(211) Side Story; Precious and New (5)
Isabelle took a step closer to Geor.
“Why does one person loving another become a betrayal of them?”
"Because Ariana is my sister."
"She's not your biological sister."
"We don't share the same blood. But she is my sister."
Isabelle lowered the ends of her eyebrows. She stared at Geor for a while with a look of pity, then spoke.
"So you always ran away like that?"
"I didn't run away. I made a choice and worked hard."
“So, did you give up on your feelings after making that choice and trying so hard? Did the feelings you had just disappear?”
"This is the best, Isabelle."
Geor's eyes no longer wavered.
“This is a feeling I must keep all to myself, without letting anyone see it or telling anyone. Though you’ve already found out.”
Isabelle's cousin, with whom she always exchanged jokes, must have been thinking much more than she had expected.
Hasty words of comfort wouldn't do any good.
Geor tilted his head to the side and asked Isabelle, who was pursing her lips, unable to find the words to say.
“Why are you silent? Shouldn’t you be comforting me, pitying me, hugging me, and patting my back now? I’m all ready to lean on your shoulder and cry.”
Isabelle said as she gently punched Geor's shoulder.
"It’s more disgusting to imagine you leaning on me and crying than you loving Ariana."
Fellowes was in Russell's office.
The two brothers sat facing each other at the conference table with serious expressions. Soon, Fellowship opened his mouth.
“I don’t think so, Brother.”
"But it looked really worn out..."
“Since it was the first thing she received from my older brother, she must have cherished it. Ariana is already 23 years old.”
"23 years old..."
Russell recalled when Ariana first came to the East. Sixteen-year-old Ariana was so small and thin that she looked like she was only twelve or three years old.
He still couldn't believe that Ariana, who used to be like that, had now grown taller and gained some weight, and was already 23 years old, well past the age for coming of age.
Russell still looked like nothing more than the tiny baby Ariana had held in his arms when she was just born.
That was the reason he prepared a pink teddy bear as a birthday gift this year.
Russell knew that Ariana carried a lime green teddy bear wherever she went. He also heard from the maids that she always slept hugging the teddy bear.
When he visited Ariana's room a while ago, wondering if she needed anything for her birthday, he saw that her teddy bear was very worn out.
"It looks like you like that."
Ariana answered Russell's question with a smile as pretty as a flower.
“It’s the best.”
That answer made Russell feel so proud.
Russell wanted to do the best for Ariana again this time.
The pink teddy bear was not ordinary. It was dyed with the fur of a rare northern white rabbit, its black eyes were black pearls, and a large ruby hung in the center of the ribbon around its neck.
Russell had no doubt that Ariana would really like this teddy bear, but Fellowes, who had come over just moments ago, asking what he had prepared for Ariana's birthday, looked displeased as soon as he saw it.
Thus, two sturdy men in their fifties came to discuss with serious expressions in front of a small teddy bear.
"Ariana still seems like a child..."
“Of course. To me, too, Ariana looks like a baby. But brother, no matter how we see her, the fact remains that she is 23. We should give her a gift appropriate for her age.”
"What did you prepare?"
“As for me...”
Ching-!
Fellowes placed the sword he had set aside next to the chair on the table.
It was a magnificent sword with a tiger crafted from a gem the same color as Ariana's hair on a white scabbard.
"It’s a sword. A sword is the best gift for a girl."
“...That would only work on Isabelle. I can’t keep something that dangerous by Ariana’s side.”
“No, Brother! So you are saying it’s okay for our Isabelle to carry something this dangerous? Don’t you remember? The sword Isabelle is carrying right now, you gave it to her as a gift on her ninth birthday!”
"Ah, right."
“Of course, our Isabelle is feisty, stronger than men, and has a terrible temper, but... yeah, you're right. A sword would have been the perfect birthday present for Isabelle.”
Fellowes got excited by himself and calmed down by himself.
Russell narrowed his eyebrows and glared at the pink teddy bear, imagining Ariana holding it in her arms. Then he muttered.
“Cyrus, what did that guy prepare?”
