Chapter 448: A Moment Between Brother and Sister
After returning to the palace, Serah was relieved to find the ceremony already winding down—a small mercy she was deeply grateful for, considering she had little interest in it to begin with. She endured the last formalities, offering her goodbyes where necessary, particularly to her comrades who had fought alongside her in the mission and to a few nobles she knew personally.
When it was all finally over, Serah slipped away as swiftly as etiquette allowed, her body heavy with exhaustion. She trudged through the palace halls and at last reached the sanctuary of her chamber. The moment she stepped inside, she let her fatigue take over. She pulled off her boots and kicked them aside without care, then unbuttoned her ceremonial shirt and tossed it onto a chair. Left in nothing more than a black tank top and her formal pants, she padded across the room toward the counter in the far corner where a bottle of wine waited.
Pouring herself a generous glass, she ran her fingers through her long waves of red hair and took a long, steady sip. The wine warmed her throat and loosened the tightness in her chest. As she paused and exhaled in relief, a faint flush crept across her cheeks—unbidden and unwelcome—as her thoughts drifted back to Marcus. His ridiculous words, his teasing grin. Despite herself, she let out a quiet giggle.
The sound had barely left her lips before a familiar, insufferably smug voice cut through the chamber.
"Damn, what’s got you giggling like the princess you are, sis?" Galen’s voice teased, smooth and irritatingly amused.
Serah’s head snapped toward the source of the voice, her eyes narrowing as she spotted her little brother lounging comfortably on a couch in the far corner of the room. The white-haired demon in her life—her beloved nuisance—sat there with his trademark smug expression plastered across his face.
Serah groaned softly, rolling her eyes before downing the rest of her wine. Without missing a beat, she poured herself another glass and turned toward her bed.
"How did you even get in here?" she asked, her tone dripping with annoyance.
"Same way I always do," Galen replied smugly, leaning back like he owned the place. "The front door."
"Of course you did," Serah muttered dryly, taking another sip before she asked with a faint smile, "Anyway, how are you? I heard you’re finally done with your second year at the Crimson Knight Academy."
"Oh yes," Galen declared proudly, straightening his posture with mock grandeur. "Your beloved brother is about to ascend to his third and final year. Very soon, I’ll be done with the academy entirely. You’d better be worried, sis, because once I’m finished, I’ll outshine you with my unrivaled prowess." His grin was confident, smug, and entirely Galen.
Serah gave him a long, measured look before smiling faintly. "Yeah, I’m worried. Worried you might’ve hit your head again."
His eye twitched slightly at her jab, but he quickly brushed it aside and shifted gears. "Anyway, enough about me," he said, his tone changing to a sly, almost silky drawl. He dragged the couch he was on closer to her bed, his red eyes gleaming with mischief.
"Tell me, sis... what had you giggling like that? It sure as hell wasn’t the ceremony—everyone knows that was boring enough to kill a man. So what is it? Or..." his grin widened as he leaned forward, "...who is it?"
Serah met his stare evenly, her red eyes locking with his. She knew full well there was no chance of deflecting him. Galen was relentless when he set his mind on something, and if she stayed silent, he’d only connect the dots himself—and that would be worse.
After a long pause, she exhaled softly and finally admitted in a low, reluctant voice, "I met him."
The reaction was instant. Galen threw his head back and laughed, his delight echoing through the chamber as if he’d just won some long-anticipated bet. He collapsed back onto his seat, grinning like a fiend.
"Ah, I knew it!" he crowed. "I just knew it had something to do with our little forbidden crush!"
"Shut up, damn it," Serah hissed, her eyes darting cautiously around. "Someone could hear you."
Galen only looked at her with that casual grin of his and waved her off like she was being overly dramatic. "C’mon, relax," he said. "It’s just me and you here, sis. No one’s gonna eavesdrop on us. Besides—" he tapped the side of his temple before spreading his hand out as if showing off— "I already cast a Silent Spell. So your little forbidden-love secret is safe and sound with your precious, oh-so-loving brother."
Serah tilted her head at him, her lips tugging into a teasing smile. "Wow. Who knew you actually had a brain in that thick skull of yours? Thinking ahead for once—I might actually be proud."
"Really?" Galen placed a hand on his chest in mock offense, his expression exaggerated as if she’d just stabbed him. "You seriously had to go for the cruelty card again?" He let the dramatics fall away quickly though, leaning forward with eagerness shining in his crimson eyes. "Anyway, enough about me—spill everything already. I’ve been dying to hear how your mission went. And now that you’ve dropped mention of this mysterious Mr. Longhair, I’m even more intrigued. So come on, sis, ’spill the tea,’ as the girls say." He flicked his wrist toward her like he was beckoning for treasure to be handed over.
