Chapter 456
When a guest arrives, it’s only right to head to the reception room, but Sera is not just any ordinary guest. She’s my friend and the daughter of our family’s caretaker, so even the household staff consider her more like family than an outsider.
Thanks to this, when Sera comes to the castle, the servants don’t take her to the reception room. More often than not, they lead her to the caretaker’s room or straight to my room.
‘Should I wash up first?’
As I wandered the hallway, thinking she’d be in the caretaker’s room or my room again, I paused briefly to sniff the area near my sleeves.
I had just been training, but if I can handle mana to a certain extent, it’s quite rare to get sweaty no matter how intense the workout is. It’s mostly just dirt or dust from training that makes me feel the need to wash up.
But I’m not quite at the level of my second sister-in-law, who’s a master of magic, so I’m not perfect either. Plus, people are usually a bit oblivious to their own body odor.
‘Guess I should wash up a bit.’
After a quick inner debate, I turned around. After all, I was heading to see Sera, who has a fragile health, so I couldn’t show up looking dirty—
“Where are you going?”
I hadn’t walked far when a voice halted me from behind.
“Good thing you came out. If you’d stayed in your room, I would’ve been waiting forever.”
I turned my head slightly and saw Sera blinking at me.
So, she was coming to see me! What a perfect timing.
“I just came from the training ground and was planning to wash up first. It’d be a bit awkward if I smell while hanging around in the room, right?”
“Smell?”
Sera tilted her head, then buried her face in my chest and took a deep breath.
“Doesn’t smell at all!”
I cautiously pushed Sera away, smiling at her bright face. Even if there’s no smell, who knows how much dirt could be stuck to me?
But it was strange. Normally, Sera would have fallen back before I even pushed her. But she was standing her ground rather firmly this time. Sure, if I put in a bit more strength, she’d easily budge, but I can’t really push harder on someone so fragile.
“I might be a bit dirty, though.”
“Not at all. If you think that’s dirty, you should just stay at a monastery.”
Sera let out a little giggle and naturally linked her arm through mine.
The contact and warmth I felt from her arm left me a bit speechless. Friends can have this kind of contact, sure, but Sera isn’t usually this forward.
“Well, if we end up going outside, I’ll just wash up again, right? We can wash up later.”
“Going outside?”
At her words, I tilted my head. Going out? Where to?
“Yeah. I want to go to the Capital, can you come with me?”
“Of course, we have to go!”
That brief exchange was enough to push me into an impromptu outing. It was the first time Sera invited me to go somewhere since enrolling at the Academy.
*
As soon as I brought it up, Erich immediately called for a mage from the Krasius family to take us to the Capital.
The suddenness of it all made me smile without realizing it. I thought I’d have to persuade him for a while since the idea came out of nowhere, but without any hesitation, Erich nodded at my desire to go.
‘It’d be great if I could have him all to myself.’
But soon after, my initial delight faded into bitterness. He’s such a considerate and gentle guy, yet it would be amazing to monopolize someone like him.
Even though I had decided to give up on the idea of being the first and settle for being the second, I still felt a twinge of regret. If only Erich had acted more aloof, it wouldn’t sting as much, but seeing him be kind and attentive in ordinary situations just made me feel worse.
‘…Where do I fit in as second?’
Suppressing the growing bitterness, I focused on positive thoughts.
After all, being second isn’t too shabby. My brother, Carl, has his second lover as a Duke. The daughter of a Marquis is his fifth. If I’m the second daughter of a Baron, that’s quite a decent position! Yeah, it’s not too shabby after all.
“How about that café over there? I’ve been a few times, and it was nice.”
While I was rationalizing my cheerful thoughts, Erich pointed towards a quaint café without any hesitation.
As I quickly examined the café, it appeared completely empty of customers. In another location, this could easily be seen as an off-the-radar shop going belly-up, but the very fact that it’s still operational in the Capital signifies it must be a good place. It’s likely just a cozy little café known only to a select few.
‘What a relief.’
I breathed a sigh of relief internally. Given that many things would unfold at that café, having too many eyes on us could have been awkward.
“Yeah, looks good! Let’s go there!”
I put on my brightest smile and linked my arm with Erich’s again.
I could feel him stiffening a bit at the bold physical touch, but I didn’t show it.
‘Ughh—’
I was embarrassed too. It felt strange for a noble lady to engage in such bold contact.
Not to mention, it wasn’t just any contact; it was… well, chest to chest…
“It’s a bit chilly. Let’s hurry inside!”
With that, I hurriedly led Erich towards the café. Now wasn’t the time for embarrassment; it was practical time.
