Chapter 40
“Thank you for the meal invitation. Then, see you tomorrow. Ruby.”
And with that, the boy—whether he was rude or simply polite, it was hard to tell—vanished without hesitation…
Thud, thud, thud.
A small tremor ran across the table.
“Haa… stop crying already.”
I muttered while looking at the old man’s fist, clenched tight like a rock.
“I’ll help you vent that grudge soon.”
“Grandpa… please don’t talk to your fist…”
“Hmm.”
At some point, the “uncle” had been sitting with his chin propped up, silently observing the situation. I scratched my temple with a dry laugh.
“Sorry, uncle. Khalid has had a rough upbringing since he was young, so he tends to lack a bit in social manners…”
“I like his temperament.”
“…Huh?”
The uncle turned his gaze toward the grandfather, who was still calming his raging fist.
“Father.”
“Hah, yes.”
“Aren’t you bored these days? Your condition seems fine.”
“…? I don’t know what you’re getting at, but show some respect to your elders, hmm?”
“This is the training time you’ve been waiting for.”
“……”
What is he talking about?
As I watched quietly, the uncle turned his head to the side. Void, who had been chewing his food, now had a giant question mark written across his face.
“I think it’ll also be a good stimulus for Void.”
“Eh?”
Ah, so that’s what this was.
I quickly grasped the uncle’s intention.
The grandfather had always wanted to cultivate strong northern knights. As seen in the admission test, Khalid clearly had great potential, so this was likely a suggestion to raise him properly.
“And Ruby too…”
“Yes!”
I answered energetically. After all, I was also a member of the Zevert Knights.
Training with Grandpa? It might be tough, but I was curious!
“Ruby too…”
However, the uncle frowned and couldn’t continue his words.
“…Why do I suddenly feel so reluctant?”
“Huh?”
The uncle looked at me with a very displeased expression. While casually placing the bell pepper I had been trying to sneak away back onto my plate.
Rude!
“Anyway, I’ll leave the kids in your care.”
“Ha, ha!”
The grandfather grabbed his plate and shoveled a mountain of steak into his mouth.
He barely chewed before swallowing, then suddenly stood up.
“Good! I can feel the blood flowing again! I’ll properly train these brats!”
A noble elder with worse table manners than a mercenary child…
Taking advantage of everyone’s attention being on the grandfather, I successfully dropped the bell pepper onto the floor.
Void’s complexion had now turned not just pale, but almost bruised blue.
Seeing that, I felt a sudden wave of concern. If someone as reckless as Void was that scared…
‘Grandpa’s training must be insanely intense, right?’
“I don’t want anything too hard…”
I muttered unconsciously, and the grandfather gasped.
“W-What?! Who said anyone would make it hard for you?! You’ll just sit in your grandfather’s arms and watch…”
Creak, creak.
As he repeated his own words in his mind, his expression visibly soured in real time.
“…Wait, you shouldn’t just be watching, should you?”
He wore the exact same expression as the uncle earlier.
Soon, a small mutter escaped.
Why do I suddenly feel so reluctant…?
Void Zevert was deep in thought.
“Would you like some tea, young master?”
“No…”
“Oh my, it’s your favorite fruit tea…”
He rested his chin on his desk in the study and dismissed the maids’ service. His smooth brows were tightly furrowed.
‘Ruby is my younger sister…’
Tap. Tap. His index finger rhythmically tapped the desk.
‘That guy from earlier… he’s her friend.’
Khalid, was it?
The boy who had suddenly appeared.
He said he was Ruby’s friend. That he had come all the way here from his hometown to find her.
Yes. That made sense.
‘Liam hyung’s friends also visit sometimes.’
But…
‘Then why does this feel so irritating?’
Void’s brows furrowed even more.
It was something he couldn’t explain. This feeling… this emotion…
It was as if someone was suddenly taking away the younger sister he cherished so much…
“Hey, my little sister suddenly brings home some guy as her boyfriend, and man… it really messes with your head.”
“Eh? But you’re not even close with your sister.”
“Ugh, you don’t get it. This isn’t about whether we’re close or not.”
“Eh?”
Why did he suddenly remember what a friend from the academy had said?
“What’s wrong with me?”
Void shook his head seriously. His dark black hair fluttered loosely.
‘Maybe it’s because Ruby is so small, weak, and pale.’
That thief-like guy was taller than him and much darker in appearance. His rough eyes looked almost like his father’s…
“Ah. To think I insulted Father…”
Void shook his head again.
Anyway, if that kind of guy bullied Ruby, she wouldn’t be able to resist.
“Oh, that’s it!”
Void suddenly stood up.
Yes, that was what he was worried about! As her older brother, he was concerned that guy might treat his sister badly—or lead her astray!
“Of course I have to protect her.”
To remind himself of his resolve, Void took out his diary. But his hand holding the pen suddenly froze.
‘But… what if Ruby ends up getting closer to that guy than to me?’
“Haha… how un-brotherly of me.”
Void pressed his brow and shook his head.
Act more mature, Void Zevert. You’re already a third-year at the academy…
Steeling himself, Void flipped open his diary again. But once more, his hand stopped abruptly.
N Month N Day N Day / Weather: Cloudy / Mood: Great
Completed 100 sword swings today!
Uncle Obron praised me a lot. As a reward, he gave me raspberries, but they kept falling apart…
…
Dinner with Ruby…
…
Let’s work even harder tomorrow!
The content was perfect. A flawless structure.
The problem was the pink writing intruding at the end of the diary.
“Ah! You peeked again!”
You demon!
Void shot up from his seat.
No matter how well he hid it, how was it discovered every single day?!
“Young masteeeer! Please don’t run!”
No one could stop the boy as he dashed out like a gust of wind.
Bang.
He flung the door open, and Ruby, who had been lying on the bed fiddling with a pale purple stone, looked up.
“Look at me!”
“Hm? What’s wrong?”
That innocent expression that seemed to know nothing!
Void glared at Ruby, fuming.
“Your diary…! That guy from earlier, who is he?!”
“Huh?”
“Who is he?!”
Ruby tilted her head and sat up straight.
‘Tch. What am I even saying.’
He had burst in using the diary as an excuse, yet seeing her clear, innocent face, entirely different words came out instead.
The diary in his hand had long since faded from his awareness.
“That guy! The one with hair like a faded night sky!”
“Khalid? He’s my friend.”
“How old is he?! He looked older than me—how is he your friend?!”
“Um… he’s 12.”
“See?!”
“Well, I’m a bit mature for my age. I have a lot of older friends!”
Ruby smiled brightly.
Void felt an inexplicable surge of frustration.
“Then why are you suddenly like this?”
“I don’t know!”
“Eh?”
“You’re my sister, so how can you be closer to someone than me?”
“Come on, brother, you must have friends too.”
“Well, that’s true!”
Ruby tilted her head. Her neatly trimmed short silver hair swayed softly.
A small pin was clipped beside her right ear.
Today, it was a squirrel. Tch… my sister is too cute!
“What’s the problem?”
“I don’t know!”
He shouted reflexively, and Ruby closed her mouth slightly.
“…But why are you getting mad at me?”
“……”
“You barged in here all of a sudden and started scolding me…”
Gasp—Void swallowed.
Her pale cheeks puffed out slightly. Lately, his little sister had gained a bit of weight in her cheeks, making her unbearably, overwhelmingly cute.
But this was bad. She was on the verge of getting upset.
