I Reincarnated to Another World as a Woman-Chapter 137: Too Late, But Not Too Late

Theo’s anger flares again.

Why does Arthur always put himself forward as a shield? When will Thea learn to be strong and handle her own problems?

I need to teach these two clowns a lesson.

Theo keeps smiling, looking perfectly normal to anyone watching. But beneath that calm exterior, he releases an extreme wave of cold toward both the Baroness and Arthur. The chill seeps through fabric and skin alike, biting deep, like dry ice pressed directly against bare flesh.

Both the Baroness and Arthur react instantly, shocked as if struck by electricity. They jerk away from each other, stumbling backward.

Theo moves fast. He catches the Baroness before she can fall.

"Your Ladyship, are you alright?"

Liam reacts just as quickly, grabbing Arthur before he stumbles any farther back.

"Arthur, you okay?"

The Baroness blinks several times, her expression tightening with embarrassment. This is the second time today she has been caught completely off guard.

She straightens quickly, smoothing her posture and clearing her throat.

"I am fine, Theodora. Thank you. I am probably just tired. I should go and rest properly." She offers a polite nod. "Thank you for meeting with me today. I truly appreciate it."

Her gaze flicks briefly to Arthur, but she does not linger. She does not dare. The memory of that unnatural cold is still too fresh. She has no idea who attacked her, and the thought of being exposed while her opponent remains hidden unsettles her deeply.

Without another word, she retreats. Before anyone can react, she is already moving away, her steps composed and elegant as she heads toward the lobby doors.

Arthur exhales slowly, tension leaving his shoulders. "She’s finally gone." He turns toward Theo. "Are you okay, Thea?"

He watches the Baroness disappear before fully facing him.

Theo is staring at him.

Cold. Unblinking.

Arthur blinks, suddenly uncertain. He has no idea what he did wrong.

"Thea, what’s wrong?" Arthur asks quickly. "Is it Ryan? Did that bastard do something to you?" He immediately shifts into problem solving mode, intent on fixing whatever is troubling his little sister.

Theo takes a deep breath and holds it for a moment before releasing it slowly.

"No. It’s not Ryan. And it’s not the Baroness," Theo says calmly. "It’s you, Arthur."

He turns around and walks back into the Waiting Lounge. Without another word, he takes a seat and waits.

Arthur stands there, stunned by the answer. Since Theo clearly has more to say, Arthur follows him into the lounge.

Liam and Julian do the same.

Arthur sits down across from Theo. "Please explain," he says, genuinely confused.

"You need to stop trying to protect me, Arthur."

Arthur blinks. "But you’re my sister. Of course I have to protect you."

"Be honest with yourself," Theo replies evenly. "Are you protecting me because I’m your little sister, or because you feel guilty?"

Arthur freezes.

His mouth falls open. His eyes widen.

Liam and Julian exchange a look. The tension is thick enough that neither of them wants to stay inside.

They quietly step out of the lounge but remain by the door, standing guard.

"Oh," Liam mutters. "That’s heavy."

"Yeah," Julian agrees softly. "But it’s necessary."

Julian glances back toward the lounge, then looks at Liam. "Even you can feel it, right? Arthur is overly protective of Thea."

Liam nods without hesitation. "Yeah. She told me once she’s never had the chance to go out on her own. Someone always has to accompany her." He exhales. "I can’t imagine living like that."

Julian nods weakly.

Maeve approaches them. "What’s going on? Why are Arthur and Thea alone in there?"

Julian and Liam quickly explain.

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"Thea..."

"Be honest, Arthur. Which one?" Theo cuts in, refusing to let him retreat. It is time for Arthur to see the truth. His sister can protect herself.

If they want to grow as magi, they need to trust one another. Theo wants to start with Arthur trusting Thea.

Arthur lets out a slow sigh. "A little of both, I guess."

"Look, Art. I understand," Theo says, his voice softer now. "You took on a very heavy responsibility at a young age. Ever since then, you’ve been the one handling everything. Carrying everything." He pauses. "And you feel guilty toward me because of what happened."

"But Art, me falling off a cliff, it wasn’t your fault. And me falling into a coma? That wasn’t your fault either." Theo leans forward slightly. "So stop carrying that guilt and start trusting me."

Theo doesn’t back down. He knows it’s time for Arthur to face this. Ever since Arthur went berserk, Theo has been aware of it. Arthur never truly dealt with his trauma or his guilt.

And wielding magic while mentally unstable is dangerous.

Theo refuses to let any mishap happen to his students under his watch.

Arthur stares at her in disbelief. His face pales.

"Thea, I..."

He stops, unable to find the words.

"Theo told me," Theo says quietly.

"He told me about my high resonance with magic. How it would cause my mana to go haywire when I started puberty." Theo hesitates, then continues. "And if I think back now... Theo was right."

Arthur looks at her, the memories of what Theo told him float back. To think that when she was just entering puberty, she had no one to talk to. Her family was busy, tangled in their own responsibilities and affairs.

It was ironic, really. They were so busy trying to be a family that they forgot how to actually be one. And Thea had borne the consequences.

On top of that, she had to deal with her mana alone.

Arthur reaches out and encloses his sister’s hands within his own.

"I’m truly sorry, Thea," he says, his voice thick. "I’m sorry you had to go through that alone. You didn’t know what was happening back then. None of us did. But even so, we should have faced it together. As a family."

He feels his eyes start to sting.

He remembers what it was like when he went berserk. Cathartic, yet terrifying. But he had Theo beside him.

Thea had no one.

No wonder she withdrew from the world. From the rest of the family.

"In the Mt. Helene dungeon, Theo told me... told us," Arthur says quietly. "Julian, Liam, Maeve included. He told us how your extremely high magic resonance would cause you pain and terror during puberty. He didn’t explain further." Arthur swallows. "I think... I think he was trying to tell us that this was why you withdrew from us."

Theo nods slowly. "Yes. That was part of it."

He closes his eyes, searching through Thea’s memories, letting them surface one by one.

"I was the youngest. The only girl. The age gap between us was large," Theo continues softly. "When I looked at you and Julian, especially you, it felt like I was looking at adults while I was still just a little girl. I didn’t have anyone to talk to."

"I had Julian when I was younger," he adds. "But then he started working at the lab. After that, I had no one."

He exhales quietly.

"Then puberty came, and mana came with it." His voice steadies. "It was the perfect recipe for isolation."

"Thea..." Arthur pulls her into his arms.

Tears finally fall from his eyes.