Chapter 21

No! As the coarse voice filled my head, I shut my eyes.

“Y-you can’t do that. Y-you have to be happy.”

“… Do you want my happiness?”

“Yes. How nice it is to be happy. I want you to be happy wherever you are.”

I nodded my head with more sincerity than I ever had.

His life has always been desolate. In the novel, Reynok was a cold and calculating man. For the sake of his success, he could do anything. This was largely because he could barely sympathise and understand other’s feelings.

He would think,

We were deep in the forest so I was used to waking up to the sounds of birds. As I was rubbing my eyes, I made eye contact with my sister who was standing in front of me.

Why was my sister here? She looks very angry…

I shot out of bed.

“Diana?!”

… When did I fall asleep? Goosebumps travelled down my body.

I thought I would never fall asleep. I was planning on going back to my sister’s room after pretending to fall asleep, but I actually did sleep. I was dumbfounded.

No, how would I explain why I fell asleep in his arms. I mumbled as I looked around.

“Hahaha. D-did you sleep well?”

“Do I look like I did?”

My sister immediately asked uncomfortably.

“Do you know how surprised I was when you weren’t there this morning?”

“S-sorry…”

It would have been surprising to see your sister, who had been sleeping right next to you, disappear in the morning. Only to find her sleeping peacefully on the sofa in the living room. What’s more when you already explicitly told her not to…

“So, did I sleep well? I did. The bed was wide. Very wide.”

My sister narrowed her eyes.

“Your sister was so tired that she knocked out on her bed, without any idea where our pretty Amy had gone to. What a bad sister I was. Right?”

“… Diana.”

“Your sister was careless, right?”

Judging by the atmosphere, I realised that I shouldn’t reply to her. So, I just glanced at her. My sister is a good-natured person. But I know too well that she becomes a very scary person when she’s angry.

“So, would you care to explain what happened?”

“…”

“… Even if you didn’t tell me, I could warrant a guess.”

My sister muttered to herself. Something about how crazy this all was and how embarrassing and uncomfortable this made her.

“So, you left you sister and chose to lay down next to kyute* Knox.”

*T/N: not a typo lel

As I followed my sister’s line of sight, I could only laugh. Young Knox was lying on my knees.

I didn’t know when he moved. But there was no way he could’ve held me in his boy form, so he probably moved after changing during sunrise?

As I was reasoning my current situation, my sister’s gaze turned back to me.

“Do you like Knox that much?”

“What?”

“I mean, even so, you shouldn’t go into his room alone to look for him. No matter how much he remains a child…”

“No, wait, Diana.”

“His body is more of an adult.”

No. I said no!

She soon donned a complicated look on her face, as if she wanted to say ‘Our Amy is all grown up now’…

As I listened to her quietly, I pouted at my sister’s misunderstandings. As much as I want my sister to get used to it, it seemed like my sister had misunderstood.

I mean, why do you keep thinking that I’m the culprit who started it? There are many reasons behind sleeping next to a boy who you consider just like a younger brother.

So, it could have been the Grand Duke Knox or young Knox who came to find me.

But my sister continued to stare at me with a complicated expression. She seems to undoubtedly believe that I was the one who went to find him.

“No, Diana, have you ever considered that Knox might be the one who came to find me?”

“Huh? Knox doesn’t even come near my room.”

“That’s true but…”

“It’s his body that changed, not the way he thinks. I don’t think the grown-up Knox likes me very much, right?’

Surprised that my sister’s assumptions were close to the truth, I suddenly recalled Knox asking me whether he could fight my sister last night.

Feeling nervous for no reason, I swallowed down my saliva and gently patted the sleeping boy’s head. The hair of the sleeping boy who was oblivious to his surroundings was soft, but the things that happened last night kept coming to my mind.

“Now that I think about it, his habits are similar to that of small Knox. He squinches his nose or narrows his eyes when he’s unhappy.”

“Diana, you could tell?”

“Of course. I mean I used to make a living by observing, remember? When using your sword, it’s important to catch your opponent’s small habits.”

“Uhh…”

My sister’s gaze lingered on a sword in the wall for a moment. My sister who had been upset all this while, cleared her expression before looking at me.

While staring at my sister, I suddenly recalled Knox’s condition. Knox’s curse was a cycle. For 15 days per month, he goes back to being normal. The exact date when his cycle started was unknown but if I was right, then it wasn’t long before this cycle ends. Before my sister could say anything, I grabbed her finger.

“Ah, Diana. You know the grown-up Knox? There’s something I hadn’t told you, but he doesn’t change only at night. Sometimes, he changes during the day too.”

“During the day?”

“Yeah. You never saw it, because you went out to hunt but he sometimes does. I’m also very surprised by that.”

I tried to calmly smile as I tried to explain what I didn’t manage to say to her on that day. Actually, he had never changed during the day before. But in order for my sister to naturally accept Knox when his cycle ends, it was better for me to just say this.

