Chapter 149

I stared blankly 7e211a98cf at Joshua, who 0d5805b068 suddenly burst into 14f44edcf9 tears.ed6bb43c5f160a3a

Ever since he regained 5debbf7fe2 his health, he hardly 20584d9fd3 cried anymore.8b377a989f696fd8

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Compared to his older 7f0a87ca2b brother’s childhood, Joshua still ee1b4eb70e had a lot of f40758ffc5 boyishness left, but I f16878fd3f knew very well how c73d48b018 hard he had tried 582b285001 to act mature between 16d8fa42d1 me and Edwin, who 6cbe075304 were quite precocious for af2b1cb6dd our ages.aab290aa374b9a0b

“Huuuuh…”ffe90f45529be63f

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I looked at ce9cff53ec Joshua, who was e93841360a crying sorrowfully with 70a1788908 big teardrops falling, 42ef380153 and felt a 408810e7fa pang of sadness.c07bbd6e7b00615a

Then I gently 1ec51eb2ab pulled him into 69406edd51 a hug.b36a2fc38a8dd5dc

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He used to be about 8b13936108 my size, our heights were 313ca033be almost the same.3925448b6eeb0f19

But now, his body eeb006e0dd had grown taller and ee89018ddb stronger, feeling unfamiliar against 8ee665fd7b me.d9203841ad965c87

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‘When did he grow up so much?’65589028c286195c

Even so, he 644d590a9b would always be fb7a82a43f my closest friend, 81cf110f7f like a real 179d8183db younger brother.2b0ec97fd283054d

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The one I fead426b7c saved even by 269baf922e twisting the original d5d7744351 story.da02dbe05d9de462

My first patient, and 6b168f6f76 my precious starting point.fb310c131fa0e7d0

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I hugged him tightly c0af47ec20 and patted his back.d014ea21a6358896

“Don’t cry, Josh.”55ec3a2fc805d2e8

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“Huuu, huuuh, Siiisssss…”37ac8f81a7603d0a

“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.”5bea3b9191a5fccb

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I understood exactly aad31ec200 why Joshua was f89b2c7b85 so upset.436bf0d4a7637761

It wasn’t just because he f21ac67b84 was helplessly bullied by Danvers 536e83d09f Campbell’s gang.86cb2a08ec138908

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It was probably because he 6233b3fa40 had genuinely cared for them f1ab956009 at one point.985e65961cc3d28e

Because he was e0e25532f0 so happy and 3102080075 thrilled to have 1f905469cf new friends for a1353bb31d the first time.b36b6068352eff90

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He couldn’t have even imagined 415b8ca0b1 that the money and jewels f5d76f87e0 he gave them little by 8a4885e881 little would lead to all eb282f08c6 this.5a7b85a4482721cb

As someone who 99b559c7d9 spent a past 99bb77bb10 life being relentlessly bcd6380b41 bullied, I could ca6d2e6b98 completely empathize with 107d0b0404 Joshua’s loneliness and f33a5d50e0 sadness.090b660dbb049aed

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When you’re always left alone, even the smallest gesture of kindness from a passerby feels unbearably sweet.f95c4c221f9af5af

Just like me — 9928c2527e who, in this life 27ca672827 again, found myself drawn ebfcd548a1 into the Duke who ca6e6d21e2 sponsored me, and Edwin, 18ad196556 who comforted me when 11056b24a7 I cried over Diana c9743af1f4 so long ago.8b11453d943b7d25

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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.”b2f9ae724243f8cc

“B-But…”861fac0f7e50b983

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At my gentle 3d3b9e9de3 voice, Joshua lifted f4f93a2f93 his head, his 33d792362d shoulders trembling.bb9190f207b10e64

“I’m just a stupid idiot who couldn’t do anything…”d4f20e3bc0481d77

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“Shh, where did you learn to talk like that?”14b38bf0a879dce2

I frowned at 266e7d9810 his harsh language.8bf714615f284286

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Then I pulled a yellow 65eea83065 handkerchief out of my pocket.88215c3d9df37e79

It was the b954536456 one Edwin had 3cb71a4ffa once handed me 27c9d19c22 right after my 8b2e525e85 regression to wipe e6b1458eab my nosebleed — 8bd0c60326 now worn out 3e60a3b7ed and fraying at 90081b12f1 the edges.1f4375a07e241dec

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With it, I gently 6c5af43143 wiped Joshua’s tear-streaked, messy ec956d383d face.732e96f91afdaf8a

“I learned it from you…”2505c266e152e3e7

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I lightly ignored d18308b3a2 his small muttering f672d18340 and continued.a64ae3fa290972e9

“From the eyes of a third party, you actually handled yourself pretty well for a high-ranking noble.”2d183358c53dead7

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“R-Really?”f6312b8246f5949c

“Yeah. It’d have looked ridiculous if a Duke’s son got stingy over a few coins.”e165d3d6fb08f392

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“……”4b6d3dabec045930

“And you cleverly used the fact that jewels and accessories bearing the Duke’s insignia can’t be easily resold.”28fc26179fe838cc

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“Th-that’s…”97f0bc8bf9abd2e5

