“Liya, I’m the same… Until you came to the manor, I had no memories of a younger sister.”
I was too young for that.
My memories always started from the manor where my sister had left.
I had heard stories of her being a bright and clever child, but I had never actually faced her face to face or shared any bond.
She felt like a special presence, though.
If she had already mastered mathematics before my memories even began, she must have been a child who fell into the genius category.
One day, when I was still thinking of her merely as ‘sister’, Liya arrived at the manor.
That’s when I realized for the first time.
My sister was such a cute and lovable existence.
“So, to me, ‘sister’ is only you… At least to me, you are real. No matter what anyone says.”
That must have been the right relationship between Liya and me.
For me, Liya was the only sister, and likewise, the only one who could remain ‘real’ for her was me.
Siblings were unique to each other.
Therefore, it was an even more precious relationship.
“……But still.”
While whining, Liya began to pout.
She was cute. She always was.
“I poked you, brother?”
“We’re siblings.”
Smiling wryly, I patted Liya’s back.
“It’s normal for siblings to do that sometimes.”
“……What? That.”
Liya murmured in a vague tone at my absurd excuse.
Her voice had a slightly relaxed tone.
It was a voice that hinted at faint laughter, like spring arriving in a winter field.
I held Liya tighter to comfort her.
The soft sensation of her body provided a unique sense of relief.
Carefully, I asked my sister.
“……Are you feeling a bit better now?”
“No.”
Her eyes, still unshed of tears, looked at me.
It was like looking at the moon in the night sky.
I became a bit dizzy at her delicate expression.
Were the aftereffects of her injury still lingering?
“I’m still scared.”
“……Yeah, yeah.”
While patting Liya, I repeated words of sympathy.
“I’m anxious, thinking I might do something terrible to you again…”
“Yeah, yeah.”
It could happen, and I repeated my comfort several times.
Only then did Liya seem to have eased her mind and asked me.
“……Can I trust you, brother?”
“Of course.”
What would happen if my sister didn’t trust me? I was about to ask back when Liya met my gaze with a playful look.
“Swear it.”
I relaxed my arms that were holding Liya and faced her with a look of confusion.
A faint blush colored her cheeks.
“……O, brother is a knight. If I’m not a monster, then swear like you would to a princess.”
What was she talking about?
I desperately turned my mind to figure it out.
Scenes from the fairy tales I had watched in my childhood flashed by one by one.
The fairy tales that Liya particularly loved usually had romance woven into them.
The poignant love between a knight and a princess, which meant their swearing would also be distinct.
A kiss.
By the time my thoughts reached that point, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
That couldn’t be.
No matter how much Liya liked me, we’re siblings, aren’t we?
Even if we weren’t blood-related, that’s how I thought.
Liya must have thought the same way.
So, as I usually did, I extended my pinky finger.
Liya said nothing.
Breathless, she merely stared blankly at my gesture.
Perhaps due to prolonged hunger, her eyes were growing blurry.
It was only natural if she hadn’t been eating properly.
She had just poured out her sincere feelings not long ago.
I was determined to take Liya back to the manor as soon as possible.
That urgency spilled out from my lips in a somewhat impatient tone.
“Liya, let’s make a promise. I… ”
“……No.”
But before I could finish, Liya stopped me.
As I hesitated for a moment, Liya shook her head slightly.
“That’s a promise made to a princess, not to a sister.”
“Then what should I do…?”
At that moment.
A sweet, delightful fragrance brushed my nose.
It was surprising that she could emit such a scent from her skin without having bathed for who knows how long. Is a woman’s body this mysterious?
Liya’s lips touched my pinky finger.
As I felt the soft sensation, Liya leaned forward.
There was no time to evade.
Between just one finger, our lips were already touching.
To be precise, it wasn’t a kiss.
Liya merely placed her lips on my pinky finger.
Yet, I found myself at a loss for words for a long time.
The distance between us was incredibly close.
Sweet breaths mingled, and when I opened my eyes, I could see two eyes brimming with yearning emotions.
A distance where we could perceive each other most clearly.
Without stopping at just a peck, Liya slightly stuck out her tongue and licked my pinky finger.
Lick, lick.
Like a little kitten, Liya licked my finger with her tongue.
Every time her tongue brushed my skin, a peculiar current rushed down my spine.
I could only be entranced by the stimulation I was experiencing for the first time in my life.
As time went on.
Finally, as Liya pressed her lips once more against my pinky, her face gradually pulled away.
