The Way To Protect The Female Lead’S Older Brother [EN]: Chapter 216

Protecting the Heroine’s Older Brother – Episode 216 (216/253)

Side Story 7

Side Story 2. The Story After the Epilogue: The 14-Day Chase

“Damn it… This is annoying.”

Jeremy leaned against a tree, chewing on an unripe fruit he had picked from the forest earlier.

Crunch, crunch…

He worked his jaw as if he wanted to crush the seeds, making a fierce sound between his teeth.

Clearly, Jeremy was in a foul mood.

‘Look at that eyesore, glued to my sister again.’

He glared at Roxana and Cassis, who were some distance away.

More precisely, his fierce gaze was directed solely at Cassis.

When his gaze shifted to Roxana, Jeremy’s eyes softened, becoming almost pitiful.

It had been four days since the three of them left Yggdrasil [a significant location or institution], where representatives from each family had gathered for a meeting.

They were searching for the missing Nicks.

During that time, Jeremy had to put up with Cassis Fedelian, who was stuck to Roxana like glue.

Even now, the two of them stood among the reeds swaying in the wind, engaged in a serious conversation.

As they had often done over the past four days, they were likely discussing Nicks’ whereabouts or condition.

But in Jeremy’s jealous eyes, even that looked like an intimate scene.

Thwack!

He clenched his fist in anger, brutally crushing the half-eaten fruit in his hand.

‘I finally had a chance to spend time alone with my sister, but how dare you interfere? I’m going to destroy you, Cassis Fedelian…!’

“Jeremy.”

But the moment Roxana looked back and called his name, Jeremy’s attitude changed instantly.

He smoothed out his crumpled face and jumped up as if he had been waiting, trotting towards Roxana.

“Sister, did you call me?”

“Dark clouds are gathering from the south. It looks like the sun will be setting soon, so let’s rest for the day at the place we saw earlier.”

Roxana’s poison butterflies, which she had sent out earlier, were returning.

As Roxana said, the weather was rapidly clouding over. Jeremy had also felt the increasing humidity in the air.

He thought the rain wouldn’t arrive until dawn, but the dark clouds seemed to be gathering faster than expected.

“Okay, Sister. I went ahead a little while ago and cleaned up the area perfectly!”

Since discovering clear traces of Nicks yesterday, they had been traveling without the carriage, finding it too cumbersome.

There were no suitable houses nearby, so they had to spend the night outside.

This was familiar to Roxana, Jeremy, and Cassis, so no one felt particularly uncomfortable.

However, if it rained now…

“But it doesn’t seem like a heavy rain, so there’s no need to worry that the traces will be completely washed away.”

Cassis spoke before Jeremy could.

A vein throbbed on Jeremy’s forehead.

He had been about to comfort Roxana with similar words, but Cassis beat him to it.

Jeremy hurried to reassure Roxana, not wanting to be outdone by Cassis.

“That’s right, Sister! Even if it rains, the traces of that doll will remain. So don’t worry.”

Cassis glanced at Jeremy before turning his attention back to Roxana.

“It seems the rain will stop by tonight at the latest, so let’s rest early and move again before dawn.”

“Yes, that’s what I was thinking too!”

Perhaps because Cassis had more experience camping out while patrolling or fighting monsters, it was best to follow his opinion in these matters.

That was something Jeremy reluctantly admitted.

Still annoyed, he subtly squeezed between Roxana and Cassis, creating a physical barrier.

“Let’s go, Sister! I’ll take you there quickly and safely!”

Roxana couldn’t help but laugh.

It sounded like a designated driver promising a safe return.

His attempts to block Cassis were so obvious that she couldn’t ignore them, even if she tried.

Of course, Jeremy wasn’t even trying to hide his intentions.

Jeremy had been waging a silent war with Cassis since the day they left Yggdrasil.

Naturally, Cassis must have noticed.

Roxana glanced back as she walked, led by Jeremy.

Fortunately, Cassis only raised an eyebrow slightly and didn’t seem interested in playing along with Jeremy’s petty games.

He silently followed Roxana and Jeremy, keeping his distance.

* * *

As expected, raindrops began to fall shortly after.

Dark gray clouds obscured the setting sun.

Roxana, Cassis, and Jeremy took shelter from the rain in a cave they had spotted earlier. They planned to rest for a few hours and leave as soon as the rain stopped.

Meanwhile, Jeremy’s antics continued.

“Sister, sit here! Next to me! I cleaned the dirt and laid out a cloak. Cassis Fedelian, you go to that corner! It’s already narrow, so don’t stick to our sister for no reason. Sit at the entrance to block the wind.”

“Sister, aren’t you thirsty? Would you like some water? Huh? What are you looking at, Cassis Fedelian? You drink your water. This is for our sister!”

