My Sister Picked up the Male Lead

Chapter 7

“What is it?”

“Do you have books on magic here?”

“Magic? I don’t think so, Sir…”

I tilted my head.

“We don’t have any magicians here and magical books are very expensive. No, we may not have these books just because they are expensive.

My older sister used to leave the forest once a month to visit a remote village at the forest outskirts. She went there to get books and other daily necessities from monster hunters or peddlers.

There was a limit to what she could bring, but traveling through the forest was dangerous. I couldn’t go with her. This was why the books in our house were all torn and tattered.

“Asking for a magician would be easier. A book on magic is too difficult to get. So how could I possibly get my hands on one. But why do you want one?”

“Ah, your curse?”

“Yes. As you said, this is a phenomenon that cannot be explained by anything but magic.”

The Knox at night seemed to still doubt that he changes into a child during the day. But he looked like he was beginning to believe my words. He brooded over it so seriously, making me feel depressed as well.

The male lead’s curse would be lifted when he meets Serena, but…

I pitied him. He couldn’t do anything about it immediately. I mean he only wakes up at night, doesn’t have his memories and is stuck in his room. I could only feel sorry for him.

I can’t do much to help you.

“A wizard probably lives in the abandoned house, Amy. Don’t you think that’s fascinating?”

My sister’s words flashed across my mind.

“Ah!”

I clapped my hands in realization, causing Knox to look at me.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah, Knox! I… may have found a way to get some books on magic.”

“From where?”

“I think I know a way. I’ll let you know after I confirm it.”

If I was right, and get my hands on the books on magic wouldn’t my problems go away. Even if I hadn’t lifted the curse.

Overjoyed, I grabbed Knox’s hands and swayed them around like how my sister would.

“If I managed to find a way, you should thank me. Alright? Don’t just stare.”

As I happily chattered away, Knox just stopped blinking. His expression was a little strange. Why are you just staring at me? It’s scary.

Only when I shook my hands in front of his eyes and spoke to him did he respond. He then slowly blinked his eyes. It was as if he forgot how to blink.

“Knox?”

“Huh? Oh.”

To show he understood, he nodded slowly. The strange expression from a while ago disappeared just as it came. Making me wonder whether I had seen it wrong.

***

“The abandoned house? It belongs to a wizard.”

When I asked the next day, my sister answered without hesitation. My sister, who liked to talk, explained cheerfully. She was excited that a topic she could talk about came up.

“Amy, I think I already told you this before. Hmm, or maybe not? Anyways, it may be the house where I collect my herbs from, but it does belong to a wizard. There were magic formulas, magical trunks and books on magic that were strewn everywhere.”

“Books on magic? Like books written about magic?”

“I think so? I may not know much about magic, but books on magic are special items. They must be very precious, right?”

I heard my sister talking about the abandoned house for a long time. She had always told me stories about the forest, be it the truth or myth, those stories would always include the abandoned house.

But this was the first time she ever talked about the books on magic, and I was glad I asked.

“Then since the abandoned house is another ‘safety zone’ it’ll be far from here, right?”

“It’s not that far. Finding it is also easy.”

“Really?”

“You know the tree in front of our house? You just need to walk straight from its 10 o’clock direction and you’ll find it. If you’re lucky, you’ll reach there without encountering any monsters.”

“Really?”

“Do you actually think you can go?”

Smiling, my sister flicked my forehead with her finger. Under her knowing gaze, I flinched unconsciously.

“Even if you want to go, you’ll have to bear with it. Keep in mind that the chances of seeing dangerous monsters is significantly higher than that of not seeing them. Your sister doesn’t want to see you get hurt.”

My sister’s face, that seemed to always have a smile, now seemed to have a dark cloud hanging over her head. Whenever she gives me that face, I always start thinking about my parents who had passed away.

When my parents got caught in a power struggle, they left the two of us to run for our lives. My sister had to undergo countless hardships to raise me when I was a child. Even in this house that we currently live in, the memories still remain so fresh.

So, I hated the fact that my sister would eventually die. Only because she picked up the male lead and for her role as his first love. I was mad at the fact that my sister who underwent such hardships had to die. It was disappointing.

“Don’t worry, Diana. I won’t get into danger.”

My sister’s hands were warm. I thought that as I clasped both my sister’s hands while speaking to her and nodding my head.

“Promise?”

“We’re going to be happy for a long time, right?”

“Yup.”

Before long, my sister’s bright and warm smile returned to her face and her gaze fell on something beside me. My sister then shook the basket that contained the herbs to the point where the herbs were falling out of the basket.

“I hope Knox could be happy with us too. With me and Amy, together.”

Little Knox blinked curiously at that remark. He still never answers my sister, but now, instead of hiding behind me, he stares at her blankly.

