Ch.13You Too (2)

“….How long have you been standing there?”

I asked, startled.

Kirsy’s face was more crumpled than I’d ever seen before.

She was squinting her eyes as if tears might fall at any moment, and her lips were pressed tightly shut.

“….And what are you doing? Judy, what did you do?”

I asked, looking at Judy. I had seen her hand behind my back.

But that didn’t seem like something that would make Kirsy this angry. I wondered if there was more to it.

“……’Judy’…?”

Kirsy’s mouth suddenly opened, repeating my words.

“…I…I didn’t do anything.”

Judy shook her head, flustered.

Kirsy didn’t add anything to that.

She just glared at Judy.

After staring at her silently for a while, Kirsy turned her head toward me.

“…..But brother. Why is that person speaking informally to you…? Aren’t you older? And why is she calling your name so casually…?”

The briefly aggressive Kirsy was gone, replaced by her cautious self again as she asked in almost a whisper.

“…….Kirsy, when you meet someone, you should greet them first.”

I gently pointed this out to her. Kirsy glanced sideways at Judy.

“……..I’m Kirsy Praester.”

She spat out her name dismissively and looked back at me.

Since it was rare to see her like this, at first I thought she might be joking, but there was no hint of a smile on her face.

The longer I remained silent trying to assess the situation, the heavier the atmosphere around us became.

Eventually, I answered seriously.

“….I told her to speak informally. We agreed to be friends.”

“Friends……? Brother…but…but you promised to tell me when you made friends….”

Kirsy complained in a sorrowful voice.

“I was going to tell you today.”

“…….”

“….So why are you acting like this? Why did you suddenly grab her wrist like that?”

“That’s…that’s because…”

After hesitating for a while, her hand slowly straightened out and pointed at Judy. She looked like a child blaming someone else after being scolded.

“…..That woman was fidgeting with her hands suspiciously behind your back.”

“..N-no I wasn’t?”

Judy quickly denied it.

She was so surprised that she raised her voice a little.

At that moment, Kirsy let out a single “Ha..!” and fixed her gaze on Judy.

Her eyes were wide open.

An ominous aura flowed from her.

Cold and rough.

Kirsy spoke with a voice as threatening as her expression.

“Are you saying I lied to my brother?”

“….Th-that’s not it…”

“You did. Your hand was moving strangely. Like you were about to touch him.”

Judy was so intimidated by Kirsy’s presence that she couldn’t respond and took a step back.

Despite Judy being much bigger in size, she was completely overpowered by Kirsy’s aura.

“And why do you keep speaking informally? Don’t you know who I am?”

Kirsy’s attacks showed no signs of stopping.

She was subtly using her name to intimidate Judy.

I couldn’t even react.

This was my first time seeing this side of her.

I was stunned by the scene unfolding before me.

It was too shocking.

I thought I had raised her to be kind, but this behavior was no different from the villains I’d read about in books.

Once again, I felt like I was waking up from my own delusion.

The first was my delusion that Asena considered me family.

The second was my delusion that I had reformed Kirsy’s personality.

Kirsy’s eyes slowly scanned Judy.

“….Huh?”

She uttered a single question.

“…..Ice Family…?”

Then she looked at me.

“Brother. That woman is from the Ice Family.”

“…Huh?”

“The Ice Family…! Don’t you remember? Grandmother warned us to be careful of them!”

Kirsy’s voice softened again as she addressed me.

Her voice brought me back to my senses.

I didn’t know where this behavior of hers came from, but I couldn’t just stand by and watch.

“Grandmother told us to be careful. She didn’t tell us to be rude, did she?”

“….Ugh…!”

With one sharp remark from me, all the toxicity drained from her expression like a bursting bubble.

Even she seemed to find her behavior hard to believe, as her face turned bright red.

She grabbed the front of her clothes with both hands, acting like a frightened child.

She wore a miserable expression. The situation rapidly calmed down, leaving an awkward atmosphere.

Seeing Kirsy immediately back down at my words, Judy cautiously looked at me.

I gestured with my eyes to apologize and told her to go ahead.

“…….Caden. It seems like this isn’t a good time, so I’ll be going.”

“…Alright. See you later.”

Even as we said our brief goodbyes, Kirsy remained frozen in place.

I didn’t say anything to Kirsy until Judy was out of sight.

