The Way To Protect The Female Lead’S Older Brother [EN]: Chapter 220

Protecting the Heroine’s Older Brother – Episode 220

Side Story 11

* * *

“Hey.”

While Roxana was away, Jeremy approached Nix.

“Whether it’s Ashil or Nix or whatever, I’m talking to you.”

He pretended to kindly adjust Nix’s clothes, forcing a smile, just in case Roxana might see him from afar.

“It’s what Roxana wants, so I’m keeping quiet for now, but if you don’t want to see me get nasty before you die, you better behave yourself.”

But the words that came out of Jeremy’s mouth were a grim threat.

“If you’re going to die anyway, then die like you’re supposed to—thinking about those who are left behind and going peacefully. Don’t you dare do anything to hurt my sister’s feelings.”

It was pointless to say more, but in Jeremy’s world, the only important person was Roxana.

He knew that Ashil held a special meaning for her, so he was leaving Nix alone, who was as annoying as Cassis Pedelian.

But Jeremy hadn’t acknowledged this doll as Ashil yet, and even if he did, he still didn’t want him by Roxana’s side.

Especially after seeing him looking so weak, like he was about to breathe his last breath.

*If this doll starts lamenting his fate and crying about not wanting to die in front of Roxana before he died, how heavy would Roxana’s heart be?*

No, it would be a relief if he just cried.

Jeremy had seen many times under Lant how pathetic a person could become when faced with death.

Thinking about that, he couldn’t help but regret that this doll wearing Ashil’s skin hadn’t died before they found him.

“Did you hear what I said? Open your ears and listen carefully! The time you have left is thanks to my sister, so don’t get any funny ideas and just be grateful for every second and lie low.”

Jeremy gave one last chilling threat, grabbing Nix’s collar tightly as a warning.

“Remember that I’m always watching you. From now on, be careful what you say and do in front of my sister, whether you’re awake or asleep, while moving to the middle zone…”

*Thud!*

At that moment, the surface of Nix’s face shattered, falling onto Jeremy’s hand.

“Ugh, damn it, what…!”

Jeremy jumped back in surprise.

“What, what, you son of a…! I just tugged on your clothes, why are you breaking apart?”

He quickly let go of the collar he was holding and frantically examined Nix’s face.

“Hey, hey, it’s not because of me, is it? Right? Huh? Tell me it’s not!”

He tried to pick up the fallen pieces and put them back together, but of course, it was impossible.

The fragments of the already shattered body completely crumbled as soon as Jeremy touched them. Seeing that, Jeremy gasped again.

From Nix’s perspective, it was a little funny to see him so anxious, as if he hadn’t been making fierce threats just a moment ago.

“D, damn it. Even if it’s my fault, don’t tell my sister, you! If you snitch on me, you’re dead! And don’t forget what I said earlier…!”

In the end, Jeremy chose to quickly leave before Roxana came.

But he didn’t forget to glare at Nix and warn him until the very end.

He quickly jumped out of the carriage and ran away.

Nix blankly watched Jeremy’s disappearing back.

The image of a young boy with a runny nose was faintly superimposed on it.

At first, his memories were hazy, but it was definitely the half-brother that Roxana had taken special care of in secret when they were young.

As time went on, Nix was having increasingly vivid dreams of Ashil.

These days, he often recalled his childhood memories in great detail, and he would often be immersed in unfamiliar yet nostalgic feelings. Like now…

“To not miss that gap when I only took my eyes off you for a moment, you truly are Jeremy Agriche.”

Then someone approached and blocked Nix’s view.

It was Cassis, who appeared with a blank face and took a seat on the opposite chair.

“And your cleanup is sloppy too.”

He put Nix’s cloak hood back on, which had been pulled off when Jeremy grabbed his collar. Nix’s face, which was already more than half collapsed, was covered by the black cloth.

Unlike Jeremy, who had only pretended to fix Nix’s clothes, Cassis neatly straightened them.

The crumpled collar from being grabbed was smoothed out, and the dust on it was brushed off.

As Nix quietly watched his hands moving under his chin, a low voice flowed into his ear.

“But Jeremy Agriche’s words aren’t entirely wrong. I also agree with some of his concerns.”

As he could feel from those words, Nix knew that Cassis’s actions were not out of any favorable feelings either.

“I’m sure you’re already well aware of it yourself, so I won’t bother adding any more advice.”

The reason Cassis had come to clean up after Jeremy was to keep Nix’s broken appearance out of Roxana’s sight as much as possible.

When Cassis finally finished his work and his hand fell away, Nix impulsively asked.

“Cassis Pedelian, why didn’t you stop her?”

He couldn’t understand why Cassis, who had accompanied Roxana this far, hadn’t stopped her.

