Chapter 71

The rumor that I spread with Derek’s help will soon entice Theodore into the lake mansion.

So in the meantime, I left Arbela.

I always thought.

One day, my peace at Arbela’s lake mansion may falter.

I have always thought and prepared not to be surprised and panicked when such a day comes.

Thanks to that, I was able to calmly organize the situation and leave Arbela.

‘I feel sorry for Benjamin.’

He’ll be surprised if he realised that I disappeared without saying a word.

But I couldn’t leave a letter for him. Just in case Theodore finds out.

Erwin and Odelia would be spending time in a hotel with Laura.

While cleaning up the mansion, I gave a large amount of severance pay to the few employees and sent them out in advance, but Laura insisted that she would follow me without hesitation.

You are so cold-hearted! You are going to leave Caligor just like this?

However, you’re originally from Caligor…….

I don’t have any family or relatives left! Besides, it is hard taking care of the young master and the young lady alone!

It’s not hard for me?

I didn’t want to send Laura away, who I’ve been attached to, but I decided to leave, pretending to lose to her strong argument.

I left the children to Laura and was preparing to leave the Caligor Kingdom.

I’ve already handed Frederick over to the King of Caligor, and with the money I gained from saving him, I’ve already found a new place to move.

This time, I am planning to take a boat and leave for a place far enough to not get any news of Theodore.

I have to come to the port capital to catch the boat.

I was able to move only after I heard that Theodore had emptied the capital and headed toward Arbela.

It was my goal to hurry out of here before he came back.

Along with the rumbling of iron, knights dressed in the costumes of the Albrecht Imperial Army were seen passing by from the opposite side.

I pressed the brim of the hat that I was wearing for nothing down and covered my face.

Just as I was waiting for them to pass.

‘What?’

Suddenly, my eyes widened to see the face of a man passing far away.

It was a face I knew well and missed terribly.

‘Brian…?’

Short silver hair with curls.

Wide green eyes with fresh colors as if they contain summer.

It was Brian.

Brian and I, who were siblings with the same hair colour, are actually half-brothers and sisters who have different mothers.

Nevertheless, our very similar faces were inherited from our biological father.

‘No way. It’s really Brian.’

I heard the Emperor found someone here. A survivor of a great family named Chernicia.

What’s the name of the survivor?

Brian Chernicia.

It seemed it was not a rumor.

‘So it was true.’

Brian was moving under the cover of the Albrecht Imperial Army.

I could see him conversing with the knights, but I couldn’t hear them because of the distance.

‘What happened? Why is Brian here…….’

I couldn’t take my eyes off Brian like I was possessed and was lost in thought.

When I came to my senses, I was chasing after him without realizing it.

Then, when Brian moved away from his group and entered a deserted alley alone.

I quickly followed him in.

Feeling my presence, Brian turned to me unconsciously.

“Oh…”

Then our eyes met, and Brien’s eyes grew round.

“Yv…!”

Before he could finish his word, I hit him on the back of the neck with my hand.

Thud!

Brian’s fainted body dropped to the floor.

I squatted down and looked at him.

‘It’s really Brian.’

Indeed, the Brian I remember was right in front of me.

He was not made of black magic or a strange prank, but a real living Brian.

‘How did Brian…….’

But there was no time to continue thinking.

Just outside this alley, the Albrecht Imperial Army, which was escorting Brian, was wandering around.

And my behavior now was very suspicious even to myself.

‘We have to move before people’s eyes could gather.’

That’s how I unintentionally kidnapped Brian.

＊ ＊ ＊

When I tried to hide him, there was no suitable place in the unfamiliar capital of Caligor.

Except in the hotel room where Laura and the kids are waiting…….

“Oh, My Lady! No, no, could it be, you killed the man.…!”

Laura freaked out when she saw Brian on my back.

“I didn’t kill him. I just knocked him out.”

“Phew, that’s a relief. I was surprised because I thought the owner crossed the irreversible river*.”

[T/N: The phrase ‘irreversible river’ means ‘the point of no return’, but I suppose in the text it meant ‘crossing the boundary of morality’.]

Laura helped me lay Brian on the bed.

“Did you kidnap him because he fainted?”

“What do you mean kidnapped? I just brought him unconscious because it was necessary.”

“Then it’s kidnapping.”

“…….”

There was nothing to answer Laura’s unnecessarily sharp point, so I closed my mouth.

