SBTSML

twenty-five.

The next day Elisha and Allen visited Monstera Castle.

As soon as Elisha saw me, she came running and hugged me.

"Evelyn!"

"Why are you crying? If anyone sees you, they'd think I'm dead, but I'm alive."

Elisha looked with sullen eyes at my words.

My heart ached unconsciously when her pretty face was teary.

I quickly took out my handkerchief and wiped it around Elisha's eyes. Elisha burst into tears again and held my hand.

She looked as if she had been subjected to something sad.

Is hugging suddenly popular these days?

I widened my eyes because I was a little embarrassed since I was hugged by Cassis and Elisha as soon as they saw me.

A moment later, Elisha asked.

"Evelyn. Are you really okay now?"

I grinned and said to Elisha, who was being like a cuddly polar bear.

"I'm really okay. Now, look. See my muscles?"

I flexed my arm to show my strength.

It was a soft-skinned forearm, and there were no muscles, but it didn't matter.

That was all I could do to show that I was healthy.

Elisha murmured in a small voice.

"You should have had the brooch."

"What are you talking about? You'd have been hurt if you did."

"You were hurt instead.”

Elisha cried and burst into tears again.

I met Allen's eyes in a daze of embarrassment.

Allen laughed bitterly at me. The reaction was as somber as Elisha's.

Maybe he kept thinking about when I was left in the forest.

"Evelyn. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Was it Allen's fault? It's because I went in too deep and got lost."

"But I should have gone straight for you and find you. I was too complacent."

Allen replied in a subdued voice.

It's just that I was careless, but for Allen it wasn't.

His expression was clear with remorse.

It was a natural response since he failed to take care of someone younger than him, whom was like a sister.

But it was careless of me to trip over the root of a tree.

Besides, there was a beast in Mori Forest.

Allen must have been calm because he never would have thought that a beast would appear.

Then Elisha came out of my arms and snapped at Allen and said.

"That's right. It's my brother's fault."

"Yes. I'm the bad guy. I'm really ashamed of myself."

Allan's eyes were dimmer with Elisha's scolding.

He was so sad, to the point it seemed like he couldn't dig a tunnel to the core.

At this rate, it would not be surprising for the siblings to have a fight.

I began to mediate the situation with my arms crossed.

"In that case, the fault lies at the root of the tree. Because my foot stumbled over it."