“Ugh, put me down!”
Regina, who found herself in Lucas’s arms, struggled as if trying to break free from him.
“Let’s hug one last time, okay?”
Knowing that if he really put her down now, she’d be upset, Lucas soothed her with a gentle voice.
“Sigh, I’ll let you off because I’m kind.”
Pretending to give in, Regina buried her face in his broad shoulder as if trying to hide her twitching lips. Then she hugged him tightly with both arms. As the warm and cozy body heat seeped in, her eyes stung for no reason.
Although it had been a recurring event for the past few years and she should have been used to it by now, the moment of parting was always sad. Regina swallowed the lump in her throat and nuzzled her forehead like a puppy cuddling its owner. She wanted to see Lucas off with a smile so his heart wouldn’t be heavy, but today it was particularly hard to say goodbye.
“Now, you should say goodbye to the Major too.”
After sharing warmth with Regina for a moment, Lucas sat her back in the wheelchair. He then stepped aside slightly so she could greet Iberis.
“Regina.”
“Iberis oppa…”
Regina spread her arms towards Iberis. However, instead of hugging her, he awkwardly knelt on one knee. Then he carefully held Regina’s hand.
“Let’s meet again next time.”
“We will be able to see each other again, right?”
“Of course. When work gets less busy, I’ll come visit with Lucas.”
“Promise!”
“Yes, promise.”
“I can’t trust just words, so let’s pinky swear! And seal it too!”
“Alright.”
Iberis smiled with his eyes as Regina held out her pinky finger to him. Looking at this, she really was Lucas’s sister without a doubt. Their actions and way of speaking were strangely similar. Especially, the personality of pushing forward relentlessly and somehow achieving what they want was most alike.
Iberis gently hooked his finger with hers and looked at her with curious eyes. For him, who was born and raised as an only child, it was interesting in many ways.
“Thank you, Regina. I owe you too great a debt.”
Iberis added hesitantly after firmly pressing his thumb against hers. He couldn’t thank Regina enough.
“Aack, stop! No more thank yous! How many times is this now!”
Regina screamed “Aack!” as Iberis expressed his gratitude to her once again. It was something she had heard ad nauseam since last night.
“Saying thanks should only be once or twice… If you’re grateful to me, contact me often! That’s how you can repay me!”
“Hmm, every day might be difficult, but I’ll try.”
“Hmm, okay. I know you’re busy, so I’ll settle for twice a week. Because I’m generous.”
Regina made a small snort and grinned. If she had her way, she’d want to be in touch once a day, but knowing he could be deployed for rift attacks or monster subjugation operations at any time, she decided to be understanding.
“Twice… Alright. Even if calls are difficult, I’ll reply to messages even if it’s late, so feel free to contact me anytime.”
“If you say that, I might send messages every day, you know?”
“That’s fine too. Well then…”
“Ah, wait a moment!”
Regina hurriedly grabbed Iberis’s clothes as he was about to stand up. She still had something she wanted to say.
“Hmm?”
“Since it’s the last time… let’s hug!”
“Hug?”
“Yes!”
Regina answered with sparkling eyes. Being perceptive, she already knew that Iberis avoided physical contact. Even just now, when she spread her arms, he only gently held her hand instead of hugging her.
At first, she thought it was because he felt awkward, but after observing him for the past two days, she realized there was another reason. From what he said when he caught her falling in the library, and when they walked in the garden together yesterday, Iberis seemed to fear touching someone itself. As if something terrible would happen if he did.
So this morning, she poked Thomas in the side and asked him about it. And she learned about Iberis’s unique physical condition. Then all of his behavior up until now made sense.
But just because she understood didn’t mean she was going to give up on physical contact with Iberis. She had a personality where she had to do what she wanted to do.
“Hurry up!”
“Uh… Regina. As you know, my body is very cold. You’ll feel cold if we hug.”
“Oh, I can endure it for a short while. And I’m warm, so it’s okay!”
“Umm…”
Iberis hesitated with a troubled expression at Regina’s urging. Then he sent a look to Lucas asking for help.
