Chapter 30: Discomfort Seeping in (1)

Chapter 30: Discomfort Seeping in (1)

Late afternoon, County of Cruz Bay.

"For some reason, I had a bad feeling when we sent him, Mother."

Kwang!

When the hand that had been holding the sword for a long time and the nails were firmly embedded hit the desk, the piles of documents fell down. The beautiful woman in riding clothes with brilliantly shining golden hair and golden eyes was wheezing, as if she couldn't hold back her anger.

"I heard it's an elite training academy! What kind of elite throws stones at other people's heads?"

"Your brother was stoned?."

"You think that is all? That guy, on the stomach-"

"Ruin."

It was her mother, Tess Cruz, who calmed Ruin down, who was enraged and saying things she didn't need to. Except for Lilian Cruz, who got married and left the family, the three women gathered here all had shining, brilliant golden hair. There was this subtle difference between Arma Cruz and Count Joseph Cruz, who had golden hair with a hint of brown.

"Anyway, now it would be better to bring back Arma."

"How did my brother get stoned? And the stomach?"

"Bring him back here as quickly as possible; I don't like this."

"Brother is---"

"Ask him directly when Arma comes back."

Ruin, who interrupted the youngest child, Riche Cruz's question, crossed her arms nervously and stared at the empty floor.

"You were too stubborn. And he got stranded on that gloomy island, which we cannot even reach! I should have gone along."

All the women of the Cruz family inherited their temper from their mother, Tessa, and keen intuition. Ever since the third and only male, Arma Cruz, decided to head to the academy, Ruin, the eldest daughter, couldn't pretend to not notice the ominous premonition that he would die one day. Ruin Cruz brushed off her short, close-cropped hair like a man and sat down with her legs crossed on the sofa.

"Anyway, it all went well. We just couldn't ask him to come back since he had nothing to use."

Tessa Cruz lowered her eyes, pondering those words.

'Was this all?'

Arma Cruz melted all of her sorrow at a young age. Although he was scolded for being a fool for following his mother around, Tessa Cruz wanted to live with Arma a little longer if she could. That is, if it weren't for the sudden decision to head to the academy. It wasn't a good idea for an already incompetent child to spend his adolescence on this remote island at the border.

Nevertheless, the reason he was allowed was that it was one of the few things Arma looked excited about.

"How many years has it been since Arma hasn't come?"

"A little over a year?"

"Before that? He came a year ago, and when did he come before that?"

"When he was 19, he came here twice."

Hearing that answer, Ruin and Tessa felt that something was odd. They were missing something here, but they couldn't put their finger on it.

"But anyway, he would have graduated from the academy in just one more year. Are you really going to bring back my brother after he graduates?"

Unlike Ruin, who kept her hair short, the youngest one, Riche, had her curly hair grown to the waist and braided. So, unlike Ruin, who was constantly flipping her hair in nervousness, Riche expressed her nervousness by wrapping her fingers around the ends of her hair.

Ruin and Tessa looked as if they were caught off guard by Riche's point. This anxiety continued to grow, and two people became more anxious about bringing Arma back home.

'Just why?'



"It is morning. It is too early for anyone to visit me."

No matter how close they are to me, it is a bit too early to come visit me like this. In reality, that wasn't the case, but I cleared my throat to sound calm and said.

"... Arthur?"

"Theodore."

"Isn't this a bit too early to come find me?"

"Yes, it is."

He spoke in a bit of a troubled tone. I could clearly understand the emotions of Theodore, who was on the other side of the door, and slowly opened it, hoping no one copied the tone.

'It is him.'

Theodore was there with this sad face, like he couldn't sleep, and I looked at him. The men of the White family are known to be famous for their tall genes after they come of age. Right now, he is looking up to me, but one day I will be the one looking up at him. Theodore looked at me differently than usual and then tried to come in.

"Wait, stay where you are."

I stopped Theodore, who was trying to come in. Then, holding the gun in my hand, I tried to slowly pull the trigger to unload.

"Something not nice happened over the past few days. One was just a misfire I had caused."

"Yes."

"I think I reacted a bit too sensitively because I was feeling anxious for no reason."

"..."

Theodore didn't seem to care that I had loaded the gun before opening the door. Well, even though he looked unassuming, this guy was an elite in black magic. In some cases, he could wield greater strength than me; he wouldn't have been very surprised if I opened the door and pointed the gun at him.

"What did you come here for? Is something up?"

"I have something to ask Arma Cruz."

I let him inside and into the room. The living room is a small space next to the bedroom, half blocked by the wall. Theodore followed my lead and pulled out a chair to sit down. He sat with his hands over his knees. Just a little while ago, I would have never imagined having Theodore in the home and having such talks, but I guess humans are unpredictable.

"No matter how much I think, I feel like Arma Cruz and Arthur met that day, but it is strange that nothing is being said to me, so I came here."

"Haha, so upfront..."

I didn't hate Theodore, who cut off the bullshit and came to the point. I sat across from him with my legs crossed and then thought before speaking.

"Right, we met."

"Is it Arthur who fired the gun?"

"No."

It was an answer that wasn't a lie---not a full lie. After all, Arthur didn't mean to shoot me at all. But Theodore nodded, like he got a hint from my words.

"Whether it was intentional or not, Arthur did it."

"First of all, I have no intention of blaming Arthur for that."

"I thought you would say that. But regardless of how kind Arma Cruz is, I just want to say that Arthur will be in danger now."

"Arthur and not me?"

Theodore nodded.