I Thought Your Friend's Sibling Wasn't a Girl? - Chapter 84

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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 84
“What? Suddenly, what do you mean?”
“I said it wasn’t the case, but I think there was some frustration mixed in there too.”
Luka admitted it readily.
How Luka, who had originally been from a foreign land, came to be a member of the Lux Knight Brigade, what his life was like before that——.
She couldn’t say they’d shared every story, but she’d heard the broad strokes of it all. That was how Olivia was able to air out even the lingering dissatisfaction she’d kept buried.
“In truth, you haven’t done anything wrong by me, but somehow I couldn’t quite separate the feelings.”
“I think that’s understandable.”
Luka laughed softly and clinked his cup against the one Olivia held. The wooden cups struck with a dull, hollow sound.
Luka drained his beer in long, eager gulps. It looked so refreshing as it went down his throat that Olivia found herself captivated, watching him intently.
“How much will things really change? I still can’t quite tell, to be honest.”
“Neither can I, not really. I’ll do my best, but…….”
“But there’s one thing I’ve come to understand.”
Luka gently cut off Olivia’s words and smiled at her. It was the first genuine smile she’d seen from him since he’d been assigned here, and Olivia couldn’t hide her bewilderment as she listened to what he had to say.
“At least now we know what victory feels like.”
The Lux Knight Brigade—a brigade that had never once won a duel against another order of knights.
It wasn’t so much a matter of skill as it was the undertone of defeat and inferiority woven into their very foundation that had produced such results, but this time was different.
Luka’s gaze swept across those gathered in front, enjoying their newfound freedom with boisterous cheer.
Olivia still didn’t know what he was thinking, what emotions he was feeling.
But empathy didn’t require perfect understanding. If they could empathize over even the smallest, most fleeting thing, they could share so much more besides.
Knowing this, Olivia let out a contented laugh.
“It’s all thanks to you. I thought you’d be incapable of doing anything.”
Perhaps the alcohol was loosening his tongue; Luka poured out the things he’d kept bottled inside with complete candor.
“I’m sorry. I thought you were just another person who would pity us and soon forget about us along with countless others.”
“You don’t need to apologize to me. I wasn’t so very different from those people myself.”
Olivia deflected lightly with a laugh. But it was Luka, not Olivia, who then spoke up in earnest reproof.
He fixed his expression and turned to her.
“No. You deserve that apology, and you’re not like them at all.”
“Well, if that’s the case, then I’m glad, but——”
“People like you, who actually step forward for people like us—there aren’t many of them. Even that illustrious Aiden didn’t.”
His voice was firm.
“I did wrong by you because I was trapped in my past, and you accepted it without making a fuss only because of your character.”
“Sir, I——”
“I’ll only say this much about it, once. I was sorry, and I’m grateful.”
Olivia fell silent. She had just realized how much impact her momentary anger and irritation had had on them.
“Of course, you may have had no such intention whatsoever……. But for us, it was a novel experience just to have someone angry on our behalf.”
“Wasn’t Aiden like that?”
“……Aiden is just an angry sort of person.”
At that response, Olivia held her tongue demurely. She wanted to protest, but no suitable excuse came to mind.
Luka watched Olivia struggle for words, then burst out laughing.
“Still, having someone like you makes it seem worth living.”
“……You’re too kind.”
“Let’s both do our best from here on out. I’ll work hard too.”
With that, Luka held out his cup. The hand holding it was bare, without gloves.
Though she could see the rough, scarred skin, Olivia held out her own cup of grape juice as though she hadn’t noticed, and clinked it gently against his.
Again, a clear, ringing sound. It was as though the strange tension that had hung over the Lux Knight Brigade was dissolving.
The Lux Knight Brigade members watching the two of them chat quietly chuckled to themselves and returned to enjoying the gathering. The mingled aromas of food and the bustle of the group filled the restaurant with an atmosphere of pure cheer.
