Chapter 260: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (53)
Chapter 260: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (53)
It had been a long time since I’d sat side-by-side with Ria on the bed.
To be honest, my head was spinning.
I was already nursing a throbbing headache from the suggestion that I should abandon the territory. Having Ria suddenly on the verge of tears only added to my predicament.
As her older brother, I couldn't exactly ignore her and not offer some comfort.
Of course, there were other things weighing on my mind as well.
I had been too distracted to dwell on it until now, but the Dark Priest Mitram had taken on a form identical to Ria’s.
He had called that body a "replica" with his own mouth.
While it obviously wasn't Ria’s actual body, I couldn't help the doubts sprouting in the back of my mind.
Mitram had claimed that replicating a human body required extensive research.
It should have been impossible for a Dark Priest to study Ria, who spent all her time within the Percus Mansion.
Then again, that was just his side of the story. It wasn't a claim I could fully trust.
Nevertheless, for some reason, I felt a faint sense of unease.
Hadn't there been something about this in the love letter from the future?
That the Percus family held a secret.
However, thinking about it now wasn't going to give me any answers.
If the family did have a secret, there had to be a reason they hadn't told me. And if they hadn't told me, there was a high probability they hadn't told Ria either.
Prying into it with her would only cause her confusion.
The priority was to comfort her.
I asked, my voice laced with a sigh, "Ria, what are you talking about...? Why would I ever hate you?"
"B-but, Brother..."
Ria hesitated, unable to speak freely.
It seemed my future personality had done something again.
Normally, it wouldn't be strange for her to be clinging to my side and acting cute, but the fact that she was keeping a bit of distance told me everything I needed to know.
Ria was afraid of me.
The fact that my sister was using formal language—something I’d rarely heard from her in my entire life—was also suspicious.
It was another piece of evidence that confirmed my deduction.
"And why are you using such formal speech all of a sudden?"
"T-that, too... Brother said..."
"You don't have to do that."
Ria flinched, her body trembling as she looked up at me with watery eyes.
With a bitter smile, I reached out toward her head.
There was a bit of distance between us, but not so much that I couldn't reach her.
Thump. My hand came to rest on the crown of her head.
"You're my sister, aren't you?"
"O-Oppa..."
Tears began to well up in Ria’s golden eyes.
It seemed she finally realized I was being sincere.
To cast out such a cute younger sister who loved her brother so much—my "future self" was definitely a piece of trash.
As I gently stroked her hair, Ria moved closer to me, still sobbing.
Flump. She buried herself in my arms.
A fragrant scent suddenly drifted past my nose.
It was the scent unique to a woman's body. Looking at her like this, I realized Ria really was a woman.
Her curves seemed to have matured quite a bit as well.
Suppressing a thought that an older brother definitely shouldn't be having, I continued to comfort her.
"How could I ever hate you, Ria? Have I ever treated you coldly, even once?"
"N-no, you haven't... but yesterday, Oppa... hic, waaaah!"
Perhaps the shock from the previous day hadn't worn off yet, as Ria finally burst into a full-blown sob.
It was understandable.
We had spent our whole lives without ever exchanging a harsh word.
When our parents and older brother were busy, I was the only family member who looked after Ria and played with her.
I might have gotten annoyed occasionally, but I had never once been cold to her.
I had to be Ria’s ally and her pillar of support.
Yet, I had treated her with icy indifference for the first time.
It wasn't surprising that she would cling to me, throwing away her pride or anything else.
Even now, she was stealing glances at me, looking as if she were ready to drop to her knees again if I showed even the slightest sign of displeasure.
She had been uniquely obsessed with me since we were children.
Until now, she probably thought I would indulge her no matter how rude she was. But the moment she realized she might actually be hated, she must have been terrified.
I wasn't sure if I should call this a blessing or a curse.
On one hand, I was glad to have finally put the brakes on Ria, who was increasingly failing to distinguish between public and private matters.
If it had been me, I would never have been able to react so coldly to her.
On the other hand, I was worried that I had planted unnecessary anxiety in her.
What if this only led to her becoming even more obsessed with me?
Regardless, the immediate task was to soothe the sobbing girl.
I gave Ria a firm promise.
"Don't worry, Ria. No matter what happens, I will never abandon you."
It was the truth, without a single grain of pretense.
I was a man who turned to drink because I couldn't bear the thought of abandoning my territory.
