The Male Lead’s Younger Sister is Still Sad Today

Episode 22

It’s me, who couldn’t understand his intentions, so I could only smile at him.

After all, they say you shouldn’t spit on a smiling face. Facing him with a smiling face, Raiden finally opened his mouth, tapping my cheek with his finger.

“Cheek.”

…Was it not my imagination?

“Got scratched a bit by a cat’s claws.”

“More precisely, by Elizabeth.”

To my inadequate response, Raiden added a few more words.

“Ha…”

Listening to our conversation, Raiden washed his face with one hand. Truly… with a face that didn’t seem pleased.

“Roel, why don’t you step aside for now?”

But when Raiden, who had just opened his mouth, seemed to realize something, he frowned. After glaring at me with a fierce look for a moment, he sighed softly when he noticed my Flynnch.

“Both of you, leave.”

“Well, then, I’ll step aside.”

Roel and I exchanged puzzled glances.

* * *

The next morning, we discovered the rumored Elizabeth.

Looking happier than usual, as if she had eaten, Elizabeth was rolling around in the grass alone.

“…She’s cuter than I thought.”

When I saw her at night, she seemed intimidating with her large build and sharp gaze.

The large build was due to her chubby figure, and the sharp eyes weren’t so sharp up close. Her round, cute eyes were truly beautiful.

I wanted to approach and play with her.

But according to Roel, she’s extremely fierce, so I should probably watch from a distance.

Hiding in the grass and watching Elizabeth, my regret only grew.

Should I just go over there?

“…She deliberately wanted to scratch again.”

“Eek!”

Suddenly, a voice pierced my ear, and I jumped in surprise, even though I was sitting on the ground. Despite sitting on the ground, Raiden and I weren’t that far apart.

When did he come, exactly?

Raiden silently approached and whispered in my ear.

Because of that, Elizabeth, who was playing in the grass, was also startled and quickly fled to a rock. She stood there with her fur all bristled, facing towards us.

“Tsk, can’t even recognize its owner.”

Watching Elizabeth, who was on high alert, Raiden clicked his tongue. Then, he glanced down at me, who was sitting on the ground.

“Well, you’re the same way.”

“Ha-ha.”

I gave a sheepish laugh. Raiden approached Elizabeth, who had run up onto the rock, still on guard with her fur raised.

But when Raiden offered a treat, she instantly dropped her guard as if to say, “When did this happen?”

“Wow…”

Watching Elizabeth eat the treat was truly adorable. Unconsciously, I sighed in admiration and approached Raiden.

“It seems she really likes the Duke.”

“Of course.”

With an arrogant expression, he opened his mouth.

“If you’re curious, you can pet her too.”

“Is that okay?”

With a nod, Raiden withdrew the hand he had extended to Elizabeth. I cautiously reached out to her, swallowing nervously.

As she was resting on a rock much higher than me, I had to tiptoe to reach her.

As my hand touched her, Elizabeth seemed to Flynnch for a moment, but soon she entrusted her body to my hand. As I gently scratched her chin, she quickly made a purring sound.

“She’s incredibly cute, isn’t she?”

Raiden took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the hand that touched Elizabeth.

“This is how you tame animals.”

While petting Elizabeth on the rock, my hand began to feel a bit numb.

Feeling a tingling sensation, I reluctantly withdrew my hand, leaving my disappointment behind. In response, Raiden threw the handkerchief he used to wipe his hands at me, and I clumsily caught it.

“Shall I wash it?”

“Throw it away.”

The designer’s name embroidered with delicate stitches felt heavy to discard.

“…Did you deliver the message to him well?”

“Yes.”

“Among the answers you gave, it’s the most pleasing one. Has the day for him to leave the mansion been decided?”

I nodded lightly.

“Henry requested him to work until the banquet.”

“Until the banquet… That’s longer than I thought.”

Raiden muttered.

Does Abel dislike him that much? But Abel isn’t the type to go somewhere and earn someone’s hatred.

“By the way…”

Raiden’s gaze briefly touched my cheek.

“…The window in your room is broken.”

“Yes, yes. My brother is stronger than I thought. Oh, if you could deduct the cost of the broken window from my salary-”

Listening silently to my words, Raiden tilted his head and interrupted me.

