CPBF 30

Chapter: 30

If I kept reading that notebook, I would know who did what, even in places where I wasn’t present.

Then I’d gather every single piece of information I didn’t know—and survive!

I carefully got up from the bed, watching my surroundings, and picked up the notebook.

After lighting the small lamp on the shelf beside the bed, I opened the page I had been reading earlier.

[Why is that?]

[It’s not a big reason, but……]

Yes. If I turn just one more page, I’ll finally get the answer!

With that expectation, I flipped to the next page.

But there was one thing I had overlooked……

[You know this already, Sis Heather. I don’t have any siblings, right?]

[I know very well.]

[I’ve always gotten anything I wanted. But no matter how hard I tried, there was one thing I could never have. So… you do it.]

[……You want to become my second younger sibling?]

[Not for that child. I mean, be my own older brother. Ah—should I say older sister instead?]

“……”

I had a bad habit.

If I read words while lying on a bed, I would fall asleep within one second.

Because of that, without even understanding what the words in front of me meant—or whether the thing that fell onto my face was a book or a phone—I drifted off to sleep.

Several hours later, when only Mona’s steady breathing filled the room, Sis came in.

Standing quietly, he picked up his notebook that was covering Mona’s face.

Instead of a diary, he had written every conversation he’d had in this notebook.

It was to remember, in more detail, the information of a world that had gone far off its original path.

“I forgot this.”

Because he knew very well that once Mona fell asleep, she would never wake up, Sis spoke without lowering his voice at all.

The page Mona had been reading caught his eye.

[So? Even if you don’t reveal your sibling’s identity, do you still want to accept the deal?]

[I’ll accept it.]

[What? That was easier than I expected.]

[I just want them to be safe wherever they are. I don’t want to laugh and chat while playing the role of an older sister.]

[I see. Good. And there’s one more condition.]

At this point, Sis bit his lip.

If he could turn back time, he wanted to return to this very moment.

And reject this unfair deal.

[What now?]

[I’ll only help you get into the knight order. Anything beyond that, you must find on your own.]

[That little help, and you still want me to hide my identity?]

[If there’s someone else who can get you into the knight order, then refuse.]

[……Fine. But answer me this. You could bring that child here yourself right now, so why don’t you?]

[I’m Raphel Easton now, not Mona White. As long as I live as Raphel Easton, I don’t want to use magic.]

Snap.

Sis roughly closed the notebook.

His stomach felt like it was twisting.

Back then, he didn’t know.

He didn’t know how weak the help he received from Raphel Easton really was—help that took seven years.

He couldn’t call his sibling his sibling.

He couldn’t actively stop the death that was destined to happen.

And on top of that, he was told to play the role of an older sister or older brother without even knowing which.

He wanted to argue that it was an unfair contract—but gave up right away.

Because he knew better than anyone where that selfish personality came from.

Now, the only thing Sis could do was hope that Mona would notice first.

That she was Baek Mona’s older sister—Baek Mina.

And just now, an unexpected first chance had appeared.

Mona had seen this notebook, which was only meant to record information.

Judging by how she fell asleep while lying down, she probably hadn’t read the most important parts.

But now that she knew the notebook existed, a path had opened.

‘So bring her to me. I’ll help you too. But don’t give her even a hint about your identity.’

If the condition hadn’t been “not even a hint,” he would have wanted to leave the notebook behind and walk out.

But he couldn’t.

Because he never knew when the magic that reacted to his conscience would tighten around his neck.

Using Mona White’s power under the excuse of “monitoring”…

He felt it was unreasonable, but he knew complaining was useless.

In any case, Sis had done what he needed to do.

He made Mona a knight and placed her under Raphel’s control.

He didn’t reveal his identity, and he didn’t give any hints.

All that remained was Mona.

Whether she would find the hidden notebook and unravel every clue—

Or fight countless near-death dangers alone, knowing nothing.

Now, everything depended on her alone.