“I don’t know what it is, but it must be something tremendous. You know that last year, even in the middle of the war, he made sure to send a birthday present to Ariana, right?”
“I got a taste of my own medicine. Even though we were on the same battlefield, I never dreamed that guy would pull such a wicked stunt.”
“I know, right. I mean, who on earth would have imagined? That the Northern Lord personally tanned and sewed a cloak out of a tiger skin he caught during war.”
That was the case.
Around the time Ariana's birthday approached last year, Cyrus, Russell, and Fellowes were on the same battlefield.
Russell and Fellowes did not know that Cyrus was secretly leaving the barracks late at night to hunt tigers, nor that he was keeping the lights on in the barracks late at night to sew tiger skins.
One day, seeing one of his subordinates sending off a large bundle of goods, Russel asked, “What is that?” and Cyrus replied with his usual elegant smile.
“Of course it’s a birthday present for Ariana.”
The shock he received back then.
Cyrus clearly remembered and celebrated Ariana's birthday, which neither her father nor her uncle had thought of due to the war. To the two heartbroken men, saying they were unfit to be a father or an uncle, Cyrus spoke leisurely.
"It is only natural that your hearts cannot overcome me, so please do not grieve for too long. I am worried that we might lose the war if you do."
As if remembering the events of that day, Fellowes sprang to his feet and shouted.
“You annoying bastard!”
Russell did not stop Fellowship from venting his anger.
This is because Russell also had a similar thought.
Just then, the office door opened, and Langster entered.
“Fellowes, your voice echoed all the way to the end of the hallway.”
“Brother, what did you prepare for Ariana’s birthday?”
“Why? What did you prepare?”
Langster's gaze turned to the table.
Langster, having checked the teddy bear and sword on the table, smiled a victorious smile as if he knew without needing to hear an answer.
“Why? Why are you laughing like that? What did you prepare, brother?”
"Of course, I prepared a gift that an 'adult woman' around Ariana's age would like."
Langster emphasized the phrase "adult woman" and put down the box he had brought. They were wondering why he had come to Chase Castle today, but it seemed he had come to show off the gift he had prepared.
Fellowes stared at the gift box with a sullen expression, while Russell looked nervous.
Langster opened the box with a smug look.
Inside the box was a bracelet. It was an elaborately crafted bracelet, and Russell realized its true nature the moment he saw it.
“Isn’t that... a poison bracelet?”
“Oh, as expected, Brother, you have good taste. Normally, it’s just a pretty bracelet when worn, but if you press this button in an emergency, a poison needle shoots out. The toxicity is so strong that unless it’s an elephant, anyone would fall to their death in an instant.”
“I can’t let Ariana wear something that dangerous. What if she gets hurt by a mistake!”
“You’re right, Brother. What’s the difference between that gift and my sword?”
“Right, if you just installed a poison needle device on the teddy bear, it would be no different from my bracelet!”
“No, Brother. Even so, a teddy bear is a bit too much.”
The three brothers spent some time criticizing each other's gifts.
Eventually, Langster swallowed a sigh and spoke.
“This is all Isabelle’s fault, Fellowes.”
“Why, my daughter!”
"Isabelle was the only girl we had, you know. She just huffs and puffs when we give her a teddy bear or a dress, but she only smiles brightly when we give her a sword or a throwing weapon, so things like this come to mind."
“Ah, that’s true. She takes after me, so she really is excellent at handling crises.”
As Fellowes smiled contentedly, Russell said.
“I heard people say that Cyrus came here pulling a huge carriage.”
"A huge carriage?"
“I heard the knights were guarding it so tightly that they couldn't even check inside. I suspect Ariana's gift might be in there...”
“I mean, well... just because it’s big doesn’t mean it’s good, does it?”
Contrary to his words, Fellowes looked down at the sword he had prepared with eyes full of worry.
Cyrus, what on earth has that wicked thing prepared?
Isabelle took a step closer to Geor.
“Why does one person loving another become a betrayal of them?”
"Because Ariana is my sister."
"She's not your biological sister."
