"Adrian."
Adrian had just returned to the Ravencrest estate when Blanca, who had apparently been waiting for him for nearly two hours, caught his arm and pulled him toward the main staircase.
"Blanca, what is it?" Adrian was slightly taken aback.
"Inside. Now." However Blanca instead of replying to him dragged him up the stairs, led him into her bedroom, and shut the door behind them. A sharp click followed as she turned the lock.
"Sit." She pointed toward the sofa in the center of the room.
Adrian raised an eyebrow but complied. Whatever had put his sister in this mood, it clearly wasn’t something she intended to discuss in the corridor.
Blanca sat beside him and immediately pulled him closer, guiding his head into her lap. Her fingers moved through his dark hair, gently combing through the strands as she had done countless times when they were younger.
For a few seconds, she said nothing. The warmth of her thighs through the silk was a soothing sensation that instantly made his tense body relax.
But then her expression hardened, "I stayed quiet because you asked me to." Her voice was calm, but the anger beneath it was unmistakable.
"You told me you would handle everything yourself. You said you didn’t want me interfering, so I listened. I waited, even when every part of me wanted to tear everyone who dared to laugh at you."
Her fingers stopped moving, "But I am done waiting."
Adrian turned in her lap and looked up at her.
"I heard what happened in the classroom today. The entire court is already talking about it. Every word Darius said in front of the princess, every insult he threw at you, every threat he made about Graveveil Forest. I know all of it."
Her crimson eyes narrowed.
"He stood there and spoke about your death as though it were something to celebrate. He called you a burden and claimed the beasts would be doing the family a favor by killing you."
Her hand tightened slightly in his hair.
"How dare he?" She took a slow breath, but it did little to calm her, "He is your elder brother. He should be protecting you, not standing in front of an entire classroom and hoping you die."
Blanca’s expression twisted with disgust, "No. He is not your brother. He is not my brother. If he cannot behave like family, then he doesn’t deserve to be treated like it."
Adrian watched her quietly.
He had expected this reaction. Blanca had always been fiercely protective of him, even before the Awakening Ceremony had turned him into the family’s most convenient target.
What he hadn’t expected was how quickly her anger had progressed from threats to an actual plan.
"Wherever that bastard goes, he always comes home for dinner," Blanca continued. "He eats in this house, drinks in this house, and sleeps under the protection of our family name."
A cold smile appeared on her face, "That makes things rather convenient."
Adrian’s expression changed slightly, "Blanca, what are you thinking?"
"I have a vial of Veinshatter Powder," She spoke as casually as though she were discussing an ordinary household remedy, "It has no taste. I can mix it into the wine he keeps in his rooms. The next time he pours himself a drink, that will be the last thing he ever does."
Her crimson eyes remained fixed on Adrian.
"He will die before he understands what happened. No witnesses, no obvious culprit, and no reason for anyone to suspect us."
Adrian stared at her. She wasn’t bluffing.
His sister was genuinely considering murdering their elder brother in his own home, and she had already begun planning how to conceal it.
Part of him found the sheer absurdity almost amusing.
Adrian reached up and caught Blanca’s wrist, stopping her restless fingers, "Don’t."
Blanca blinked, "I beg your pardon?"
"You heard me. You are not poisoning Darius." Adrian looked at his sister and smiled.
"But he threatened your life!" Blanca did not understand why Adrian would not let her just kill the root cause of all his troubles.
"But..."
"No!"
Blanca stared at him for several seconds, her expression hardening again.
"Fine. Then I will cut the straps on his saddle before his morning ride." She already had a backup ready.
"Blanca." Adrian called her out, raising his voice slightly.
"Or I could speak to Mother. You know she wouldn’t tolerate what he said. She could make sure he never threatens you again."
"No."
"Why not? Darius humiliated you in front of the entire class. He threatened you, Adrian. If Princess Isolde hadn’t intervened, he might actually have attacked you." Her fingers curled into fists. "Mother has every right to know what he’s been doing. Let her deal with him."
"Sister!" Adrian reached for her hand before she could speak. He slipped his fingers between hers and held them firmly, his thumb brushing over the back of her hand.
She glanced down at their joined hands, momentarily distracted.
"Listen to me," Adrian said quietly.
