The Hero’s Brother Is Bound To Be Depressed - Chapter 245



246 – Greed

「Synchronization rate 89%.」

When I opened my eyes and saw the message, I stared at it blankly for a moment, and then a cool hand gently stroked my cheek.

When I woke up in surprise at the sudden touch, I saw Estelle sitting on the chair next to the bed, looking at me blankly with her bare, maskless face. When I made eye contact with Estelle, I could feel the worry filled with purple eyes even though she did not say anything.

“I’m fine… ? There is no pain… ?”

Although we didn’t see her bare face often, Estelle looked very tired right now. His voice was quieter than usual. I think he was watching by my side until I woke up.

As I nodded slightly, Estelle pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, then slowly reached out and placed her hand on my forehead.

It felt like the heat from my forehead was being sucked away by a cool touch. It feels cool rather than bad. I closed my eyes for a moment without realizing it, but belatedly I opened them again, wondering why I was closing them.

“Ugh… .”

I let out a groan without realizing it. I don’t know when Estelle came right in front of me. Perhaps I was the only one aware that she was so close that their breaths were mixing, but Estelle was just looking straight into my eyes with worried eyes.

Estelle said, lowering her hand from her forehead.

“The color of your eyes… It seems a little dark. Would it be better to say that it has become darker? Anyway, things have changed.”

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“Eye color… ?”

“huh. “It was bright blue before, but now it’s a little bit darker blue?”

I was concerned about Estelle’s face taking up all of my field of vision, so I turned my eyes and looked around. I think it was probably a camp set up outside the dungeon. I raised my hand and pointed to the lamp tied to the ceiling.

“Maybe it’s the lighting?”

Although he said it was no big deal, Estelle answered with a serious face.

“… Assassins usually have good night vision. Through separate training, I am able to clearly distinguish colors in the dark even with just a little moonlight. “I especially like the eyes.”

If I say that much, I will run out of things to say. When I closed my mouth, Estelle, who was staring at me, returned her upper body.

“… I was worried. “I wonder if something went wrong.”

For some reason, I didn’t want to talk seriously with Estelle. She felt comfortable putting on her mask as usual and criticizing him as ‘an unruly pig!’ But I felt like it would only get more awkward if I tried to change the mood now, so I sighed softly and apologized.

“sorry. “I didn’t know it would turn out like this.”

As I scratched my head and spoke, Estelle pursed her lips.

“… fool.”

For some reason, Estelle’s eyes seemed to be filled with water. Is this also due to the lighting of the lamp? There was silence for a moment. Estelle’s gaze staring at me felt a little burdensome.

Estelle broke the silence and muttered softly in a watery voice.

“The term ‘common destiny’… “I meant it.”

I nodded at Estelle’s words.

“Of course, I’m also sincere.”

Estelle’s shoulders trembled slightly and she grabbed my hand, wondering if giving that answer was the wrong choice. We looked at each other in silence for a moment. I felt my cool hands becoming stained with the warmth of my own.

“… You almost died several times while you were with me. I was restricted from resisting the church, so I handed everything over to you… .”

I felt Estelle’s hand holding my hand gaining strength. Estelle, who seemed to be trying to swallow her tears, lowered her head and sniffed softly as she continued speaking.

“… This is not the shared fate I thought it would be. I am… Because it’s not helping Ross. “Only I am benefiting from it.”

Estelle’s watery eyes turned to me. As the saying goes, the eyes are the window to the heart, emotions such as regret and worry contained in those gazes were conveyed without filtering.

Only then was I able to get an answer to the question I had in my mind. The reason why I didn’t want to talk seriously with Estelle. That’s because I’ve lived my whole life as a coward who didn’t want to face anyone’s truth.

If you are not serious, you may ignore your sincerity. You can act like you didn’t hear or see. That’s why I’ve avoided being serious all these years. Estelle is not the only target. I was just afraid of the responsibility that comes with being in a relationship with someone. Yes, it is more appropriate to describe him as a child who has not yet grown up.

But in the face of Estelle’s sincerity, I couldn’t turn my back and pretend not to know again. As she said, we share a common destiny. I sincerely hope that she will be happy. In that case, I also have to face Estelle with all my heart.

I took a moment to catch my breath. Even though it is winter, I can feel the scent of spring. It’s Estelle’s scent. I spoke in a slightly lower voice than usual.

“You have no idea how much Estelle has helped me. “The reason Estelle came to Death Valley in the first place was because of my request.”

Estelle’s beautiful brow furrowed for a moment, as if she had taken my words as persuasion.

