“Rubetria.”
“Yes, Brother.”
“Why are you so…”
“…”
“Angry? Your tone and behavior are aggressive. It’s not like you.”
“Haha.”
It’s funny. I never raised my voice, I was just saying what I had to say.
It was bittersweet on the one hand to see Viego confused by the 180 degree change in me.
How did he want his only sister to grow up? How long did you want me to be a timid idiot who can’t even speak?
“You wanted a stupid sister who didn’t use her mouth. So I’ve just been obedient until now to fit in.”
“…”
“But after I almost died, I changed my mind. I’m going to live by saying what I have to say.”
Viego blinked slowly, staring blankly at me.
“I am well aware that Brother has only Lillia as your sister and you don’t care about me. But if you listen to her and come running to scold me like a child, it will be unpleasant, so please refrain from doing it in the future. You’re just a brother, not a father. I don’t want to be educated by you.”
“What the hell does that mean? What do you mean I don’t care? My sister is you, not Lillia.”
“Pfft.”
I looked back at Victor behind me, laughing openly.
“Did you hear that? I’m sure you’ll find it funny, too, right?”
Victor, who glanced at the air, tilted his lips and shrugged his shoulders.
Viego bit his lip after seeing the two younger siblings’ reactions.
After a long silence, he said.
“… I’m sorry if I’ve upset you by taking care of Lilly. But in my own way… I care about you too, Rubette.”
“Mm…”
“Every time I visit you to spend time with you, don’t you feel uncomfortable? So every time I go to you, I notice—”
“That’s right! I did!”
I smiled brightly and clapped my hand once.
“Every time you came to visit me, I purposely made you uncomfortable.”
Again, Viego wasn’t a bad brother.
He knows how to take care of his younger sister, who is confined to her room without ever going out because of her sluggish body.
So, squeezing his time, he often came to me, who didn’t have anyone to talk to.
“Why did you do that? Instead of the father, who only drinks alcohol all day long, the poor brother who is caught up in his work that 24 hours a days isn’t enough, endure his fatigue and come to take care of his younger sister. I’m sorry about that, but I wish you hadn’t.”
Rubette was so kind.
A child who never complained even though she missed her family.
A child who endured abuse, believing that no matter how difficult it is, it is not as difficult as her father, who is drenched in the pain of bereavement.
A child who wanted to play with her brother, but also wanted him to relax and close his eyes comfortably.
I wanted to let everyone know how hard Rubette, who had grown up too early, has been coping with the loneliness.
“I did it because I was thinking of you. So you don’t have to worry about me, saying I’m like a child even though I’m fifteen.”
I added with a smile.
“This older sister is much more mature than the little ones who tell on others because they’ve been beaten in the cheek, even though they deserved it.”
“…”
Viego, who looked at me for a long time with a surprised face, closed his eyes slowly and took a breath.
“You’ve been so considerate, but you are not obligated to go see my face.
“It must have been half-compulsory. Because you felt that you were taking care of the twins more than me, so you were trying to get rid of your petty guilt.”
Viego stopped and hardened.
“If they got hurt while playing, was it my fault for not taking care of them? Do you remember how Ricky got mad at me last year when he fell down a tree in the garden outside?”
“…”
“You woke me up and screamed like you did today, but I was puzzled. I didn’t even know where Ricky was playing.”
“…”
“Still, I just said sorry and moved on, and now I regret it a bit. I wanted to be a mature sister, so I thought it was fine. Then I almost lost my life, but ended up getting cursed at the end and got criticized. I had to be scolded for something I didn’t do, and I had to bow my head.”
“Rubette—”
“Don’t even call my name. Every time you call my name, I get tired of worrying about what I did wrong this time.”
Viego was silent with trembling eyes and bit his lip. It seemed that he felt his fault when I pointed it out one by one.
“I’ve lived my life without saying anything even if I have a mouth because I’ve been trying to get compliments from you.”
“…”
“I’m tired, now. I’m going to quit. I’m sick and tired of being hurt every time Lillia sees you, and I’m sick and tired of myself trying to be loved by you.”
“…”
“Don’t think of cleaning up your petty guilt by visiting me from time to time, and I hope you don’t see me in this house without any business in the future.”
