I Will Protect My Brother - Chapter 145

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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 145
Chapter 17. And So the Story Comes to an End
Spring had arrived in Rahnar. Wedding preparations were in full swing.
We decided to have new wedding rings made. This was entirely Kalien’s insistence.
He launched into a lengthy argument that since he’d handed me the ring in Alfheim, it had lost all meaning as a proper engagement ring.
“The proposal scene I’d imagined in my head wasn’t anything like that.”
“Right, I didn’t think it was a proposal either, but I never imagined you’d just throw a ring at me and run off.”
“Can we please stop talking about that…”
Kalien, who had barely managed to console me as I wept before him and then wept again before myself, didn’t fully shake off his melancholy until several days had passed. Even after that, he continued to anxiously watch my expression, so I suggested we resume the wedding preparations we’d put on hold. Only after hearing those words did Kalien perk up like a plant freshly watered.
“Anyway, I understand what you’re feeling.”
I glanced down at the ring finger of my left hand. The green gemstone that had captivated me at first sight gleamed with undeniable presence.
“Do we really need to make a new one? I’m fine with this.”
“There’s nothing wrong with having one more. Rosy, what catches your eye here?”
The gemstone display case was filled with raw stones of every color. Kalien had apparently collected them from across all of Rahnar seven years ago.
I glanced at him sideways.
“So you’re planning to propose again?”
“Of course.”
“Alright then, I’ll look forward to it.”
“Look forward…?”
Dark clouds rapidly gathered across Kalien’s face. As if his carefully laid plans suddenly seemed inadequate, he rubbed his chin and fell into contemplation.
Leaving him to his thoughts, I examined the display case carefully.
‘Red…’
There was a gemstone that had captured my eye from the moment we arrived.
What first drew my attention was a small ruby that appeared as a deep crimson or a vivid scarlet depending on the angle of the light hitting it.
Despite being in its uncut, rough form, its luminous color was absolutely enchanting.
“I like this one.”
As I tapped the display case, the Jeweler quickly and carefully lifted the raw stone and removed it from its glass case. Kalien examined the gemstone with a skeptical gaze.
“But I’ve heard that diamonds are usually preferred for wedding rings.”
“I like this. It’s the same color as your eyes.”
“Huh?”
Kalien blinked blankly. Then his expression suddenly filled with emotion.
“Does that mean you’ll wear the color of my eyes on your hand for the rest of your life?”
“That’s right.”
I casually flipped through the book containing cutting designs.
“I thought it was beautiful from the moment I first saw it.”
“From the moment…”
“In the detention camp, I saw a red light piercing through the darkness. And since the eyes are my favorite part of your face, this has its own meaning too. Just like how you deliberately chose a ring that matched the color of my eyes.”
Kalien now clenched his lips as if he were about to cry. How foolish. I found a cutting design I liked and handed it to the Jeweler, speaking as I did.
“But I won’t have this made into a ring. I want to use it as a jewel to decorate the chain of my Planetarium. I want to wear it around my neck at all times.”
The Planetarium was something I never let leave my body for even a moment. I selected a chain that matched the necklace I already wore and small diamond fragments to decorate around the ruby. Then I looked up at Kalien with confidence.
“Older Brother, buy this for me!”
Moments later, I emerged from the Jewelry Shop in high spirits.
The satisfying weight of the jeweled box cradled in my arms felt wonderful. I pretended not to notice Kalian still inside the shop, methodically sweeping every piece of jewelry from the display cases into his possession.
* * *
From the next day onward, tailors streamed in and out of Wynack Castle without pause, fitting formal wedding attire. All the garments Kalian had prepared seven years prior were discarded and remade from scratch.
But I wasn’t the only one requiring fittings. I was lounging comfortably on the sofa when the curtain parted, drawing my gaze upward.
“Wow.”
An admiring gasp escaped my lips. I gazed with satisfaction at the striking young man who emerged from behind the curtain.
“Your face alone is worth savoring for all eternity, I’d say.”
Kalian fastened the final button at his collar and replied with characteristic grace.
“Then having someone so handsome as a husband must be quite the ordeal. Congratulations, Rosy.”
As always, he was infuriatingly charming, and I had no comeback.
The pristine white formal coat hugged his frame perfectly, leaving nothing to imagination—his muscular physique and superior proportions were on full display. When he swept back the golden hair that usually fell across his forehead, the captivating beauty tinged with melancholy vanished, replaced by a distinctly masculine impression. His well-defined brows and forehead emerged, along with his sharply carved features.
The dissolute wastrel had transformed into a dignified bridegroom, and Kalian’s eyes glinted with mischief.
“You’re mine, so I’ll spend my life admiring you.”
“Then come here and give me a kiss before you go. That would be perfect.”
“As you wish, my lady.”
He approached with long strides and leaned over the sofa’s armrest. I remained reclined against the cushions, meeting his descending lips. Kalian tilted his head slightly, and our mouths met with a soft, gentle sound. He winked at me.
