I Thought Your Friend's Sibling Wasn't a Girl? - Chapter 66

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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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Episode 66
There were countless things that disturbed Olivia’s peace of mind.
But if she had to name just one above all others, Olivia could answer without hesitation: Aiden.
“A week’s already gone by.”
“Right? When is Aiden supposed to come back, anyway?”
“Who knows. He might not be planning to come back at all.”
“……What? What did you just say?”
“Nothing. Never mind.”
The moment his work was finished, Aiden had left without a word and still hadn’t returned.
He’d departed without telling her where he was going or how long he’d be gone. That’s what had turned her insides upside down.
“Oh, Olivia. Just take a deep breath for me. In, then out.”
“Hhh, haaa.”
“Good. Let’s try once more.”
“Hhh……. But wait.”
“Hhh, haaa! Come on, come on!”
Even after attempting the breathing exercise again as Panya suggested, the agitation still wouldn’t subside.
Her chest felt tight, her head throbbed, and when she’d sought out her usual physician, the woman had pushed her glasses up and delivered a crisp diagnosis: “It’s Qi Stagnation Disorder.”
That was it. In the heart of summer, Olivia was suffering from a most untimely case of Qi Stagnation Disorder.
“……I never realized, but your temper’s quite something.”
“I’m calm.”
“That’s self-deception, Olivia. You seem to have a bit of a controlling streak too.”
Olivia felt wronged.
She was aware that when Aiden found the note Raven left behind on the table at Leion’s house that day, he’d been shaken by it.
And she’d vaguely sensed it might be connected to some old trauma he carried.
What upset Olivia wasn’t that Aiden had left, nor was she hurt by his departure.
“He’ll come back anyway. Don’t worry about it.”
“That’s not why I’m angry, Panya.”
“Then what?”
“Because I know for certain he’ll just bottle it up and work through it alone.”
Aiden had naturally excluded her. He seemed like the type who’d grown accustomed to bearing things entirely by himself. Each time, Olivia felt that suffocation.
He would return soon enough. Since he said he’d left for an investigation, he’d surely come back with whatever information he needed. And when he did, she wouldn’t find a trace of pain or worry on his face.
It was certain he’d come back having sorted everything out alone.
“……I’m always too late.”
“Olivia.”
“That’s what I hate.”
After finishing her words, Olivia gazed vacantly up at the sky. The Training Grounds bathed in the golden light of approaching dusk.
Panya offered no response, and with Olivia falling silent too, the Training Grounds grew hushed beneath the sunset.
It was Sena who broke that silence, approaching with a searching gaze as if looking for someone.
“Olivia.”
“Yes, senior?”
“The Commander’s asking for you. Head to the Commander’s Office.”
“The Commander? Has he returned from his business trip?”
“Mm-hmm. Just a while ago. Go on!”
Sena left just as quickly as she’d arrived, as if that was all she needed to say.
Now that Olivia thought about it, she hadn’t seen the other brigade members either. Over the past week, the Lux Knight Brigade had been busy across the board, and she’d barely encountered them at the Training Grounds, which struck her as odd.
“Hurry now. The Commander’s waiting.”
“Right. I’ll see you at the Dormitory. Head over first.”
“Sounds good! See you later!”
Panya waved and disappeared. Olivia watched her friend go, then slowly turned to leave.
Yugin had come back.
‘Perfect timing.’
There were things she needed to tell him, and things she needed to hear.
Olivia’s eyes sparkled as she walked toward the Commander’s Office, full of the sunset’s amber light.
* * *
The Commander was indeed there. He must have come straight from his business trip, for he wore his uniform with sharper formality than usual. His brilliant silver hair caught the light and gleamed.
He really is handsome. Olivia let out a small murmur of admiration before speaking.
“Commander.”
“Ah, come in. Do you have a moment to spare?”
“I do. I actually wanted to ask you something too.”
At that, Yugin let out a soft laugh—one heavy with exhaustion.
Though Olivia didn’t typically exhaust her emotions on matters unrelated to Aiden, seeing Yugin so utterly worn filled her with an unexpected pang of sympathy.
“What kind of tea would suit you best? Would a black tea do?”
“Allow me to prepare it. You look far too tired.”
“Hmm? Ha ha. I’m all right. This sort of thing is routine.”
