Sister, Don’t Marry That Guy – Chapter 41

Chapter 41

“……..”

“I’m saying this in advance, just in case I don’t know when I’ll get to say it, Sir.”

Stealing a glance, Stefan was looking at me with a complicated expression that was hard to describe.

His lips were moving as if he had something to say, just like when he came to find me.

“Young Lady, do you not need any help?”

Rainante didn’t seem to be talking about the current situation.

Although I haven’t known him for long, being by his side all the time made me feel like I knew him.

His face was truly asking if I wouldn’t need help in the future either.

How kind.

I smiled brightly.

“I do need it, but you’ll be in danger, Sir? No, you will be in danger.”

“I am not that weak.”

“Yes, I know that very well. But I’m not talking about your body, but your position. The things you’ve built up.”

We might survive if we get caught sneaking into Grandfather’s room. But it’s a different story if he gets caught with us, isn’t it?

Knights value loyalty above all else.

“I can’t ask you to come with me when everything might collapse.”

“……..”

I understood Rainante’s hesitation. How hard he must have worked to get to where he is.

In addition to talent, he must have needed countless efforts.

So, I could speak cheerfully to the silent knight.

“It’s okay, it can happen. But I told you, you were the kindest adult I’ve ever seen.”

I had a feeling that I might not have much time left to see my temporary guard knight.

Somehow, I had a feeling that it would be so.

‘Strange, how can a premonition feel like it’s going to come true?’

『Affirmative. An excellent magician sometimes exhibits precognition.』

‘Really?’

I don’t know what it means, but it seems highly likely to be true. I smiled.

“Then, Sir, goodbye. See you later.”

* * *

“You’re saying we go this way?”

“Uh-huh, no, not to the left. There’s Tesias Caron there, so the guards have increased.”

After parting with Rainante, we began our full-fledged tour of the mansion.

It’s a grand way to put it, but it was more like Stefan guiding and me following behind.

Surprisingly, Stefan knew almost everything about the mansion, including secret passages, the number of guards and their patrol routes, and even shift change times.

“Isn’t it obvious? I might become the general manager in the future.”

“Wow…….”

The head of family’s successor becomes the head of the family in the future.

And among those who fail to become the head of the family, some would give up their family name and become knights or manage the security of the mansion.

Come to think of it, in the original story, Stefan swore loyalty to Kyle and became a manager under him.

I looked at my young older brother with new eyes.

Could it be, was he preparing for this since then?

‘He’s still so young……’

What kind of life would it be, living while giving up on one’s own potential from the beginning?

It wasn’t hard to figure out.

And now wasn’t the time to get lost in sentimentality.

“Currently, the mansion is fully occupied by vassals, and the path we’re taking now is the one that avoids encountering knights as much as possible, while also avoiding the vassals’ knights.”

“Oh, you’re right. We haven’t encountered a single knight.”

“It’s daytime now. They must be having tea time. The most important guards would have been deployed to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s side.”

“Hmm, now that you say it, you sound quite capable, Oppa.”

“What? Did you think I wasn’t capable before, you?”

How did he know? I smiled. Stefan paused.

“……Don’t you have any shame? ……Living like this with me.”

“Why are you picking a fight all of a sudden?”

“Never mind.”

This guy is as sensitive as a teenager. No, wasn’t he around that age?

If that’s the case, then it’s understandable……

“Do you see that over there? That’s the staircase. The first obstacle we’ll face.”

“Yeah, I see it.”

A relatively narrow staircase came into view. There, knights in black uniforms were standing on each side of the railing.

“To get to the top floor, we have to use that staircase to get to the 4th floor.”

“That’s the floor where Grandfather’s room is.”

“That’s right. Grandfather is on the top floor.”

“Hmm, it looks like there’s not enough time to go another way?”

“Yeah.”

It seems that the path I took when I infiltrated the head of family’s office is difficult to use. Then, it would be good to try going up that staircase once?

“Oppa, let’s go there too.”

“What, hey! Hey!”

“Just trust me.”

I glanced at Ice sitting on my shoulder and then held out my hand.

Then, Ice sprinkled some snowflakes. Soon, two scrolls appeared in my hand.

One of the magic Ice can use, ‘Subspace Magic.’ It’s a magic that stores and retrieves items.

I tore the scroll.

“How is it, Oppa? Did the magic work properly?”

“You, recklessly using magic……! Hey! Where are you going!”

“Let’s go quickly.”

We approached the staircase with quick steps. Fortunately, we were able to climb the stairs without much difficulty.

