The Way To Protect The Female Lead’S Older Brother [EN]: Chapter 175

Protecting the Heroine’s Older Brother – Episode 175

* * *

The heads of each family and their retinues gathered in the assembly hall ahead of the hearing.

They huddled together, murmuring about the events that would soon unfold.

Then, the Agriache family opened the doors to the hall and entered.

Leading the way were the head, Jeremy, and his sister, Roxana.

Jeremy held his sister’s hand, escorting her with the utmost courtesy.

They were dressed in black, as always.

It was common practice during the fellowship to wear attire or accessories featuring the family’s symbolic color.

So, the sight of Jeremy and Roxana, along with the rest of the Agriache, in black clothing was nothing new.

Yet, for some reason, today felt different.

The moment the Agriache members entered the assembly hall, the whispers briefly ceased.

It was something they had never considered before…

Somehow, the black attire they wore today felt like mourning clothes for the deceased.

This feeling was amplified by the somber expressions on the faces of the Agriache members who followed.

Perhaps it was because they had learned that the Vertium’s doll, who would be a major topic of discussion, was originally a member of the Agriache family, that they felt this way.

Moreover, Roxana Agriache’s appearance in the garden yesterday had been so intensely etched in their minds.

Unlike the other family members who quietly took their seats in the back, Roxana settled right next to Jeremy, the head of the family. She was scheduled to testify as a key witness at today’s hearing.

Everyone who remembered yesterday’s events focused their gaze on Roxana’s face.

The face that had been so heartbreakingly desolate was now devoid of emotion.

Today, from the moment she opened the doors to the assembly hall, she exuded a calm and composed aura.

However, Roxana’s face looked slightly gaunt and pale, as if she had not slept all night.

Jeremy whispered something to her from the side.

Roxana lowered her gaze slightly in response.

As her long eyelashes, drawing an elegant curve, fluttered, shadows quickly fell upon her red eyes.

It seemed her younger brother had said something to express his worry about her condition.

Roxana faintly smiled, as if to reassure him that she was alright.

The face of a beautiful woman with a worried expression was immensely impactful, especially when that beauty was so extraordinary that no adjective could fully capture it.

Just like in the garden yesterday, everyone felt that whoever had caused her to wear such an expression deserved severe punishment, no matter who they were.

Meanwhile, the family members and heads who had not yet arrived at the assembly hall began to appear one by one.

Cassis Pedelian entered almost last.

He was late compared to the other Pedelian members who had already arrived and taken their seats.

Roxana’s seat was positioned directly in front of the entrance, so their eyes immediately met.

* * *

As I opened the door and stepped inside, I felt a heavy atmosphere.

Holding Jeremy’s hand, I entered the assembly hall.

Since the assembly hall was not usually open, it was my first time inside as well.

The people who had arrived earlier stopped whispering and turned their attention to us as we entered.

This morning, I had instructed the Agriache members to wear the darkest clothes they had.

So, gathering them all together like this would create a significant visual impact.

Moreover, my half-siblings were managing their expressions quite well, thanks to Jeremy’s thorough training.

I also deliberately wore light makeup today.

After sitting down next to Jeremy, I took a look around the assembly hall.

Cassis was not here yet.

There was still some time before the hearing started, but he might be a little late.

Last night, he had left Yggdrasil [the Agriache family’s territory] and had not yet returned.

The butterfly [a magical tracking device] was still attached to Cassis, but the connection was severed due to the distance.

Just then, Jeremy, who had been wearing a more serious expression than anyone else since entering the assembly hall, leaned in and whispered to me.

“Nuna [Korean term for older sister used by a male], is it okay to eat these snacks now?”

He gestured towards the bite-sized biscuits and drinks placed at each seat.

The servants had prepared them for people to eat if they got hungry during the hearing.

“Are you hungry?”

“I woke up late and didn’t have breakfast.”

Oh, dear.

I wanted to give him mine, but…

I lowered my gaze as if having a serious conversation with Jeremy, listened to his story, and said with a faint smile.

