YMPDKMA Chapter 38

I mouthed the question to Rupert. I truly could do anything to survive. Even if it meant becoming his puppet. Even if it meant using my only friend. Truly anything. So he should be satisfied.

Rupert had clearly said we would 'share' vision and sound, but even when I felt him peeking at me, I couldn't see him. Considering his talk about eating away at nerves, there must be a method, but he seemed to have deliberately not told me.

I tossed and turned in bed trying many times, but I couldn't see what Rupert's eyes captured. Feeling rebellious at this unfair sharing, I bit into a bird-shaped biscuit.

Riche smiled and gracefully tilted the teapot. It had been so long since I'd had an outing with her like this that I tried hard to suppress my excitement.

Setting aside Riche's credibility, I was too accustomed to her. I almost habitually felt comfort or relief as if I'd returned south—almost by inertia. And since that didn't particularly help Rupert's orders or my purpose, I had to deliberately shake it off.

"The biscuits are good, right?"

"Mm-hm."

I didn't enjoy sweets as much as before, but like Father and Rehan, I stuffed pastries into my mouth so Riche wouldn't get the wrong idea.

"Cadet Dietrich—I mean, Rehan recommended this tea house."

I'd been staring blankly at the teapot but opened my eyes wide. Though it was near the military academy, had Rehan liked tea enough to recommend tea houses?

"Really?"

"Yeah. He recommended lots of other restaurants besides this. We went to many together."

Riche's tone seemed slightly boastful, making me frown faintly. I didn't understand why she was showing off her closeness with him to me, Rehan's sister.

"You must have seen Rehan quite often."

"Sometimes. Because of Father. You know my father's stubbornness, right?"

I didn't respond since I didn't know His Lordship well. When I didn't answer, she looked down with a slightly uncomfortable expression, then turned at the ding of the bell on the door. My head naturally followed hers. I opened my mouth in surprise at the familiar boy entering.

"Rehan!"

But Riche was slightly faster. At her thin voice, Rehan, who'd been looking at another corner of the shop, slowly turned his head and discovered us. I smiled at my brother, whose eyes met mine.

"...Sister?"

Riche had called Rehan, but he called me. I glanced at Riche's slightly stiff face and looked at Rehan.

"It's surprising you frequent tea houses like this."

Rehan gave an awkward smile and walked to me. When he approached right in front of the table, Riche stood up and reached her arms toward him. He lightly hugged Riche and looked between her and me.

"Things must have worked out."

"Hm?"

"Riche was worried that you two had become distant."

I stared blankly at Riche, who looked quite lovely while hugged by Rehan, then nodded. When did they become this close?

"Ah, yeah. We made up. Though we weren't really fighting."

"That's a relief."

He gave his characteristic taciturn smile, then sat next to Riche—in other words, facing me. I frowned at the strange pink atmosphere flowing between Riche and Rehan. Riche looked at Rehan as if he were a lover. Fourteen and thirteen. Old enough for more than puppy love—in the south, old enough to prepare for marriage. But if the target was my brother, it felt a bit strange.

"...You two seem quite close."

I was startled by the sharp words that popped out without thinking and pressed my lips together. I didn't want to play the role of a spiteful sister-in-law tormenting her brother's wife.

"We're not that close."

Riche hid her flushed cheeks while denying my words. Rehan observed me as if he couldn't understand my reaction. I seriously began wondering if I should personally separate Riche from him. Whoever Rehan chose was entirely his right, but at least Gorten as it stood now was unacceptable.

"I have something to buy. I'll come back."

While I couldn't bring myself to speak to him, being too conscious of Riche, Rehan stood up. Riche laughed at my confusion-filled face. It didn't seem to mean anything good, making me tense.

"Do you dislike that I'm close with your brother?"

"It's not that."

"Lari, I know more than you think. Including what kind of relationship you and your brother have."

