Chapter 28

I just stared at the cover of Akitus.

But that didn’t change a thing.

The pink-colored heart-cut crystal has long been transparent again.

I opened the status window once again.

-Capabilities in place: –

This time again, an empty window of ability welcomed me.

It was natural because I spent all the remaining three times on Ixion.

I said that I was saving it because I only got the status message for three hours, but I used it up in no time.

‘This was the guide, what do I do now?’

Tak.

I put Akitus in the drawer and left the room.

‘Now that I can’t rely on it, I have to follow the progress of the ladies of Rofan even more!’

‘Let’s find Exion and show our faces!’

I shouted and wandered around the castle.

But Ixion was not in his room, in his training camp, or in his office.

‘Where’d he go?’

Inside the dressing room.

Behind the curtain.

Even in the jar.

I searched everywhere, but I couldn’t see a hair.

The castle was too wide, and so the four-year-old had a slight pain in his leg.

Fortunately, the areas were beautifully decorated throughout the duchy.

“I’m getting old, I’m getting old!”

I sat in the chair and tapped my legs, and I heard a puss laugh.

When I looked up, I saw a boy standing leaning slightly against the wall. Even that was beautiful like a portrait.

“Ares!”

Ares approached me with a gentle smile.

“What’s making my sister grow old? That’s a big deal.”

Tak, a long, elegant index finger tapped my cheek.

“Life is always hard and tiring, Ares.”

Ares, I’m so tired.

I thought I could take it down in no time because all the female characters in Rofan are good.

How many books have I read? Ha, ha·····.

I’ve used all my powers, but I don’t see any sign of Ixion acknowledging me.

“Eh-oh.”

A sigh came out.

Ares sat next to me with a smile on his face.

“The way you sigh is cute, but it makes my heart ache to think that my sister has something to worry about.”

Ares calmly stroked my hair.

“Do you want to talk to me?”

It was a subtle tone.

I feel like I’ll tell you a secret without knowing it.

The eyes of Ares looking down at me were as clear as a burning ruby.

“Ixion keeps leaving me out!”

The thought of it made me even more annoyed, so I frowned and puffed my lips.

As if it was an unexpected remark, Ares’ eyes slightly widened.

Soon the corners of his mouth went up.

“You must be on good terms with Ixion.”

“Well, we’re not on good terms!”

I banged my words out.

“He always says I’m annoying! He’s mean! Telling me to go away! It’s annoying!”

“You’re really on good terms, aren’t you? It’s fascinating.”

Hmm, Ares made a strange nasal sound.

His eyes narrowed.

‘Huh?’

I don’t know what it is, but it felt a little bit strange.

Looking at Ares, he squinted his eyes. It was a very kind and soft smile.

“I’m a little jealous.”

The words gave me a runny nose.

What a misunderstanding!

“Ares is much, much better!”

“Really?”

“Yes, it can’t even compare to Ixion!”

You are my healing and my welfare!

Ares’ smile deepened.

Tak.

Ares’ hand, which was sweeping my hair, slipped off.

At the same time, Ares bowed closer to me.

‘huh?’

Isn’t it too close? And the moment I thought.

tok

A warm, soft thing touched my cheek.

I couldn’t understand what had happened at the moment, so my eyes widened.

I was surprised and looked at Ares.

“It’s an honor.”

Wow…

The sun in the afternoon of winter was turning the boy’s cheeks white.

The slightly drooping eyes were bent languidly, and dimples were deeply dug at the end of the mouth drawn on the line.

wow…

wow…

Hooray for the handsome sister-fool!

What 10 stars?

I’ll give you 100!

***

“He keeps leaving me out!”

With a loud voice, Ixion paused.

“… outcast. He doesn’t like playing with me.”

I just hid myself when I saw a cotton ball looking for me again.

That weakling likes to play tag.

Apparently, even the cotton ball with the weak bones was enjoying herself in the game.

But I can’t believe you’re talking to Ares like that.

“You seem to be on good terms with Ixion.”

“Well, we’re not on good terms!”

At the sight of Luatisha, who was smirking with excitement, Ixion frowned.