Joshua mumbled gloomily in 4644c9e64f response to my comforting e1cd3c5251 words.0b75d7a5e7da4af1

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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…”735577d57ea44e1c

I remembered little Josh from 2e3046d57d childhood, cluelessly handing out accessories f938d8d403 everywhere.55f93353879d8d82

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‘This probably would’ve resolved itself even if I hadn’t stepped in…’2b0293908674caa9

It was obvious who 0d0756e1d2 had orchestrated it.02ee647703ae3b25

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After all, no 77e98c1255 one would know 9d50ef193a a child’s kind b7b3e7bb38 and gentle nature 2d8fdac795 better than their 085c77e6dd own parents.1bd9d0ae4c062ce9

Smiling a little, I answered cf33bf9523 Josh.8fc76a44dcafcda0

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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.”ae7276165b2e71e3

“…….”6f62add72ef7fde2

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Hearing that, Josh’s 217ec404db gloomy expression visibly b3af2ab72b brightened.7062a3712c06db5f

Still snuggled in 92e37cc722 my arms, he 2160b3719a stared up at 690ab6f4f2 me with those 56d96e7314 round, sparkling eyes ab40f9a4f6 for a while.309b12469631f2ea

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Then, swallowing back a little 7e9293f8ec sob, he suddenly asked,743bf1f870f76e07

“…Sis, hic.”038cc845b9b4963a

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“…….”7fb6124d085b3c5e

“Sis, we’re the same age… so how do you know everything so well?”bba787ff742803a9

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“Huh?”9181b88e3b7c34be

“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.”cb86090a34088d39

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I was a little flustered 6a672b6f51 by his unexpected words.7aa91b1c39574405

It really hit me d25ba8a85e then—Josh was old enough b4717bb488 to start feeling that f702905097 gap between us.426c968238cc6d73

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‘Well, of course… I’m not actually twelve.’d5604e134037fef7

But since I couldn’t f85ec4e1d8 just tell him the 3ae0db2947 truth, I gave him 357adc6c80 a sheepish smile and 2659074f28 came up with a dbc253bc57 half-baked excuse.2c88d290ba713348

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“I guess… it’s because I’ve met a lot of people running the shop?”80e7a0078190e5b3

Thankfully, Josh accepted b6b6a9e097 it easily and 5cc6d2bfdb moved on.72b0759d70ec7716

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“Is running the salon fun?”9a25df7fd8d33114

“Fun? It’s… just tiring in a lot of ways…”29208cf2509f5bed

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“What are you two doing over there?”f0bcf9bd53c406e0

It was right then.291975f391b0a3cf

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Someone suddenly called out 30de6a4843 to us.6a8476863921ce8b

“Get away from each other. You shouldn’t be clinging together like that, even if you’re family.”096467ee176a122e

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Not far from us 53cd2a4157 stood a guy, leaning 11435b3071 lazily to one side.f92b427d0da636b2

Wearing a sharp b31d72d396 blue uniform, golden c9427a856a eyes gleaming brightly c8a644b598 under the sun.126efee62cce1ba5

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His skin looked a little fcb80ad79e tanner than before, his shoulders 8317c5e694 broader.8824186a50e40e27

I rubbed my eyes, 281a0049e2 not believing what I b47e0df8af was seeing.817873d365d59c1a

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“Ed-Edwin?!”7fe456ab90eca015

“B-big bro…?”6d585bd167ad4651

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While Josh and I 9abf92d763 stared at him, still 557a987801 unsure, Edwin frowned and 9e780b4f82 jerked his chin at 17c6f9d73e us.df2ffc26be2a1d4a

“What if someone sees you two acting like that…”99923be4c9b59b24

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“Edwin―!”410d4a5dd459f8f4

Before his nagging could 0ebc9a5e88 even finish, my body 6e7708698f moved on its own.779691610f5ee3a5

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Tap-tap-tap!7b3679beaaf0afb8

“Careful…! Ugh.”0ebebf333d3c28af

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Edwin, startled by 57bbe1799f my sudden dash, eaf6a48638 still caught me 970f87d265 easily with practiced 0289387da0 hands.91eded07c8a2f64e

I buried my a6a828659c face deep in 41b3c4390b his firm chest, 42e8614311 breathing in and c4b1121a7f out in big, 0f8fb5015b silent gulps.2562baba20208f3f

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A warm, familiar scent, e2ce838ab0 like sun-dried fabric, filled 80fe606967 my nose.4949ef5a13d85c08

‘Edwin’s scent.’7e36bde3a81fe413

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A rush of heat e81874b807 swelled up inside me.7367108f97f889b9

It had been about three weeks since I’d last seen him because of the subjugation campaign.7b081be2c52444cb

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Barely a couple of weeks apart, and yet, feeling this heartache and longing—guess I’m seriously hopeless.41a796e39871b5f4

At that moment—2cd710eae56b82f1

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Pat, pat.12f7c77c5c9cea26

As if he 594714ede6 understood exactly how 8b9e781545 I felt, Edwin e06ba17ab1 gently patted my d08c4c2aba back.eef3ce45c4e59ee8

