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Chapter 43
The Arlen Garden, from which Alec and Claude had departed. The sound of clashing wooden swords echoed through the garden. Letting the fierce sounds wash over her, Eloise stared up at the sky. Her sky-reflecting eyes were unblinking, as if waiting for something. Then, a wooden sword flew into the air like a bird, and Eloise, thinking ‘Now’s the time!’, shouted.
“Killian, come here and have a snack. You should come quickly too, Brother!”
“It’s not over yet!”
Eloise retorted familiarly to Killian, who was shouting with a resentful face.
“It’s already afternoon. You must be tired, have a snack and then do it.”
Before the word ‘duel’ could leave Killian’s lips, Lian quickly sat down in a chair.
“Strawberry cake? As expected, I never get tired of strawberries, even if I eat them every day.”
The gesture of lifting the strawberry cake placed before him with a fork moved in a pleased manner.
“Brother, there’s chocolate cake here too!”
When Eloise handed him the chocolate cake he had missed, Lian’s eyes widened as if in shock.
“To have missed seeing the chocolate cake right away, this is something that can’t happen in my life.”
“When having dessert, the first bite should be chocolate. It would be such a shame to miss that and pass it by.”
“Thanks to you, I was able to protect my first bite being chocolate. Thank you.”
“It’s not something you need to thank me for; if anything, I should be the one thanking you! That method you taught me last time was so delicious!”
“Really? Eating a bite of chocolate cake and strawberry cake together is really good, right?”
“Yes! When I heard that, I thought, how different is it from just putting strawberries on chocolate sheet cake? But it was so good!”
“I knew you’d like it. Next time, I recommend drizzling warm, melted chocolate on cheesecake too, it’s really delicious.”
“I’m so glad you like chocolate as much as I do, Brother. Until now, I haven’t had anyone to share this joy with.”
Killian, who had been sitting sullenly, raised an eyebrow crookedly at Eloise’s words, ‘I’m so glad.’
“Don’t talk about enjoying strange monstrosities. Besides, I’ve been eating with you all this time too!”
“You ate *with* me, but you didn’t *enjoy* the ecstasy of chocolate with me, did you?”
“When someone in front of you eats it as painfully as if it were a deadly poison, it’s not easy to enjoy the ecstasy of chocolate.”
“Right?”
Annoyed by the sight of the two getting along strangely well, Killian tapped the table. He didn’t like any of it.
‘Originally, the afternoon snack time was a time for just the two of us, Eloise and me.’
He didn’t like them sharing and enjoying strange food combinations either. And since when did they become so close?
“Killian, stop making noise and eat your snack quickly.”
Seeing the discontent clearly evident in Killian’s attitude, Eloise spoke as if annoyed and handed him a cheesecake.
“Hey, when are you going back to Swinton Manor?”
“He’s a close friend, why are you always trying to kick him out?”
Eloise scolded Killian for his behavior, which was a clear treatment of an unwelcome guest.
“What close friend? I never said that. I only said we met often, and that he was boring. When did I ever say we were close?”
“If you say that, Brother might feel hurt! Killian usually says only really nice things and is kind, but he seems to be in a bad mood today. I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m just worried that because I’m boring, you might have been bored.”
Lian brushed off the ‘unwelcome guest’ treatment, speaking with a worried expression, his eyebrows drooping. Although his intention to provoke was blatantly obvious, Killian gritted his teeth even though he knew.
“Such a sly fox…”
“What’s wrong with you? For days now, you’ve only been acting like that towards Brother.”
“Whatever.”
“Is it because you keep losing the duels? You just started, and Brother started years ago, so there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Eloise tilted her head, recalling the duels that had been ongoing for days due to Killian’s stubbornness.
“Besides, why on earth do you involve me in this so-called duel?”
What Killian had wagered in the duel was the title of ‘Brother’ or ‘Oppa’. The duel started with the condition that if Killian won, she wouldn’t use either title. Eloise let out a sigh.
