“……Jade.”

Suppressing my startled heart at the sudden feeling of buoyancy, I called out to him.

Jade walked to the bed without making any particular response.

He set me down in the middle of the bed.

“Why are you so careless? I told you to stop drinking since you were drunk.”

“Did I drop it because I wanted to? My hand lost strength because I got dizzy without realizing it!”

Along with Jade’s scolding and the intoxication, an even greater sorrow than usual tangled up.

“……I’ll bring something to treat it, so don’t move and stay still.”

“No. I’m going to leave.”

Jade looked at me as I stood up, exhaling a short breath filled with ferocity.

“Larien.”

I reflexively shut my mouth tightly and sat back down on the bed.

Soon, self-loathing rushed over me.

‘This isn’t fear, it’s because of instinct.’

I comforted myself that it was something the body couldn’t help but react to.

Jade brought tweezers, cotton, and a small bottle of medicinal alcohol from the cabinet.

“You hurt your left knee, right.”

Jade carefully removed the fragments with tweezers soaked in medicinal alcohol.

“It’s going to scar.”

“It’s not that bad. I’m really fine.”

Jade revealed his discomfort, saying it would leave a scar.

“Jade.”

“……”

“I said I’ll be careful.”

Even after calling him several times, he silently applied the ointment.

“Why are you making such a fuss over this little wound when it’s not even a big injury.”

“……”

I kept talking, trying to soften his hardened expression.

But as the atmosphere still didn’t ease up, I gave up.

“Anyway, you’re so narrow-minded−”

Jade, who grabbed my shoulder, laid me down on the bed as if collapsing.

Though it didn’t hurt lying on the soft sheets, I thought my heart would fall out.

“How could you suddenly lay me down! You surprised me!”

He gazed down at me for a moment before climbing onto the bed.

“A-aren’t you going to move away?”

I pressed my back against the headboard trying to avoid Jade, but it was futile.

“Larien.”

Jade’s tightly set lips curved completely.

“Larien.”

“J-Jade.”

His voice continued, slow and subtle as if rubbing against skin.

I sobered up completely from what little intoxication remained under his persistent gaze.

“N-no!”

Feeling like I shouldn’t just stay still like this, I thought of an excuse to avoid him.

“I think I hear Blanche crying, I should go check for a moment.”

“……I don’t hear anything though?”

Noticing it was a hastily made-up lie, Jade sneered and continued.

That’s when it happened.

He pulled away from me as he was kissing my collarbone.

He gritted his molars and furrowed his brow.

“What’s wrong, Jade?”

“You should go now, Larien.”

“……You’re telling me to go?”

Jade moved away from me and even got off the bed.

I was also quite taken aback by his halted actions.

The bleak atmosphere was uncomfortable to keep staying with Jade, so I returned to the guest room again.

Blanche was sound asleep, breathing softly with a face that wouldn’t notice even if someone carried her away.

Lying down next to her, I closed my eyes while hugging Blanche as she snuggled in.

‘Why did he do that?’

The usual Jade would have continued even if I said no.

He had never stopped midway like this before, I wonder if there’s been some change of heart.

‘What caused it……? It’s not that I smell bad, is it?’

Even after thoroughly sniffing myself, there was no strange smell, just the usual acacia scent.

Then that means there must be another reason.

A confusing night passed as I couldn’t figure it out no matter how much I thought about it.

Early morning as the sun rises.

“Elder sister! Elder brother! Did you come out to see me off?”

We came out to see off Ayla, who was leaving for her honeymoon to Salome Castle.

Viscount Lumiere Youngsik had already boarded the carriage.

Jade waved his hand, stopping Viscount Lumiere Youngsik who was about to get out of the carriage.

“Where’s Blanche?”

“She sleeps in late, so she couldn’t wake up.”

“I see. I’ll have to see her a lot when I get back.”

Ayla, who was looking for Blanche, expressed her disappointment at my answer.

“Ayla. How long did you say you’d be at Salome Castle?”

“A month? Elder sister, what will I do missing you so much.”

Ayla hugged me tightly.

“Me too. Ayla. Take care and come back safely.”

Jade peeled Ayla off with a scrunched face.

“Someone might think you’re exiling to another country. Just get going already.”

“Tsk. Elder brother, you’re mean.”

Ayla looked at Jade and covered her ears.

“I’ll miss elder sister and Blanche. Well, I guess I’ll miss you just a tiny bit too.”

“……How. Delightful.”

“What? Elder brother, what did you just say?”

Ayla glared at Jade’s lukewarm response.

“Ayla.”

“What, I’m really leaving now. Don’t call me.”

“Don’t forget…… that you’re still my little sister even if you’ve become a Lumiere.”