Only then did the edges of Liya’s eyes curve into a sensuous line.
The girl spoke with an enchanting smile.
“Brother, I’m glad to be your sister…”
It was a bittersweet expression mixed with joy and sorrow.
“……Sometimes, I really hate it.”
Her breathless tone and the tenderness of her voice mixed together.
It was then that I first thought.
Perhaps Liya’s feelings for me might be somewhat different from mine.
I found myself unable to grasp the situation for a time.
Liya’s runaway always ended so insignificantly.
Right after, I had to carry the fainted Liya down the back mountain while sweating profusely.
I felt a twinge of regret.
What if I had brought Neoris instead?
I wasn’t in perfect condition, and crucially, I had been bedridden for over a month, causing all my muscles to atrophy.
No matter how much magic I used with medications, there were limits.
The only good part was that fragile Liya had gone days without eating, making her even leaner.
If Liya had been a bit heavier, I might have stumbled a few times.
Particularly, Liya’s chest or hips bore significant weight.
It was a mystery that the human body would normally burn fat first when hungry.
After safely handing Liya over, my parents silently patted my shoulder.
Their feelings must have been complicated.
In a way, it was a foolish thing to do.
Taking in a girl who was merely a fake and facing potential punishment for it.
Yet, my father and mother didn’t seem particularly regretful.
My father said it was a ‘responsibility’.
However, as this was merely a rural territory, he never expected the family’s secret to be revealed, and thus felt sorry for inconveniencing me.
I neither praised nor blamed my parents.
I merely decided to respect their decision.
In my heart, I also felt gratitude.
Had it not been for my parents, I would never have met Liya.
Even after laying Liya in the bedroom, various events awaited me.
Groaning on the bed, I received disappointed glances from the saintess while a visitor came to me.
“……Master?”
A hooded hat peeked through the slightly opened door.
Then, the lovely face of a girl suddenly popped out.
Seeing her blink and gaze at me, I couldn’t help but smile wryly.
“Senior Elsi…”
You came again.
Recently, Senior Elsi always did this.
Even after the saintess had declared my absolute rest, as soon as she left, Elsi would show up to see me.
Of course, it seemed like she was trying to hold back, perhaps concerned about the saintess’s words.
Right now, she wasn’t trying to climb into my arms.
Because Elsi had monopolized my embrace for a while, I found myself reminiscing about the past when I had been in a rivalry with Celin and Seria.
The saintess didn’t exactly look kindly upon Senior Elsi either.
At least now, I was relieved that our interaction was limited to conversation.
At that peaceful moment, Senior Elsi’s visit was quite welcome.
Today, Senior Elsi seemed a bit hesitant.
So, I decided to open the conversation.
“What’s up?”
“I, um… in the evening…”
Senior Elsi carefully inquired about my schedule with a nervous expression.
“……Would it be possible to meet, just the two of us?”
Hmm, a soft hum escaped my lips.
Would the saintess allow that?
My body had improved quite a bit recently. With the vacation almost over, there were whispers that I could finish my rehabilitation during the remaining time.
Moreover, Reto had also advised me.
He had told me to enjoy some cozy time just the two of us.
That should have been a good enough reason for me to put a bit of pressure on the saintess.
“Of course, see you in the backyard this evening.”
“……Yes, yes!”
Senior Elsi replied with a leap in joy.
Before long, a smile began to spread across her face. She took a couple of steps back and left my room.
I could hear her voice exclaiming, ‘Great!’ but still.
I could vividly picture Senior Elsi shaking her tiny fist tightly.
I chuckled as I awaited the evening.
If it hadn’t been for an important guest coming before that, my steps would have directly led me to Senior Elsi.
In the spacious reception room, there were only two of us.
Normally, this would be a time when the group would be bustling around, but everyone had left after considering the weight of the person who had visited here.
It was a middle-aged man in a black uniform.
Only the gray hair hinted at his true age.
Having reached old age, his physique was still robust.
He was almost at the point where he could rival my prime.
He was known more by that title than his name.
“The Empire’s Sword Saint.”
After a while of standing silently with his arms crossed, he finally uttered a heavy word to me.
“……You might still be alive.”
He handed me the three or four sheets of documents and added, “Your ‘real’ sister.”
My eyes went blank as I received the documents.
That was why the Sword Saint had come to see me.
There was a conversation that absolutely had to be shared with me.
The topic was my ‘real’ sister’s whereabouts.
