Between Your Letter and My Reply

Chapter 110

“Wow…” Lilliana gasped, her face glued to the Ferris wheel window.

“It’s so beautiful…”

Lilliana marveled at the scenery, like starlight brought down to earth. The Ferris wheel slowly ascended, reaching almost the very top.

She had never looked down at the cityscape from such a height, so this view was quite novel to her. It was such a beautiful sight, and she almost felt sorry for Damian, who couldn’t see it with them.

Then, she glanced at Casey. As promised, she put all her effort into acting like a loving sister, and the fear she felt earlier had lessened considerably. Thanks to that, she wasn’t afraid to be alone with him in this enclosed space.

However, an awkward feeling still lingered, and if she didn’t keep up the pretense of closeness, she would be at a loss for words.

Casey sat across from her with his legs crossed, looking out the window just as she was.

“Indeed. It’s really beautiful.”

Lilliana wasn’t sure if he was mimicking her or if he genuinely found the night view beautiful. As if answering her unspoken question, Casey continued,

“The lights are twinkling. I like twinkling lights.”

“So you do have likes and dislikes.”

Casey shrugged in response.

“Of course. My emotional development might be slower, but I can feel likes and dislikes just like humans.”

Then, he gazed at Lilliana with his glassy eyes.

“So, how was it? Playing siblings with me today?”

Casey smiled gently.

“Did you like it? Was it fun?”

“…I don’t know.”

“Why? Was I scary?”

When Casey spoke with a hint of disappointment, Lilliana answered hesitantly, “That’s not it, but…”

“Then it’s okay. We can get closer slowly. Just like we did before.”

Casey’s relaxed attitude left Lilliana feeling confused.

“Why? Why do you want to get close to me so badly?”

“What do you mean?”

“Is there something you’ll gain by getting close to me?”

This time, it was Casey’s turn to look bewildered.

“We’re siblings. Do we need any more reason than that?”

Casey looked genuinely perplexed, and Lilliana stared at him with trembling eyes. She thought she knew what family was.

But she had never thought that siblings were anything special.

After nearly being killed by her brother, she had half-given up on sibling relationships. But now that Casey, who had almost killed her, was trying to reach out, she was unsure how to react.

“Lily, there was definitely a time when I didn’t even give you the slightest bit of meaning. But the past two years have been different. It was a difficult time, for sure, but thanks to that, I now know what you are to me.”

“What?”

“Someone on my side, even before I was born.”

At his unexpected words, Lilliana stared at Casey, and he tilted his head and continued, “…or so I thought. I didn’t know that.”

Because he didn’t know, he treated Lilliana more like an object than a living being.

“You know, Lily? Two years ago, you made a deal with me. Just like I did today.”

“What deal?”

“In exchange for you being on my side forever, I would be on your side forever.”

“I did that?”

Lilliana’s reaction showed surprise at her own actions. Casey shrugged and continued,

“To be honest, I still don’t fully understand what that means. But since you decided to take on that role, I had no choice but to be on your side too. I thought it was only fair. That’s how it started. Even though I didn’t understand anything and didn’t know any better. But as I spent time with you, I started to get a vague sense of what it meant.”

Casey smiled at Lilliana.

“It means we’re siblings.”

Lilliana’s eyes widened.

“I’m your brother, and you’re my sister. That’s the kind of deal brothers and sisters have. That’s what I learned. And I quite liked it.”

When Casey reached out to Lilliana, she flinched again. But she didn’t avoid his hand. So Casey was able to stroke her hair.

“We were together from the moment we were in our mother’s womb. We were created together and born together. So, Lily, I intend to fulfill my role as your brother.”

Casey playfully tapped Lilliana’s round forehead with his finger.

“Even if you stop playing the role of my sister.”

At those words, Lilliana’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s as she looked at Casey. Then, tears welled up in her blue eyes.

But she wiped them with her sleeve and tried to keep her eyes wide open to stop the tears from flowing. At this comical sight, Casey sighed deeply.

“Lily, you’re such a crybaby. I’m sorry, but I don’t know why you’re crying, so I can’t comfort you. Did I upset you again? If so, I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s not that, brother. This is…”

Lilliana pulled the corners of her lips into a smile.

“It’s just that I got an eyelash in my eye.”

***

Despite the early hour, the prime viewing spots for the parade were already occupied by diligent people. Still, Damian managed to find a location where they could enjoy the spectacle, even if it wasn’t the absolute best.

He plopped down on the curb and looked up at the sky, which had already darkened. He imagined Lilliana was probably enjoying the night view with Casey right now.

Damian vaguely pictured the lights illuminating the ground. But unlike the ground, the city sky was devoid of stars. Seeing this, Damian recalled the battlefield he had been on just a few months ago.

The ground on the battlefield was pitch black. Keeping lights on was an invitation for bombings, so there were lighting restrictions in the war zone, with all lights turned off at night. Instead, when you looked up, you could see the entire Milky Way.

But what about this place?

Human civilization had blossomed so brightly that it now swallowed even the starlight. Damian found it ironic that so many people gathered to see the night view and parade, which replaced the lost starlight.

Thinking about this, Damian felt as if he still hadn’t escaped that dark battlefield. But the fact that he had escaped and was here meant…

“‘Lady Lintray’ must have pulled me out,” Damian muttered to himself. To Damian, that’s what “Lady Lintray” meant. The person who took his hand and pulled him into the light.

“Damian~.”

Damian lifted his head at the sound of his name.

Casey and Lilliana were searching for him, looking around. The area was crowded, making it difficult to spot Damian sitting down.

Upon spotting them, Damian stood up and waved, calling out their names. Lilliana also spotted Damian and turned towards him.

“Damian!”

And she smiled brightly, as if genuinely happy to see him. Seeing Lilliana’s pure, untainted smile, Damian thought.

Ah, right… Unlike my earlier worries about whether to distinguish between ‘Lady Lintray’ and Lilliana, that person is always to me…

Lilliana hurried towards Damian. With a flushed face, she said excitedly,

“Damian! You should have ridden the Ferris wheel too! The night view was amazing! It’s incomparable to Kelta!”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“Yeah, yeah. We’ll definitely ride it together next time, okay? Promise? We’ve seen the parade for today, so…”

As Lilliana lingered in front of him, as if trying to extract a promise, Damian replied with a faint smile,

“Okay.”

“Ah, the parade is starting!”

At Lilliana’s words, Damian and Casey turned their attention to the end of the street. A loud fanfare blared, and a procession of colorful, light-wrapped figures appeared from around the corner, one after another.

People dressed in clothes made of shimmering, luminescent fabric marched in rows, playing various musical instruments.

The shapes of the figures, adorned with lights wherever possible, were truly diverse.

There were animals like elephants, horses, and camels, as well as large objects like cars and trains. Some even resembled mythical creatures like dragons and unicorns.

The dragon’s mouth was equipped with a fire-producing device, creating the illusion of it breathing fire.

Damian felt overwhelmed by the constantly flashing lights. Atop each figure sat a beautiful woman in extravagant attire, waving to the crowd and blowing kisses to encourage their cheers.

Lilliana clapped and cheered for the women.

“They’re so pretty!”

“It’s chaotic,” Casey remarked with a rather harsh assessment. But Damian somewhat agreed with him. This kind of overwhelming spectacle wasn’t really to his taste.

“But well, Lily likes it,” Casey muttered, and Damian nodded. It was worth staying behind to secure a good spot.

“Damian, thank you for saving us a spot!”

Lilliana said with a smile, and Damian smiled back at her.

——————-

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