Knox nods his head.

At Knox’s response, my sister’s eyes widened and after a while, she smiled, extremely happy.

“Geez, looks like I’d better leave now.”

“Oh, right. They’re leaving today right?”

“Yes, that’s right. I told you that the group of monster hunters were coming a little early this time, right?”

“Yup. Have a safe trip.”

“I’ll be gone for 3 days. I don’t think anything will come to disturb but if something does happen, do not open the door.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll try to be back as soon as I can.”

“No, don’t strain yourself. Get some rest in the village and eat delicious food before coming back.”

Today happened to be the day my sister walks through the forest to the village in the outskirts. I might call it a walk, but my sister usually takes about 3 days to travel to the village and back.1

After our parents passed away early, my sister always told me that people were scarier than monsters. Basically, there was no danger when I stayed behind to protect the house alone.

There was nothing to be afraid of in the ‘safe zone’ where monsters cannot enter unless something other than monsters entered.

“This kid. How can I leave in peace without you. What’s more, I won’t be able to see our cute Knox.”

My older sister, who looked sad, gave Knox the snack she made earlier in the morning.

“Knox, take this. Take that too.”

Frightened, Knox hid behind my back and stared at my sister. His look was saying “Do I have to eat this too?” as my sister continued to offer him candy.

But that only made my sister happier.

“Stop it. What if Knox doesn’t like it again?”

After I forced the two of them apart, she waved us goodbye. Saying in tears that she would be back soon.

When I saw my sister off at the fence, which was the boundary of our ‘safe zone’, I glanced at Knox who was walking while clinging on to my clothes.

“For the next 3 days, it’ll just be the two of us.”

“…Yup.”

“Then, shall we go read a book?”

After entering the house, we sat face to face on the table.

Usually classes were divided into learning words and learning common knowledge. I taught Knox words using the fairy tale books chosen by Knox, but today Knox brought back a book with a flushed face.

He nodded.

“Let’s see here. Ah, today we’ll be reading the series of Count Tutulu?

He nodded.

The series of Count Tutulu recounts the story of Count Tutulu who looks for water in his mansion. The book was usually used to teach children in aristocratic families.

I read it when I was very young, and my sister happened to buy it from a peddler.

“This word reads ‘Lumen’. It means candle.”

“Lumen.”

“Yup.”

While I was explaining the word, in the story, the main character, Count Tutulu, walked through the front door towards the front of the mansion. I pointed at the big mansion that Count Tutulu was standing in front of with his arms wide open.

“Ides* means home. This big house can also be called an Aurana Penathes* which means mansion.”

He nodded.

Looking at Knox nodding slightly, I couldn’t stop the words that were leaving my mouth.

“Knox, have you ever lived in an Aurana Penathes?”

He probably had, right? The Grand Duke’s mansion should be larger and more extravagant than one in the book.

I imagined the Grand Duke’s mansion as it was described in the novel.

There was a scene in the novel, where the knighthood of dawn or ‘Lux’ treated Serena kindly during her stay in the mansion. They were devoted to the care of the woman who the Grand Duke loved. The scene where the knights appeared was very fun to read.

I let out a small laugh as I noticed little Knox looking at me.

“You most probably did. Knox, you look like a nobleman.”

“…A nobleman?”

“Yes, handsome and well-mannered. It’s as if you could become a great man when you grow up, don’t you think? Anyways, that’s just what I think.”1

I mean, whatever I said was the truth.

Propping my chin with my arms on the table, I stared at those large purple eyes that blinked back at me. He might be following around me like a baby duckling following his mother, but one day he’ll leave for Serena. Won’t he?

“One day, Knox will go back to his real home.”

“…My real home?”

“Yup, the one where your real family is.”

Knox’s father was already dead and his mother’s mentality was unstable. She had not yet emerged from the North Tower. The thought of his family’s background made me bitter.

The male lead might not have a family, but he has his knights. Wouldn’t they be like a family to him? Even if they were looking for him relentlessly, we would not know.

“…”

I heard the chair scraping the floor.

Knox dashed over and grabbed my skirt tightly.

“…Don’t like it?”

“What?”

“I don’t like it.”

When the little boy raised his head to look at me, I froze unknowingly. I couldn’t think of anything to say to him. At that moment, Knox hugged me stubbornly.

Instead of an answer, I gave him a perplexed smile.

“Knox, do you want some candy? Ah… We still have the cookies that Diana made. I’ll go bring it here.”

As I lifted Knox and placed him on one of the chairs to run to the kitchen, my heart remained conflicted. I think I overstepped my boundaries by bringing up the topic of a home to Knox who was still sensitive. I felt apologetic to him.

