TLWD 27

Chapter : 27

Beyond the frost-covered window stretched a snow-covered plain.

In front of the window stood a large desk made of dark wood.
Scattered across it were various documents and maps, with a quill and ink bottle neatly placed beside them.

Opposite the desk, a small fireplace crackled softly.
But the tiny flames didn’t seem enough to warm the entire room, and a chill still lingered in the air.

Yet despite the cold, Seraphia’s face was burning hot.

‘Why is Brother here all of a sudden…?’

Adrian had suddenly come to visit Seraphia’s room.
She was certain that if she looked in the mirror now, her face would show nothing but pure fluster.

She couldn’t even remember the last time she had been alone with Adrian.

Even when she tried to recall, nothing came to mind.

Seraphia struggled to calm her racing heart.
Then, she cautiously glanced at Adrian, who sat in front of her.

His dark hair shimmered slightly under the light.

His bangs, falling slightly over his forehead, accentuated his sharp features. His deep, piercing gaze radiated an intense charisma, as though he could see right through her.

His build was well-toned and muscular—strong and firm.
It was no lie that he had helped subjugate Gelu Drake with Kai.

Perhaps because of that, his long lashes and chiseled jawline exuded both coldness and a mysterious aura.

‘He really feels like a different person…’

This Adrian was completely different from the one she remembered.
His appearance hadn’t changed much, but there was something—maybe the atmosphere around him?

He was much more mature now, and far more handsome.

“Are you not going to answer the question?”

Above all, that not-so-low voice was…

“…Y-Yes?! Yes-sir!”

“I asked who the visitor in the county was.”

“O-Oh! R-Right…!”

Her face turned even redder.
Seraphia took a deep breath, trying to calm her pounding heart.
She cleared her throat lightly and began to speak.

“A representative from Viscount Beneron’s family.”

“Viscount Beneron?”

Adrian tilted his head, unfamiliar with the name.

Seraphia quickly began explaining.

“They’re nobles from the territory bordering our Whitewolf County.”

The northern region was broadly divided into tundra, snowfield, and snowy mountains.
Viscount Beneron’s estate was located in the tundra region.

“It’s also a territory relatively rich in resources.”

Because vegetation could still grow there, hunting and fishing were possible.
Even animals like reindeer could be raised.

“Most notably, their specialty is lumber. ‘Beneron lumber’ is so famous that no one in the kingdom hasn’t heard of it.”

Trees that grew while enduring the tundra’s cold—
Their quality was said to be the finest, not only in the kingdom but across the continent.

All of this was knowledge Seraphia had tirelessly studied,
For the sake of helping the Whitewolf County and Adrian.

“What was the visitor’s name?”

But Adrian didn’t seem particularly interested.
He was only asking about the visitor out of formality.

She hadn’t expected praise, but… not even a hint of interest?
…It stung a little.

Still, Seraphia didn’t show it much.

“I didn’t catch the name. It was just a messenger from Viscount Beneron’s household. They only delivered a message and left.”

“I see.”

With that, Adrian fell silent.

Seraphia could catch a glimpse of disappointment on Adrian’s face.

“…Aren’t you going to ask what the message was?”

“Should I?”

He genuinely seemed uninterested.

“N-No! If you’re not curious, you don’t have to ask!”

Seraphia quickly waved her hands.

‘…Thank goodness.’

She was actually relieved.
Had Adrian asked why Viscount Beneron’s representative had come, she wouldn’t have known how to explain it.

Then, Adrian stood up as if to leave, showing no intention of staying longer.

“W-Wait!!”

Seraphia hurriedly stopped him.
Fortunately, Adrian paused.

His crimson eyes, like they were soaked in blood, turned to face her.
Though they shared no blood, they were the only thing she and Adrian had in common.

“I have something to say!”

Adrian responded with a slight nod of his chin, signaling her to continue.

Seraphia summoned her courage once more.

“Well…!”

But her wildly pounding heart made her voice falter.
Her anxious gaze darted back and forth.

