Chapter 113
Chapter 113
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 114
Chapter Title: Protective Brothers
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The entrance of Kiraas Castle. Forgetting the cold, I waited for Set and Arban to arrive.
But what was this?
Who were these two unfamiliar men?
Though a hint of their familiar faces remained, I found it difficult to approach them and skidded to a halt.
It seemed Set and Arban felt the same way.
They simply stood and stared, perhaps finding my appearance—now that of a fourteen-year-old—unfamiliar.
This awkwardness wasn’t part of the plan.
Flustered, I let my eyes roll in a slow circle.
Though no words were spoken, I could tell we were all marveling at each other.
How much time passed as we just stood there, facing one another?
“What’s with her reaction?”
Arban’s brow furrowed in a serious expression as he suddenly grabbed my head and leaned down.
He brought his face right up to mine.
“Long time no see, you.”
A flicker of mischief crossed his red eyes.
His tone was as prickly as ever, but it was that very tone that put me at ease, and I let out a soft smile.
His appearance had changed beyond recognition, but his way of speaking and his attitude still held traces of the Arban I knew.
I deliberately put on a pouting expression.
“What’s this? Who grabs someone by the head the moment they see them?”
“I do, right here.”
“Jeez!”
“Jeez?”
“Set!”
I struggled to pry his hand off my head.
The elegant curve of Arban’s lips showed no sign of coming down.
Even after getting older and becoming an adult, his teasing hadn’t changed a bit.
As I called out to Set with a teary face, he, who had been watching us, quietly called Arban’s name.
“That’s enough, Arban. Aileen doesn’t like it.”
“It’s a greeting of affection.”
“That’s enough of a greeting.”
I looked up at Set, whom I hadn’t gotten a proper look at while bickering with Arban.
And I was struck anew by the incredible power of genetics.
I had felt he strongly resembled Kaide before, but this was just too uncanny.
Aside from a slightly younger feel, he was the spitting image of Kaide.
“You’re like Dad, Set.”
“I am?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I’m your guardian in his stead while you’re here, so feel free to call me Dad.”
Set’s eyes crinkled as he smiled. But why did I have such a bad feeling about this?
He called my name.
“Aileen.”
“Y-Yeah?”
“Have you been well?”
“Yes, everyone’s been very accommodating, so I’ve been comfortable.”
“I see.”
His gently crinkled eyes swept coolly over our surroundings, as if searching for something.
Then, his gaze fixed on one spot.
I turned my head to where Set was looking. There stood Sage, who had joined Muhella to greet the two of them.
…Oh.
After holding his gaze on Sage for a few seconds, Set turned his head back to me and said.
“Let’s have a talk about what’s happened while you’ve been here.”
I don’t know why those words sent such a chill down my spine. I gave an awkward laugh.
“Nothing’s happened…”
“I’ll be the judge of that after I’ve heard it.”
Set patted my head once before walking past me. Arban followed right behind him as if he’d been waiting.
The two stopped in front of Muhella. Set was the first to give her a brief, silent nod.
“You must have been surprised by our sudden visit. Thank you for welcoming us in person. I am Set Astrofel.”
“Arban Astrofel.”
“Not at all. The arrival of guests is always a joyous occasion. I hope you will be comfortable during your stay.”
A smile touched Muhella’s lips as the two finished their introductions. She seemed completely unbothered by their sudden visit.
Thanks to her, I felt a little more at ease.
It was a relief that she didn’t seem too inconvenienced, even with the number of Black Mambas staying in the castle increasing.
“Thank you.”
As Set replied to Muhella, his gaze shifted to Sage.
“I hope that you will leave with nothing but good memories of your time here.”
It was surely nothing more than a pleasantry, but it was undeniably sharp-edged.
Anyone could see it was brimming with the meaning of a warning.
I clapped a hand over my mouth. What on earth was Set doing? I glanced around, flustered.
But for some reason, Hestia, Karma, Mesis, Paymon, and Basad all looked as if there was nothing wrong.
In fact, their expressions suggested they found Set’s words refreshing.
Finally, I looked at Sage. He replied leisurely, as if not at all surprised.
“I certainly hope so. After all, my sister will weigh on my mind once you return to the South.”
An icy wind blew past.
