CH 23

Thiel’s touch caused a momentary change in Perdi’s expression.

Perdi turned his head and looked at his little sister, who tightly held his hand.

While still holding Perdi’s hand, Thiel cautiously continued speaking.

“Since Brother said it’s danger, could you come with us?”

“… Hmm.”

Why is this happening? It’s strange.

Until just a moment ago, Perdi considered Thiel an annoying and bothersome existence. But strangely, he didn’t feel like refusing this request.

“Thiel, what about me?”

At that moment, Ludian shouted with a dissatisfied expression. Thiel hesitated for a moment and held Ludian’s hand as well.

“Well then, Ludian, too…”

“No, Thiel. Ludian has something he must do. So, I will go in his place.”

Yes, this is all to keep an eye on Thiel.

Perdi gently removed Ludian’s sleeve from Thiel’s hand and spoke softly.

“What? Hey, what am I supposed to do…!”

Aren’t their assignments left from the academy? The one on ability utilization. It seemed quite substantial, so shouldn’t you get started on it in advance?”

“That brat…”

Ludian glared at Perdi as if he would engage in a fight with him right away, but eventually reluctantly agreed. Perdi was right in what he said.

“Well, let’s go, Thiel. Be careful getting up.”

Perdi held Thiel’s small hand, as if there was no Ian in front of them, who couldn’t be seen, and lifted the child up.

Thiel’s face brightened with permission. The child smiled bashfully and nodded.

“Yes-.”

“Goodness…”

Ian looked at Perdi with a disgruntled expression.

However, Ferdie didn’t care and neatly organized Thiel’s bonnet and dress, then turned to the maid.

“Is the drawing room prepared? 

***

“I really don’t know why he’s like that.”

Ludian grumbled and shrugged his shoulders. The yellowed parchment slipped through his indifferent touch.

It was a clean parchment with not a drop of ink on it. However, the boy who handed over the parchment didn’t seem to have any intention of bringing a pen.

“That brat, Perdi…”

Perdi and Ludian are twins.

So, they knew each other well. No matter how good Perdi was at hiding his emotions, he couldn’t deceive Ludian’s eyes.

“Stupid kid.”

Ludian sneered at Perdi, recalling the first time he heard the news.

“Who came?”

The time when they received a letter from the academy.

In the letter sent from Asterian, it was written that the younger sister, whom they thought was dead along with Lena, was actually alive and currently in the Asterian mansion. The letter urged them to return quickly.

But nowhere in the letter did it mention Lena.

Their mother had truly passed away seven years ago. Even though the miracle of their thought-to-be-dead sister returning to life had happened, that fact remained unchanged.

Their mother had said she passed away while giving birth to the child. And yet.

Ludian didn’t resent her.

“Of course, she didn’t do anything wrong.”

Their only younger sister, a younger sister! How adorable would she be? How precious?

They wanted to meet her quickly. As soon as Ludian and Prdi heard the news, they got on a carriage heading to Asterian.

Inside the carriage, their conversation revolved solely around their sister. Ludian asked excitedly in a loud voice.

“Hey, Perdi, how about it? You’ve always wished for a younger sister, right?”

“That’s right. I did. So I’m happy, a younger sister….”

Perdi’s face blushed as he murmured. His voice was filled with anticipation. Ludian and Perdi returned to the Asterian mansion, brimming with excitement to meet their younger sister. But…

‘Hello.’

It was strange.

‘Why is he acting like this?’

Perdi’s eyes, which had been filled with anticipation, turned cold when he faced Thiel.

He quickly returned to his usual smiling face, but he couldn’t deceive even his own eyes.

Ludian looked at Ferdie with confusion.

‘Are you disappointed?’

Was it because Thiel was a mutant with the eyes of a black leopard on her silver fur? Perdi was foolish enough to fixate on such things, so it was possible.

However, Thiel was so cute that such things didn’t matter to Ludian. He didn’t pay any more attention to Perdi.

It was more accurate to say that he had no interest.

Ludian’s attention was completely focused on Thiel.

