Sister, Don’t Marry That Guy – Chapter 138

Chapter 138

“……..”

As expected, there was no greeting.

Well, if they were going to exchange friendly greetings, they would have spoken warmly when they met at the arena.

It was as I had expected.

‘Ice, make sure no sound leaks out. Make sure all the conversations from now on don’t get out. And if anyone approaches, freeze the ground under their feet like before.’

『Executing command!』

Ice floated up into the sky with a *pororong* sound, and soon a cool air was felt.

Haden followed my gaze and tilted his head up, then slightly frowned. Ah, he sensed it.

“You felt the mana? I didn’t do anything special. I just blocked the sound.”

“……..”

“I don’t want anyone bothering us, and I don’t want anyone listening to our conversation.”

To sense mana at that level. Haden has definitely grown a lot.

You have to be a high-level swordsman to notice even the slightest flow of mana.

“Okay, Haden. Shall we properly greet each other this time?”

I raised my hand and waved.

As the movement of my hand continued, the face of this handsome protagonist friend gradually contorted.

‘Hmm, he used to smile so well a few years ago.’

And that’s not all.

In the book, Haden was still supposed to be a cheerful boy who smiled well until he lost his companions to the villains and demons.

At least, he shouldn’t have such a cold face right now.

“Thank you for saving me last time. You were the one who threw the button at His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, right?”

“……..”

Haden twitched slightly.

He still didn’t answer, as if he had no intention of hiding it.

However, this silence felt like an affirmation.

‘Good, he’s not avoiding the conversation.’

It’s not a bad sign.

“Haden. Did something happen to you in the past few years…? I don’t know why you’re looking at me like that. Are you angry?”

“……With you.”

Haden opened his mouth. His gaze became fierce like a wild beast.

『Master! Enemy detected! Enemy detected! Danger!』

‘No, no. Ice, just stay put!’

“I have nothing to say to you.”

An abnormally large amount of hatred was felt. It was incomprehensible.

‘I wasn’t mistaken last time.’

Why, Haden? Why to me?

“Why are you looking at me like that? At least tell me the reason. Is it related to you leaving the Merchant Guild without a word?”

“……..”

“I see.”

“I said I have nothing to say to you.”

I pondered for a moment before speaking.

“You have nothing to say to me, but it’s related to me? The reason you’re acting like this.”

“……..”

Haden hesitated. I didn’t miss this and continued to speak.

If I were really the cause, he wouldn’t have helped me when we met again. Or he would have attacked me.

If you think about it carefully, the anger Haden is showing is subtly distorted.

Then there’s only one thing left.

“It’s Blackwinter.”

Haden’s deep eyes momentarily burned like a blue ice flame.

The emotions swirling within his golden eyes were clearly anger and hatred.

I smiled bitterly.

“Haden, you’re angry at Blackwinter, not me. Isn’t that right?”

“……What do you know? What do you know about me.”

“I know you well. I know you too well.”

He’s someone who has been with me through my years.

Even though you were a person in ink, you were a living, breathing protagonist to me.

I glanced at the direction where Stefan and Older Sister were, then turned my head.

“Tell me, Haden. What really happened? What did Blackwinter do to you? What on earth did they do to make a kind and cheerful boy like you…?”

『Danger detected!』

*Thud!* Almost at the same time as Ice’s voice, a transparent ice shield was created next to me.

A reddened fist could be seen beyond the shield.

There was no killing intent in the fist that was thrown. It was a fist that had completely missed me from the start.

I sighed softly.

“……I won’t make an issue of this. Just tell me why a kind person like you became like this. Please.”

Instead of shrinking back, I stared straight ahead.

“Kind?”

Haden’s expression was completely distorted.

For some reason, pain and regret could be seen between his anger-stained expression.

“Someone said that being kind is no help in this world.”

“……Who said that?”

“There’s no reason to tell you, is there? Leia. Did you hide your identity five years ago because I seemed kind?”

“……..”

Haden lowered his hand.

Instead of the smile I loved so much from his childhood, a smile tinged with frustration and anger appeared.

“Reason, huh? Well, it’s not hard to say. But what will change if you know the reason?”

Haden’s words became faster.

“You’re Blackwinter after all.”

“Haden.”

“Blackwinter killed my family.”

Haden clenched and unclenched his fist.

I paused.

‘Blackwinter killed Haden’s family? When on earth?’

