Chapter 6
'Yes!' Oliver was overjoyed as he finally received the notification.
[Binding… 1%… 69%… 100%… Successful!]
[Nadia Mystic is now the target.]
'Finally!' Oliver mentally exclaimed as he led his cold sister to his hideout.
He felt Nadia was too intelligent for her age and too stern. She needed to relax, or she would really grow up to be a killing machine.
If possible, he would like to avoid such a dark future for her.
He could see in her that she was born with plenty of emotions; it was just that her parents and upbringing had managed to kill off her emotions.
He knew that he could not tamper with the plot too much. All he could do was let her experience some joy that she won't forget and have a soft spot in her heart.
Oliver led her to a place covered by willow trees. The land was cushioned by soft green grass, and sunlight filtered through the gaps between the trees, making a serene mix of light and shadows.
Occasional relaxing winds breezed through the trees, making the leaves rustle and keeping the spot warm and relaxing. It was truly a wondrous spot that had somehow come under his courtyard accidentally.
Nadia was flabbergasted; her eyes trembled for some reason.
The spot was simple yet exquisitely beautiful and peaceful to her. Her heart, which had been tense since forever, always under an invisible burden, suddenly relaxed.
"Ah…" She could not help but let out a sound. She was at a loss for words. She wanted to express something but didn't know how to.
For the past years, all she had done was train herself and study. She never knew about appreciating nature or taking a break.
And it was understandable since she was the hope of her clan's future, and the world was under threat from vicious demons that she needed to exorcise.
She didn't have time for such silly things. Yet here she was now, a strong feeling of unwillingness surged in her heart as she saw the calm nature.
As her eyes moved to the center, she looked at him, Oliver, a boy who suddenly barged into her daily life, claiming to be her unknown brother from the same mother.
She bit her lip and stopped herself from moistening her eyes at the moment. Crying was something only weak people would do.
She had once cried but was scolded by her mother, and after that, her memories were a bit blurry. She could not remember the reason she had cried that time and what had happened afterward.
But one thing she was sure of was that she never shed a tear after that.
So why was she like this now?
There was nothing to cry about here…
It was just a normal place with some ordinary trees and a common sibling of hers. She had many siblings and had seen many expensive artworks… then why…
Why did she feel like crying now…?
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Tears fell from her eyes unintentionally. She felt her willpower was not enough to stop them.
"Uh? Are you crying?"
Oliver was busy admiring the place. When he saw her shedding tears, he felt awkward. He was never good when it came to dealing with children…
In fact, he didn't even know what he had done to make this strong girl suddenly cry. In the novel, it was mentioned that she had been extremely strong-willed since childhood, and to think she could also cry.
"No… I am not… crying…" She shook her head as she hurriedly wiped her tears only for more to keep coming.
Oliver felt a pang of sympathy, so he tried to console her in the way he considered good for a child.
Patting her back, he said, "Hey, don't feel sad, okay? You can always come here if you like this place."
He didn't say too much, just a few words, and rubbed her back.
Soon enough, she composed herself. All that remained on her face was a heavy blush and some embarrassment.
After a moment of silence, Oliver thought of something and said to her,
"What do you think of this place?"
"Okay." She calmly replied, gaining back her composure with a light blush.
"Oh, I don't have any toys to play with… what should I do…?"
He suddenly remembered that he never bothered asking for anything from his parents or maids, knowing he would be rejected. Not that he wanted any toys considering he was an adult inside.
"No need. I don't care for such things." She rejected the very notion herself.
If anything, she would prefer to duel with him.
'But…'
Glancing at his frail body and undeveloped muscles, she knew he was not fit for any sort of combat.
'Too weak.'
She could not believe that a child of the main lineage of her clan was this weak. All her siblings were quite good, although not at her level but still at a decent level for their age.
So, why was he like this?
There were too many unknowns about him.
"Hey?"
Oliver was taken aback. He forgot for a moment that she was still that Nadia from the novel, even though she had just cried like a little girl.
But he felt it would be quite wasteful after coming this far and letting her leave already.
'I need to build a good relationship with her. In the future, I could reap some extra benefits this way. Plus…' He thought as he looked at her once again cold expression.
'She's too pitiful.'
He could not help but feel that she was quite alone. From the novel, he could tell that she had always been alone in her life.
Always on guard against others, even against her own family members, ready for battle to the death, vicious schemes, politics, demons, and whatnot.
He didn't know if he as an adult felt that their parents had failed in their job in raising their kids.
It was quite ironic how the two considered each other pitiful in their own way...