As I walked past Viego, I grabbed the doorknob of the wide open room and looked back at him.
Viego stared at me with still shaky eyes at the silent gesture, and slightly licked hip lips.
It looked like he wanted to make an excuse, but I didn’t want to hear it, so he quickly avoided his gaze, and after being silent for a while, he slowly left the room.
Before closing the door, I said.
“And Brother, if you’re going to open the door before the owner gives permission, knocking is meaningless.”
When I pointed out his act of entering my room without asking for permission, Viego’s back flinched.
In front of him, who twisted his body as if trying to turn around, I said again.
“The next time you come ‘for a business,’ I hope you will be mindful of that level of courtesy. Then, see you later.”
Bang.
The door closed.
***
There was a small commotion in the Duke’s house and… that afternoon.
Crown Prince Lark’s office.
Victor, who came to report, was standing blankly, thinking of Rubette.
“Well, it took quite a bit of time because of the intruders. I’m sorry, Brother Victor.”
After kicking Viego out and closing the door cheerfully in front of him, Rubette smiled as if nothing had happened.
‘It was refreshing.’
Victor was stunned, but at the same time, a magnificent sense of freshness filled his heart.
It was an undeniable fact that the eldest brother, Viego, favored the twins enough to make his own siblings sad.
Even if it’s because of the sense of debt toward the Molga that raised the three siblings like her own children since they were young…
‘Honestly, there was no need to upset me or Ruby because of that. He deserves it.’
Yes. It was definitely refreshing.
‘But what about Ruby… How long has she been suffering alone?’
His sister, who told his older brother all the things he couldn’t say, had changed like a different person while he hadn’t seen her.
How frustrated that timid child must be, enough to burst out like that.
He felt sorry for her, but honestly, Victor was very happy with the changed Rubette.
It was refreshing to see her stand against Viego, but what he liked more than that…
“By the way, Brother, you said you came to ask me a favor. What is it?”
“Oh! That… Um, before that, you, have you really given up on Kedrick—”
“Brother.”
“Uh, uh…”
“I’m sure you’ve felt it from the commotion you just saw, but I’m very annoyed at every situation where the fact that I’ve been following him since I was eight is attached like a tag.”
“Well, it seems so. Sorry for the misunderstanding.”
“So, in the future, please don’t even bring out Kedrick’s ‘K’ in front of me. I’ve definitely finished making up my mind.”
…was Rubette who was trembling just by talking about Kedrick.
Victor said excitedly, without hesitation.
“I am really happy. So, let’s have dinner outside tonight. I have a friend I want to introduce to you.”
In fact, the reason Victor stopped by the duke’s residence without contacting was to grant Lark’s request in exchange for losing in a mock match he had placed a bet on the other day.
“… Who is your friend?”
“Actually, it’s the crown prince. He wants to see you!”
However, Rubette…
“What? His Highness the Crown Prince wants to see me? What’s the reason?
“Huh? Th-The reason? No, well, it’s just that he’s close with me, um… to get acquainted with you, my younger sister…”
“Aah! Mm, I understand.”
…saw through Victor with a keen eye…
“I’m sorry, Brother. I’m losing weight, so let’s have dinner next time.”
…and immediately turned down the dinner offer.
“And you know what? Maybe it’s because I’ve been burned for 7 years, now I’m sick of Kedrick and all men. If I want to live a good life, I don’t have time to meet men like that.”
“… Yes?”
“Well, I’m just saying. Please tell His Highness the Crown Prince that we will meet next time when we have the chance.”
Did she notice that it wasn’t a plain dinner invitation, but with purpose?
Victor, who was stabbed by Rubette’s words, was forced to say yes and return.
“… Sir.”
“…”
“… Sir —tor.”
“…”
“Sir Victor!”
“Ah, that surprised me!”
Victor, who had been engulfed in thought, was startled and gasped like a bird that had been shot.
He looked ahead and saw Lark, with his chin resting in the gap between the piles of papers, raising his eyebrows.
“So, you couldn’t even talk to the princess because of a family quarrel?”
[T/N: GOOO GURL HAHAHHA So satisfying]