“That’s obviously…”
Killian, who seemed about to say something, sharply turned his head away.
“Don’t say that with a face full of dissatisfaction! Tell me what you’re unhappy about! You don’t say anything!”
Frustrated that he wasn’t saying anything, Eloise shouted at him.
‘His wrists are all swollen, and he’s just being pointlessly stubborn…’
No matter how much Lian controlled his strength, it was inevitably a burden for Killian, who had just started.
“Why would I talk about the duels for days? It’s because it’s putting a strain on you. His Grace is very worried too.”
Eloise, examining Killian’s swollen wrists, tried to soothe him.
“If my wrists hurt because of Uncle, then mind your own business! And if you like His Grace so much, go to his office! It’s annoying.”
At Eloise’s worried words, Killian’s eyes, which had drooped apologetically, sharpened at the mention of ‘His Grace’ at the end.
‘Th-this isn’t it…’
Killian, who had shouted impulsively in the heat of the moment, fluttered his eyes in apparent panic.
‘I should apologize to Eloise for shouting…’
But even as he thought that, Killian couldn’t bring himself to open his mouth. If it were the usual him, he would have already apologized profusely. No, he wouldn’t have even had a reason to shout at Eloise in the first place.
‘I really hate all of it.’
He didn’t like anything.
He didn’t like Eloise being close with Lian.
He didn’t like her calling him ‘Brother’.
All of it. Moreover, he thought that if His Grace came, he would surely take measures regarding the Brizney matter. What on earth did they talk about that night? He didn’t like that they just let it pass without a word.
“Annoying? You’re the one who’s annoying, you know?”
Eloise’s eyes sharpened in turn.
“What did you say?”
“It’s already over, but you keep bringing up the Brizney matter and making me uncomfortable! Do you know how many times Uncle and Lady Cecilia have apologized?”
As the words spilled out, Eloise flinched, realizing her mistake.
‘I was waiting for a chance to explain properly, like I told His Grace, but I ended up saying it like this…’
“If I make you uncomfortable, then just don’t see me! Either you were hurt and now you just keep saying you’re fine like this. Or without me!”
“Who are you to judge my feelings like that? Fine, I can just play with Brother without you!”
“W-what? You… Is that all you have to say?”
“So what! What are you going to do about it! Brother is much better than you; at least he enjoys desserts with me properly!”
Amidst their argument, Lian, who had been focused only on his cake, spoke to a servant.
“Bring more cake.”
They seemed accustomed to it, brushing off the two’s fight. It was because their arguments happened almost daily, and what would come next was predictable.
‘We didn’t fight.’
‘Right, we didn’t fight.’
After saying that, the two would play happily as if they had never fought, so both Lian and the servants had calm expressions.
“Here you are, Young Master Lian.”
Taking the cake from the servant, Lian immediately scooped some up with his fork.
“Thank you.”
Holding the cake, Lian looked up at the sky.
“By the way… it looks like it’s going to pour.”
Looking at the sky full of dark clouds, Lian turned his head. He was pondering whether to stop the two who were arguing and go back inside the mansion. Then, a rustling bush caught his eye.
“Can’t you ever take a normal path?”
Lian let out a sigh at the sight of Brizney popping out from between the bushes.
“It’s training to resemble Lady Iz. Lady Iz goes exploring every day to protect people.”
Lian shook his head at her disheveled hair and grass-stained dress from pushing through the bushes.
‘She says it’s training, but isn’t the purpose elsewhere? If she sees that state, she’ll be shocked again and hold her forehead.’
In fact, Lian even thought that Brizney might be testing how much she can break her aristocratic mother.
“What does protecting people have to do with exploring…?”
“But why are they fighting?” Brizney asked, lightly ignoring Lian’s reproach and glancing at Eloise and Killian.
“It’s an everyday occurrence.”
“Really? I’m being quiet and well-behaved, not fighting, to be like Lady Iz!”
“…What? Well-behaved? Not fighting?”
Lian muttered incredulously, finding it hard to believe.
