The Way To Protect The Female Lead’S Older Brother [EN]: Chapter 48

How to Protect the Heroine’s Older Brother – Episode 48

My face was set in a cold mask as I slipped out of Cassis’s room a little while later.

My steps, initially slow, gradually quickened.

It was as if I were fleeing the very place I had just left.

I had told Cassis that I was guiding the people of Fedelian to a safe place to reassure him, but that was a lie.

I will guide them to the northern border.

To the swamps of the Black Forest, the most dangerous habitat for magical creatures.

It was known that intruders there could never escape again until their bodies and souls were torn apart.

I smiled bitterly.

I felt like I understood why the people of Agrische in the novel had cruelly toyed with Cassis before killing him.

He was too foreign a presence to the people of Agrische.

It was like a circle suddenly wedging itself into a place where only triangles and squares existed.

From some point on, Cassis made me uncomfortable.

To be precise, the reason I started feeling such intense revulsion was from the day I dreamt in front of him and showed him my crying face.

The fear that I might return to my former, vulnerable self spread through my heart.

Regret belatedly washed over me that I should have shaken off the hand that wiped away my tears back then.

This wouldn’t do.

I had to get Cassis out of my sight as soon as possible.

* * *

These days, a different kind of heavy atmosphere lingered in the Agrische mansion than before.

The reason was Roxana.

No, strictly speaking, it wasn’t because of Roxana, but because of Roxana’s poison butterflies.

Crunch, crunch.

The servants transporting the magical creatures flinched at the sound coming from beside them.

Over a hundred butterflies seemed to be clinging to the corpse of the huge magical creature that had been transported earlier.

Considering that their numbers had only been in the dozens a few days ago, it was truly an enormous increase.

The butterflies, as flamboyant and beautiful as they looked, were now devouring the corpses of the magical creatures ravenously, like hungry beasts.

The servants quickly left what they had brought in the cart next to it and fled the scene.

It was something that happened every day in the mansion since Roxana had declared that she would raise the poison butterflies into murderous butterflies.

While the poison butterflies ate the corpses of the magical creatures, Roxana sat some distance away and watched.

“It’s warm today, so bring me a cool drink.”

It wasn’t quite a tea party, but Roxana’s figure, having prepared a small table and chair and leisurely drinking tea, was very out of place with the surrounding scenery.

Roxana’s appearance, which even seemed peaceful, contrasted with the pale face of the maid who had come to bring her tea.

Those who transported the food for the poison butterflies also looked unwell.

The people of Agrische who had come to see the poison butterflies out of curiosity quickly turned away with frightened faces.

It was certainly not a pleasant sight to see, so it was only natural.

“Why is the transport speed so slow? If you don’t satisfy the butterflies’ hunger sufficiently, they might try to eat something else, so shouldn’t you hurry a little more?”

The people carrying the poison butterflies’ food jumped at the gentle voice that flowed from Roxana.

They glanced at the poison butterflies with terrified faces and moved their bodies more nimbly than before.

Roxana confirmed that the people around her were feeling enough fear and stopped scaring them further.

In fact, she was deliberately showing people the poison butterflies’ noisy feasting scene.

But those who didn’t know this were also sending fearful glances at Roxana, who controlled the poison butterflies.

Roxana had always been frighteningly beautiful, but these days, she somehow exuded an atmosphere that was difficult to approach in a different sense than before.

Just like those unrealistically beautiful poison butterflies that harbored a chilling murderous intent within them.

A servant who made eye contact with Roxana’s quiet red eyes gasped and hurriedly moved away from her.

Roxana quietly watched the scene before turning her gaze back to the poison butterflies.

* * *

Roxana often stared at Cassis with chillingly cold eyes.

Of course, she quickly erased that look when she made eye contact with him, but when she didn’t, she returned to her original cold gaze.

She was counting down the days until all the gears meshed together.

It might just be her own delusion, but she had a feeling that Cassis could escape from Agrische on his own right now, but he wasn’t doing it.

