Chapter 9
While Ridan was assessing Siaphil, Siaphil was also cautiously watching Ridan.
‘How did those two get to know each other?’
What in the world had happened in the few days he had been away?
Siaphil closely observed the way Ridan treated Rebisia. He was anxious—could Ridan have sensed the same thing from her as he had?
‘Someone I didn’t even consider…’
While he was too busy watching out for Elibet to visit, he’d let someone completely unexpected discover Rebisia’s presence. Siaphil felt frustrated. Even if Elibet had found it suspicious, he should’ve visited Rebisia more often. If he had, she would never have met Ridan.
‘Because I would’ve stopped it.’
It was entirely his own negligence that had let this happen.
‘It was only a few days…’
And yet, the two of them seemed quite close. What had happened in just a few days to bring them together like that? They were standing unusually close, too.
‘I still keep at least three steps of distance, and yet—!’
A fire lit in Siaphil’s eyes.
“Rebisia, since when has our youngest started visiting here? I had no idea,” Ridan said, pointedly calling her name and provoking Siaphil.
Though it was an obvious provocation, Siaphil couldn’t laugh it off like he usually would.
‘I’ll have to show him.’
Adjusting his straw hat, Siaphil rolled up his sleeves. It was his chance to prove he was closer to Rebisia.
Even from an outsider’s perspective, the atmosphere between Ridan and Siaphil was strange. It wasn’t the warm dynamic of a beloved youngest and an affectionate older brother.
After a long exchange of heavy gazes, Siaphil was the first to turn to me with a bright smile.
“Sister, you’re setting up support stakes today?”
He pointed to the one stake I had just finished installing. How did he know what it was for? Before I could ask, he added,
“I was embarrassed after last time, so I studied a bit. I think I’ll be helpful today.”
“You don’t have to go that far…”
So he hadn’t stayed away because the farm work was too hard?
‘He even studied? Seriously?’
Even I hadn’t done that.
‘Farming is all about experience anyway…’
Just as I was justifying myself, Ridan spoke up too.
“I think I can help today as well.”
But hadn’t he just said earlier that he might only be a burden because he didn’t know anything?
The two of them then began grabbing stakes and driving them into the ground like it was a competition. The way they tied the cords wasn’t amateurish either.
‘What the…?’
With both of them helping, the job was done in no time. Once finished, they turned to me in unison.
“What should we do next?”
“What’s next?”
Then they looked at each other. They both smiled, but to me, something about those smiles felt off.
‘Their eyes…’
It felt like sparks could fly at any moment.
“Tell us anything, sister. We can handle it.”
“Just say the word, sister.”
It felt like they were pressuring me.
Installing the stakes had been all I planned to do today, but now I couldn’t just say that. Not with those intense stares.
“Um… then…”
Looking around in thought, I spotted a patch of weeds here and there. Perfect.
“Could you help pull up some weeds?”
Surely, nobles of such high standing wouldn’t stoop to weeding… or so I thought.
“Of course we’ll help, sister.”
“Absolutely. It’s not even that hard.”
Before I could even show them what to do, they were pulling weeds like mad. The pile of weeds around them grew rapidly, and I grew increasingly flustered.
Two members of the Craydon royal family, dirtying their clothes and sweating under the blazing sun to pull weeds? If the Fairy King who had granted them such power saw this, he’d be speechless.
If the emperor saw them, he might think he failed as a father. That thought made me wary too.
‘…Is this really okay?’
I glanced at Sheila, who silently gave me a thumbs-up. She looked genuinely pleased to have two extra workers.
Ah. I guess it’s okay then.
Ever since Ridan and Siaphil had their unexpected encounter at my residence, the two of them began visiting more frequently—as if they had agreed to it in advance.
They often came at the same time, and whenever they did, they’d bicker like now:
“Our youngest mustn’t neglect his daily studies.”
“I’m not neglecting them, Brother Ridan. I’m attending diligently.”
“Then how do you have time to come here every day, hmm?”
“I finish early because it’s all material I already know, brother.”
“To think our Siaphil is such a genius. I could cry tears of joy!”
Ridan kept teasing Siaphil, implying he was slacking off. Siaphil, with a gentle demeanor, responded smoothly—only to throw barbs right back.
