Call Me 'Sister'
“Young lady, are you awake? It’s almost time for breakfast.”
Unfortunately, the first meeting with Veronica wasn’t like a dream.
Sweaty hair and the magic tool rolling on the floor.
She got down from the bed and picked up the magic tool.
When she hung the magic tool around her neck, her hair lengthened and her voice tone rose.
“Prepare warm water in the bathtub so you can wash up comfortably, young lady.”
“Yes, thank you.”
She was getting used to being called “young lady” without realizing it.
When her father first called her that, she couldn’t hide the disgusted expression.
Now, without realizing, her head turned first.
Is this okay?
Splash—
When she submerged her body in the bathtub, water overflowed and fell to the floor.
Her mind was also full of worries like water, about to overflow at any moment.
She had to stay here until the war ended?
In a situation where she didn’t know how long the war would last?
With that crazy woman Veronica?
As negative thoughts flooded in, her mind started branching out to other possibilities.
Then, suddenly, she imagined herself being dragged to the military.
Instead of a dress, wearing military uniform, holding a gun instead of the magic tool, charging bravely.
Boom—!
…And falling dead from the enemy’s bullet before long.
She had to correct the thoughts from last night.
This detached villa was much better than the battlefield.
To the soldier standing guard in the trench—
“I’m too humiliated to receive a one-sided marriage proposal from the young lady of the count’s family.”
If she said that, it wouldn’t be just a lie, would it.
Yeah, don’t think too much.
She was already in a much better environment than others.
She looked at her reflection in the water.
In her golden eyes, determination and resignation coexisted.
“Good morning, Katrina.”
As soon as she entered the dining room, Veronica’s voice was heard.
She greeted silently and sat down.
Veronica smiled at her and said.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, thanks to you, I slept well.”
Sitting at the table, seeing the head seat, there were dishes but no person.
Was the count not coming yet?
As she kept glancing at the head seat, Veronica lightly clapped her hands.
“Ah, right. Father is on a business trip.”
“…Yes?”
“He is handling the business of processing magic stones that go into magic tools, and thanks to the war, it’s booming.”
“Then when will he return to the villa…?”
“I don’t know about that either. But he said this business trip might be long.”
Her plan to ask for help from the count if necessary was shattered.
Moreover, if the current head is absent, the seat naturally becomes…
“So I will take the temporary head position as a representative.”
“…I see.”
Veronica stood up and moved to the head seat.
Somehow, there were no dishes in front of Veronica.
“Don’t worry. Since Father travels often, taking the temporary head position is not the first time.”
“That’s fortunate.”
“Haha— Thank you.”
Veronica didn’t stop laughing even at her teasing.
A maid brought a cart and placed the breakfast.
Throughout the meal, Veronica’s gaze was felt, but she tried to ignore it as much as possible.
“Tonight, time is up, right? Come to my room tonight too.”
Thud—
The bread she was about to put in her mouth returned to the plate.
“…What?”
“If you’re alone, it’s boring.”
“No. I’m fine— hick♡!?”
At the moment she tried to reject Veronica’s proposal.
Something brushed her thigh.
From the sensation, it was Veronica’s foot.
“Oh my, are you okay?”
“I’m fine…!”
Even while asking if she was okay, she didn’t stop playing with her foot.
From ankle to calf, to knee.
And Veronica’s bare foot pressing her thigh.
Though perverted, her private part started to swell.
The table was covered with a tablecloth, but the maid was watching them from the side.
“I’ll send someone later. Are you coming?”
“…Yes, I’ll go.”
Only after hearing her answer did Veronica stop her foot.
“I’ll finish eating first since I have a lot to do. Eat slowly.”
“……!”
Veronica made her private part hard and left first.
What she could do was only glare at her with resentful eyes until Veronica left the room.
“I’m not feeling well either….”
She chewed the food until her lower body calmed down and then stood up.
Even so, feeling uneasy, she returned to the room while dragging her feet.
Is the Veronica from yesterday who said she’d call her sometimes from another world?
