I Thought Your Friend's Sibling Wasn't a Girl? - Chapter 52

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 52
* * *
She’d done it.
Olivia sprawled across the bed, savoring the electric rush of liberation.
‘Acting… wasn’t as bad as I thought?’
All her needless dread had evaporated the moment she’d opened her mouth. After that, the words had flowed without hesitation. She’d particularly enjoyed how the mercenaries had absorbed her performance without a shred of suspicion.
Though Aiden… he’d been a little strange.
“…Captain? Is something wrong?”
“You, when did you— no, never mind.”
“Why did you stop speaking?”
“You don’t need to know!”
What was Aiden’s problem, anyway?
Olivia suspected she’d never truly understand him, not in a lifetime. Though honestly, it didn’t seem to matter much if she understood him only partially.
Regardless, the first task had gone remarkably smoothly. The ending felt slightly rushed, which nagged at her a little…
Olivia’s gaze drifted toward the door, from which not a sound had issued.
Of course, none of it was Olivia’s fault. If anyone bore responsibility, it was Aiden—or really, the mad mercenaries lurking downstairs.
A faint crease formed between Olivia’s brows. She was remembering what had happened just moments ago.
That massive hand, like a cauldron lid, settling on her shoulder. That unpleasant voice.
“Say, what’s your name, pretty thing?”
“…It’s Liv, sir. Is there a problem?”
“Problem? Ha-ha! Not at all. Just asking because you’re so delicate and lovely.”
“You do know I’m a man, don’t you?”
“Does that matter when you’re looking for a good time?”
Replaying it now made her skin crawl. Her knuckles whitened as she gripped the bedsheet, creasing it sharply.
It had been Aiden who’d brushed the man’s hand away.
“Ha-ha, friend. Let’s not cross any lines, shall we?”
“Lines? What have I done? I’m just trying to bond with the boy.”
“Exactly. But we do it without crossing lines.”
“What? Why are you being like this? Ah. Is that it? Did you mark him already? Is that why you’re being so touchy—gah!”
Aiden had seized the man’s wrist—the hand on her shoulder—and wrenched it upward with crushing force. An emotion Olivia had never seen before blazed across his face.
His blue eyes, usually so coolly composed, burned with a fury that seemed ready to consume everything in its path.
Recalling that look now made her mouth go dry. She’d reached for the water beside the bed and wet her lips, but the thirst remained.
What had that been? Olivia blinked blankly into the air.
Thanks to that outburst, the carefully constructed atmosphere had fallen apart. But then again, Olivia had been the one to repair it, so…
‘…Did it work?’
She was a field training student, and Aiden was a seasoned knight. So why had she been forced to clean up his mess?
Olivia’s eyes, which had been staring blankly into space, suddenly refocused. Her gaze had sharpened into something dangerously pointed.
Click.
The moment the door opened, Olivia’s arm moved like a lightning strike.
The pillow she hurled shot toward the person entering with tremendous speed.
“Why is the room in this state— aagh! What is this?!”
“I apologize. I thought you were an intruder.”
“An intruder? Did you just call me an intruder? Who else would be coming through that door besides you and me?”
“Someone else might appear. You can’t be certain about people.”
Olivia rose from the bed and padded toward the door, slowly retrieving the pillow she’d thrown. Aiden watched her with an expression of utter bewilderment.
“You’ve been like this from before… Do you have some kind of grudge against me?”
“A grudge? Absolutely. If I started listing all my complaints, we’d be here forever.”
“…Is it that bad?”
“Of course it is! What were you thinking back there? You should’ve held back! I was just starting to set the mood!”
Aiden’s lips had begun to move in refutation, but they froze. He clearly understood that his actions had been a mistake.
“I get why you did it.”
…
“But please don’t do it again. Truly—unless you want to see me abandon this work because of you.”
Would Aiden have reacted that way if anyone other than Olivia had been sitting there?
Probably not. He might have been displeased, even angry, but he wouldn’t have lashed out so impulsively.
Being Aiden’s exception—that was something Olivia had always dreamed of. But she’d never wanted to become his excuse for losing control.
Olivia let Aiden’s silence hang for a moment longer, then placed the pillow back on the bed.
“…You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“That’s fine then.”
“I shouldn’t have left the cleanup to you.”
“Which is why I’m glad I excel at improvisation. It worked out well.”
She remembered vividly how all the mercenaries had placed their hands on their weapons in that moment.
Olivia had poured everything into salvaging the situation. Truly, she’d acted with soul and body both.
“Shouldn’t you have asked for my opinion before trying to pair me with that man?”
Deliberately breaking the tension. While she was at it, she’d grabbed Aiden by his collar and shaken him—the one gripping the mercenary’s wrist.
Fortunately, Aiden had regained his composure by then and cooperated fully with her.
“What? Hey, what’s wrong with me!”
“What’s wrong? Put your hand on your heart and think about it. Wouldn’t you want to meet someone who actually acts like a captain?”
“What do you mean, ‘what’s wrong’!”
“Look at that hand. What do you call that? Didn’t I tell you not to go around hitting people? And that’s not all. You lie constantly, you upset people just for sport, and your temper is absolutely vile!”
“Wait, you… you’re actually serious about this?”
“Of course I am! The woman chasing after you must have lost her mind!”
“Hey!”
In the process, she’d put herself down a bit…
But those criticisms weren’t wrong, were they?
Really, it was less criticism than honest self-appraisal.
The truth was, no sane person would still love a fiancé who’d vanished for three years.
If she were sane, she’d have kicked him to the curb long ago and gone looking for someone new.
Anyway. That’s how she’d managed to salvage things.
“Has everything settled down below?”
“Yeah. They seemed to be scattering, so I came back up. Just in case, I was thinking we might stay here for a few days—”
“Right. You did mention we could stay a few days. So the story was effective then?”
…
“Senior?”
But Aiden was silent. More than silent, actually—he looked positively stunned. Olivia’s heart began to race with anxiety.
“What is it? Is something wrong?”
“…I…”
“What is it? Is something suspicious about this inn?”
“I—I—this—what is this!”
“That’s what I’m asking!”
His inarticulate stammering made her raise her voice in frustration. Then Aiden pointed his finger at something.
His finger was directed at the bed where Olivia was sitting.
“The bed… the bed…”
“…What?”
“There’s only one bed…”
“Huh?”
Olivia’s eyes widened.
* * *
It took them a moment to fully accept the situation.
“Ha-ha… No, that can’t be. These beds are usually two pushed together. If we just separate them—”
“It won’t separate.”
“Right… it won’t…”
They tried to deny reality by attempting to separate the bed, but failed.
“How are we supposed to sleep in one bed? Aren’t there any other rooms?”
“I-I’m terribly sorry. The other mercenaries have reserved almost all of the rooms, so this is the only one left available…”
“Then you should have told us beforehand!”
“I’m so sorry, so sorry!”
Aiden had rushed downstairs to confront Raven, but that too had led nowhere. Had they known about this beforehand, he would’ve come to this inn with Bennett instead of Olivia.
Though honestly, that wouldn’t have been much better for either of them.
And now, Olivia sat perched at the edge of the bed, tilting her head slightly as she spoke.
“Just give up. It’s not like this is the first time we’ve slept in the same bed.”
“W-w-what are you saying.”
“Why are you panicking? We did it all the time when we were younger.”
They’d known each other for over ten years.
Fifteen? Or longer?
In any case, their bond had formed before either of them could properly remember.
It was only natural that they’d shared a bed a few times growing up. Though it had been a very long time ago.
Aiden, realizing what Olivia was referring to, flushed crimson.
“That’s different from now!”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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