“Ah, Roxana, Sister, did you cough because you were cold? Come to think of it, the temperature seems to have dropped. Hey, Cassis Fedelian! Give me the blanket our sister used yesterday. And don’t just stand there blankly, warm up the bonfire. The fire is about to go out. Are you going to take responsibility if our sister catches a cold?”

It went on like this.

Cassis sometimes looked at Jeremy with a dumbfounded expression, and sometimes with annoyance.

“Jeremy Agriche, you’re not mistaken that I’ve become your servant, are you?”

He seemed to think Jeremy was pathetic.

But perhaps because Roxana was with them, Cassis didn’t argue further and quietly picked up a branch to stir the bonfire.

Roxana, who had coughed earlier to give Jeremy a hint, decided to let him be.

“Jeremy, you must be tired too, so stop and sleep.”

“I’m okay!”

That was meant to tell him to stop bothering Cassis, but he didn’t seem to understand.

With no other choice, Roxana took his hand and laid Jeremy down next to her.

“Uh…”

“Good boy. If you sleep early, you can wake up early and leave tomorrow. If you close your eyes and stay still, you’ll fall asleep.”

As she patted his shoulder, Jeremy closed his eyes as instructed.

His body, which had been stiff, gradually relaxed under her gentle touch.

He seemed to enjoy this, and the corners of Jeremy’s mouth twitched, slowly forming a smile.

Cassis, who was watching from across the cave, chuckled.

“Cassis, you should sleep too.”

“I’m not sleepy yet. Don’t worry about me and lie down first.”

Roxana spoke to Cassis, but he shook his head.

“That’s right, Sister. Cassis Fedelian says he’s not sleepy, so let’s just sleep first. Come on, lie down here next to me!”

Jeremy seized the opportunity and snuggled up to Roxana.

In the end, she had no choice but to leave Cassis and lie down.

The sound of raindrops and the crackling bonfire mixed together and echoed in her ears.

Roxana quietly listened to the peaceful sounds and fell asleep.

She hadn’t told anyone, but she hadn’t been getting proper sleep for some time.

She was also tired from summoning the poison butterflies so frequently.

In fact, she never would have fallen asleep so defenselessly in front of others, given her personality.

However, the two people next to her were perhaps the two she trusted most in the world, the two she could trust with her life.

After a while, quiet breathing joined the sound of the burning bonfire.

Cassis and Jeremy felt similar emotions as they looked at Roxana, who was sleeping soundly.

It was a feeling that was strangely ticklish and warm.

“Jeremy Agriche.”

Later, as the night deepened, Cassis called Jeremy in a low voice.

Jeremy had also woken up from a light sleep.

He was still staring at Roxana’s face with an intensity that was almost unsettling.

At the sound of his name, he glared at Cassis as if telling him not to interfere.

Their eyes met, and Cassis gestured for him to come outside. But Jeremy didn’t move.

He ignored Cassis and turned his gaze back to Roxana.

Cassis sighed and got up.

He muffled his footsteps and approached Jeremy, grabbing the back of his neck.

“What…!”

Jeremy bristled like a threatened animal.

But, mindful of Roxana sleeping nearby, he stopped himself from protesting.

Cassis seized the opportunity, grabbed Jeremy’s collar, and pulled him up against his will.

Jeremy ground his teeth and followed him outside.

* * *

The rain had subsided.

In an hour or two, it seemed it would stop completely.

Outside the cave, the smell of wet vegetation was stronger.

A faint moonlight peeked through the clearing clouds.

Jeremy slapped Cassis’s hand away.

“What, do you want to die? I told you not to touch me, didn’t I? Didn’t I say I’d cut off your hand if you touched me?”

“If this dirty piece of cloth also belongs to your body.”

Cassis dismissed Jeremy’s threat as if it were nothing.

Then, with his arms crossed, Cassis gestured to the side.

“I saw a lake on the east side of the forest earlier.”

“What? So what?”

“Wouldn’t it be good to go there before the rain stops and we leave?”

“Ha, what kind of trick are you playing? Why would I leave you alone with my sister?”

Jeremy sneered, seeing through his intentions.

Cassis’s expression changed slightly.

He looked down at Jeremy as if he were something insignificant and stupid, which only fueled Jeremy’s anger.

Then, as if talking to himself, Cassis muttered.

“If I put it nicely, you never understand what I’m saying…”

He clearly wanted Jeremy to hear him.

Jeremy briefly forgot that Roxana was sleeping nearby and complained.

“This is real! How dare you ignore me now…”

“Yes, I’ll tell you directly to match your eye level. You’re so filthy that it’s hard to even look at you. Go wash up.”