Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Ka-chak.

Lisandro left Yurenia in her room alone, saying it was alright not to see him off.

As he went out of the room, he saw Verdo standing firm as always and guarding Yurenia’s room.

The soft expression he had just until now grew fierce as he regarded Verdo.

“Noonim must have said that you don’t need to stand outside the door.”

“It is my duty to protect the saint.”

“There’s no place as safe as this place. Noonim must feel uncomfortable because of you, so why don’t you go back to your place?”

Lisandro’s eyes narrowed. As he approached Verdo, he looked down arrogantly at the paladin.

“Get lost.”

Lisandro’s tone was almost a command as he was openly hostile to the paladin without hiding it.

His killing intent permeated the air and spread subtly, gradually wrapping around Verdo’s body.

Verdo’s fingertips slightly flinched, but he moved not an inch away from his station.

“This is my job.”

“Job?”

Lisandro scoffed in disbelief.

“Then keep an appropriate distance from her.”

The brutal atmosphere that was directed at Verdo began to spread throughout the hallway. Verdo winced unconsciously at the atmosphere energy that he couldn’t bear.

Having to face it in person was even more severe.

Verdo heard that Lisandro was an unrivaled knight, and it didn’t seem like the rumors were wrong.

He pretended to be calm, but Verdo’s body froze right then.

He wasn’t someone insignificant from the ministry academy. Rather, Verdo belonged to the top ranks.

He was ashamed to say it himself, but he was also told that he was a genius.

However, in front of Lisandro, the power that he thought was already great was all useless.

And more than that, his hidden feelings were caught.

After meeting the saint Yurenia for the first time, going to school together, and being selected as her escort knight, he fell helplessly in love with the kind, bubbly Yurenia.

She was bright and always smiled brightly, worrying about him even though she was also having a difficult time.

She was kind to everyone, yet at an arm’s length.

She didn’t use her divine power carelessly. There was even a joke in the order of the knights that to receive Yurenia’s divine healing, they’d have to go through a near death experience first.

And it was nice. Because she wasn’t devoted to anyone.

No one in the temple blamed the saint. Actually, they left her alone as if it were natural.

Many secretly admired the lovely saint who was shining so brightly. And Verdo was one of them.

Lisandro did not hide his killing intent, and it was as though he’d pull out his sword right away, however—

“You’re still here?”

As soon as he saw his sister coming out of the door, he quickly erased his murderous aura. Verdo exhaled a faintly long breath as the killing intent disappeared.

More calmly than anyone, Lisandro opened his lips to speak.

“We had a small chat.”

Alternately looking between them with suspicion, Yurenia leaned over to Lisandro and whispered.

“Did you threaten him again?”

“Ugh, Noonim! Why do you always think I threaten people?”

As if the previous atmosphere was a lie, Lisandro whined and complained in a loud voice.

Yurenia frowned and shouted back.

“You’ll get in trouble if you annoy other people like you do with Frey! No matter how pretty Verdo is, don’t fall for him!”

At the strange warning, Lisandro and Verdo fell silent for a moment, both of them in shock.

In particular, Lisandro’s face paled and hardened as though he had seen a ghost.

Then, when his eyes met with Verdo, he shouted in disgust.

“What are you talking about? Who’s pretty?! Who’s going to fall for whom?! Are you crazy!”

“Lisandro, my baby brother. Don’t make this Noonim of yours nervous.”

“Crazy! You’re crazy!”

Seeing how big of a fuss he was making, Yurenia hurriedly grabbed his hand tightly and patted the back of it, worried that his evil side might resurface.

“I-I’m sorry. No matter how crazy I am, you shouldn’t scream so much that everyone will hear, right?”

“You’re too much, Noonim. You’re so mean…!”

As Lisandro whined, his eyes quickly brimmed with tears, threatening to overflow.

Verdo thought he had seen it wrong, so for a moment, he rubbed his eyes.

Was he the same person who gave out all that killing intent just now? This guy who was big yet acting cute?

Verdo stared blankly at the twins.

Yurenia had to hug Lisandro first and pat him on the back, before he calmed down. Then, she sent him on his way.

Verdo watched as Lisandro left, still dazed from the shock of the earlier sight.

It felt like a lie to see him acting so differently from a while ago.

“Sir Verdo.”

“…Yes?”

Verdo answered belatedly. Then, Yurenia asked carefully.

“What did Lisandro do?”

“……”

Yurenia looked anxiously at Verdo, who wasn’t saying anything, then she shook her head slightly.

“If that’s the case, then I’m sorry, Sir Verdo. My brother cares too much about me, so I hope you don’t take it to heart.”

“…Nothing much was said.”

Only then did Yurenia breathe out a sigh of relief and smile broadly.

“As expected, right? He’s my little brother, that’s why he’s a very nice kid.”

The smile was so bright and dazzling that Verdo narrowed his forehead slightly like a habit.

Then, Verdo hesitated. Almost on impulse, he opened his lips and asked.

“Am I pretty?”

“What?”

“Ah, earlier…”

Avoiding Yurenia’s gaze, Verdo blushed.

“Oh! That.”

Yurenia smiled broadly and nodded.

“Yes, you’re pretty! Pretty guys are the best.”

She smiled and held up a thumb, and this made even Verdo’s ears turn red.

But then the words that followed made his face regain its original color.

“And Frey is the prettiest.”

Even though it was a small murmur, Verdo heard it clearly.

“By the way, Sir Verdo, you can go now.”

“…Yes. Then, I’ll be on my way.”

With a silent bow to Yurenia, who waved goodbye at him, he gradually moved away from her room.

