âIâm not blocking your way, Iâm trying to get out of it, but our steps keep overlapping.â
After I spoke bluntly, Kedrick stopped. I stared straight at him.
âIâm not the one who always blushed shyly every time we met, sweetheart.â
Kedrick, who was staring at my indifferent expression, said.
âDid you apologize to Lillia? Do you know how worried Lillia has been since you fell into the pond?â
âWhat did you say? Why should I apologize to Lillia when I was the one who fell into the pond?â
âYou must have done it on purpose because Iâm interested in Lillia. You feel upset, so you want her to feel bad.â
âWhat?â
My goodness. Iâm speechless.
I said with a mocking smile.
âHey, Kedrick. Arenât you being too self-conscious? Iâm sorry, but youâre not attractive enough to risk committing suicide for.â
â⊠What?â
Kedrick blinked quietly, then smirked.
âThey said that youâve become strange after you came back to life. I guess you must have decided to stand out in a completely different way. Thatâs a very childish way of doing it, just like you.â
ââŠ?â
What do they say in situations like this? Ah. âWhen a person is too dumbfounded, they become speechless.â
âPfft.â
Kedrickâs eyebrows sprang up as I burst into laughter out of pity for him rather than anger.
Well, if you have a good family and have a face like this, your nose must be raised high.
âThis older sister has lived a life where people who are better than you bother me to meet me only once, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, sweetheart.â
I, who was constantly on the phone because of the calls made by men who were wealthy, capable, and had perfect faces and bodies.
Among them were celebrities, social media stars, and the third generation rich peopleâŠ
Men with ordinary specs couldnât even give me their business cards, so of course my eyes are on the edge of the sky.
âHow dare this bastardâ In the other world, he should be eating school lunch and be at the netcafe at this time!â
I shook my head and said.
âMm, I donât know⊠I was actually a little skeptical when I came out after taking a cold shower. I wondered if you were a good enough guy to follow for 7 years.â
âWhat?â
âIâm sorry to say this, but overall, youâre a bit lacking. Youâre short, and your shoulders areâŠâ
Sticking out my lips with a regretful expression, I moved my hands in front of Kedrick as if I were complimenting him.
â⊠A bit narrow, donât you think?â
âWhat did you just say?â
âIn fact, I canât say youâre exceptionally handsome. Maybe because your family is good, so the correction effect of your flaws was a little big?â
Kedrickâs mouth opened slowly.
âIn a nutshell, thereâs nothing to look at from you except for your family. Iâm not even behind you in that part, so I have no regrets. Your nose must have soared up high because Iâve been following you for a while.â
I added in a whisper, gently sticking my face in front of Kedrick.
âNow get a grip and face reality. If you want me to keep following you around without looking away, please exercise and grow your back a bit.â
âHaâŠâ
Angry at the unexpected insult, Kedrick burst into a ridiculing laugh.
âY-You dare insult me like this? Then youâre fat, short, and unpopularâŠâ
âOh yeah, thatâs right. Youâve been making fun of me because Iâm fat, right?â
The original Rubette was hurt every time she was criticized for her appearance and couldnât say anything.
âMm, I have nothing except high self-esteem, so I donât feel hit at all~â
I added with a grin.
âAnd thatâs why I did the same thing: giving you an evaluation of your appearance. Why? Canât you stand that?â
Kedrick trembled as he looked at me teasing him resolutely.
âGo away.â
Kedrick gritted his teeth, gesturing to me, who had a sly smile on, to move out of his way.
He barely caught his breath and stepped down the stairs one step at a time angrily.
âUh huh.â
It was then.
Kedrickâs and my shoulders brushed as we shared the narrow staircase. I lost my balance for a moment, and my stretched hands instinctively flailed.
âIâm falling!â
And as expected, Kedrick did not use his chivalry to hold the lady.
âUh, uh, uhâŠâ
I was pushed back while trying to balance myself on the stairs with a my fine motor nerve.
âArgh!â
Kwadangâ!
Unfortunately, I slipped on the third stair and fell on my behind.