“Ah, I know Blackwinter, with their damned emphasis on bloodline, wouldn’t understand, but they, who treated me, a homeless person in the capital, as a friend and gave me a place to sleep… they were more than family to me…!”

Capital, I recalled him from when he was in the Merchant Guild.

Back then, he had said that he was staying at someone’s house.

“I still remember it clearly. The face of your Older Brother, Kyle Blackwinter, who laughed as if he was refreshed after killing my family.”

Ah. I felt like the puzzle pieces were fitting together. Even though I don’t know the full details of the situation…

Kyle Blackwinter. With this one phrase, all the causality makes sense.

‘Did that bastard go on another crazy killing spree somewhere?’

I frowned.

“You want to defend your family, but none of my friends deserved to die so brutally.”

“Defend them? If they did something like that, they deserve to be treated the same way.”

“……What?”

“Kyle Blackwinter? Ha, is that your goal?”

“No, all of Blackwinter. The same way my family suffered.”

……Is the protagonist saying something like this? I paused for a moment.

But I soon opened my mouth again. A cold smile brushed my lips.

“Unfortunately, that won’t happen. Kyle Blackwinter will meet his end at my hands.”

“……What, you expect me to believe that?”

“Whether you believe it or not, it doesn’t matter. There’s no one who considers someone who is constantly trying to kill me as family.”

For the first time, Haden seemed speechless and couldn’t say anything.

A bewildered expression crossed his handsome face.

Ah, when he makes that expression, he looks a bit like his childhood self?

For a moment, his innocent appearance made me suppress a laugh.

Instead, I slightly frowned and smiled bitterly.

“Why didn’t you say anything back then? No, why did you disappear without a word?”

You could have met me once and talked about it.

Then I would have told you everything, whether it was an excuse or whatever. No, this thought is not right.

Back then, Haden was just a boy of about thirteen years old. How must he have felt?

“It must have been hard. Really.”

“……..”

“I didn’t even know you were going through something so difficult… I’m really sorry, Haden. Sincerely…”

When I reached out my hand, Haden stepped back. His expression was even more bewildered.

His beautifully grown face seemed to be in a chaotic dance of confusion. I didn’t miss this and spoke.

“Why didn’t you give me a chance to talk properly even once?”

Without avoiding Haden’s gaze.

“We were friends.”

As I said this, I felt something strange in a corner of my heart.

If Haden really saw Kyle’s atrocities, why didn’t he say anything to me?

In fact, if someone killed my family, it’s only natural to hate the killer and even the killer’s family.

But the boy in front of me is different.

At least, I knew this boy as well as I knew myself.

‘Haden is not the type of person to easily lose his reason and judgment because of anger.’

No matter how angry Haden is, he doesn’t hate innocent people.

‘He might have just disappeared because he was angry on that day.’

But as time passed, he should have contacted me at least once.

At least, Haden thought of me as a true friend.

But why is he still hating me after all these years?

More than anything…

It’s not like it’s a secret that I don’t get along well with Kyle?

Even just looking at this banquet, you can tell that I don’t exchange a single word with Kyle.

If he had any sense, he would easily know that I have some kind of problem with that guy.

“……Ren.”

At that moment, Haden, who had been holding his face, called out to me.

As Haden slowly lowered his hands, the clear light returned to his golden eyes, which had seemed a bit cloudy.

‘……Were his eyes this clear just now?’

“Really, that man, he tried to kill you too?”

“Yeah.”

I nodded without hesitation.

“He must have tried several times. And the first attempt was when I didn’t even have the strength to resist properly.”

That’s right.

Now, I’ve entered the path of a complete archmage under my master’s guidance, but a few years ago, I would have been easily killed if Kyle had used his power.

“He probably still wants me dead.”

Haden’s eyes were filled with confusion. But as expected of the protagonist I cherished so much, his thoughts were quick.

A sense of relief appeared on his face.

“……Then I don’t have to hate my friend.”

“Idiot. Why didn’t you ask me directly? And for over five years?”

“That’s…….”

To think he saw Kyle and me as a team.

From Haden’s perspective, it was a situation where he could think that way, but it’s still very disgusting and unpleasant.

To be on a team with a guy who kills people! To be on a team with that bastard who hurt our Roy! The more I think about it, the more angry I get?

I raised my eyebrows sharply.

“No, the more I think about it, the more it bothers me? How much of a weird person did you think I was for all these years? Didn’t you hear any rumors when you came to the capital? That the kids fighting for the Blackwinter succession have terrible relationships with each other!”

“Th, that’s…….”