CH 55

“… If you do wrong, you can die…”

“Won’t die… return…”

“Now that… I mean…”

“Anyway… Video stone…”

Mmm.

I turned around, frowning at the noise around me.

… Hmm. It’s noisy.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been sleeping without any worries.

Who wakes me up?

‘Did I fall asleep anyway?’

“?”

It was then.

The slowly returning consciousness came into focus.

Come to think of it, I wondered when I had returned to the bedroom.

The last thing that I remember was sparring with Lynn.

While wielding a dagger.

I lost strength in my wrist for a moment and fell down.

Ah. So I fell down.

I fell and right now, I’m lying down.

…Eh? Did I pass out?

I don’t have time for this, though?

Whopㅡ   

“Dust?”

“Billie?”

“Miss Baby?”

“…Princeeeess!”

Raising my upper body like a spring, I blinked.

This was the treatment room.

And countless eyes were watching me.

Kai and Bian. Agasa.

And even Lisa, whose eyes were red.

“Did I pass out?”

Nodㅡ 

Agasa, nodding his head in confusion, approached me.

All of them looked bewildered at my actions that happened like Superman.

“Your body. How is your body?”

“It’s fine, though?”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

I-I’ll bring the soup.

I heard Lisa’s voice, who hastily suppressed her emotions, wiping away her tears and leaving the treatment room.

‘What kind of situation is this?’

“By the way, I got hit by Rin andㅡ”

Winceㅡ

“Ugh.”

“Dust!”

“Billie!”

When I’m trying to get out of bed.

The pain as if stabbed by a needle made my upper body bend like a slug.

Come to think of it, my whole body was covered in bandages.

“…Please don’t move. You wouldn’t have healed yet.”

Agasa gently pressed my shoulder and laid me down.

Unlike his calm voice.

He had a dark complexion.

Concern seeped in his quivering eyes.

“Dust, are you okay?”

Before I knew it, the older brothers at the door also gathered near my bed.

Kneeling like that, Kai suddenly stopped trying to grab my hand.

“…Y-You’re okay, aren’t you?”

Did he realize that it was still before reconciliation, I wonder.

He was restless, couldn’t bear to hold my hand and sat down on a simple chair.

“I will be okay.”

It was then.

A warm palm covered my forehead.

Bian, who was checking the heat naturally, smiled as if to reassure me.

“I asked the doctor, but he said it wouldn’t matter as long as you took a break. So don’t worry, Billie.”

A trustworthy pretty voice.

“…Mm.”

Let’s nod my head unconsciously.

Agasa sighed behind him.

It was a happy expression.

“By the way, Billie. If you wanted to know the tracking technique, you should have told your older brothers.”

And so naturally, Bian bent his knees and made eye contact with me.

We fought, didn’t we?

I was angry with my brothers, right?

‘Right?’

For some reason, honey was dripping from his gaze, which was looking at me.

‘This seems a bit like camaraderie.’

I tilted my head.

It seems that if they go through a war together, they can give each other their lives.

…But why, to me?

“You guys can do tracking technique?”

I was confused whether I should be angry or not.

I asked while I was wiping my palms with the blanket while pretending to be indifferent for no reason.

“Of course.”

“Dust, look at this!”

Before I knew it, Kai, who had snuggled up next to Bian to get my attention, disappeared.

He disappeared exactly under the bed.

“Woof! Woof!”

“Whoa!”

My mouth fell open.

At my reaction, Kai’s tail, which had turned into a dog, flapped like a helicopter.

“Is the dog Brother Kai?”

“Woof! Not this. If I smell it in this state, it means I can track whatever it is.”

Kai, who had returned to being a human, raised one corner of his lips.

Did he feel good about the reaction, I wonder.

Unlike before, when he was restless, he changed into a triumphant attitude.

“Bian can teleport.”

“Whaaat?!”

This time, Bian, who was next to him with rabbit eyes, smiled silently.

It was the same for Agasa, who was watching us from behind.

“That’s why you shouldn’t carry it alone.”

It was then.

“We’re also Vallois, Billie. So let’s solve it together.”

Bian, who was being handed the soup by Lisa, held out the spoon with a loud blow.

“Will you accept our apology?”

And another spoon held out.

It was Kai.

He blinked his eyes in fear as if he had become anxious again because of my repeated rejections from the last time.

‘Puppy trick, a dagger, cakes.’

I was wondering how fresh an apology would be.

I’ll give it to the puppy trick.

“Of course!”

With a bashful smile, I announced the end of the war.

…Grin.

Chuckle.

The twin brothers, who had been laughing together, burst into laughter in a different style.

“Then let’s eat soup as an apology…”

Aaaaㅡ

“Oh?”

As I opened my mouth to the empty air, I blinked my eyes.

There was a spoon in front of me, though.

It’s not here.

“?”

Perhaps, these brats.

Are they trying to make fun of me in this situation?!

“Jeez. Hey! Dust was going to eat, you know!”

It was none other than Bian who hid the spoon.

“Since I was the one who brought out the spoon first, wouldn’t it be right for Billie to eat mine?”

He smiled kindly as he pushed Kai’s spoon away with his finger.

“Billie. Eat my soup first.”

“The child is hungry. Why does it matter, yours and mine? Hey, don’t eat that sly bastard’s soup. It’s dirty. My soup…”

“No. You have to eat mine before it gets cold.”

