The Kingmaker System-Chapter 358 - 357. Matter Of Faith (2)

My Patrons were confused by my sudden announcement, but I offered no explanations as I made my way toward Rune’s room. Their murmurs and curious glances followed me, yet I remained undeterred, focused solely on reaching my brother.

The moment I stepped into the dimly lit corridor leading to his chambers, I cast an invisibility spell, ensuring that no prying eyes would witness my movements. Rune’s room was situated right beside Eric’s but it was still a couple of feet away.

Upon reaching his door, I knocked twice, but there was no response. A frown tugged at my lips. Rune wasn’t the type to ignore someone knocking—especially not me.

Cautiously, I turned the handle and slipped inside, closing the door behind me. The silence was heavy, but as I stretched my senses, I confirmed that no one else was inside. Only Rune’s presence lingered in the room. That meant he was safe—yet, for some reason, he hadn’t answered.

Releasing my invisibility spell, I took slow steps forward, my eyes scanning the room until they settled on him.

Rune sat in the armchair near the glass table, fingers steepled in front of his face, his eyes fixed on the reflective surface. If his gaze could bore holes through glass, the table would have shattered by now.

"Brother?" I called out cautiously.

His piercing gaze shifted to meet mine, sharp and unwavering, as if I had interrupted an intense internal debate. Despite the weight of his stare, I offered him a smile.

Without a word, I let my disguise slip away, allowing my features to revert to Reina’s. Rune had always been more forgiving toward my true form. He couldn’t possibly stay mad at me—not when faced with my innocent expression.

"I... was called by Duchess Konstantinos for tomorrow’s breakfast," Rune finally spoke, his voice edged with tension. "She looked like she was planning my murder."

I gulped.

Slowly, I approached him, my mind racing through all the information I had gathered about the Duchess.

"I-I’m sure it’s only because she wants to scare you," I reassured him, though my own confidence wavered slightly. "She might not actually do anything. Please don’t worry, Brother."

Rune, however, did not seem convinced. He stared at me, unamused.

"I heard from some knights that she destroyed the men who first tried to court her daughter," he said, his tone weighted with concern.

I hesitated. Right. That was... true.

To be fair, that was one of the things I admired about Duchess Nymeria Konstantinos. She was a formidable woman, someone who would never hand over her daughter to an unworthy suitor. But how could I explain that to Rune without making him even more nervous?

"Well," I said slowly, "it just proves how much a mother loves her daughter, right?"

Rune’s frown deepened. "If she finds even the smallest flaw in me, do you realize how big of a problem this will become? Your name could get involved in this political marriage, Reina! And God forbid, I won’t let that happen!"

"That’s it!" I exclaimed, pointing a finger at him.

He blinked at me in confusion.

"You love me a lot and don’t want to hand me over to just anyone. That’s exactly how the Duchess feels! She wants to make sure her daughter is marrying a worthy man. I’m sure she tested those past suitors, but they must have failed. That’s why she destroyed them."

"She could destroy us too!" Rune countered.

I waved my hand dismissively. "Not possible, Brother. As long as I’m alive, no one can touch us."

Rune let out a dry laugh, running a hand through his hair. "I don’t even know what kind of person she is—if she’s really like you say or if she’s something worse."

"Duchess Nymeria is quite a formidable lady, Brother," I admitted. "But I know she will approve of you."

"I’m not talking about the Duchess," he muttered. "I’m talking about her daughter."

"Oh," I said, nodding in understanding. "You mean Celestia."

Rune exhaled, then fixed me with an unwavering stare. "Tell me honestly, Reina. Have you ever met this girl yourself? How can you be so sure she’ll be perfect for me?"

I gasped dramatically, covering my mouth as if he had just stabbed me with a dagger.

"Y-You don’t trust me, Brother...?" My voice trembled with feigned hurt. "You-You think I would do something to harm you...? You—" I broke off, taking a shaky breath before delivering my final, calculated blow. "If you don’t trust me, then go ahead and cancel the engagement. I will take care of the consequences, even if it means that I have to marry Arian."

Rune’s face went ashen.

