“Yes, Young Master Lloyd.”
Soon, Lloyd’s voice could be heard from inside the carriage. Riley, wondering what this was about, raised his upper body from lying down position.
“Big brother?”
Kiiiiic.
The carriage’s door opened, and Lloyd revealed himself from the inside. Wondering what this was about, Riley jumped down from the carriage.
“What brings you here?”
“…”
Riley tilted his head side to side and asked. Ian, in silence, stood behind Riley and glared at Lloyd.
They were in middle of the successor competition. The fact that Lloyd, the one who had ill feelings toward Riley and Iris, came to see Riley at this time did not seem like a good sign. This was the reason why.
“Ian, I know what you are thinking, but… That is not why I’m here, so I would appreciate it if you did not glare at me with that look on your eyes.”
Ian had been looking at Lloyd carefully and noticed that the parts below his eyes were turned completely dark somehow. Having noticed this, Ian lowered his head as if he decided to yield.
“I just…”
Lloyd now looked at Riley. Lloyd was going to say something, but after seeing Riley was tilting his head side to side, Lloyd just sighed big.
“I just have something I want to ask. That’s why I came.”
He came although the successor competition was in full swing.
He probably had things he was working on, yet he came here while leaving all those be.
Finding it to be unbelievable, Ian was going to ask. However, Riley reached out to Ian with his right hand and stopped him.
“Yes. If it is something I can answer.”
Having heard Riley’s answer, Lloyd casually looked around the area and then said carefully,
“It does not feel right to talk about it here. Can we go somewhere else?”
Because Riley and Ian had the Alieve Village’s children here at the Holy Temple for treatment, they were not in a situation where they could just leave the spot. Riley casually turned to look at Ian.
“Ian.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“When the children’s treatments are complete, take them to the Alieve Village and come back. I’ll be having a chat with my big brother here.”
Having heard Riley’s order, Ian started to open and close his mouth like a fish in panic.
“B… But… Young Master…”
“I think this conversation is not going to end quickly, so get going.”
“Young Master.”
“Could you ease up on your worries? You saw that earlier, right? You said you trust me, didn’t you?”
Despite the order, perhaps Ian was concerned about leaving Riley by himself. Ian was not able to leave his side so easily. Having heard what Riley said, Ian finally closed the mouth that he had open.
“…”
Lloyd watched the two having a conversation that seemed to have underlying meanings. Lloyd started to walk first as he asked if this will be really all right. Riley followed suit and gestured to Ian.
“Get going.”
* * *
“So, what is it that you wanted to ask me that you had to come to see me when we are in middle of the successorship competition?”
Lloyd even had his own butler to be away from the conversation. Lloyd and Riley sat in a hotel with teas on top of a table. Riley fiddled with his fingers.
“Big brother?”
“Ah, right… I’m sorry. I think I’m sleep deprived.”
Lloyd was sitting there with a blank look on his face. It seemed he really was sleep deprived. The parts below his eyes were completely dark. Lloyd rubbed that darkened part and responded late.
“I want to ask you about… my Big brother.”
“Big brother?”
They were talking about Ryan, the eldest son of the Iphalleta house.
There was only one person in the world that Lloyd would have addressed as his Big brother.
“Are you talking about Big brother Ryan?”
Riley carefully mumbled the name, and Lloyd carefully nodded.
“That’s right. I have something I want to ask you about my Big brother.”
Riley closed his mouth as if he was trying to say Lloyd should continue. It seemed Lloyd was parched. He took a sip from the tea on the table and started to explain.
“I have been thinking about this a little bit by myself, but no matter how I think about it, I couldn’t be sure. It was too much of a sensitive issue to ask to servants, and I couldn’t ask our father either, so…”
Lloyd couldn’t sound more serious. Riley thought this was still not the time to say anything in response, so he kept silent.
“I think my big brother had changed recently.”