"We don't share the same blood. But she is my sister."
Isabelle lowered the ends of her eyebrows. She stared at Geor for a while with a look of pity, then spoke.
"So you always ran away like that?"
"I didn't run away. I made a choice and worked hard."
“So, did you give up on your feelings after making that choice and trying so hard? Did the feelings you had just disappear?”
Geor closed his eyes tightly.
Are you asking if it will disappear?
No, that is not the case. Far from disappearing, it didn't even become blurry.
Every time he saw her smiling face, every time she occasionally lowered her eyebrows in embarrassment, every time she opened her eyes wide in surprise. No. Every single moment she breathed, he felt an unbearable impulse.
I want to have you. I want to hold you. I want to kiss you. I want to tell you I love you to my heart's content, and I also want to hear the same words from you.
I want to spend time holding your hand and going for walks as if it were the most natural thing in the world, leaning on each other's shoulders to share stories about the day, and feeding you delicious food.
The unfolded heart remained unfolded and gradually expanded, covering Geor's heart.
Ariana was present in every moment of Geor.
Even though he knew that another man was present in every moment of Ariana's.
“There is a heart that cannot be erased, no matter how much one prays.”
“If everything could be solved with prayer, there wouldn’t be anyone with a problem in the world. Geor, do you think you could keep living like that, hiding it?”
"Then what should I do?"
Geor's eyes grew dark.
“Should I go find Ariana right now and confess that, actually, I—your brother, your father’s son—love you, that I have loved you all along? Then Ariana would be flustered and start to agonize. Since she’s the type who always overthinks things, from that moment on, she’ll only be thinking about me.”
Staring straight at Isabelle with heavy, rough eyes, Geor continued to speak.
“She probably won’t have a moment to care about someone like the Northern Lord; she will think only of our relationship. Even if she marries the Northern Lord without ever resolving her feelings, she will be reminded of my feelings every time she returns here, every time she sees me, every time she thinks of her father. Then, what kind of expression will Ariana make? Will she frown in trouble and sigh? Yes, I suppose she will.”
“Geor...”
"That's really good."
A bitter smile played on Geor's lips.
“To think that I’ve been imprinted on her heart for a lifetime like that. It’s perfect. Is this really something I should offer a prayer of thanks to God for?”
Isabelle could not say a word to Geor, who was speaking self-deprecatingly.
She had noticed that Geor harbored feelings for Ariana, but she didn't realize they were this deep. With every single word he uttered, it seemed as though he were being wounded and bleeding.
Geor, wiping the smile from his face and returning to a blank expression, said.
Are you asking if it will disappear?
No, that is not the case. Far from disappearing, it didn't even become blurry.
Every time he saw her smiling face, every time she occasionally lowered her eyebrows in embarrassment, every time she opened her eyes wide in surprise. No. Every single moment she breathed, he felt an unbearable impulse.
I want to have you. I want to hold you. I want to kiss you. I want to tell you I love you to my heart's content, and I also want to hear the same words from you.
I want to spend time holding your hand and going for walks as if it were the most natural thing in the world, leaning on each other's shoulders to share stories about the day, and feeding you delicious food.
The unfolded heart remained unfolded and gradually expanded, covering Geor's heart.
Ariana was present in every moment of Geor.
Even though he knew that another man was present in every moment of Ariana's.
“There is a heart that cannot be erased, no matter how much one prays.”
“If everything could be solved with prayer, there wouldn’t be anyone with a problem in the world. Geor, do you think you could keep living like that, hiding it?”
"Then what should I do?"
Geor's eyes grew dark.
“Should I go find Ariana right now and confess that, actually, I—your brother, your father’s son—love you, that I have loved you all along? Then Ariana would be flustered and start to agonize. Since she’s the type who always overthinks things, from that moment on, she’ll only be thinking about me.”
Staring straight at Isabelle with heavy, rough eyes, Geor continued to speak.
“She probably won’t have a moment to care about someone like the Northern Lord; she will think only of our relationship. Even if she marries the Northern Lord without ever resolving her feelings, she will be reminded of my feelings every time she returns here, every time she sees me, every time she thinks of her father. Then, what kind of expression will Ariana make? Will she frown in trouble and sigh? Yes, I suppose she will.”