"What the hell are you saying?" His voice rose an octave in sheer panic. "I-I didn’t mean that! I trust you! I trust you more than anyone else in this world, Reina! How could you say that?!"

I peeked at him through my fingers, hiding my smirk. He was just as innocent as I had remembered and even though he would be a formidable opponent for everyone else but he was weak before my acting.

"I-I’m just..." He ran a hand down his face, looking genuinely troubled now. "I’m just nervous. I’ve never really... had any contact with any girl other than you."

"Ah, so that’s the problem." I nodded sagely.

Glancing at the window, an idea sparked in my mind.

"Then... shall we go see her?" I suggested.

"Huh?" Rune blinked, looking at me like I had just grown another head. "Who? The Duchess?"

"No, silly. Your soon-to-be fiancée." I grinned.

His jaw practically hit the floor. "Now?"

"Yes. We’ll just take a look and then return."

Rune hesitated, eyes darting left and right as if searching for an escape.

"Do you want to go or not?" I asked, crossing my arms.

He looked at me, conflicted. "Won’t it cause problems?"

"I’m going with you, Brother. I’ll take care of everything," I assured him. "You just tell me—do you want to go or not?"

Rune’s expression twisted as he wrestled with his thoughts. Finally, after a long pause, he exhaled and gave a reluctant nod.

"Fine. Let’s go."

After a couple of minutes, we were in the air, Rune in my arms in a princess carry. I had reverted to my Ocean’s male form so that it would easy and also activated the invisibility spell so that both of us would be unseen.

Rune let out an exasperated sigh, crossing his arms as he avoided looking at me. "This is humiliating," he muttered under his breath.

I chuckled. "Would you rather I carry you in a female form?" I teased, loosening my grip slightly.

Rune tensed immediately, his arms uncrossing as he gripped my shoulder instinctively. "Reina," he warned, his voice laced with both irritation and mild panic.

I laughed, adjusting my hold to make sure he was secure. "Relax, Brother. If you’re going to see your fiancée, at least try not to look like you’re being kidnapped."

Rune gave me a look, and I chuckled.

"Look around you, Brother. Don’t you like the view from so high up?"

He huffed but turned his gaze outward anyway. His eyes widened slightly as he took in the town below, the streets illuminated by scattered lanterns and the soft glow of moonlight.

I smiled, watching him. "Why don’t you look up?"

He hesitated before lifting his gaze, and I saw the moment the sky truly captured him.

Rune’s eyes reflected the beauty of the night sky, wide with awe as he took in the shimmering stars above us. The moon’s glow cast a soft silver light over his face, highlighting the rare expression of wonder he didn’t often show.

For a moment, he said nothing, simply staring at the vast sky. Then, after a brief pause, he let out a quiet breath.

"...It’s beautiful," he murmured.

I smiled, watching his reaction with amusement. "I thought you’d like it."

Rune huffed, shifting slightly in my arms. "I’d probably appreciate it more if I weren’t being carried like this."

I chuckled.

"I’d rather we teleported." He sighed.

"We can’t, that’s why we’re flying." I answered.

"Who else have you carried like this though?"

"A lot of people." I answered casually.

"A-A lot?!"

"Yes,"

"Who?" He asked.

"Hm... The count is quite long... I’ve carried Lyall, then... Grand Duke Alarice and Lady Dahlia."

"You’ve carried both Grand Duke and his wife?!" He gasped and I laughed at his reaction.

"Don’t be so worried, I’ve even carried Davian... When he was young."

Rune gave me a look, "Don’t ever carry anyone like this use your telekinesis instead."

"I’ll have to focus on them all the time then, Brother and if I lost my focus then you could fall all the way down."

Rune frowned muttering his complaints and I simply smiled looking ahead.

Soon enough, I spotted the Konstantinos mansion and noticed as how the trees were growing thicker.

After a couple of minutes, we landed soundlessly on the thick, sturdy branch of a tree closest to the Konstantinos mansion. The cool night breeze rustled through the leaves around us as Rune gripped my arm, steadying himself while we scanned the surroundings. The estate was as grand as expected, its towering structure bathed in silver moonlight, with soft golden glows emanating from various windows. Guards patrolled the grounds below, their torches flickering in the dark.

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