Sister, Don’t Marry That Guy – Chapter 140

Chapter 140

“Yeah, it’s weird if you don’t notice something’s off.”

“Because he was muttering while staring blankly into the air, like someone who’d been brainwashed.”

‘Okay, I understand.’

The reason why Haden didn’t look for me all this time and only grew his hatred for Blackwinter.

I bit my lip tightly.

‘No wonder I thought something was strange when he threw a punch at me earlier!’

Could it be that if I said a specific keyword, it would make Haden attack the person? Many thoughts flashed through my mind.

But now I had to end this situation.

“Okay. Haden. Haden. It’s me, your friend Ren.”

“…….”

“I won’t ask about your precious companions anymore.”

Saying this, I thought of the circle.

Was there a tool in this world that could brainwash or manipulate people? Or a power?

‘I have some guesses… but I don’t know what it is yet.’

If the other party really knew the ‘original work’, there are definitely a few methods they could use.

Thanks to that, I was able to narrow it down to a few possibilities.

Meanwhile, I ordered Ice to give Haden a cold shock to the back of his neck, and soon a clear light returned to Haden’s eyes.

His eyes, which had regained focus, blinked.

“……Ren?”

Haden tilted his head as soon as he came to his senses.

“Ah, what was I doing just now? Hmm, we shook hands, and maybe… no, I didn’t attack you, did I?”

“…….”

Did they make him forget after showing hostility and even attacking?

I stared at Haden as if observing him, then smiled brightly.

“You didn’t do anything.”

But I briefly forgot that Haden was a swordsman of a high level, no, even more skilled than that.

I tried to hide it, but the hand I was trying to pull away was grabbed.

I ended up showing my bright red hand to Haden too.

Silence flowed between us.

Hesitating whether to look at Haden’s expression or not, I slowly raised my head, and the protagonist was making an expression that I couldn’t describe. If nothing else, one thing was certain.

He was biting his lip and holding back tears as if he was about to cry any moment.

“……Hey, Haden?”

You’re not crying, are you? No way. If you cry here, it’ll be very troublesome.

I only blocked the sound, I didn’t block people from looking here!

Whether it was because he saw my troubled expression, or thankfully it wasn’t something to cry about.

Haden ended up just biting his lip instead of crying.

However, it was undeniable that the area under Haden’s eyes had become moist.

‘Well… I understand this.’

Actually, he had just resolved a misunderstanding with a friend and was very sorry to me, and on top of that, he realized that he had unintentionally hurt me.

In the book, the protagonist had a high level of empathy.

That’s why he was so nosy, going around helping others and adventuring.

“Don’t worry about my hand. My magicians are good at healing magic too.”

Of course, above all, our master can do any kind of magic.

Ice whined and climbed onto the back of my hand, cooling down the heat.

‘For now, it’ll be difficult to talk anymore.’

There are too many people here. It’s hard to stop people from coming over here anymore.

“Haden, don’t worry too much about my hand.”

I said, clenching and unclenching my hand.

“So, you participated in this match to get revenge on Blackwinter?”

To be precise, on Kyle Blackwinter. Haden nodded with a heavy and gloomy expression.

“……Actually, there was an urgent ruin subjugation, but a friend agreed to do it instead.”

The mysterious person called ‘friend’ appeared again. I listened without adding anything.

I had seen with my own eyes that Haden became strange when I tried to dig into that being.

“And my friend also encouraged me to participate in the martial arts tournament. He also told me to contact him at the arena.”

“He told you to contact him at the arena?”

“Ah, I guess he thought I’d make it to the finals. He told me to contact him then.”

Haden scratched the back of his neck a bit awkwardly.

“Anyway, Ren, I’m really sorry…….”

“It’s okay.”

Even though I said it was okay several times, Haden didn’t know what to do. Well, I didn’t dislike it.

Because I liked the protagonist knowing that he was originally this kind of person.

“Let’s talk next time. It seems like the most important misunderstanding has been resolved.”

“I want to talk more with you…….”

“Oh, don’t be so gloomy. I feel the same way. I only just found out there was a misunderstanding, you know? But people are looking at us strangely.”

I smiled as brightly as I could to reassure Haden and gestured slightly with my hand towards the outside.

“If we stay any longer, rumors will spread that I fell in love with you at first sight and even used magic, you know?”

“……Huh?”

Haden was momentarily stunned with his mouth open before he was startled.

