Chapter 31
Aiden spoke politely.
“So, I entrust my inadequate brother to you. He may not be good with words, but he has a warm heart deep down.”
“Are you insulting me?”
It was an unfortunate coincidence that Kaiden chose that exact moment to visit the lab.
“B-Brother?”
Aiden flinched back at the sudden appearance of Kaiden.
His expression looked even more guilty, since they’d just been talking about his brother.
Reina also stared at Kaiden with a surprised face. At the same time, she felt glad.
She hadn’t expected to run into him here, after he’d vanished since early dawn.
Kaiden was wearing a thick fur coat, as if he’d just returned from hunting.
The coat was dusted with snow like frost.
It was clear at a glance that he’d come straight here upon arriving.
At that moment, Reina approached Kaiden, catching the scent of blood.
“You’re not hurt, are you?”
“Do I look like the type who gets hurt?”
Kaiden snorted dismissively, and Aiden recoiled in horror.
He thought it was rude to respond so curtly to a concerned question.
‘I told him time and again to speak gently to women!’
Unable to stand it, he was about to scold him right then.
But Reina’s follow-up response left Aiden speechless in a different way.
“Then the opponent must have been badly hurt… Did they die?”
“They died and left their hide behind. I was out bear hunting. Have you ever tried bear meat?”
“No. But I’m curious about it.”
“I’ll order it to be served for dinner tonight.”
“…What kind of conversation is this?”
Aiden finally interjected in belated shock, wedging himself between the two.
He could understand it from his brother, but for Reina to engage in this insane dialogue so casually.
To anyone unaware of the context, it would sound utterly horrifying.
Yet the two of them tilted their heads in confusion, faces showing no awareness of any issue.
Even that happened almost simultaneously, leaving Aiden utterly bewildered.
“Anyway, why did you come in here without even washing up? Do you know how deadly germs can be to research?”
“Now you’re treating me like a pathogen.”
Kaiden frowned and tossed something over.
He was already here to deliver it, which made him even more annoyed.
Aiden caught the item reflexively and his eyes sparkled.
“Is this a snow fox?”
“Yeah. You kept going on about wanting to gift one to Dalia, so I caught it on the way. And this is how you act?”
“Thank you, brother. There’s no one in the world like you. The best, the best, the best!”
Aiden fawned over him obsequiously, as if he’d never been critical.
Then Kaiden turned to Reina.
“I have one for you too.”
“For me as well?”
Reina’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected words.
She looked dazed at the fact that there was a gift for her share.
At that moment, Kaiden murmured softly while observing her closely.
“Now that I look, the snow fox had exactly that expression.”
“What expression am I making?”
“Well.”
Kaiden smirked, recalling the hunt.
The snow fox was an animal with pure white fur and vivid blue eyes.
As a breed found only in the north, items made from its fur were a major source of income for the region.
It wasn’t his first or second time hunting one, but today it had felt strangely different.
It was because it resembled the color of Reina’s eyes, making him nearly miss his prey for the first time.
Recalling that moment, Kaiden said quietly.
“It looked at me with a dazed expression.”
“Dazed…”
Unaware that Reina was making a shocked face, Kaiden murmured on.
“It reminded me of you, and I almost let it slip away.”
Reina was deeply shocked by the fact that Kaiden usually saw her as a dazed person.
At the same time, she felt a chill at the thought that he’d killed a snow fox that resembled her in one swift stroke.
“…Did I do something wrong, by any chance?”
As Reina flinched and backed away, Kaiden burst into laughter.
He closed the distance she’d created in a single step and said.
“No?”
“….”
“You worry about the strangest things.”
“If not, then fine.”
Despite his gruff response, Reina wore a relieved expression.
It was a conversation that seemed brutal yet affectionate.
It felt like they weren’t quite communicating, yet it flowed as naturally as water.
Aiden, who had been watching all of this, had a strangely shifting expression.
‘Did I know my brother could make faces like that?’
Today, his brother felt extraordinarily unfamiliar.
It was surprising to see him joking like that, and even more so to watch him carry on a long conversation with a woman.
To begin with, his brother wasn’t the type to adjust his topics based on who he was talking to.
As a result, the young ladies who approached him hoping to win his favor often retreated in disgust.
Of course, Reina was different from those ordinary young ladies.
She was skillfully interpreting and responding to the blunt words he tossed out without context.
Reina seemed to know exactly how to handle Kaiden.
‘They suit each other better than I thought?’
Only then did Aiden set aside his worries about the couple.
Looking at the two facing each other, it seemed there was no need for him to worry at all.
In fact, the thought that his brother might have his hands full made him feel amused.
Aiden said.
“By the way, I heard you’re going on a picnic to Seturn Hill with Dalia this weekend.”
“Oh, yes. Dive recommended it because the meadow connects right to the forest, making it great for horseback riding.”
“Still, the snow hasn’t fully melted yet, so be careful not to fall off your horse. And there could be hungry beasts in the forest.”
“We’ll stick to safe areas, so no need to worry.”
At that moment, Kaiden, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, asked.
“Should I join you?”
“Aren’t you busy?”
“You look like you’re hoping I am.”
“I’m just worried you’ll ride off alone on your horse and disappear.”
“You’re spot on, sister-in-law. It happens to me all the time.”
At Aiden’s playful remark, Kaiden’s face twisted into a scowl.
It irked him a bit how well they clicked, even though they’d only met a few times.
It made him feel even more like an unwelcome guest in the place.
Kaiden revealed his discomfort and said.
“I can’t go right away anyway. I have business near there. I’ll head over as soon as it’s done.”
“Then I’ll need to prepare a lunchbox for you too.”
“Are you planning to make it yourself?”
“I’d like to, but… I’ve never cooked before.”
He hadn’t meant it as criticism at all.
Yet Reina wore an embarrassed expression, as if she’d committed a grave mistake.
Deep down, she worried he might think her useless.
Of course, he’d asked without much thought, so he said nonchalantly.
“Well, I can handle the cooking, so no need to worry about it.”
“You know how to cook?”
“To some extent?”
As Kaiden modestly replied, Aiden jumped in.
“The meat stew my brother makes at camp is truly exquisite.”
“My goodness… So you’re good at cooking too.”
As Reina’s eyes sparkled and she clapped her hands, Aiden said proudly.
“My brother is good at everything. I’ve hardly ever seen him bad at anything.”
Kaiden felt awkward under the sudden shower of praise.
“Ahem!”
As he cleared his throat in embarrassment, his gaze met Reina’s, her eyes shining brightly.
In that moment, strangely, his insides burned.
The churning sensation from deep in his core felt utterly unfamiliar.
It must have been the sudden focus of all attention on him that made him so uncomfortable.
He spoke as if wrapping up his business.
“Anyway, I should go wash up now. I don’t want to be treated like a germ.”
As Kaiden hurried away, Aiden said to Reina.
“He’s embarrassed.”
“Yeah. He is embarrassed.”
When Reina agreed, Aiden stared at her intently.
She was gazing at the spot where Kaiden had left, a faint smile on her lips.
