Chapter 14 (1/2)

Does this little child Elisabeth, who stands before him now, know that she’s looking up at him with a puzzled look?

Do you have any idea how dangerous he was?

And how much I worried about you…

‘If this happens again, I might not be able to protect you.’

The thought made my heart burst.

“I’m sorry I almost got caught by Tyce Orell today.”

It wasn’t long before the little girl said cautiously.

There was a little bit of sadness in her tiny voice, which made Dylan snap again.

“What are you sorry for?”

So Dylan unknowingly raised his voice.

“Tyce Orell, that impudent bastard came into your room as he pleased.”

“….”

“If he’d touched you, I wouldn’t have let him go!”

Elisabeth’s eyes shook.

‘Why are you so….’

You’re getting angry. You’re not annoyed, but really angry.

‘No way, for me…?’

Something hot spread through Elisabeth’s heart as she looked at the distorted face of Dylan.

“But I’m still sorry.”

“I told you, don’t say you’re sorry.”

“I won’t leave you if you say that, I’m sorry.”

Dylan’s face, distorted by Elisabeth’s blunt words, was blank.

‘Sorry, Dylan.’

Dylan’s face soon hardened cold. However, his feelings were not as intense as before. It was like ‘I knew it.’

“I hate it. That you’re my sister.”

Then he vented out, grumpily.

“Why?”

“You keep bothering and bothering me.”

“…..”

I had nothing to say.

She said she would try, but her existence itself bothered him.

“Those bastards, they don’t pay attention. But I thought I was going crazy because it kept bothering me today. I’m afraid they’ll come near you, I’m afraid they’ll do something.”

“…..”

“If I were you, I would have said I’d leave first, even if I were scared. But you’re also you.”

It was so true that Elisabeth had nothing more to say. Still, when she refused to say she would leave stubbornly, Dylan frowned his forehead as he was frustrated.

“You think I’m going to keep protecting you just because you do, because you’re still here? Do you think I’ll help you when you’re in danger? Are you always looking at me and expecting me to magically show up when you need me?”

Dylan spewed out his words like a shotgun.

There was a lot of inconsistency in the words of the person who magically appeared and rescued her when she was in danger.

“I, I don’t expect that.”

Elisabeth panicked and stuttered in her speech.

“I won’t expect that, so please don’t hate me.”

Elisabeth sincerely added the words. I should be more careful from now on. So I shouldn’t bother Dylan.

At that moment, Dylan turned pale.

“You, I don’t hate you!”

Then he shouted. He rushed to Elisabeth and grabbed her by the shoulder.

‘What’s wrong with you?’

Dylan sighed as he agonized over what to do.

“I don’t hate you. Understand?”

He looked seriously troubled. He seemed to have misunderstood that Elisabeth was deeply hurt by his hatred. When she saw that, it made Elisabeth playful.

“I don’t know.”

Dylan was restless when Elisabeth bowed as she pretended to be hurt.

“Ah really, what’s wrong with you. What am I supposed to do?”

Dylan turned back, looked back, came here and there, and did not know what to do.

‘You’re embarrassed for someone who told me to get out easily like eating?’

Elisabeth swallowed the laughter that was about to come out.

Then Dylan, who came back and forth and came to Elisabeth’s face again, holding her in his arms as if he had made up his mind.

‘Oh…?’

Elisabeth looked up in surprise.

He is very careful and hugs his little sister, who is heartbroken. Dylan’s hand patted Elisabeth’s shoulder gently.

It was strange.

‘It’s as comfortable as Victoire’s. Is it because they have the same blood?’

At that moment Dylan bowed his head. Elisabeth quickly rubbed her face on Dylan’s chest. It was so that we didn’t make eye contact, but Dylan smelled good.

“I don’t hate you. It’s just that I didn’t want us to meet like this.”

Dylan said. It was quite a grown-up remark, so my heart was moved.

‘Sixteen is old enough to say this.’

Twelve-year-old Elisabeth looked up again at sixteen-year-old Dylan.

‘I don’t hate you either.’

Elisabeth whispered in her heart.

Dylan, I think he’s a better boy than I thought.

***

Until late at night, Elisabeth could not sleep.

In Dylan’s arms, she behaved like a baby.

He would have hugged her to soothe her, but she pretended to be heartbroken, and tears really came out.

‘Dylan’s clothes were wet with my tears.’

I didn’t know why I cried.

‘But I felt like I could cry a little bit.’

She learned that tears should be endured. That’s because her father always said she was a princess. So when Emilie fell down and cried, her father kept her in a room as punishment instead of soothing her. I remember crouching in the dark room and hearing the laughter of my father and Polia coming from outside.

‘I was so forced to be a princess that I didn’t seem like a child.’

Perhaps Elisabeth was being rewarded for it now.

“Elisabeth.”