“So, you’re saying his changes are irregular?”

“Yeah. I don’t know very well myself but it seems like it.”

“Hmm. I had been worried about leaving the two of you alone at night. But if he was in that form…”

“You feel relieved?”

After I asked, my sister quickly nodded her head. Rather than being reassuring, he’s more likely to bring trouble.

How did I end up lying? No matter how desperately I explain for Knox, he would never give me a word of thanks for my efforts. My sister managed to accept my lies calmly, considering the fact that she was already very surprised by seeing him at night.

Instead, my sister who seemed to be pondering for a while, tilted her head donning a slightly serious expression. My sister glanced at the boy who was sleeping on my knees.

“… Fine. Let’s go back. How much do you like Knox if you’re chasing after him even at night?”

“… Who’s chasing who?”

Don’t tell me that she thinks I like Knox so much, that I was the one chasing after him at night?

“No. I just happened to meet him on my way to the bathroom. H-he couldn’t sleep so I was helping him…”

“Oh my, you’re telling me to believe you when you’re blushing like that? You’re lying to me!”

There was another reason why I was blushing like this though. But I remained speechless as my sister pretended to be shocked and grabbed her chest.

“My word, my word. Your sister didn’t raise you to be like this… My younger sister has changed! I can’t believe this!”

“I’m saying that’s not it.”

My words were not getting through to my sister who was now fake crying. Since I couldn’t change her mind, I just let out a sigh.

Honestly, my sister’s assumptions were reasonable, but for me this was just unfair.

A cloud of injustice was now befalling me but I couldn’t stand up for myself and tell the truth. So, my lips continued squirming.

“… Alright, I get it now. So, can you stop joking around?”

“Aw, you’re so cute when you’re upset.”

My sister squatted down as she smiled at me. She wiped the expression she was just using for her act and said.

“Huhu. I think Knox likes you very much. I was the one who brought him here but I think you’re the one who’s entered his heart.”

“Huh? Ah… Uhm, maybe?”

At some point, my sister’s gaze landed on that of sleeping Knox.

“I guess it would’ve been more difficult if he were to follow me around.”

“…”

It may have been in the novel but… I stared at her without saying anything.

After muttering that we both had a great relationship, my sister, who had been looking at Knox, unknowingly turned to me.

As far as I could remember, her eyes were always crinkled, resembling a half-moon but now she just let out a small sigh and patted my shoulders.

“I guess there’s nothing I can do if your relationship is that good… I’m sure it’ll remain this way even if you were to separate in the future, right?”

“Huh?”

“You’re only allowed once a week.”

What?

“But not in his room. What about the living room instead?”

Although the misunderstanding has been cleared smoothly, my sister’s solution was very bad for me. With a smile, my sister allowed me to sleep with Knox and sternly warned me not to do anything to him.

No, wait. This isn’t something you should be nagging me about.

“However, letting you sleep with grown-up Knox… As your older sister, I feel a little uncomfortable.”

“No, no, no.”

“Alright, alright. I already gave you permission, didn’t I? Don’t tell me you want to sleep in his room? No way. Any more than this is asking for too much.”

No, I’m saying that that’s not what I meant.

I had to stammer out something.

“… Amy?”

I turned my head. Knox, who had opened his eyes at some point, rubbed his eyes with his sleeves and called me.*

*T/N: Not a TL mistake. I know he was half naked the night before but now, he has sleeves but whatever LOL. 1

“Did you sleep well?”

… He nodded.

After hearing his sleepy voice, my sister who was flustered for a moment ran over to Knox.

“How are you so cute in the morning too! You’re cute both in the morning and in the afternoon. Ah, you’re cute in the evening too! The same goes for at night! Uhm.”

Diana? You haven’t even seen young Knox at night though?

After seeing the two of them peacefully exchange morning greetings, I missed my timing to complain to my sister. I had tried to protest again but my sister turned around.

“Let’s hurry and eat breakfast!”

After my sister disappeared, I was left in the living room with the boy. He looked at me, puzzled.

“Amy? What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

“Ah, no. I’m just in shock right now.”

“Shock?”

I can’t believe my sister let me sleep with him so easily. My sister who cherished me and fiercely protected me, which desperately had me hide Knox’s Grand Duke form…

I mean, how could you give your permission so easily? I can’t believe you allowed your younger sister to sleep with a grown man!

Knox, who saw that I made no effort in hiding my sulkiness, placed his hand on my cheek. 1

“Knox, what are you doing?”

“If I do this, will it go away?”

I could only blink and stare blankly at the little boy’s forehead. The bright purple eyes stared straight at me.

Knox blinked naively before taking his hand off my cheek.

“Is your shock gone?”

“… Yeah.”

… I think I’m shocked again but for a different reason.

“… Knox. You’re too close.”

As if lost in thought, Knox just blinked at me. Then, he tilted his head and said.

“… Can I not be close to you?”