TCHB 12

Chapter 12

The next day, we arrived at the Clamback Count’s estate.

“Lotte!”

Her silver hair, unbound, fluttered in the wind. She smiled, a little absent-mindedly, chewing on a stray strand of hair, and today she looked even more foolish than usual.

More importantly—she hugged our Lotte? And Lotte hadn’t even hugged me this morning.

I glared at her with eyes burning with determination. This was wrong. She couldn’t come before me. I denied reality.

My little sister wouldn’t do that.

“Lotte.”

“Big brother, come too!”

Lotte’s little hands waved cheerfully. Her dimpled smile was adorable. But still, this wasn’t right.

I waited quietly for Lotte.

“Lotte, it seems like Kiel wants to hug you! Go on!”

Unfortunately, that whisper reached her perfectly. Even the unfamiliar title. She flinched for a moment, but focused on Lotte, she didn’t notice.

I couldn’t have been more relieved. I had no intention of showing any weakness—or surprise—to her.

Who knew when, how, or what she’d use as leverage?

“Lo-Lotte?”

“I want to hold Shuri’s hand… Let’s go together, Shuri!”

She seemed to sense me watching and gently calmed Lotte. Only then did Lotte approach me and hug me tightly. I glared at her from beyond my little sister, who fit perfectly in my arms.

How dare she reach for my sister?

She had come supposedly to settle debts, but it seemed unnecessary. She briefly averted her eyes, perhaps embarrassed, then smiled with a careless grin.

She confidently led Lotte and me to eat cake. Her pride in the chef was immense.

After a bite, I realized her pride wasn’t misplaced—the cake was genuinely delicious.

“Big brother, isn’t it delicious? I’m glad we came, right? Hehe.”

Unable to say it was bad, I nodded faintly. I had intended to ignore her once the debt was settled, to keep distance—but she kept offering food.

And it was impossible to refuse.

After eating the cake, having a small mishap in the carriage, and returning to the room, Lotte was busy chatting and coloring with her.

I looked at her hands, which had been disinfected and covered in ointment, and pondered.

…Should I say thank you?

I lost count of how many times I acted unlike myself: baking cookies, allowing her to use my name, even struggling to say thank you. All of it.

The way she laughed with such a relaxed face was strange.

She came close even when I was cold, smiled even when I glared, and tried to prevent me from refusing her desserts or causing her to incur debts.

It had to be a strategy—to make me indebted and later demand something big.

I didn’t think otherwise. She was jealous that my little sister was better than her, so she spilled the tea.

Her behavior had changed. Ever since the tea incident, everyone said she was different. But what if it was all an act? A person’s essence doesn’t change so easily.

So, if everyone else in the family was relaxed, it was only right for me to remain on high alert.

I erased and rewrote “thank you” several times before finally writing it. I tucked the slightly worn paper into my bag. Just this once, really this one last time, I’d act unlike myself.

I still couldn’t figure out why I behaved this way.

I didn’t know why I was so defenseless against that strange girl. Surely she had some trick up her sleeve. I resolved to stay even more vigilant.

I would never be fooled—at least, not by her.

Time passed as usual after handing her the bag before leaving.

After finishing swordsmanship practice, I met her again at the tea party. This time she wore an outfit adorned with delicate ribbons.

“Oh? Big brother Kiel!”

Her previously distant face brightened like a candlelit flame. Her cheerful voice and smile drew all attention.

…A new kind of torment.

I forced myself to ask first about Lotte, who wasn’t supposed to be at the tea party.

It turned out she had stepped out briefly to deliver macarons to her mother. I was about to leave quickly, but her voice caught me.

“Really? I packed them to give to you because I knew you were coming. They’re really delicious… And Lotte helped me pick them, but if you don’t like them…”

Her voice trailed off, small and unsure. I hesitated, then took a plate at the mention of Lotte. The dacquoise I ate was delicious.

“You said you weren’t going to eat…”

I impulsively fed a chocolate macaron to her, pouting slightly. Her surprised expression was worth seeing. I brushed it off and went to Lotte.

Prince Luca, who shared classes with me, asked why I lied, but I evaded the question, pointing to Lotte instead.

I simply didn’t like owing debts. …That had to be the reason.

From my mother’s side, her story was circulating constantly—mostly praises from people trying to make connections with the duchy.

I watched her. Other children’s gazes followed her too.

If she betrayed Lotte and mingled with other friends, I wouldn’t let it go.

Surely she hadn’t pretended to be friendly only to stab us in the back. I nibbled on the dessert I had received, deep in thought.

“Kiel. What’s her name?”

“…Shurer Clamback.”

I paused, then spoke the name that had slipped my mind. I had always referred to her internally as “that girl.” Lotte, endlessly using pet names, had memorized it for me.

“Is she the same girl from the cookie story?”

“Don’t approach Lotte.”

“You notice everything… Fine, we’ll say I approached. Close enough.”

I ignored the sly Luca and greeted Lotte, who approached me.

“Now let’s go to Shuri!”

At Lotte’s words, we moved toward Shuri.

The moment Lotte saw her, she hugged her immediately. Unexpectedly, a tension arose. Shuri seemed to signal she needed help, but I let her choose freely.

I didn’t understand why she hesitated over such an easy choice. Surely she wouldn’t choose someone else over Lotte?

