---

329. Siblings Ep – Nightmare

“Wow! The floor is warm! This is the kitchen below? Look at this meal! Where’s your room, Older Brother?”

Excitedly exploring the room, Reriana let out a faint sigh as her brother stepped out.

With Tian absent as well, she suddenly wore a serious expression and grew anxious.

I don’t know who I am.

I dream every day, but my brother tells me not to get lost in those dreams. It’s confusing.

At least my brother always looks at me, and with Tian by my side, I can endure. When we laugh together or study, I know who I am.

I am Reriana.

With an older brother who’s two years my senior.

But when Lean and Santian left the room, and only the handmaidens remained to attend to me, I felt dizzy. The truth is I have lived as a beggar my whole life…

Reriana de Yeriel.

Breaking through the weight of my name, something was trying to emerge. I became afraid when I was alone.

Reriana quickly went outside.

I couldn’t see if my brother had gone into his room or not, and Tian was unloading luggage from the carriage. Just seeing him lifted the heavy weight off my heart.

“Tian~ Working hard?”

“Yeah. Just a moment. I’ll be done soon.”

“I’ll help!”

Reriana grabbed a fairly heavy load. The handmaidens looked at her with surprise, but together they hoisted the baggage.

Being with others like this helped lessen my doubts about myself.

Today, Reriana had fun playing.

Arriving early in the morning, she had plenty of time to wander around the lush estate with Tian. The management may have been lacking, but that made it even better.

She could sneak a kiss without her brother knowing. He wouldn’t suspect that we were dating even in his dreams.

After running around until exhausted, she had a lovingly prepared meal by the handmaidens and read books.

While this made her quite happy, Reriana began to feel restless.

After dinner, the sun set, and it was time to sleep. Reriana, who used to love sleeping, now hesitated to fall asleep.

She feared what dreams she might have.

Not wanting to act like a child, she said, “Older Brother, I’ll study a bit more before bed.” He kindly stayed by her side.

But the night inevitably came. Reriana found herself alone. It had been nice having her brother by her side during the carriage ride.

Lying on the large bed, Reriana tossed and turned for a long time. And inevitably, she fell into a dream.

Her body felt hot. The ceiling spun around, and in her dizziness, her brother placed his hand on her forehead with a worried expression.

– “…Lena? Are you okay? L-Lena, drink some water. There’s water here.”

What’s happening to my body? I thought I ate something today.

But for some reason, it felt bearable, so she replied.

– “Why are you crying, Older Brother? You were spinning and smiling in my dream…”

– “Lena! Stop saying useless things and drink some water quickly! Please!”

‘Why is he acting like this?’ she thought, but she complied and drank the water he offered, trying to get some sleep.

A dream within a dream. It felt like she was falling endlessly before waking up.

“Gah!”

She was drenched in sweat. Reriana, awake in the middle of the night, called out, “Older Brother?” and looked around foolishly.

That should have been a decent dream.

But it was too hot. Was it because the kitchen was below? Unable to stand it, Reriana wanted to call for a handmaiden.

As she waved her arms in the dark, she remembered hearing that the bell cord leading to the handmaidens’ room needed replacing.

I just want to drink some water.

‘Since the kitchen is below, there should be water down there.’

She stepped outside.

It was autumn, nearing winter. The cold wind blew, and cobwebs without a master glistened in the moonlight.

The lord’s castle in Zauer territory was a mess even inside.

Her sister Nella usually took care of the cleaning, but she couldn’t do much since she had recently married.

Reriana tiptoed barefoot in slippers down the eerie corridor.

After wandering around for stairs leading down, she noticed light shining through the gap of a room door.

Who’s in there at this hour? she wondered…

“Ugh, ughhhh…”

Moans floated out from the room. Reriana froze, scared.

‘A g-g-ghost?’

Yikes! She covered her mouth and bolted away.

Pitter-patter! She ran to the corner of the corridor and hid behind a dusty showcase.

On the showcase hung portraits of a lady and a man. There were signs of being torn before, as the paint filled the rips but left thin lines of the tear.

Spooky.

But no matter how long she waited, nothing happened. Reriana cautiously emerged.

Older Brother! Tian! I’m scared!

Reriana grabbed something from the showcase. It turned out to be a long triangle candlestick.

It was sticky from melted wax, but holding something hefty gave her courage. Despite being scared, curiosity overwhelmed her, and she edged closer.

She picked up the single slipper she had dropped while fleeing earlier and eventually reached the door with light seeping from beneath it.

It was quiet.

Wait? It was definitely… Yikes!

“Ugh… Oh… Gah.”

Again, faint moans were heard.

Reriana freaked out and wanted to run, but she didn’t escape as far as before. Swish, swish. She stepped forward again.

Then,

“W-who’s there?”

She asked with a timid little voice at the door.

No answer came back. Only faint moans intermittently flowed out.

‘…Should I just leave?’

Thinking so, Reriana couldn’t resist her curiosity, firmly gripping the silver candlestick in one hand as she turned the doorknob and pushed.

The door creaked open to reveal…

‘Oh no.’

There was a large bed, and the man introduced this morning, Brestin Zauer, was lying there. This seemed to be his bedroom.

