The Way To Protect The Female Lead’S Older Brother [EN]: Chapter 144

Protecting the Heroine’s Older Brother – Episode 144

* * *

“It is the greatest honor, Lady Roxana Agriche.”

The moment Cassis accepted, an even greater commotion erupted within the banquet hall.

Cassis took Roxana’s hand and, with due respect, kissed the back of it. Then, hand in hand, they moved together.

The whole sequence flowed as naturally as water.

They wore expressions of perfect composure, as if they didn’t care in the slightest about the noisy crowd around them.

“What is going on?”

Among the various families, it was the Agriches who were particularly shaken.

“Why did Roxana request an escort first?”

“And to the Pedelians, of all families…!”

However, their outcry was immediately silenced when Jeremy rebuked them in an icy voice.

“All of you, shut up. Do you think this is Agriche, where you can act as you please?”

Jeremy’s chilling gaze swept over the family members.

“Isn’t it because you all are acting like dogs in a fighting pit, unable to grasp the situation, that Siana-noona [older sister] stepped in?”

At that, they all closed their mouths with uncomfortable expressions, as if there were things weighing on their minds.

This was because everyone knew the purpose of gathering all five families in Yggdrasil, and what Agriche’s current position was among them.

But in truth, Jeremy’s insides were also boiling.

However, everything he had hoped for from the start was for Roxana’s sake.

Yesterday, the two of them reunited after a long time and had a long conversation together.

When Roxana took his hand, letting out a soft breath.

“You must have suffered a lot, my brother.”

At that one phrase, Jeremy felt that nothing else mattered anymore.

Of course, he had never resented Roxana in the first place, not even for a moment…….

The rusty emotions that had unknowingly lingered in his heart seemed to melt away completely at that moment.

“Noona [older sister], I…….”

Jeremy clenched Roxana’s hand even tighter and said.

“I will do better.”

With the meaning of asking her not to abandon him again, he looked at Roxana earnestly.

What should he do to avoid being abandoned again?

Wouldn’t it be enough to become a more useful person to her?

Jeremy sincerely thought that he would have nothing more to wish for if he could dedicate his whole life to Roxana and die.

So, if she would just let him stay by her side like this.

“You are doing well enough now.”

Roxana stared at him for a long time, and just when Jeremy was about to be overcome with anxiety again, she opened her mouth.

“And Jeremy. You don’t have to try to do anything for me anymore.”

At those words, his heart seemed to drop.

Roxana was staring at Jeremy with an expressionless face.

Could it be that she no longer needed him? So that’s why she meant he didn’t have to do anything anymore?

“Let’s not do that anymore.”

But Roxana whispered softly to him, overlapping her warmth more deeply onto Jeremy’s hand.

“You and I know very well how empty a life becomes when its value is determined by such things. So let’s not do that to each other anymore.”

“Noona [older sister]…….”

“It’s okay even if you can’t do anything for me.”

And at the words that followed, Jeremy unknowingly stopped breathing.

“Still, you are my precious brother, and I will never abandon you.”

Roxana looked at him and smiled faintly, like paint spreading in water.

“I’m sorry for leaving like that that day. I won’t do that again now.”

The last words Roxana whispered were deeply engraved even on Jeremy’s heart.

“Jeremy. You and Mother are the only ones who truly and sincerely want me to be happy in this Agriche.”

At that moment, Jeremy thought he saw Roxana’s sincerity as clearly as if he could grasp it in his hand, more vividly than any moment in his life.

It was as dazzlingly brilliant as the stars embroidered in the night sky for Jeremy, and as sweet and fragrant as the scent of flowers filling a garden.

Originally, Jeremy could grant Roxana anything she asked for.

So…….

Again, if that was her will.

Besides, it wasn’t just for that reason; this was also something that Agriche needed. So if Roxana hadn’t been here, Jeremy would have stepped forward for sure.

Then there was even less reason not to support Roxana here.

“I know how you feel, but for now, don’t cause any trouble and stay put. It’s not like I’m going to keep holding back forever.”

Unexpectedly, Jeremy’s reassuring attitude eased the tense atmosphere of Agriche.

Jeremy left his half-siblings behind and stepped away from his spot.

The place he was heading to was where Sylvia Pedelian was.

* * *

From earlier on, Orca, who had been quietly watching the situation from one side of the banquet hall, finally burst into laughter.

“Ah, I’m glad I came to Yggdrasil.”

It was only the second day of the social gathering, but it was already this fun.

