After My Brother Was Demoted, I Mistakenly Sought Refuge with His Mortal Enemy - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

What was going on?

Hadn’t my brother said the man was amiable and noble in character?

Then why did the people around him want to chop off someone’s head the moment we met?

My feet rooted to the spot. I didn’t dare move.

Especially not with Brother Cui there.

He seemed to have no objection to his guard’s behavior.

When he saw me approaching, his cool, indifferent gaze fell on me, colder than the edge of a blade.

He was nothing like the person my brother had described in his letter.

It was the old steward who had seen me earlier who finally came back to his senses and hurriedly stopped them.

“My lord, this is Lord Ji’s younger sister.”

“Who?”

“…”

The old steward coughed and lowered his voice to remind him.

A moment later, the look Brother Cui gave me gained a trace of surprise and scrutiny.

“Your brother sent you here?”

He drew back his gaze, and even his voice softened somewhat.

“…Yes.”

“What for? To plead for him?”

He questioned me.

His eyes were no longer as icy as they had been at first, but his tone was strange, as if he were interrogating a criminal.

Before I could answer his first question, he asked another.

“Do you know whom your brother offended? Showing up so recklessly now-aren’t you afraid of losing your head?”

He threw question after question at me.

I didn’t even know which one to answer.

Seeing my blank expression, he let out a soft laugh from deep in his throat.

“Forget it. Go back. I won’t hold today’s matter against a little girl like you.”

Huh?

I was clutching the letter I’d just taken out from my robes.

I didn’t know whether to hand it over or not.

Seeing him turn to leave, I quickly spoke up.

“Wait! But… but my brother told me to come seek refuge with you!”

The figure with his back to me froze in an instant.

Fifteen minutes later.

I stood trembling in the main hall of Cui Mansion.

Brother Cui, seated at the head of the hall, was holding my brother’s letter.

I couldn’t tell whether he was reading it carefully or not.

His eyes swept back and forth across it, as if he meant to bore a hole through the paper.

Every so often, he looked at me, then back at the letter.

I saw the faint curve at the corner of his mouth, not quite a smile, and felt even less certain.

The steward uncle also lowered his voice and said, “My lord, I’m afraid… there’s been a mistake.”

I was standing a little too far away.

I didn’t catch what the steward uncle said in the middle.

I only heard the words “a mistake.”

Anxious, I hurried to refute him.

“There isn’t! That’s my brother’s personal seal on it!”

The moment I spoke, both men looked at me.

Silence fell.

I blinked.

Could they be afraid of being implicated?

Although they had promised my brother they would take care of me, my brother had been demoted, after all. It was only human nature for them to break their word.

Once I thought of it that way, everything suddenly became clear.

I also understood their vague, uncertain attitude.

If that was the case, then I wouldn’t impose on them any longer.

I wanted to ask for the letter back.

But as soon as I voiced the request, Brother Cui gently raised his hand.

“This prince… this official never said I wouldn’t honor the promise. Since it is Huaiming’s request, Uncle Gong, take her down and get her settled.”

“Yes.”

I followed the steward uncle out with a blank look on my face.

How strange. It was one thing for me not to understand what Brother Cui was saying.

But why was even his attitude so confusing?