“He always says I’m annoying! He’s so mean! Telling me to go away! It’s annoying!”

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, Luatisha huffed as if she were going to get up from her chair.

“…”

Ixion stepped back and touched the wall.

He didn’t know why he was so shocked.

“I played with Ixion!”

“It was fun!”

The image of Luatisha, who smiled brightly and spoke, was good in my memory.

‘After all, was it all a lie?’

Somehow I thought something was wrong.

Ordinary people who can’t even use magic dare to loathe and get frightened by Ixion.

That’s normal.

This is not gonna make a difference.

At that moment.

Ares and his eyes met.

“······!”

While Ixion couldn’t respond to the feeling of being caught secretly, Ares’ mouth drew a line.

It was a bad, insidious smile of courtesy.

Ixion crumpled his face.

Before he could say anything, Ares’ eyes were on Luatisha again.

“I’m a little jealous.”

Ares shuddered.

A stupid weakling fell into the abomination.

“Ares is much, much better!”

“Really?”

“Yes, it can’t even compare to Ixion!”

“…”

Ixion’s jaw is strained.

I felt dirty.

There’s no other reason, but I feel bad that I’m not good at hiding it.

That’s why it’s dirty.

‘I don’t care what that weakling thinks of me.’

“……Gosh.”

What’s so good about that little kid that they’re so close to each other?

It was then.

Ares, who stroked Luatisha’s head in a cheesy way, lowered his head slightly.

Ixion’s eyes shook as he approached.

‘Damn it.’

Ixion’s mouth opened as if he’s about to shout something.

But Ares was faster.

tok

A cute, cute sound of friction resonated in the duke’s castle.

‘That son of a bitch ······!’

Too much! Too much!

The marble wall broke down from Ixion’s small hand.

Raising his head, Ares smiled at Ixion.

It was a bad smile as always, but it’s too much today.

“Ares? What’s there?”

Luatisha nodded and turned her head after Ares.

Ixion turned around and got out of the position.

“Hyuk! That wall is broken! It must have been a bad construction!”

I heard a voice behind my back.

A stupid weakling cotton ball.

Ixion clenched his teeth.

I didn’t know why I felt so dirty.

***

I looked down with hawk eyes while I was walking around the tablecloth.

“Ummm······ He isn’t here.”

I haven’t seen Ixion for days already.

This is why it is impossible to implement any of the “Project Rules for Making Brotherhood Fool” by the female characters of Rofan.

‘What should I do ······’

I don’t think the quest will just wait.

The quest to feed Clattie cider was also automatically terminated.

‘If Ixion doesn’t recognize me as a member of the family and the quest is automatically terminated, ······’

I’ll drop out of life.

In other words, it’s death on the tip of the tongue.

I lowered my head in droop.

Growl!

But I think the beggar in the stomach is crying.

I was hungry even at the moment of my life’s crisis.

I have no choice. I’m a four-year-old kid.

Babies have to eat a lot!

I came back to my room.

“Welcome, miss.”

“Did you enjoy your walk?”

“I’m hungry!”

When I shouted proudly, the snack was served as if they had waited.

‘The life of a noble, it’s the best!’

I ate lemon cake full of lemon icing and asked my maid sisters.

There’s nothing better than a witness’s statement to track the trail!

“Have you seen Ixion?”

“Third young master? No, I haven’t.”

“He don’t usually come out to a crowded place.”

“Really?”

“Yes, the third young master especially doesn’t like to hang out with people.”

“I see …”

I nodded in a sullen mood.

“I’ve seen him a lot so far…”

Was I lucky?

“I guess Master Ixion didn’t avoid you.”

Anna laughed.

But I couldn’t face her smile..

This means that Ixion is avoiding me right now.

You haven’t been doing it all this time, but now you’re hiding.

‘Was my actions counterproductive?’

The fresh sweet lemon cake felt prickly.

Laura smiled at my sullen face.

“The youngest lady seems to like the third young master.”

“Who! He looked at me like a disgusting little dog!”

I shouted in a fit of rage, but the older sisters only laughed happily.