Olivia and Luka, for their part, threw themselves fully into the celebration this time, savoring every moment of it.
“By the way, where did Aiden go?”
“Huh? He was here just a moment ago, wasn’t he?”
“He said he had something to take care of. He said he’d be back soon, so let’s just wait!”
Of course, partway through the joyful gathering, someone had slipped away from the festivities, and the next day some members of the Lumen Knights Order appeared with their faces visibly bruised, but…….
“We don’t have to hold back anymore!”
“You said it! A toast to Olivia!”
“A toast, a toast!”
The Lux Knight Brigade’s happy night deepened on and on.
* * *
It was deep night.
“Ah, finally getting to celebrate properly for once, and yet——. There are rotten people everywhere, that’s for sure.”
A dark shadow slipped swiftly into the alley shrouded in darkness. Aiden adjusted his robe and pulled it up to cover his head once more as he moved forward.
His golden hair was utterly useless, really. Whenever he tried to tail someone, whenever he crept about like this, it was always a nuisance.
Of course, it wasn’t entirely without advantages.
“Brother, you look just like a prince!”
“Don’t you get it, Aiden? Olivia thinks all princes have golden hair and blue eyes.”
“A real prince, a prince!”
“She happened to watch a fairy tale with a prince in it not long ago. A prince, not even a crown prince—can you believe it?”
Hmm. Now that I think about it, that’s actually not so bad?
Aiden finished his thought and carefully tucked every strand of golden hair deep into the robe. His crimson lips twisted with petulance.
Olivia had performed splendidly today. She’d won impressively, and seemed to have grown quite close to the Lux Knight Brigade members.
Everything was unfolding favorably for Olivia.
The only thing that bothered him, and it was just one thing, was——.
‘How dare they scar our Olive’s face?’
If Sena had heard such a thought, she would have laughed incredulously at his ridiculousness, but Aiden meant it with complete sincerity.
Just thinking of that fine line of scarlet that had crossed her pale cheek made his blood boil even now.
Even wounds sustained during training tore at his heart, but these inhuman creatures had gone ahead and left marks on Olivia’s face.
“Aiden, just saying this just in case—you can’t interfere in a duel.”
“Me? Why would I interfere? Can’t you see I’m being good and just watching?”
“Your definition of ‘good’ is a bit different from most people, isn’t it? Why are your eyes like that if you’re being good?”
“Don’t provoke me. I’m barely holding myself back from jumping in right now.”
“I knew you’d be like this.”
But those days of holding it all in were over now. The duel had ended.
Aiden pulled the cord of his robe tighter once more and headed toward the tavern alley where those Lumen Knights were.
They were about to encounter some mysterious assailants. After drinking heavily, they’d be stumbling home when trouble would find them.
Since it was dark, and the assailant happened to be dressed in dark clothes too, they probably wouldn’t have gotten a good look at his face.
Aiden’s plan crystallized flawlessly in his mind. He moved like the wind toward his destination.
That was when he heard something suspicious from the destination ahead.
“Ugh, ughhh…….”
“What the——what are you doing——haaaagh!”
What? Someone else got here first?
Some other masked assailant had already caught several of them. This was the spot Aiden had mentally claimed in advance.
He passed by them with a look of irritation.
“Hey, he, help me!”
But his steps halted not long after. Aiden spoke with bewilderment.
“Huh. What’s this?”
“We are knights of the Lumen Knights Order. If you help us, we’ll reward——”
These are the ones I was after.
Their faces were so swollen he hadn’t recognized them at first. Aiden turned toward whoever had claimed his target, his expression dumbfounded.
Like himself, they were wrapped from head to toe, their face hidden behind a hood.
And from between that hood, just barely visible—a glimpse of silver hair…….
“Co, co, you…….”
What was he supposed to call them? Aiden’s mind went white.
Could the brigade commander really be going around taking private revenge like this?
For the first time in ages, a sensible thought crossed Aiden’s mind.

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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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