Chapter undefined90

90

Crash.

The sound of plans shattering echoed in Liss’s mind.

She had planned to catch him off guard by visiting unexpectedly, but Max had come to her first.

This was completely unexpected.

Max, who openly disliked her.

He would always get annoyed or ignore her, treating everything she said as nagging.

And now, he had come to see her first…?

‘Tch, what is he up to?’

Her mind was racing.

Another thought crossed her mind.

How did he know she was here?

Could it be…?

Unconsciously, Liss glanced at Regina.

But.

Seeing Liss’s look, Regina shook her head confidently.

Liss’s face turned slightly red.

It was embarrassing to have doubted someone who wasn’t the type to do such a thing.

“Thanks for coming all this way, sister.”

Max said with a grin.

The greeting felt so out of place, it gave her goosebumps.

She was glad she had done some research beforehand.

Otherwise, she would have been completely caught off guard.

‘He’s definitely changed…’

The Max she knew was someone who was overly honest about his feelings.

He was easy to read because of that.

But now, this sly greeting…

It felt like he had a snake in his belly.

Her sister-in-law seemed to think this was a positive change, but having dealt with her brother for so long, Liss found it unsettling.

Liss steadied herself and focused her gaze.

“How did you know I was here?”

Her voice was sharp.

Since her sister-in-law knew they didn’t get along, there was no need to pretend otherwise.

“Dolph saw you by chance and told me.”

Ah, so that was it.

Now she knew the reason.

But even knowing that, she didn’t understand why he hadn’t avoided her and had come to see her instead.

Liss decided to cut to the chase.

“So, why did you come to see me?”

“Huh? Why wouldn’t I? It’s been a long time since my sister came all the way from home. Isn’t it natural to come and greet you?”

Max’s eyes widened as if he couldn’t understand why she was asking such a strange question.

At that moment.

Liss almost lost her composure and cursed out loud.

Natural?

What? Natural?

He knew better than anyone that they weren’t close at all, yet here he was acting all innocent.

Her clenched fists tightened.

‘No… I can’t let myself get caught up in his tricks.’

Liss blinked rapidly.

They had fought often since childhood, but this felt like a fight she couldn’t afford to lose.

She needed to keep her wits about her and find out if her brother had truly changed or if he was still the same trash.

If it was the former, it would be a relief, but if it was the latter, she was ready to take drastic measures.

No matter how much he was her brother, she couldn’t live under the same sky as someone who would ruin their family.

“Ah, I see. I understand.”

She decided to play along for now.

If he had an agenda, he would reveal it in time.

And her judgment was correct.

Max spoke up immediately.

“Shall we move somewhere more private and have a nice sibling chat?”

Huh, private?

Priiiivate?

The idea made her stomach churn, and she almost threw up everything she had eaten.

Even Dolph and Sana looked puzzled, wondering what Max was up to.

Seeing their normal reactions oddly comforted her.

It was all because of those strange people at the swordsmanship hall and her sister-in-law.

“…Fine.”

She held back her irritation and agreed.

To make a judgment, she needed to follow along for now.

“Alright, let’s move then. How about the lake?”

“Huh?”

The lake?

Why the lake all of a sudden?

“Well, you ate a lot, so I thought a walk might be nice. Unless you want to eat more?”

“Ugh…”

Was he trying to embarrass her on purpose?

Talking about how much she ate in front of her sister-in-law?

She was getting angry, but she held it in again.

She was becoming a saint of patience at this rate.

“Eat more? No way! Let’s just go to the lake or wherever!”

“Alright.”

Max chuckled.

She wanted to punch that smiling face.

“Have a good time with your brother. See you next time.”

Regina, who had been quiet, spoke to Liss.

Liss quickly returned the greeting.

“Ah, yes. Thank you for making time for me today, Sister-in-law.”

“It was no trouble. Take care.”

Max interjected.

…That guy.

The worst nuisance, and now he’s treating someone else as a nuisance?

It was unbelievable.

“You’re lucky to have such a good sister.”

Regina replied with an unexpected comment.

Um, thank you for the compliment, but this isn’t the right time…

Liss fanned her face in embarrassment.

“Well then.”

Click, click.

Regina turned and walked away with a confident stride.

A refined adult woman even looked stylish walking away, Liss thought absentmindedly.

“Get in.”

Max said.

“Huh?”

“Let’s go.”

“Oh, okay.”

They got into the carriage and headed to Ariala Lake on the west side of Lepheria Academy.

* * *

The red sunset slowly filled the sky.

The clear, clean lake reflected the beautiful sunset.

What a beautiful lake, Liss thought.

But that wasn’t important right now.

“What?”

“Let’s take a boat and talk on the lake.”

Max’s suspicious proposal reeked of ulterior motives.

Of course, for normal siblings, it wouldn’t be a problem.

But they were as far from normal siblings as the North Pole and the South Pole.

No, no, no, no.