Jade relayed the same words to Ayla that I had told him yesterday.

“Elder brother….. I never thought I’d hear such words from you in my life.”

Ayla’s eyes glistened with tears as if deeply moved.

Even I felt touched seeing this affectionate side of the siblings for the first time.

“It means don’t go around acting embarrassingly.”

Jade added in a grumpy voice, as if feeling awkward.

“……It would have been perfect if you hadn’t said that last part. Anyway, everyone take care.”

With those final words, Ayla boarded the carriage again.

As the carriage departed, only Jade and I were left. An awkward air lingered.

“I’ll go in first.”

Jade tried to go inside, seeming to have felt that atmosphere as well.

“Jade, wait a moment.”

Frustrated by why he was avoiding me, I grabbed Jade’s sleeve.

“Why are you avoiding me?”

“……Avoiding?”

“I mean, I did say I didn’t want to, but you usually don’t care about that. So why did you stop yesterday?”

He quietly looked at me, then took off the brooch on his chest and placed it in my hand.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

He continued on, untying his cravat without stopping.

“Hey, we’re outside! Put it back on right now!”

“I know we’re outside.”

Jade continued as if his purpose wasn’t what I was thinking.

I covered my eyes before he could take everything off.

“I’m not taking everything off, so open your eyes, Larien.”

“……Okay.”

As I slightly opened my eyes, Jade’s appearance with his shirt lowered to his shoulders came into view.

“Look at this.”

I went behind Jade to look at the pattern he was pointing to on his shoulder.

The vines intertwined with the pattern had become much more complex than before.

“The pattern…… has changed?”

“When the pain in my shoulder comes, my nerves become particularly sensitive, so that’s why I told you to go.”

“Your shoulder still hurts? It’s been months already.”

“It’s not from an injury, but maybe because of the pattern, it’s not healing easily.”

Can a pattern that’s already engraved change? I wonder what’s going on.

Jade put his shirt back on and fastened his cravat.

‘……And here I thought he was avoiding me.’

I realized it was a needless worry as I pinned the brooch I was holding back on him.

“……!”

Jade, who had been watching, pulled my waist towards him, pressing our bodies together.

“I feel regretful too, just like you, Larien.”

“W-who said I feel regretful!”

“Weren’t you the one who asked why I was avoiding you because you felt regretful?”

He pressed both my cheeks, preventing me from answering.

“Leh, meh goh!”

“I can’t understand what you’re saying. Say it again.”

“No!”

Even shouting with all my might, the pronunciation was muffled.

“No.”

There was mischief in Jade’s reply.

‘Ugh, how annoying.’

I barely managed to break free by lightly kicking Jade’s shin.

“Larien. That hurts.”

“What do you want me to do! Who told you to squeeze my cheeks?”

He really seemed to be in pain as he bent his knee, holding his shin.

‘I-I didn’t kick that hard.’

Even though I had controlled the strength carefully, Jade didn’t get up as if he had been hit wrong.

“Jade. Does it hurt a lot?”

“……”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know it would hurt……”

As I approached him and grabbed his arm to help him up, a light laugh reached my ears.

“Jade. You, you were just joking, weren’t you?”

“You just figured it out? As if it would really hurt from your strength.”

My body trembled with even more annoyance than before.

But Jade’s words that it wouldn’t even hurt from my strength were true.

Rather, hitting his solid body might only hurt my hand.

Either way it would be my loss, so I calmed my heart.

“Now that Ayla’s gone too, shall we return to the Count’s residence?”

“The child hasn’t woken up yet, let’s go a bit later.”

“I have to go to the Grand Temple anyway. I’m busy.”

The Pope, who said the preparations for the Saint candidate education were complete, told me to visit the Grand Temple right away.

‘I should ask about what he meant by not feeling any power from Blanche.’

His footsteps slowed down as he was walking beside me.

“Jade? What are you doing not coming?”

“……My shoulder, feels like it’s being crushed.”

Jade gripped his shoulder and gritted his molars.

‘Hmph, it’s obviously just a trick to stop me from leaving.’

I turned my back on Jade, who I thought was trying to deceive me again because of what just happened.

“You’re just pretending to be in pain again. I won’t fall for it this time.”

“……Larien.”

Even though I coldly ignored him, Jade didn’t follow.

“I said I won’t fall for it! Jade! Hurry……”

Jade’s body, which had been standing still, tilted and collapsed.

“……Jade?”

I was so shocked that I immediately ran over and shook him.

Jade’s limp body didn’t even twitch.

“Jade, what’s wrong!”

“……”

“Jade!”

Jade, who was even sweating cold, had already lost consciousness.