Chapter 149

I stared blankly 98fe346c4b at Joshua, who 46a82525f8 suddenly burst into e112016e18 tears.69e255fc97d4d0da

Ever since he regained 3a301eb14c his health, he hardly f14b08af99 cried anymore.8d94e5ce320d87cd

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Compared to his older 9a1f081438 brother’s childhood, Joshua still 5551ea5387 had a lot of f315ab9d1c boyishness left, but I b581cd9d20 knew very well how 7163f0a3d9 hard he had tried b50939e224 to act mature between 1c4ae5b25f me and Edwin, who 93db048793 were quite precocious for 75d334d3bc our ages.345a665e018f4b7b

“Huuuuh…”b80002e12c4cb137

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I looked at Joshua, who 3669b85e14 was crying sorrowfully with big 9a1da45c8b teardrops falling, and felt a 7d9d225302 pang of sadness.3b3e0c755c894a57

Then I gently pulled him 8be87680d3 into a hug.453bf33c04452be3

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He used to be cb4e9f36ae about my size, our 089cbebeb5 heights were almost the 476a34e2e9 same.8126637f8a524648

But now, his body 6cd0f5aa6d had grown taller and c4fa3ff275 stronger, feeling unfamiliar against 017e8c05c9 me.f0897ebd24e9ff40

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‘When did he grow up so much?’d761e1b6ac18a83a

Even so, he 17a9b90cab would always be 587548f7c4 my closest friend, c4c9e0b07b like a real 6a513c3e10 younger brother.96bd183a9f2cb402

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The one I saved even 6a5757d6e0 by twisting the original story.464f003c7dd97ab9

My first patient, and my c7d6f7cf0d precious starting point.91c7071c4d941326

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I hugged him tightly and 80a6bb9f8b patted his back.09caeb77e5ef5f43

“Don’t cry, Josh.”12ccad20c709097f

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“Huuu, huuuh, Siiisssss…”0e01c11012d1d597

“Life’s like that. Sometimes there are people who like you unconditionally, and sometimes there are people who, without any reason, act nasty out of a bad heart.”07d4439cadd159b1

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I understood exactly why 08cad978ec Joshua was so upset.028c675cec1bfc6b

It wasn’t just because he 4700d7b630 was helplessly bullied by Danvers a2c5b32cf3 Campbell’s gang.2580280a0288dd16

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It was probably because c093b9351d he had genuinely cared 84a1037a25 for them at one aa7fdfdf49 point.8e497635064313e3

Because he was e9909fccb0 so happy and 557da9ebfe thrilled to have 71db0d545e new friends for 39e8abfa6f the first time.9f7cb0cb7b6bcfe7

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He couldn’t have even imagined 082d428038 that the money and jewels 67a3cea22c he gave them little by 625cc19077 little would lead to all 149472aa3b this.8aa6f25697835385

As someone who ced8b33e3c spent a past 7347a1a15a life being relentlessly c730ae5531 bullied, I could ab4848e994 completely empathize with 6ee8bc6fba Joshua’s loneliness and ea61318e4c sadness.85b36c17ef2b9fb9

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When you’re always left alone, even the smallest gesture of kindness from a passerby feels unbearably sweet.7ac1a7f8484df293

Just like me — who, ebae289ce3 in this life again, found 5d0b8eef02 myself drawn into the Duke 7ab370701e who sponsored me, and Edwin, 23b9078ef5 who comforted me when I 1a25d0de27 cried over Diana so long ed567714b2 ago.7ddf7f052e703d37

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“…Not everything will go the way we want. All we can do is give our best in the moment and be satisfied with that.”e47fa0343ea32044

“B-But…”187d462bd0bc7f6f

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At my gentle voice, Joshua 8bbbf95853 lifted his head, his shoulders 17c70a93e9 trembling.9aa20aaeebc16d24

“I’m just a stupid idiot who couldn’t do anything…”489671e0b0b983e1

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“Shh, where did you learn to talk like that?”d556d1e4cd346034