“Geor...”
"That's really good."
A bitter smile played on Geor's lips.
“To think that I’ve been imprinted on her heart for a lifetime like that. It’s perfect. Is this really something I should offer a prayer of thanks to God for?”
Isabelle could not say a word to Geor, who was speaking self-deprecatingly.
She had noticed that Geor harbored feelings for Ariana, but she didn't realize they were this deep. With every single word he uttered, it seemed as though he were being wounded and bleeding.
Geor, wiping the smile from his face and returning to a blank expression, said.
"This is the best, Isabelle."
Geor's eyes no longer wavered.
“This is a feeling I must keep all to myself, without letting anyone see it or telling anyone. Though you’ve already found out.”
Isabelle's cousin, with whom she always exchanged jokes, must have been thinking much more than she had expected.
Hasty words of comfort wouldn't do any good.
Geor tilted his head to the side and asked Isabelle, who was pursing her lips, unable to find the words to say.
“Why are you silent? Shouldn’t you be comforting me, pitying me, hugging me, and patting my back now? I’m all ready to lean on your shoulder and cry.”
Isabelle said as she gently punched Geor's shoulder.
"It’s more disgusting to imagine you leaning on me and crying than you loving Ariana."
***
Fellowes was in Russell's office.
The two brothers sat facing each other at the conference table with serious expressions. Soon, Fellowship opened his mouth.
“I don’t think so, Brother.”
"But it looked really worn out..."
“Since it was the first thing she received from my older brother, she must have cherished it. Ariana is already 23 years old.”
"23 years old..."
Russell recalled when Ariana first came to the East. Sixteen-year-old Ariana was so small and thin that she looked like she was only twelve or three years old.
He still couldn't believe that Ariana, who used to be like that, had now grown taller and gained some weight, and was already 23 years old, well past the age for coming of age.
Russell still looked like nothing more than the tiny baby Ariana had held in his arms when she was just born.
That was the reason he prepared a pink teddy bear as a birthday gift this year.
Russell knew that Ariana carried a lime green teddy bear wherever she went. He also heard from the maids that she always slept hugging the teddy bear.
When he visited Ariana's room a while ago, wondering if she needed anything for her birthday, he saw that her teddy bear was very worn out.
"It looks like you like that."
Ariana answered Russell's question with a smile as pretty as a flower.
“It’s the best.”
That answer made Russell feel so proud.
Russell wanted to do the best for Ariana again this time.
The pink teddy bear was not ordinary. It was dyed with the fur of a rare northern white rabbit, its black eyes were black pearls, and a large ruby hung in the center of the ribbon around its neck.
Russell had no doubt that Ariana would really like this teddy bear, but Fellowes, who had come over just moments ago, asking what he had prepared for Ariana's birthday, looked displeased as soon as he saw it.
Thus, two sturdy men in their fifties came to discuss with serious expressions in front of a small teddy bear.
"Ariana still seems like a child..."
“Of course. To me, too, Ariana looks like a baby. But brother, no matter how we see her, the fact remains that she is 23. We should give her a gift appropriate for her age.”
"What did you prepare?"
“As for me...”
Ching-!
Fellowes placed the sword he had set aside next to the chair on the table.
It was a magnificent sword with a tiger crafted from a gem the same color as Ariana's hair on a white scabbard.
"It’s a sword. A sword is the best gift for a girl."
“...That would only work on Isabelle. I can’t keep something that dangerous by Ariana’s side.”
“No, Brother! So you are saying it’s okay for our Isabelle to carry something this dangerous? Don’t you remember? The sword Isabelle is carrying right now, you gave it to her as a gift on her ninth birthday!”
"Ah, right."
“Of course, our Isabelle is feisty, stronger than men, and has a terrible temper, but... yeah, you're right. A sword would have been the perfect birthday present for Isabelle.”
Fellowes got excited by himself and calmed down by himself.