Suddenly, Shuri told the kids to let go and grabbed my hand. Startled, I quickly regained my composure.

What she said next caused a huge ripple.

“I like Big brother Kiel the most! When I grow up, I’ll marry him!”

Lotte gave me a resentful glance, while the others stared intently. Luca trembled, trying not to laugh.

Lotte… to me…

I swore I’d repay Shuri’s torment in kind.

The opportunity came quickly.

When Shuri tried to run from the kids, I lifted her up.

Yes. I had repaid her in kind. The problem was, now all eyes were on me, and I was inadvertently making myself a target.

I had never been this foolish while focusing on something else.

Ignoring the stares would have been enough, but Luca’s comment—“Kiel, you’re popular”—irritated me. I quickly went to my mother and returned to the carriage.

Shuri, small and light, with her silver hair fluttering in the wind, drew attention without moving. I felt a strange flutter in my chest.

Once inside, I spoke without measuring my words: I didn’t dislike or like her.

Until now, I had never been in an ambiguous relationship.

If she was the daughter of a business partner, that would have been the end. No need to call each other by name or “brother.”

Shurer Clamback was the most ambiguous person in my narrow social circle. I could neither define her nor fully understand her.

For reasons I didn’t fully know, Shuri stayed at our house. During those days, Lotte called me.

“Big brother! You’re going to see the magical dragon, right? Can you tell me about it afterward? I’m so curious! I’m not forcing you, really!”

“I’ll tell you how it looks when I come back.”

Lotte beamed, showing a deep dimple. When she smiled, it felt as though the surroundings brightened.

The day to see the dragon arrived quickly. A change had occurred—Shuri came along.

Strangely, she knew many of the unrecorded games and acted annoyed when I won them all. It was a little amusing. Normally expressionless, it might not have been obvious.

Sleepiness crept up, but I didn’t fall asleep. Perhaps thinking I was asleep, she laid me down.

I waited to hear what she would say—many foolish children blurt out their thoughts in these moments. And she was a fool.

But what she said was unexpected:

“Sweet dreams, Kiel.”

Hearing my name from her voice, without the title “big brother,” felt strange.

I thought for a while, then quietly got up.

“Mm…”

Shuri mumbled even while dozing.

“…Strange girl.”

I tried to lay her on my lap but thought she’d wake, so I let her lean on me instead and closed my eyes again.

When I woke, drowsiness still lingered. As soon as we entered the inn, I fell asleep immediately. I had a wonderful dream, buried in apple jelly, eating as much as I wanted.

The next day, we played a game called “Catch the Thief” in the carriage. A certain knight riding along irritated me, but I ignored him.

During the game, conversation turned to the holy sword.

I remembered its previous owner had been from the Clamback family. I glanced at her, wondering if she knew anything, but she seemed uninterested—winning was all that mattered.

I let her win once. If asked why, I had no answer. I didn’t know why either, like I didn’t understand this strange feeling.

Perhaps it seemed like I didn’t know anything—but that was true.

When we arrived, the mercenaries had all fled, leaving only our knights. I expected a fight, but none moved.

Something was odd. As I scanned the area, Shuri approached the dragon. She seemed to be speaking to it, and the dragon responded.

“Are you not afraid? What are you going to do with the dragon? You weren’t even supposed to be here!”

Countless words filled my mind, yet none could be spoken.

For the first time in my life, I felt powerless.

“Sir, you’ll be fine. Dragons like pretty and cute things. Let’s wait a little until the lady comes out.”

The knight who had been with us earlier said.

After hours, as I waited with my hair slightly disheveled, a sudden burst of brilliant light appeared. Opening my eyes, we were at the mansion—clearly the dragon’s doing.

I first explained the situation to my parents and then asked my mother:

“Why did you allow Shuri to go?”

She seemed thoughtful. I didn’t back down.

“It’s the Clamback estate. She insisted she had a solution and begged to go. Lady Clamback allowed it, and she wouldn’t give up even if refused. So we sent her with knights for safety.”

I understood.

From a practical standpoint, we suffered no loss. If successful, great; if not, we simply continued as before.

With Lady Clamback’s approval, the responsibility fell on neither of us—she was not sent arbitrarily.

Yet I couldn’t help but feel concerned. I had to respect the persistence that drew attention from me.

That night, I barely slept.

The next day, contrary to my worries, Shuri returned safely.

But… what’s that?

There was a head of hair the same color as Shuri’s.

“Poppy, don’t bring strangers.”

I said this, then added quietly:

“…It won’t be good for Lotte.”

Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I worried for Lotte or Shuri.

Until now, I had done things for her just to avoid owing debts—but this time, how should I justify it? How should I handle this fearless child who had been so cheerful in front of the dragon?

“She knows this boy! We even played a game together! And we know quite a bit about each other!”

Shuri explained eagerly.

I ground my teeth quietly—an unconscious habit when others tried to get close to Lotte.

“…So? You’re bringing him in?”

My voice sharpened involuntarily.

I was just annoyed. I didn’t know why.

“Ah, I’ll take him back when I return to the Count’s estate! Can’t it just be until then?”

Bringing him along? For life? I had many questions but suppressed them quickly.

“Ask Mother’s permission.”

I met the gaze of the boy Shuri had brought. Cold eyes and a faint smile showed he was my equal.

Hah. Ridiculous.

I turned my back. My mood plummeted.