“Hold on for now.”

Jeremy’s eyebrows drooped at my firm answer.

However, he also seemed to realize that this was not the time to be eating snacks, so he soon lifted his lingering gaze and began to put on a serious expression again.

Then, I suddenly felt the connection with the butterfly that had just reattached to Cassis.

*Has he returned to Yggdrasil?*

I subtly shifted my gaze towards the door.

Thinking of Cassis reminded me of something that had happened recently.

It was not difficult to notice that the poison butterfly I had placed on Cassis had disappeared.

There were only a few people who knew about the existence of the poison butterfly, and even fewer who could approach Cassis and eliminate it.

So, as soon as I felt the butterfly disappear, I guessed that Cassis had met Deon.

Cassis himself confirmed this when we met that night. He did not lie about encountering Deon.

Cassis said that nothing happened, but the fact that the poison butterfly had disappeared made it clear that their meeting was not peaceful.

At that time, I silently placed a new butterfly on Cassis.

“I think Noel Vertium’s right-hand man was named Dante. I heard he’s dead.”

Then, when I heard those words from Griselda yesterday, everything seemed to connect.

“In my opinion… it seems that some loyal dog followed his master’s trail and went in and out of Vertium.”

In fact, I had thought it was strange since I learned that Noel Vertium had arrived at Yggdrasil alone three days ago.

During the last fellowship and even inside Vertium, Noel was always accompanied by his right-hand man, Dante.

So, there was no way he would not come to such an important event. That’s why I had some doubts in my mind.

But to hear that he was dead.

Was that why he didn’t attack the Pedelian procession to retrieve Nix from Vertium before coming to Yggdrasil, unlike what I had expected?

Noel looked very unstable when I saw him three days ago.

I now knew it was because Dante had died, but I didn’t feel any sympathy for him.

However, the fact that Deon had killed Dante was enough to immediately freeze my mood and then boil it over.

The fact that Cassis seemed to know about it made my heart even more parched.

While I was lost in other thoughts, the empty seats inside the assembly hall began to fill one by one.

Finally, Cassis entered as well.

Our eyes met briefly.

Soon after, he and I naturally averted our gazes almost simultaneously.

“Nix, where’s Nix?”

Just before the doors of the assembly hall were about to close at the appointed time, Noel Vertium appeared, being supported or dragged in.

“Where’s Nix?”

He looked for Nix even as he entered the assembly hall.

I frowned slightly.

*That’s strange. He showed an obsession with Nix even when he was in Vertium, but it wasn’t to this extent.*

Was he perhaps trying to fill the emotional void left by Dante’s death with Nix?

Of course, even if that were the case, I had no intention of handing Nix over to Vertium.

Then, Noel suddenly noticed me and made a happy expression.

It seemed he didn’t even remember being scolded by me three days ago. To see him make such a bright face upon seeing me.

“Luna!”

Moreover, how many times had I told him not to call me by that name, but he had already forgotten?

But this was what I had expected.

I had deliberately sat in a visible spot, hoping that he would recognize me and greet me.

“Luna, Nix, where’s Nix? I was told I could see her if I came to the assembly hall. Where are you hiding her?”

Noel was not free to move around in Yggdrasil.

He wasn’t confined from the beginning, but there were times when Noel would call out for Nix and try to leave his room, so the guards watching over him had stopped him several times.

I heard that even after belatedly hearing about the disturbance in the garden yesterday, Noel had made a fuss, saying he had to see Nix.

So, Cassis had told me last night that he had moved Nix’s room to another location in preparation for any possible situation.

“Luna?”

“Luna, who?”

“It seems like he’s talking to Lady Agriache…”

The people who heard Noel’s words whispered.

“Noel Vertium, it would be best if you took your seat.”

The heads frowned and said.

But Noel remained unmoving in front of me.

“…Head of the Yellow [referring to Jeremy, head of the Agriache family].”

Eventually, Jeremy seemed to reach the limit of his patience and opened his mouth.

“Could it be that the Luna he’s referring to is my sister?”