Chapter 29

“Haha. Good day, Sir. But strictly speaking, you didn’t find me—I found you. It’s all about how you phrase things.”

Lucy could feel the strong Noctus blood running through Sybil, whose only skill was talking.

…But was it right to feel a sense of kinship over something like this?

Aicel scoffed.

“Too bad. Then I’ll have to find the real use for this knife.”

“Wouldn’t it be happier to use it for peeling the rest of the apple?”

“My knife says it has to see blood.”

“You’re being tempted by a magic sword. I can cleanse it for just 100 gold.”

“Shut up! You d*mn scammer!”

‘What were these two doing? Was this a comedy routine for my recovery?’

Lucy sighed and pressed her forehead. Then she spoke in a frail voice,

“Ah… I’m getting dizzy…”

The effect was dramatic. Aicel, who’d been about to gouge out Sybil’s eyes, threw down the knife and rushed to Lucy.

“Your hands and cheeks are cold.”

Aicel gently rubbed Lucy’s hands and cheeks with the back of his hand.

The malice left his amber eyes, replaced by gentleness and affection. It was like watching a masked play. She wanted to recommend acting as his next career, but doubted he could memorize such long lines.

“I almost died.”

Sybil twisted his stiff neck side to side, trying for a cuteness that didn’t suit him. Lucy glared at her annoying brother. Sybil, meeting his sister’s eyes—full of words she was holding back—seemed to know he was at fault.

“Lucy.”

He looked more ashamed facing Lucy than Aicel. Or maybe that, too, was just an act.

“Hey.”

“You’re calling your brother ‘hey’…?”

“And you call yourself my brother?”

Lucy’s eyes reddened as she fumed. Seeing the woman he loved on the verge of tears, Aicel’s eyes sparked.

“Lucy, you just woke up. No excitement allowed. Close your eyes. I’ll finish this quickly.”

Cancel what was said about his malice fading.

From somewhere, a gun appeared in his hand. His wild eyes flashed dangerously. Lucy sighed lightly and placed her hand on Aicel’s forearm. Just that was enough to make Aicel freeze in place, like an automaton doll pledging absolute obedience to its creator.

“…Put it down, Aicel. He’s still my only family left.”

“So? Sometimes, family is worse than nothing. And anyway, I’ll always be by your side. It’s perfect. Let me become your one and only family.”

Aicel’s eyes burned, as if he were pressing the accelerator, ready to crash into something.

‘…People don’t really change, do they?’

Maybe a life-and-death crisis that turns a person 180 degrees is just a one-time thing.

Lucy spoke calmly.

“Aicel. I don’t like men who carelessly wave guns around and threaten people.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than Aicel tucked the gun back into his coat. Sybil, who had been polishing his glasses sleeve as if nothing was happening, opened his mouth in awe.

“Taming a bear that rips people apart… Lucy, you could probably tame a bear that rips people, too…!”

“Shut up. I don’t have that kind of skill yet.”

Even after being cursed at, Sybil looked at Lucy with a proud, satisfied expression. Lucy rubbed her arm, feeling a genetically induced aversion.

“Brother, what kind of magic did you use on Aicel? You said you’d cure his insomnia, but did you cast something else?”

“Oh, that.”

Sybil fiddled with his glasses, pretending to think deeply, then asked,

“Lucy, about the cause of the Young Master’s insomnia… do you have any idea?”

Lucy looked at Aicel. He shrugged, as if he had no clue either.

“Well, Young Master, it was guilt over not remembering. So I tried to nullify the magic that had tampered with your brain in the past. That way, the insomnia would naturally be cured.”

But he’d failed, and the clashing magic had caused a serious side effect: erectile dysfunction. When that happened, Sybil ran away from Aicel’s wrath.

“So you just ran away? That’s not a proper way to solve things, you d*mn brother!”

Lucy had tried to escape from Aicel herself, so she couldn’t really talk.

“Sorry. I’m trying not to be like that anymore…”

“Ugh.”

Lucy glanced between the two men, each awkward for their own reasons, and grumbled softly,

“What am I supposed to do with these somewhat lacking men…”

Sybil replied with a big smile,

“You take care of this one, Lucy. I’ll be fine on my own.”

“As expected of my brother. Always saying the right things even when you don’t have the right to speak.”

“Oh yeah? I’m like that, aren’t I?”

“The right to get smacked, you crazy brother!”

