Chapter 11
“Uh…”
When he noticed me, his eyes widened just a little.
His smooth lips twitched faintly, then he leaned toward the attendant standing beside him and whispered,
“You know…”
“Yes, young master.”
“…Isn’t it kind of weird with that kid here?”
Covering his mouth with his hand didn’t help at all. I heard everything.
So the rock that rolled in from nowhere is bothering you, huh?!
If I wanted to survive here peacefully, I needed to get along with him, too!
I swallowed nervously, my face tense.
Of course, I do have a trump card.
I’d prepared something incredible just for this moment.
Sure, I didn’t buy it with my own money—but still!
“Uncle, over there! I need to buy something!”
Back in the capital, I’d dragged Uncle by the hand into a crowded market.
“Give me money.”
“Well, well. Look at you—already extorting people.”
“Hehe.”
I spread both hands and looked up at him. He curled his lips mischievously.
“Fine. I’ll be generous. You can pay me back later.”
“With what?”
“Hmm… I’ll become a mercenary or something!”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re tiny—what mercenary? Leon, open the vault. Everything.”
At his short call, Sir Leon appeared out of nowhere, as if on cue, and casually produced a heavy pouch.
And that was how I went shopping in the capital with a massive bag of money and bought a single card.
“Ta-da! Hero Collection Cards!”
“…You bought that?”
“They look fun.”
“My money is leaking away like water.”
“It’s just a little seawater splash.”
“So you dragged me here to buy trash like this.”
“Uh—we’re still at the counter. The shopkeeper’s going to cry.”
The Hero Collection Cards were crude game cards depicting Leviathan Gebert and his wartime comrades. They were insanely popular with kids across the continent!
In the original story, Void really wanted these but never got them.
I’d give them to him when I got the chance. That should help us get closer, right?
Heh heh.
Suppressing a dark chuckle, I watched Void take his seat.
“Good evening, young master. From today onward, you’ll be dining with Lady Rubian.”
The servants greeted him as they carried in the dishes.
“Come to think of it, you’re the older brother, aren’t you?”
“Huh? …Brother?”
Void looked like he’d just heard a completely foreign word. He stared at me, mouth slightly open.
“Oh… right. She’s under me, so…”
He muttered to himself.
I waved cheerfully. “Hi.”
Still staring at me with an odd look, Void sat down.
“Where’s Father?”
“His Grace is busy and will be eating separately in his office.”
“Oh. I see.”
He didn’t look particularly surprised.
“Now then, please eat. We’ve prepared plenty of egg dishes—your favorite. Since we didn’t know what Lady Rubian prefers, the chef made a bit of everything…”
The servants chatted kindly as they set the table.
Void sat at one end of the long table and skillfully picked up his cutlery.
I held my spoon in my mouth and rolled my eyes around.
He’s surprisingly used to this.
Eating alone like that.
I’d thought he was a total spoiled baby—but maybe not.
He’s not even disappointed about not eating with his father after seeing him for the first time in ages.
Yet earlier, he’d been acting like an overexcited puppy in the lobby.
Suddenly, I remembered Butler Adolf’s words—that the awkwardness between father and son had only just begun to ease.
Which means… there’s still some awkwardness left.
Tap. Tap.
Someone drummed their fingers on the table.
“Why aren’t you eating?”
When I looked up, Void was staring straight at me.
“Ah, I was about to…”
“Geez. Honestly. Guess I have no choice.”
“Huh?”
I blinked blankly.
A steaming plate of steak slid in front of me.
On a large plate were neatly cut pieces of steak.
“Man… having a younger sibling really is a lot of work.”
Void lifted his chin as he spoke. Can’t be helped, he seemed to say, shaking his head dramatically—yet his face looked oddly satisfied.
“Uh, I can use my hands—”
I was about to say I had hands when he suddenly snatched my plate back.
“Okay, okay, I get it.”
Get what?
“Seriously, do I have to do this every meal? Such a pain.”
Slice. Slice-slice.
He cut the larger pieces of meat again and neatly chopped up all the grilled vegetables, too.
“….”
I stared at the meal when it returned—now perfectly bite-sized.
Void’s grumbling as a newly minted big brother showed no signs of stopping.
“Ugh. What am I supposed to do with you?”
Drizzle—extra sauce added.
“There’s so much more to worry about at mealtimes now.”
The lukewarm soup was replaced with a warm one.
“All because of… my. little. sibling.”
Butter slapped generously onto golden bread.
I blinked, surrounded by food.
So… does this mean he’s happy to eat with me?
Maybe I didn’t even need the hero cards…?
I picked up a forkful of perfectly cut meat. Without realizing it, I smiled.
“Thanks, Ora— I mean, Brother! I’ll eat well!”
Void jerked his head up.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the maids covering their mouths, giggling.
“Ha… seriously…”
His well-shaped lips trembled, though what came out was just a long sigh.
“Ugh. So annoying. A cute little sibling who calls me ‘brother’ the moment we meet, eats with me, and even says thank you… so, so annoying…!”
I couldn’t quite tell what he meant—but at least he looked happy.
After dinner, Hazel gave me a brief tour of the ducal castle.
Then she led me to my room—
“Where have you been?!”
Void was there.
He must not have been able to wait and came to see me.
“I forgot to tell you something earlier in the dining room.”
The second son of House Gebert scanned me critically.
Soon, he started trailing after me around the room, chattering nonstop.
Wow. This room is huge!
“—So you have to wake up early and come help me get dressed, and you can’t eat before me, and of course after meals we have tea—!”
The bed is ridiculously soft.
What on earth did they stuff it with?
“Are you even listening?”
“I’m not a maid… or a servant.”
I stared at him as I said it.
Void’s shoulders twitched.
“T-the youngest is supposed to do that!”
“Who says?”
“Uncle Oberon!”
I burst out laughing. Oberon was one of the knights of the Gebert Order.
“Looks like the knights really dote on you.”
“……”
Void frowned, looking oddly offended—though he didn’t seem sure why.
Yeah, I’d want to tease him too.
I observed Void again.
Jet-black hair like a crow’s feathers, shining violet eyes.
His slightly drooping eyes softened the fierce look typical of the Gebert bloodline. His smooth cheeks were flushed red.
Whose taste are those suspenders?
An excellent choice, really.
Keeping a straight face, I secretly found him adorable.
Sure, he was still a head taller than me and would grow into someone terrifying soon enough…
But why isn’t he leaving? I’m sleepy now.
I watched Void bustle around my bedroom.
Checking the bedding. The lamp. The window locks. The curtain thickness.
…Isn’t he the one doing the attending?
“Huh?! What am I even doing?”
Yeah.
I think I’ll get along just fine with Void.
So—how about sealing the deal?
“What are you doing?”
I opened the bag leaning against the wall.
“Here.”
“Huh?”
I held out a messy stack of cards.
“What’s that—”
Just as expected, his round eyes widened like lanterns.
Staggering closer with an unbelieving face, Void took the stack.
“Gasp!”
Even that reaction was anticipated.
“Hero Collection Cards—! The capital-exclusive edition!”
He jumped up and down, face turning bright red—also as expected.
“I’ll give them to you.”
“You will?!”
Void snapped his head up.
I hopped back onto the bed, lying sideways like Uncle Leviathan, and tilted my head.
“It’s a present.”
“……”
Those beautiful violet eyes sparkled.
The look on his face was bordering on worship.
Heh.
I smiled in satisfaction.
As expected—nothing works better on an eleven-year-old boy than game cards.