I got sulky and gathered my lips.

Well, it’s not that I hate it very much.

Sometimes it’s a little annoying, but…

But we’re still a family.

Wiggle.

‘Anyway, I’m just really pissed-off right now! If I’m in the family register, I’m a member of the family! What do you mean, acknowledge it again? My dad admitted it. Who are they to tell me what to do?’

I shivered angrily with a fork.

I’m going to die at this rate.

Will it change things if I understand Ixion?

‘Cause the dog doesn’t seem to acknowledge me because I don’t have magic.’

It was obvious from how many times he pressed me with magic.

“Tch, you’re childish.’

That’s something I can’t do anything about, but I can’t believe you’re discriminating against me for that.

‘Bad boy, if you were a little older, you wouldn’t have met me.’

Since he’s still a child, as his sister, who is in her second life, taking it into account, I’ll forget this.

“You know, what exactly is magic?”

My sisters went all silent at the question.

They had a troubled face,

but I didn’t back down.

“I know my family has magic. But I don’t have one.”

“Lady······. I know it’s not because you have a problem.”

“I’m not asking for comfort. I just want to know. It’s about me and my family.”

I looked at my sisters with serious eyes.

The sisters exchanged glances for a moment and nodded as if they had made up their minds.

“There are generations of Magic in the Duke of Paeraton. It’s a power that only goes to the direct line of the duke.”

“Do you mean a family of wizards?”

“No, it’s Mana that wizards use. Magic ····.”

Anna, who was explaining, stopped talking.

There was a bit of fear on her face when she was choosing words to say.

“…is a very, very special force.”

Hmm·····

I think I’ve seen this before.

The special power that comes down to the duke

It’s different from the wizard’s mana and the knight’s aura.

Even the color is as black as darkness.

And the attitude of those who seem to be afraid of that power.

My Rofan instincts tell me.

A demon/monster/black duke.

As a Rofan reader, I’m very, very familiar with this.

You know what I’m talking about!

“What, the power of the devil?”

“No!”

Nancy, who was as white as snow, shouted loudly.

I looked at Nancy with a suspicious look.

There’s a saying that strong denial is positive.

“Well, that’s a rumor, but it’s a false rumor.”

“People are afraid of too much power. If you can’t understand.”

“We don’t really know what kind of power Magic is. Only the direct line of Paeraton, who uses that power, knows.”

“I see.”

Then I don’t know.

“It’s an overwhelming power, so there’s a lot of rumors going around.”

“Just looking at it makes me anxious, and scared.”

“When I first saw it, my legs went weak and I collapsed. The butler said it’s okay if it ends like that. It allowed me to work for the Duke.”

The maid sisters’ faces were all white.

Like talking about something awkward and creepy.

I know it’s harmless.

But somehow I felt bad.

“No.”

“What?”

“I saw magic, too. I’ve seen it several times. It’s not that scary, terrifying and creepy.”

Black power.

Dark power.

Of course, it may be the object of exclusion.

but

“I like black.”

“….”

“It’s hard to tell whether it’s burnt or worn out.”

It was quite important to me as an orphan.

“But I’ve always thought black was pretty.”

It’s the color I chose because it’s comfortable.

I also wanted to have colorful and beautiful clothes.

“But Magic-.”

I was overwhelmed at first sight.

To the point where I forgot to breathe for a moment.

“-beautiful.”

The room was quiet.

“It’s like night time.”

I remembered when Dad’s Magic wrapped me up.

Darkness and dark shadows wrapped around me tightly like a woven father’s body.

Burning father’s red eyes.

And the black darkness that instantly cut off Clattie’s finger-pointing and contempt for me.

“It’s a night to rest with your eyes closed.”

The magic my dad made surrounded me like a blanket made of chestnuts.

“It’s softer than anything to me.”

***

“It’s softer than anything to me.”

The smart child’s words rang.

Outside the window, Ares, leaning against the outer wall, fell silent for a moment.

He raised his head and said up the tree.

“I heard so.”

Ixion, who was sitting on the tree, frowned.