Aicel, quick on the uptake, instantly got behind Sybil and pinned his arms, easily subduing him. Sybil’s green eyes, so similar to Lucy’s, flashed with the frustration of being caught.

Lucy gave her brother a solid punch. The couple, who’d never teamed up to beat anyone before, worked together seamlessly, treating Sybil like a punching bag. Sybil, or rather the sandbag, wasn’t even pained—he just looked pleased.

‘They’re a perfect match.’

After some satisfying payback, Lucy, now tired, lay back down on the bed.

“Ugh, but still, you two would’ve died without me.”

Sybil kept muttering, refusing to shut up. Aicel and Lucy turned to glare at him in unison.

“How did you know we’d fallen into the lake?”

“I put a tracker on the magic-powered boat. I was waiting in Tupi Territory, Lucy. Your boat was moving too slowly, so I thought something was wrong and went out to meet you in another boat.”

He joked about how the two of them looked like they were doing artistic swimming. Lucy gave him a cold stare. She couldn’t even scold him for his tactless jokes since he’d saved their lives.

He left the room, saying he’d notify the medical staff that Lucy was awake and get her a proper nutrient prescription.

“He’s not going to run away again, is he?”

“I don’t care. As long as I have you.”

Lucy blinked. Aicel’s blind devotion was unfamiliar, but she liked it.

“How much do you love me, Young Master Aicel?”

“Lucy, I’m a completely different person from yesterday. 360 degrees different.”

‘That means he’s exactly the same.’

“When you were out of it, I thought about it with my head and with my… you know.”

‘Why would anyone think with that? Did he have a frontal lobe in his…? Seriously?’

“I realized I can’t live without you.”

Aicel finished speaking with a determined look. He suddenly stood and pulled down his pants and underwear. Confronted with raw naturalism, Lucy lost her appetite a bit.

“What are you doing…”

“I haven’t undone the illegal magic procedure Sybil Noctus did on me.”

“…Why not?!”

Her shocked outburst only made Aicel look hurt, as though she was rejecting his pure-hearted devotion.

“Because… I’ve got no use for my c*ck except with you.”

In other words, Aicel was essentially saying he would willingly wear a chastity belt—without Lucy even asking him to. Not a bad vow, really.

Did he have to declare it while exposing himself?

If someone walked in and saw this, their reputations would be ruined. Glancing at the bedroom door, she hurriedly waved her hand.

“Okay, okay, I get it—so please put your c*ck back on. What if my brother or the medics come in?”

“How do you ‘put on’ a c*ck?”

“Ugh, I mean your pants! Your pants!”

Lucy’s face turned bright red as she shouted. What a slip of the tongue! Aicel chuckled as he picked up his clothes. Lucy fanned her red face with her hand, muttering.

“Honestly… in the entire Lurian Empire, you must be the only man who makes an eternal love confession like that. Do you really think about nothing but s*x?”

Aicel, adjusting his waistband, looked serious with his stunningly handsome face.

“Lucy, I can’t do that flask love stuff.”

“…You mean platonic love.”

“Yeah. Gin and tonic.”

Lucy gave up.

‘Live as you please… As long as you’re happy.’

“And I’ll… keep my devotion to you.”

“You mean loyalty.”

“No, devotion. If you die while I’m alive, I’ll bury myself alive in your grave.”

What was that about?

‘Why does he know that word so precisely…?!’

Lucy was dumbfounded by Aicel’s odd vocabulary. Then she shook her head and burst out laughing.

What should she do with this man? He really couldn’t live without her.

‘Many women ruin their lives with the thought, “If not me, who would take care of him?” but honestly, she couldn’t help but think it. Besides, Lucy had the sword of judgment, so she wasn’t so easy to mess with.

“I love you, Aicel. Now I can say it as many times as I want, whenever I want.”

The two looked at each other. Anyone could see the swirl of emotions between them.

“Lucy.”

“Yes.”

“If you remember the promise we made back then.”

Lucy knew what Aicel was about to say. He gently kissed Lucy’s cheek, then moved his lips to her ear and whispered something.

Her shoulders, tense from the ticklish feeling, slowly relaxed. Lucy turned her head. The man she loved was looking at her with trembling eyes, waiting for her answer.

The first love of a lonely boy from her childhood spoke.

“Can you take responsibility?”

“This time, I’ll take responsibility for you for the rest of my life. I promise.”

“Then it’s fine.”

The happy man who’d won her acceptance smiled brightly.