If he was worried about the aftermath of meeting Nix, he should have stopped her from the beginning, or at least interfered along the way so she couldn’t come to where he was.

“Well. Isn’t it the same reason you eventually followed her here after giving up your initial stubbornness?”

But Nix’s mouth closed again at Cassis’s words that followed.

“At that time, you thought that not showing Roxana your dying 모습 [mosub – appearance] was the best you could do, and I didn’t stop you because I secretly agreed with that.”

In fact, he still felt the same way, Cassis added in a low voice.

“But Roxana doesn’t want that, so I have no choice but to accept it.”

As he said that, a look similar to when he had swallowed something bitter faintly appeared on his face.

Cassis’s gaze reached Roxana in the distance. She had already returned and was talking to Jeremy.

Cassis suddenly recalled what had happened when he met Roxana at Agriche not long ago.

The tearful eyes he had seen in Lant Agriche’s office were so empty that they made his heart sink for a moment.

Cassis would probably never forget Roxana’s face as she cried, drunk, saying she didn’t know why she still felt so empty inside.

“Roxana said she doesn’t care anymore whether you’re Ashil or Nix. So you and I don’t need to worry about that anymore either.”

If this was the conclusion Roxana had finally reached and what she wanted, Cassis would do everything he could to help.

“Hold on a little longer, as Roxana wishes. It seems there’s someone she really wants you to see one last time.”

Nix fixed his gaze on the place where Cassis’s voice was coming from.

Because of the cloak that came down almost to his nose, he could only see the lower part of the person sitting in front of him.

Suddenly, Nix’s lips, which had been slightly opened as if to say something to Cassis, stopped moving.

There were a few things he wanted to say, but it seemed inappropriate to say anything about the person they were talking about.

Besides, considering Nix’s current situation, the words that were circling under his throat even felt somewhat ridiculous.

So Nix said something else to Cassis, who had just gotten up.

“Tell Sylvia I’m sorry later.”

It was an apology for trying to take her hostage at Yggdrasil before.

He wished he could tell her himself, but he knew it was impossible.

“I will.”

Cassis stared at Nix for a moment before replying briefly.

Soon, Cassis got out of the carriage and approached Roxana.

Roxana noticed him and turned her head.

“Cassis. I just sent a butterfly to scout the road, and it would be faster to turn right at the lower reaches of the river.”

She told Cassis what she had been telling Jeremy.

Jeremy, who was next to Roxana, gave Cassis a wary look. But Cassis didn’t tell Roxana what had happened between Jeremy and Nix.

“Then let’s leave right away. I went and restored the horses’ stamina to some extent.”

“Sister, I also gave the horse water and food to cheer it up!”

“Okay, thank you both.”

Before the sun completely set, they got back in the carriage and set off again.

And so, it was after two days, which felt both very long and short, that they finally arrived at the middle zone near their destination.

* * *

Despite Jeremy’s threats, Nix spent most of his time asleep until they arrived in the middle zone.

It seemed like he was saving every bit of energy, even the power to blink, to use it to prolong his remaining life as much as possible.

So it was only until the evening of two days ago that Roxana was able to face Nix and have a brief conversation.

“Wake up.”

Today, Nix was deep in sleep again when he opened his eyes to the sound of someone calling and waking him up several times.

Roxana’s face was visible through his heavy eyelids.

“We’re here. We’re going to walk from here.”

He was lifted out like luggage.

Even during that time, his consciousness kept 끊겼다. 이어지기를 반복했다 [kkeunhgyeotda. ieojigireul banbokhaetda – being cut off and repeating to continue].

In fact, Nix’s body had already reached its limit.

The only reason he had been able to endure this far was because of Roxana.

Of course, his wish to see his mother even once before he died was also genuine, but his feelings of sorry and affection for Roxana were even greater.

Perhaps it was because of a final sense of duty.

Because this was the last thing he could do for Roxana, who had found Nix and brought him here.

Then, Nix suddenly realized that it was Roxana who was lifting and carrying him.

“It must be heavy, you should have someone else carry me…”

But Nix’s voice was so weak that it sounded like a dying lamp in the wind, so he thought Roxana might not have heard him.

But a moment later, a small whisper echoed above Nix’s head.

“It’s not as heavy as you think.”

With each step forward, Nix’s shattered remains mixed with the wind and flew away.

Most of his body had already been lost, so even Roxana could easily lift him without any effort.

Hearing Roxana’s words, Nix smiled faintly.

It was a relief that his smaller body was of some help to Roxana.

The next moment, he met eyes with Roxana, who lowered her head.

“Are you going to sleep again?”

As if in response to those words, his eyelids became heavy again, and Nix couldn’t look at the face that was spreading through the light for long.