"I am listening." Blanca replied in a soft voice.
"No, you’re preparing your next argument." Adrian chuckled.
"Because you are being unreasonable!" Blanca puffed her cheeks, but despite her anger, she didn’t pull her hand away. Instead, she tightened her fingers around his.
Adrian’s expression softened.
He lifted his hand and gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. When another strand fell across her cheek, he brushed that aside as well, his fingertips lingering briefly near her temple.
Blanca fell silent.
She had spent the entire afternoon imagining ways to make Darius regret his words. She hadn’t expected Adrian to respond to her anger with such quiet tenderness.
"Sister," he said, "I know you are worried about me."
"Of course I am worried about you!" she replied immediately. "You are my little brother. Who else is supposed to look after you if I don’t?"
"I know."
"Then why are you making this so difficult?"
"Because I don’t want you getting into trouble on my behalf."
"I don’t care about that."
"I do."
His answer was simple, but it made her pause. Adrian gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
Blanca frowned, "So I am supposed to sit here and do nothing while he keeps threatening you?"
"For now, yes."
"Adrian!" Blance called out his name in a complaining tone.
He smiled faintly and brushed his thumb across her knuckles, "Let me take care of this one. I assure you, you will love it."
Blanca studied his face, searching for any sign that he was simply pretending to be brave. She could tolerate insults directed at herself. She could even tolerate the family’s endless internal squabbles. But watching Adrian suffer had always been different.
"What if he actually hurts you next time?" she asked, her voice quieter now. "What if I stand aside because you ask me to, and something happens to you?"
Adrian’s smile faded, Nothing will happen to me?"
"I can promise you that I am not going to let him do whatever he wants."
Blanca looked as though she wanted to argue again. Adrian gently tucked her hair behind her ear once more, then rested his hand against the side of her head for a brief moment.
"I am all right," he told her. "And I want you to stay out of trouble. Can you do that for me?"
Her lips pressed into a thin line, "You always do this."
"You..." Blanca tried to argue but when she looked at his amused expression, she only got more irritated, "Leave it. You never take me seriously."
A quiet laugh escaped Adrian.
Blanca tried to maintain her glare, but the corners of her mouth betrayed her. She gave his hand another squeeze before finally releasing a frustrated breath.
"I still don’t like it."
"I didn’t expect you to."
"If he threatens you again, I am stepping in. I don’t care what you say."
Adrian nodded. "If he actually tries to hurt me, we can discuss it."
"There will be no more discussion," Blanca huffed, then reached up and straightened the collar of his shirt, fussing over it despite there being nothing wrong with it.
For a few seconds, the tension between them eased. Blanca was still angry with Darius, and Adrian knew she hadn’t abandoned her plans entirely. But at least she had agreed not to act impulsively tonight.
That was enough for now.
After a while, She opened her mouth, and softly asked, "You really believe you can handle him?"
"Yes!" Adrian’s answer came without hesitation.
Blanca studied him for a long moment. She clearly wanted to ask how he was so sure? But something in his expression convinced her to hold the question back.
Instead, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him.
"Fine," she whispered. "I will listen to you."
"But understand something, little brother. I am agreeing because I trust you, not because I think Darius deserves another chance."
Adrian allowed the embrace for a moment before gently separating himself from her, "If you really want to help me, then do exactly what you have been doing. Nothing."
Blanca frowned, "That’s a terrible way to ask someone for help."
"Then consider it an order." Adrian gently patted her cheeks and replied.
Hearing his response, Blanca caught his hand before he could withdraw it. She stared at him and a reluctant smile appeared on her face, "You have certainly become more confident lately."
Adrian stood up and walked toward the door, "Perhaps I have finally learned that arguing with you is a waste of time."
"Brat." She raised her hand as though she intended to slap his shoulder, "You are getting more and more cheeky. Come back here!"
"Why? So you can lecture me for another two hours?"
"I haven’t even started!"
Adrian laughed as he unlocked the door. But instead of immediately leaving, he stopped on the threshold and glanced back over his shoulder.
Blanca was still sitting on the sofa, watching him with an expression that mixed affection with lingering concern.
His smile softened.
"Thank you, Sister."
Blanca blinked, caught off guard by the sudden sincerity.
"I owe you one."