Coming to this room again after only a day.
Knock knock—
“Come in.”
When she opened the door, Veronica was sitting on the sofa.
“Here, sit.”
Veronica calling her by patting the seat next to her.
It was like a master calling a puppy.
“I said sit!”
“If I sit on the opposite sofa, is that not allowed?”
“Why? Are you scared of me?”
Veronica asked as if genuinely curious.
She swallowed hard and answered.
“…Yes.”
At the honest answer, Veronica couldn’t hold back her laughter.
“Haha— Was the joke too much yesterday?”
“Joke!?”
At the word joke, her voice naturally rose.
Who the hell would do such a joke!
Not knowing her heart, Veronica nodded and continued.
“I was also new at it, so I couldn’t hold the line. From now on, I’ll restrain myself.”
“Restrain.”
“It’s not like she doesn’t do it.”
She couldn’t believe Veronica’s words, but she felt a bit relieved by the different atmosphere from yesterday.
She knew she would flip her over as soon as she entered the room.
But she didn’t sit next to Veronica.
Veronica, as if expecting, handed her a teacup.
“Today it’s plain black tea.”
“How can I believe that?”
“Believe it or not. It’s your choice.”
Veronica shrugged and put the teacup to her lips.
She slowly sipped the tea too.
Unlike yesterday, it was the taste and aroma of plain black tea.
“By the way, until when are you going to call me ‘Veronica’?”
“Then what should I call you?”
“Sister?”
“…Are you crazy?”
“Then I’ll call you ‘noona’?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Don’t worry. I figured out that I am older.”
“…Had we ever compared ages?”
“How do you know that—”
“Since we’ll be together for a long time, it’s better to call you comfortably, right?”
But Veronica’s pressure was faster than her question.
Was she not doing a background check on her?
“I have to stay here until the war ends. If you act so stiffly, you’ll have it harder?”
She didn’t want to admit it, but Veronica was right.
Veronica was friendly, but if she was too scared on her side, it would look weird.
“I understand. But… I need some time.”
“Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll wait.”
Veronica drank her tea with satisfaction.
She was dead.
“Instead, there are conditions.”
“Conditions? What?”
“Why are you doing this?”
But she couldn’t stand up from the negotiation table without getting anything.
She asked for the answer to the unanswered question from yesterday.
“Isn’t ‘boring’ enough?”
“Of course! Who gets bored and does such things?!”
“Hmm—”
Veronica quietly put down the teacup.
The inside of the teacup was calm without any ripples.
“When you come to like me yourself, then I’ll tell you.”
“…Yes?”
“It would be better if you realize it yourself.”
Veronica stood up and went towards the window.
Through the window, the empty garden of the villa was visible.
Veronica pulled the curtain and sat next to her.
“My words mean that we can help each other. I will protect your secret, and you will make me not bored.”
“How can I do that?”
“Just follow my words well. It’s not difficult, is it?”
“To follow her words well.”
She was already scared, but she had no choice to reject.
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll call you ‘sister’?”
“Wait, that’s…”
“It’s not difficult, right? Huh?”
“…N.”
“What? I didn’t hear.”
“Sister!”
Veronica smiled brightly and hugged her.
Because of the height difference, her face was buried in her chest.
A sweet scent came from her chest.
She left Veronica’s room and headed to the detached villa.
While walking, Veronica’s words kept lingering in her mind.
“When you realize it yourself, it would be better.”
What did that mean?
Why was she saying she had to know something?
When she arrived at the detached villa, she lay on the bed.
The promise with Veronica came to mind.
She would come to her room every night.
Was this promise really okay to make?
“…Anyway, I didn’t have a choice.”
She muttered while staring at the ceiling.
If she had to stay in this villa until the war ended, maintaining a good relationship with Veronica was the best.
Since her weakness was exposed, this was the best she could do.
To avoid being dragged to the military, she had to meet Veronica tomorrow.
And the next day,
And the day after,
Until the day the war ends.