Chapter 35
Chapter 36
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Shopping District Date (Not Really) (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ruena and I had made plans to head to the shopping district today.
Our house's muscle-brained idiot.
No, my one and only gorilla, Trisha—
I'd spent days begging her perfectly.
"I'm going to the commoners' shopping district alone with Ruena, so I need you to guard us."
"...Well, fine. Sure, I'll do it."
"Absolutely don't make it obvious you're guarding us. Just act normal and follow a little ways behind."
"Hehe? That's my specialty. I'm confident~!"
The fact that she was confident made me the most anxious.
But if I said anything, she'd sulk and refuse to help, so I swallowed my words.
"And after we get back, swing by the slums and pick up a few things for me."
"Ugh... That's annoying~."
"No choice. I can't take Ruena to a place like that. In return, I'll pay you several times over."
Trisha pouted, then grinned and lifted her chin.
"Fine. Since I'm already helping. What do you need?"
"Here, the list I prepared. First, for the wire, I need something with good mana conductivity that won't be easily detected. The stuff from Krawl is usually decent, but check it against light just to be sure. Then for the sub-space pouch..."
"......Huh? What? Uh?"
"...I'll explain again. First, the wire..."
"Kkh, hiii.... D-don't give me orders, you Celen—!"
In the end, we decided I'd hit the slums later myself.
I realized asking our muscle-brained idiot to run errands was impossible.
Before leaving the house, I made one last stop at Trisha's room.
"Hey, Trisha."
"......"
"I'm coming in."
I flung open the door to Trisha's bedroom.
There, sprawled in the middle of the bed like a starfish with a pale seaweed patch stuck to it, was... something.
A closer look revealed it was my one and only little sister.
Her curly hair was a tangled mess.
Her limbs splayed every which way, and the pillow was soaked with drool.
'...Hopeless.'
Ruena and my little sister Trisha were both heavy sleepers,
but how could they be this different?
Tsking at the sight of a sister who looked less like a graceful noble lady
and more like a laborer passed out drunk on a tavern floor, I shook my head.
'Fine... Just do a good job protecting us...'
Sighing, I gently shook Trisha's shoulder.
"Hey. Trisha."
"Kkueong..."
"What? It's 11 o'clock, shopping district. Don't forget."
"Nuuu~"
"If you're even a minute late, no doll for you."
Trisha mumbled something, then suddenly scowled.
"Die..."
"Yeah. You'll be on time. I'm off."
If she showed up on time and did her job—
whether my two-years-younger sister spoke rudely or not was none of my business.
Anyway...
Being at the bottom of the family hierarchy was on par with "people breathe" for me.
With that thought, I headed to the Eliad mansion.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Ruena and I arrived at the shopping district.
A bustle and clamor utterly unlike a noble ballroom greeted us.
It was familiar to me,
but surely a first for Ruena.
'That's why she begged to come along. For a fresh experience.'
Curiosity always came with a hefty price, though.
I want to do this,
look at that,
what's that?
Just responding sincerely to those would multiply the cost several times over.
'Bring it on.'
Adjusting my shameless mask, I turned to Ruena.
Expecting sparkling eyes full of curiosity as she excitedly looked around...
...but Ruena was staring straight up at me.
Caught off guard, I smiled and asked,
"What's up, Ruena?"
"...Hey, Celen."
"Yeah?"
"How do I look? Weird?"
Her eyes held a hint of anxiety.
Probably worried commoner clothes didn't suit her, since it was her first time.
Even as heir to House Eliad, she was still just a girl.
The way she fussed over her outfit proved it.
Or maybe she was minding her dignity as a noble lady.
Then Ruena fidgeted with her skirt hem and tilted her head.
"...How do I look to you, Celen?"
"Uh, well..."
The sudden question left me speechless for a moment.
Keeping my smile, I rapidly spun my brain.
'Gotta come up with something plausible.'
I knew little of women's hearts,
but from watching Little Brother, I learned brushing off questions like this was fatal.
Quickly readjusting my shameless mask, I squeezed her hand tightly.
"No matter what you wear, you're Ruena. You can't help but be cute."
"...Really?"
"Yeah. To me, you're always the best."
Did it work?
Sweat beading on my brow as I awaited her reaction—
something suddenly wrapped around my waist and yanked me into a hug.
My lame line must've worked better than expected.