Erwin, who was playing with the squirrel doll, rushed to the bedside.

“Mommy, who is this Azo?”

“It’s your Samjon(Uncle).”

“Samjon (Uncle)?”

Erwin tilted his head.

“Did Mom kill Samjon (Uncle)?”

“My Lady didn’t kill him, he fainted and so she kidnapped him, Master Erwin.”

“Nabji(Kidnap)?””

“I know! Lia knows Nabji (Kidnap)!”

While Erwin was fumbling over this way, Odelia, who was playing with the dolls alone, burst into the conversation with a big smile.

“In the Yonza Squirrel play, Tturaego (Dragon) runs away with Princess (Gonjun)! This is called Nabji (Kidnap)!”

“Woong? Is that because they are going to marry?”

“No, they aren’t going to be married. Jelriko will come to save Samjon (Uncle) because Nabji (Kidnap) is a bad thing.”

“Then, is Samjon (Uncle) and Jelriko going to marry?”

“No, Jelriko will marry Gonjun (Princess).”

“Oh, that means Jelriko will marry both Gonjun (Princess) and Samjon (Uncle).”

As Erwin spoke with his eyes sparkling, Odelia narrowed her eyes and shook her fingers.

“No, Jelriko will only marry the Gonjun (Princess), not Samjon (Uncle). You can’t marry two people.”

“What do you know? Er will marry Mommy, Lia, and Laura when I grow up.”

While Erwin still didn’t understand Odelia’s words and was puzzled, Odelia’s attention shifted to Brian, who was lying on the bed.

“Wow, that’s amazing. Azo’s hair and Mom’s hair are the same!”

“It’s not Mr. Azo, Lia. It’s Samjon (Uncle). Mom said Samjon (Uncle).”

“Azo’s hair is the same as Mom and Er’s hair!”

“Oh Lia, it’s not Mr. Azo, it’s Samjon (Uncle).”

Erwin and Odelia, who huddled their heads together, couldn’t take their eyes off Brian even when they were fighting.

Brian, who looks like me, seemed strange to them.

“Oh? Azo, Azo blinked!”

At that time, Odelia shouted as if she had made a great discovery.

“Jijja (really)! He moved his eyes!”

Erwin shouted along with excitement, just like Odelia.

Then Brian opened his eyes stealthily.

“Uh…”

After blinking his eyes blankly, he was surprised to see the children and raised his upper body.

“Yvo, Yvonne!”

Brian cried, looking at Odelia standing by the bedside.

Then Odelia tilted her head.

“Lia’s name is not Yvonne. Lia’s name is Lia.”

“Ah…”

As if he had come to his senses belatedly, Brian burst into a stupid exclamation.

“Who are you?”

Erwin asked, sticking out his head.

“What?”

Frustrated, Brian looked at Erwin and Odilia, who looked the same, alternately, and was at a loss.

I watched the figure from afar pitifully and decided to save him from the situation.

“Hello, Brian.”

“……!”

Brian turned his head toward me.

His eyes trembled when he found me.

“This, Yvonne…”

He rolled up the corners of his mouth loosely upward, looking incredibly ecstatic.

“Yvonne!”

He suddenly jumped at me when I got up.

Then he opened his arms, and with a flash, he hugged me.

“You are really, really alive! The Emperor was right. You were alive……!”

“Well, wait, um…….”

It was so hard to breathe, no matter how hard I tugged at him, he didn’t loosen the strength of his arms.

As I was coughing and slapping Brian’s arm, Erwin and Odelia, who were watching, ran over and pulled the hem of his clothes.

“Let go of my Mom, you jerk! Don’t bother my Mom you dog man!”

“Don’t hurt my Mom!”

Thanks to Erwin and Odelia, who were huffing and puffing while threatening him frighteningly, I managed to get away from Brian.

It’s very reassuring.

“Mom!”

“Mommy!”

Erwin and Odelia hugged me through the gap.

“Hey, these kids…….”

Brian’s face contorted into a puzzled expression as he took turns looking at the children.

“My children.”

“……?”

“My children, birthed by me. They are your nephews and nieces, and you are their uncle.”

“……!”

A color of glaring surprise came over Brian’s face, who understood what I was saying.

“Whose……!”

“More than that.”

He looked very curious.

But I asked him, gently putting his questions aside.

“I think we have a lot to talk about. Do you want to move to a room?”

“……Yes.”

Brian nodded with a stupid look.