The Way To Protect The Female Lead’S Older Brother [EN]: Chapter 251

Sylvia was unusually excited.

Her cheeks were flushed as she hurried down the stairs.

More than anything, the sparkle in her eyes, like a bright star in the daytime, made it clear that Sylvia was eagerly anticipating something.

“Roxana, Sister!”

The reason became clear the moment someone stepped out of the carriage that stopped before her.

A beauty that could make anyone’s eyes widen saw Sylvia running towards her and smiled, her eyes crinkling like the spring sunshine.

“It’s been a while, Sylvia.”

Sylvia hugged Roxana tightly, delighted. Roxana, whom she hadn’t seen in almost three months, seemed even more stunning and beautiful than before.

“It’s been so long! How have you been?”

“Thanks to you thinking of me. How about you?”

“I’ve been well, except for missing you, Roxana, Sister.”

Roxana smiled and hugged Sylvia back.

“Lady Fedelian, I am still here, you know.”

Jeremy, who had gotten out of the carriage before Roxana to escort her, interjected from the side. He was in a foul mood because Sylvia had suddenly appeared and whisked Roxana away.

However, Sylvia responded to Jeremy in a perfunctory manner, incomparable to how she treated Roxana, before turning her gaze back with a bright smile.

“Did you have a tiring journey? Let’s go inside quickly. We only just arrived a little while ago. Brother is away on business with Isidore, so I came out as soon as I heard the news… Ah! There’s Brother!”

Speak of the devil.

Just as Sylvia was leading Roxana and talking cheerfully, Cassis appeared. It was only natural that Jeremy’s face, already sullenly contorted because of Sylvia, crumpled even more visibly.

“Roxana, welcome.”

“Cassis.”

Cassis approached and lightly embraced Roxana with a smile.

Then, he lowered his head and kissed her forehead and cheek, making Roxana laugh as if tickled.

It had been a while since Cassis and Roxana had met like this, though not as long as it had been for Sylvia.

“I missed you.”

“Me too.”

Perhaps that was why the affection between the two as they greeted each other seemed to overflow.

Sylvia watched them with a happy smile, but Jeremy twisted his lips as if displeased.

“Honestly, anyone who didn’t know better would think this was Fedelian, not Yggdrasil. If it’s just a courtesy call, Lady Fedelian alone would be enough, so why bother having two people come out to greet you…”

“That’s right, Head Jeremy! I saw a new promenade next to that building over there. Let’s go take a look together!”

Jeremy’s attempt to be sarcastic, intending for them to hear, backfired. Before he could finish speaking, Sylvia suddenly approached and grabbed his arm, pulling him along.

“What? What promenade? I’m not interested, so go alone…”

“Ah, why are you so clueless?!”

“What?”

When Jeremy resisted, Sylvia whispered in a small voice, as if frustrated, so that Roxana and Cassis wouldn’t hear.

“When Sister and Brother meet like this after so long, shouldn’t our siblings know to give them some space?”

Jeremy was dumbfounded by her words.

“Brother! We’re going over there to talk, so don’t worry about us!”

However, Sylvia arbitrarily decided and even shouted to Cassis and Roxana, then dragged the dumbfounded Jeremy along, taking the lead.

“Hey, wait, let go of me. I don’t know what you’re trying to do.”

“Huh? Are you talking informally to me now?”

Sylvia turned to look at Jeremy with a coy expression. Her round eyes, which held a much gentler light than Cassis Fedelian’s, met Jeremy’s.

Thinking she was going to start nagging him, Jeremy opened his mouth to change the subject.

“No, what I said just now was just to myself-”

“Well, I guess it doesn’t matter. We’re the same age anyway, so why don’t we just drop the formalities?”

“Huh?”

“Honestly, it’s been a little cringey calling you Head all the time.”

But the reaction that followed was very different from what he had expected. Sylvia didn’t waste a second and immediately started speaking informally, as if she had been waiting for this moment.

