Chapter 4
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I could only stare at the disembodied arm, my mouth hanging open.
Is this guy completely insane?
”Don’t be so scared, Liri,” the arm’s owner said, shaking a paper bag of cookies. “This big brother isn’t a bad person.”
The disembodied limb wiggling in the air looked like a scene straight out of a horror movie. What was this? This was terrifying!
”Lia-un—”
”Ah, ah, don’t call for Lia,” the voice pleaded, the arm waggling grotesquely. “I haven’t made up with her yet.”
Seriously, what was I looking at?
”I’d love to come all the way in, but Lia’s barrier is a bit too strong… Anyway, little one, don’t be scared. Could you just take this for me?”
”And why would I do that when I don’t know who you are…?” I mumbled in a terrified voice. Whoops, was that a bit too articulate for a child? I was too freaked out to care.
”I’m really not a bad person,” he insisted. “These are cookies. You like cookies. Therefore, we can be friends.”
”…”
That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.
I swallowed hard, staring at the pathetic-looking, disembodied arm. This had to be magic. And given that he knew Julianne, he was probably someone from her academy days. More importantly, there was that uniquely bizarre personality.
Instantly, one of the four male leads from the novel sprang to mind. The man known as the second-craziest student at Dellire Academy, a weirdo who, despite being Julianne’s polar opposite, was surprisingly close to her.
Alan Lowell.
He’s even more of a maniac in person. I let out a sigh and turned on my heel. My sister told me not to even breathe the same air as strange men.
”Wait, Liri!” a desperate voice called from behind me, sounding as pitiful as a lover begging someone not to leave.
And how the heck does he know my nickname, anyway?
I picked up my pace, hurrying out of the garden.
Sorry, buddy. You’re disqualified, no questions asked.
”I’m sorry, Julianne. It’s my fault for not stopping Lowell properly,” a man with light blond hair and green eyes similar to Julianne’s said politely.
I swung my legs back and forth, studying the man before me. He had an impressive build, a calm yet somehow cool demeanor, and a refined way of speaking. There was only one character with that specific set of traits.
Cedric Royston.
”Cedric, did you bring him here?” Julianne asked, her voice noticeably frosty. Oh, I knew my sister could be firm—it was part of her character description—but I hadn’t expected her to be this cold, especially in front of me.
My attention, however, was quickly stolen by the delicious-looking cookies now sitting on the table. They were the very same ones the maniac with the disembodied arm had offered me.
Since Cedric had referred to him as ‘Lowell,’ my guess had been correct. That weirdo was Alan. I nodded to myself, glancing at him. His appearance alone practically screamed, ‘I am Alan Lowell!’ That ethereal silver-blue hair and those mischievous blue eyes… In the novel, he had been my favorite.
Not anymore. A maniac is only entertaining when he’s safely behind the pages of a book. In real life, he was just one step away from being a criminal.
But that wasn’t important right now.
I tore my gaze from Alan and focused on the cookies. After being forced to eat things like carrot cookies at home, these bakery-made treats were making my mouth water. The weirdo may be guilty, but the cookies were innocent. Therefore, it was my duty to eat them.
”Liri, only five,” Julianne said sternly, just as I reached for one.
You don’t have to worry about this, Sis. I nodded obediently, my gaze shifting between Alan, who was grinning foolishly, and Cedric, who looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole. They really were polar opposites. How did they even end up coming here together?
”You’re even cuter up close, Liri,” Alan cooed.
”And how, exactly, do you know my sister’s nickname, Alan?” Julianne asked, wrapping a protective arm around me.
”Oh, I’ve heard it here and there. I’ve seen you two playing together. It’s quite fun to watch.”
How did he hear or see that? I tilted my head. Come to think of it, when he was just an arm in a wall, he spoke as if he could see my every move. So he’s a mage. Of course, my Julianne is far more impressive, I thought, leaning my head against her arm.
The novel never specified if Lilianne had any magical abilities, but Julianne, thanks to her family’s unique constitution, could wield high-level magic. From what I’d overheard, it was Julianne herself who maintained the powerful barrier around the mansion. She was amazing. A true female lead buff.
”Your little sister is adorable,” Alan gushed, staring intently at me.
Dude, you came to see Julianne. Why are you staring at me? His intense gaze was making me uncomfortable, and I burrowed deeper into my sister’s side. The cookies are delicious, but I still don’t like you. You, sir, will sadly not be joining us on this journey.