I clenched my fist under the table at her subtle smile. Naturally, I had no idea what Riche was talking about, but an instinctive judgment stopped my mouth from opening to object. Right now, I had to let her talk.

"You can't answer, so it must be true."

Riche's eyes looking at me had grown as cold as if directed at a complete stranger. I felt a sense of déjà vu from her gaze. Ah, yes. Gorten. Like her father who'd coldly driven me away when I'd clung to him sobbing, begging him to help Father.

"Acting so noble."

Riche muttered, barely audible. I didn't nitpick the whispered sound. Riche was cautious. Even if I truly didn't know the meaning of her words, she wouldn't kindly explain.

I opened my mouth to press a bit more, then closed it when I discovered Rehan watching us from the register not far from the table. I didn't know why Riche was reproaching us, but it couldn't be good for Rehan to know.

"Rehan, when do you have to go back?"

"I have some time today. The instructor in charge was summoned to the palace."

"Who's the instructor?"

"Ruize Baden. He's quite a famous knight, so I think you've heard of him, Sister."

Of course I had. There was no way I'd forget the Emperor's undisputed dog. I calculated that he was probably meeting Rupert right now. He might be one of the few who knew his identity. A natural sneer came, but I roughly covered my face with my hand and gestured to Rehan as he was about to sit down.

"Then come play with me."

I deliberately ignored Riche, who was staring at me with a subtle expression, and stood up. I stopped her from standing up with me, then untied the bonnet I'd borrowed from her with the elegant gesture Madam Chrissie had praised and handed it to her.

"Riche, I want to spend time with my brother after so long. You understand, right?"

"...Am I in the way?"

"Don't say such disappointing things. We siblings are just very close."

I still didn't know what Riche knew about our relationship, but I could at least guess that my chosen words would upset her. As expected, she bit her lip hard and glared at me as if wronged. It was unexpectedly satisfying, making me smile a bit mischievously.

"I'll visit again soon."

"Yeah, okay. Come anytime."

Rehan grabbed his beret and briefly greeted Riche before following me out of the tea house. We walked together with less than half a step between us, but we were silent. Unable to bear the silence, I grabbed Rehan's wrist ahead of me and stopped him. His widened dark brown eyes looked down at me.

"Are you dating Riche?"

"...Pardon?"

"I mean, are you considering Riche as a marriage partner?"

"...Pardon?"

Frustrated by Rehan's uncharacteristic questioning, I raised my voice without meaning to. He hesitantly raised his arm slowly and grabbed my shoulder, then moved his lips without answering readily.

"Don't you think that's too early a question for me?"

"You'll be fourteen soon. I don't think it's early."

"No. I don't regard her that way."

Rehan answered with a fairly firm attitude, then laughed like a sigh and covered his eyes. His beret, which had been neatly covering his closely cropped hair, slid down. I stared blankly at the hat falling to the ground, then bowed my head.

"What about Riche? How does Riche think of you?"

"I don't know."

"Riche... the Riche we know might not be all there is to Riche, Rehan. In reality, she might be a very different person."

Rehan made a thoughtful face, seeming to choose his words. His neat brow furrowed carefully. He can't misunderstand me. I held Rehan's hand with needless worry.

"Hm? Rehan."

"What about you?"

But he soon shook me off. I looked away from my fingertips hovering in the air after my brother slowly but certainly rejected them.

"Humans can't perfectly know others anyway."

"That's not what I mean..."

"What if I'm not the person you think I am?"

I thought Rehan was deliberately teasing me with a mischievous question, but my brother's face was very serious. His voice even held tension, making me serious as well.

What if Rehan wasn't the child I knew? But I never really knew Rehan in the first place. Not why my brother was troubled, nor why he'd rebelled against Father. So didn't it not matter? Rehan's preciousness had nothing to do with how well I knew him.

"You're still my brother."

Rehan didn't seem satisfied with my answer. The child showed a bitter smile, then took my hand that he'd rejected.

"I don't think I can give as confident an answer as you, Sister."