Jeremy stared at Sylvia, slightly speechless, overwhelmed by layers of bewilderment. He had met her several times, going back and forth between their families because of Roxana and Cassis, but this was the first time he felt so dumbfounded.

“Why, don’t you like it?”

Sylvia tilted her head slightly, sensing his gaze.

“We’re the same age, and maybe we get along better than we think, so we could become friends. Wouldn’t it be a waste to keep going like this?”

As she said that, Sylvia smiled as brightly as the blue sky after the rain.

“Huh, friends?”

This was the first time anyone had approached Jeremy like this, asking to be friends. To an Agriche, who had been taught and raised that even family was unnecessary, the idea of friends was ridiculous.

“Honestly, I was a little annoyed with you when I first saw you, but after seeing you a few times, I think we get along surprisingly well… And most of all, you and I have something in common, right? We both like Roxana, Sister, a lot.”

Jeremy wanted to laugh at Sylvia, telling her to stop talking such nonsense, as was his nature. But strangely, his throat felt stuck, and he couldn’t say anything.

“So, it shouldn’t be too difficult for us to become friends.”

Sylvia, finding it a little uncomfortable to keep holding his arm, grabbed Jeremy’s hand and pulled him along this time.

Her face, smiling even more brightly, was the most cheerful he had ever seen.

“So, let’s not fight and get along well during these ten days in Yggdrasil, Jeremy.”

Every word that came out of Sylvia Fedelian’s mouth was unfamiliar. But he couldn’t bring himself to push away this petite girl, who barely reached his chest, and he found himself being dragged along. It was very strange.

Jeremy followed Sylvia, looking very awkward with a strange expression he didn’t even realize he was making, as if he was being forcibly pushed from behind. Roxana and Cassis watched their retreating figures with subtle smiles.

***

“Ah, the old days were better…”

That evening, Sylvia looked out the window with a wistful gaze, reminiscing about the past.

Jeanne clicked her tongue as if to say, “Here she goes again,” and shook her head.

The good old days that Sylvia was thinking of were the time when Cassis had first brought Roxana to Fedelian and they had lived together. Of course, Roxana had visited Fedelian since then, but she had never stayed as long as she had then.

They each had their roles to play in their respective families, so it was only natural.

“Sylvia, if you’re ready, let’s go. The banquet will be starting soon.”

“Yes, I’m all set.”

Sylvia, prompted by Jeanne’s urging, checked herself in the mirror one last time before getting up.

It was almost time for the evening banquet to begin.

It had been almost a year and a half since all the members of the five families, except for the heads and heirs, had gathered in Yggdrasil like this, since the Bertium doll incident.

After the incidents last year, several new rules had been created among the five families. It was said that detailed agreements would be added soon.

Noel, who had brought a great storm to Yggdrasil, had stepped down from his position as head and was confined to Bertium. However, even before leaving Yggdrasil, he had seemed to have lost the will to live, so in another sense, it could be said that he had chosen to seclude himself.

The art of puppetry, which had been passed down through the direct line of Bertium, was also banned and could no longer be continued. After Noel, the position of head of Bertium was inherited by a relative who lived in the annex of the estate.

Anyway, this was the first time so many people had gathered in Yggdrasil since last year’s social gathering, so perhaps that was why Nyx suddenly came to mind as she headed to the banquet hall. Sylvia’s gaze moved towards the entrance of the distant flower garden.

It had been a long time since she had last heard about Nyx. She had heard the general news from Cassis last year, but Sylvia still felt like Nyx was somewhere in the world.

Perhaps it was because she hadn’t seen his end with her own eyes.

“Just stay still until we get out of here. Then I won’t hurt you…”

Moreover, coming to Yggdrasil like this after so long made the image of Nyx etched in her memory even clearer, and she felt a little strange.

‘If I get the chance, I wanted to apologize for hitting him so hard back then…’

Cassis, who had left with Roxana last year to find Nyx, returned and told Sylvia that Nyx had wanted to apologize to her for what had happened back then. So, Nyx’s last request was to have him convey his apology instead.

