🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 49
At five in the morning, I looked up at the pale purple sky before sunrise and rubbed my dry eyes.
The reason I was leaving the mansion this early was to attend the graduation ceremony of Landers Royal Military Academy.
It took at least five hours one way. To arrive in time for the ceremony at eleven, we had to leave now.
I had no plan to attend my brother’s graduation, but because of a letter from Kyle that arrived two days ago, I was almost forced to go.
He had written, asking me to attend Simon’s graduation with him.
‘Why? Every time he sees my brother, they fight like they want to kill each other.’
It was rare for Kyle to suggest going somewhere first.
Ah. Come to think of it, Kyle was supposed to enter Landers Royal Military Academy this April, wasn’t he?
At first, I was confused. But if his interest was in the school itself, it made sense.
In Korea, high school students often visit the university they want to enter beforehand.
Maybe he wanted to see the place where he would study and train.
It must have been hard for him to say that out loud, so he carefully sent a letter instead. That was a little pitiful.
And honestly, I was also curious about the school Darius had attended and where Kyle would soon go.
Milly, who left the mansion with me, carried two large bouquets in her arms.
“Miss, these are the bouquets you ordered a few days ago.”
“Thank you. They’re unnecessarily big and pretty.”
It gave me goosebumps thinking I had to give one to my real brother.
Milly smiled brightly and handed me the yellow freesia bouquets. There were two.
No wonder they looked so big.
“Why are there two?”
“I ordered one for Young Master Kyleus as well.”
“For Kyle?”
Ah. Did she order one for Kyle to give to my brother?
But Milly’s answer was completely different.
“Yes! Since he’ll soon enter the academy, it would be nice to give him one too. To celebrate his new start. You should give it to him yourself.”
He hadn’t even been officially accepted yet, and she was already preparing flowers?
Before I could ask, Milly pushed my back.
“The carriage is here. Please get in.”
Soon Luke, who had been sitting in the driver’s seat, jumped down and opened the carriage door.
“Did you sleep well, Miss? I’ll take you comfortably today!”
“Good morning, Luke. Thank you.”
His energy was strangely high. After greeting him, I got into the carriage.
Milly, who I thought would ride with me, closed the door from outside.
“Milly, why aren’t you getting in?”
I opened the window and asked. She shouted confidently.
“I’ll sit next to Luke in the front!”
“It’s cold.”
“I’m dressed warmly. I’m fine!”
She made a V sign with her fingers and ran to sit beside Luke.
When they had just started dating, they sometimes did that. But after more than a year together, Milly usually preferred sitting inside, saying it was more comfortable.
I could hear their cheerful laughter from the front.
Maybe they were getting over a rough patch and becoming closer again.
I shrugged and placed the two bouquets beside me.
Soon, the carriage started moving.
It was still the time when people were deep asleep, so I grew drowsy.
While nodding off, cold air suddenly rushed in. We must have arrived at the duke’s mansion.
“Yaaawn. We’re here, Kyle?”
Kyle entered the carriage and sat across from me. I stretched and yawned widely.
“Your mouth won’t tear just from that, you know.”
The moment he saw my face, he mocked me. I lazily glared at him.
Who was traveling ten hours round-trip because of you?
Kyle, dressed neatly in a coat and uniform, looked smooth and sharp. I was used to seeing him in comfortable clothes or riding gear, so this formal look felt unfamiliar.
For the past two years, he had grown quickly like a sprout. He was now more than a hand taller than me.
His broad shoulders and deeper voice made him lose his cuteness.
Only his still youthful face softened the awkwardness.
Soon Luke shouted from the front.
“We are departing for Mitas!”
“Okay.”
The carriage started moving again.
I looked at Kyle and spoke.
“It’s surprising. I didn’t think you’d want to go.”
“I’m more surprised that you wanted to attend Simon hyung’s graduation.”
Huh? So he was just testing me? What a letdown.
I suddenly held out one bouquet toward him.
One of Kyle’s eyebrows rose.
“What is this?”
“Flowers.”
“I can see that. Why are you giving it to me?”
“Just take it.”
Kyle awkwardly accepted the bouquet. His golden eyes matched the yellow freesias perfectly.
“It suits you. Take it.”
“What’s with this all of a sudden….”
It felt too early to say congratulations or good luck for his admission, so I just handed it over casually.
Even though he muttered, he carefully looked down at the bouquet in his arms. He didn’t seem to hate it.
After that, I told him how my brother tortured me by rewriting his speech dozens of times, and I bragged about Snowflake being smart like her owner.
As always, Kyle listened while I talked nonstop.
After finishing, I finally asked what had been on my mind.
“Have you heard anything about Darius hyung or the Duke returning?”
“No.”
“…I see.”
The conversation ended with his short reply.
For the past two years and four months, Kyle and Darius’ relationship hadn’t changed.
Since Darius rarely came to Pellen, there wasn’t much chance for their relationship to improve.
Still, I had stayed close to Kyle and guided him so he wouldn’t go astray. My first goal was still being kept.
He was still not very warm, but at least he wasn’t socially hopeless.
While I was lost in thought, the sky slowly brightened.
After leaving the city, quiet mountain roads passed by the window.
Maybe he noticed my heavy eyelids. Kyle checked the watch on his wrist.
“If you’re sleepy, just sleep. We’re still far.”
“Mm… then I’ll sleep for just one hour.”
I had woken up at three-thirty. I couldn’t endure it.
“You should sleep too, Kyle.”
“…Okay.”
He gave a small smile, lowered his head, and closed his eyes.
The steady shaking and the sound of wheels felt like a lullaby.
“Hey, wake up. We’re almost there.”
I slowly came to my senses as my head was gently shaken.
“Mmm… where are we….”
I wiped the drool from my chin and blinked.
“Did you drool on my clothes?”
Kyle’s scolding woke me up instantly.
Inside the moving carriage, I realized I had moved next to him and slept deeply on his shoulder.
“Ah. Sorry. I’ll wipe it.”
I rubbed the small wet spot on his shoulder.
“You little….”
“What did you say? We’re here?”
The world was bright now, and I felt refreshed.
“How can you sleep four hours without waking once?”
Kyle rotated his neck and shoulder as if stretching.
“Don’t tell me I leaned on you the whole time?”
“…If I left you like that, your neck would’ve snapped.”
“What? I’m really sorry… You should’ve just let it snap….”
He had stayed still for four whole hours?
Was his arm okay?
I felt grateful and very guilty.
“Forget it. I’m the fool for suddenly telling you to come to the graduation.”
His grumbling words suddenly caught in my ears.
What?
“Kyle, you were the one who asked me to come.”
“…? What are you talking about?”
We stared at each other blankly.
“You sent me a letter asking to attend my brother’s graduation together. Weren’t you planning to look around the school too?”
“I never wrote such a letter. You told me to come to your house at five-thirty in the morning on the day of the ceremony.”
“…?”
“…?”
As we exchanged confused looks, the carriage stopped with the sound of the horses.
Soon Milly’s cheerful voice rang out, and the door swung open.
“Miss, Young Master Kyleus, we’ve arrived— oh my! I’ll come back later!”
Seeing us sitting side by side on the same sofa, Milly quickly closed the door, looking strangely excited.
At that moment, all the scattered puzzle pieces came together.
“Milly!!”
