Surviving as a Cripple in Murim – Chapter 26

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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According to the physician, it was thankfully not a serious illness, just a common cold brought on by fatigue from the long journey.

While he was relieved it wasn’t anything serious, it was still frustrating. If she was feeling unwell, she should have said something and rested. Why drag herself out of bed and collapse in the hallway?

It was unsettling.

He was lucky to be such a kind and compassionate older brother; otherwise, Yeonhwa might have perished in that hallway.

“Mmm… haah…”

He looked down at Yeonhwa, her breathing labored.

Hair plastered to her forehead with sweat, flushed cheeks, and clothes rumpled from tossing and turning in discomfort.

It was strange. Seeing her like this, vulnerable and disheveled, so unlike her usual composed and aloof demeanor, stirred a protective instinct within him.

The way she clutched his robe so tightly only amplified her vulnerability. He knew he shouldn’t be thinking this about someone who was ill, but she looked adorable.

If this was all an act, a calculated performance, he honestly didn’t think he could win against her in the future power struggles within the family.

“Haah… haah… sniff…”

Small teardrops traced a path down her cheeks. Why had she endured the pain in silence for so long? Such a foolish child.

He had treated her with kindness, hadn’t he? Did she not trust him?

Wounded animals were said to conceal their weakness, lest they be perceived as easy prey, their territory and lives threatened.

Perhaps Yeonhwa saw him, and the rest of the family, as unreliable, untrustworthy.

While they hadn’t had much time to build a relationship, he suspected her distrust stemmed from past experiences.

He wiped away her tears and replaced the damp cloth on her forehead.

Checking the time, he saw it was well past midnight, nearing 2 AM.

Life in the martial world was monotonous, and he had grown accustomed to an early-to-bed, early-to-rise routine. He felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him. The lingering chill of early spring sent shivers down his spine. He longed for the warmth of his blankets.

But Yeonhwa was still clinging to his robe. He couldn’t bring himself to pull away from his younger sister, who had reached out to him, even in her sleep.

That’s what older brothers did.

He nodded to himself, rationalizing his actions, and crossed his arms to ward off the chill. He carefully shifted his position, leaning back against the chair, ensuring Yeonhwa’s grip on his robe remained undisturbed.

He thought about how absurd it was, sitting on a hard, cold chair when a warm, comfortable bed awaited him. But looking at Yeonhwa, her fever receding, her breathing returning to normal, he felt a small sense of accomplishment.

She was a high-maintenance younger sister, that was for sure.

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Chirp~ chirp~ tweet-tweet~ chirp~!

Early morning, as the diligent birds sang their morning greetings and the first rays of sunlight painted the world in hues of blue, Yeonhwa opened her jewel-like red eyes and assessed the situation, her gaze fixed on Mancheon, whose hand, warm yet strangely cool, rested on her forehead.

Her vision had blurred, and she remembered collapsing in the hallway. She had fragmented memories of what followed.

The problem was, some of those memories, memories she wished she could forget, were also resurfacing.

Mancheon’s gentle face as he tended to her. then this and that…

“Don’t leave… me alone.”

H-how… indecent?!

To utter such shameful words in the presence of a man, even if he was her older brother, a man she had only known for a day…!

“Oh, you’re awake. Your fever seems to have broken. How are you feeling?”

“Huh? -Uh? Mm? Um… well…”

He had stayed up all night tending to her, and now she seemed to have short-circuited. He couldn’t exactly smack her back to her senses like a malfunctioning device. Should he call the physician again?

As Mancheon seriously considered summoning the physician, Yeonhwa took a deep breath and composed herself.

An alluring charm settled over her beautiful, jewel-like red eyes. She smiled, a captivating smile that could charm anyone.

Sitting up, she placed a hand delicately on her chest, tilted her head slightly, and expressed her gratitude with a graceful gesture.

“I apologize for my unseemly behavior. Thanks to you, Older Brother, my fever has subsided. I’m truly grateful…”

Polite, formal, distant. If he played along, their conversation would continue in this vein, polite and courteous.

They could maintain a comfortable distance, a pleasant yet detached relationship. But that was no longer what Mancheon wanted.

He had stayed up all night, suffering for her sake, and now she wanted to maintain a polite distance, to avoid further interaction? No way.