“Ah, damn it.”

That was the first thing I said when I woke up.

I had no memory of anything after opening Sis’s notebook on the bed last night.

I felt like I read something, but I couldn’t remember what it was at all.

Worse, no matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t find the notebook—like I’d dropped it somewhere in my sleep.

“Hurry up. You’ll be late.”

“Ah, yeah.”

Because Sis rushed me, I couldn’t keep looking and had to hurry to get ready for work.

After finishing my preparations, while we were walking together and the awkwardness started to set in, Sis spoke.

“I heard the Deputy Commander was put under disciplinary confinement. Do you know how that happened?”

“The Crown Prince said he abused his authority.”

“How did he abuse it?”

“Uh, well… that is……”

I explained what happened between Nyx Heyman and me, and how Bin reacted to it.

“……”

After hearing everything, Sis’s expression noticeably darkened.

He stayed silent for a long time, then said he’d see me later and turned toward the commander’s office.

What’s wrong with him now?

Well, maybe I’d find out after work, once I searched for the notebook again. And I could read the rest of what he talked about with the Crown Prince yesterday.

Thinking it wasn’t a big deal, I kept walking.

After a long walk, I finally arrived at the training grounds. Loud shouts rang in my ears.

I froze in front of the entrance.

“……”

There were still 30 minutes left before training was supposed to start.

If shouting could already be heard, that meant the Crown Prince had decided to work the new knights like crazy.

If he did this to everyone else, he’d definitely be even worse to me, right?

At this point, it might not even be training—he might actually be trying to kill me. Damn it.

Should I pretend I’m late and waste time somewhere else before going in…?

Before I could decide, the door burst open from inside.

Standing before my frozen self was a handsome man with black hair and red eyes—the Crown Prince.

Killing intent radiated from his entire body.

“……As expected, it was you.”

“As expected?” That sounded like he already knew I was here before opening the door.

“It sounds like you knew it was me even before you opened the door.”

“That’s right. Rats have been crawling around everywhere lately.”

“Pardon? Rats?”

“……Why are you standing around? The founding anniversary is close. Go change and start training.”

The way he changed the subject made it clear that “rats” didn’t mean actual rats.

It probably meant the assassins sent by the Emperor.

Around this time in the story, the Emperor was desperate to kill the Crown Prince who had returned alive from war.

So of course his senses would be sharp.

…I just hope he doesn’t use that sharpness to kill me. Though that’s probably wishful thinking.

“Training the moment we arrive, even before the scheduled time. What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s worse than the Blue Dog, seriously.”

As I came out of the changing room, I saw a group openly badmouthing the Crown Prince.

I deeply agreed and mentally high-fived them—then suddenly stiffened.

I felt killing intent behind me.

And in this world, there was only one person who wanted to kill me.

The Crown Prince.

“No, the Blue Dog is the same. Red Dog or Blue Dog, their temper is—”

Oh no. That was the one thing he shouldn’t have said.

Insulting Bin in front of the Crown Prince was the same as begging to be killed.

Already in trouble, I whispered quickly before things got worse.

“Hey… could you look behind me…?”

“A-ah!”

“What about the Blue Dog?”

A low voice pressed down heavily.

Even though I hadn’t done anything wrong, my heart felt like it was being crushed.

“Y-Your Highness! It’s a misunderstanding! We were merely admiring your temperament—”

“Not me. I’m asking what you were saying about the Blue Dog’s temper.”

Because he made it so obvious, no one failed to understand how the Crown Prince felt.

The Emperor had spread the rumor everywhere anyway, so hiding it was pointless.

Still, to not even try to hide it at all.

Was it because he was confident he’d eventually sit on the throne?

“I’m asking you. Aren’t you going to answer?”

“……We said it was the same as Your Highness’s.”

“How dare you speak so rudely!”

That sounded a lot like he just admitted his own temper was trash.

Well. At least he knows it himself.