Serah finished the last of her wine in one graceful tilt, then set the glass gently down on the table. She leaned back, propping herself up with her arms as her gaze turned thoughtful, a sigh slipping from her lips.
This ritual had long since become familiar. It wasn’t the first time Galen pressed her for every detail of her missions, and it wouldn’t be the last. He had been just eight years old the first time she indulged him, back when she was eighteen and newly recognized as one of the kingdom’s finest operatives. From that moment onward, Galen had adored these stories. Listening to Serah recount her adventures became a tradition, one that both of them found comfort and excitement in. To Galen, she was his invincible older sister, and to Serah, these sharings had grown into a strange kind of bonding she secretly cherished.
She inhaled once, steadying herself, then began.
Serah laid everything out for him, piece by piece. She told him how the first month of her investigation into Drosmir had unfolded in the city of Heyh, weaving through hidden networks and gathering intelligence under constant pressure. She explained the challenges, the constant feeling of walking on blades, and how one misstep could have ruined everything.
Then she spoke of the second month, when she crossed paths with Marcus again. Galen leaned in, eyes wide with interest at the name, but Serah pressed on smoothly, recounting how Marcus had offered her advice—strategic and invaluable—about how she might approach the mission without losing herself and her team to the endless shadows.
She went on to describe the Blood Demons—drawing the crucial line between the cunning, predatory Redbloods and the terrifyingly intellectual Purebloods, who toyed with their prey as if hunting were a game. As she spoke, Serah even unclasped the slim bracelet from her wrist and held it up for Galen to see, showing him the intricate detecting device Marcus had given her. And as Galen set his eyes on it, he couldn’t hide the awe in his eyes.
Her voice did not falter as she moved through the final stages of the mission, detailing the perilous encounters, the near-failures, and the hard-won victories that led to her team finally capturing Vaelen Drosmir. She painted the picture vividly, so much so that Galen could almost see it unfold—the chaos, the strategy... and the triumph.
And when she was done with that part, Serah let slip the detail that she had met Marcus again tonight. Her tone was light, casual, as if it were a passing note in her larger story. Yet, beneath the coolness of her delivery, she guarded herself fiercely. She made absolutely certain not to mention the true heart of her agreement with Marcus, nor the truth of his demon hunting in Ilis. Those parts she kept locked away.
By the time she finished, Galen was leaning forward, elbows on his knees, utterly captivated, as though he were still that eager eight-year-old hanging on her every word.
***
"Wow," Galen said, leaning back in his seat with a grin spreading across his face. "I must say, this has to be one of the best stories you’ve told me in a long while. And let’s be honest, that’s mostly because it involves your new boyfriend, of course."
"I’m not even surprised you’d say that. In fact, I was expecting it," Serah replied, giving him a flat look.
"Well, you know me too well, sis," Galen said with a smug little shrug. "Then you probably also know me well enough to guess that I’d love to meet Marcus."
"Not happening." Serah deadpanned, her voice carrying no hesitation.
"Why not?!" Galen shot back immediately, his tone full of exaggerated indignation.
"I can’t deal with two insufferable souls simultaneously," Serah said firmly. "And even though I hate to admit it, you and Marcus would get along far too well. I can’t say I’d enjoy that—not right now, at least."
Galen narrowed his eyes at her, his expression shifting into mock suspicion. "Oh, I see what’s really going on here. You’re scared your new boyfriend will end up liking me better than his own girlfriend." He burst out into loud laughter, clutching his stomach as though he had just made the funniest joke in the world.
Serah rolled her eyes in exasperation, her expression giving nothing away.
"Wow, you really are funny, Ser," Galen said as his laughter gradually began to die down. "But I get it, I really do. You want to get to know him better first, make sure things are solid before introducing me. That makes sense. Well, good luck with that. I honestly wish you all the best, sis—I mean that."
With that, he pushed himself up from his seat, stretching a little before slipping his hands into his pockets and heading toward the door with a casual saunter.
"Well then, goodnight, sis, and sweet dreams," Galen called back with a mischievous smirk. "Though I doubt I need to tell you that, since your boyfriend probably already did, right~?"
In an instant, Serah grabbed her empty glass and hurled it at him with swift precision. Galen, of course, dodged effortlessly, the glass whizzing past him harmlessly. He laughed it off, his grin widening even more.
"Hehe, I love you too," he said, still chuckling as he darted out of the room.
Left behind in the quiet, Serah sighed and shook her head, though a faint smile crept onto her lips despite herself. "He is such a pain," she murmured softly, "just like that bastard."