Chapter 17 (1/2)

“She finally fell asleep.”

Daphne’s breathing, which escaped the nightmare, stabilized. At the sound of Daphne’s breath, Lennox sighed and stopped the lullaby.

However, the patting didn’t stop, and Ricarda, who was staring at him, laughed.

“You’re almost done being a big brother now! I wish you could’ve done that for me too.”

“You were already a grown-up when you were ten.”

It’s gross.

Ricarda acted as if the words had sincerely hurt him.

“Can’t you be nice to me, too?”

“I thought I was friendly enough.”

“Oh~ if Ricarda of the past hears it, I think he’s going to run out calling it nonsense?”

At Ricarda’s voice full of laughter, Lennox finally managed to form a smile. Still, his expression was not good, so Ricarda, who was staring at Lennox, asked.

“Hyung, did something happen?”

“…nothing.”

“Just by looking at your face, I can see something is troubling you. By chance, is it because you heard from Daphne not to be friendly?”

“.….”

When Lennox questioned him about how he knew it, Ricarda thought it was as he expected and slightly raised the corner of his mouth.

“She said it to me too. Our Daphne did.” (Ricarda)

“…were we burdensome to her?” (Lennox)

“It’s probably because she doesn’t believe us yet.” (Ricarda)

“You have to understand. If I were Daphne, I would have done the same.” (Ricarda)

“I’m not blaming Daphne. I’m blaming myself for not giving her answer right away.” (Lennox)

At Lennox’s words, Ricarda looked appalled, thinking if he really did it.

“Ah…I mean.”

“Hyung, I’m disappointed. You should’ve answered her right away and gave her a pat telling her not to be nervous.”

“I was going to tell her today. I was going to ask her permission to allow me to be friendly to her…”

“Aren’t you an idiot? Do you express that in words?”

Ricarda crumpled his face saying it wasn’t the right way. Lennox tried to raise his voice as if he were agitated but soon shut his mouth at the sound of Daphne tossing and turning.

“Pff-.”

When Ricarda laughed at the sight, Lennox glared at him, but Ricarda didn’t stop his laughing.

“Why? You don’t like our youngest being greedy? I like the youngest, even if she is greedy.”

“Did Daphne say that?”

“Yes, she said she didn’t want to lose the affection she receives because she was greedy.”

As Ricarda’s explanation continued, Lennox grabbed his head because he felt his head throbbing for some reason.

‘I didn’t know Daphne thought like that.’

What if she is greedy?

I had the confidence to give all the affection and not receive any in return. She was a child who had already entered the line of our family.

However, for Daphne, who had no family, all these moments were unfamiliar and scary.

‘She must have said it because she was afraid that she would be hated.’

Lennox heaved a sigh.

I felt uncomfortable because I couldn’t see the heart that Daphne wanted to hide.

“That can’t be true. Daphne can have a lot of greed. No, I hope she is full of greed.”

“Then you could say that. Why couldn’t you say that like a fool?”

“You’re getting cocky to your brother?”

Lennox, who was still listening to the teasing voice, raised the corner of his mouth and sneered.

“No, come to think of it, perhaps the reason Daphne was burdened with us was because you kept forcing her to call yourself ‘Oppa’.”

When Lennox sneered and blamed Ricarda, he jumped up from the floor feeling that he was falsely accused.

“No, why! Can’t I call myself Oppa if I’m an ‘Oppa’!”

“Do you know that your forehead slightly frowned every time you emphasized that you are ‘Oppa’?”

“…seriously?”

“I’m serious.”

Somehow Ricarda’s reaction was solemn.

When Lennox laughed at the look that he never knew existed, Ricarda, who felt unfair, sat back down and grumbled again.

“But, that’s the way it feels to be a little more like a family.”

“… family?”

“Yes, family. Because Daphne doesn’t know what to call us, I wanted to let her know that I’m her brother and that I’m someone who’s going to be her family.”

“… was it like that?”

‘As soon as she woke up, it felt like she was hesitating about what to say to mother.’

Ricarda said sullenly.

“When I was ten years old before I came here, I was raised by my father. I really hated that time.”

It was the first time he heard it, so when Lennox looked surprised, Ricarda smiled bitterly.

“Because my father always ignored me as useless. It wasn’t to the extent of Daphne, but I got beating to some limit.”

“I didn’t know…”

“You didn’t know it, because I never told you. I didn’t say it because Hyung is soft-hearted.”

Even though he was his brother, Lennox was unsure what expression to make like to the past he heard for the first time.

“When I came searching for mother, there was an elder brother above me, and he didn’t even introduce himself first, and he didn’t ask me to call him brother.”

A sigh of laughter flowed from Ricarda’s mouth.

“That’s why I wanted to let her know that she can call me ‘Oppa’.”