“My soup more.”

Swishㅡ

“Mine is going to get cold too, you know?”

Swishㅡ

“So what?”

Swishㅡ

“Hey. You’re going to do it now?”

Swish, swish.

‘…I’m hungry, though.’

I wanted to eat anything.

The moment I tried to open my mouth, the spoon kept slipping and I was blown away.

“Jeez!”

“…Kai, what are you doing!”

while grumbling like that.

The second war began when Kai took Bian’s spoon.

‘I said I’m hungry.’

I watched them with cloudy eyes as I grabbed my growling belly.

“Miss Baby. I will feed you. Please don’t move.”

It was then.

Agasa, who was quietly sitting on a simple chair, held out a spoon.

“Munch, munch.”

With Agasa’s help, I finished a satisfying meal.

***

In the morning that day.

“Your Grace.”

The shadowy castle of Vallois was darker than the night sky.

The carriage arrived in front of Agasa, who was waiting, sliding through the still air.

Soon, the head of the house wearing a robe appeared.

“A little late.”

After putting off an answer for a while, Cassis quietly took off his hood.

Violet eyes shining brightly through the tousled black hair stood out as if they were predators’.

The atmosphere around Cassis was colder than ever.

As if he was angry.

“Crazy jerks. Anyone can see that it’s the Law Kingdom, so hurry up and prove it…”

“Your Grace.”

A purple orb was revealed in front of Cassis, who was grinding his teeth.

It was a video stone.

“Go in at once.”

After looking at the video stone for a while, he accepted without asking what it was.

Because Agasa wouldn’t give anything strange in this situation.

They quickly entered the castle.

The sound of shoe heels echoed quietly as they walked down the hallway.

“A rough summary.”

Agasa, who silently followed him at the command of the family head, reported.

“The slave named Sian is indeed a spy sent by the Law Kingdom. This is the proof video.”

“Where did you get it?”

“…The twin princes saved us.”

It was then.

Cassis, who was striding somewhere, stopped his shoulder.

“Your Grace?”

Agasa looked at him standing tall.

His purple eyes trembled slightly.

It was understandable.

For the time being, they only exchanged matters related to the kingdom as it was urgent.

It was the first time Cassis had heard the news of the princes.

‘I thought the Academy will be on vacation after a year.’

Cassis made no reply, not sure if he dared to call his sons he hadn’t seen since they were 5 years old.

“…That.”

Perhaps the twins had closed their hearts to him.

Having failed as their father, he deserved it.

He stood there for a moment as if he was out of order, then turned around.

And he went up the stairs.

“Your Grace?”

“I’ll first look at my daughter’s face. And…”

After hesitating for a moment, Cassis muttered in a low voice.

“The children’s too.”

He’ll probably have to leave here again in an hour or less.

Though unfortunate, he wanted to check at least the faces of the children.

Soon after, he was standing in front of his daughter’s bedroom door and was about to grab the doorknob.

Cassis, who seemed to have remembered it belatedly, turned his head.

“Wait. The twin princes got the video stone, you said?”

“…Yes. While surprised, I will report more. Another physical evidence, the dagger of the Law Kingdom, was found by the Princess.”

“…?”

It was then that Cassis broke down for the second time.

“What?”

Perhaps he was really surprised, but he, who had been silent for a while, asked back.

They were 5 and 10 years old.

“Do you want me to believe that?”

“You will be more surprised when you go in.”

Agasa shrugged his shoulders as if it was okay for him to look forward to it.

Cassis stared at him and opened the door without hesitation.

“What on earth,”

Agasa saying he would be surprised was true.

Billishia pulled the blanket up to her chin.

The twins who had been guarding their sister were sleeping uncomfortably in a simple chair.

The young Vallois gathered.

Their bodies were uncomfortable, yet their faces were more comfortable than anyone else.

Huff, huffㅡ   

The sound of children breathing filled the silence.

After remaining silent for a while, the two stared at each other.

“…What kind of combination is this?”

“Because it’s Vallois.”

Agasa, who predicted that he would be surprised, also blinked unexpectedly.

He looked as if he would never get tired looking at them.

“The twin princes said so. Vallois must unite.”

“The twins did?”

“Yes.”

His complexion darkened as he laughed.

Those newbies were saying what he was supposed to say as the head of Vallois.

“They’re better than me.”

“You can learn from your children.”

“…I have no shame in learning.”

“I apologize, but Your Grace doesn’t seem to have any options.”

“What?”

“Because Vallois needs to come together.”

Is it a joke or for real, he wonders.

Agasa, whose face was wriggling as if laughing, couldn’t hide her smile.

Cassis, as he was silent for a moment, raised the corner of his lips.

It was a self-deprecating smile.

“That’s right.”

His gaze, looking at the children once again, looked somewhat sad.

Billishia, who resembles me.

The twins who look like Vivian.

The combination of the two reminded him of Vivian and him, who were together in life.

“… Agasa.”

Maybe that’s why, his purple eyes staring at his children sank more coolly.

“Yes.”

“Put an urgent message in the Imperial Palace right now.”

As a bad father, all he could do was get rid of the danger in front of Vallois.

“…Until tomorrow afternoon. Put it in, that the death penalty authority of the Law Kingdom to be delegated to Vallois.”