Sylvia would probably never be able to accurately explain to anyone the strange feeling she had felt at that moment.

And somehow, from then on, she felt like she had become a little more mature than before.

“Sylvia, welcome.”

“What are you thinking about all by yourself again?”

“It’s nothing.”

Sylvia’s gaze, which had been directed towards the flower garden, was drawn away by the call from the front.

Sylvia hurried after her parents, who had already created some distance between them. She carefully put the person she had just thought of back into her heart.

“Greetings, Lady Fedelian.”

“Hello. I had a feeling I would run into you here.”

***

The next morning, Sylvia met Ryuzak. The location was once again the Yggdrasil library.

They had met and greeted each other at the banquet hall yesterday, but they had not made a separate appointment to meet here. However, as she had done last year, she naturally found herself drawn to this place.

“You’re reading a book today.”

Sylvia shrugged and smiled at Ryuzak’s words.

“Yes, I found something that looks interesting.”

“It looks like a difficult book. You’re amazing.”

“It’s not that difficult. Actually, I’m only understanding half of it as I read.”

Ryuzak chuckled at Sylvia’s playful words.

She had thought it might be awkward to meet after so long, but surprisingly, it wasn’t at all.

“Did you come here today looking for a quiet place again?”

Sylvia asked, remembering the conversation she had had with him last year.

Ryuzak paused at her words. For some reason, he stared at Sylvia for a moment before answering.

“Not this time.”

Sylvia smiled as if she understood.

“Ah, so you came for the same reason as me.”

“…Pardon?”

“I came here quite often last year, but I don’t think I ever really looked at the books here. So, I kept thinking about it while I was at Fedelian.”

The Yggdrasil library was quite extensive.

However, even at last year’s social gathering, Sylvia had not been very interested in books and had simply used the library as a quiet resting place, like Ryuzak. As such, her new hobby of reading, which had started in the past year, was surprising even to herself.

In fact, Sylvia had been learning and studying various things at Fedelian since last year. It was the same order of learning that Cassis had followed since he was young, so it could be said to be a process similar to heir training. Of course, that didn’t mean that Sylvia had suddenly developed an interest or desire for the position of heir that she had never had before.

It was simply that Sylvia, who had gained a broader perspective since last year, had begun to take an interest in various fields, and Richelle and Jeanne spared no support for their daughter.

Cassis had also been a good teacher to her. The influence of her family was a big reason why Sylvia had been able to enjoy studying for a long time without getting bored as quickly as she used to.

“Ah… Is that what you meant?”

However, Ryuzak muttered with a hollow laugh after hearing Sylvia’s words. The tension in his body, which had been stiff since a moment ago, also relaxed. For some reason, he seemed a little disappointed.

Before Sylvia could feel any doubt, Ryuzak spoke again.

“Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever properly looked at the bookshelves here either. It might be a good idea to take a slow look around this time.”

Then, he headed to the bookshelves before sitting down, as if he was thinking of choosing a book to read.

Sylvia also tilted her head before lowering her gaze back to her book.

***

“Sylvia, attend the meeting tomorrow.”

“Pardon? Me?”

That afternoon, Richelle said something surprising while the family was gathered together.

It was customary for only the heads and heirs of each family to attend the Yggdrasil meetings. So why would she want to take her, who was not an heir, to such a place?

Sylvia blinked in confusion.

“Hyperion also accompanies a non-heir family member to every meeting, so there shouldn’t be any problem.”

As if knowing her thoughts, Cassis said calmly as he drank his tea. There was not a trace of agitation in his expression at his father’s sudden words.

Richelle nodded nonchalantly at Cassis’s words.

“That’s right. Sylvia, didn’t you say you were curious about how the Yggdrasil meetings are conducted? The meeting tomorrow won’t be too long since it’s just a simple matter, so don’t feel pressured.”

