11
Chapter 11:
Siellin gave me a desperate look.
'It'll be fine.'
There's some inexplicable magic in my sister's hugs. A feeling of not wanting to pull away...
Something like that?
Siellin, who had been whimpering, soon quieted down.
"Be good."
My sister stroked Siellin's hair back into place. Then she smiled warmly and slowly released the embrace.
"Uh, um..."
Siellin had lost her voice. It seemed like a dragon's heart would be needed to recover it.
"...Who are you?"
Apparently not.
"I'm his sister. Adrian's."
"Mister's...?"
Siellin looked back at me with that question. I nodded as if to say that was right, and then—
"So that makes you a ma'am? Since you're Mister's older sister..."
My sister's face stiffened for a moment before returning to normal.
'Understandable.'
For me, thinking back to before the Regression, I'm in my thirties, so it doesn't matter. But my sister is in her twenties, known as the flower of high society.
She hadn't even been called a ma'am once, even before the Regression.
"Call me... call me whatever you'd like."
"What's your name?"
"My name is Cecilia."
"Hmm... not ma'am, but Cecilia unni. Is that okay?"
Color returned to my sister's face.
'Why am I just mister.'
The thought crossed my mind, but I didn't dwell on it. It's true, so what can I do?
"...Mister is mister, after all."
Muttering to herself, Siellin waddled over to me.
"Mister, what do we do now?"
"I don't know."
The family had issued an urgent summons. But neither Father nor anyone else had told me the proper reason.
"Ah, I can tell you that."
My sister stepped forward.
"This time, Rian, you placed first in the hunting tournament, didn't you? To celebrate, a small festival is being held within the Duchy."
"Can it really be said that I placed first...?"
The one who won was Siellin. I was just the Escort.
"First place is first place. Oh, right."
My sister looked at Siellin.
"You said this child was a participant?"
"Yeah. If we're really splitting hairs about first place, it was Siellin."
"How convenient. We can celebrate together then."
My sister nodded slightly.
"A festival? Mister, I want to go to a festival!"
Eyes gleaming, Siellin bounced up and down on the spot.
'A festival...'
I feel conflicted. Giving Siellin a good experience is a good thing.
But Siellin is currently fated to fall into Madness. To change that fate...
'But is there any rush?'
Of course, because of the variable that is my Regression, she might fall into Madness even sooner. But honestly, it doesn't look like she'll fall into it right away.
Also,
"A festival, a festival!"
She's this happy about it, so we absolutely have to go.
Just as I was about to express a positive opinion about the festival, one fact came to mind.
"Sister. How many days will the festival preparations take?"
"About three days? They aren't ready yet. I was originally going to call for you later, but Father heard the rumors..."
"Perfect timing then. We can make it a combined celebration for Siellin's birthday as well."
Siellin's birthday is three days away, as it happens.
'I'll have to give her an unforgettable experience.'
Her first birthday party and her first festival. Good. I already like the sound of it.
"Mister, how did you know my birthday? I don't think I ever told you."
"Very well."
Siellin's face crumpled up.
"Say it more clearly...!"
"I found out extremely impressively well."
"How is that clear at all!"
Siellin stuck out her lip, but there was nothing to be done.
'I can't exactly say I knew from before the Regression.'
So I have no choice but to brush it off appropriately.
"...Still, thank you. I've never once had anyone celebrate my birthday before..."
Siellin continued, fumbling over her words.
"You can look forward to it. It might even turn out better than that festival you're so excited about."
"Really?"
Life came back into Siellin's eyes.
"Festival... birthday...!"
She seemed to have forgotten all about how I knew her birthday, and kept calling out festival and birthday over and over. I chuckled quietly at the sight and called out to my sister.
"Sister?"
"Yes?"
My sister was watching me and Siellin with a warm, contented look.
"It's a little uncomfortable being stared at like that."
"Is... is that so...?"
"I'm joking."
There's no reason to say anything to someone who's looking at you fondly.
"You've changed a lot in a short time, Rian."
My sister placed her hand on my head.
"Is it thanks to that child? It's a good change."
I enjoyed the sensation of her hand gently stroking my head for a moment.
"Th... th... this...!"
A strange noise came from nearby.
"A mister like you shouldn't be getting patted on the head!"
"We're family, what's wrong with it?"
At that moment, my sister's hand paused briefly before resuming.
"Anyway."
I gently took my sister's hand and removed it.
"We'd like to help with the festival preparations too."
This kind of experience counts for something. It will surely be good for Siellin.
"Oh? Shall I let the servants know?"
"No."
The time has come to see the results of her education. I should check how Siellin handles people beneath her.
"Sister, one moment."
I explained to my sister.
To put it briefly, I was asking her not to tell the servants that Siellin was a Young Lady.
The servants of our family, unlike certain others I could name, are normal. If they found out Siellin was a Young Lady, their practiced Young Lady-handling skills would kick in.
That way, she won't learn properly. She needs to interact with the servants knowing only that she's my apprentice.
"Understood. Anything else?"
"Can I borrow a carrier pigeon?"
"Who are you sending a message to?"
"The Mage Tower."
Normally, visiting the Mage Tower requires prior permission. Since I'd been in a hurry, I had been planning to just show up unannounced.
That plan was only possible because I knew the Tower Master personally.
But now I've shed that sense of urgency.
Fate isn't something that changes easily. And so, I've made Siellin's happiness a priority alongside changing fate.
