I Don't Trust My Twin Sister Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

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Ian approached beaming a relaxed smile. His footsteps let out a light sound as he walked on the garden grounds.

“That…, Marquis Acpencia? What would you like me to call you? Barrett? I’ll call you comfortably because I know that you are younger than me, Barrett.”

He opened his mouth as he unb.u.t.toned his sleeve.

“I think that it would be nice if you released the lady. Now politely apologize and say that you’ll never appear in front of her again. Then you’ll be able to return home with a healthy body.”

Even though he was warmly smiling, some pressure had subtly seeped from Ian.

That person was the head of the best military family of the kingdom, the head of the Veridian family. Even someone like me who didn’t learn fencing could feel his pressure.

Feeling the grip on my hair slipping as I was staring at Ian, I turned around blanking staring at Ian. The hand Barrett used to grab my hair paused in mid-air, his facial expressions now hardened.

Why are you like this?

“Barrett, do you know the very first thing that the kingdom’s knights are taught during royal guard training? Mental training. It’s the core value instilled in a knight. And of most important of the values instilled during mental training are to protect women and to be loyal to the kingdom. These two things are what we hold our honor and pride in. However... Because you aren’t a knight you probably don’t understand what I’m saying. But you should already know about this”

The slightly lifted facial muscles stealthily went down. His facial expressions hardened and his eyes showed murderous intent.

“Isn’t it unsightly for a full grown man to forcefully strike a lady?”

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“...T-That is”

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“Ah, I wasn’t asking you to respond. I’m someone who’s rather selective with whom I talk to.”

Ian raised both his hands and his index fingers.

“On this side are the common people. They are people with harmless conversations. And on this side are trash. Normally you wouldn’t be able to have conversations with trash. Isn’t that so? That’s why you and I can’t have a conversation. It just that I’m speaking simple words to trash.”

“M, my lord, Archduke.”

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“Where did I leave off? Hmm, I can’t seem to remember. Well, it can’t have been anything too important. Anyways, that’s the gist of what I am saying.”

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He stretched out his arm and grabbed Barrett’s collar.

Under the pressure, Barrett’s teeth were clenched and his whole body convulsed. Standing to the side of the two making eye contact I could see his predatory gaze towards the herbivorous Barrett who’s face started dripping with sweat.  

“I don’t care if they are male or female. It makes my heart uncomfortable to see trash recklessly raise their hands toward the weak just because they are confident in the little strength they have in my garden. If I were to speak truthfully…”

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As he lightly turned his neck he looked down at Barrett.

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“I get extraordinarily angry.”

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“A, Archduke…”

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“It would be nice if from now on you never showed yourself to Lady Laurencia.”

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“...”

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“This is an order.”

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The combination of his last words and him releasing his hand with an unsightly scream, Barrett ran away. Archduke Veridian had repelled him off easily compared to earlier when that b.a.s.t.a.r.d grabbed onto me and flailed me about.

Ian dusted off his hands and turned towards me with a smile.

The figure of him protecting me reminded me of my guard dog. Could it be that he wants to be praised? Mm… What could this feeling be?

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“There, shall we discuss the payment now?”

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Payment? Ah!

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“I’ll need to push that to a later date. I don’t have anything with me right now.”

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Sadly I didn’t have my wallet, so I could only respond with that. If I were to pick something, would the brooch on my dress work? However, if I were to remove that my clothes would fall off!

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Ian looked at me vacantly. As he looked up and down at me he bluntly spoke.

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“You’re not trying to scam me right?”

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Scam! How could he say that to the eldest daughter of the Aztane family?

“The Aztane family is a family that greatly values trust. Without trust, all our businesses would be doomed to fail. So please don’t worry.”

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“Ah, the Aztane family.”

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He exclaimed in a low voice with a blank face after muttering while nodding his head. I had heard what he had muttered at the end. Just now, did he say ‘It must be nice to have lots of money’?

He looked at me vacantly and as if to say he had finished his business he started to walk the other way. What, are you leaving?

“Please wait a moment.”

“Why? If you have no intention of giving me money don't call me. I’m a busy person.”

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You seem extremely free though.

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“D, don’t be like that, could I not return with you?”

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“With you?”

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“Yes… That, anyway…”

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Although Ian had chased away that vermin it didn’t guarantee he left. Even though he showed an unsightly appearance, Barrett was a man with a fierce obsession. It wasn’t in his nature to give up after being chased away once.

Ian looked at me silently as he pointed next to him after gently nodding his head. Is he telling me to come?

When I had approached his side, he slowly started softly move his feet. For some reason, I felt a sense of relief standing by him.

Because of the plan that had flowed differently than I had thought, I had suffered hards.h.i.+p in vain. Although I had known that Barrett would come, and with the aftermath of fighting with Barrett I berated myself for not being prepared with a plan.

I hated running off based on my emotions and being without a plan. Of course, I’m grateful that Ian appeared, if he hadn’t a situation that I hate to imagine would have occurred.

No matter how hard I try to change the future I was in no condition to escape Barrett. He is tenacious. Even though a lot of time hadn’t pa.s.sed, considering his ability having me isolated was no difficult task.

