I Thought Your Friend's Sibling Wasn't a Girl? - Chapter 91

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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 91
* * *
Several days had passed since the Marquis Kishier’s visit to the Knight Order.
In that time, quite a lot had happened—most notably, Aiden, who had been unable to hide his troubled expression and had tormented those around him, was promoted to Vice-Commander.
“Why am I Vice-Commander? Why on earth?”
“It’s my earnest wish that you learn a bit of decorum and develop some sense of responsibility.”
“I don’t want this!”
“If you don’t like it, what then? The Emperor himself has sanctioned it. And just so you know, resigning from the position of Vice-Commander also requires the Emperor’s approval. It means you can’t simply run away. I’m just mentioning it for your information.”
“Noooo! Commander!”
After learning the truth, Aiden had thrashed about for days, but now he lay sprawled out as though exhausted by his own tantrum.
Of course, since all of this had little bearing on Olivia’s life, she had simply continued with her daily routine.
A routine marked by more thoughts than usual and a little lost sleep.
“Olivia. What’s gotten into you lately?”
“I’m sorry. I haven’t been sleeping well.”
“But why?”
“Father keeps sending me information on potential fiancé candidates.”
Since she’d been deliberately avoiding meetings due to his constant talk of engagements, the Marquis Kishier had now taken to sending “new fiancé candidate” dossiers to the Academy like some gossip column, one a day. She’d already received seven.
Seven dossiers.
Society’s most eccentric young lady, top of the Knight’s academy—such titles hardly seemed like flaws, given how many marriage proposals were flooding in.
Olivia had taken to folding them all up and tossing them into the fireplace. At least it made her room a little warmer.
Strangely, on such nights she’d have nightmares where men chased her in her dreams, but it was a fairly clean solution nonetheless.
“Does it really stress you that much?”
“That’s part of it, but also… my own heart won’t cooperate with what I want.”
“So it really is about that fiancé business again.”
“Panya, why is love so difficult?”
As Olivia’s mood darkened suddenly, Panya reached over and patted her back in comfort, adding a kind word for good measure.
“That’s just how life is. Endure it.”
“That’s such an unsympathetic consolation.”
“Endure that too.”
…….
While Olivia found an odd sort of stability in Panya’s half-hearted comfort, a similar scene was unfolding not far from them.
In a corner of the Training Ground where Olivia and Panya were easily visible, Aiden lay sprawled sideways beneath the shadow of a massive tree, blinking vacantly and releasing one endless sigh after another.
“What’s he doing over there again?”
“Who knows… He probably wants to act out again.”
“Don’t approach him. It’ll just be annoying.”
The Order members skirted carefully around Aiden, who lay lost in thought with a troubled expression, as though they’d glimpsed something unsightly.
Aiden felt a little lonely.
“Disloyal bastards.”
After shooting them a look, he closed his eyes again.
He’d been thinking a lot these past few days. Because of something Olivia had said.
“That was truly the end of it.”
Olivia’s voice, matter-of-fact as she spoke of endings, lingered around him without even a thought to fade.
To the extent that—
He wouldn’t have been shocked if Olivia had crept into his bedroom every night and whispered those words into his ear.
What was an ending, anyway? Had he ever really thought about it before?
So Aiden had asked: when an ending came, what would become of them? Olivia’s answer had been simple.
A friend’s sibling. A brother’s friend.
It was a declaration that they would maintain that distance and drift apart cordially.
“Aaahhh!”
“Look at him go again.”
“Let’s keep our distance. We don’t want his chaos to touch us—argh!”
Distance? Aiden shot up from where he lay as if someone had flipped a switch, trembling.
When he came to his senses, Kunta was in his grasp. His eyes blazed as he demanded an answer.
“Distance?”
“Wh-what! Why are you like this?”
“Why would we keep our distance?”
“Because you’re being like this!”
“Kunta. Listen to me carefully. Say you were engaged to someone.”
“Go get relationship advice from someone else!”
“But the engagement fell through. Then what kind of relationship do the two of them have?”
A broken engagement didn’t erase the bond they’d built over time, the bond they’d poured all their effort into constructing together, did it?