“It’s not easy to break a window while opening it.”

He was right. However, we didn’t know the exact reason for the window that was once quiet to be broken. I had no other answer.

“Perhaps the window itself was weak.”

There wasn’t much trust in his eyes for my words. It seemed like he was half-listening and letting it pass.

“…So your room currently has no window?”

“That seems to be the case.”

I didn’t know he was so concerned about whether my room had a window or not. In fact, I didn’t even know that the window was broken, and he did.

At that moment, Elizabeth, who had jumped down from the rock, cautiously approached me. Then, she started rubbing her body against my leg.

“Milord! Did you see?”

Finding it incredibly strange that Elizabeth approached me first, I turned quickly to Raiden. He narrowed his eyes as if displeased with the scene.

I followed Elizabeth and sat down. As I slowly stroked her glossy black fur, I couldn’t help but think that heaven had never seen such heaven.

“Where did Elizabeth come from?”

“No idea where she rolled in from.”

Raiden also sat down next to me. Then, he gently stroked Elizabeth’s belly as she rolled around in the grass.

“I’m glad Elizabeth came to the mansion. If she had gone somewhere else, her fur wouldn’t be this glossy.”

“Yeah, leaving the mansion results in that. Those who left the mansion before all ended up like that.”

It wasn’t a wrong statement since there was no place that paid as much as the mansion.

“You’ve already stamped the contract.”

“…Yes.”

It happened when I, enchanted by Elizabeth’s charm, opened my mouth without thinking.

“You can’t run away now.”

At Raiden’s chilling voice, I instinctively looked up. His eyes, unreadable, were staring straight at me.

“If you try to escape, I’ll be much kinder than the others.”

Raiden’s face, smiling at me, was ominous.

* * *

“Chase…!”

“Flynn?”

Flynn, rushing towards me and calling my name, had sweat beading on his forehead.

“Did you hear the news?”

“What news?”

“Lord has added one more building for the servants!”

“…?”

Flynn’s following words sounded perplexing. It was understandable; there were already more rooms in the current building than the number of servants.

Rooms were already available. Yet, they were given another building for the servants…?

As if sensing my confusion, Flynn continued.

“He’s allocating one room per person.”

“What?!”

Raiden loves the servants that much? I couldn’t close my mouth for a moment.

“H-Henry said that younger ones should move to different rooms in each building…”

That meant I had to move.

“Where is the new building?”

“A bit far from here.”

The main building, where I currently stayed, was at the left end from the center. The new building for the servants was at the right end of the main building, in Building 13.

In summary, according to Flynn, it was a building located completely at the ends.

“Oh…”

Should I not share the same room until Abel leaves? It made me a little uneasy to part with Abel in this way. Moreover, living in a building so far away was even more daunting.

It seemed like my anxiety had grown after the incident with the broken window.

However, it was the Duke’s order, and there was no way I could refuse.

I hesitated a bit and asked him, “Until when do I have to move?”

“He said to move today.”

“Today?”

Suddenly, he told me to move. I couldn’t believe his words, and I unknowingly questioned him. But Flynn just nodded quietly.

“…It’s surprisingly rushed.”

“I’ll help you pack. I already moved your belongings.”

“Oh, no! Flynn! I’ll be grateful just for the thought.”

I didn’t know what was in the room.

But Flynn’s face darkened instantly when he heard my refusal. In a panic, I quickly suggested something else to Flynn.

“Then, could you help me move the luggage later?! My room is too messy now… I’m a bit embarrassed to show it.”

Only then did Flynn’s darkened face begin to lighten up. Flynn nodded.

“S-Sure.”

“I’ll pack up quickly and be right out.”

I hurried into the room. It was really tight on time to move today.

Abel, who seemed to have already heard the news, was packing my belongings. He looked at me as the door opened and said, “I haven’t packed the stuff in the dresser yet.”

“I’ll take care of that.”

I opened the dresser and started packing my things. Then, as I saw the hairpin Abel gave me last time, I hesitated for a moment.

Whether Abel found it strange that I was not packing, he turned to me. Seeing the hairpin in my hand, he shook his head slightly and started packing again.

“Leave that and go.”

“…”

“Just in case.”

His concern was understandable. But leaving this behind…

“Isn’t it a gift for someone you love?”