“Well, I’m glad you’re having fun…….”

Pandora, who was next to Orca, muttered sullenly.

Unlike Orca, who was enjoying herself, Pandora had been feeling quite bothered trying to avoid Jeremy Agriche’s eyes since earlier.

Thankfully, he had now gone elsewhere with Sylvia Pedelian, so she felt relieved.

Pandora thought she should just stay in a corner and slip away.

But without knowing her feelings, Orca suddenly put her arm around Pandora’s shoulder.

“Shall we go too, sister?”

“Go where?”

“People are starting to move, we can’t be left behind.”

Whether Pandora frowned or not, Orca began to look for someone to mingle with on her own.

“Let’s see. Sylvia, whom I know, has already been taken by the leader of the Black. Oh, the person next to the leader of the Red, looks like sister’s type? Shall we go take a closer look?”

“Go by yourself if you want to go.”

“Ehehe, you know I’m shy, sister. And take a closer look, sister. He’s really just your type, you know?”

“How do you know my type?”

“Just look at the creatures you raise?”

With that, Orca began to move towards where Ryzac Gastor was, dragging Pandora along.

Of course, Pandora’s opinion didn’t matter.

The second day in Yggdrasil.

The banquet had truly begun.

* * *

Everywhere, gazes as persistent and dense as a net flew in.

Roxana and Cassis crossed the banquet hall, receiving those gazes without filtering them.

“You look dazzlingly beautiful today, Lady Agriche.”

Then, Roxana raised her head at the voice that suddenly came from beside her.

She saw Cassis looking down at her with a still polite face.

It was unmistakably an attitude and expression that kept a distance, and a way of speaking that seemed like a courtesy greeting.

But it was definitely not her imagination that she felt warmth in his eyes towards her.

Roxana smiled faintly at Cassis.

“Thank you. I am even more pleased to hear such praise from the Blue’s young lord, of all people.”

She was also indirectly expressing that she wanted to look pretty to him more than anyone else.

“I am the one who is honored to be chosen by Lady Agriche.”

It seemed like a courteous conversation, but it contained emotions and sincerity that others didn’t know.

“It feels new to walk hand in hand like this in such a place.”

“Indeed.”

The situation now, including Roxana’s escort request, was not something that had been discussed in advance.

Yet, the two of them conversed naturally.

As she subtly turned her head to check where they had come from, she noticed Jeremy and Sylvia standing face to face.

It was quite unexpected, so Roxana was a little surprised. But starting with that, other people also began to mingle with other families little by little.

The table arrangement in the banquet hall was clearly different from yesterday.

At yesterday’s dinner, long tables were arranged in a row, making it easy for people from each family to gather in groups, but today, small, round tables were sparsely placed in the hall, creating a space where only a maximum of four or five people could gather in one place.

Cassis and Roxana moved to one of them, receiving the attention of everyone in the banquet hall.

Roxana, escorted by Cassis, sat down on the chair first, and then Cassis took a seat opposite her.

“Was your journey to Yggdrasil peaceful?”

Then Cassis asked Roxana first.

Because there were still many ears listening and eyes watching around them, they continued the conversation in a different tone than usual.

“Thanks to your concern, it was comfortable. I hope the Blue’s young lord also had a smooth journey?”

It was a question to confirm that there were no other problems for each other on the way to Yggdrasil.

“I was worried because it seemed like it would be a longer journey than usual, but it was smoother than I initially expected.”

Listening to Cassis’s calm answer, Roxana confirmed that the signal he had sent when he was on the terrace earlier had the same meaning as she had thought.

‘As expected, he didn’t encounter Vertium.’

At that moment, those serving the meal came to the table where the two were sitting and began to place tableware and water glasses.

“When I arrived at Yggdrasil this afternoon, I happened to see Lady Agriche on the terrace of her room.”

Cassis, who had indifferently cast a short glance at them, soon opened his mouth again towards Roxana.

“The heavy rain that had been falling last night stopped, so I came out for a while to get some air.”

“It seems you arrived at Yggdrasil early.”

“It’s almost two days earlier than the Pedelians.”

Cassis seemed curious about when Roxana had arrived at Yggdrasil.

Roxana reached out to the water glass that had just been placed next to her and answered.

Cassis watched the scene quietly for a moment, then tilted his head to the side and slowly parted his lips once more.

“Have you met the family members you missed?”

At that moment, Roxana’s hand, which was raising the water glass, paused.