Chapter 133
Edenber froze in place at the sudden challenge to a duel.
At the same time, the days he had spent with Asil until now unfolded in his mind.
He scanned his memories thoroughly to see if he had done anything wrong enough to receive a challenge to a duel, but no matter how much he rummaged through them, he could not figure it out.
Thus, while watching Asil’s reaction, he said cautiously.
“……I don’t know what caused this, but I think it would be better to resolve it with words rather than a duel. If I did something wrong, please let me know. I will apologize and fix it.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Then why did you challenge me to a duel?”
“Because I’m resentful.”
“……Just what exactly……”
“It’s a secret. I have a resentful heart toward Edenber. So, quickly accept my challenge to a duel.”
“……But even so, a duel is……”
“Hurry!”
Asil placed both hands on her waist and lifted her chin.
Her brother said that’s how this resentful heart gets resolved!
At that, Edenber, looking a bit soul-less, gave a tiny nod that was barely visible.
They did not realize that beside them, Snowa was glaring at Edenber with a fierce expression, thinking, ‘That fellow took my sister’s prey!’ or that Todori was sighing deeply and tapping the top of Edenber’s foot as if to comfort him.
In the midst of that, Asil discovered familiar faces in the surroundings.
Among the knights of Monlepe who had come out to greet her following Edenber, familiar faces caught her eye from time to time.
A few of them had the yarn dolls she had made for them before going to the Beastmen’s Forest hanging from their sword hilts, which was quite impressive.
‘They must have liked the dolls I gave them.’
While she was feeling pleased by that, Asil discovered a certain woman peeking at her from behind Dylan.
She looked to be around the same age as Edenber and had a wealthy appearance as if she had grown up in a good environment.
‘Is she Edenber’s guest?’
But there was no reason for Edenber’s guest to stare at her so fervently with such sparkling eyes.
Furthermore, the woman’s face looked like one she had seen somewhere.
‘Who is it?’
Asil tilted her head.
She called to mind all the humans she had met so far, but she didn’t have a clue at all.
There isn’t a human like that among the humans I know…… But why is her face so familiar?
Did I see her at the Empress’s tea party? Or did I see her on the street while passing by? Just where is the human I met?
“Asil, you forgot who I am, didn’t you.”
As she stood blinking her eyes without a word, the woman, who was waiting for Asil to recognize her, spoke up.
“Shall I give you a hint?”
“Yes.”
“Blue turtle.”
When she said blue turtle, Skya’s Divine Beast, Auntie Aether, came to mind first.
Wait.
Then, could that human be?
“Lilibet unnie?!”
Only then did Asil realize who the opponent was and gasped, covering her mouth.
Is it for real?
That pretty-looking woman is really Lilibet unnie?!
Lilibet was the younger of the twins of Skya, who were known to the world as dead, and the master of the Divine Beast Aether.
Seven years ago, with Asil’s help, she had escaped to the Feyrunt count house, Dylan’s family, along with her twin brother Bjorn.
Then, after receiving Asil’s letter, she had met Dylan while heading to the capital to attend the Divine Beast Thanksgiving Festival and had come along with him.
“You can’t recognize me because it’s been a long time, right?”
In the drawing room of the Monlepe ducal house, Lilibet laughed with a face full of playfulness.
Even when she was in Skya, she looked younger than her actual age due to abuse.
Thanks to eating well and growing up well, she now looked her actual age. The fact that she had become much prettier than seven years ago was a bonus.
“I heard that both of our impressions have changed a lot. Asil, you are the same as before.”
Bjorn, who sat next to Lilibet, took over the conversation.
Bjorn was also in a state of having grown explosively, just like Lilibet.
Since almost no trace of his pitiful past appearance remained, one would pass him by without recognizing him if they met on the street.
‘I thought he was a knight because he was standing next to Dylan earlier.’
Asil admired him purely.
“Both unnie and oppa have become cool.”
“……!”
At those words, a shocked Edenber looked back at Asil.
Even though she challenged him to a duel, why to those two—!