“Now it’s the bride’s turn. Want to come out and show me?”
Lina waved from behind the curtain. I rose from my seat with exaggerated reluctance.
The dressing room was filled with an array of dazzlingly ornate dresses. Lina, even more excited than I was, held various accessories up to my head.
“If we style your hair like this, twisted up, and add several small pearl ornaments, what do you think?”
“Lina, I don’t think pearls will work. I think something more radiant would suit better than an elegant aesthetic.”
A bride outshone by the groom’s beauty? Absolutely not. I couldn’t have people saying the man was wasted on me. A look of determination flashed across Lina’s eyes.
“Fine. I’ll make you the most beautiful bride in the world, Rosien!”
My preparation took at least twice as long as Kalian’s.
Only after considerable commotion behind the curtain did it finally part. Kalian, who had been lounging on the sofa where I’d been sitting, flipping through a book, turned his gaze toward me.
I averted my eyes shyly. From below, I hadn’t noticed, but standing on this platform felt terribly embarrassing.
“So… how do I look?”
How could he have looked so utterly unaffected standing up there? I fidgeted with the small bouquet in my hands, waiting for his reaction.
“I’ve never seen your hair styled like this before, so it feels a bit unfamiliar…”
Cruel man—Kalian simply stared at me without answering. I caught my reflection in the mirror hanging nearby. The pure white dress, cinched elegantly at the waist, cascaded in generous folds, its delicate lace and beads catching the light with every movement. In sunlight, I would resemble seafoam scattering against rocks. The upper bodice gleamed with jeweled buttons and rounded sleeves.
“Well, it’s not bad, I suppose.”
Murmuring to myself, I turned to see my back in the mirror when I flinched. Kalian was suddenly right in front of me—I hadn’t noticed him approach. His expression was spellbound, utterly entranced.
Only then did my tension ease. I let out a small laugh and winked at him.
“Why? Think you could spend your life admiring my face too?”
“Admiring, you say?”
Kalian reached out with the utmost gentleness, caressing my cheek.
“I’ll spend my life cherishing you.”
“My, someone’s thoroughly smitten, aren’t they?”
“It’s been quite a while. So, Princess, surely you could spare a kiss for this blind man?”
“Well, if you wish it.”
I placed my hand against his chest and rose slightly onto my toes. I pressed my lips to his with a soft sound, just as he had done, intending to pull away—but his arm was already wrapped around my waist.
This wouldn’t end quickly. The moment I realized it, I lifted my arms and wound them around Kalien’s neck. If escape was impossible, I might as well surrender to it.
His lips locked against mine with an intensity that left no room for separation. Kisses with my Elixir always carried that dizzying sense of fulfillment.
Between our quickening breaths, waves of heat and tenderness swept through me in a disorienting dance. I heard Lina quietly slip away from the dressing room.
With only the two of us remaining, the kiss grew more explicit and profound. He cradled the nape of my neck in his hand, drawing me closer with an urgency that made my entire spine tingle with a delicate tremor, from the crown of my head to the base of my neck.
There was a time when I didn’t know what to do with these unfamiliar sensations.
I wonder why that was.
A small moan escaped Kalien’s lips between our kisses.
“You dressed so beautifully. It would be a shame to remove it.”
“Who are you talking about?”
“And you as well. Ah… I really don’t want to taint you.”
He murmured his complaint softly, then gently nibbled my lower lip before continuing with a series of short, pecking kisses, like a bird picking at seeds.
“Stop, stop…”
“Have you caught your breath?”
“Not yet.”
I glared at him, breathing heavily.
“Tell me honestly.”
“About what?”
“Have you ever kissed another woman besides me?”
It was something I’d always wondered about. Except for that first kiss, I’d never sensed any clumsiness in Kalien when it came to kissing or physical affection. Everything always felt so natural, flowing like water, and by the time I regained my senses, I’d already been swept away.
“Wouldn’t Rosy know better than anyone?”
Kalien tried to slip away like a cunning fox, brushing his nose against mine affectionately.
“Rosy practically raised me, after all.”
“No. Karga.”
He paused mid-motion as he tilted his head to kiss me again. Kalien’s expression froze.
“…Do you know how strange it feels when you call me by that name? It’s like I’m kissing the Rozentia of that time all over again.”
“Get used to it. Anyway, back then—when you were the Wynack Family Head—I realized I’d never heard anything about you. Especially not about your personal life.”
As I pressed the point, Kalien let out a troubled groan.
“Rosy. Those days are so long ago that I barely remember them.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You have the Revival Crystal embedded in your body.”
I pressed my index finger repeatedly against his left chest, where the Revival Crystal lay embedded. The Revival Crystal was an absolute relic capable of resurrecting even the dead. Since it was effective at mending the fragments of a wounded soul, the memories from when he was Karga must be gradually returning as well.
I pressed him relentlessly, my tone sharp with jealousy.
“Before you were chosen as Rahnar’s Guardian, were you married? Or did you have a lover?”

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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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