bit strange since the first meeting. 

Is this the original relationship he had with Yana? 

They were this close? 

I was not convinced. If Jihad had treated Yana like his niece, he wouldn’t have watched Yana get locked up in the annex. 

But I haven’t been in this body for a long time. . .He might have tried to stop it in the past. 

Jihad’s legs moved without rest even as questions gnawed at their tails, and they were gradually getting closer to the training grounds under the scorching summer sun. 

Rin, who grabbed Jihad by the shoulder, asked again, “Really? Can I go in like this? Aren’t I a lady?” 

Jihad, who had been silent all along, met her gaze and answered for the first time, “I am carrying my niece. Is there any reason not to?” 

Jihad made his way through the sizable crowd who stared at him with bewildered eyes. 

It is said that even family members and acquaintances of the members of the field were invited, and a considerable number of them moved toward the spectator seats. It is normal to wait for the next turn, but I dared to squeeze through the gap, and thanks to that, I was able to arrive at the table where the Tuslena family heirs were gathered. 

At the same time, all eyes turned to Jihad. 

A master of business who is busy conversing with older men. 

The second Lord, Roman, who is staring at me with a cold gaze next to him. 

The second wife with a soft smile by Roman’s side. 

This is a familiar face. 

Jihad put Rin in a couple of rows below them. 

In the upper row were two unfamiliar but somehow familiar minors, and next to Rin was a girl as neat as a flower. 

The girl didn’t even turn her head in Rin’s direction. She instead lifted her chin and smiled kindly at Jihad. “Come, Uncle Jihad. It’s been almost half a year. Ninabel is happy to see Uncle Jihad again.” 

Instead of answering, Jihad tapped Ninabel on the shoulder a couple of times, then exchanged light greetings with the minors sitting in the upper row. After that, he went up to the seat next to the chieftain. 

It was an unexpected look. 

That would be the case, because many people tried to hold on to Jihad and get closer to him, but they never even got a light glance their way. 

Still, he’s not ruthless to his family. 

As expected, except for the fact that he is not cheap, he is a talent that is not like Tuslena at all. 

However, it seems that Jihad’s affection is limited to children. Roman said, “Big, hmm!” He coughed loudly, but he didn’t even hide his knowledge and went away. 

“I can’t believe I didn’t even recognize my older brother!” 

“Calm down, Roman. As always, you still know that I am your brother.” 

“–Hm, yes, you’re right. Of course I know that you are my brother.”

I turned my head and looked at Ninabel. 

Ninabel, with her head stretched out, was busy exchanging eye greetings with outsiders outside of the table of honor, ignoring Rin in front of her. The men and women in the upper row, who were supposed to be her cousins, were equally quiet. 

Hmm. Something like this. . .

From what I’ve heard, it was only yesterday that they met and exchanged greetings with Tuslena’s immediate family. 

I don’t know what excuse Roman used to rule out Yana, but seeing how great the master complied, he must have said things like ‘She was forced to rest due to poor health’. 

Rin recalled what she had heard from Olga this morning. 

“Yes? You want me to I tell you about the other members of Tuslena’s immediate family? But even if I tell you about them, the lady would know better. . .”

“It’s because I’m curious about the others outside the annex. As always, tell me honestly without adding or subtracting anything. Think of it like explaining the Tuslena family to people who don’t know anything about them. Yes?” 

“Ah, yes. I am good at doing that.”

The first thing Rin thought of was the Duke and the second couple who were sitting under him.