Similarly feeling a sense of crisis, Snowa openly guarded against the two of them and asked Asil.
“Who are they?”
“An unnie and oppa I met before. This is my biological brother. His name is Snowa.”
Asil introduced Snowa to the siblings.
At this, Lilibet, who for some reason had been looking at Snowa with eyes that saw a rival, quickly withdrew her sharp gaze and said with a beaming smile.
“Phew, I thought one more rival had been created. Nice to meet you.”
“What do you mean one more was created?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
“……By any chance, you haven’t given up on that dream yet?”
That dream referred to making Asil real family by marrying Asil to Bjorn.
Bjorn had an absurd expression, but Lilibet was just nonchalant.
“Give up? I haven’t even started yet. Asil, don’t you want to become family with unnie?”
“Young lady!”
A horrified Edenber jumped up.
At that sight, Lilibet pouted her lips.
“I can at least ask a question.”
“Yes, I think it would be good to become family.”
Not knowing Edenber’s anxious heart, Asil answered innocently.
At this, Lilibet grinned and was about to carry out a strategy to connect her with Bjorn, when Snowa, noticing Lilibet’s ulterior motive, quickly stepped in.
“My sister is going to live with me for the rest of her life.”
“What? No! I’m not going to live with oppa for the rest of my life!”
“That’s right. Asil will also get married to someone someday, right?”
Taking advantage of the gap where Snowa had frozen in shock, Lilibet pushed in as if targeting a niche market.
“If you marry this handsome oppa here, you can become family with unnie.”
Bjorn let out a small groan and covered his reddened face with his hands.
Meanwhile, Edenber, more flustered than ever, stuttered his words.
“A-Asil!”
If he stayed still like this, he was likely to lose Asil.
Even after receiving a challenge to a duel, he agonized over what he should appeal with while breaking into a cold sweat, then suddenly raised his voice.
“I can play the role of five people!”
It was a remark referring to how Asil had said before that her dream was to marry five people like her mom.
“And I can buy you delicious strawberries every day. I can buy you pretty jewels too.”
“Our oppa can buy strawberries and jewels too!”
Lilibet, who didn’t know what the role of five people meant but thought she should appeal in the same way as the Duke of Monlepe for now, cut in.
“Right, oppa? Quickly say something too!”
“……I’ll buy you bananas too, not just strawberries.”
Bjorn, who was poked in the side by Lilibet, answered reluctantly.
“What! No matter what it is, I’ll buy you the biggest one!”
Snowa joined the war belatedly.
Snowa thought he couldn’t lose his sister to humans like this, so he held onto Asil and said seriously.
“If we return to the forest, I’ll give up all the prey to you. I’ll give you everything else you ask for.”
“Asil, unnie can do that too!”
“Kkyuu!”
Even Todori, who had been staying still, got swept up in the atmosphere and raised his front paws, saying he would do everything Asil wanted.
At this, Asil was completely out of it.
She didn’t know why everyone was being like this. Can’t we all just get along nicely together?
Eventually, while the two humans, one beastman, and one rabbit began to quarrel over a confused Asil, Bjorn, who was also unintentionally swept up and had his mental state shaking like duckweed, stared intently at Asil.
He spoke softly so as not to interfere with the quarrel of the four.
“Shall we let them handle things here and go outside?”
“Yes.”
Soon, Asil scurried out with Bjorn.
The remaining four had a heated
discussion for a long time before belatedly realizing that Asil had left the drawing room.
“Oh my.”
“…….”
“…….”
“Kkyu?!”
Joy and sorrow crossed as the victory and defeat were suddenly decided.
While Lilibet laughed “hohoho” saying it was according to plan, Edenber, Snowa, and Todori, who seemed to have their positions pushed aside by the rolling stone that came in, exchanged glances.
‘How about we stop fighting here and hold hands for a moment.’
‘……Alright, fine.’
‘Kkyuuu, kkyu. Kkyuu!’
A rival is something that must be eliminated even one person earlier.
In that way, an alliance for the reclamation of Asil was temporarily formed.