The adventure of a girl exploring a derelict lord’s castle and its eerie corridors had come to an end.

Reality settled in, making Reriana feel embarrassed as she stammered, “S-sorry…” and attempted to close the door, but he let out another moan.

What’s wrong? Why’s he like that?

Surely he must have been awake since the light was on, but it appeared he was still asleep. He was rolling around in bed, that much was clear.

Is he sick?

(Setting the candlestick down) Reriana tiptoed closer and soon realized he was having a nightmare.

He was drenched in sweat like herself and, though unaware, was mumbling.

How pitiful.

What should I do in this situation?

Feeling sorry for him, Reriana decided to at least cover him up with the blanket. The moaning subsided.

His face relaxed.

Wow, this is simple.

Thinking in a straightforward manner, Reriana said, “Hah!” and turned off the light before stepping outside.

Why did I come here again? Oh! The thirst came back. Reriana searched for the stairs and walked a little more past the lord’s room.

She stopped by the kitchen to drink some water, checking if any more moans were heard by the door of Zauer’s room on the way back.

Hearing none, she felt good having done a good deed and returned to her room in a much lighter mood.

I should cover myself up too.

Make sure the pillow is straight.

Finally, Reriana drifted off to sleep as the world of the gods wrapped up another day.

*

“Hah- I’ve finally made it here. Ray, but honestly, I don’t know what you’re doing right now. The friend you said you need to help is that guy over there, right?”

“Just wait a minute. If we do this right, we can make a fortune. Right?”

“That’s right.”

Lera Ainar was not pleased with a single aspect of the current situation.

Ray suddenly announced he was going on a journey and, somehow convincing their mother and father, hurriedly began preparing for this summer.

Lera followed along despite not knowing why. Is he trying to participate in the Maunin-Letii Tournament? she wondered.

But of course, that wasn’t it.

Ray had always been reluctant to enter competitions.

Moreover, the Maunin-Letii Tournament was held in summer, in Barnau, so no matter how fast they ran, they wouldn’t make it in time.

So, Lera often asked Ray, “What are you doing right now?”

Ray simply said he was doing this for a friend he needed to help and remained vague while driving a black horse he’d acquired somehow.

Ugh.

But Lera was reaching her limit of patience.

She should have just stayed home!

If she had practiced swordsmanship during this time, she could’ve caught up to Ray already! She was frustrated.

Besides, winter was coming soon.

She would become of age soon and be able to join the Ainar Tribe’s hunts to be recognized as a warrior, yet it seemed Ray still had unfinished business.

Angry, Lera finally made a decisive resolution.

No matter where they were going (What!? To Belita Kingdom?), she would return to Abrival Castle before the sun set.

Ray agreed readily.

“Here we are. Is this the right place?”

“Yes, that’s correct. This is Zauer territory. This is my first time here too, though.”

Ray drove the wagon while Lera Ainar, next to him, sighed and looked back.

Behind the wagon sat a thin man.

He soon approached middle age, a man in his late twenties, but was oddly respectful to Ray, who was ten years younger.

That man couldn’t possibly be the friend Ray mentioned.

Lera pouted and sat there sulking.

It wasn’t even running, yet it was somehow a strangely fast wagon (‘First Overseas Trip’ Achievement) as they entered a noble estate that was something called Zauer.

[ Achievement: First Meeting with Lena – Lena holds a high regard for Leo. ]

“Hey! It’s our first meeting… No, it’s been a while!”

“It has been a while. You’ve finally arrived.”

A very smoothly-featured boy on a white horse awaited near the entrance.

Ray smiled comfortably, and Lera was taken aback.

She had never seen Ray smile like that at anyone else, aside from his ‘younger sister’ and towards her.

Lera squinted her eyes.

“Who’s that?”

“Oh, right. This is Lera Ainar. She’s my fiancée.”

“Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you from Ray. You’re even prettier than I was told.”

“…”

Lera’s eyes narrowed even further.

Who the heck is this brat?

Ray had a friend I didn’t know about? No, more importantly, he’s way too young!

He looked sleek but was about as tall as Lera Ainar’s chin. Compared to the significantly larger Ray, he was just a child.

But…

“Lera, say hello. He’s my friend… Can I say it? Lean de Yeriel. Though he’s actually a year older than us, he doesn’t look like it…”

“What, what did you say! De, Yeriel?”

The man sitting passively in the wagon gasped! in shock, and Lera exclaimed in surprise.

Whether Yeriel belonged to the Orun Kingdom or the Conrad Kingdom, she was confused about which royal family’s name it was, but surely, he was of royal descent.

Ray seemed to find Lera’s reaction amusing, shrugging his shoulders.

“Yeah. He’s a prince. My friend.”

“Ray. Enough of that. Who’s the person behind you?”

Ray smiled wide. He approached Lean and whispered in his ear.

“Though I’m still not sure, you’ll probably be thanking me later. I was a bit delayed bringing this person. It’s Dialo Brina.”

“…What?”

Lean rubbed his eyes and looked again.

Dialo Brina.

He was the lord of Abrival Castle, now no longer a lord.