'I'll go after the festival.'
That's why I want to send word ahead. Even between acquaintances, giving advance notice is the proper thing to do.
"You're sending it to that girl, aren't you?"
"Yeah."
"Understood. I'll lend it to you."
What should I put in the carrier pigeon's message?
'Ask after her, then get to the point, I suppose.'
I organized the contents in my head.
***
The Tower Master's chamber, wrapped in quiet stillness.
'Hmm?'
The Tower Master, who had been absorbed in a grimoire, cocked her head at the presence she sensed. She turned her gaze toward where the presence was coming from.
Beyond the window, a well-trained pigeon was looking her way. Clasped in its talons was a sealed letter.
'A carrier pigeon?'
There's someone sending a carrier pigeon to the Mage Tower? Not many people use such an old-fashioned method anymore.
The Tower Master opened the window and received the letter. She then checked the sender first.
— Adrian Valter.
The name of her old friend was written there. Puzzled, she read on.
"Ha!"
A baffled, hollow laugh escaped her.
"What's gotten into that scoundrel?"
Someone who wouldn't be out of place showing up unannounced and causing a scene— is asking after her well-being?
'Come to think of it, there were rumors he defeated the Northern Grand Duke...'
Has he changed? She hadn't seen him in some time, so it wouldn't be strange if the scoundrel had matured in the interim.
'I wonder how he's changed.'
The Tower Master, Rianne Blanc, wore a quiet smile, filled with anticipation.
***
'I wonder if it got there alright.'
I'd hate for it to be intercepted by magic along the way. The Mage Tower has been screening carrier pigeons lately, so I was a little uneasy.
'Well, they wouldn't go that far with a carrier pigeon.'
Setting that aside, I turned to Siellin.
"Do it the way you've been taught. Just like that."
We had come out to the Duchy, where festival preparations were in full swing. The stated purpose was to help with the preparations, but the real point was how well Siellin could put my teachings into practice.
"...Okay."
"For now, don't reveal that you're a Young Lady. No one will be rude to you regardless."
"Got it."
Siellin slowly walked forward. I stepped back to get ready to observe her.
"I, I am Adrian Valter's apprentice, and I've come to help with the festival preparations...!"
Siellin stepped forward, shut her eyes, and announced that.
'Oh dear.'
The content itself came across fine. She just crammed everything in all at once.
Even so, the servants—
"Welcome! As the person in overall charge of the festival preparations, I am fully prepared to welcome your help in the grandest possible fashion!"
"Oh, oh, oh! You're absolutely adorable!"
"Ple, ple, ple... plea... plea... pleased to... welcome..."
'...Right. Okay.'
Maybe it's because there are so many unusual people around. That fumbling little speech of hers went over far too well.
"Wh, what should I do!"
That awkward way of speaking, what are we going to do with that?
"As the person in charge, I'll tell you plainly! Please check the lighting for any irregularities!"
"Li, lighting? Alright."
Siellin surveyed her surroundings with trembling eyes.
"Th, this way!"
A maid with eyes lit up with fervor led her along.
"The inspection goes like this! Follow me!"
The maid looked like a beast that had found its prey, but the way she actually explained things was perfectly normal.
"Is this how you do it?"
"No. Watch carefully..."
After that, Siellin learned a number of things beyond just checking the lighting.
Display methods, safety precautions, and the like. She learned various things without uttering a single complaint.
Perhaps that's why.
'Not bad.'
Every single servant, without exception, was watching Siellin with warm, fond eyes. Whenever Siellin was doing something, at least one of them would look after her.
Even those with fierce expressions did their best to smile in front of Siellin.
'It seems she's also gotten more comfortable giving instructions.'
"I don't understand this part, explain it to me!"
She didn't clip her words like before, and she clearly stated what she didn't know.
As more time passed,
"Mister!"
An excited Siellin came pitter-pattering toward me.
"I. I. I learned a lot today!"
"Well done."
"You'll help with the preparations starting tomorrow too, right, Mister? Then I'll teach you!"
I brought the elated Siellin back to the family estate. I was about to take her to the temporary room that had been set up for her, when—
"Young Lord!"
Bern came running to me in a hurry.
"I think you should come to the parlor!"
"Understood."
What's going on? I was puzzled, but taking Siellin to her room came first.
However,
"Mister, can't I come too?"
Siellin seemed to want to come along with me.
'I don't mind.'
In fact, it works out well. I can show her how I deal with people.
"What do you think, Bern?"
"...I would not recommend it, but if it is what the Young Lord wishes. It is not my place as a mere steward to say otherwise."
"Then I'll bring her along."
I headed to the parlor with Siellin.
The moment we walked in, I saw— a middle-aged man seated there, consumed by fury.
'W... wait a moment.'
Seeing that man brings back a memory.
In the past, just before I applied for the position of Siellin's Swordsmanship Instructor, I had cleared a Dungeon owned by another family without their knowledge.
I don't remember exactly why I did it.
But what matters is—
"No matter that you are the Young Lord of a Ducal House, is this acceptable!? Tampering with someone else's Dungeon without permission? I will take this formally to the Empire..."
First, I need to clean up the mess my past self left behind, and—
"Mister. Just what exactly have you been going around doing?"
I have to endure Siellin's heartfelt scolding.
'Good grief.'
Don't go around doing reckless things, you lot...