“Wh-What I wanted to say is…”

Her lips trembled, and the words kept catching.

Embarrassment and awkwardness flushed her face red, and she couldn’t look him in the eye.

“S-So…!”

After barely managing to say a few words, her lips clamped shut again.
Even though she tried to stay calm, her body tensed up like someone was gripping her heart.

What if he strangled her again, like last time?

The bruises on her neck had only just faded…

“If you’ve got nothing to say, I’m leaving.”

Unable to watch any longer, Adrian turned away.

In a desperate moment, Seraphia squeezed her eyes shut.

“Let’s… let’s have a meal together!!”

She shouted, gathering all the courage in the world.
And once it was out, she felt an odd sense of relief.

Too embarrassed to lift her head, Seraphia fidgeted with her hair, waiting for Adrian’s reply.

But time passed.

And yet, Adrian said nothing.

Seraphia cautiously looked up.

Only to see Adrian’s face twisted in a grotesque scowl—

“Haah…?”

—as if he had just seen some disgusting creature.

Seraphia’s heart thudded like it was going to explode.

She hadn’t expected that they’d actually end up sharing a meal right away.

When she asked earlier, she had meant “someday,” not right now.

But as the saying goes—strike while the iron is hot.
Adrian had arranged a meal on the spot.

‘What do I do… what do I do…!’

Her mind went completely blank.

She never thought her impulsive offer would become real so fast.

Neither of them spoke.
Silence filled the room.

The only sounds were the clinking of cutlery.

This was her first meal with Adrian.
She couldn’t let it end in vain.
After all, she hadn’t even accomplished her goal yet.

Seraphia finally opened her mouth.

“Um… Brother.”

At her words, Adrian’s eyebrow twitched as he was cutting meat with his fork.

He clearly didn’t like the word “brother.”
His annoyed gaze looked at her like she was an insect.

That wasn’t her intention at all.

…But somehow, she had earned his hatred.

Seraphia quickly continued.

“It’s nothing else—I wanted to return the title of lord to you.”

At that, the irritation in Adrian’s eyes flickered and faded.
He didn’t react negatively to “brother” this time.

Now was her chance.

“If you’re okay with it, I was planning to give this to the royal messenger when they arrive.”

She quietly handed him a document she had prepared.

It was a written renunciation of the lordship and headship of the county.

This had been her intention all along.
Seraphia never planned to become lord or head of the family.

As the eldest daughter of the Whitewolf family, and as Adrian’s sister, all she wanted was to help him.

Titles like “lord” or “head” held no meaning for her.

Adrian picked up the paper.
As he quietly read through it, Seraphia waited nervously.

Maybe… just maybe… he would understand how she felt.

She waited with a trembling heart.

And then came his reply—

“I have no intention of becoming the head of the Whitewolf family.”

It was completely different from what she had hoped for.

“…What?”

“I also have no intention of becoming lord of the county.”

“B-But…!”

“Isn’t that good news for you?”

“It’s not!”

Seraphia jumped up from her seat and shouted.
Realizing what she’d done, she quickly clapped her hands over her mouth.

“…Ah!”

She hurriedly sat back down and lowered her head.
Thankfully, Adrian said nothing.

When she looked up, he was calmly eating again—
His face unreadable.

He didn’t seem to believe her at all.

“…Is it because of me?”

“Yes.”

Adrian didn’t even bother denying it.

He clearly had no intention of pretending otherwise.

That hurt—a lot.

“Then why did you return to the family at all? If you don’t intend to be lord or head, then—”

“I have something to do.”

“Something to do…?”

She asked, but he didn’t reply.

He just kept eating.

He had no intention of telling her what it was.

Still, Seraphia wanted to ask—

—but his cold face made her fall silent.

Her gaze fell to the table.

She bit her lower lip and asked,

“…When you’re finished, will you leave the family again?”

“When I’m finished.”

Adrian gently set down his fork and knife.

After wiping his lips with a napkin, he stood up.

“Whatever happens, you and I won’t meet again.”