“Yes. Think of it as a learning experience to observe the atmosphere.”

Jeanne lightly added a word after Richelle.

Their attitude was so calm that Sylvia thought, ‘Is it not that big of a deal after all?’

Well, like Cassis said, Pandora from Hyperion was attending the meeting with Hyacinth, who was the head, even though she wasn’t the official heir. So, it seemed like adding one more person, Sylvia, from Fedelian wouldn’t be a problem.

“Yes, then I’ll go with you to the meeting tomorrow.”

Sylvia smiled brightly after making her decision. Her heart fluttered strangely at the thought of attending the meeting tomorrow.

She had been taking lessons from Cassis and other teachers lately, but would she be able to understand the content discussed in such a large meeting? How different would it be from the meetings within the family?

Her curious golden eyes sparkled.

She felt a little like she was being recognized as an adult, which made her heart flutter.

In fact, Sylvia had been unconsciously receiving heir lessons in Fedelian for the past year. However, it wasn’t a sudden start to her studies; she had originally been receiving the same education as Cassis since she was young. It was just that Sylvia hadn’t been interested in that area, so her progress was slow until now, when it suddenly started to pick up speed.

Richelle and Jeanne were quietly watching Sylvia, who was happily walking forward step by step.

Cassis was the same.

Cassis had been tacitly recognized as the heir of Fedelian for a long time, but that didn’t really mean much to him.

Sylvia seemed to have never imagined Cassis not being the heir of Fedelian, but the family could clearly see the potential she possessed.

As such, Cassis was also envisioning a future that would surprise Sylvia if she knew about it.

Of course, he couldn’t force her if Sylvia didn’t want it. They both loved Fedelian, and they cherished and respected each other. Therefore, he thought that the siblings would continue the will of Fedelian together in some form or another.

***

“Oh, it’s Roxana, Sister!”

Sylvia shouted, spotting Roxana in the distance while walking along the hallway together.

Cassis had already turned his gaze towards Roxana at that time.

Roxana was talking to Pandora Hyperion. The atmosphere didn’t seem bad.

Previously, there had been a deal between Agriche and Hyperion regarding Orca Hyperion’s antidote. However, Orca still hadn’t recovered. The antidote’s effect was only enough to barely keep him alive.

Still, Hyperion seemed satisfied with just that much.

Hyacinth Hyperion had removed Orca from the position of heir and hadn’t even looked in on him once while he was lying in bed. But Pandora was different. She was more compassionate than he thought and couldn’t let her cousin die like that.

Although it hadn’t been officially announced yet, everyone guessed that Pandora was the new heir chosen by Hyacinth.

Thus, it was Pandora who first requested the deal from Agriche.

Hyacinth knew about this fact but condoned it. Seeing that, it seemed that he wasn’t as cold-hearted as he appeared. He didn’t have any children of his own and had raised his nephews and nieces, so it wasn’t easy to completely cut off ties.

At that moment, Roxana spotted Cassis and Sylvia in the distance and smiled, giving them a wave.

A smile also appeared on Cassis’s face.

Sylvia regretted not being able to approach Roxana and talk to her. Taking her along, Cassis took the lead and moved his steps.

“Sylvia, what is it that you want the most right now?”

“Huh? What I want the most?”

Sylvia looked up at him at the sudden question.

“I was wondering if there’s something you want to achieve the most, or if you have any goals.”

There was also the matter of attending the meeting that he had discussed with the family earlier, and he wondered if he could find out his younger sister’s intentions for the future.

Even so, it was a question that could be felt as sudden, but Sylvia earnestly began to think about what her brother had asked.

“Hmm, well. Something I want to achieve… Ah! There is one.”

Then, as if something had come to mind, her face brightened.

However, Cassis was momentarily speechless when he heard the words Sylvia said with a bright smile.

“No, in the first place, that’s not something you can achieve or not.”

“But that’s what I want the most right now? That’s not to say I want it to happen right away, so don’t feel pressured.”