His head was full of the name Frey now.

Nothing could be seen even an inch in front because of the rain.

The ground was soaking wet due to the drizzle and the ground was soft underneath.

The hem of the long dress was already entirely muddy, never mind the shoes that disappeared into the mud with every step taken.

Frey could be seen in front, holding Yurenia’s hand as he led her.

His hair was soaked and stuck to his face, and even his clothes were fully drenched.

The long dress weighed down on her more as it was sodden with rainwater.

’F-Frey… wait…’

‘Yuni, are you having a hard time?’

He was worried about Yurenia, whose shoulders were trembling noticeably.

Yurenia couldn’t answer because she was out of breath, so she instead took the dagger hanging on Frey’s waist and tore the dress around her knees. However, she couldn’t tear it off well.

‘H-Help me.’

‘Just now, what…’

Yurenia didn’t answer the flustered Frey and just held out the dagger.

Frey had cut the rest of the dress and Yurenia tore it off along the line. The dress was no longer dragging on the floor.

Without even looking around, Yurenia threw away the garment toward the edge of the cliff, then she grabbed Frey’s hand again and started running.

It was endlessly difficult to run on a ground weakened by rain.

And apart from that, they were both barefoot.

Even when they stepped over jagged stones and broken twigs—even as they bled, they did not stop running.

As they moved, Yurenia felt a murderous aura that couldn’t be ignored any longer, and so she gritted her teeth and stopped running.

It was meaningless to run. She could feel that their entire surroundings were already filled with that atmosphere.

She couldn’t even breathe because the pressure of it could be felt from all sides.

Surely Frey felt it as well, and he looked towards the heavens in despair. However, because of the pouring rain, the sky couldn’t be seen at all.

’Frey.’

‘…No.’

As if he already knew what she was going to say, Frey desperately hung on and refused to accept it. But Yurenia was resolute.

After looking around, Yurenia turned back and faced Frey.

Her unshakable eyes looked straight at him.

It was hard to tell whether they were tears or if they were streaks of rainwater, but Yurenia seemed to be crying.

Her heart ached, and she wanted to ask for forgiveness. She wanted to protect him, and she knew that this was the last day.

She wanted to give strength to this small, powerless child. She wanted to give him happiness, yet it didn’t last long.

She was sorry that instead of that, she had given him even deeper pain. Yurenia was grateful for the rain that was pouring on her now.

Because of the rain that persistently drummed down, her sadness wouldn’t be as clear.

’I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you until the end.’

‘Yuni, don’t say that. I don’t want to hear it.’

He embraced her deeply and did not let her go.

Seeing the chance to do so, Yurenia gathered her energy and wrapped it over Frey’s body.

And he felt that his strength was gradually recovering.

Yuni, who took Frey’s face in her hands, kissed his forehead reverently.

And starting from his forehead, there was a cozy, soft feeling that spread throughout his body.

At this warmth, tears fell.

’I’m sorry that you had to go through so much because of my brother.’

‘…It’s not your fault.’

‘It would be wonderful to see you live with your head held up high. I’ll do something about Lisandro.’

At the same time, Yurenia’s heart throbbed inside her.

It was as if she was saying that she’d die along with her younger brother. Frey’s eyes grew wide.

His hand over Yurenia’s gripped tighter. She felt pain because of it, but she didn’t let go.

’Honestly, Lisandro deserves to be punished, that terrible punk. Right?’

She made a joke that didn’t suit the current situation at all, smiling and being playful as she usually was.

Frey bit his lips and shook his head.

’No. Let’s go together.’

‘Stop saying things like that.’

She said this as she poked Frey’s cheek, shaking her head.

Shortly after their exchange, the sound of footsteps and a horse’s gallop could be heard surrounding them.

Knights on horseback looked down at the two, their appearance threatening. Over the swords that they unsheathed, the rain fell and dripped down.

Through a gap between the knights, Lisandro slowly stepped forward.

As he saw the two clinging together, Lisandro’s expression became severely distorted.

’Did you elope? You’re my sister, but you stole the one I love? And—you left me behind…?’

Yurenia hid Frey behind her back.

’I thought of you as my sister. But thanks.’

Lisandro’s brows rose as he smiled.

’I won’t hold back anymore even if you’re my brother.’

‘When did you ever think of me as your younger brother?’

An electrifying atmosphere commenced between the two.

Frey was terribly anxious, but there was nothing he could do.

He had become healthy again, but his devastated mind was far from the right condition to enter a contract with the spirit king again.

Perhaps because his contract with the spirit king had been forcibly terminated, he couldn’t enter a contract with other spirits.

Because of his pathetic state, Frey was powerless, about to go crazy because he had no choice but to hide behind Yurenia.

’Let go of Frey. Isn’t it enough that you’ve already broken everything around him?’

‘It’s none of your concern.’

Along with the wrathful response, Lisandro took out his sword from its scabbard. The sharp blade was quickly doused by the rain.

The drumming rain was especially loud in the mountains. The sky was dark, everything was thrown into chaos.

The lovely Frey behind her was trembling behind her, and her beloved brother Lisandro was pointing a sword at her.

’Will you strike me with that sword?’

‘If you give Frey back to me, I’ll spare your life.’

Frey tried to move forward, but Yurenia blocked him from doing so.

’Frey, no one can imprison you anymore. None of this is your fault.’

Then, Yurenia raised her hands and took the stance of an archer. At this, a golden bow and shining arrows appeared out of thin air.

Golden waves rolled over the vicinity, and this was the only source of light in this gray space.

Yurenia’s entire body exuded divine power.

And she focused all her energy onto the bow and arrow.

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