The Count Family's Young Master
Chapter 4 - Small smile (1)

"O-Oh..."

Dina felt the wooden sword that Valias had just handed to her. "The texture is still rough because it has not been smoothed. You can ask people to smooth it." Valias says.

"Sister.."

Dina was wondering if she could tell her heart or not.

"Dina. You don't have to be nervous about me anymore. Justsaytheword. If someone has something to say, then that person has to say it."

Valias heard the advice from one of his lecturers. Now he said that to Dina.

Dina, hearing her brother's words, obtained an invasion of courage to speak her mind.

"A, would you like to help me refine it?"

"Me?"

"I-yes. Brother made this for me. I don't want anyone to interfere with it."

.....Fouled it?

Valias was almost dumbfounded by the words Dina had chosen. "certain."

"Thank you brother!"

Dina looked at her brother's face. Valias hasn't changed her little smile yet. "You still want to be here? Or is there something you should do?"

"I'll sort this out. You can rest."

Valias nodded in understanding. He was about to awaken his body, but dizziness struck his head. Making his gaze darken a little and making him almost lose his balance.

"Sister!" Dina suddenly woke up. Panicked that her brother was going to fall. But the corner of his eye caught the sighting of someone running over a bush and grabbing his brother's staggered body.

Valias manages to maintain his balance despite looking clumsy. His view is still a bit dark. He tried to explain his vision by focusing his eyes on one corner of the garden.

Without him noticing a pair of hands were attached on either side of his arm.

What is this body weak? Valias, oh Valias.

His body was previously quite tall, had enough muscle, and good endurance. The last time he got sick was when his father was still around. From then on he had to work to earn money and from there his body became stronger and quite trained.

Valias' body is inversely proportional to his body.

Low blood, is it? Gosh darn.

"Sister.."

Valias tried to look at Dina. The view is still rather dark and saggy. But he could still see Dina's worried face.

Valias shook his head slowly and forced a small smile. "It's nothing."

"I'll have the waiter prepare tea."

A voice appeared beside him. This time it was not Dina's little voice. But lower. The voice of the boy. Valias has heard the voice of this child. "Daniel?"

Danial did not answer. Her eyes that were lower than Valias required her to look up slightly to scrutinize her brother's face.

Pale.

His older brother Valias Bardev always had pale skin. It was as if he was a puppet that had no blood. Sometimes Danial was confused as to why he had never seen Valias with the state of the face and body that showed as if he could faint at any time.

Danial had gone to see his father to ask about the documents he had just worked on. As it passed through the park, he had thought of seeing if Dina was there or not. And then shocked by her brother's whereabouts, sitting in front of Dina.

From that angle Danial could only look at her brother's back and Dina's expression that changed from nervous to happy.

How long have they been sitting together like that...

Danial pondered whether he needed to bring himself up in front of Valias or not. It was then that he saw Valias standing and staggering.

Danials deal with documents more often than training their bodies. But he still has enough agility. He easily reached for her brother's body, and, for the first time, touched her brother's body. He was so thin and frail in both hands.

Seriously? I just made two kids much younger than me worry? About me?

Valias never accepted the concerns of others towards him. And he felt it was unnecessary. He always felt that he was fine even with a scratch and bruise from his uncle's rampage.

Receiving the worried look of the two teenagers, coupled with the condition that was happening to his current body, he felt strange.

The dizziness has started to decrease.

But too long.

Feeling frustrated Valias touched his forehead and closed his eyes.

"K-Sister.. The waiter!" exclamation Dina. Valias was greeted by hearing some footsteps approaching.

"No. Not necessary. It's nothing." It's frustrating.

Valias doesn't know. That his words made the people around him assume that it was common to him.

Dina almost cried again.

Is he sick?

Danial thought that it was Valias' pain that caused him to be so pale and experience such dizziness.

"Help my brother into his room."

"No. Not necessary. Ow.."

Her brother's response has not changed. Danial was anxious and finally angry. "No need how? You think we can't just worry? I don't know how sad I felt all this time. If you suddenly leave.."

Danial recalls feeling worried about how she felt when she heard her brother nosebleed and shed a lot of blood but still refused to get treatment. Not only refused, her brother just threw away and threw things at the healer that their father called for her. Although her brother never did that to her, her father and her mother and sister.

Valias never touched them. Never hurt them. Valias only hurt them by making them worry about him.

Danial used to worry about his brother like his father, mother and sister. But over time, he thought maybe his brother would feel uncomfortable with the feelings of worry directed at him. Slowly, Danial's heart hardened. Sometimes, rather than being sad and anxious, Danial prefers to turn it into anger.

