"Yes."
"Yes, I'll do whatever you need me to."
Standing beside Lucian, the boy I saved from the Imperial Prince, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of worry about how obediently he responded to my older brother. I'd never seen anyone so dedicated to a mission. It was a level of commitment that seemed almost... unnatural.
"What's wrong, Lykon? Is something on your mind?" My brother's voice broke through my thoughts, drawing my attention back to him.
I shook my head and avoided his gaze. "No, nothing," I replied, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment. I knew he could sense when something was off with me, and I didn't want him to pry.
How did these two meet? And that mark on Lucian's left cheek, the one shaped like a crown... It's a symbol of a contract. I couldn't understand how my brother knew Lucian was an Alice user, and why would it be etched into his face? The Imperial Kingdom wouldn't take kindly to someone carrying that mark so openly. It raised too many questions.
"There's a report that students are disappearing from school grounds. It's a government-run institution, but the students who go missing are mostly middle-class or lower-born. The aristocrats and nobles are untouched, which means the school only targets those who can't defend themselves," my brother explained, holding a stack of reports in his hand.
"They're targeting those who have no voice, those who can't protect themselves," I added, feeling a surge of anger at the injustice.
"Exactly."
"We can't let this continue. With the help of our new member, you and Lucian will go on an investigation."
"Investigation? But we're not students. How can we blend in?" I asked, trying to wrap my head around this new mission.
"Don't worry. I've arranged everything you'll need. For now, why don't you give our new member a tour of the manor? I found him earlier, wandering around our little palace."
***
I walked ahead of Lucian, the boy my brother had commanded me to save. Each step echoed in the long corridors, the sound almost eerie in the vast emptiness. My brother probably saw value in Lucian because he was an Alice user, but what else? I never expected this level of loyalty from him.
I clenched my fists. I had planned to form a contract with Lucian myself, but he disappeared from his room before I could make my move. He wandered off while I was busy with something else, and by the time I returned, my brother had already sealed the deal.
"This place... is big..." Lucian muttered, breaking the silence. I turned back to see him gazing toward the flower garden. His expression was solemn, his smile almost melancholic. It was as if he carried a burden he couldn't share with anyone.
I walked back to him, closing the distance between us. "I wonder why I was spared," he said, lowering his head to look at his hands. "Is it because you people need something from me?"
"About the contract," I replied, feeling uneasy. "Why did you agree to form a contract with my brother?"
"What contract are you talking about?" Lucian's response was genuine confusion, which only deepened my suspicions. Was he playing dumb, or did he truly not know?
"That mark on your face, that's a contract," I pointed to the left side of his cheek where the crown-shaped mark was.
"Huh?" He seemed genuinely perplexed.
I moved closer and touched the mark, but as I did, I noticed his reaction—he blushed, his cheeks turning a shade of pink. It wasn't just embarrassment; he seemed genuinely flustered.
I pulled back, puzzled. "You can't see the mark?" I asked, trying to understand what was happening.
He shook his head slowly, his face still flushed. "No," he replied.
"Perhaps a mirror would help," I said, reaching into my pocket for a small mirror I kept in my wallet. I handed it to him, and he carefully opened it. He rubbed his cheek, his expression showing confusion. He didn't see anything.
"You really don't see it?" I asked again, just to be sure.
"No. What exactly do you see? Can you describe it to me?" he asked, his tone genuinely curious.
I hesitated. Should I tell him? Was it wise to reveal this to someone who might not even understand what it meant? "It's a small red crown," I said, describing the mark.
Lucian kept rubbing his cheek, but he didn't seem to find anything. "I don't see it," he replied, handing back the mirror.
"If you don't see it, then... let's just forget I mentioned it," I said, trying to downplay the situation. He nodded, seemingly fine with ignoring the matter.
It was strange how calm he was, accepting things without question. He continued walking, but before he got too far, I called out to him. "Why are you so obedient to my brother? Did you two make an agreement?"
Lucian turned to me with a slow, curved smile. "I just feel like it," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly.
What kind of answer was that?
"He's going to be a student?" I repeated, standing in front of my brother's desk.
"That's right," he confirmed. "Lucian will be a student, and you'll be a substitute professor."
"But isn't Lucian still wanted by the Imperial Kingdom? They're still looking for him," I replied, my worry evident in my voice.
"Lykon, have you forgotten that I'm your brother? I've taken care of that. Besides, having white hair isn't normal for someone of his class. What if we dye it blonde?" he suggested.
"Blonde? Like yours and Klein's?" I asked, surprised.
"Exactly." My brother nodded with a cheeky grin.
"That's ridiculous. Make it black like mine," I insisted.
My brother shot me a glare, but I didn't back down. "What did you just say?" he challenged.
"Uh, please don't fight," Lucian interjected, his expression confused.
In the end, Lucian's hair was dyed black, just like mine. My brother rubbed his temples in frustration. "I can never win with my sister," he muttered with a sheepish grin.
"Let's be serious now," I said, returning to the matter at hand. "We need to save those missing students. No matter what it takes."
"Understood," Lucian and I replied in unison.
My brother nodded, pleased with our response, but I could tell that something was still troubling him. What had made Lucian so submissive? What was really going on between my brother and this strange boy?
The mysteries kept piling up, and I knew we hadn't seen the last of them. But one thing was clear—we had to solve the case of the missing students, and we'd do it together.