“Go ahead, she wants it so much.”
“But…”
“It should be fine for a moment. You’ve gotten much better now, haven’t you?”
Lucas smiled reassuringly at the hesitant Iberis.
“Is that so…?”
Iberis trailed off, surprised by the unexpected approval for a hug. As Lucas said, with the improvement of various indicators, the cold aura emanating from his body had significantly diminished. However, the countless rejections he had experienced from people were so deeply ingrained in him that he couldn’t easily muster the courage.
“Lucas oppa says it’s okay too! Come on!”
Regina, frustrated by Iberis’s hesitation, grunted and stood up.
“Dangerous…”
“If you don’t want me to fall, hurry and hug me!”
As Regina stood up in place and reached out towards him, Iberis quickly moved to support her.
“Got you!”
Regina’s eyes sparkled as she seized the opportunity and hugged Iberis tightly.
“Are you okay…? Not too cold?”
Iberis’s body stiffened at the sudden action. He neither pushed Regina away nor hugged her back, his fingers twitching nervously.
“What? Oppa, your body isn’t cold at all! It’s pleasantly cool!”
Regina looked up at Iberis with a bright smile. While she could feel a cool sensation, it wasn’t unbearable.
“That’s a relief…”
Finally at ease, Iberis sighed in relief. Contrary to his worries, her face showed no signs of discomfort. Encouraged, he awkwardly hugged Regina back. It had been a very long time since he had hugged anyone other than Lucas.
“Hehe.”
Having achieved her goal, Regina grinned with a relaxed expression. As she did so, she tightened her arms around him and slightly raised her head. There was something she really wanted to tell him.
“Please take good care of our oppa.”
Regina whispered in a very low voice, audible only to Iberis.
“Huh?”
“I treated you, Major, not just because you’re handsome, cool, pretty, and cute… but also for our oppa’s sake.”
Regina glanced at Lucas from the corner of her eye and whispered shyly.
“It’s been so long since I’ve seen oppa looking happy… I thought, he really likes you a lot.”
Regina continued speaking softly with a gentle smile. The Lucas she remembered from her childhood was a boy more cheerful and mischievous than anyone. Her kind and pleasant brother’s face was always full of laughter.
However, after the incident 12 years ago, Lucas changed completely. His face, which had lost its vitality like a withered flower, was as dark as if covered with storm clouds, and his eyes, devoid of light, were incredibly dull.
His lips, which always curved into a smile, were tightly pressed into a straight line as if they had forgotten how to smile. Regina was deeply saddened by how Lucas had changed to become like a different person.
She had hoped that things would get better with time, but her wish didn’t come true. Lucas became more sensitive as days passed. His expression became more desolate day by day, and he noticeably spoke less. He was a bit better when dealing with Regina, but he was excessively cold to others.
His attitude of rejecting others worsened after he joined the Defense Force. Seeing Lucas becoming increasingly withered every time they met after a long while was a great pain for Regina. She was upset that there was nothing she could do for her brother who was tired of his difficult life.
But this time, she felt a much softer atmosphere from Lucas. Warmth and expression had returned to his dry and blunt face. His eyes, which had regained their light, sparkled beautifully like sunlight, and his lips, carrying a faint smile, were consistently curved gently. His once gloomy and dull face now had a fresh, healthy glow.
Regina easily noticed that Lucas’s change was thanks to Iberis. She couldn’t miss it, given how Lucas’s eyes were full of affection when looking at Iberis. His attitude and tone when dealing with him were the same.
That’s why Regina was able to open her heart to Iberis so quickly. After all, he had accomplished what even she couldn’t do for over 10 years.
And she realized. For Lucas to be happy, Iberis was absolutely necessary.
That’s why she pushed herself to treat him. For the two of them to stay together for a long time without parting, Iberis needed to be healthy.
“Thank you for bringing the smile back to our oppa.”
Regina conveyed her gratitude to Iberis with all her heart. He had said he owed her a great debt, but in reality, it was the opposite. She was the one who had received a favor that couldn’t be repaid even over a lifetime.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