If I were told to abandon Ria, there was no telling what I might do.
In response to my solid vow, Ria brought up a memory from a long time ago.
"...Because you're a knight?"
Since I hadn't been officially invested yet, I wasn't technically a knight.
Of course, any Academy graduate could receive knighthood if they wished. Thus, the title "Sir" was often used as a courtesy, but that was strictly for formal occasions.
There was no reason for Ria to bring up the word "knight" to me now.
If there was a reason, it could only be because of a childhood memory.
A bitter smile played on my lips.
"How long ago was that?"
"It’s only been a few years. I still remember it..."
The dejection in Ria’s voice conveyed her sulky mood.
I let out a short laugh and stroked her hair.
Back when I was striving toward the goal of entering the Academy, I had taken it for granted that I would become a knight.
At the time, I didn't have much talent, nor did I have an extraordinary background.
All I knew how to do was run around with a sword in my hand.
Then, out of nowhere, this little girl appeared as my sister. In an attempt to win her over, I had once declared myself her knight.
I had thought of it as nothing more than a brief moment of childhood bravado.
But now that I was back home, it seemed the influence of those days still lingered.
Not just with Ria, but even Ned still followed me around, calling me "Master."
That was because Ned admired knights.
His desire to protect his sister was the same as mine.
After drifting through the past for a moment, I had to snap back to reality.
It was thanks to the sound of my sister grumbling.
Still with a watery voice, Ria said, "I-it’s a very precious memory to me... Back then, Oppa treated me like a princess."
"Did you miss being a princess that much? Should I start calling you 'Princess' now?"
When I teased her, Ria shot me a sharp glare.
It seemed her old personality was slowly returning.
She tried to raise her voice to hide her embarrassment.
"Hey, seriously, don't tease m—!"
She stopped abruptly, letting out a surprised hiccup.
After cautiously checking my reaction again, she eventually let her voice trail off.
"P-please... please don't. Brother..."
My sister looking so submissive was actually quite cute.
She would undoubtedly return to her original personality before long. So, I decided to engrave this version of Ria into my memory.
I chuckled and ruffled her hair.
Ria frowned slightly but didn't reject my touch.
"Whether you're a princess or not, you're my sister, so don't worry."
"Hmph, as if I actually want to be a princess..."
Ria pouted and muttered softly.
"...I only want to be one because Oppa is a knight."
"Then I guess I should rethink my career path. I don't even know what I'll become later."
With that, I gave Ria’s head one last pat.
This was my real sister, not some Dark Priest.
The sense of stability she provided was on a different level.
To be honest, the sight of Mitram stabbing me while laughing maniacally had been chilling, but now, my heart felt like it was finally settling down.
Even so, my mind was still a mess, so I felt like I needed a drink.
Since Ria seemed to have calmed down, I was about to ask her to leave.
Or I would have, if not for what she said next.
"...Still, thank you. If it wasn't for Oppa back then, I wouldn't have been able to endure it."
I had been about to pull away from Ria, who was still in my arms, but I froze at those words.
The weight of the emotion behind them was different.
It meant Ria truly believed that.
I deliberately acted as if it were nothing and tried to soothe her.
"What are you talking about? You're family... Even if it wasn't me, our brother or our parents would have taken good care of you."
"Mm-mm, no."
But Ria’s subsequent denial carried a strange certainty.
An inexplicable belief that if it hadn't been for me, no one would have looked after her.
I cast a questioning look at her.
She wore a somewhat lonely expression.
Looking back, it had always been like that.
Ria kept her distance from every family member except me.
While they were on friendly terms, their relationship was one where they strictly used titles and formal language. I was the only person Ria spoke to informally.
Until now, I had assumed it was because of our childhood memories.
Ria had lived elsewhere to treat an illness and only returned to the mansion around the age of ten.
Everyone must have seemed like a stranger to her, and since I was the only one who took charge of her, I figured she was naturally more affectionate toward me.
But what if that wasn't it?
What if I was the only one who had any intention of looking after Ria, and that was why I ended up being the one to take care of her? What conclusion would I have to draw then?
For a split second, I hallucinated Mitram’s viscous voice whispering in my ear.
'Fate.'
"Oppa, actually..."
It was a whisper as moist as a dew-kissed petal.
The sweet scent made my head spin.
"...I don't have any memories from before I came to the mansion."
All I could do was silently tighten my arms around her.
My mind went blank.