The Male Lead’s Younger Sister is Still Sad Today

Episode 13

“Well, yeah.”

Why on earth is he asking this?

Furthermore, the next question is even more perplexing.

“Did you brag to that guy?”

“No…?”

“Why not?”

Behind his glasses, Raiden’s gaze felt sharp.

No, why is he fixated on something like this?

Raiden seemed to interpret my expression differently and took a breath to clarify.

“The gift I sent you yesterday.”

“…”

“It’s a gift. This is me giving you a gi-gi-gift.”

Raiden obsessively repeated the word “gift” while attaching it to various words.

No, seriously, do you not know that what you sent me yesterday is a gift…? You even wrote the name of the person who sent it so flamboyantly!

Could it be that it’s not just a simple gift? But considering how I’ve been living healthily even after eating it so enthusiastically yesterday, it probably isn’t poisonous…

As I was starting to think that perhaps this is an extension of some sort of punishment, Raiden opened his mouth with a bewildered expression.

“I’m not just giving you this, it’s a gift. It’s an excuse, but I didn’t know that you had a meal yesterday. I’m apologizing for that. From now on, I’ll just be honest.”

“…”

I was momentarily taken aback by his unexpected words.

My goodness, Raiden Akarut is apologizing.

I never imagined I would see him apologize in my lifetime.

Raiden rummaged through the documents piled on one side of the desk as he spoke.

“I won’t get angry, so.”

Can I really get along with Raiden now, with a heart newly moved by this?

Looking at Raiden with a newfound appreciation, he spoke seriously.

“So, brag about it.”

“Brag… about it?”

“I mean, brag about the gift I gave you. It would be great if you could let your bloodline know, especially.”

… But is this guy really okay?

* * *

Lately, Raiden Akarut has been acting a bit strange.

Of course, it’s not like it’s entirely unexpected at this point.

But the direction of his odd behavior has been quite different from before.

Lately, Raiden is fond of me. Whether it’s because he’s brainwashed or not, I can’t quite understand.

Well, I’m not sure if this is a good thing, to be honest.

The current Raiden is fixated on the word ‘fondness.’ I’m not sure if he’s trying to torment me in a new way or trying to brainwash me into believing that he is fond of me.

This is more like indoctrination.

I can’t decide whether I should be impressed by the fact that he knows something even I didn’t.

And… in reality, lately there’s been another person who has changed.

“Did something happen with Abel?”

Recently, Peter cautiously asked, while glancing at Abel’s mood.

Peter thought that perhaps Abel might know the reason for his bad mood, but he seemed unaware of it as well.

I let out a deep sigh silently and shook my head.

“I don’t know either…”

It would be good if we knew the reason.

Even when we probed about what was wrong, Abel only responded that he was tired.

“Uh, is it, maybe, because you’re not feeling well?”

At that moment, Flynn, who had been silently listening to our conversation, spoke cautiously.

“…Is that a person in pain?”

Observing Abel, who was carrying boxes heavily on his shoulders, Peter’s expression turned cold. Even Flynn, who glanced at Abel after Peter’s remark, couldn’t find the words to say.

I also stole a glance at Abel and noticed that his complexion seemed dark.

…He’s definitely not the type to show he’s in a bad mood.

I put a carrot into my mouth, brought by Flynn as a snack.

‘Could it be because of Isis?’

Otherwise, there was no way Abel could be in such a low mood.

I recalled whether I had heard any stories about Isis recently, but I couldn’t remember hearing anything specific.

“…Lately, my brother can’t sleep well.”

“…What’s really going on?”

Upon hearing my words, Peter mumbled quietly.

I couldn’t take my eyes off Abel’s back.

I felt like I needed to have a serious conversation with him.

* * *

I went to meet Mr. Henry on my way.

I felt like I needed to meet him to help Abel feel better and to have a serious conversation with him.

I cautiously approached Mr. Henry, who was organizing the books, and spoke.

“Hello, Mr. Henry.”

Upon hearing that, Mr. Henry paused his work of organizing the books.

“Chase? What brings you here?”

I smiled faintly and replied, “I had some business in the city, so I’m going out for a bit. Can I use the outing pass I received last time?”