My brother Carl and my potential sister-in-law had said to make myself look appealing to Erich. Thus, using any means necessary to get closer to him! It’s a myriad of opportunities if I can overcome this shyness.
Their advice for someone on the brink of marriage has to be right.
*
The interior of the café turned out to be much larger and cozier than it appeared from outside. It’s definitely on par with the level of places Erich has been to multiple times.
“Isn’t it nice? Coming from the pastry club, I’m pretty picky about desserts, but this place is actually great.”
“True, it’s surprising how few customers there are.”
“I heard it’s tucked away in a hard-to-reach spot. They’ve made enough money, so they treat it more as a hobby. They said if too many people came, it’d be annoying.”
Erich chuckled as he popped a macaroon into his mouth. His behavior is a bit too casually delightful for someone from an aristocratic family, but I find it joyful seeing this laid-back side of him when we’re together.
It meant he didn’t have to wear a mask and could relax around me. That’s practically like family!
‘If only we weren’t siblings…’
I thought how very nice it would be if our family dynamics were just a little different.
Ding!
Just after I took a bite of the macaroon, a familiar face entered the café along with the bell chime.
‘Wow, that was fast!’
I was a bit surprised by the unexpected quick arrival. I figured someone living at the Capital would get here quickly, but even so, this was surprising.
*
As I turned my head at the soft chime, I found myself staring in disbelief. This was my fifth visit to this café, and I had never seen another customer before. So, out of sheer curiosity, I looked over and—
“Sister?”
To my absolute shock, the identity of the guest was completely unexpected.
It was Zenobia, currently a Count and likely busy with affairs alongside the Patriarch in the Imperial Council. No matter how I looked at it, running into her here, in this quiet café, was beyond my wildest imagination.
“Hey! It’s living proof that I’m not a ghost. It’s been a while since we last saw each other after your brother’s wedding, right?”
With a bright smile, she approached us and naturally joined in the conversation.
“It’s nice to see you again, Lady Sera. How have you been?”
“Yeah, thanks to your care, nothing major has happened.”
Then, Zenobia, sitting next to Sera, gently greeted her.
‘Honorifics?’
What’s this? I don’t recall Zenobia ever using honorifics with Sera, right? Given their age difference and the familial hierarchy, I thought she’d treat her more casually.
As I quickly tried to recall the memories from the club fair, no matter how hard I thought, that time didn’t involve using honorifics. They’d been more comfortable with each other during their first meeting, so this felt odd.
“Never thought we’d run into each other here. Are you a regular too?”
I pushed aside my confusion and opened my mouth. Forget about the politeness; the fact that I met my sister here is the real deal.
“I’m here for the first time today. I had no clue such a place existed.”
Her response made the mystery deepened. How did she know to come here if she didn’t even realize it existed?
“Oh, it was Count Horfelt who invited me here. I just pinged my location to him earlier.”
I blinked at the unexpected revelation.
Contacting through someone’s communicator requires knowing their unique number. You only share numbers with those whom you have formed enough of a bond with or for official business, so I never imagined Sera would know Zenobia’s number considering they’ve hardly met a few times.
Are Sera and Zenobia actually closer than I thought? But then again, they’re using honorifics with each other, so it still feels unusual.
“Actually, I wanted to tell Erich something important, and so did the Count.”
At that, I could only blink in confusion while straightening my posture.
Something’s up. I can’t pinpoint what it is, but my instincts are screaming. Sera’s about to drop a big one.
“Wait, I shouldn’t speak first. Count, please go ahead.”
“…Thank you, my lady.”
With a gentle smile directed at Sera, Zenobia looked at me with a face full of tension.
I felt uneasy. I couldn’t tell what combo Sera and Zenobia made; I also had no clue what could potentially put my sister, a current Count, in such a state of anxiety.
Could it be because I’m graduating from the Academy and becoming a council alternates? But if that were the case, wouldn’t the Patriarch or my brother have brought it up before her? If it were about the council, Sera wouldn’t even be in attendance.
‘What the heck?’
As I reflected on these vague bits of information, a mild headache formed. What the heck is going on—
“I like you, Erich.”
?
“I’ll clarify this to avoid any misunderstanding. I don’t love you as a sister. I love you as a woman who cares for you.”
The dull headache disappeared, but now my brain feels completely fried.
“…Huh?”
The words I let out sound so pathetic, but I couldn’t help it. I was too busy trying to process what my sister just said, turning my frozen brain over and over again.
‘Wait a second.’
But as my mind finally caught up, I froze in shock. If my sister’s saying this, then what about Sera? The girl standing here with us, who called on my sister?
I looked at Sera, who had turned beet red and finally spoke up.
“I…I’ve liked you for a long time!”
My vision turned white.
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