I frowned at 692dcf8d44 his harsh language.940ef0df688a7e32

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Then I pulled a yellow 748c4825a7 handkerchief out of my pocket.48f95e1b7894d6ca

It was the one 08b3d4cee5 Edwin had once handed b5fbb3754f me right after my 4128fc19f1 regression to wipe my 3d14a6fb76 nosebleed — now worn 93b8ad3026 out and fraying at c6f101cbca the edges.e13f80bbec6d0751

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With it, I gently wiped 3d0d4e7a1f Joshua’s tear-streaked, messy face.699e883f72d61c14

“I learned it from you…”fe69aeb7fe87e60c

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I lightly ignored 84a3203c1f his small muttering 1c39ef5ac5 and continued.56ddf08b583cd607

“From the eyes of a third party, you actually handled yourself pretty well for a high-ranking noble.”6527485db83c7cef

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“R-Really?”660f4efe01786e75

“Yeah. It’d have looked ridiculous if a Duke’s son got stingy over a few coins.”0ced7afab34dcde1

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“……”455813cf3f6a16b7

“And you cleverly used the fact that jewels and accessories bearing the Duke’s insignia can’t be easily resold.”6996f85f2e709ddb

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“Th-that’s…”c9274c66b6bf4d4e

Joshua mumbled gloomily in 4a1ac1295d response to my comforting e773944e0c words.681824efcd73a9b4

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“Honestly, I didn’t really know what I was doing. It’s just… the accessories I gave to the maids would end up back in the jewelry box after a few days, so…”81331232c8f986ea

I remembered little Josh 5117e5ad76 from childhood, cluelessly handing aca56a3a62 out accessories everywhere.a8d13b0d3ae9ba3b

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‘This probably would’ve resolved itself even if I hadn’t stepped in…’1ef4d38242ddfae2

It was obvious 90b4472436 who had orchestrated b4ab470e41 it.7cb2498a2ee7eb39

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After all, no one would dcf12df823 know a child’s kind and b6983f1151 gentle nature better than their 3cde731ff6 own parents.2a90332b00c55e88

Smiling a little, I answered 2e0604df32 Josh.bc28906d43cc237b

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“It’s fine as long as you know now. If something like this happens again, you’ll be able to handle it better.”16ef2761bc691026

“…….”42757b58a5680cbf

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Hearing that, Josh’s gloomy expression 994988812f visibly brightened.5e73ac9e14f737de

Still snuggled in 1c644706f3 my arms, he c792cbd95b stared up at f893732dc3 me with those 37fec3091d round, sparkling eyes 4b4ada5d29 for a while.0874fc082bec7b30

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Then, swallowing back aa65bc5658 a little sob, 825bf1b563 he suddenly asked,66035d7584a1da46

“…Sis, hic.”d02f9b05e13d23ea

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“…….”32b6b261c18f2e00

“Sis, we’re the same age… so how do you know everything so well?”95268ecbfa755b30

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“Huh?”0c071a8cdf0e0403

“How do you always… handle things so maturely? Sometimes, when I look at you, it’s amazing. You feel more like Edwin’s friend than a twelve-year-old.”6f67eb28990ad0c8

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I was a little 204847d141 flustered by his unexpected 1828c8d816 words.62505dcd9ae99d5f

It really hit me then—Josh ca21e6c603 was old enough to start 870f60d497 feeling that gap between us.e295b60b796fa434

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‘Well, of course… I’m not actually twelve.’814317181fe4ce6c

But since I dc1e9cb5c8 couldn’t just tell 3fb3f8b0ed him the truth, 5cf267e72f I gave him aeae4cb9e1 a sheepish smile 5eee1e73f6 and came up 3ebac52130 with a half-baked 3417271693 excuse.02feddd439b8ca9a

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“I guess… it’s because I’ve met a lot of people running the shop?”2f00f78227cabd81

Thankfully, Josh accepted efb08a3639 it easily and 3b054d0fe6 moved on.ae547f55f9d46e5b