Leaning forward, he waved his hand dismissively, interrupting her mid-sentence. He threw a 100 mph fastball.

“Ah~ forget it~ forget it. No need for formalities when you’re ill. Besides, you don’t even like me. Don’t force yourself.”

“Excuse me?”

He flashed his characteristically brazen smile at Yeonhwa, her eyebrows twitching in surprise at the unexpected attack. He shattered the facade.

“Formality is a necessary social skill, but it’s not something you should bother with when you’re sick. So just relax.”

His gaze was steady and unwavering, his words blunt and direct, his expression unabashedly confident. This wasn’t a thoughtless outburst, nor a playful jab.

He spoke with the conviction of someone who knew he had struck a nerve.

It was true. Yeonhwa disliked Mancheon.

She disliked his resemblance to Sima Bu, his piercing gaze that seemed to see through her, his thick skin and brazen confidence, and the fact that, unlike her, he seemed to have enjoyed a happy, carefree childhood.

She disliked everything about him.

But even if he had seen through her, she couldn’t allow herself to be provoked into revealing her true emotions.

Normally, she would have laughed it off, pretending to be amused, or subtly changed the subject.

Normally, that is.

The lingering resentment and anger from Sima Bu’s harsh words, combined with the remnants of her fever, melted the mask she had carefully constructed, shattered by Mancheon’s direct hit.

Mancheon’s irritatingly smug smile chipped away at the facade, peeling it back layer by layer.

The smile vanished from Yeonhwa’s face. The fire in her red eyes cooled, replaced by a chilling indifference. Ironically, in that moment, she bore a striking resemblance to Sima Bu.

“You’re right. I don’t like you. So what? What are you going to do about it?”

“Consider this a declaration of war.”

“What?”

She frowned at the incomprehensible words. She couldn’t understand.

‘A declaration of war? What was he talking about? What did he mean?’

Before Yeonhwa could decipher the hidden meaning, Mancheon leaned closer, giving her no time to think.

He had seized the initiative. It was Mancheon’s turn.

“I don’t know why you dislike me. But it doesn’t matter.”

Yeonhwa’s red eyes reflected Mancheon’s image. …For some reason, her mother’s words came to mind, overlapping with Mancheon’s face.

Thick eyebrows, a sharp jawline, a prominent nose, fierce amber eyes. She couldn’t speak for his courage, but he was certainly brazen.

“You see, despite my cool and refined appearance, I’m actually quite a persistent and possessive man. I never give up on something I want.”

Mancheon’s eyes, usually aloof and indifferent, sparkled with an unexpected intensity. But it wasn’t the fiery intensity of a flame, but the gentle glimmer of distant stars.

“And I have absolutely no intention of maintaining a superficial, polite relationship with my newly acquired, adorable younger sister. We will become close.”

‘He was a wolf in human form. A large, dangerous, and ravenous wolf.’

“I don’t care how much you dislike me. I’ll do everything in my power to make you like me. And let me warn you, your ‘dislike’ won’t last long.”

The crippled wolf, his eyes filled with starlight, smiled. He declared his intentions, a bold proclamation of his resolve to win her over.

“You’d best prepare yourself.”

It was so absurd she couldn’t maintain her composure any longer. Her red eyes blazed as she accepted Mancheon’s challenge.

“Such confidence. It’s almost pathetic.”

“Well, I am handsome, intelligent, and charming. This level of confidence is only natural.”

Sparks flew between them.

The carefully constructed boundaries between them burned away in the ensuing conflagration. The formalities vanished, replaced by genuine emotion, raw and untamed.

A younger sister, an unyielding fortress. An older brother, determined to conquer. The sibling rivalry had begun.

But first, she needed to eat.

He summoned the servants and instructed them to bring the porridge and medicine. Then, he excused himself, leaving Yeonhwa alone.

A one-sided beatdown wouldn’t be any fun. A good fight required both participants to be at their best.

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After Mancheon left, Yeonhwa took a spoonful of the porridge and felt a surge of annoyance. It was perfect, neither too hot nor too cold, just the right temperature, and deliciously savory.

With each bite, she saw Mancheon’s face.

He was so thoughtful, it was infuriating.

Despite her fever having subsided, she felt her cheeks flush, a warmth spreading through her face.

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A declaration to win over the young sist heart, you guys bet 😏