***
After being shown to their rooms by Muhella’s aide, Arisa, Set and Arban came to find me in mine.
The two who stepped inside had grave expressions on their faces.
I studied the atmosphere for a moment before deciding to just ask.
“What’s wrong, you two? Something did happen, didn’t it?”
At that, two pairs of red eyes turned toward me. I flinched and shrank back. They were familiar eyes, but for some reason, I couldn’t get used to them today.
Set, who had been leisurely sipping his tea, set down his cup and smiled sweetly.
“Weren’t you the one something happened to?”
“Huh?”
“The person involved would know better than us.”
“What happened all this time, Aileen?”
My pupils trembled.
How did they know? Did someone tip them off? But who?
A list of potential culprits flashed through my mind.
When an answer wasn’t immediately forthcoming, Arban asked probingly, a hint of derision in his voice.
“I can hear the gears turning in your head. What, did Sage Kiraas confess to you or something?”
“*Hiccup.*”
“…He did.”
Arban’s eyebrows shot up, his red eyes blazing menacingly. The atmosphere turned icy in an instant. Set, who had been listening to the conversation, asked quietly.
“So what did you say, Aileen?”
“Um. I was so surprised, I haven’t answered yet.”
It had come out of nowhere in an unexpected situation, a confession that felt more like a sneak attack.
I was too dumbfounded to respond, but it was a relief that Sage hadn’t pressed me for an answer.
Arban stared at me, a look of shock on his face. Soon, a torrent of questions followed.
“You haven’t? Don’t tell me you like that guy? Do you have any idea how dangerous he is? Just how much has he been putting on an act in front of you?”
“…Brother, if you ask me like that, I can’t answer everything.”
“Should I ask them again, one by one?”
“……No.”
Was this really that serious?
I tilted my head.
Sage had confessed his feelings for me, yes, but I didn’t think it was such a big deal. Although he could be a bit much to handle at times.
Arban looked like he had a lot more to say, but he just pursed his lips and let out a deep sigh.
Set spoke up.
“Aileen, do you remember why you came to the North?”
“Of course. I came here for my intermediate growth. And I’m growing super fast! Look, Hestia always prepares this for me.”
I showed them the necklace made from a processed purple pheromone stone.
On the first day, I only had to change it twice, but now I was changing it three to four times a day.
The increased frequency was a little worrying, but it also meant my growth was accelerating.
That signified the day I would return to the South was not far off.
For the first time, a pleasant smile graced Set’s lips.
“That’s welcome news. For the time being, don’t worry about your surroundings and just focus on your body.”
“Okay, I will.”
As it was, the amount of pheromones I was producing had recently skyrocketed, making it difficult to control.
So much so that the energy in the necklace was being depleted in an instant.
The hard expression on Arban’s face softened. He waved his hand as if in relief.
“Well, that’s settled then. It seems Aileen has no interest in that guy whatsoever.”
I couldn’t bring myself to agree with that statement.
How could I tell them that Sage was, in fact, on my mind? Judging by their reactions just now, I absolutely couldn’t say a word.
…And I couldn’t tell them that Sage seemed to have some idea about the necklace, either.
Though Hestia had probably already reported that fact to Kaide anyway.
I just smiled softly without a word.
Fiddling with my necklace for no reason.
***
After the arrival of the Astrofel family’s heirs, Muhella’s intrigued gaze followed Sage relentlessly.
“Those two must be getting on your nerves, Sage.”
Her voice was full of teasing.
Sage, his face impassive, looked at her. He answered in a tone that suggested it was nothing.
“They don’t bother me.”
“So something else is bothering you?”
“Not at all.”
“Is that so? How boring.”
Muhella snorted as if her interest had waned and disappeared. Sage, who had been walking down the corridor, came to a stop.
They didn’t bother him?
That wasn’t true.
Just as she’d said, Sage was bothered to the point of desperation.
It wasn’t just because of the Astrofel heirs.
It was more because of what had happened before.
The flustered look on her face the moment she came out of her room and ran into him. The way she avoided his eyes. The way she startled and stepped back when he got closer.
Every single one of Aileen’s actions was making him anxious.
Sage stared at his reflection in the glass of the corridor window.
His hand moved slowly, reaching for the tie that was suffocatingly tight around his neck.
“Not yet.”
His deep, blue-green eyes wavered.