Chapter 81

Thank you for always reading.

As Cain yawned, Ivlaren had made him change into his pajamas and was redoing his hair into a loose braid to make him more comfortable when there was a quiet knock on the door.

When Ivlaren answered, it was Dian, who had already changed into her pajamas, and Sasha, who had been Dian’s personal maid for a year. Dian approached the bed where Cain was sitting, and Ivlaren stepped back, standing next to Sasha, who was holding back a step.

"Big brother, you're going to the school in the neighboring country, right?"

"Yep."

"But if Dian asks you not to, you won't go, right?"

She tilted her head, placed her hand on her cheek, and looked up at him with a slight upward glance. This was Dian’s ultimate begging technique for Cain. When she did this, Cain usually had no choice but to twist his body and raise the white flag.

Usually.

"I want to listen to Dian’s wishes, but this time it’s a bit difficult..."

"Big brother..."

"Ivlaren will stay. If you have any problems, you can rely on Ivlaren."

He had considered running away to avoid studying abroad. He had been recruited by the Mage Guild and could become a squire with the training of the Royal Guard. He had heard that many children of knight families became squires. However, considering the future, it would be a waste to give up the power he would almost automatically gain upon adulthood.

Mainly, for the sake of making Dian happy.

"Big brother, can I sleep with you tonight?"

"No way!"

Sasha, Dian’s maid, opposed it. She had been influenced by Dismaia and started listing reasons against it, such as gender issues, ethics, and public perception.

Dian puffed out her cheeks and huffed. Seeing this, Sasha’s eyes widened. Having been with Dian for a year, she only knew Dian as a lady.

Ivlaren, who had somehow gotten two blankets from somewhere, handed one to Sasha and pointed to the sofa.

"If you’re worried, you can keep watch here. I’ll let you have the two-seater sofa. I’ll take the single-seater."

With that, he hung his blanket over the back of the single-seater sofa, returned to the bed, and continued braiding Cain’s hair.

To prevent it from tangling while he slept, but to avoid any bad habits, his hair was loosely braided and draped over his left shoulder. Ivlaren peeked from above and in front, nodded in satisfaction, and then returned to the sofa, wrapping himself in the blanket and curling up on the seat.

"Dian shouldn’t catch a cold."

"I won’t make Dian catch a cold while I’m with her."

"Big brother won’t make Dian catch a cold."

"Dian. It’s m-e."

"Big brother won’t make me catch a cold."

Sasha said that if anything happened, she would bring Dian back to the room, then lay down on the two-seater sofa and covered herself with the blanket.

The room lights were dimmed, and on the wide bed where three adults could sleep, Cain and Dian lay facing each other, chatting about trivial matters.

"Big brother, please write letters."

"I’ll write a lot. Every day."

"Dian will write letters too, so please read them."

"I’ll read them a hundred times. And I’ll write back."

"Will you come home on weekends?"

"I’ll come home. Every weekend. Since Syriyum is next to our territory, we can play in Nerglandi during long breaks too."

"Dian, my back tooth has been wobbly since yesterday, and it hurts when I eat hard things."

"Is it finally time to lose a back tooth? Upper or lower?"

"Upper."

"Then it will go under the pillow. It’s a shame we can’t throw it together. But I didn’t even notice you were in pain during dinner. You did a great job pretending to eat normally."

"Hehe."

The sound of the blanket being rubbed and stroked could be heard faintly.

"Big brother, I’ve been able to do a lot of things because I could get praise from you."

"I’ll keep praising you. I’ll say ‘good job’ in my letters when you write to me."

"I should have aimed to be a ninja instead of a knight... Ninjutsu can do anything, right?"

"Anything... I’m not sure..."

The blanket rustled, and then the sound of it being lifted and gently patted could be heard.

"When Dian grows up, she’ll become a Shokuman Yu... Goro Ko... and fight bullies."

"Okay."

"And when you say ‘I’m done,’ big brother has to fight the bullies for you."

"Okay."

"So... please come back."

"Okay. I’ll come back. I’ll definitely come back. Dian has to study a lot to become a Goro Ko."

Dian’s words became increasingly incoherent.

The bed was warming up with their body heat. While thinking that he should talk more with Cain, Dian’s heavy eyelids began to droop.

"Dian... is a... temporary... disguise..."

"Goodnight, Dian. I’ll still be here tomorrow, so you can sleep soundly."

"Goodnight... big brother..."

After a while, soft snores could be heard.

Ivlaren, who had been curled up on the sofa with his eyes closed, opened one eye and looked at the opposite sofa. Sasha was still awake, watching the bed.

"No matter where they go, they’re just siblings. Just good siblings."

Sasha, who was still half-doubting Ivlaren’s words, seemed to understand that nothing suspicious was happening between the two.

Hearing the snores from the bed, she turned over, covering herself with the blanket and turning her back to Ivlaren.

Sasha, who had been told by the master of the house that her charge, Dian, needed to be protected from a pervert, had only reprimanded Dian when she acted out of character as a lady.

There was certainly love for her charge, Dian, but she didn’t realize the stress that Dian felt from always having to act like a lady.

Love isn’t just about having it, Ivlaren thought.

Thank you for reporting the typos. I always appreciate your help.

Really, really, thank you.