Hope

Third-person POV:

"Darien!?"

Kiito and his two minions immediately turned toward the voice coming from behind the hazelnut-haired boy. At same time Darien flinched slightly before slowly turning around also with a worried expression.

Eirian stood not far from them, gazing at them with a shocked expression that quickly turned to anger. He immediately placed the two bags full of groceries he was carrying onto the stone street, and before anyone could blink, he was already standing in front of his younger brother.

His previously angry face changed to a poker face as he met Kiito's gaze, standing rigidly in front of Darien, who was still sitting on the ground. A protective aura seemed to surround him. Without uttering a word, they could tell he was silently demanding that they leave his brother alone.

The atmosphere grew somewhat silent, with the nearby residents whispering amongst themselves, glancing their way, some simply looking on with uninterested expressions.

Darien's eyes darted around, full of anxiety, before he looked up at his brother standing firm in front of him, protecting him from the bullies without a moment's hesitation. It was like seeing someone standing on a stage, or a hero from behind, as often depicted in manga or anime.

He then shifted his gaze toward Kiito, whose shocked expression had transformed into a beaming face with a sadistic smile. Darien felt a chill of danger run down his neck again.

He didn't need it explained; he knew that something far worse was about to happen, worse than what occurred in the original plot. Eirian would be severely injured, and it would affect the blond boy later when the major plot began tonight. And it was all because of his own foolish curiosity.

His gut feeling was always right, and Darien hated that fact. His heart felt like it was tightly clenched, and tears welled up in his crimson-red eyes again. Darien wanted to laugh at himself; why was he such a crybaby now?

'... As I recall, Darien was indeed a crybaby; perhaps that's why I'm the same? But after he lost his brother, he never showed his emotions again. Losing Eirian had a huge impact on Darien... I must do something. 

I've already decided to save Eirian. Heck, I don't care what happens to this story anymore. Eirian is my brother now in this world. He is my family. First, I must save him from these damn bullies,' he thought, his eyes filled with determination.

"Hi~ Eirian! I didn't expect to run into you here. Are you doing your grocery chores for the orphanage today?" Kiito asked in a friendly tone, but to Darien, it sounded like a mocking tone to his brother.

"Why were you chasing my brother, Lord Kiito? He only woke up yesterday and still hasn't fully recovered. You should know he can't run much," Eirian claimed with a blank tone, but if you listened closely, there was anger in his voice.

Kiito, still wearing his foolishly kind smile, replied to Eirian as if they were close friends. "Ah, sorry. I forgot about that. I just wanted to ask your brother where you were, but he started running first."

'Damn liar,' Darien thought.

"... Alright, I'm here now. Can you please let my brother go?" Darien immediately shifted his gaze to Eirian with a shocked expression, then his eyes flickered briefly to see a mischievous grin with a glint in Kiito's eye appear for a moment before being replaced by his kind mask.

"Wait, Eiri-nii-"

"Hmm~ But, I want to play with your brother too," Kiito said, looking at Darien with his kind smile, but Darien felt the opposite and got goosebumps again.

"Apologies, Lord Kiito, but Darien is still unwell. I'm enough already, aren't I?" Eirian insisted again, this time offering a friendly smile. It felt so genuine to Darien, yet it wasn't. For a moment, the novel's author was relieved that he knew all of Eirian's traits.

"Well, alright then! If you're so insistent. But we'll play for a long time, okay?"

Thump!

'This is not good.'

Darien, without realizing it, immediately grabbed his brother's hand. Eirian turned to him with a confused look, seeing his brother shake his head many times with a pleading gaze, begging him not to go. But Eirian only gave him a soft smile.

For a moment, Darien had a flashback. Though it only appeared briefly, in that image, there was a black-haired boy with the same smile as Eirian's. He couldn't see the boy's face, but for some reason, Darien felt enraged.

'That damn smile,' Darien thought, unknowingly biting his lip hard until it bled slightly. He felt utterly frustrated.

"But, allow me to deliver all these groceries and Darien. You can follow me too, if you want."

"No! I won't allow it! I must do something. I don't want to go through that experience again!'

Kiito seemed to try to hide his grin before nodding in understanding with his friendly smile. Darien, meanwhile, looked around again with a pleading gaze. He was still hoping, hoping someone would intervene or do something about this.

But he grew increasingly frustrated as he watched all the adults there simply go about their business, looking away. He felt even sadder and angrier seeing children his age or younger looking curious, but their parents merely said, 'It's nothing.'

'Damn it! What should I do? I can't let that Kiito take Eirian away. The major plot will happen tonight, and I can't let anything happen to Eirian. I don't want to lose anyone again. 

Anyone... Please, I know I created this world, but I'm still hoping. Hoping someone will help. Please!', he thought, looking around with pleading eyes. Begging.

"So, let's-"

"What is happening here?" A male voice, deep and cold, emerged from behind Darien and Eirian. They all immediately turned to the owner of the voice with shocked expressions, except Darien, who seemed stunned.

He hadn't expected his prayer to be heard... But all that wasn't important. Eirian was safe. He had to see the face of the person who had come to help them. But he noticed everyone else, who had previously been indifferent, now looked stunned and began whispering among themselves.

Kiito and his two minions looked nervous and scared now, and Eirian? His face looked utterly surprised and disbelieving, his mouth slightly agape. Perhaps because he hadn't expected anyone to intervene, especially an adult.

Darin knew about that too; according to the original plot, no one was supposed to intervene to help them, but it had changed.

'Still... Why do they all look so shocked?' Darien wondered before he turned to look at who had helped them.

A man, seemingly in his 20s, stood behind Darien with a cold and emotionless gaze. He seemed completely uninterested, yet for some reason, he was there.

His clothes also looked very expensive, surely belonging to a high-ranking noble, given that several officials nearby seemed to be guarding him. Darien felt familiar with the man's appearance.

His Venus-blue eyes were incredibly beautiful, even with his sharp gaze, and his pale complexion made his eye color even more striking. His hair was also snow-white, with blue tips. His posture, too, suggested someone confident and strong.

The atmosphere became silent and tense as he continued to look at the boys in front of him before glancing down at Darien, who looked awestruck and confused at the same time. His crimson-red eyes met the Venus-blue eyes for a long moment.

Darien felt a little uncomfortable, not a bad way, but with how long the man looked at him before he shifted his gaze to Eirian with the same expression. Darien swore he couldn't read the man's face. It was full of coldness and blankness.

The mysterious man then shifted his attention to Kiito and his two minions, and Darien felt he saw a flash, quick as lightning, pass through those Venus-blue eyes. Kiito and his two minions became more tense and terrified.

With just one command, they ran like scared puppies. "Go."

The man then left, seemingly unafraid of the three boys he'd just dismissed with a single command, or of having helped the two orphans. Darien narrowed his eyes, trying to recall who the man was because he felt familiar, while Eirian still wore his shocked expression, utterly stunned.

'... Eh? Wait. WHY IS HE HERE!?' Darien thought, disbelieving and panicking.