The Way To Protect The Female Lead’S Older Brother [EN]: Chapter 230

Side Story 21

“He’s coming out.”

This time, the meeting place was outdoors.

I was on my way back from touring the restricted-access poisonous plant greenhouse and the monster breeding ground.

After Jeremy and I took over from Lant, we significantly streamlined the business, but we didn’t completely ban the cultivation of drugs and poisonous plants. However, it seemed they only intended to use them within the family and had no plans to distribute them outside.

The damaged monster breeding ground was also currently under repair. After searching the office and confirming, it seemed they had decided to continue some transactions with Hyperion.

Still, they were mass-producing medicinal herbs on more than half of the land that used to cultivate narcotic plants, which had been one of Agrihe’s main sources of income.

This seemed to be a trade item with Gastor… I needed to look into the details further.

After visiting the greenhouse and breeding ground, I turned the corner of the building and ran into Cassis Pedelian.

It seemed he knew my route and was waiting for me here.

“This is a restricted area for outsiders.”

I didn’t know how much Cassis Pedelian knew about Agrihe’s affairs, but I couldn’t ignore him since we ran into each other here, so I spoke without thinking.

He glanced behind me and replied.

“I didn’t step inside the restricted area.”

That was true, so I couldn’t argue further.

Cassis Pedelian was wearing light indoor attire, unlike before.

It seemed the dinner preparations hadn’t started yet, as he wasn’t dressed formally.

However, his appearance was so handsome and his figure so excellent that he gave off a complete feeling even in basic pants and a white shirt.

My gaze involuntarily lingered on the firm arm muscles revealed beneath his rolled-up sleeves.

But I quickly and naturally averted my eyes and tried to pass him.

However, Cassis Pedelian blocked my path by placing his hand on the wall.

“I heard you won’t be attending the dinner.”

A low voice echoed from above my head.

I didn’t know if it was intentional, but he still didn’t touch me directly like before.

“They said you’re overworked and your health has deteriorated. Is it that bad?”

I raised my head and stared at the face in front of me.

Cassis Pedelian, the man who was supposed to be my lover.

But trusting him was different from trusting Jeremy or Griselda.

They were people I had known since I was young, but this man was a complete stranger.

Judging from Cassis Pedelian’s attitude towards me today and the contents of the letter I found in the drawer, this man’s feelings for me were genuine.

I was surprised at first, but after thinking about it, it wasn’t that unexpected.

Of course. Even if I were a man, I would fall in love if I saw myself as I am now. No, honestly, even if I were a woman, I would have fallen for this beauty.

My beauty, which was already extraordinary at sixteen, had matured into something almost otherworldly now that I was an adult.

So, I could understand how Cassis Pedelian had eventually become my captive.

However, my feelings for Cassis Pedelian were uncertain.

I didn’t think of myself as someone who would risk my life for love.

Besides, I could pretend to love someone else if necessary.

So, no matter how it looked on the surface, I didn’t think I really liked this man.

Even if I did like him, the extent to which I liked him was another matter.

That was why I didn’t tell him about my symptoms first.

Of course, Cassis Pedelian’s kiss wasn’t unpleasant at all, and it was strangely good…

But that was just… well, maybe I only liked this man’s body?

“You don’t have to worry. I’ll be fine if I get some rest.”

I answered without being too affectionate or cold, and then tried to pass him again.

But as soon as I turned in another direction, Cassis Pedelian blocked me again.

“Roxana.”

He called my name like when I first saw him during the day. For a moment, my heart skipped a beat again.

A voice lower than before mingled with his breath and resonated close to me.

“Why do you keep avoiding me?”

I reflexively denied it.

“When did I ever do that? I haven’t.”

“Considering you say that, you’re still not looking at my face.”

I frowned and looked at the broad chest stubbornly standing in front of me.

As people whose hidden intentions are pointed out usually do, I felt a moment of rebellion.

So, I raised my head and faced the man’s face as if to show him.

But I soon regretted it.

I was only convinced that I probably liked not only this man’s body but also his voice and face very much.

Deep golden eyes locked onto me, as if I were the only person in the world, without looking away for a moment.

The intense sunlight cast a soft orange shadow on the man’s sculpted face and body.

The subtly shimmering hair fluttered in front of my eyes, catching the wind.

“It seems you…”

The perfectly shaped lips that had left an impressive, passionate kiss on me parted slightly, and I lost the staring contest.

“You don’t seem to know what kind of eyes you’re looking at me with.”

Jeremy pointed out my smiling face, and now it’s my eyes?

I thought a little crookedly, vaguely averting my gaze from Cassis Pedelian.

Meanwhile, a much calmer voice tickled my ear.

“Why are you treating me like someone you don’t know, since earlier?”

I guess I was right when I felt that lies wouldn’t work on this man when we first met.

Cassis Pedelian seemed to have roughly grasped my condition from our first meeting.

I glanced at him again as if I hadn’t been avoiding his gaze at all.