”Anyway,” Alan said, finally shifting his gaze to Julianne. “I truly came here today to apologize.”
At the same time, Cedric let out a sigh that sounded almost mechanical. It seemed this was a familiar routine: Alan causes trouble, Julianne gets angry, and Cedric comes to mediate. I vaguely recalled a few similar incidents in the novel. It really was a miracle that Julianne and Alan ever became friends.
”An apology for what?” Julianne shot back, her tone still frigid. Just what had he done to make her this angry?
I reached out and picked up another cookie. Only three left. Three… Five was too cruel to begin with. There are at least ten different kinds here.
”Back then,” Alan began, his voice suddenly serious, a stark contrast to his earlier demeanor. “You asked if I could examine Liri, and I failed to answer you. I’m sorry I disappeared without a word.”
His apology was so sincere that both Julianne and Cedric looked at him in surprise.
Right. I remembered now. This sudden gap between his playful and serious sides was what I’d liked so much about him in the novel.
I chewed my cookie thoughtfully. So, when the original Lilianne was sick, Julianne had asked Alan for help. This was new information, a detail never revealed in the book. Now that I thought about it, Alan Lowell’s specialty was healing magic. Disappearing without a word at a time like that? Julianne had every right to be furious. She must have trusted her friend completely.
A thought crossed my mind. If Alan had treated her back then, would I have ever possessed Lilianne’s body?
Hmm, who knows. Better just eat my cookie.
”So, why did you do it?” Julianne asked, her anger softening slightly.
Alan immediately put on a deeply wronged expression. Ha, he’s just like me. He knows how to use his face.
”A small skirmish broke out on the border,” he explained. “They were short on healing mages, so I was dispatched urgently.”
”You could have sent a letter, Alan.”
”I was so busy, I didn’t even think…” he trailed off, scratching his head with an awkward smile.
No matter how busy you are, not even a single letter? That’s inexcusable. Shaking my head, I decided he was definitely out. As I did, my eyes met Cedric’s. He seemed to have been watching me the whole time.
He was definitely the most handsome of the bunch, right up my alley. I gave him a bright smile.
Of course, my personal taste is irrelevant. I had to find the person who would suit my sister best, someone who could make her the happiest. And if no one was good enough, then she could just live with me!
With that in mind, I needed to figure out Cedric’s personality. I’d focused so heavily on the Lobein plotline in the novel that my memory of Cedric was fuzzy. Was he prickly? Was he kind? I could remember Michael and Alan clearly, but he was a blank. Well, I’d find out eventually. He was a male lead candidate, after all.
”So, about that, Julianne,” Alan said, breaking into my thoughts. “As a token of my apology, I’d like to come here occasionally to give Liri a check-up. And play with her, of course.” He finished with a dazzling smile. She doesn’t look fully recovered yet.
One after another, these guys were masters of making excuses to stick around.
I raised an eyebrow and looked at Cedric. Alright, your turn. What flimsy excuse are you going to use to wiggle your way in here?
”…I,” he began, his soft voice filling the room.
And just like that, I remembered his character description. The reason I couldn’t recall anything significant about Cedric was because…
”N-Now that I’ve confirmed you’re doing well, I’m content.”
…his personality wasn’t just proper, it was painfully shy.
In other words, despite being a male lead candidate, he was a character with very little presence. He was surprisingly popular with readers who liked the “demure male lead” trope, but he wasn’t my type, so I’d always just skimmed over his parts.
But seeing him in person now… he seemed… kind of nice.
”…Fine, Alan,” Julianne finally conceded with a prim sniff. “I’ll accept your apology in exchange for regular check-ups for Liri.”
A brilliant smile bloomed on Alan Lowell’s face.
No, sis, isn’t the quiet one next to him a better choice? I thought frantically. He’d be perfect for a workaholic like you! Though, I had to admit, his timidness wasn’t really my style. It would be nice if he could at least state his own opinion clearly.
Having made up my mind, I spoke up. “Cedric-oppa.”
Three pairs of eyes immediately snapped to me. Julianne looked particularly surprised, probably because it was the first time she’d heard me call someone ‘oppa’. I had called both Lobein and Michael ‘mister,’ so hearing me use a more endearing term for Cedric must have been strange.
I looked straight at him and gave him my prettiest smile.
”Please come visit again soon.”
Don’t worry, you poor, pitiful man.
I shall graciously bestow upon you a chance.