Although I was afraid of adult Knox and chose my words carefully, it didn’t mean I wanted to hurt him. Because he was someone who had been hurt many times before.

I have to feed him some tasty food. Bitterly murmuring, as I opened the cupboard.

Clang.

A piercing sound rang in my ears as I grabbed the cupboard door. Immediately, I ran to Knox’s side.

“Knox!”

Knox was sitting in front of the table, deadly pale, holding a broken cup. I quickly grabbed Knox’s hands.

“Are you okay? Where did you get hurt?”

Knox’s gaze alternated between me and the broken cup. His face was white as a sheet. I felt his shaking hands in mine.

“…Amy.”

“Wait, you’re bleeding! I need to apply pressure. No, maybe a bandage?”

Pieces of glass were stuck to his hands. I immediately got up to find some herbs, but Knox grabbed me with trembling hands before I could leave.

“It doesn’t hurt.”

Anyone could tell from his face that he was hurting. However, I had no choice but to stop because of his murmur.

“It doesn’t hurt? You’re still bleeding.”

“It doesn’t hurt.”

Knox’s gaze shifted. He went back to staring blankly at his wounds. His innocent gaze seemed to insinuate that he couldn’t understand what was wrong.

“Lies.”

People can’t help but get hurt. But that didn’t mean they cannot become dull to pain.

I began talking with a stern frown.

“When it hurts, say it hurts. Don’t just hold it in.”

“…Hold it in?”

“Yes, that’s what you’re doing now.”

When he was a child, his father hit him until he became dull to the pain. Not only were his servants commanded to hit him, but his father also participated in the act.

The reason why Knox could not empathise with people’s emotions was because his father killed his feelings.

“It hurts when I get hurt, and you will hurt too.”
“…”

“It’s natural, Knox. Anyone can get hurt.”

As always, my gaze fell on his stick like wrists.

The young Knox may look gentle and innocent, but I could feel that something was out of place with him. This was the evidence of abuse he suffered from his father at such a young age. At the age he was in, his father must have just started with his abuse. But it was also when it was at its worst.

On which part of a little child’s body can you hit?

Knox, who was looking at his hands, raised his head slightly. The gaze he gave me was still clear but now, it seemed to be a little shaken as well.

“…So, birds get hurt too?”

“Yes, they get hurt.”

I immediately knew what bird Knox was referring to. He was referring to his father’s bird that he killed.

I noticed Knox was at a loss for words after hearing what I had said. No one had ever told him.

‘You can’t do this.’

‘It hurts when you get hurt.’

It was saddening and it felt lonely.

No one ever taught him even basic things. That was why he had the nickname ‘Mad Grand Duke’, and had such a cold and heartless gaze.

“…Knox, did you manage to remember something?”

He shook his head.

“It just suddenly came to my head.”

“The bird?”

He nodded his head.

Looking at the boy who was nodding his head, I covered his bloody palm with my sleeves.

“I see. Let’s patch you up.”

My white sleeves were splattered by what seemed to be red petals.

“Also, never forget, Knox. It hurts when you get hurt. Knox, me and even birds get hurt. Understand?”

…He nodded his head.

Even though he nodded his head and I said what had to be said. I still pitied Knox who still looked at his wounds so casually.

“Don’t touch your wounds. I’ll be back with bandages and some medicinal herbs.”

“Okay.”

I didn’t notice since I rushed to find bandages, but Knox was looking at me slightly differently.

***

“Looks like I got hurt.”

At night Knox said this as he raised his hands to inspect it. The bandages that I wrapped around the wounds had been stretched out but they did not seem to have broken thanks to their elasticity.

“Uh, don’t undress it. I put some medicinal herbs on it!”

“…”

My words stopped his hands from untying the bandage but then he slightly raised his eyebrows. I, who was just rushing towards him, was stuck sitting in front of him.

“I’ll dress it for you again if not it’ll be uncomfortable for you. Uh… then I’ll probably have to dress it again for you in the morning, right? It’s not good to dress it too often though…”

“Done.”

He said that as he undressed the bandages. The hand that had been struck by glass shards had not been magically healed so it was still going to be sore. But he looked indifferent.

“It’s still going to hurt though…”

“It doesn’t.”

“Is it because it became a habit of speaking? A speaking habit?”

“What?”

“No, I mean because both in the morning and at night, you keep saying ‘It doesn’t hurt’.”

I answered him with a sigh and a sullen look.

“It’s not as if you don’t feel pain. So how can it not hurt?”

I glanced at the bandaged hand.

“Without even knowing that if you just hold in the pain, you can get sick.”

How can he be so indifferent when he hurt his own hand?

He must have noticed what I was looking at because he snapped at me.

“I was not seriously injured nor am I seriously sick so this is not something I cannot hold in.”