I think I should start admitting it at this point…

Honestly, the feelings I had for Cassis Pedelian were a little different from the curiosity or excitement I felt when I had a man of my taste in front of me.

But I didn’t really want to admit it.

Like the fact that this man could shake me up so much with just one kiss…

And also the fact that this man was making me anxious just by his very existence.

Besides, I felt a little prideful because I seemed to have shown too naive a reaction and ran away from Cassis Pedelian earlier out of embarrassment.

I suddenly wanted to test his reaction, so I said nonchalantly.

“Jeremy said that out of sight, out of mind.”

“…What?”

“Doesn’t it occur to you that’s why I’m keeping my distance?”

At that moment, it felt like a black flame sparked in the eyes I was facing.

Ah, I liked that look.

This man really likes me.

I had already noticed it, but I felt satisfied after confirming it like this.

A strange sense of superiority and elation permeated and sweetened my mouth.

I want to tease him more, what should I do?

I don’t know if Cassis Pedelian believes what I just said, but it was certain that he was stimulated by it.

“If you thought I would be convinced by such words, you’re mistaken.”

He muttered in a suppressed voice, exuding a cold aura, and moved his hand to grab my wrist.

It was at that very moment.

“……!”

A force resembling Cassis Pedelian flowed into me through the touching skin.

I was so surprised that I shook him off with all my might.

“What are you doing?”

What was that just now? What was he trying to do to me?

I raised my voice, instinctively wary, and took a step back.

It was surprising that I didn’t immediately take out and wield the hidden dagger.

Emily, who was standing behind me, reacted to my sharp voice and sprang forward.

But the expression on the man’s face that flashed through my vision was too…

I shuddered and had no choice but to stop Emily.

Cassis Pedelian remained rooted in the same spot even as I distanced myself and stepped back.

I was clearly the one who felt threatened just now, but he had the face of someone who had been attacked.

The hand that had been holding me was still frozen in the air.

Cassis Pedelian looked at me with a blank gaze, unable to even breathe properly.

I saw the broken shards of sunlight in his eyes creating deep ripples as if they would shatter at any moment.

“I……”

Eventually, a hoarse voice, as if he was being strangled, flowed from him.

“There’s no way I would ever try to hurt you.”

It was the first time I had seen someone with such a wounded face.

He seemed to have been greatly shocked by my genuine expression of wariness and the act of shaking off his hand.

Uh…? But my heart also stung when I witnessed that.

I felt like I had done something very wrong.

That feeling peaked especially when Cassis Pedelian raised the hand that had been holding me and covered his face.

Unknowingly, I took a step forward and approached him.

Then, Cassis Pedelian lowered his hand again.

“……No. I’m sorry.”

Fortunately, he wasn’t crying or anything.

He apologized to me, having managed to control his emotions to some extent, though not completely.

“It’s my fault. I’m sorry for surprising you, Roxana.”

“No……”

“I didn’t think you would misunderstand. I was just going to check for a moment, but……”

But his face still looked like he had swallowed a lump of lead, and I couldn’t forget the wounded expression I had just witnessed.

“Even so, it’s true that I was too hasty and insensitive. I thought I was calm, but it seems I was more anxious than I expected.”

“……”

“I will never touch you like this without permission in the future… So, don’t avoid me with such wariness……”

Eventually, I couldn’t bear to listen to Cassis Pedelian’s apology any longer and grabbed his arm first.

“Okay, stop it.”

But I didn’t know what else to say.

Cassis Pedelian quietly looked down at me.

A wind carrying the scent of grass passed between him and me.

“Does Jeremy Agrihe know about your condition?”

Then, I suddenly raised my head at the words whispered softly in my ear.

“I see… He must know. Still, I should say it’s a relief.”

My heart ached again at the bitter smile in my sight.

I felt a sense of guilt for some reason this time as well, which made me very uncomfortable.

Cassis Pedelian, who had been quietly looking down at me, tilted his head towards me.

It was a cautious movement, as if he was being considerate so that I wouldn’t be surprised like before.

In a way, it seemed like he was asking for permission to get a little closer.

I watched his face approaching little by little, holding my breath.

“I don’t know how this problem arose, but……”

Finally, Cassis leaned close to me, so close that I could see the trembling of his eyelashes, and whispered in my ear.

“If it’s me, I can cure your symptoms right now.”

“……!”

When I flinched and turned my gaze, he had already straightened his upper body again.

Like on the stairs, Cassis Pedelian took a step back from me first.

However, the gazes we exchanged were still locked on each other.

The quietly added voice was etched into my ears as if it were white frost.

“If you ever feel like you can trust me even a little, come find me. I’ll be waiting anytime.”

For a moment, I thought his eyes looked like those of a hunter waiting for the right time to capture an animal caught in a trap.

“Head Roxana.”

At that moment, a servant approached, seemingly with news to deliver to me.

Cassis turned around and left first.

My gaze was automatically fixed on his receding figure.

The servant’s words that followed pierced my eardrums in the fluttering wind.

“Young Master Deon has returned.”