Looking for a Husband to Confine Me - Chapter 34.1
Chapter 34.1
Kelliard ran a frustrated hand through his hair, sighing deeply without bothering to hide his annoyance.
“Amelia, if only you’d made the right decision!”
He seemed deeply disappointed at having missed a clear opportunity to gain recognition, even though there was no guarantee he could have subdued Pazl.
“Honestly, everything you do irritates me!” He continued, his frustration mounting. “Just how long do you intend to keep hindering me?”
He followed me, criticizing my every move as I tried to ignore him. The distance to my bedroom felt longer than ever, his words grating on my ears.
“You don’t know for certain that you could have subdued Pazl, do you?” I finally retorted, unable to bear the constant barrage of accusations.
Explaining the reality seemed like a quicker way to reach Bashar than enduring this any longer. Kelliard’s face hardened, his voice turning as cold as midwinter frost. “Are you suggesting that I, a knight, couldn’t defeat a mere servant?”
He puffed out his chest, as if to remind me of his status, the Knight Order uniform on full display. “Pazl is Prince Kishan’s attendant. Surely you don’t think he’s never had any sword training?”
“Even so, I am a knight of…” he began, but I cut him off. “If you’re so skilled, then why did you faint in front of the magical beast? Your rank dropped to just below Sir Div because of that.”
“Th-That was… a momentary lapse in concentration…” he stammered. I resisted the urge to point out that being alone with Ricardo Div would have been a far more favorable outcome.
“There’s no guarantee you wouldn’t have another lapse. I prioritized meeting with His Highness Bashar over confronting Pazl.”
Kelliard bit his lip, glaring at me, but he remained silent, seemingly unable to form a rebuttal.
‘This is why I avoid being alone with him.’
Kelliard’s ambition far outweighed his abilities, and the problem was that he chose shortcuts instead of hard work to compensate for his shortcomings.
He relied on eloquent words, clever schemes, and excuses to hide his inadequacies. He would have fared better under a different commander, but the Crow Knights were not easily fooled.
His resulting anxiety often led him to blame me.
‘More than anything, he hates showing his weaknesses to me.’
As his younger sister, close in age, and someone he’d clashed with since childhood, he was particularly sensitive around me. I was well aware of Kelliard’s insecurities and inferiority complex, but that was beside the point.
Leaving Kelliard speechless, I walked towards my bedroom door. As I reached for the handle, a hand shot out and grabbed my wrist.
“…What are you doing?”
Kelliard, having quickly recovered, was preventing me from opening the door. Could this incompetent brother of mine possibly be colluding with Kishan’s assassin?
His constant interference was making me suspicious. I didn’t want to believe he’d stoop so low, but the thought that he might have made a wrong choice in pursuit of his ambition lingered.
“I don’t have time for this, Sir Hazel.”
I deliberately used his title instead of calling him “brother” to remind him of his position as a knight.
‘He hates it when I call him “brother” anyway.’
He certainly hated being called Sir Hazel by me even more. His face darkened ominously. Clenching his jaw, Kelliard spoke in a low voice. “…This is my achievement.”
“What?”
“Rescuing His Highness Bashar. That’s my achievement.”
Ah, so that was it. He was preventing me from seeing Bashar to secure the credit for himself. When Kelliard regained consciousness and heard about the events from Bashar, he must have felt a pang of jealousy towards me, mixed with regret for missing out on the opportunity.
Not only had he needed my help, but I had also assisted Bashar. With such ambition and a desire for recognition, why didn’t he focus on improving his skills through other means?
Suppressing a sigh, I nodded. “Yes, if you rescued His Highness, then it’s your achievement.”
“Don’t go back on your word later.”
“I swear.”
What would I even do with Kelliard’s credit? My only goal was to have a brief conversation with Bashar. I had no intention of hindering Kelliard Hazel, and certainly no intention of helping him either.
If he truly rescued Bashar, I would genuinely congratulate him. Whether he could actually protect Bashar and gain recognition until further reinforcements arrived remained to be seen.
Satisfied with my answer, Kelliard released my wrist. Finally, I could open the bedroom door and step inside. But Bashar Kishan was nowhere to be seen.
I felt Kelliard’s smug gaze on the side of my face.
“His Highness…?” I started to ask.
“Surely he didn’t use the secret passage to go somewhere else?” he finished for me, sounding irritated that I’d interrupted.
He nodded.
“Rest assured, His Highness is safe. You did well to protect him from the beasts, but ultimately, it was I who ensured his safety within the sanctuary.”
“Now’s not the time to boast, is it?” I said, barely listening as I scanned the room, searching for any sign of a hidden passage.
“Amelia, just because I’m a knight protecting you, a guest, doesn’t mean you can disrespect me.”
Kelliard’s condescending tone made me want to sigh again. Turning my back to him, I exhaled silently before turning around with a forced smile.
“Brother, I apologize if my tone sounded disrespectful. I truly didn’t mean it. It’s just that it could be dangerous for His Highness Bashar to be alone in another space.”
“The secret passage is known only to a select few within the Knight Order. What’s so dangerous about it?”