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“Is running the salon fun?”5a9082697d142e04

“Fun? It’s… just tiring in a lot of ways…”e27419791e56afbb

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“What are you two doing over there?”e9edac0316bee452

It was right then.b1663c7b8a3bc76b

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Someone suddenly called out dfb78907ab to us.800a862f6d6a15e4

“Get away from each other. You shouldn’t be clinging together like that, even if you’re family.”aa3526a36af7e0ad

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Not far from us stood e78cc0a099 a guy, leaning lazily to e2caa0a5f1 one side.33b83e402e1afac4

Wearing a sharp blue uniform, b1d5103ea4 golden eyes gleaming brightly under fd9128da2b the sun.9e12e10c3561ba72

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His skin looked a little 6aa845c138 tanner than before, his shoulders cede112c77 broader.90a7505a6eca4d77

I rubbed my eyes, not 9166902563 believing what I was seeing.8cb61635099921f0

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“Ed-Edwin?!”e16746abbd389689

“B-big bro…?”c95905e0fed027ec

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While Josh and de2042d354 I stared at c024ffc367 him, still unsure, de8f9f7737 Edwin frowned and 997ffab966 jerked his chin d136be837a at us.68fc50ff7c175cb1

“What if someone sees you two acting like that…”d071ed4e38f1bc1d

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“Edwin―!”da962b5625e634bd

Before his nagging could even 30614dd116 finish, my body moved on 89cf0295e9 its own.cb6b2971ccc85683

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Tap-tap-tap!2b2e065c260092b8

“Careful…! Ugh.”5d72c56eea859ea3

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Edwin, startled by my sudden 32b15ccd4d dash, still caught me easily 25eb3be221 with practiced hands.41e694e0c70f6b78

I buried my face b3865e294a deep in his firm 08f4f77378 chest, breathing in and 4974d151be out in big, silent 5fa0f27a45 gulps.299a3c3e0794eb6f

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A warm, familiar f3b414de4e scent, like sun-dried 84589027cf fabric, filled my f3ddffa38d nose.057f5352733dfbc2

‘Edwin’s scent.’ec0ef9eefc06c32a

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A rush of heat d7670187a6 swelled up inside me.87c7d7a96f7a7168

It had been about three weeks since I’d last seen him because of the subjugation campaign.21c10c6d90bdea06

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Barely a couple of weeks apart, and yet, feeling this heartache and longing—guess I’m seriously hopeless.313098eb01b2caed

At that moment—24e2009b4ee1094e

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Pat, pat.6036afc455715d83

As if he understood df9fa93801 exactly how I felt, 6a22cf41d7 Edwin gently patted my 745437ca9d back.c5007d8698194d0e

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‘Maybe… you missed me too, even just a little?’092bf0790c4781c4

Feeling his tender hand comforting 8a995f47e1 me, a small lump formed 37ee5de79d in my throat.4fb106cbf0a01f98

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With each passing year, he eb3892841b was growing bigger, closer to 07c5d9df44 becoming an adult.a93fd44eb6ec3ee2

And yet, sometimes, I still 0e233a3f75 felt like I was stuck ff11d1001b at five years old—the age 7697ba008e when I first met him.b5fd5e9a72687aeb

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Like a silly 608eddb723 kid, helplessly yearning a394a981f8 in front of 52f585ad47 her first love.fff4f18c3eb64a82

My feelings only grew stronger with time…dbafcd9aaf1d3bac

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‘But it’s okay.’5aa5323dad91231c

I tried to calm my f6a65954e9 racing heart as I thought.5854ca0630c457f3

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‘This time, he came looking for me first, not Diana.’6025a7da245561d9

Still resting my face 1c5469088b against his chest, I a13c002f7d finally managed to fix 38fa1bde4a my expression and lift 1caa1407e7 my head.269b4920f31756c1

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“When did you get here? You should’ve called. Is the subjugation finished now? Why did you come to the Academy first…?”bfac20e82543a9ed