âOuch, my butt hurts.â
Iâm glad I didnât go up many stairs. If I had slipped from a higher place, I would have broken my head.
I shook my head nervously, stroking my painful buttocks.
Kedrick, with his face full of laughter, was looking down at me.
âOu, how dull are you that you canât even control your own body, ha.â
âOh, my, Kedrick? Whatâs going on?â
At that time, Lillia, who appeared late, was seen behind Kedrick.
Kedrick suppressed his laughter and turned to Lillia.
âLillia, look at that ridiculous thing. She waddled and rolled down the stairs, unable to hold her body.â
âWhat? Pfft!â
Kedrick joked and Lillia laughed.
This is not the first time that those two are in sync. Dozens, no, hundreds of scenes remained in Rubetteâs memory.
âItâs annoying. Itâs always dirty to feel ridiculed by little kids.â
Just as I was about to get up with my teeth clenched.
â⊠Mm?â
The front door in the distant opened and someone was coming in.
That person naturally handed over his coat to the maid who was guarding the front door and enteredâŠ
âWhat? Brother Victor?â
I hurriedly took my eyes off of Victor, my second brother, who had not yet found me, and turned my head.
âWhy did he come home at this time all of a sudden?â
My brain circuit turned quickly.
Victor Diollus. my second brother.
As the deputy commander of the Imperial Knights, he only returned home once or twice a year because he was living in a dormitory within the Imperial Palace.
He lived in the dormitory almost all his live when he was young and after getting married he got a private residence and became independent.
In other words, there were very few memories of Rubetteâs 45-year life with Victor.
However.
âHeâs much better than my first brother.â
Although blunt, Victor was a hundred times better than the first Viego.
He didnât particularly like the amiable Lillia, and he was an older brother who would always give Rubette a small gift when he came home, saying that she was still his sister.
âBesides, heâs the target Iâve been waiting for!â
I had already planned to go see Victor to build a bridge with the crown prince.
And it happened that I fell off the stairs and fell on my butt.
This is Godâs timing!
âYou guys should die for my acting, which won three awards for Best Actress, today.â
Looking up at Kedrick and Lillia, who were still chuckling, I slowly brought my lips together.
I looked like I was about to burst out crying, but forced myself to bear it. Itâd be perfect with trembling eyelids and pouting lips.
â⊠It was a mistake, wasnât it, Kedrick?â
As if he could hear my voice, I could feel Victor standing still in one side of my field of vision.
âWhat are you saying? You foolishly fall backwards on your own.â
ââŠâ
I lowered my gaze and clenched my teeth, another dropped another drop of tears like chicken dung. Instantly, tears fell nonstop on the skirt of my dress.
[T/N: Tears like chicken dung is a Korean saying. The tears that accumulate into big teardrops which then falls are supposedly like droppings from a chickenâs⊠butt.]
âI⊠What did I do that is so wrong to you? Is it because I was mean a little while ago? But youâve been so much worseâŠâ
âWhat? Stop being so squeamish. You look ugly.â
âDo you hate me that much? Enough to push me down the stairs like this?â
âWhat are you saying?â
âEven if Iâm wrong, Kedrick, are you okay?â
âWho are you blaming when you canât control your dull body and fall down on your own? Besides, you know it well. Whatever happens to you, I donât care. So please. Donât flirt in front of me.â
Ooooh! Good job, Kedrick! Do more, more!
âKedrick, keep your voice down.â
Lilliaâs voice, which had an open smile, also helped. It seemed that she was satisfied with the way I was being squeezed around.
âYouâre so mean. I really donât know why you guys are doing this to meâŠâ
As expected, as I slowly listened with a tearful face.
Victor, who had a frightening face, was striding towards me.
I pretended to have only found him now, and winced with wide-open eyes in astonishment.
âB-Brother?â
Victor, standing in front of me and holding onto the stair railing, turned around and stared at Kedrick and Lillia.
âWhat are you guys doing?â
[T/N: aaaaa Iâm so glad the second brother is likeable]