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‘Maybe… you missed me too, even just a little?’24168d535b0b6e87

Feeling his tender hand 698664e7c4 comforting me, a small 399ac158e4 lump formed in my 1513e9fe1c throat.ae59afa8d84ee09a

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With each passing year, 10b02b0b12 he was growing bigger, c89ad195d8 closer to becoming an 7d251ea059 adult.2ca0462c26e9c5a7

And yet, sometimes, e2ec59a4d0 I still felt 355861d762 like I was e1ecb39ac4 stuck at five a5312b9e64 years old—the age 84792e1fd3 when I first 060c6dd6f1 met him.2c7dfad256bd9542

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Like a silly kid, helplessly f5c9b2fd41 yearning in front of her 7450986031 first love.64fbabbea1a992c0

My feelings only grew stronger with time…bf7b5b13425653c7

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‘But it’s okay.’0b4108bfa0d57423

I tried to calm 9087071615 my racing heart as c7c5af5381 I thought.ff74cacd3ae20ed9

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‘This time, he came looking for me first, not Diana.’9a8c63475f097e90

Still resting my c47f9b0309 face against his de1d7783ff chest, I finally 967cb0039c managed to fix 31be696887 my expression and ca53067246 lift my head.a38ab8487b8f8f1c

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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…?”439c1f5c3a141d28

“One question at a time, one at a time.”d2bf5318c99a5da3

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Seeing me bombard him without de389408b8 even a breath, Edwin muttered c2543aa24c lowly as if telling me 093f35aef7 to calm down.d022506362f70c95

The strong arms still wrapped c2d39c901c around my back made me 9bc63bbacc finally realize—he was really back.74f3c333294d1678

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“Are you hurt anywhere?”3695ec25fe9c88c6

“No.”dbc3212a4bf331ab

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“Really? Truly?”28bd1b216bc3ebf0

“Someone packed half my luggage with every medicine imaginable. I didn’t even get a chance to feel sick.”64a51f2db8556a59

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Hearing his nonchalant answer, I 5667b48331 blushed a little.4e28c3a21dd03d4f

In my previous life, I bf56820dde found out much too late 0cc84011ac that the reason he hadn’t 7d1fb0f691 come home was because he 7586c74601 had been out on subjugation a62287526b missions.431a99903deef501

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Edwin had always hated anything cd6ea2f059 bothersome, and without a proper 4e5410a815 mistress managing the duke’s house, dd60aa7957 there was no one to 96b69b4060 fuss over him.bf8ae6f943e99d6a

Naturally, he was 7e97eb822c the type who 5e2badb71e wouldn’t bother to ccb26e1fc2 pack even basic 9dc529b66c first aid supplies.78974ce83673bc56

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I still remember 481fd984f2 the day he 78ef2e89ff came back severely bc1d5938e0 wounded in my 23fed295b3 past life.c55f4808841319cc

The fact that he d74539cb58 kept it hidden and 398535b075 had Grandpa Gordon heal 6064dead59 him instead of telling 16a35fc2c6 me had left a 392c8e45f0 scar on my heart.3849f1010deda792

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So this time, determined to 615bd06a13 prevent that, I had made a6b306683d sure he was properly prepared…244ea5fa45899e68

“Are you moving house or something? With all that stuff, it looks less like a subjugation and more like a full-on march.”84326d6f38814178

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I recalled his a5beb73790 reaction when he bcf75fb14a saw the mountain 646ec53dbd of supplies Grandpa 5d46f54347 Gordon and I 82c20294da had packed after 78d9ebe744 much discussion—and felt 50d34a3304 embarrassed all over a0d2696463 again.ecd051c09ced245f

I hurriedly changed the subject.4e2ed680961765b3

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“What about His Grace? Did you stop by the duchy first?”7089dca8ffed365d

“I just arrived.”7abff83305527f3c

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His blunt reply made me 60a2fd91cd pout a little.754d3a29a44fcbc6

“Then you should’ve gone home first. You must be exhausted. You should rest…”51428756b0c21f44

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I scolded him 65daded33b out of worry, 0858125cd1 but he only e2d79fffc6 narrowed his eyes d5aaf4e61b and stared at 916cd74d63 me.fac0b89661bf15a5

“I heard you’re attending the Academy now.”e7e494e16591e27f

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“Huh? Oh, yeah.”8dfac15ef01ac5e5

Come to think b5c5672096 of it, I’d 6cceac06b7 been so distracted 0ccc1e1e72 by Josh’s incident 96f3e48601 that I hadn’t 8190797fbc had a chance ce95a667d8 to tell him b532b091b5 about it.c3419364a5891fc1

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I averted my eyes awkwardly 82ab8f8556 and mumbled,989cbe5322dd7e6f

“Uh, somehow, I ended up enrolling last week…”30cbb61c0149027d

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“And here I am, rushing back without even sleeping properly.”280e1145f3dc4e2f

“Huh?”7fb79129be03e018

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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.”924861779f88a32d

His golden eyes, shining baac3ac07a like the sun, glared 204d682d11 at me fiercely.a3cfb4ab50a28039

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