“Are you trying to escape under the pretext of going out?”

What a big fuss over nothing.

I told him that I would stay here until Abel returned. I replied in a hurry, my heart pounding.

“Of course not! There’s nowhere as good as here.”

Fortunately, it seemed that Mr. Henry was quite reassured by my words, as he chuckled softly.

“Yeah, if it were someone else, I would have refused, but I’ll give you a pass since you’re siblings.”

“Thank you.”

Mr. Henry checked the time and then spoke.

“Come back by 6 pm. Oh, by the way, do you plan to have a meal outside and then return? In that case, I can extend the time.”

“No, no! Of course, I’ll have the meal here.”

In response to his words, I shouted in a panic without even realizing it. I couldn’t afford to miss dinner.

Startled by my desperate cry, Mr. Henry raised the corners of his lips and nodded.

“Alright, that’s what I expected.”

“Then, I’ll be back by 6 pm. See you at dinner.”

I greeted Mr. Henry with a nod and quickened my pace.

Anyway, the reason I’m going out today is to buy gifts for Abel with the money I’ve saved and for the people I’m thankful for.

I racked my brain to figure out what to get each person and headed out from the Akarut mansion.

Once you pass through the massive iron gate of the mansion, you reach a quiet road. People often called this road the Malé Road.

I really liked the Malé Road because it was peaceful.

The road led to the clock tower, the square, and the workshop, so the people using Malé Road were mainly connected to the workshop.

Moreover, aside from the occasional car of guests visiting Raiden and the workshop, there was hardly any traffic on the road, making it a quiet place.

Thanks to that, Malé Road was the quietest place in Luman, the bustling city. On one side of Malé Road, acacia trees stood lush.

The sound of carriages passing by and the bustle of people coming from beyond the clock tower mixed with the sound of the wind, creating a beautiful harmony.

At the end of this road stood the clock tower, and you could hear the sounds of people living around the clock tower square.

I checked the time and hurried my steps. There were only small shops near the square, so I had to go to the bustling district with tall buildings.

For now, I decided to start with the easiest gift for Abel.

A necklace, perhaps?

It seemed like the safest choice for now. He could just wear it and tuck it inside his clothes without drawing much attention to it.

So, I decided to buy a necklace and some good dietary supplements for him.

Once I made up my mind about what to buy, the shopping was quick. I purchased a simple necklace and three dietary supplement bottles that were known to be beneficial for health.

I also decided to get Flynn, who stayed up late studying, some dietary supplements, a handkerchief for Roel, who frequently cleaned his glasses, and cufflinks for Peter, who liked to dress up.

I had a limited budget, so my choices were somewhat limited, but this should suffice.

Of course, I also bought a gift for myself. I had packed a cake from a dessert shop I had wanted to visit for a while.

The weather was nice, so I planned to sit on a bench near the clock tower and enjoy it.

When was the last time I had such a peaceful day like today? Since coming to the workshop, my days had been so busy, and I needed days like this.

Of course, I didn’t expect my life to continue smoothly.

‘Why is Abel there?’

I wondered if I had made a mistake and blinked, but what I saw in front of me was indeed Abel and Owen.

I couldn’t understand why Abel, and with Owen no less, were sitting together in a cafe.

Because of that darned jerk, Abel had to leave with me from the workshop, and it was likely that Owen noticed the situation.

… But why did that heartless jerk come looking for Abel? Did something change at the workshop?

The sight of the two people sitting by the window on the second floor of the cafe was clearly visible from where I was. It was probably the same for them too.

‘What should I do…’

I was worried about Abel. That guy is worse than a beast, and it’s unlikely he would listen to reason. Moreover, how will Abel react to him?

I cautiously moved to a bench behind the clock tower. I wanted to leave the square immediately, but I couldn’t do that in case Owen spotted me from the second floor.

I couldn’t even imagine how things would turn out if he did see me.

In a way, getting kicked out of the workshop was all my fault. If I hadn’t gotten involved with Owen, things might not have ended up like this.

We might have been able to stay at the workshop until Isis’s memory returned…

“What are you doing here?”

Suddenly, a black shadow appeared, and I jolted, turning my head.

The owner of the long shadow in front of me was none other than Raiden Akarut.