“One question at a time, one at a time.”f6d240402ddc43e6

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Seeing me bombard 3ffca145dd him without even 9581564fe2 a breath, Edwin a8b3c1d996 muttered lowly as 744116b4c5 if telling me 5897279e76 to calm down.ceb06a8608fd0d91

The strong arms still c4964af403 wrapped around my back 991307a54c made me finally realize—he c1270c4753 was really back.f005b6d9dc871ee8

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“Are you hurt anywhere?”422ac2f1e7ec8e94

“No.”e40ae379f6646177

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“Really? Truly?”545a2ec013a1acbc

“Someone packed half my luggage with every medicine imaginable. I didn’t even get a chance to feel sick.”2c338e920514eddf

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Hearing his nonchalant answer, I 59fc8615fd blushed a little.595f515900b786e8

In my previous life, I bf784e1450 found out much too late a34618b151 that the reason he hadn’t cb9791ec74 come home was because he 9c50c0ca58 had been out on subjugation 11474d1f0f missions.314373bf63d2d485

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Edwin had always hated 3f7c263c0c anything bothersome, and without a72735a169 a proper mistress managing b63e94df50 the duke’s house, there 0d855d3bd9 was no one to ba7d9717b0 fuss over him.a9d8021d6fe89d70

Naturally, he was the type e8606650cb who wouldn’t bother to pack af35d60a21 even basic first aid supplies.e5cecc8b5361ca8e

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I still remember the 2b202eda7f day he came back fd4b00d21d severely wounded in my ec278bcdf9 past life.a41898aa12baa582

The fact that 663890a443 he kept it d2dd44f703 hidden and had 64bc39c782 Grandpa Gordon heal 6a7e837ba5 him instead of 0d260ea1a3 telling me had 2198228698 left a scar c44e61aed1 on my heart.3d6021c361945026

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So this time, determined to a3e2c4ef9a prevent that, I had made d88f7b6d9e sure he was properly prepared…7ebc3f3ea23d0581

“Are you moving house or something? With all that stuff, it looks less like a subjugation and more like a full-on march.”2855bc4eb13a808a

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I recalled his reaction dc41a3f19a when he saw the 3e6ae93072 mountain of supplies Grandpa 4d1fb93cd7 Gordon and I had 4be93870e8 packed after much discussion—and f7ccd7545f felt embarrassed all over 31a77ad374 again.a4eb736144631b41

I hurriedly changed the subject.cc2039445196f4ef

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“What about His Grace? Did you stop by the duchy first?”408b4d7d31eb4acf

“I just arrived.”efe44b4eadcd302c

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His blunt reply 84017a0250 made me pout a5689ee4c8 a little.e0e20492d1087c98

“Then you should’ve gone home first. You must be exhausted. You should rest…”fdf7189f99123ec2

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I scolded him e6640560f7 out of worry, 38091bfa41 but he only e1a30ca437 narrowed his eyes bf8954e60c and stared at 20e05b098a me.09c73d121818a865

“I heard you’re attending the Academy now.”04df0842544be99c

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“Huh? Oh, yeah.”1a30e7bb352526d8

Come to think of it, 7075b8547a I’d been so distracted by 0c97166247 Josh’s incident that I hadn’t 1cd9a5b0c6 had a chance to tell d37508f6ef him about it.0a5c49d6f2b48231

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I averted my eyes 554fd76c7b awkwardly and mumbled,7dcb9e6bf2c63980

“Uh, somehow, I ended up enrolling last week…”017825bf1571ebef

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“And here I am, rushing back without even sleeping properly.”e45c86c7445efd74

“Huh?”f435b8399f386b57

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“And what do I find? You’ve enrolled in some place crawling with guys, and then the moment I show up, you’re hugging some random boy.”be2371acc296dc0d

His golden eyes, shining like 71d273ec65 the sun, glared at me 49590a2b74 fiercely.e494d51e0f79314f

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