CH 87

I was also terrified of falling asleep. I frequently experience nightmares. In my dream, I was in a lake and was made to wear a laurel wreath that gradually shrank and tightened around my head. The director then abruptly appeared in a burned state and kept yelling at me that it was hot.

Then I was back in Nicor. Nicor was far too chilly. I didn’t want to be in this cold, regardless of how hot the weather was. It was so cold that I started crying once more. A white hand then reached out and stroked my head. Then I remembered the laurel wreath……

“Sister, sister.”

Someone shook my body.

“Rex…”

I was awakened by Rex. I hadn’t seen Rex’s blue eyes in quite some time. His expression was filled with concern for me.

I tried to reassure Rex by smiling as much as I could.

“What brings you here?”

“I’m worried about sister……. Are you all right?”

“I’m all right.”

“You said your head hurts in your sleep, so if you have a serious headache, should I bring some medicine?”

“No, it’s fine. Would you like to come up?”

Although my head was still tight, I didn’t feel the need to take any medication. And I didn’t want to worry anyone.

Instead, I tapped the bed to signal Rex to come up, and he, who had been worried for a while, came up to my bed and lay down facing me.

“Are you all right?”

“I’m all right.”

“I’m sorry…”

“How come Rex feels sorry for me?”

He suddenly started crying and apologized, but I didn’t understand why. Why is Rex feeling sorry for me? I swiftly reached up and gently dabbed Rex’s tears. I can’t just carelessly touch Rex’s skin because it seems so fragile. The corners of his eyes are soft.

“Sister always protected me…….”

“Rex.”

“Heuk. Uhmm… For me, your eyes and hair are pretty, heuk.”

“Oh my. Rex’s hair and eyes are really pretty too.”

“Well, stop talking like that.”

It’s incredible no matter how many times I think about it. In the original story, how did a crybaby become a villain? He looks like a puppy with golden fur.

To calm Rex down, I gave him a shoulder pat. Perhaps as a result of my gesture with my hand, Rex gradually stopped crying.

“Rex has nothing to apologize for.”

“I wanted to help, but I couldn’t find anything, nothing came out.”“Think about it, Rex.”

“Yes…”

“Have I actually helped you in any way?”

“No, heuk, that’s not it.”

“If you think about it, I only said your hair color was pretty, and the thing about Baron Bruno, Gilbert did a lot more than me.”

Rex was silent for a moment, as if he was thinking. I tried to smile as sweetly as I could.

“But I’m sure you’re glad to have me by your side.”

“……Yes.”

“You feel like you’re not alone when you think of me, and you feel good without knowing why.”

“How, heuk, do you know?”

“I feel the same way.”

“You, too?”

Rex cried so hard that his hair became sweaty. As I swept Rex’s hair back, I noticed his lovely white forehead. I slapped Rex’s forehead in jest.

“Ouch!”

“I feel the same way when I think of Rex, which is why we’re helping each other.”

Rex smiled brightly at me while covering his forehead with his hands. Even though the room was dark, his smile shone brightly. What I’m telling Rex is something I wish I had told myself. It was like brainwashing myself. Even if I am unable to assist them, they will not abandon me and send me to Nicor. I know. Maybe.

***

Rex carefully walked out of Mary’s room after making sure she was asleep. Every step back to his room was difficult.

‘That’s why we are helping each other.’

Come to think of it, I feel like it was Mary who comforted me.

Rex wanted to cry once more when he thought of Mary, who had nightmares. She complained that her head hurt as she tossed and turned. She said she was fine but….

If only I knew what caused that nightmare,

Rex stood tall in the hallway, looking down at his hand. A hand smaller than Mary’s appeared incapable of protecting anything. Why is it that he is unable to defend even one person that he likes?

He recalled Mary defending Carol before the first prince. Courage to defend the weak and to stand firm against the powerful. Rex wanted to be like Mary. Because he likes his sister.

“Why aren’t you sleeping?”

The sudden sound in the darkness startled Rex. Logan Reilly, Mary’s tutor, appeared with a dimly lit candle.

“…Teacher?”

“Why aren’t you sleeping, and why are you loitering in the hallway?”

“Ah…”

“You’re not sleepwalking, are you?”

“No, sir

“Oh, are you worried about your sister?”

His helpless head nod resembled the glow from the candle. Logan ruffled Rex’s hair. Rex covered his head with his hands and looked at Logan with tears in his eyes, as if he was bothered by the touch.

“Rex Bluea.”

“What?”

“Do you want to help your sister Mary?”

Through the hollow paraffin, Logan Reilly’s face could be seen. Rex looked at the flickering light and nodded as if possessed. Logan tapped Rex on the cheek as though he were admirable. However, Rex soon became glum and bowed his head.

“But is there anything I can do?….”

“Of course.”

“Really?”

Rex’s eyes sparkled. Logan answered in a firm voice while maintaining eye contact.

“Let me help you.”

“Teacher?”

“Master Rex, you just have to do what I tell you to do.”

***

Demimore had been grumpy all day. It was because he heard what happened to Mary that she was almost kidnapped on her way back to Conler Castle from the palace.

Tossing and catching the bottle of laminaicho that Mary had given him, Demimore stood in the center of his room.

“Ah.”

He went through the motions again, mindlessly, and finally dropped the bottle to the ground. Demimore quickly picked it up and quickly examined the bottle. Thankfully, it was in good shape and not damaged.

It is, after all, a very valuable item. Demimore placed the laminaicho in a hidden safe that was located on one side of his room. He gave it a light magical touch. It was a magic that couldn’t be opened unless Demimore’s face was present.

Tok~ tok~.

“Come in.”

Then someone knocked on Demimore’s room. Jasper, who had a serious look on his face, opened the door and entered.

“Did you find out anything?”

“Nothing at all.”

Jasper put a bunch of papers on the table and began to dry wash his face as if annoyed.

“This is my first time experiencing this, so I’m a little upset.”

“Is he that hard to find?”

“It feels like someone intentionally erased him.”

“Intentionally erased?”

“It’s usually outlined to some extent if you know the orphanage, name, and age, but there’s nothing. It’s clean.”

The character Leo, who Mary and Astina are looking for, vanished as if he never existed. The kids at the Brandon Orphanage, which had since been relocated to Conler’s estate, told him that Leo might have gone looking for Mary.

Leo vanished without a word as if he had never existed in the world.

“It appears to be connected to Mary’s kidnapping.”

“What on earth did Lady Mary get herself into?”

There was a strange silence between Demimore and Jasper. It appeared to be more serious than they anticipated. Demimore had a strong urge to take off and check her out himself right away.

Jasper, however, held back Demimore. The explanation was that visiting now would be impolite because Mary is going through a difficult time and that the Grand Duke of Conler must have begun taking action to seriously protect Mary. Demimore agreed.

However, Demimore had some fears.

“It’s weird no matter how much I think about it.”

“What?”

“How did they know Mary was returning to the castle and Grand Duke Estin wasn’t there?”

Jasper appeared to be aware of Demimore’s thoughts. However, he remained silent and only nodded slowly.

I know, right. How did they know?

“Maybe Cameron, no, he didn’t do it.”

Demimores spoke in a chilly manner. It was cold enough to match Grand Duke Estin’s voice, who was known as the Empire’s Ice Flower.

Jasper had a hazy idea. That Cameron has nothing to do with this.

“……what if then?”

Jasper, however, made the decision to seize this chance. Well, no one can predict what will occur in the future. When Jasper questioned, a strange flash went through Demimore’s eyes. Jasper, who saw it intuitively, was filled with strange joy.

Can this ungreedy boy change if he has something to protect?