5.5

As he walked slowly through the corridor, a voice called out to him.  

“Kartan. You’re here?”  

It was his older brother who had called him. When Kartan saw his brother, his face twisted into a frown.  

And for good reason—his brother wasn’t alone. A woman, barely clothed, was clinging to him like a second skin.  

‘Now he’s even bringing women into the house.’ 

His brother was always like this. Watching his brother’s disgraceful behavior of dragging women into their home, Kartan couldn’t hide his disgust as he gave a curt reply.  

“Father called for me.”  

It was a statement meant to imply that his brother should step aside since he had to meet their father.  

Kartan was also quite curious.  

Their father rarely ever summoned him, so why had he been called this time?  

“Oh, that?”  

But the answer came from an unexpected source.  

“I asked Father to call you. Told him I wanted you to come.”  

At his brother’s words, Kartan’s expression hardened.  

“What?”  

“Well, I just thought it was a shame that we barely get to see each other.”  

It was absurd nonsense. If his brother wanted to see him, he could easily do so at the academy.  

Calling him home like this, as though he were a dog to be summoned, was nothing more than his brother’s inferiority complex at work.  

In the end, it seemed their father had called him home at his brother’s request.  

Their father would do anything his brother asked, so summoning Kartan was as effortless as breathing.  

It was pathetic how his brother, who wasn’t better than Kartan in any way, used whatever power he could wield to lord it over him.  

‘Pathetic.’  

Kartan knew all too well about his brother’s petty insecurities, which was why he often deliberately provoked him. Neither of them had much to say in their own defense.  

‘Well, I guess there’s no reason to meet Father now.’  

Though he felt filthy for having stepped into this house because of the trash in front of him, he was relieved that he wouldn’t have to face his father.  

If his father hadn’t summoned him with a specific purpose, there was no need to meet him.  

‘Maybe I’ll just head back to school tomorrow.’  

He already missed seeing Delia’s face, which he hadn’t seen in a while. There was no reason to stay in this house any longer than necessary.  

Without responding to his brother, Kartan turned to head to his room.  

But then—  

“Delia… she’s not bad.”  

Kartan stopped in his tracks.  

“What are you talking about?”  

His low voice was laced with suspicion.  

Of course, it was Kartan who had paraded Delia around, practically advertising her for his brother to see.  

But until now, his brother hadn’t shown the slightest reaction.  

He hadn’t expected Delia’s name to come out of his brother’s mouth now, of all times.  

“I guess you could say I’ve had some… connection with her. A rather deep one.”  

Seeing Kartan react, Repel started talking with an air of excitement.  

“You two looked good together, you know? You and her.”  

Even while a woman clung to his side, Repel shamelessly continued his filthy remarks.  

“How does she feel? Her chest looked big, even under all those layers. I could tell.”  

Before Kartan realized it, an image of his brother assaulting Delia flashed through his mind.  

“And since she doesn’t have a boyfriend, doesn’t that mean I can have a taste too?”  

At his brother’s continued words, Kartan felt blood rush to his head.  

“What are you saying?”  

Kartan asked, his voice tightly controlled, though he was barely holding back. He had to know.  

What had happened between Delia and my brother? And why hadn’t I known about it?  

“Well, I asked her before, and she said you two are just the kind of relationship where you just stick it in and that’s it.”  

Repel’s sneering words made Kartan’s expression darken.  

Delia would never have said such a thing. Yet Kartan couldn’t deny his brother’s words.  

After all, that was the only way to define his relationship with Delia.  

Seeing Kartan’s stiff reaction, Repel seemed to grow even more amused, humming as he added,  

“If it’s just a physical thing, why don’t you invite me next time? Let’s try it with the three of us. I’ve had my eye on her, but you beat me to it, and now my pride’s in shambles.”  

Kartan’s fist clenched tightly.  

Images of the scenario his brother described played unbidden in his mind.  

As blood rushed to his brain, his anger became uncontrollable.  

Thud—  

It was an impulsive action.  

