chapter 17
17 – A younger brother needs a sister.(5)
“It stings…”
I muttered as I looked at my right arm dripping with blood.
Even in sparring with unsharp bladed swords, since those holding the swords were skilled at cutting down old trees with branches, minor wounds were unavoidable.
But this time the case was different.
As he wielded the sword according to the flow of overflowing emotions, his original skills were not displayed and he became a sword that he wielded only with his physical strength, not with his skills.
However, the purpose of this sparring was not to improve skills in the first place.
Letting out all the emotions I have.
Since he only thought of that one thing, he didn’t care about the perfection of his swordsmanship. My father knew that, so he silently accepted the messy swordsmanship that would normally be shouted at.
As I started pouring out the emotions that were festering inside, it was as if I had put down a stone that kept weighing on my heart.
If I had tried to unleash this feeling by swinging my sword alone, I would never have felt as relieved as I am now. People want someone to listen to them when they release the lump inside them.
Crying out alone only drops oneself into the emotional valley, but does not provide a fundamental solution.
The rugged black sword, devoid of any skill, was deflected with the simple movements of the swordsman who reached the apex of the sword.
Even so, I put emotion into the sword and swung it once more.
After repeating this several times, the sword in my hand could not withstand the sharp sword skills ingrained in my father’s body and broke.
A fragment of a broken sword grazed his right arm and stuck into the ground.
A thin line of blood was drawn where the piece of sword passed by, and blood began to flow out, but far from being painful, it was only refreshing.
broken sword.
And blood dripping from his arm.
When I see these two, I start to come to my senses. I heard my father’s warm voice as I let go of the sword.
“Are you a little less angry?”
“Yes…”
“I’m sorry. I was too short-sighted. It’s my fault for not paying attention to you and Alphonse because I thought you were too mature for your age. I should have approached you first. I’m sorry for being an immature father.”
I couldn’t answer what my father said. Because I also thought so of Alphonse.
“It’s a bit like we rich people don’t talk to each other.”
Clearly, it wasn’t the same at first. Even when my mother was with me, if there was a problem, I would solve it through conversation rather than clashing swords like this.
It was after my mother passed away that our conversations lessened. The conversations between family members were always led by the mother.
I, who has memories of my previous life, grew up without much trouble, and Alphonse, unlike other children, grew up as a quiet and kind child. Maybe that’s why I didn’t feel the need to talk more.
Because the distance was close, I neglected it with the thought of trusting each other.
“So now I’m going to have a little conversation. Thank you Dalian, Father.”
After spitting out all the emotions that made her head hurt, there was no resentment left for herself. Just the thought of being a better brother to my younger brother began to fill my head.
I bowed my head to my father and left.
After leaving the gymnasium, I went straight back to my room and looked at myself in the full-length mirror next to the closet. Her face, which had been hardened until just a moment ago, straightened out into a soft smile. However, the pure white sleeves were stained red from the blood flowing from the forearms.
When I turned my head and looked at the window, the sky had suddenly become dark, and only the moon and stars were shining on the world.
At this time, not only Kendo and Maria have returned to their rooms, but the other attendants will be well prepared, so I’ll have to take care of it myself.
“Ah… It’s annoying… Where did I put the bandages and wound medicine?”
It is an endemic disease that developed after a high-ranking aristocrat became possessed as a young master.
For several years, attendants have done most of the work for me, so instead of thinking about solving things on my own that I could have done alone, I first thought of calling the attendants to solve them.
It can’t help but be terrifying to have a possession of only 5 years suppress 25 years of life as a petit bourgeois who is 5 times as much.
I took off my coat, rolled up my bleeding sleeves, and walked around the room looking for medicines. But no matter how much I look for it, I can’t see bandages and wound medicine.
Come to think of it, I couldn’t have something like that in my room.
‘Oh, I’m bleeding.’
‘aaa!! It’s a doryyeonnim!!! Bring the potion and holy water to sterilize!!’
‘No, this is just a cut on paper…’
‘Will it be a big deal if it gets worse!!’
Even with just one small wound, I didn’t think about stocking up on medicine because the people around me were making all sorts of fuss. Except for sparring with my father, I wasn’t the type to get hurt that often. And since there was always a way to call the attendants, I don’t think I felt the need to have that kind of thought all the more.
A silver bell placed on the desk in my room.
If you hit this bell, you can call the attendants regardless of the time of day, but I didn’t feel like ringing it right now. It was clear that news would reach Elena in nine out of ten times if she was upset about it. Perhaps she would run to me as soon as she heard the news.
It was only a minor wound, but I didn’t want to show her my injuries.
In the end, is there no choice but to go outside and find the potion? Potions and items like that are also items that are used whenever the knights train, so you can find them by searching any training ground or a nearby warehouse.
