The Guide is Actually a Body-Switching Esper [BL]-Chapter 261: Like We Used To

At Nyla’s words, the whole room fell into silence so intense it seemed to ring in one’s ears. Both Nyla and Lane just sat quietly, Lane staring at Nyla, and Nyla staring at her hands. Nyla had already said what she had to say, while Lane...

Lane had absolutely no idea how to react.

One of the armrests hung from the damaged chair, swinging sadly, until finally, the part that was still holding it together gave up, and it broke off completely. Falling onto the floor, it made a lot of clatter that disturbed the otherwise almost perfect silence.

It was only then that Lane finally moved. He brushed his hair back, letting out a sigh...

"Which ’like we used to’ are you referring to?"

Nyla froze completely, even ceasing to breathe for a moment, before her shoulders dropped helplessly. "It’s... impossible, isn’t it?"

"Well," Lane picked up another pen from the desk organizer to have something to play with (read: twist and mangle up). "First of all, I’ve asked you a question."

Of course, the answer to his question was pretty obvious. There were only three types of how Lane and Nyla ’used to be’: first, their relationship when they were children; then, when they were teens, before Lane left the Allens’ mansion; and finally, how they were in the years following that. Technically three, but the last two were pretty much the same, as far as the twins’ interactions were concerned - that is, there were none. At most, passing each other in the hallways without a word.

So, if Nyla was unhappy with their current relationship (or the lack of it, to be precise), then the only thing she could have possibly meant was...

"When we were still kids..."

Yup, sure enough.

But then, the next question was, "Why?"

Nyla went silent again. This question was even harder to answer.

"Well?" Lane scoffed, lifting his brows. "Weren’t you the one who distances yourself first?"

"I..." There was nothing Nyla could say to defend herself. She only clenched onto the material of his pants - she was wearing much different clothes than usual, as Lane couldn’t help but notice. Maybe because it was her day off, and she came to ManaTech alone. Her outfit was still expensive and good-looking, but clearly made more for comfort rather than to expose her curves. And her shoes were also flat. She probably picked it on her own, for a change - and lowered her head again. At this rate, her head was soon going to end up on her lap.

"I’m sorry... I had no choice..." she eventually muttered.

"Tsk," Lane clicked his tongue, twisting the pen in his hands. "Excuses. I assume you’re not going to explain anything again?"

Nyla didn’t.

"So what, suddenly feeling regretful now? Why the change?"

"...I’m sorry, I know I have no right to ask..."

"Tsk." Lane side-eyed his sister, twisting and twisting the pen, until it snapped again.

Truth be told... He didn’t hate Nyla or anything. He never had. He was just... disappointed. They used to be so close, always sticking together, no matter what...

And then, they stopped. Because she stopped. Yes, it was what their parents wanted. They tried to separate them, because Lane had never had good grades and always got in trouble, so they deemed him a hopeless case. All while Nyla was quiet and studious, perfect to mold into a proper, presentable heir...

But that didn’t mean she had to go along with that. Yes, she was always more timid and introverted, and Lane didn’t expect her to fight or argue, but... But he put the effort to stick together. All she had to do was not to shut him out...

"I just don’t get it. It’s not like you ever wanted to inherit the company. So why do you still stick around, obeying their every order?" Lane asked, trying once again to squeeze anything out of Nyla. "When we were kids, I get it. We were dependent on them, so there wasn’t much we could do even if we tried. But now? We’re thirty. You are a real high-ranker now, and quite famous at that. You don’t need to endure all of their bullshit."

"That costume of yours? That stupid heavy sword and the fighting style that doesn’t suit you at all?" he added, when he wasn’t getting any answer. "You can’t possibly try to tell me you actually enjoy it. So, then why are you still there? Are you that afraid of disappointing them?"

"It’s not... That’s not it." After another long pause, Nyla finally spoke. "It’s not that I don’t want to disappoint them... It’s just, I can’t afford to do so."

Lane paused, his fingers that were in the middle of destroying yet another pen freezing in place. "And why is that?"

"I... I can’t tell."

But of course. Lane couldn’t help but scoff.

Still, that wasn’t unbelievable. Although he had a lot of spies, and received reports on the Allens, they still had holes in them. He didn’t know everything about the Allens or Nyla’s life. Perhaps there was something or someone the Allens held hostage to make sure that the woman remained their obedient little pawn...

After all, they were more than capable of that, Lane was sure of that.

"Well, alright, let’s try it differently, then," he let out a heavy sigh, tousling his hair. At this rate, with so many secrets they both still wanted to keep, they wouldn’t get anywhere. "If you could leave the Allens. If, whatever it is that they have over you, were gone. Would you leave them then?"

Nyla blinked a few times, seemingly taken aback, before nodding her head. "Yes."

"Hmm." Lane tapped the desk with the remains of the pen. Such ’what ifs’ weren’t really worth much, cause you could say whatever, and whether you were being honest or not would be hard to tell...

"Well. It’s not necessarily impossible for us to get along again..." Lane said, speaking slowly as he carefully chose every word, "But you must be aware it can’t happen as long as you follow our beloved parents’ every order. They would undoubtedly be opposed to that. I am not against having contact with you... But if you really want it, then you have to think about how you can make that happen. Because all the obstacles are still on your side... As they’ve always been."