[What are you doing~!]
The self-defense magic tool Linda gave me was in my pocket, and it hadn’t activated.
Yet, my body froze solid, harder than stone, as if I had been hit by a Petrification spell.
Everything he had done until now had been his usual type of mischief, but this was the first time for something like this.
Is he crazy? All sorts of curses came to mind, but I barely managed to suppress them before they left my lips.
Perhaps Brother was afraid that if I moved my head, our lips might accidentally touch due to an unforeseen accident, which is why he grasped my chin so tightly it felt like it would shatter.
If our lips had brushed, even slightly, we would each wash our lips until they were raw.
‘Why would he do something like that?!’
It’s an unpleasant action for both the person doing it and the person enduring it.
Clang!
“…!”
[What are you all doing! If you want to fight, leave my master out of it!]
A flash of fire erupted right in front of my rigid body.
Two fiercely sharp blades clashed, and the hand that had gripped my chin quickly wrapped around my shoulder and pulled me into his embrace.
Klen, holding his sword, had a fierce look in his eyes.
He wouldn’t look at an enemy with such terrifying intensity.
My heart froze completely, and I shivered faintly.
“Oh, please don’t misunderstand. My—”
“Adrian~ It’s fun, so don’t interrupt.”
The urgent exclamation was instantly cut off.
Clang, cha-clang!
Even in the awkward position of holding me, Brother skillfully swung his sword.
However, since he couldn’t grasp the hilt with both hands, his arm trembled faintly every time the sharp sound rang out.
The frigid air flowing between them, as if they were using magic, reached me, making me feel like my body was about to freeze.
I wanted to immediately break free and step forward to stop the two of them, but moving in a situation where sharp blades were passing back and forth without hesitation was dangerous for all three of us.
A small mistake could lead to someone suffering a serious injury.
First, persuading Klen was essential.
“Klen!”
“Do not stop me. He needs to know who he laid a hand on.”
[Master’s spouse, withdraw your wrath. He is my master’s brother. If he were not, he would have been struck by my attack already!]
The problem was that Klen was also not in a state to be easily persuaded.
I wished he could understand Aren’s words.
Clang!
“Ugh.”
The limit quickly came for Brother, who was facing Klen with only one hand.
A swift strike made his faintly trembling arm shake as if he would drop the sword, but he managed to grip it tight.
However, he clearly couldn’t fight anymore.
The next attack would be the last.
“Klen! Wait!”
That brief gap was the only opportunity given to me.
I quickly broke free from the arm that was holding me, stepped in front of Brother, and shielded him from the attack with my entire body.
“Adrian.”
The coldness dripping from his tone and the chilling atmosphere made my spine tingle.
Since he usually smiled around me, I had momentarily forgotten that this was Klen Valuncio, a man who could become colder than ice when the situation demanded it.
If the person behind me had been a complete stranger, my body might have instinctively retreated.
I swallowed hard and opened my mouth.
“T-This person is… my third elder brother, Marcus Caldrich. He is a person whose pranks are a little excessive…”
While I was speaking, Klen grabbed my arm.
Surprised by the strength, which was greater than I expected, I looked down at his hand when,
“Eek?!”
Pulled by the force, I tumbled into his arms.
“Even if he is your brother, shouldn’t he refrain from hugging you or trying to kiss you without permission now?”
“It wasn’t to the extent that you could call it kissing.”
It wasn’t a sweet sound like that.
He merely grimaced, pressed his lips to my cheek, and then pulled away.
“Hmm. I did it because he’s my cute little brother.”
Despite his words, the cold air that seemed to be freezing the entire garden began to dissipate.
Even with the sharp sword tip close enough to touch his nose, Brother let out a low chuckle.
Then, he brushed off his wrist, which seemed to hurt from taking the forced impact, and grasped the hilt with both hands.
This was a signal to fight properly this time.
“Cute little brother, my foot… Don’t misunderstand. I don’t normally do things like this.”
I urgently made an excuse.
No, it wasn’t an excuse; it was the truth.
You could tell just by how he tightly strained himself to prevent the edge of my lips from touching him when he gripped my chin.
If they had touched, it might have been me fighting Brother, not Klen.
[Be generous with your heart. Wouldn’t it be a bad idea to spill blood now?]
Aren, who had been circling in the air, seemed to judge that the situation had calmed down and landed on top of my head.
Even though Klen couldn’t understand its words, seeing the small, adorable figure brought a subtle warmth back to his cold eyes.
Soon, his hand gently stroked my cheek.
Then, his thumb pressed and rubbed one side of my cheek a little harder.
“…”
That spot was clearly where Brother’s lips had touched.
“B-But why are you here, Klen?”
This place is rarely visited by people.
That was my memory, and that’s why I intentionally brought Brother here.
Why did Klen suddenly appear in this location?
Surely it wasn’t a place he was hiding to laze around away from people’s eyes.
“Linda told me.”
“Linda did?”
“That Adrian was in danger.”
“…Yes?”
“So I rushed right over.”
[Oho! Is that not a trustworthy thing to do!]
For a moment, my head spun as if I was suffering from anemia.
Linda, who had a serious expression, must not have been planning to rush over immediately if a commotion arose; she must have gone to find someone who could save me from this situation.
Klen certainly isn’t a trustworthy figure in her eyes.
But to suppress the spread of rumors about Brother, it might have been better to inform him.
Otherwise… he must have been idle today as well, and upon hearing Linda’s words, he ran right over.
The latter seems slightly more likely.
If it was her, she would have mentioned that the person I was with was my brother.
Did he rush out before she finished speaking?
“Linda was right. Why did you put yourself in such a dangerous situation?”
“I repeat, that person is my brother.”
“…”
Although a fight broke out, it was merely a prank without any malicious intent.
A simple, rough prank where no one was hurt.
It was not a dangerous situation at all.
It was a little saddening that no one believed me, even though I said it multiple times.
‘But… did Klen see even that?’
Moreover, I thought he arrived after that point.
“Uh?!”
The hand that had been on my shoulder moved down to my waist.
That was definitely the spot Brother had been holding just a moment ago.
He merely placed his hand there, and it was probably a similar warmth.
But what only felt ticklish when Brother touched it now caused a sensation that made my spine tremble.
And that tremor must have clearly been transferred to Klen’s body, which was pressed against mine.
However, far from letting go, he instead broadly swept his palm across that area.
“…!”
I clamped my mouth shut, feeling a scream about to escape.
My weak waist swayed a little, but thankfully, I managed to hold on without falling over clumsily.
I held onto Klen with both hands for support, and he, in turn, pulled me even tighter, holding me close.
“But, Adrian. Shouldn’t you not let yourself be held so compliantly in another person’s arms?”
“I told you he is my biological brother, connected by blood, without any room for doubt.”
“Is it permissible if he is your brother?”
“…Is it not permissible?”
It was my turn to question him.
