TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 110
Silence filled the air.
In the room, the sound of the Young Lady’s soft breathing and Kyle’s cold gaze pierced through the atmosphere menacingly.
I swallowed dryly and racked my brain, but no plausible idea came to mind. No excuse, no flattery could resolve this situation.
‘Damn.’
What should I do?
I never anticipated Kyle appearing in such a situation that could only lead to misunderstanding.
As my eyes met Kyle’s, filled with the Emotion Called Rage, I felt an overwhelming pressure that made it hard to breathe.
Even though I had been warned against using Dark Magic and told to stop, I persistently engaged in suspicious activities, leaving me unsure of what Kyle might say.
Kyle was staring at me.
Not at the hand placed on the Young Lady’s Legs, but at my left hand, which was pressed against my mouth to stop the bleeding.
Drip. As the blood trickled down my fingers and along my forearm, Kyle furrowed his brows and finally spoke.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. I thought that offering a somewhat plausible excuse would help me get out of this situation more than staying silent, so I said something even I wouldn’t believe—a foolish lie.
“I was giving her a massage. To reopen her closed Growth Plate… Haha…”
“And I even got a nosebleed, as you can see.”
After saying that, a sudden worry crossed my mind: ‘Am I going to be arrested as a Molester?’ I had no excuse since I was caught Red-Handed.
“Haha… Does that sound too awkward?”
I gave Kyle an awkward smile, but his expression only grew paler and more rigid.
Until Kyle opened his mouth, there was nothing I could do.
Kyle, who cherished his sister dearly, might yell at me or use Magic, given the Threat to the Household caused by Dark Magic.
One Small Breeze of hope I had was that the Young Lady wouldn’t wake up—my only wish at the moment.
If the Young Lady saw this, she would definitely cry. It hadn’t been long since she promised not to get hurt, and here I was, coughing up blood. Even I thought it was absurd.
I gulped and looked at Kyle, hoping he would evaluate the excuse I had given.
“Are you joking?”
As expected, my clumsy excuse didn’t work on Kyle.
“Massaging a woman alone in her room at this late hour… Do you expect me to believe that?”
“I guess not, huh?”
Kyle briskly approached me, his hand reaching for my nape.
-Grab.
With unwavering cold eyes, Kyle grabbed my collar.
-Thud!
Kyle roughly dragged me by the collar, pulling me away from the Young Lady’s bed and into a dark corner.
The sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the room, and Kyle’s rough breathing filled my ears.
“I’ll ask you one more time. What are you doing?”
Gripping my collar, Kyle spoke in a Cold Voice. Unlike his usual tone, which carried a subtle warmth despite its firmness, his voice now was imbued with pure rage, cold to the core.
I forced an awkward smile and replied.
“I touched the Young Lady’s Legs because they looked so beautiful….”
As the playful response left my lips, Kyle’s complexion grew even paler, and a dense Mana began to emanate from him.
“That doesn’t make sense, does it?”
With genuine sincerity, I asked Kyle if he could overlook this just once. If he turned a blind eye, it wouldn’t harm either of us, so I opened my mouth with that intention.
“Can’t you just let this go?”
“Do you think that makes sense?”
The grip on my collar tightened. As Kyle silently expressed his disapproval, I wiped the blood from my lips with my sleeve and spoke in a Low Voice.
“I was treating the Young Lady.”
“Why you, and not a Doctor? Did you hear about some Folk Remedy on the street? I can’t believe you’d place your hand on Olivia’s leg based on something like that.”
“…”
“Your silence tells me it must be Dark Magic.”
As Mana began to flow from Kyle’s hand, filled with certainty, I responded firmly and honestly.
“It’s not Dark Magic.”
“It’s also not something that would harm the Household. And of course, it’s not an illegal or immoral act. If it causes any trouble, you can simply cut me off.”
“You think…”
Kyle gritted his teeth and spoke through clenched jaws.
“You think I’m angry over something so trivial?”
“…”
“Do you think I grabbed your collar just because it might threaten the Household?”
“Haha… Is it because I touched the Young Lady’s Legs?”
A sheepish laugh escaped me, but as I felt Kyle’s trembling grip on my collar, I could only muster a feeble smile.
Kyle lowered his head.
“Ricardo.”
The strength in Kyle’s grip on my collar gradually lessened. With his head bowed, Kyle spoke in a trembling voice.
