Chapter 89
TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 89
“…Sniff.”
The Young Lady’s room in the Capital Mansion.
Pushed to the brink of being kicked out by Kyle’s persistence, the Young Lady and I managed to stay in the mansion with the help of Rosanna and Darbav, engaging in self-reflection.
The despondent Young Lady blew her nose into a tissue, her face clouded with gloom, while I, equally downcast, handed her another tissue and tried to console her as she cried.
-How dare you come here.
-…I’m sorry.
-After ruining the household, how can you even show your face?
-I’m sorry…
-Get out. I don’t want to see you.
Kyle used to be kind to the Young Lady.
Anyone could see they were a close-knit pair of siblings who relied on each other deeply.
Kyle was such an extreme siscon that, until he was 14, his dream was to marry his younger sister.
-When I grow up, I’m going to marry Olivia.
-Are you a siscon?
-Siscon? What’s that?
-It’s an insult.
-…?
As an adult, he let go of that childhood dream, but until Olivia entered the Academy, Kyle cherished and cared for her deeply.
He even shared his favorite snack, chocolate, with her.
-Olivia, eat this.
-No. Dark chocolate is too bitter, I don’t like it.
Of course, her childish palate often rejected it, but that only showed how much Kyle cared for and valued Olivia.
Even though he grumbled about me, who was always by the Young Lady’s side, he was kind enough to share chocolate with me too.
-Here, eat this.
-Giving me half a piece instead of a whole one feels a bit stingy, don’t you think?
-Consider it an honor to even receive it, commoner.
-Consider it an honor for me to refuse it, noble.
-Eeeek!!!
But even such an extreme sister-lover couldn’t bear the weight of dark magic.
Two years ago.
When the Young Lady fainted due to dark magic, Kyle grabbed me by the collar for the first time.
-Why… Why didn’t you pay attention? If you’d just cared a little more about Olivia, this wouldn’t have happened.
-I apologize.
-That damn apology… Do you think everything ends with an apology? This could endanger the household. Do you think a single “sorry” will fix this?
-I’ll do whatever it takes. So please…
-What can you possibly do?!
Being grabbed by the collar by Kyle, who adored the Young Lady so much, was not a pleasant experience. I was already distraught for failing to prevent the Young Lady’s dark magic, and his scolding only made me feel worse.
The emotions I felt back then were indescribably complex. Both physically and mentally.
And now, that same Kyle told Olivia to leave.
Perhaps it was said in a moment of exhaustion and anger, but in Kyle’s eyes, filled with fury, I could see his true feelings. He no longer looked at Olivia as his cherished sister but as if she were an outsider.
For the Young Lady, who had only ever seen her brother’s kind and caring side, this must have been a huge shock.
And so now, the Young Lady was crying, and we had decided to celebrate the Head of the Family’s Birthday and quickly return to the mansion.
With reddened eyes, the Young Lady quietly spoke.
“Ricardo… I know I’ve done a lot wrong. But it hurts so much.”
The Young Lady said in a choked voice. Snot-stained tissues piled up like a mountain on the table, and sorrowful tears streamed down her face.
“I know it too. I know I’ve been a burden to the household and my brother… But it hurts so much, I can’t stop crying.”
The Young Lady repeated the same words.
Her sorrowful voice pained me, but this was a problem she had to overcome herself, so I stayed silent and simply remained by her side.
I wanted to help her, but things like this weren’t written in novels.
All I could help with were external matters—fighting, earning money, and cheering her up. Beyond that, there was nothing I could do.
I couldn’t interfere.
This was a problem the Young Lady had to resolve on her own, so all I could do was silently hold a tissue to her nose.
“Sniff!”
The Young Lady blew her nose and once again wore a sorrowful expression as she buried her face in her palms.
“Hic… Hic… It hurts.”
I glanced at the Young Lady and asked in a small voice. I couldn’t just ignore her trembling shoulders.
“Young Lady, do you hate Lord Kyle?”
“Why…?”
The Young Lady’s tear-filled eyes turned toward me. I answered her as if stating the obvious.
“I was thinking of going to flick his forehead.”
“Ricardo, you’re not even close to my brother.”
“What can I do? If the Young Lady says she hates him, he deserves it.”
“You can’t do that. Ricardo, you’ll get kicked out.”
“I won’t do it.”
The Young Lady looked at me with incredulous eyes. Her gaze, filled with disbelief at my absurdity, gave me a strange sense of satisfaction.
“So, Young Lady, do you hate Lord Kyle?”
The Young Lady shook her head vigorously.
“No. It’s my fault, so… I don’t hate him.”
“You understand well.”
“I’m not that shameless.”
“Oh, that’s surprising. I thought you’d storm into Lord Kyle’s room and cause havoc.”
“I’m not a crazy woman.”
“Just joking.”