Even with the backing of the Aztane family, he would be able to attack me using aristocratic law, causing my businesses to fail. If that happened even Grandfather would be harmed. I wanted to avoid that situation. But how?

I turn my eyes to see Ian. Archduke Veridian. I couldn’t believe that this man that had a loose screw, would be one of the top three authorities in the kingdom. If this man were to help me…

I turned my head when an idea suddenly grazed my thoughts as I was thinking about this and that.

“My lord, Archduke Veridian…”

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“Call me Ian. I’m not fond of being called that in informal occasions.”

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“Lord Ia…”

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“... Just Ian is enough”

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How fussy.

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“Ian.”

“It’s nice to hear.”

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He laughed. His refres.h.i.+ng smile would make all the ladies swoon.

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“Why? Lady Laurencia.”

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“I too would like to be called Laurenica.”

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“I like that. Why did you call me, Laurencia?”

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“May I ask you something?”

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“Go ahead.”

He shrugged his shoulders as he let out a relaxed feeling. His lax aura gave the impression that he would respond to whatever was asked of him. I touched my nose as I carefully asked.

“How much would you like for the deferred payment?”

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“If there’s a lot I would like more.”

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If there’s a lot you would like more? How much would that be? No, how much would the standard price be to please Archduke Veridian? Would a thousand gold coins be enough? That is the yearly budget for the Aztane family.

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I asked carefully as if stepping around a landmine.

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“H, how much?”

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Ian stopped walking and tilted his head sideways. He knit his forehead after pondering for a while and then lifted two fingers.

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“T, two thousand?”

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“What? Just two gold coins will suffice. That much is enough, what two thousand.”

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Seeing his laughing figure my pulse relaxed. Two? Not two thousand or twenty thousand, but two?

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“Would that be enough?”

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“Why? Would you give me the two thousand you said previously?”

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“If that is what you wish…”

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“Haha.”

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He laughed heartily after hearing my response and walked ahead of me. Why is he laughing?

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I quickly moved to be by his side. Once again he adjusted his speed to match mine. Ian lifted his head to look ahead and opened his mouth.

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“Don’t worry about it. It’s not as if I need money. Previously whether or not you paid me I would have helped you. That is chivalry.”

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So you waited until my hair was getting pulled out? I held back the words I couldn’t say and pushed them down.

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“Before that, I don’t think I was able to express my grat.i.tude.”

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“No, that’s enough.”

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“No. Still, thank you, Ian. I owe you a favor.”

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I had bowed my head and thanked Ian as he blankly stared at me, he didn’t respond to me at all. Like someone who had something, they wanted to say he had slightly moved his lips. Why did you do that?

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“Ian?”

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“...no, it’s nothing. Before that, we have arrived.”

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“So it seems.”

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Without waiting for what he was trying to say I left him behind and started to move to enter the party until I heard his voice calling after me.

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“Laurencia.”

I turned to Ian who was scratching his cheek and bashfully smiling.

“If you were to enter in this state the people would quite enjoy it.”

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This state? I looked down to examine my figure. I saw that my hair was disheveled and my dress was ripped in places here and there as a result of the scene where Barrett and I had fought. The expensive dress was thoroughly eaten up.

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“...truthfully it does seem that way.”

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“There’s a room that was prepared for the partic.i.p.ant of the party. You can stay there overnight if you would like.”

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I gazed vacantly at his back as he headed towards the opposite direction after he lightly spoke. No matter how stupid he seemed, he was a keen man. He also seems to be delicate, I wondered as I watched his back.

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“...what is your real personality?”

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Certainly, the territory of a duke was on a different level than normal aristocrats. Although subordinate to the kingdom, it seemed to be like another nation’s culture.

Although buildings built in this kingdom were on a smaller area, they are built with many levels.he more levels the building had, the more power it represented. The manor of Archduke Veridian was built on a large plot of land with 3 floors.

So large to the point where you couldn’t see the end, and inside paintings were hung and many books were placed. With this place being the mansion of the kingdom's captain of the royal guard, the Veridian family head, it didn’t match my imagination.

The room I was guided to was pristine and inside there were numerous books that were shelved. They were considerably high leveled books.

“Is he unexpectedly a well-read person?”

Although there are people who don’t read books and just collect them. People who show off and act as if they are knowledgeable are generally stupid.

Is Ian also that kind of person? He didn’t seem to be bluffing or stupid.

“Hmm.”

I couldn’t tell what kind of person he was. In order to understand him, I had requested for the guild to gather information about the Archduke before going to sleep.

Fortunately, the night ended and morning came, the Aztane family servant came with the requested information. Truthfully, he wasn’t a servant but a member of the guild.

There is no place in this kingdom where the Aztane family’s influence does not reach. The Aztane family was an organization that provided support to every guild. Grandfather was someone who put great emphasis on information and lately always operated directly.

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“Now let’s see.”

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I sat up on the bed and examined the thick bundle. I started with Ian’s profile that described his prodigal lifestyle that was 10 pages long. I don’t need this information so I moved onto the next chapter.

Everything about the Veridian duchy was written. This was what I needed.

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