Sylvia laughed playfully and ran ahead.

Cassis eventually let out a small, hollow laugh and followed after his younger sister.

***

“It seems like Jeremy and Sylvia are getting along better than I thought.”

That night, Cassis and Roxana left the room and strolled through the flower garden together. While walking hand in hand, the fragrant scent of flowers flowed through the yellow lights.

“Even if he pretends not to, Jeremy subtly talks about Sylvia a lot.”

“Sylvia has wanted a friend her age for a while, so she seems excited these days.”

Thinking of his younger siblings chirping like sparrows and getting along well in Yggdrasil, a shallow smile escaped his lips.

Then, Roxana remembered something and said.

“He’s not the same age, but it seems like he’s become friends with Ryuzak Gastor too?”

“That’s more than just friends…”

Cassis’s expression became subtle, as if he had thought of the same thing as Roxana. He seemed to have vaguely noticed what Ryuzak’s feelings towards Sylvia were closer to.

But from Roxana’s point of view, Ryuzak wasn’t the only one who couldn’t know what would happen in the future. Jeremy’s feelings were also something that could develop.

Right now, it could be said that it was a fresh feeling towards the first friend he had made, but there were cases in novels where it started like that and led to love. Of course, even so, the Jeremy in reality was different from the one in the novel. So, perhaps there might not be any further emotional changes.

Also, even if he did come to like Sylvia, she didn’t think he would force his feelings and act recklessly like in the novel. That level of trust had already firmly taken root in Roxana’s heart.

In any case, nothing had happened yet, so there was no reason to worry in advance.

“Is this really the place?”

“I told you it is.”

At that time, familiar voices reached Cassis and Roxana’s ears. The two briefly exchanged glances.

“You could have just come tomorrow, why bother looking for it in the middle of the night like this? Don’t you know it’s dangerous?”

“It’s a brooch I received from my mother as a birthday present, so I can’t lose it. And there are two escorts behind us right now, so what’s dangerous? Stop nagging and look around carefully.”

It was definitely Jeremy and Sylvia’s voices.

Roxana and Cassis simultaneously silenced their presence. Perhaps that’s why Jeremy and the Fedelian escorts behind them didn’t notice the two people in the flower garden.

Listening to their conversation, it seemed that Sylvia had come to look for something she had lost here during the day. Jeremy, who couldn’t sleep and was wandering around with nothing to do, happened to find her and followed her.

“Oh? I found it. Isn’t this it?”

“Ah, that’s right!”

Sylvia’s voice brightened slightly, as if she had found what she was looking for.

“Thank you! You really have good night vision. Thanks to you, I found it quickly.”

“Hmph, it’s nothing much.”

Jeremy snorted as if she was making a fuss over nothing, but Roxana could read the triumphant feeling in his voice.

Rustle.

In the meantime, the sound of someone stepping on the grass and approaching was heard from another place.

“Oh my, aren’t you Lady Hyperion?”

“Lady Fedelian?”

This time it seemed to be Pandora.

“What brings you here at this hour?”

“Ah… I’m just here to meet someone for a bit.”

Listening to Pandora’s answer, which she gave with a slightly embarrassed tone, Jeremy sneered.

“Ah, you must be having a secret rendezvous with your lover.”

“That’s not it! I don’t even know the person well, but they called me out because they had something to say…”

Pandora flared up and denied it. But somehow, the emotions and tone faintly revealed in her voice were a bit subtle. It wasn’t a secret rendezvous with a lover, but it felt like someone had called her out and confessed to her.

“Then why are you two together?”

“I lost something here during the day, and I got some help finding it.”

“Ah, I see.”

The three seemed to have decided to leave the flower garden together since they had met like this. Jeremy grumbled softly as if he didn’t like it. Pandora carefully asked him.

“Um, by the way… Did your brother not come with you this time?”

“Brother? Deon? Why are you asking about that guy, he’s in Agriche.”

“Ah, no. I was just asking because I didn’t see him.”