Kartan’s fist struck Repel’s face with speed and force.  

“Argh!”  

Repel collapsed to the floor instantly, rolling over in pain.  

“Ahhh!”  

The woman clinging to Repel screamed, her shrill voice echoing through the corridor.  

“Ahhh! You, you!!”  

Repel screamed in agony, but Kartan merely glanced at him coldly for a moment.  

“Don’t you dare lay a hand on Delia, you filthy bastard.”  

Kartan turned away immediately. Just breathing the same air as his brother was revolting.  

“You’re going to pay for this!”  

Repel’s furious shouting echoed behind him, but Kartan chose to ignore it.  

After all, his brother had never been capable of doing anything significant. Ignoring him had always been enough.  

***

Not long after, the family’s butler came to summon Kartan.  

“Young Master Kartan, the Head of the Merchant Guild is asking for you.”  

It was clear that his father wanted to see him.  

Kartan didn’t need to hear more to understand the situation.  

‘So, my brother…’  

Despite being twenty-two years old, it seemed his brother had already run crying to their father about what had happened.  

Kartan hated this dysfunctional household.  

His fist clenched tightly.  

He felt like a fool for ever having sought affection from this family.  

In just over a year, once he graduated from the academy, Kartan would finally be free from this house.  

This was just a fleeting moment to endure.  

When Kartan stood before his father,  

“Kartan!!!”  

His father’s voice, full of fury, shook the study.  

“When will you ever learn to respect your brother?!”  

Kartan remained silent.  

“….”  

His father’s reaction was entirely predictable.  

“How many times do I have to tell you? You’re meant to support your brother for life!”  

It was the same old refrain.  

“I had you so you could be your brother’s assistant, to help him lead the Merchant Guild!”  

It was laughable.  

Just because his brother was born first, he was to inherit the guild, while Kartan was expected to serve as his assistant for life?  

And their father had the audacity to say this to his face.  

“And yet you dare to lay a hand on your brother?!”  

There was no point in responding.  

Kartan knew that no matter what he said about his brother’s despicable behavior, it would make no difference.  

His father would dismiss it with, ‘He’s your brother; he can make mistakes,’ or, ‘He must have had his reasons.’  

After enduring several rounds of his father’s shouting, Kartan was finally dismissed.  

“Go to your room and reflect on your actions.”  

“…I’ll be going now.”  

Kartan left without uttering an apology or acknowledgment.  

Thud—  

As he closed the study door and walked back to his room, Kartan found himself questioning his actions.  

‘Why did I do that?’  

He couldn’t understand his uncharacteristic behavior.  

It was the first time he had ever struck his brother.  

No matter how much he had hated him, Kartan had always limited himself to subtle provocations.  

Of course, his brother was trash who deserved to be hit.  

He didn’t regret the act itself.  

But why had I been so enraged by my brother’s comments about Delia?  

Why had I thrown a punch at that moment?  

After all, I hadn’t approached Delia with pure intentions either.  

I had sought her out with ulterior motives, driven by something darker and more selfish.  

So why?  

Why had my brother’s crude remarks angered me so much that I lost control?  

‘After all, I’ve already achieved my goal.’ 

In truth, Kartan had achieved the purpose behind his proposal to Delia.  

He had been with her before his brother, and now his brother knew it. He had succeeded in making his brother uncomfortable. That was all there was to it.  

The deal could now end. It was time to move on and find a new source of interest.  

But…  

‘Why do I feel like someone’s coveting what’s mine?’ 

He didn’t want anyone to take it away. It was his. Her body, her thoughts, even her smallest actions.  

He wanted to possess her entirely.  

It wasn’t because of his brother.  

Now, he simply didn’t want to lose her to anyone.  

This unfamiliar feeling, one Kartan couldn’t identify, was unsettling.  

It was like a small hangnail next to his fingernail—irritating.  

‘It’s better to end this now.’  

He had achieved all his goals; it seemed like it was time to wrap up the deal with Delia.  

There was nothing left to discuss.  

Before he did something else that wasn’t like himself.