“… It is of no help in the most important work of the church. Even if Confsion attacks again… “I can only helplessly watch you get hurt.”

I found Estelle speaking weakly cute, so I smiled without realizing it. It feels like soothing an anxious child.

“I already knew. Why did we share a common destiny in the first place? “Isn’t it for the sake of common happiness and for each person to make up for the other person’s shortcomings?”

Estelle tried to refute something, but I continued speaking quickly. For some reason, the words came out smoothly without even thinking about it. Perhaps the true feelings for Estelle that were in his heart came out of his mouth?

“If Estelle hadn’t warned me, I would have died without being able to resist. “I almost died several times because of Estelle’s failure to help me, but my life was saved several times because of Estelle’s warning.”

At those words, Estelle smiled happily, slightly showing her teeth.

“Estelle is a great help to me. Rather, I was thinking that I was in debt. I’m the one who usually asks for things unilaterally. If you add the cost of life to that… Estelle is like a benefactor to me.”

When I thought about it, I wondered if I had ever sincerely thanked Estelle. Estelle usually complained and tried to sell things to her, so she never felt pressured to ask for something.

Maybe I was so obsessed with Estelle’s setting of Mesquiaki that I failed to see the consideration that went into it.

If you think about it, there was nothing negative about Estelle’s irritation and grumbling. Strangely enough, the belief that he would always listen to my request was entrenched in my heart.

“still… .”

As Estelle stubbornly refused to give up her depression, I raised the hands I was holding. Only then did I realize that I had been holding his hand all this time, so I belatedly shrugged his shoulders and tried to pull his hand away.

But I didn’t let my hand slip away. Instead, he put his hand between the fingers that were moving away and clasped them together.

Estelle took a deep breath, probably surprised by my actions.

To prevent Estelle from being buried in depression any longer, I spoke with a playful expression on purpose.

“I am honored that you have become my common destiny. Estelle.”

As Estelle hesitated and lowered her head to avoid eye contact, I gave a little strength to my clasped hands.

When Estelle slightly raised her head and gave a glance indicating that she was waiting for an answer, Estelle raised her voice a little.

“me too… “I feel fortunate that Ross is my shared destiny.”

After saying that and looking at me in silence for a moment, Estelle added.

“… “It was a really reasonable choice.”

Only then, seeing Estelle smiling, did I remove my clasped hands. Her warmth will be enough for her now.

When I got up from the bed, Estelle yawned. He looks tired as expected.

“How long have I been asleep?”

Still, this penalty had a relatively small amount of marbles. Estelle finished yawning and spread three fingers.

“Three days. “Lloyd said there was nothing wrong with his body, so we decided to wait at the camp until he woke up.”

I nodded and relaxed my stiff body. Estelle, who was dozing off into the bed where I was lying, asked in a low voice.

“Did you get the Spear of Shadow?”

That question reminded me of something I had forgotten. When I remembered the Spear of Shadow, what to do came to mind like an instinct.

With a confident attitude, I visualized the shadow window in my head. Then, the Spear of Shadow, with a design similar to the Spear of Destruction, materialized in my hand in an instant.

“and… thank god. “Now I can return to the capital.”

Estelle opened her eyes wide, leaning her head on the pillow as if she was a little surprised, then closed her eyes with a satisfied smile.

“… “Then I’ll get some sleep.”

As I saw Estelle saying that and pulling up the blanket up to her neck, I removed the window of shadow with my will and sat down on the chair next to the bed.

“Shall I sing you a lullaby?”

It was a joke made with Estelle in mind, but Estelle now had a bare face. Estelle answered in a half-asleep voice.

“… “Please do me a favor.”

I didn’t know that I was really going to sing a lullaby, so I looked at Estelle with a confused face. Estelle gently opened her closed eyes and smiled mischievously at me.

“I’m kidding… “Just stay by my side until I fall asleep.”

With a sigh of relief, I answered that I understood. After a while, Estelle’s even breathing began to be heard softly.

I looked at Estelle’s face as she fell asleep. Our relationship is not one of dependence. We’re just helping each other out. However, as time passes, the area of ​​relationships expands.

In a business relationship, it feels like we are family. The shortest, most adorable girl in the academy suddenly felt like a dependable older sister.

Me, who was born from a lie, and Estelle, who has to live with a lie. Is it because we are people with the same shortcomings that I feel a sense of kinship?

My first goal was the happiness of the members. However, I felt a desire to add Estelle to it as well. There is only one way to achieve your desire to increase in size.

“… “Let’s be strong.”

So that no one who is precious to me gets hurt.