“How pointless.”

Jeremy didn’t seem to feel anything special from Pandora’s question. But Roxana was different. Her eyes widened slightly. Pandora was asking about Deon’s well-being, which was unexpected. The two had met a few times while trading with Hyperion over the past few months, but… Well, considering Pandora’s taste, who was originally interested in Ryuzak, it might not be that surprising.

The voices and footsteps of the three people, which had been continuing softly, moved away to some extent, and Cassis and Roxana also moved their stopped bodies.

“It seems that the night flower garden is not a good place to meet quietly.”

“Isn’t it more of a problem with the time than the place?”

Roxana chuckled and retorted at Cassis’s low murmur.

They came thinking there would be almost no one at this time, but it seemed it was still too early. Even now, there were several signs of people entering the flower garden in sequence.

It seemed that this place was a famous spot in Yggdrasil for lovers having secret rendezvous, just like Jeremy said. The atmosphere and mood at night were good.

“But it’s a bit of a shame to go in already.”

“Then this way.”

At Roxana’s words, Cassis took her hand and led her. The two moved, avoiding other people, as if they were playing tag. As she did so, Roxana glanced up at Cassis’s face.

In fact, she had heard what Sylvia had said to Cassis through the butterfly earlier that day. In response to the question of whether there was something she really wanted to achieve, Sylvia had exclaimed so brightly.

“I want to see a pretty niece who looks like Roxana, Sister!”

Hearing those words, Roxana felt strange.

Sylvia’s niece.

In other words, Roxana and Cassis’s child.

To be honest, Roxana had never thought about such a thing yet. First of all, both of them were not in a completely settled state to start a family, and they were still too young to inherit the name of parents.

Still, she was certain that Cassis would definitely be a good father in the future. But if she asked herself if she was confident in becoming a good mother…

Well. Of course, if it was a child who resembled Cassis and her, she would be able to love them unconditionally. But even so, being good parents to a child was definitely not something that was enough with just a loving heart.

Besides, before worrying about that, there was one more important issue left. Roxana’s body was especially soaked in a lot of poison as she became the host of the poison butterfly. She had been steadily managed by Cassis, so it didn’t seem to be to the point where it would affect her life, but she didn’t know if she was in a state where she could have children.

Also, even if a child was born, whether it could be born without any problems.

Perhaps even Cassis couldn’t guarantee that.

So, even if both Cassis and Roxana really wanted it, just trying it out because they didn’t know if it would be okay…

It wasn’t a problem that could be decided that way.

“You’re making a troubled face again.”

The voice that reached her ear at that moment pulled Roxana out of her thoughts. Before she knew it, the two were standing in a corner of the flower garden where green vines and white flowers were mixed and hanging like jewels.

A warm hand wrapped around Roxana’s face. Eyes that shimmered subtly like the sea surface holding the moonlight met her gaze.

“Is it because of what Sylvia said earlier today?”

Every time this happened, she wondered if Cassis could really see into her heart.

A faint smile spread across his face as he looked down at Roxana, as if he knew that his words were the answer. He seemed to have seen through the fact that Roxana was still taking a negative stance on the matter.

Still, Cassis met her gaze with unwavering eyes, as if he had told her before, ‘Do whatever you want,’ and whispered softly.

“It’s okay. What’s important is that we’re here together now.”

His words were always like magic to Roxana.

Whenever a dark mist tried to seep into her heart, he always became a bright lamp and shone brilliantly on her again.

So how could she not love this person?

A soft smile slowly spread across Roxana’s face as she faced Cassis.

“Yes. You’re right.”

Every minute and every second, she just had to do her best to be happy in this place right now. Surely, those days would accumulate and lead them to a dazzling future.

That day, the kiss shared with the loved one in the flower garden at night, where the deep scent of flowers flowed like a melody, was sweeter than ever. Because it was a miraculous time that they had achieved together with their hands clasped together now.

The night was especially beautiful with the moonlight.