And with a personality that has changed slightly with age, Danial finally showed his concern for Valias. It's just being crushed by anger.

While Valias was actually astonished by Danial.

So is he actually worried about me or angry at me?

The lack of interaction with people makes Valias sometimes difficult to understand the behavior of people.

He was angry because I was bothering him.

Valias said that to find safety.

All speechless. The servants were shocked to hear the voice of their young master who had never spoken for the first time. Weak, soft, and sincere. Coupled with that pale face with frowning forehead, it made them feel pity and felt a soft side that was revealed to their young master.

Dina was too busy with her tears and did not hear Valias' words.

While Danial, the person who was the purpose of the sentence, felt his body stiff. His heart became cold. Too shocked to hear her brother's voice apologizing to her.

She did not expect her brother to apologize to her.

When you're angry at someone, and then someone apologizes to you so weakly and sincerely, what do you feel?

The anger is gone and replaced with guilt.

What the hell did I just do?

I can raise my voice to my brother.

Both irises of Danial's eyes vibrate. The servants who saw the sight of the sister brother wanted to cry with Dina.

"I'm doing fine. Really am. Maybe because I sat for too long and stood up suddenly without a fuss. Sorry to make you worry." Valias detached himself from Danial and patted the boy on the shoulder. "You return. I want to talk to both of them."

The servants jumped up and finally left to continue their respective work.

Valias heaved a sigh of relief and reorganized his self-mastery.

"When have you been here, Danial?"

Hearing his name called Danial immediately hastily mastered him.

"..Not long. I just consulted the documents with dad. Then I saw you guys here. Then.."

Valias could guess how the Danial groove could be before him right now. "alright. Thank you for helping me out. I'm already okay. You don't have to worry anymore." He turned his eyes to Dina. "Dina, do you know how to smooth your wooden sword?"

Dina was speechless after finishing wiping her tears with heavy effort.

If she said she didn't know, maybe her brother would force himself with her condition. Dina did not want her brother to be sick because of her.

"T-T-Tay!"

Feeling the girl had no reason to lie, Valias nodded her head.

Danial glanced at his sister and thought for sure his sister had a reason to lie.

"All right then. I have business. You guys continue your business."

"Yes." Yeah." "Yes." Yeah."

The two kids slowly. Feeling that his business there was done, Valias left them. Unaware of the gazes the two children were directed at him.

...***...

Valias has been traversing almost the entire mansion. He has more or less memorized the lines that are there.

Stage one complete.

Now he is near the gate. Let the servants, knights, and gatekeepers observe him. Valias observed the gate before him.

Go now, or later?

Valias stared at the road outside the gate for a few seconds.

Later.

With that Valias turned his body and walked back into the mansion, ignoring everyone. He is not the kind of person who gets bored easily. But he felt there was no point in staying in the room and just eating and drinking and sleeping like a cat kept by the owner of his hostel.

Valias even has the intention to train his body so that events like this morning do not happen again.

Valias was on his way to his room, and passed by Danial.

"Oh."

"Ah."

Now the two looked at each other even in a distance apart. Danial had a book and some papers in his hand.

"Danial's."

Valias approached first when Danial was still not moving from his position.

"I, Yes." Danial was still unable to feel relaxed with Valias. The nervousness is still there. Danial even had intended to pretend not to realize his brother's presence and turn away.

But it's too late.

At the same time Danial cursed himself who had such bad thoughts and cowards. Aware that he would be his father's successor and should be a wise leader of the region, he put on a flat face and controlled himself.

"You're done with what."

"I've learned. Dina and I have a tutor to study. You can ask Dad if you want."

Danial's words made Valias think.

Should I do that?

Danial who still feels uncomfortable despite calming down intends to leave in front of his brother.

"I'm going to the reading room. I'm ahead."

Valias raised his eyebrows and regained his senses. "I'm coming along."

Danial frowned. Her brother has changed. Totally changed.

Valias Bardev, his biological sister and Dina, joined their family one year ago. Danial and Dina are surprised to hear that Valias is their older brother, and intend to get closer to their older brother. But Valias was always aloof and ignored them. Never talk, never see their faces.

Maybe Dina is still showing her efforts to get Valias to talk. But Danial is not. Especially since the incident Danial saw his new brother was driving everyone away when it was about to be treated, Danial stopped trying to get to know his brother, and even had a furious feeling in Valias.

But now, Valias was in front of him, smiling, and saying that he wanted to go with Danial. When he could go there himself. As always.

Valias was always silent in his room. Just get out when she wants to go to the reading room to read some books and breathe some fresh air in the special garden that their father has made for her brother, then go back to his room again.

Danial was silent before opening his mouth.

"okay."