At my blunt joke, the Young Lady’s sobs gradually subsided. Her trembling shoulders and runny nose calmed, and her tearful expression began to fade.
Looking at the Young Lady, I voiced a presumptuous thought. I wasn’t sure if it would help, but it was a problem we both needed to tackle together.
I cautiously opened my mouth.
“Young Lady, if you don’t hate Lord Kyle, how about apologizing?”
“I already said I’m sorry. But my brother said he doesn’t want to hear it.”
As the Young Lady’s tears threatened to flow again, I quickly voiced another presumptuous thought without hesitation.
“Not just saying sorry. I mean a proper apology. Like going to his room and saying, ‘You’ve been through a lot. I’m sorry for everything.’ Something like that.”
Feeling embarrassed by my own cheesy suggestion, I scratched the back of my head awkwardly and spoke shyly.
“We don’t have much to offer or anything we’ve done well, so we can’t prepare a gift, but at least our sincerity is ready. Of course, we won’t kneel. Our pride won’t allow that.”
“Ricardo, your knees are really heavy.”
“My knees are expensive. If you pay my unpaid salary, I’ll kneel once.”
“I don’t have money.”
“Then I guess I’ll never kneel.”
“…”
I didn’t resent Kyle’s actions. In fact, I thought his behavior was exactly what I expected, and his words were the reproach we deserved to hear.
Ruined the household, huh.
If I were in Kyle’s position, I would have acted the same way. Probably even harsher. I even thought Kyle was being merciful for just telling us to leave and retreating to his room.
So I cautiously voiced a presumptuous thought to the Young Lady.
I suggested having an honest conversation.
I simply proposed that, for now, we do what we can. And after some hesitation, the Young Lady shared her doubts with me.
“I… I don’t know how to apologize.”
“You managed just fine when you scolded me last time.”
“That’s because you were in the wrong, Ricardo. You lied and upset me…”
“Isn’t this situation similar?”
“It’s different. I’ve never apologized to my brother before. And I’ve never apologized to anyone other than you.”
The Young Lady lowered her head gloomily, her expression heavy with sadness. She was someone who was farthest from the concept of apologizing. She couldn’t muster the courage easily.
“What if I apologize and my brother gets even angrier? What if our relationship gets even worse?”
“It is only natural for Lord Kyle to be upset, Young Lady.”
“I know that. It’s just… if I apologize poorly… my brother might dislike me even more.”
“Young Lady.”
I placed my hand on the Young Lady’s brittle hair and gave a small smile. The soft texture of her brittle white hair under my fingertips made me want to keep stroking it for a long time.
“Lord Kyle cherishes you very much. He might even be waiting for you in his room right now.”
“No, my brother hates me so much. He even told me earlier… to leave.”
“Did he actually kick you out?”
“No…”
The Young Lady lowered her head gloomily and mumbled softly.
“If it were me, I think I would have told you to leave immediately.”
“Oh… you’ve finally learned how to empathize. I’m a little surprised.”
“Of course.”
The Young Lady straightened her shoulders with a gloomy expression and nodded. She seemed proud of her newfound warm-heartedness, as if it signified her growth. In another sense, I couldn’t help but marvel at how much the Young Lady had grown in other areas.
“Impressive.”
“Yes.”
“You’re still growing…”
“Hmm?”
“It’s nothing.”
The Young Lady tilted her head slightly, a question mark on her face, but I brushed it off as if it were nothing.
“Young Lady.”
“Yes?”
“When you found out that my arm was injured, how did you feel?”
“I…”
The Young Lady fidgeted with her fingers and spoke in a slightly small voice that echoed in the room.
“I was really angry. Because Ricardo got hurt.”
“Right? I believe Lord Kyle feels the same way. Just as you were furious when I got hurt, I cautiously think Lord Kyle must be very upset because you got hurt. Though, it might not be the case.”
“…What if it’s not?”
I smiled helplessly and tousled the Young Lady’s hair. Looking at her now messy hair, I let out a small laugh.
“If it’s not, then it can’t be helped, can it? You can apologize again, and if he doesn’t accept it, you can apologize once more. Eventually, there will come a day when he does.”
“But…”
I looked at the Young Lady’s downcast face and spoke. Hoping that she, who looked better smiling than crying, would smile again.
“Young Lady, are you planning to never see Lord Kyle again?”
“No… I want to keep seeing him.”
“What about the Head of the Household and Rosanna?”
“I want to keep seeing them too.”
“Then…”
I lifted my head and said to the Young Lady.
“Go and apologize sincerely. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll go and flick Lord Kyle on the forehead for you.”
“…But my brother hates Ricardo.”
“I dislike him too.”
“…”
After a brief silence.
The Young Lady turned her wheelchair toward Kyle’s Room.
“I’ll be back.”
And from Kyle’s Room.
-Huuuuh…! Brother, I’m sorry!
The sound of the Young Lady’s sorrowful crying echoed.