If so, it was probably out of consideration for Roxana’s situation.

Whenever she thought that, something stirred inside Roxana.

“Are you raising the poison butterflies well?”

Lant Agrische, who had called Roxana to his room separately in the evening, asked about the poison butterflies.

“Yes, they are growing day by day to meet my father’s expectations.”

Roxana raised the corners of her mouth and smiled faintly.

The light spreading from the candlestick on the wall created deep shadows on her face.

“But soon, this alone will not be enough.”

“Tell me if you need anything. I’ll get it for you.”

Lant, who had been showing great interest in the poison butterflies lately, said without hesitation.

“Wouldn’t my poison butterflies become stronger if they ate the flesh and blood of something stronger?”

Roxana willingly asked him, and Lant nodded without complaint.

* * *

The monthly evaluation was three days away.

Deon, who had left for the Carantul habitat, was also due to return.

That night, Roxana received a report on the situation from the butterflies she had sent out.

“I see, that’s how it is.”

She smiled faintly after hearing the news that the people of Fedelian had finally arrived at the forest on the northern border.

Roxana sent the murderous butterflies, who had recently developed a taste for fresh blood and flesh, as a welcoming gift to them.

The curtains fluttered in the wind that rushed in like a shallow wave from the open window.

The fresh smell of grass at the turn of the season faintly brushed the tip of her nose.

Before she knew it, almost a month had passed since Cassis had come to Agrische.

“It’s almost farewell.”

A small murmur was uttered from Roxana’s lips as she looked out the window.

Soon, her daily life would return to what it was like without Cassis.

Roxana fed the hardworking butterflies blood and headed to where Cassis was.

“You don’t look well.”

Cassis said, looking at Roxana’s face.

It was only natural, as she had been pouring blood generously for a while to grow the poison butterflies and had even ingested a large amount of poison.

“I came to tell you the news about the people of Fedelian. Aren’t you worried about them?”

“If it’s Isidore, he’ll take care of it.”

Roxana’s eyes twitched slightly at Cassis’s calm words.

“Are you saying I won’t take care of it?”

Her face was still faintly smiling, but the words that came out of her mouth were slightly twisted.

She felt like he didn’t trust her this much because of the weak appearance she had shown last time.

Cassis looked at Roxana with strange eyes before moving his body.

Clang.

The restraint that had been wrapped around his wrist was released.

Roxana was dumbfounded.

Now he was releasing the restraints for magical creatures so freely?

Her dismay doubled the moment the hand that reached out to her touched her skin.

Roxana inadvertently sat on the bed where Cassis was.

Soon, a clear energy and a warmth that still felt unfamiliar permeated her body.

Roxana tried to pull out the hand that Cassis was holding. But Cassis didn’t budge.

“What are you doing? Who said you could grab my hand without permission?”

“I don’t think someone who has done more than this without my permission has any right to say that.”

Roxana felt speechless.

He was clearly referring to the time she had arbitrarily made a mark on his neck.

“Is this your original self after all?”

Roxana coldly retorted at the gaze that was quietly looking at her face.

“It’s just that you make people annoyed.”

The next moment, Roxana felt like a fool when she saw Cassis smiling faintly.

Roxana began to rationalize.

Cassis was clearly trying to restore her before the same thing happened again and interfered with her future plans.

And she was only holding his hand like this because Cassis’s ability was helpful.

Then, led by an unknown impulse, Roxana opened her mouth.

“I think you’re forgetting, but I’m also an Agrische.”

Cassis stared at Roxana without saying a word for a while.

After a while, a low voice broke the silence.

“I know.”

After that, no other conversation took place.

A little more time passed, and finally, the monthly evaluation was just one day away.

Rumble.

A small tremor like an earthquake spread throughout Agrische.

The maze that had been closed for a while was opened. The door to the passage connected to the Black Forest on the northern border was also opened.

Finally, all the gears meshed together.

It was time to move.