Russell narrowed his eyebrows and glared at the pink teddy bear, imagining Ariana holding it in her arms. Then he muttered.
“Cyrus, what did that guy prepare?”
“I don’t know what it is, but it must be something tremendous. You know that last year, even in the middle of the war, he made sure to send a birthday present to Ariana, right?”
“I got a taste of my own medicine. Even though we were on the same battlefield, I never dreamed that guy would pull such a wicked stunt.”
“I know, right. I mean, who on earth would have imagined? That the Northern Lord personally tanned and sewed a cloak out of a tiger skin he caught during war.”
That was the case.
Around the time Ariana's birthday approached last year, Cyrus, Russell, and Fellowes were on the same battlefield.
Russell and Fellowes did not know that Cyrus was secretly leaving the barracks late at night to hunt tigers, nor that he was keeping the lights on in the barracks late at night to sew tiger skins.
One day, seeing one of his subordinates sending off a large bundle of goods, Russel asked, “What is that?” and Cyrus replied with his usual elegant smile.
“Of course it’s a birthday present for Ariana.”
The shock he received back then.
Cyrus clearly remembered and celebrated Ariana's birthday, which neither her father nor her uncle had thought of due to the war. To the two heartbroken men, saying they were unfit to be a father or an uncle, Cyrus spoke leisurely.
"It is only natural that your hearts cannot overcome me, so please do not grieve for too long. I am worried that we might lose the war if you do."
As if remembering the events of that day, Fellowes sprang to his feet and shouted.
“You annoying bastard!”
Russell did not stop Fellowship from venting his anger.
This is because Russell also had a similar thought.
Just then, the office door opened, and Langster entered.
“Fellowes, your voice echoed all the way to the end of the hallway.”
“Brother, what did you prepare for Ariana’s birthday?”
“Why? What did you prepare?”
Langster's gaze turned to the table.
Langster, having checked the teddy bear and sword on the table, smiled a victorious smile as if he knew without needing to hear an answer.
“Why? Why are you laughing like that? What did you prepare, brother?”
"Of course, I prepared a gift that an 'adult woman' around Ariana's age would like."
Langster emphasized the phrase "adult woman" and put down the box he had brought. They were wondering why he had come to Chase Castle today, but it seemed he had come to show off the gift he had prepared.
Fellowes stared at the gift box with a sullen expression, while Russell looked nervous.
Langster opened the box with a smug look.
Inside the box was a bracelet. It was an elaborately crafted bracelet, and Russell realized its true nature the moment he saw it.
“Isn’t that... a poison bracelet?”
“Oh, as expected, Brother, you have good taste. Normally, it’s just a pretty bracelet when worn, but if you press this button in an emergency, a poison needle shoots out. The toxicity is so strong that unless it’s an elephant, anyone would fall to their death in an instant.”
“I can’t let Ariana wear something that dangerous. What if she gets hurt by a mistake!”
“You’re right, Brother. What’s the difference between that gift and my sword?”
“Right, if you just installed a poison needle device on the teddy bear, it would be no different from my bracelet!”
“No, Brother. Even so, a teddy bear is a bit too much.”
The three brothers spent some time criticizing each other's gifts.
Eventually, Langster swallowed a sigh and spoke.
“This is all Isabelle’s fault, Fellowes.”
“Why, my daughter!”
"Isabelle was the only girl we had, you know. She just huffs and puffs when we give her a teddy bear or a dress, but she only smiles brightly when we give her a sword or a throwing weapon, so things like this come to mind."
“Ah, that’s true. She takes after me, so she really is excellent at handling crises.”
As Fellowes smiled contentedly, Russell said.
“I heard people say that Cyrus came here pulling a huge carriage.”
"A huge carriage?"
“I heard the knights were guarding it so tightly that they couldn't even check inside. I suspect Ariana's gift might be in there...”
“I mean, well... just because it’s big doesn’t mean it’s good, does it?”
Contrary to his words, Fellowes looked down at the sword he had prepared with eyes full of worry.
Cyrus, what on earth has that wicked thing prepared?
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