Out of Max’s sight, Sana was subtly making an X with her arms, desperately opposing the idea for her lady’s safety.

It was a black comedy to have to worry about her only brother’s safety.

“No, that’s…”

Liss hesitated, flustered.

Max spoke again.

“Why? It’s a good opportunity.”

A good opportunity…?

At that moment, Liss’s expression changed.

She thought that statement was a message directed at her.

A message that he had something to say to her alone, in a place where no one else could hear.

Even so, she would normally refuse out of sheer annoyance.

But.

Today was different.

She also had something she wanted to confirm.

A private setting might be the perfect place to do that.

“…If you insist, fine. Let’s do it.”

In the end, Liss accepted the proposal.

Sana’s face turned pale.

Liss gave a slight shake of her head to signal Sana not to worry too much.

“Alright, let’s go before it gets dark.”

Max naturally took Liss’s hand and started to lead her.

At that moment.

“Ew, what, what, what are you doing?”

Liss quickly pulled her hand back in shock.

She seemed extremely flustered.

She stuttered so much in front of her disliked brother that it was clear she was deeply disturbed.

Dolph and Sana, who were watching, also looked bewildered.

An attempt at physical contact…?

Master Max with Miss Liss?

…What kind of shameless act is this?

It was as if they were seeing a pervert instead of a brother.

Their reactions showed just how shocking this was for the Celtrine family.

“Huh? Why? Did I do something wrong?”

Max asked innocently, tilting his head.

Even Dolph, who was on Max’s side, shook his head at the brazen act.

It wasn’t an act, though.

“Ugh, do I really have to spell it out…”

Liss, who was about to say something in her excitement, suddenly stopped.

She seemed to have realized something.

‘…This is psychological warfare.’

She thought he was using sudden actions to throw her off balance.

That was the only explanation.

If so.

‘I can’t get caught up in this.’

Liss quickly composed herself.

“Tch, nothing. Let’s go.”

Before she even finished speaking, Max took her hand again and led her.

This time, she barely managed to hold back a reaction.

But the discomfort on Liss’s face was evident.

Her trembling arm showed her displeasure.

‘Hold it in, hold it in, hold it in, hold it in.’

And so, Liss was dragged along by Max.

* * *

‘She’s cute.’

I chuckled inwardly.

My only younger sister, Liss Celtrine.

I had heard the general details from Dolph earlier.

She was only nineteen.

A fresh, young age, but she was so smart that she had been helping with the family’s affairs from an early age.

She wasn’t just a figurehead; she was genuinely competent, with good evaluations from those around her.

It would be nice to just think of her as a capable younger sister, but there was one problem.

She and her brother, me, didn’t get along at all.

According to Dolph, it was to the point where they might as well be strangers.

Max was a problem not just outside the house but inside as well.

‘I can’t leave this alone.’

One of the main reasons I had been able to do so well was the financial support from my family background.

Of course, they would continue to be a strong support in the future.

If there was an unstable element in such a family?

I couldn’t just leave it alone.

It needed to be fixed quickly.

So, I had to work on it.

That’s why I chose a special place.

‘Beautiful natural scenery brings peace of mind.’

A cramped, urban space makes the mind more sensitive and sharp.

On the other hand, a wide-open, natural space brings peace and makes people more emotional.

It’s the healing effect of nature.

This place was perfect for having an honest conversation.

Especially with a sister who didn’t like me.

And one more thing.

A completely isolated place like this could make people open up about their deepest thoughts.

That’s why I suggested taking a boat out on the lake.

“Be careful when you get on.”

I motioned for her to get on the boat first.

“I don’t need you to tell me.”

Liss climbed onto the boat with a pouty face.

I chuckled at the sight.

She might be exceptionally smart and mature for her age.

But to me, she was just a cute younger sister with a significant age gap.

She might feel wronged if she knew, but the reality was that the age difference between us was enough to see her that way.

‘She’s cute enough.’

In a game filled with difficult people, a younger sister character like her was adorable.

There’s no need to mention the first princess with a twisted personality or the murder-obsessed Slain.

Even my fiancée Regina is a tough opponent.

Compared to them, Liss Celtrine is easy to read.

I can understand her emotions and why she dislikes me.

No younger sister would like a delinquent brother who ruins his grades, wastes money, chases women, and drinks all the time.

“We’re setting off.”

I boarded the boat and started rowing.

I deliberately kept the pace slow.

A leisurely and peaceful pace would help calm her mind.

After a while, I spoke.

“How are our parents?”

A perfectly normal question, but it seemed strange to someone.

Liss looked at me with a face full of disbelief.

It seemed Max never cared about his parents’ well-being.

“Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

Her voice was full of suspicion.

It was clear she thought it was odd for someone who never cared to suddenly act concerned.

I understood.

It was natural.

But I had anticipated this reaction.

I continued as planned.

Looking into the empty space, I spoke calmly.

“Because I’m their child.”