TOOCM 31

Chapter 31

Aiden spoke politely. “So, I’m the one who should be asking you to take care of my lacking brother. He may not be good with words, but he’s warm at heart.”

“Talking behind my back?”

It was purely coincidental that Kaiden happened to visit the lab at that moment.

“B-Brother?”

Aiden flinched, stepping back as Kaiden barged in.

Having just been talking about him, Aiden looked particularly guilty.

Reina, too, looked at Kaiden with surprise, though she was also glad to see him. To think she’d run into him here, after he’d been gone since early morning.

Kaiden, perhaps fresh from a hunt, was wearing a thick fur coat. The coat was dusted with frost-like snow. It was clear he’d come straight here upon arrival.

At that moment, Reina caught a whiff of blood and approached Kaiden.

“You’re not hurt, are you?”

“Do I look like someone who’d get hurt?”

Kaiden snorted, and Aiden was taken aback.

He thought Kaiden’s curt response to her concern was harsh.

‘I’ve told him time and again to speak gently to women!’

Unable to hold back, Aiden was about to protest when Reina’s reply left him speechless for an entirely different reason.

“Then the other guy must’ve gotten hurt badly… Did they die?”

“They died and left their hide behind. I was hunting a bear. Ever tried bear meat?”

“No, but I’m curious.”

“I’ll have it served for dinner.”

“…What kind of conversation is this?”

Aiden, belatedly reacting, interjected with shock.

Kaiden was one thing, but for Reina to carry on this bizarre conversation so casually?

Anyone unaware of the context would be horrified.

Yet the two of them tilted their heads in unison, seemingly unbothered.

The near-synchronicity of their actions left Aiden dumbfounded.

“By the way, why’d you come here without washing up? Do you know how bad germs are for research?”

“Now you’re calling me a germ.”

Kaiden frowned and tossed something over.

He was already annoyed, having come to deliver it.

Aiden, catching it reflexively, lit up.

“Is this a snowfox pelt?”

“Yeah. You kept nagging about getting one for Dahlia, so I grabbed it on the way. And this is how you act?”

“Thank you, Brother! You’re one of a kind. The best, the best, the best!”

Aiden, who moments ago had been scolding, now fawned over him.

Then Kaiden turned to Reina.

“I’ve got something for you too.”

“For me?”

Reina’s eyes widened at the unexpected news.

She looked stunned that she had a share of the gifts.

Kaiden, observing her closely, muttered softly.

“Now that I think about it, the snowfox had that exact expression.”

“What kind of expression am I making?”

“Well…”

Kaiden chuckled, recalling the hunt.

Snowfoxes, with their white fur and vivid blue eyes, were a breed unique to the North.

Their pelts were a valuable commodity, a major source of income for the region.

Though he’d hunted them before, today the snowfox felt oddly different.

Its eyes, resembling Reina’s, had nearly made him miss his mark.

Recalling that moment, Kaiden said quietly.

“It looked at me with a dazed expression.”

“Dazed…”

Unaware of Reina’s shocked expression, Kaiden continued muttering.

“It reminded me of you, so I almost let it go.”

Reina was floored that Kaiden thought of her as dazed.

At the same time, she shivered at the thought of him killing a snowfox that resembled her in one go.

“…Did I do something wrong?”

As Reina flinched and stepped back, Kaiden burst into laughter.

He closed the distance she’d created in one stride and said.

“No?”

“…”

“You worry about the strangest things.”

“If it’s not that, then fine.”

Despite his gruff reply, Reina looked relieved.

It was a conversation that felt both intense and affectionate.

It seemed disconnected yet flowed naturally.

Aiden, watching it all, had a peculiar expression.

‘Did Brother ever make that face before?’

Kaiden seemed unusually unfamiliar today.

Not only was it surprising to see him joke, but seeing him talk at length with a woman was astonishing.

Kaiden wasn’t the type to tailor his conversation to others.

As a result, young ladies trying to win his favor often recoiled in dismay.

Of course, Reina was different from those ladies.

She deftly interpreted and responded to Kaiden’s blunt remarks.

Reina seemed to know exactly how to handle him.

‘They suit each other better than I thought.’

Aiden finally let go of his worries about the couple.

Seeing them together, it seemed unnecessary to worry.

In fact, he found it amusing to think Kaiden might have his hands full with her.

Aiden spoke up.

“By the way, I heard you’re going on a picnic with Dahlia to Seturn Hill this weekend.”

“Oh, yes. Dive recommended it since the plains and forest meet there, perfect for horseback riding.”

“Still, the snow hasn’t fully melted, so be careful not to fall. And there might be hungry beasts in the forest.”

“We’ll stick to safe areas, so no need to worry.”

Kaiden, who had been quietly listening, chimed in.

“Want me to come along?”

“Aren’t you busy?”

“You look like you want me to be busy.”

“I’m just worried you’ll ride off on your own.”

“Exactly, Sister-in-law. I’ve been through that plenty.”

At Aiden’s teasing, Kaiden’s face crumpled.

It irked him how well they clicked despite barely knowing each other.

It made him feel like the odd one out.

Kaiden, showing his irritation, said.

“I can’t go right away anyway. I’ve got business nearby. I’ll join you after.”

“Then I’ll prepare a lunch for you too.”

“You’re making it yourself?”

“I’d like to, but… I’ve never cooked.”

Though Kaiden hadn’t meant to criticize, Reina looked embarrassed, as if she’d committed a grave mistake.

She worried he might think her useless.

But since he’d asked without much thought, he said casually.

“Well, cooking’s no big deal. I can do it, so don’t worry about it.”

“You can cook?”

“Somewhat?”

As Kaiden downplayed it, Aiden jumped in.

“Brother’s meat stew at camp is phenomenal.”

“No way… You’re good at cooking too?”

Reina clapped, her eyes sparkling, and Aiden said proudly.

“Brother’s good at everything. I’ve rarely seen him fail at anything.”

Kaiden found the sudden shower of praise awkward.

“Ahem!”

Embarrassed, he cleared his throat, only to meet Reina’s twinkling eyes.

For some reason, his chest burned.

A strange, unsettling feeling stirred in his core.

Perhaps it was the sudden attention that made him uncomfortable.

As if finished with his errand, he said.

“Anyway, I’m off to wash up. Don’t want to be treated like a germ.”

As Kaiden hurried off, Aiden said to Reina.

“He’s shy.”

“He really is.”

As Reina agreed, Aiden looked at her closely.

She wore a faint smile, gazing at the spot Kaiden had left.