Kirsy seemed more afraid of this silence.

She nervously fidgeted while glancing at me.

In truth, I wasn’t that angry. I was just surprised.

I looked behind the rigid Kirsy.

Two baskets were placed on the ground.

One basket was standing upright, but the other was overturned with its contents spilled out.

Carrots and apples were rolling around.

I immediately understood why Kirsy had come here.

I had told her I would introduce her to Rush and that we could have a meal together.

Looking at the baskets, it seemed she had made a lot of preparations.

There was something poignant about the fallen food.

Sometimes things give you the feeling that your heart has been thrown on the ground.

It felt the same now.

It was as if Kirsy’s efforts were rolling in the dirt, giving me a strange sense of guilt.

It felt like watching a child who had dropped their ice cream.

Was it because I was hurt by Asena?

Though I was surprised by Kirsy’s behavior, those baskets gave me comfort. I could feel that she had put in effort and was looking forward to meeting me.

I couldn’t even be angry.

“Haah….Kirsy.”

She startled at my sigh. Her shoulders trembled, and she even began to sniffle.

Yes, this was the Kirsy I was familiar with. I brought my hand to her cheek to calm her down.

Then I gently lifted her face to meet her eyes.

Tears were welling up in both her eyes.

“….Don’t cry. Did something bad happen today?”

“……..”

“Why would you suddenly get so angry at my friend?”

“…But..she said I was lying…!”

“She was probably just making excuses because she was flustered. I know you’re not lying, so don’t feel so wronged.”

“…….Hic..”

“Sigh..don’t cry over something so trivial. Come on, you came to see Rush, right? Let’s go see him.”

I wiped away her tears and introduced her to Rush, who was resting in the stable, trying to change the mood.

There was no point in discussing this now. I needed to divert her attention.

There stood a black horse, muscular and glossy, though ugly in my eyes.

Kirsy looked at the black horse with her reddened eyes, then at me, then back at Rush.

She seemed unable to understand why I was letting this go so easily.

I wasn’t letting it go. I was just postponing it.

I held both her shoulders from behind.

“Isn’t he pretty?”

I forcibly redirected her attention.

“………Yes.”

Kirsy wiped her tears and agreed obediently.

Really? I was just asking, but is he actually pretty? He doesn’t look pretty to me.

I rubbed my chin while looking at Rush for a moment, then went to the baskets behind Kirsy.

Kirsy’s eyes cautiously followed me.

I gathered the carrots and apples that had spilled from the basket and approached her again.

I handed a red apple to Kirsy.

“How did you know to bring apples when Rush likes them?”

“…..I did.”

“Try feeding him. Ah, feed him carefully. Rush is a bit strange.”

I could see Kirsy’s mood gradually improving.

Kirsy’s hand, holding the apple, hesitantly approached Rush’s mouth.

I was a bit nervous too. Rush was so unpredictable.

But contrary to my concerns, Rush accepted the apple like a gentleman.

It was behavior worthy of a knight’s horse.

Kirsy’s expression lightened slightly, showing a hint of interest.

“He ate it, brother…!”

“…Rush seems to like you.”

Watching Rush’s behavior toward Kirsy, I let my guard down.

After Rush finished chewing and swallowing the apple, I handed him a carrot. Rush bit my hand too.

“Ow! Damn it…”

Instinctively clenching my fist to threaten Rush, I made Kirsy burst into laughter.

Even the anger I had built up toward Rush melted away at Kirsy’s laughter.

While she was laughing, I opened the other basket. Kirsy approached me and peered in.

“Wow….they’re pretty..”

The meal prepared was so beautiful that the word “pretty” came out before “delicious.”

Colorful, appetizing sandwiches were inside.

“Did you make these, Kirsy?”

“…Huh?”

Kirsy didn’t answer my question and hesitated for a long time. That was answer enough.

“You didn’t make them, did you?”

“….No.”

“Why are you getting gloomy again? Thank you for preparing this anyway.”

“…..Hehe.”

She was returning to her usual self, even flashing a broad smile.

A thought occurred to me.

Was it because of what happened with Asena? I felt more affectionate toward Kirsy. I wanted to do something more for her.

“Do you want to ride Rush, Kirsy?”

“Huh??”

“Let’s go on a cozy little date, shall we?”