“Brother Ridan, did you plant the new seedlings yet? You mistook them for weeds and pulled them up last time, didn’t you?”
“You’re still bringing that up? I already replanted them two days ago, you rascal.”
“Oh, did you? I’ve been forgetting things a lot lately, you see.”
“At your age, that’s a serious problem, little one.”
Yes, Ridan had mistaken seedlings for weeds and pulled them up that day. I’d been horrified when I noticed. After apologizing repeatedly, he brought new seedlings and planted them himself two days later.
‘Siaphil will never let him live that down.’
Siaphil smiled sweetly at Ridan’s discomfort. He was a mischievous little devil.
The more time I spent with them, the more I felt a disconnect from the Craydon I had read about in novels. There, the royal family was depicted as a dysfunctional mess beyond repair. But these two, squabbling over the smallest things, almost seemed like a real family.
As they visited more frequently, I found myself naturally sharing more personal stories. I even learned that Siaphil, despite pretending to be diligent, occasionally skipped lessons—and that Ridan often slept in the library for a very particular reason.
“My mother used to read books there all the time.”
Ridan shrugged as he spoke of his childhood.
“I’d go to the library with her, but I never read. I’d just fall asleep leaning against her.”
Classic Ridan. Just as I had that thought, my eyes met Siaphil’s. He seemed to be thinking the same thing.
He raised a finger to his lips, as if signaling to keep the story secret. Meanwhile, Ridan continued,
“It became a habit. I sleep so well whenever I go to the library.”
“…”
So his reason for going was completely unrelated to studying. I nodded, but then froze when Ridan suddenly asked,
“Speaking of our mother… Sister, didn’t she give you your middle name?”
He was right. Like all children absorbed into the imperial family and stripped of their original surnames, I had been given a middle name by my mother.
And that name was…
“White. How did you end up with a name like that?”
“I’m curious too, sister.”
The two of them looked at me with genuine interest.
Well. I opened my mouth, wondering how I ended up on this topic.
“It’s because of my hair color.”
“My hair color?”
Four eyes turned to look at my hair.
Yes, I’d gotten the ridiculous middle name “White” because of my white hair. You could say it reflected my mother’s… unique naming sense.
Their reactions were subtle—smiles, but clearly amused.
“It’s still pretty, sister.”
Why the “still” though? Ridan nodded along with Siaphil, then said:
“How about a nickname, then? Like… ‘Rabbity.’”
“…?”
“Rabbit White. A little white rabbit.”
I was immediately horrified, but that only made Ridan more delighted.
“Rabbity, Rabbity. Cute, right?”
He wouldn’t stop repeating the name he’d made up just to tease me.
“Don’t like it, sister?”
“Well… I…”
I gave up trying to respond and just nodded. Whatever. Let it be. But Siaphil suddenly looked a little sullen.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
He murmured in a strangely serious tone,
“Why was I born too late to call sister by name?”
“….”
Was he serious? He looked so crestfallen that—even knowing his future and his nature—he looked oddly adorable.
“This is a privilege of the elder-born, little one.”
Ridan wasted no time boasting again. But when Siaphil’s expression grew even gloomier, Ridan relented a little.
“Well, if it bothers you that much, just call her ‘Sister Rebisia.’”
Siaphil looked at me curiously.
“Is that really okay?”
“Uh, hmm…”
It was just a name, but somehow the thought made me feel all weird and awkward. After a brief moment of indecision, I nodded stiffly. I mean, someone was already calling me by a cutesy nickname—what’s a name?
“That’s fine.”
“I’m really happy, Sister Rebisia.”
Siaphil beamed brightly, genuinely overjoyed. Beside him, Ridan muttered,
“Feels like something got taken from me, but… oh well.”
Why did he feel like something was stolen when I was the one being called?
Despite having allowed it lightly, I couldn’t shake the heaviness in my heart.
‘Now that even my name is being used so casually… there’s no way I can just live quietly and disappear, is there…?’
Still, it’s just the two of them, so… it should be fine, right? It’ll be fine. …It has to be fine.
Even as I tried to reassure myself, I wasn’t quite sure.