An excited voice rang out beside me.
"Ce-len—!"
"......Huh?"
A voice fluttering like it might take flight.
Definitely not one that could come from Ruena.
'...No way.'
Glancing down revealed familiar curly twintails.
Playful eyes greeted me next.
"Hehe—! Found you~!"
"...Hey, you."
I'd told her to stay a little ways back,
but our house gorilla had tossed my request out the window from the start.
'I was the fool for expecting anything...'
This girl...
Obviously planning to stick to my side begging for this and that.
Despairing over my rotten luck once more—
Trisha, refusing to release my waist, grinned mischievously.
"How's that? See? From the outside, doesn't this body look even cuter?"
"Haha, hear some dog barking somewhere. ...Kkh."
"Don't talk nonsense and praise this body quick, you Celen."
Trisha growled, putting even more strength into her arms.
I thought my guts might burst.
Why did the heavens grant this fool such brute strength?
If even half went to brains or respect for her brother, the world would be at peace.
As I groaned in agony, my back and stomach fusing—
Ruena's voice came from right beside me, a touch more subdued than usual.
"...Celen."
"...Uk?"
"...Who is she?"
Trisha reacted faster than me.
Releasing my waist, she puffed up proudly and jutted her chin.
"Hehe—! Curious? Pretty big sis? This body is—"!
"......"
"...Uh, th-that's... um, well..."
Her little sister's voice suddenly trembled violently. I looked up.
Trisha shook like she was about to get scolded by Mother—
no, even worse, on the verge of tears.
'...What?'
As I scanned to grasp the situation—
Trisha met my eyes and threw herself at me, sniffling.
"H-hwaaaang—! Brooo—!"
"...Only 'brother' when it's convenient?"
"S-save... me..."
"What're you saying."
"H-hiiiiiiik—?!"
Trisha trembled like a frightened puppy again,
eyes brimming with tears.
Wondering what the hell, I followed her gaze.
There stood Ruena.
Her usual calm expression unchanged.
Ruena tilted her head slightly.
"...Why?"
"N-no..."
I glanced back at Trisha.
My one and only gorilla—no, little sister—was still quivering.
'As always... she's surprisingly timid...'
She acted tough daily but freaked at the tiniest bug.
'The problem is she turns the house upside down trying to catch one...'
For such a Trisha—
she must've been overwhelmed by House Eliad's innate pressure.
Patting Trisha, who clung desperately to my arm while shaking,
she whimpered,
"S-scary... Big sis is scary... Th-that look... like she's gonna eat Trisha hiiik—?!"
"What. It's just normal Ruena."
"Th-that's normal—?! B-bro, how do you hang with someone that scary every day hiyaaaaak—?!"
I turned at Trisha's near-screech.
Ruena was still her usual self.
She smiled softly as our eyes met—same as always.
'...Such a scaredy-cat.'
Shaking my head, I pried Trisha off.
Trisha panicked and clung to my waist with both arms again.
...Repeating the release-and-cling like a broken machine.
'What's with her really?'
Maybe because I woke her forcibly.
My already weird little sister was extra weird today.
Sighing, I looked down at my utterly unhinged sister.
'Maybe... introduce them properly.'
She's just buckling under Eliad pressure;
once they chat a bit, she'll realize.
Ruena wasn't that scary.
I peeled off the cicada-like Trisha clinging to me bit by bit.
"Come on, Trisha. Say hi to big sis."
"H-hiiiiik—?!"
"Ruena, I mentioned her before, right? My little sister. That's her."
"Ah, aa... Your little sister."
Ruena's voice softened even more than before.
Like mistaking midwinter for spring,
flowers blooming over thawed fields.
'Come to think... Ruena's shy around strangers too?'
I recalled times we'd go out—
when someone approached and spoke, Ruena would stiffen.
'Maybe her stiff expression scared her.'
I glanced at Trisha.
She'd stopped shaking and was gaping now.
Like she'd seen something unbelievable.
Ruena, staring at her, smiled brightly and offered her hand first.
"Nice to meet you."
"...A-aa."
"Ruena Eliad. Celen's... closest person."
"Y-yes—! I'm Trisha Noir—! Celen bro's one and only little sister—!"
I eyed Trisha with concern.
Her calling me "bro" like that?
Either the world's ending, or my one little sister had lost it.