Yet Olivia had calmly spoken of the end of all of it. He couldn’t understand it.
Kunta answered with an exasperated expression.
“What do you mean, what kind? They have a broken engagement!”
“Exactly. So what kind of relationship is a broken engagement?”
“Aiden. Are you actually stupid? Or asking because you don’t know?”
“The only thing that changes is that the engagement is broken. Does a broken engagement erase the time they spent together? Does it change the memories they’ve experienced? No, it doesn’t. So why would everything before disappear?”
“…Aiden. Are you asking because… did she dump you?”
“Not yet, so answer the question.”
Aiden genuinely wanted to know.
He hadn’t imagined spending time with Olivia laughing and joking after the engagement was broken. He had some shame, after all.
But still.
“Usually that’s how it goes. Unless the breakup was amicable.”
“After a broken engagement, you can’t even be friends?”
“If one side refuses it, then obviously not, right?”
Aiden’s mouth fell open at that. Kunta’s eyes darted around nervously before he tried to slip out of his grip.
But before he could take more than a few steps, Aiden grabbed him again. It was the moment Kunta began trembling as he tried to shake him off.
“Listen, Vice-Commander.”
“Aaaahhh! I told you not to call me that! Who told you that? Who!”
“The Commander called. He said to stop bothering Kunta and come over right away.”
“Why?”
“How should I know. He apparently called Olivia too. Probably waiting already—”
“I can’t!”
The rescuer had arrived.
Aiden bolted off at a speed far faster than his appearance had warranted. The faces of those left behind bloomed with bewilderment.
“What’s his problem these days?”
“Apparently he got dumped.”
“What?”
“His fiancée-to-be rejected him, apparently.”
In the distant future, when Aiden learns of this rumor, he will rage and tear through the Order hunting for the culprit but—.
For now, it remained a future no one could foresee.
* * *
The sound of hot water coming to a boil, the rustle of turning pages, the peaceful atmosphere of an afternoon—and
Bang!
“What—what happened? Did something collapse?”
“Commander!”
An unexpected visitor, or rather, the person they’d been waiting for.
Olivia was quite accustomed to such situations by now. She couldn’t understand it, but apparently there were people in the world who preferred opening doors with their feet rather than their hands.
And she’d long since accepted that this person was someone she loved dearly.
Yugin seemed to feel the same way; despite the loud noise, he didn’t even turn his head toward the sound, maintaining perfect decorum as he brewed the tea.
“Sit down.”
“Commander! What’s—oh, Sena. You’re here too? And Luka.”
“You know sometimes you really seem insane, right?”
“I know. No need to point it out again.”
The moment Aiden realized Yugin and Olivia weren’t alone, he recovered his peace of mind with surprising speed.
“Have a seat.”
“What is this meeting about, sir?”
“We need to discuss an important mission. It wouldn’t do to exclude the Vice-Commander from such matters.”
“Stop calling me that, please!”
It had been about a week since Aiden’s promotion to Vice-Commander, yet he still hadn’t accepted it; he trembled every time someone used the title.
Yugin seemed to derive endless amusement from watching Aiden react this way, wielding the title like a weapon. Honestly, it was one of Olivia’s small pleasures too.
“Sit. I’m about to tell you something truly important.”
“Something important?”
“A new mission has come down.”
Olivia swallowed dryly and fixed her eyes on Yugin.
A new mission would be assigned. That was all she’d heard so far.
Looking at the assembled group, this seemed like a place where Olivia had no business being, yet Yugin had summoned her all the same. It was a little strange.
“It’s a request from the House of Earl Arle.”
House of Earl Arle? The familiar name made Olivia look at Yugin again.
Yugin met her gaze briefly before continuing.
“At the same time, it’s also an imperial request.”
“Pardon?”
“And be aware it’s a top secret mission. The Arle House request is cover, and the real objective is—”
Yugin paused before dropping the bomb.
“To find out what the Duke of Page is hiding.”
“…Pardon?”
“The personnel assigned to this mission are the five of you here. You all understand that the details must never be disclosed to anyone outside this room, yes?”
Olivia sat in a daze, thinking.
Am I really the right person for this? I’m still just an intern!
Of course, no one in the room offered her an answer.

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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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