“Damn it. Come to think of it, I was at the gymnasium until a while ago. I just came here to pick up a potion and eat it…”
It was a mistake to return to the room without thinking, thinking that I had unloaded a piece of luggage. What kind of fool forgets that he was hurt.
As I was about to leave the room, a smell wafted through the door. It was immediately clear what the smell was. It was the smell of the meat stew I usually enjoy. Somehow, since I couldn’t participate in the dinner tonight, it seems that someone brought a meal to my room for me, who couldn’t eat.
Judging by the unfamiliar sound of the footsteps he heard, it seemed that it was not Ken or Maria. It seems that I have already told the other attendants. Thanks to that, I think I can get potions and bandages without much fuss.
smart-
“Come in.”
When I heard a short knock, I told the person outside to come in right away.
“Is meat stew tonight? The smell wafts through the door. I’m sorry I just came here, but bring your bandages and some medicine…”
First of all, I naturally tried to talk to her so as not to panic when I saw the wound, but when I saw the face of the person who entered the room, I was embarrassed.
The one I thought was an attendant was Elena, whom I didn’t want to show.
“Helena? Why is Elena here?? No, wait a minute! Get out…”
“eight…”
Looking at the wound on my arm, she murmured softly, and I remembered what had happened with her this morning. I think of her crying face when I just said let’s think about the engagement a little more. I was trying to hide it because I didn’t know how she would react when she saw the wound on my arm, but looking at her now, I don’t think she would try to get over it that easily.
“Why, why did you get hurt like this? Could it be that my father…? I thought what my father said at dinner was just a joke, but really…”
“Eh, Elena? This is because he, I made a mistake. Stop! Stop calming down.”
Elena, apparently agitated by the sight of my wound, continued to mutter something while wiping the blood from my arm with a handkerchief. Then he suddenly raised his head and left the room saying he would bring the potion.
“No, I know where the potion is in my house…”
“Damian! I found it!!”
“Yes??”
Surprisingly, Elena brought the potion within minutes of leaving my room. I wondered if I had brought it personally, but since the pattern engraved on the potion bottle was the crest of the workshop that signed an exclusive contract with Krause here in Sarham, I couldn’t help but question it even more.
However, Elena, who brought the potion, was applying the potion to my wound as if nothing had happened.
When the red potion touched the wound, the blood flowing from the wound began to stop. Although this place is a place of sword and magic fantasy, a potion does not completely heal wounds.
Such things are more like miracles performed by priests who believe in the gods, and potions are more like items that help users recover, such as household medicines and fatigue relieving pills. Still, it was amazing just that the blood stopped immediately or that it improved the natural recovery ability.
She put “Clean” on the handkerchief she had wiped off my blood on, and carefully tied the handkerchief around the wound, in case the wound got worse. But maybe it’s because of the close distance? Her soft breath touched my skin.
“Elena over there…”
Perhaps because I was concentrating, I couldn’t hear her. And he called her name again.
“Elena?”
“Yes? Damian, wait a minute. This is more than I thought uh…hehehehe?!”
“I tied it too tight.”
She raised her head at my question and backed away in surprise at my face approaching right in front of her. Her face, which had been serious until just a moment ago, instantly turns red, and the look of bewilderment naturally stimulates the corners of my mouth.
I loosened the knot Elena was working so hard on, and then handed her my arm again.
“Could you tie it up a bit this time?”
“Eh…ah, yes.”
She started tying the knot around my arm again. This time, unlike the first time when the hands were too strong on the slightly relaxed face, it was much softer. After a while, a butterfly made of her handkerchief sat on my arm.
“It’s pretty. Thanks. Elena. But why does Elena eat my meal…”
“That, that’s…”
I saw the things on the tray she brought. One was a meat stew that seemed to be my meal, and the other was desserts that didn’t suit me because I couldn’t eat sweets. Now she knows that I can’t eat sweets, so why is that?
I smiled and looked at her. Elena blushed even more, as if she knew the meaning of my smile. Elena’s bashful face has a charm that makes you want to play a joke.
Without saying a word, I moved closer to her little by little.
Just like before, my face came close enough to touch her nose. The only difference this time was that although her face was very red, she didn’t run away like before. Instead, it seemed to be waiting for something.
When she closed her eyes, I stopped approaching. instead
pp-
“hehehe…?”
He poked his finger at her soft-looking cheek. It is also softer than expected. It’s more than Alphonse’s cheek.
Elena opened her eyes and looked at me with a look of what this was all about. I smiled and said to Elena.
“I just wanted to touch it.”
Elena put on a dazed expression for a moment at those words, but then came to her senses.
“Dyamiaaa!!!”
and called my name with all my might.