“I won’t ask you anymore about what you’re doing.”
“I want to ask why you’re bleeding right now, and what you’re planning, but I’ll hold back.”
Just as a sigh of relief was about to escape me, thinking we understood each other, Kyle’s faintly audible words made me question him.
“So stop it here.”
Without meeting my eyes, Kyle kept his head down and whispered his plea.
Stop it.
I don’t know what you’re planning, but if you stop now, I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything—Kyle’s words carried that meaning. I responded with an awkward smile.
“That would be… difficult.”
My Stubbornness, rooted in the Blind Spot called the Young Lady, was a chronic issue that wouldn’t easily be broken. Especially when it came to matters concerning the Young Lady’s Future, I had resolved not to compromise anymore.
Thus, I boldly countered Kyle’s goodwill, refusing to back down. This was something I couldn’t give up.
“This is something I cannot abandon.”
Kyle’s face rippled with shock at my resolute answer.
“Follow my words, Ricardo.”
“I’ve already told you I cannot.”
“Would you say the same if I told Olivia?”
Kyle pressured me by invoking the Young Lady’s name. If Kyle told her the truth, she would undoubtedly reject the Hand of Rehabilitation, but I had no intention of giving up my resolve.
So, I glanced at the sleeping Young Lady and smiled.
“I doubt Lord Kyle could tell her.”
“What?”
“You love Olivia, don’t you?”
Kyle cherishes the Young Lady.
I thought he would resent her after the incident with Dark Magic, but the way he acted now—lowering his voice to avoid waking her—convinced me that he hadn’t changed.
And the Affinity Window confirmed it.
If Kyle told the Young Lady, all our efforts up to now would go to waste, but I was certain he wouldn’t do it.
If Kyle stopped me, his beloved sister would never be able to stand on her own two feet again.
That’s why I stood my ground.
The card of the Young Lady, which Kyle played, was like a Double-Edged Sword, capable of threatening both sides—a joker of sorts.
The Young Lady wasn’t just Kyle’s weapon; she was a sword in my hand as well.
“Without me, the Young Lady won’t be able to walk.”
“Didn’t I tell you before? I’m satisfied as long as Olivia is alive.”
“Human Desire knows no bounds. When the Doctor said she might walk again, didn’t Lord Kyle also feel joy?”
“…”
“Didn’t you ever imagine your sister walking energetically as she used to?”
Kyle, who had been responding firmly, faltered at my rebuttal. His wavering eyes began to ripple like waves.
“That’s… something that can’t be helped.”
Kyle spoke in a faint voice.
‘Something that can’t be helped.’ That applied to me as well. The Young Lady was just as precious to me as she was to Kyle.
The person who saved my life.
And the one who secretly held my Unrequited Love.
That’s why I couldn’t give up.
This is my duty.
“I am fine.”
Kyle lowered his head and spoke to me.
“Stop it. Olivia relies on you a lot. And Father, Mother, and I are all deeply grateful to you. So…”
I gave an awkward smile and repeated Kyle’s words back to him.
“This is something I cannot help.”
The hand that had been gripping my collar tightly fell limply to the ground. Biting his lip hard, Kyle glared at me, his frustration spilling out at the realization of his own selfishness and helplessness.
After all, even he had been tempted when he first heard that Olivia’s legs could be healed with Dark Magic.
He had even looked into methods and tried to find someone willing to take on the Risk, spending money to do so. Knowing his own ugly side, he couldn’t deny that the spear Ricardo had thrown struck him right in the heart.
Because Olivia was precious to Kyle, too.
Looking at Kyle’s conflicted expression, I gave him a clumsy smile and said.
“It’s alright. Truly.”
Kyle lowered his head and spoke to me.
“I…”
The “I…” he uttered carried a mix of emotions. Genuine regret and guilt for sacrificing me for his sister’s sake.
Kyle spoke in a tone different from before.
“If… something happens to you later.”
“That won’t happen.”
“But if Olivia finds out about this, I…”
I cut Kyle off, giving him an awkward smile as I spoke.
“Please cover it up with a Lie. Make me out to be the Bad Person as much as possible.”
Kyle shook his head.
“I can’t do that.”
“You’ll get scolded terribly by the Young Lady.”
The Young Lady was sound asleep.
Like a Princess from a Fairy Tale.