So until then—

“I don’t want us to run into each other.”

With that, Adrian left the dining room.

Seraphia sat alone.

Every time she took a step toward him, he took ten back.

She didn’t even hope to be a beloved sister.

She had only wished for a normal sibling relationship.

“…….”

But even that was too much to ask for.

Her heart ached.

But Seraphia didn’t give up.

If she were the type to give up from something like this, she would’ve done so long ago.

‘He said he has something to do…’

Adrian clearly said he had “something to do” within the family.

She didn’t know what it was, and he wouldn’t say.

But until then—

‘He’ll stay in the family.’

That meant she could stay under the same roof as him.

That meant there was still time and opportunity to change his heart.

‘I will—’

‘I’ll definitely turn his heart around.’

Seraphia promised herself, over and over again.

The moment I stepped out of the dining room—

◆ Seraphia’s affection level toward you is [Trust].

◆ A character in [Trust] state will fully believe in you, rely on you, and follow you in all things.

◆ Seraphia is willing to suffer losses if it means helping you.

…Honestly, I don’t understand it.

In this family, there are two people I need to kill:

Seraphia and Kai.

I hold [Hatred] toward both.

I have an active desire to destroy and kill them.

But their feelings toward me? Complete opposites.

Kai’s affection toward me is [Loathing].

Seraphia’s is [Trust].

Kai is normal.

I can’t make sense of Seraphia.

I’ve never been kind to her.
I’ve hated her ever since she was adopted into the family.

So why… does she [Trust] me?

That’s what confuses me the most.

This Seraphia is no longer the corrupted witch I remember.

She might possess the power of frost, but she isn’t the Lord of Frost.

Her sudden invitation to dine together—
I accepted only because she felt too different from the Seraphia I knew.

Was she acting?

Was she hiding something and trying to deceive me?

Back when I was a madman, maybe.
But not now.

I’ve been a special forces commander, interrogating and torturing countless enemies of the empire—and receiving the same.

To exaggerate a bit, I can spot a lie just by the flicker in someone’s eyes.

So I can say with certainty—

…She’s not lying.

The contents of the document, her affection level—
Seraphia truly trusts me.

But the Seraphia I knew was a tyrant witch.
The Lord of Frost who slaughtered allies and took Ian’s arm.

What changed her?

In my past life, I left the family and knew nothing of what happened.
I wandered like a vagrant, driven mad by hunger.

Until I met Ian, I was no better than a monster.

So from the day I ran away—

The day I fled from Aistrol—

What in the world happened in the Whitewolf County?

“…Forget it.”

Thinking too deeply won’t help.

The image of the Lord of Frost slaughtering my comrades is still fresh in my mind.

Seraphia must never be left alive.

The only reason she isn’t dead yet is because of Ian.

I have no intention of becoming the lord of Whitewolf.

Once Ian finds me, I’ll begin preparing for the Allied Forces.
I’ll also need to hunt down rare monsters and devour their powers.

I don’t have the time or reason to stay in this remote northern land.

But—

“…It wasn’t Ian.”

The guest who visited the county wasn’t Ian.

It’s been nearly a month since I came back to the past.

Ian should have found me by now.

But there’s still no sign of him.

“…He must not know I returned.”

Ian must not know I’ve come back.

Predation [S+]
A skill that allows me to devour the heart of a lifeform and gain their abilities.

But I don’t know if I absorb or copy the ability.

If it’s absorption, I stole Ian’s ability.
If it’s duplication, we both have it.

Either way, Ian definitely had the power to return to the past.

I didn’t have a return skill like [Regression EX].

“Ian came back with me—I’m sure of it.”

But maybe Ian doesn’t know that I came back too.

There was a clue—in what he said to me just before the final battle with the emperor:

• Adrian.

• What.

• I have one last request. Will you grant it?

• Drop the ‘last’ part, and maybe.

• ………

Ian never answered.

Last.

Ian said it was his last request to me.

But why would he say that—if he had the power to go back?

Someone with the power to return wouldn’t use the word “last.”