Chapter : 17
So the two brothers settled down together in Angela’s vegetable garden.
Of course, Lian was stiff as a stone.
He had made up an excuse that he had something to do, but now that they were doing it together…
With no chance to even make a gap for an excuse, he had been reluctantly dragged along, but anyway, Lian was still angry at his older brother.
‘…Let’s not say anything.’
To be honest, the feelings of resentment had mostly faded by now.
His brother had built a log cabin for him and went hunting.
Though their conversation was cut off, without words, he secretly felt how much Belix cared for him.
But the twelve-year-old boy didn’t know
how to restore a relationship he himself had severed.
“……”
It was when Lian silently planted spinach roots into the soil.
“Are you going to plant this to eat?”
Belix, who was squatting with his big frame, asked.
Feeling awkward, Lian answered brusquely without realizing it.
“Yeah. Why?”
“I think you must have gotten it from someone who knows their plants. The spinach you brought is a plant that grows naturally in winter, so you’ll be able to eat it soon.”
“…How do you know that?”
“I did a lot of research on the Shadow Forest before coming here. Besides spinach, there are quite a few edible plants in the forest.”
“…Really?”
Lian looked at Belix without realizing it.
Of course, he was surprised at himself for reacting and quickly turned his head away.
It was a good sign.
A faint smile appeared on Belix’s lips.
“So let’s go gather plants together sometime soon.”
“No, I’m good.”
“Huh?”
“…No. Or whatever.”
Kids, so cute.
“Well then, how about we go tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow? No way!”
“Or the day after tomorrow?”
“Fine. Tomorrow works.”
In the once barren garden, a sort of conversation was exchanged.
That was quite a success.
Belix found his shy little brother quite cute and laughed, but then he happened to turn his head.
A kid with duck lips pressed against the window was looking at Belix.
‘Kiss me!’
Had the kid been watching everything this whole time?
The pressed lips clearly formed the word ‘kiss’.
So obsessed with kisses…
‘How did the princess spoil her so much…’
Belix felt a little burdened by the child’s kiss obsession, but it made him feel the need to show more affection.
He hadn’t done any coddling yet, after all.
‘Noted.’
Belix nodded in response with his lips shaped accordingly.
Lian had somehow relaxed and was focusing on planting spinach.
“Lian.”
“What?”
“Actually, I have a condition for going with you tomorrow.”
“…Don’t tell me the condition is to go back to the duke’s castle with me…”
“Let me hug you.”
“What?!”
Lian’s mouth dropped as if he had heard something unbelievable.
Then he was shocked again.
“Hug you? Are you crazy?”
“I hugged you when we met at the Black Lake. Brothers can hug each other.”
“Ugh, no. Why would I hug you…”
“Then do you want me to hug you?”
“Ahh!”
When Belix forcibly wrapped his arms around the small body, Lian’s cheek was pressed into Belix’s chest, and he wailed.
“Gross, get off me! Let me go!”
“I already washed, so it’s not gross. And from now on, I won’t go without you.”
“What, come on… Ugh!”
Lian, trapped in his brother’s embrace for a while, finally escaped and breathed heavily.
Then, blushing, he shouted:
“I hugged you, so you have to go gather edible plants tomorrow! If not, no more hugs or anything ever again!”
Then he hurried to shut the back door.
Bang!
With a shaking sound, silence fell.
But—
Slam—
“I-it’s just the wind that shut the door hard. It wasn’t me!”
Lian suddenly rambled nervously, muttering.
“…And the princess is hu-hungry, so don’t do anything useless and just eat quickly.”
Mumbling whose exact reason for anger was unclear was heard, but at least this time the door closed quietly.
Just like Lian’s heart.
Not fully open, but at least showing no hostility.
“Eat quickly, huh.”
And he even worried about him starving.
“You’ve grown up. Worrying about your brother.”
Belix felt his heart soften and opened the door.
Then, on the floor, someone small was waiting for him.
Lulu had fluttered down from the window.
“Got closer to Lian—success!”
“Success.”
Lulu, standing on tiptoe, stretched out a small palm, and Belix knelt down to meet it with his hand.
“Lulu.”
“Yesss?”
“I only have thanks for you.”
Who called this angel a monster?
Belix recalled his arrogant past days.
Now that he thought about it, this child was more mature than himself.
Even while fearing his openly hostile self, the child kept trying to offer kindness.
“May I hug you?”
So, without realizing it, he asked.
Fortunately, Lulu’s eyes widened and the corners of her mouth lifted with expectation.
“Yesss!”
With the child’s permission, Belix carefully lifted the small body into his arms.
Then—
“Lulu, do you like cheek kisses?”
He wasn’t usually like this.
But seeing her sparkling eyes, he involuntarily asked, as if spellbound.
“Yessss! I love cheek kisses! Lulu wants cheek kisses, please!”
The child nodded and poked her own cheek with a tiny finger.
Belix gently kissed the soft, flour-like round cheek.
“Is this right?”
“Hehe. Got a compliment!”
The child cuddled in his arms burst into giggles.
Lulu was a dragon and a normal child, innocent.
No, rather, the child forgave his sins.
Belix decided to call such a being an angel.
A little later—
“Haah—But Lulu is sleepy.”
Was it already nap time?
The child yawned with a small mouth wide open, then fell asleep in his arms.
The regular small breathing sounds were heard.
Belix carefully laid the child down on the bed without waking her.
After finishing this, he returned to the kitchen, where Angela was sitting alone.
“Princess.”
“You’re back? When I tried to eat, the two brothers dashed out, and our little salamander went to sleep. I was lonely all alone.”
“Thanks to Lulu, things got better. By the way, where is Lian?”
“He didn’t want to face his brother, so after gulping down his meal, he went out for a walk.”
‘Still awkward, I see.’
It was alright.
There would be plenty of time now.
Belix smiled faintly and sat down.
But as the noisy little ones disappeared and only the adults remained, the question that had stayed with him resurfaced.
“Princess.”
“What now? Eat before it gets cold.”
“…In Benevra, dragons must disappear.”
Actually, he had wanted to say this to her for a long time.
Benevra.
The state religion of the Lydia Kingdom, the name of the god the capital’s people had heard in fairy tales since childhood.
Belix, born into a noble family, was no different.
He was a knight and a faithful believer, and he obeyed the current king Drishet, the god’s proxy, without question.
Except for the Lulu incident.
“…To be honest, I’m confused.”
His thick fingers clenched the fork tightly.
“According to Benevra’s scriptures, dragons are evil that a small morning star will defeat one day…”
“I’m not going to say anything to you.”
Angela interrupted him with a firm tone.
She looked at Belix, who was stirring his fork.
“I don’t intend to deceive anyone like my father. I don’t even trust you enough to tell you my story.”
Her blue eyes were the same as the king’s.
But unlike the king’s, these eyes were not kind or warm.
“Well, if you plan to stay here because of Lian, maybe you’ll naturally find out what kind of man the king is.”
But seeing those cold eyes, Belix vaguely realized.
This person does not lie.
She doesn’t even hide that she is hiding something.
“Thank you for your honesty.”
It was a short conversation, but Belix learned a lot.
Is it worth protecting?
Is it worth following?
As the head of the knight family, the answers he had repeated countless times were already shattered by the dragon invasion.
This time, he would protect Lian.
And he would follow Lulu and Angela, who saved Lian.
