CH 21

I walked briskly, holding the envelope containing the shell bracelet my grandfather had given me.

“I will take you. If you go to my room first then go back, all on crutches, I think your armpit will be broken.”

“It won’t break. The attending doctor acknowledged my strong bones.”

“Don’t do that. Brother has lost enough. You shouldn’t lose your armpits as well.”

“What do you think I lost besides my memories?”

“Dignity, etiquette, wit, maturity, clothes, appearance…”

“Why appearance! This is great!”

“…It seems that except for the appearance, Brother agrees with what I said.”

“Hey!”

Julian’s eyes widened as Schulva held back a laugh from behind.

Like that, we passed through the empty corridor connected to the meeting room.

Our pace was so slow that the rest of the family had already dispersed.

Now that Grandfather had returned, I wasn’t afraid of walking around the county residence.

‘Especially…’

Rosie Noart was recognized by Count Caliburn Noart.

‘A member of the distinguished Noart family who eats breakfast with other direct relatives in this mansion and learns about family affairs.’

‘Really, this is my home.’

Thinking so, even the grass tickling my toes felt new. It was a different feeling than when I was living comfortably in the annex.

“Little one.”

While walking for a while, Julian suddenly said,

“It’s because I’m really uncomfortable.”

“Huh?”

“Little one… You’re not really not going to get engaged, are you?”

“It’s not ‘little one’, it’s Rosie…”

“I don’t know anything right now… I’ve heard rumors that you proposed such an engagement in order to catch the eyes of that old man.”

“It’s not ‘old man’, but grandfather…”

“Anyway, I’ll do what looks good to that old man, so you can stop being engaged. What kind of engagement is that?”

“It’s not ‘old man’, but grandfather… And why do you believe the rumors? It’s an engagement I really want to do.”

I looked at Julian with a really curious face and asked an additional question.

“Also, what do you mean when you say you’ll ‘do what looks good’ to our grandfather?”

At my reasonable point, Julian confidently replied.

“I am a genius.”

“…….”

“Every time I read a real book, I understand everything. I can feel it. I am a genius.”

“…….”

It was when we exited the corridor.

A high-pitched voice came from behind the corner.

“You’re really really pathetic!”

Julian and I exchanged puzzled glances.

“Why are you shutting up!”

It was the voice of an agitated boy.

We walked carefully, silently, peeking around the corner.

“It didn’t happen because you were so stupid!”

The boy screaming was none other than Roystan. In front of him was another boy, bowing his head.

Julian frowned, asking in a hushed voice.

“Who is he?”

I started explaining in a whisper

“Our grandfather has four children.”

“Grandfather has good energy.”

At Julian’s words, Schulva sighed deeply. The look on his face was expressing, ‘Why are you saying that in front of a child?’

I ignored it and continued.

“The eldest son Murloc, second son Felide, eldest daughter Vallia, and second daughter Monica.”

“Our mother is dead, so he has two sons and one daughter left.”

“That screaming kid over there is Roystan, son of Murloc. The kid who was hurt by me earlier. He’s a 16-year-old young fellow. His mental age should be similar to Brother’s.”

I whispered, not taking my eyes off Roystan’s nasty expression.

“And that boy who is being scolded is Uncle Felide’s son. His name is Ethan, and he is 13-years-old. Uncle Felide’s wife died giving birth to him.”

Ethan had dark brown hair, green eyes and big, round glasses.

I didn’t know much about Ethan. I had never run into him.

Roystan exclaimed in anger.

“It’s been a long time since the apprentice came into this house. Even sending an engagement letter to the Duchy of Diefenril? Shit!”

“…….”

“If you had been a girl, you could have intercepted that marriage talk! Ugh, it’s frustrating.”

“…….”

“Are you going to just watch the butcher and apprentice catch Grandfather’s eyes? Huh?”

Ethan kept silent, his head still bowed. 

Roystan shouted as he slapped the back of Ethan’s head with the palm of his hand.

“Don’t sit around, get hit by that damn slingshot instead! If it had been a child rather than an adult, there might have been some kind of punishment!”

I blinked in bewilderment.

‘No, then you should get hit!’

It was nonsense to criticize Ethan.

Roystan was obviously venting.

Venting his anger that came from a monthly meeting that did not go according to his wishes.

Meanwhile, Ethan didn’t shed a single tear.

Apparently, this kind of anger was familiar.

“You’re really of no use, you worthless bastard!”

Roystan gave Ethan a kick in the shin.

Julian, who was watching that scene, began to breathe heavily. He seemed angry.

‘No!’

I knew well, this kind of Julian.

Originally, Julian never lost his composure in most cases. However, when he was very angry, he drew his sword really quietly and with a menacing expression.

When he drew his sword, the opponent was practically already dead.

If it was the original Julian, he wouldn’t point a sword at his younger cousin. However, the current Julian was an adolescent boy, so he was angry and had nothing to fear.

‘Anyway, we’re cousins. Don’t kill him!’

In that fleeting moment, Julian lowered his hand as if to draw out his sword. And he looked like he was aiming at something.

“Brother, please stay here. Got it? Please! I’ll take care of it, okay?”

After making a quick request to Julian, I put down the envelope I was holding. And just like that, I popped out of the corner.

“Stop!”

Opening my arms, I shielded Ethan.

Roystan frowned and looked down at me.

Both Roystan and Ethan were much taller than me. I felt somewhat small again.

“If you want to take your anger out, do it to yourself. Because you were the worst there.”

But I raised my chin and spoke confidently.

“Stop bullying people.”

Roystan stared at me with a smile. Then he raised his eyebrows and smirked.

“What, bullying? We’re just playing.”

“What?”

“Hey, let’s fix it.”

Roystan crossed his arms and said disapprovingly.

“Only the strong survive here. That’s how Grandfather thinks. You know?”

Then he screamed at Ethan.

“Hey, Ethan. Tell her yourself. Did I bully you? Or are we just playing?”

“…….”

“Don’t be annoying, don’t keep your mouth shut, say something! Don’t you have a mouth!”

“If I say something…”

Finally, Ethan spoke in a crawling voice.

“…Aren’t you going to be angry?”

“This is really…!”

It was the first time I saw Ethan open his mouth.

‘Why is his tone like that?’

…He kept his mouth shut the whole time in the meeting room. He even sat in the corner, not next to Felide, his father.

Anyway, I quickly said to Roystan, whose hand was raised.

“That’s true? You’re angry right now because Ethan said something. And…”

I put my hand on my waist and said confidently.

“You spoke well. Only the strong survive? My brother will be back soon! Would you like to have fun with my brother?”

Roystan furrowed his brows.

Just in time, Julian’s silver hair immediately peek out the corner. Perhaps he was having a hard time enduring it.

“You, you…”

Roystan must be scared of Julian for he quickly backed away from me.

“Hah.”

Roystan glared fiercely.

“It seems you’re arrogant as you caught Grandfather’s eyes today, but it won’t last long. Okay?”

And before Julian could fully reveal himself, Roystan ran away.

For some reason, I felt proud, so I smiled at Ethan.

‘I have such a great brother!’

I was really proud.

‘It’s a little childish, but so what.’

A young man who could defeat Roystan just by mentioning his name!

The strongest man who could be put out anywhere to the point that Grandfather marked him as his successor, beating out his children!

‘That Julian is on my side!’

‘Will Ethan start to respect Julian a little bit now?’

But, soon…

“Can’t I hit that awful bastard?”

Julian appeared, on crutches and supported by Schulva, spinning a slingshot.

‘Ah…’

Right.

The situation was so urgent that I was confused for a moment.

What Julian tried to pull out was not a sword, but a slingshot…