Thiel was small and adorable in appearance, and on top of that, he was a prodigy who manifested the “Ability of Light”…

Ever since Cassius told Ludian that Thiel had manifested the Light Ability, he had wanted to become close to Thiel as soon as possible.

All that occupied his mind was the thought of touching Thiel’s soft, fluffy cheeks. But…

Your sister is quite shy, so refrain from unnecessary comments and avoid approaching her for the time being.”

Due to Cassius’ command, Ludian was prohibited from contacting Thiel.

Not only contact but even meeting was forbidden. Ludian resisted, but he couldn’t defeat Cassius.

So Ludian secretly lurked around Thiel, avoiding Cassius.

If we met, I thought I would tell her once again that I’m her older brother.

I stood in front of her door, and I used my abilities to peek into her room through the second-floor window.

Of course, I got scolded whenever I got caught, but I didn’t really care about such things.

Thiel was really, really small and cute. So it was a worthy action to risk getting scolded!

But there was an unexpected thing.

“Hey, why do you keep following me?”

Perdi looked at Thiel with clear disappointment, but he kept following behind Ludian.

We stood in front of her room together, and I spied on Thiel from behind a thicket of roses.

Ludian was familiar with Perdi. Perdi didn’t like Thiel.

But why did he keep following her?

“Are you worried that I might steal your inheritance?”””

After all, the Astarian inheritance had nothing to do with Ludian.

The successor of Astaria was the eldest son, Perdi Astarian.

The inheritance was also Perdi’s. Everyone agreed on that fact.

But if it became known that the new younger sister manifested the “Ability of Light”…

There was a high probability that Perdi’s inheritance would be threatened.

The ability of light was that remarkable. Maybe even Grandfather would consider giving the inheritance to Thiel.

Is that why you hate Thiel?

“You seem to dislike Thiel. Why do you keep following her? I, as your older brother, am enough. If the youngest doesn’t like it, I’ll just leave.”

Ludian whispered with a sarcastic expression and waved his hand as if telling him to leave quickly.

In response to that sight, Perdi, who had only blinked, muttered quietly.

“Well, it’s just… bothersome.”

Ludian’s eyes narrowed at the unexpected answer. Bothersome?

I thought he would give an answer like being afraid of losing the inheritance or worrying that everything he had achieved would go up in smoke.

But Perdi, regardless of whether Ludian said those things or not, continued speaking unfazed.

“It’s too small and bothersome. It looks like it will break soon. It feels like it could disappear at any moment. There was never such a small child in Astarian. Her eyes are round, unlike ours… Does she resemble our mother?”

Damn, it… Ludian’s expression froze. At that moment, a fragment of memory brushed through Ludian’s mind.

‘It’s bothersome because it might break. It’s a decoration I like.’

On the day Perdi received the long sword as a birthday gift, he kept it in his room because he was bothered by the gem decoration on the long sword, thinking it might break.

And yet, he didn’t show any signs of disliking the long sword. I wondered why.

‘This brat is just like back then.’

Perhaps because Perdi was born as the eldest son of the Astariam family, he had a tendency towards perfectionism and a habit of not revealing his true emotions.

Being unable to express liking something even when he liked it was also part of that habit.

So, it wasn’t that Perdi disliked Thiel, but Thiel… She was just too small and cute, so he found her adorable.

And that assumption about Ludian’s household became a fact today due to Perdi’s actions in front of Ian.

‘I agree with Ians’ opinion about that rascal. Moreover, Thiel is still too young to meet the guests of the palace. Even if Ian was the one who brought Thiel here… It would be better to send her back today. Family comes first before guests.’

‘Astarian doesn’t treat guests like this… But when it comes to matters involving his younger sister, the words may change.’

‘Now, let’s go, Thiel. Be careful and get up.’

You foolish child.

Just say she’s cute if she’s cute. I don’t know how to handle someone so small and adorable. It would have been enough to say that,

But because I don’t know how to express it, I’m eating away at myself with these bothersome words.

Ludian sighed and dipped the pen tip into the ink, making a soft snorting sound.