‘Those knights may be great people, but the magic scroll that Master made will be superior.’

Okay, so the magic works smoothly even on upper knights.

“You’re really, whether it’s reckless or…….”

“Shhh.”

We quickly climbed the stairs and arrived at the floor where the head of family’s room was.

And we crossed the hallway and faced a new staircase. It was narrower than the staircase we saw below, and this time, three knights were standing there.

‘Hmm, it’ll be difficult to explore from there in advance.’

Our exploration was over here.

The scroll we used today was given to me by Master for testing, so our time was up to this point.

It was good that we came up here for a test run.

Probably, tomorrow, on the day, we were planning to go in with full preparation.

I gestured to Stefan. It was a signal to go back.

We went back down to the first floor, and in a place where no one was around, we released the magic. Perhaps it was because we walked quite a bit, but the back of my neck was wet with sweat.

『Master, temperature check! You have a slight fever!』

‘Ah, thank you……. It’s so cool!’

Thanks to Ice gently creating a cool breeze, the back of my neck cooled down quickly.

Aside from walking, I think I sweated more because of the tension.

‘If the simulation is like this, then I should expect the real thing to be even more tense.’

After all, the mock exam and the real college entrance exam are different. And that real thing is tomorrow.

“Oppa, you worked hard. Then we’ll meet again tomorrow at the agreed time……. Oppa?”

“Shhh.”

Why is he like this? Stefan was now staring intently at one spot. He put his index finger on his lips and even stopped me from talking.

Following his gaze, I saw a familiar back.

“Hyung, hyuuung, are you sure they went this way? Did you see properly?”

“Of course. Don’t you trust me? Do you want to get hit?”

“Nooo……. It’s just that I can’t see them no matter how much I walk. It’s a remote place.”

It was Caron and Roman.

The guys with black hair, who were noticeable even from afar, were bickering with each other and approaching us.

Although we were standing behind a pillar, it seemed like we would meet them soon.

“No, why are you trying to see His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Hyung? I’m scared of that person……. You got kicked by him too.”

“Shut up. It’s because you’re still young. If you become close with that person, it’ll be so helpful to Father in the future…… Be quiet. I can’t sense their presence properly!”

Fortunately, or perhaps not, they were still looking around and hadn’t found us.

I don’t know what they were looking for, but they were very diligent. Judging by what they were saying, it seemed like they were looking for the Crown Prince.

“Hey.”

Stefan, who had been quiet, called out without looking at me.

Even when I raised my head, I could barely see his chin along with his broad back. When I slightly shifted my body, I could see his very focused face.

Why is he like this again?

“You said it.”

“Said what?”

“That those guys were showing off to you. Showing off with things they don’t have.”

“……That’s true. But why?”

“Is that all?”

“What?”

Stefan spoke without looking at me.

It was the same complicated expression I had seen once before. An expression that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

“……The guys I know are so low-class that it definitely wouldn’t have ended there.”

At that, I briefly recalled the past. It was before I remembered my past life.

When I didn’t know that this place was a book I had read, nor that I had a past life, when I was trying so hard to be loved.

“You useless trash. What are you looking at?”

“Why don’t you go and tell on them? They can’t even tell on you because they’re afraid of getting hated, isn’t it funny?”

They were truly cruel.

The ignorant cruelty of thinking that it was just ‘playing’ even while stabbing countless sore spots.

Is hitting and kicking the only form of violence? What I experienced was also abuse and violence.

But I didn’t feel like I wanted to talk about it now.

“Well, it was just……. as you thought? Would it be any different from what you know? Those guys.”

“……..”

“But they never hit me. As you know, I’m so weak that they’re careful about that. They wouldn’t want things to escalate.”

“……Okay, I understand.”

It was at that moment. A giggle burst out from Roman, who was almost within reach.

“Come to think of it, that half-wit and that bastard. They must have been beaten up by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, right? I really wanted to see that weak trash falling down, if nothing else.”

“Hmm, you mean Leia? Why do you hate her so much, Hyung?”

“Is there a reason to hate someone? If you’re born as such weak trash, it’s fate. It’s okay. It’s okay. She’s a trash who calls her own older brother a good-for-nothing.”

“Hehe. That’s true!”

Stefan’s head turned towards me.

I saw his expression, but as expected, it was difficult to understand what kind of expression it was.

Maybe Stefan himself finds it difficult to understand?

“Yeah, I really understand now……”

“Oppa?”

“The trash was me.”

“Huh? Hey, wait, where, Oppa!”

Stefan walked out from behind the pillar, ambling slowly.