This sort of thing is routine. Those were the exact words Aiden had spoken days ago. Now that she thought of it, the two did share certain similarities.
Like the way they suffered silently, or how they seemed to wither under the weight of responsibility…….
“Just rest.”
And so Olivia, uncharacteristically meddlesome, took matters into her own hands. She pulled Yugin over to the sofa, sat him down, and chose to brew him tea instead.
Yugin looked startled but didn’t resist her touch. He allowed himself to be drawn along, settled into the sofa, and gazed up at Olivia with a bemused expression.
“I know a physician, and she says Knights never take care of their bodies properly.”
“Hmm.”
“You need rest too, Commander. The fatigue is written all over your face.”
Olivia retrieved the tea set with practiced ease.
It wasn’t unfamiliar work. When she’d been a young lady, she’d visited this office quite often, and even after transferring to the Knight Academy, she’d stopped by frequently.
“Then would it be all right to ask you once more, after all this time?”
“Of course. Just wait a moment.”
She’d practiced making tea since childhood until it bored her senseless. It was second nature now, and her technique was flawless.
To begin with, imperfection had never been tolerated in her life.
Before long, the scent of herbal tea filled the Commander’s Office.
“Chamomile, is it?”
“When you’re tired, herbal tea is better than black tea, they say.”
“Thoughtful of you. I’ll enjoy it.”
Yugin touched the rim of the cup with an odd expression. The pale amber liquid swayed with his movement, rippling inside the cup.
Olivia poured her own portion and slowly settled into the seat across from him. Yugin looked at her quietly, then smiled.
“……Why are you smiling like that?”
“Just… it feels real now, somehow. That you’ve truly become one of us.”
“You waited a long time. I have nothing but gratitude to offer you, Commander.”
Three years. He had waited three years for her.
At first, it had felt like he simply wanted to secure talented prospects for himself, but as time passed, he’d grown gradually more serious about it.
Olivia felt grateful to Yugin, yet truth be told, she didn’t understand it.
‘What did the Commander see in me to trust me like that?’
While Olivia was lost in brief contemplation, Yugin spoke first.
“How did you feel about this last mission?”
“How did I feel?”
“Didn’t you wonder what it is we do all along?”
“……I think I have a rough idea of what kind of work it is.”
Olivia reached out and grasped the teacup. The tea rose in gentle wisps, carrying a pleasant fragrance.
Looking at the shifting liquid, her mind grew a little restless. As she’d been thinking during the walk here, she carefully began to piece things together and spoke.
“A stone imbued with the Power of Dominion, you said? That’s what they had.”
“That’s right.”
“And actually, that’s a power that was supposedly completely annihilated after the Demon Extermination War.”
“That’s accurate as well.”
Yugin accepted her words readily. Watching his response, Olivia began to piece together what questions she should ask.
What needed to be asked was now clear.
“Is the Lux Knight Brigade pursuing the past?”
“The past.”
“Things already claimed to have vanished. Powers like those of the Demon King, things that existed before the Demon Extermination War.”
Bennett and Panya had only grasped from this incident that ‘there exists a terrorist group wielding strange powers,’ but Olivia, being the young lady of Kishear House, was viewing the matter through a different lens.
A stone similar to the Guardian Stone, containing some unknown power. The mercenaries had called that power the Power of Dominion.
If that was true, then the power contained within would indeed be of a similar class to Authority.
Upon hearing Olivia’s words, Yugin posed a different question in return.
“Lady Olivia. Do you know how many Authorities the Demon King possessed?”
“Five, as I understand it.”
“Right. But the Guardian House possesses four. Why do you think that is?”
“Isn’t it because the last Authority perished along with the Demon King? The fragments of power left behind were also completely annihilated at the time of the Demon Extermination War.”
“That’s what most people believe.”
The history recorded in textbooks told that story. Four heroes succeeded in sealing away four Authorities, and the last one was destroyed alongside the Demon King.
Olivia had learned that as established fact. But did Yugin’s words mean it was otherwise?
“Do you know much about the Authority of Dominion?”
“Only that it was the last remaining Authority.”
“It was one of the Demon King’s most powerful Authorities.”
Yugin paused, sipped his tea, then continued.
“We’ve been placing weight on the possibility that it wasn’t completely annihilated.”
At those words, Olivia squeezed her eyes shut.

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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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