He jumped as if he had springs on the soles of his feet.

He was so big that I flinched too. Why is he like this?

“S-sorry. Sorry. I didn’t mean to… mean to, uh.”

“Why are you sorry? Ah, the rumors? That’s just a saying, it hasn’t spread yet. It’s an example, an example.”

The moment I smiled and raised my gaze, I paused without realizing it, facing a very red face.

……What’s with this protagonist?

Why are you acting so awkward?

I don’t think even if you brought a well-ripened tomato, it could produce this color.

“Ah, h-however, I, well, I don’t know, but, this is, not good for women, is it…….”

“…….”

This shouldn’t be happening? Just thinking about his childhood, how was he?

He smiled brightly at the girls his age, saying ‘you’re the prettiest in the world’ and so on, wasn’t he? That was not a normal vibe.

It was the vibe of a born playboy!

‘Huh? What happened while the story changed?’

I thought he was exactly the same in personality as in the book…….

“Well, don’t worry too much. It was just a joke, but… even if the situation gets worse, well, wouldn’t it just be that a young hero is coming into Blackwinter as a son-in-law?”

Even if such rumors spread, it wouldn’t be that disadvantageous to me…….

Ah, if something like that spreads, would my father, the Head of Family, suddenly try to get me married? That would be a bit troublesome.

The current Head of Family and the vassals who follow him, the most important thing to them is that darn ‘bloodline’, isn’t it?

They might even bring in some young man with an excellent bloodline and get me engaged.

I shook my head.

“No matter what, you don’t have to be sorry about anything, Haden.”

I brushed my hands off as if it was nothing and put my hands on my waist.

“Actually, when you glared at me on the day we reunited after so long, I was very sad.”

Thinking about that time, I still feel a bit depressed. No matter what, he was my idol.

‘Well, his womanizing in the book was a bit much, though.’

To be precise, it was more like he didn’t stop women from coming and didn’t hold onto women who were leaving.

That was the only flaw, even if it was unavoidable because the novel’s characteristic was a harem.

“…….”

Haden seemed to have lost his words and looked at me before lowering his gaze.

‘Come to think of it, according to the original work, isn’t this the time when he’s supposed to be having a fling with his childhood friend?’

It seems like it’s the time when he’s supposed to be having a fling with the childhood friend he grew up with in his hometown.

It seems like Haden’s adventure party and members that I knew are different, so I should ask about this later.

“Then, Haden, let’s meet again. Ah, and good luck with the match.”

“Huh?”

“Now we can fight fairly and squarely, knowing that we can trust each other.”

Haden looked like he had heard something he shouldn’t have. Why is he like this? It can’t be that he doesn’t know that I’m his next opponent. Ah, that’s right.

“And thank you again for saving me from the Crown Prince in the waiting room before.”

I said this and held out my hand, and Haden hesitated before taking my hand and shaking it.

I don’t know how it looks from the outside, but I hope it looks like we’re just building friendship or camaraderie between the next match opponents…….

With that, I said goodbye to Haden, promising to meet again.

And then, I went to a table on one side of the banquet hall, sitting down while pushing away the people who were approaching me with a smile.

The moment I sat down with my back to the people, the smile that had been on my face disappeared completely.

‘……What the heck is up with Haden’s condition?’

Thinking about it again, it was a chilling moment.

The moment the focus disappeared from Haden’s eyes like a lie.

His empty eyes as if he couldn’t see anything.

And even his threatening behavior that overturned the friendly atmosphere we had just had after resolving the misunderstanding.

‘If, if he really is brainwashed.’

I was lost in thought.

Who, with what intention, and how? These are important too, but.

The most important thing is that Haden has already become like that, so I need to solve it.

‘He’s being controlled by someone’s will, that’s just…….’

I clenched my fist tightly.

The reason why I loved this world in my past life was because I admired the free protagonist so much.

‘Even if it’s regrettable, it’s right to focus more on my current situation.’

Now that I’ve been reincarnated into this world, the protagonist’s journey is good, but my future and life, and those who follow me, take priority.

Especially in this situation where the stakes of this martial arts tournament are so high.

However, what if giving Kyle a good blow in the match and winning the martial arts tournament.

And finding something that can return Roy to normal after the match could be done at the same time without hindering it?

‘It’s possible.’

Why is this possible?

‘Because the item that can recognize and undo brainwashing is right inside the martial arts tournament arena.’