Chapter 261
Chapter 261
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Confronting Karen
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Kissing, honestly, wasn't some incredibly special act to me.
I'd already done quite a bit of kissing.
I'd even experienced things far more intense than kissing.
"Puhuh..."
But last night, with Grace, it had only ended with a kiss.
Though I'd ended up mixing our tongues because she was cuter than expected...
Karen, who was drunk, had witnessed the kiss between Grace and me, and Grace had been incredibly docile while enduring it.
In every way, things were progressing according to plan. I figured it was fine to think that.
"Lize, good morning."
"Is something good happening?"
"Yeah, something really good."
Thanks to that, I woke up very early this morning.
Lately, waking up early seemed to happen often, so it felt a bit awkward.
But it also meant I had a lot of good things going on these days.
On one hand, that situation was quite enjoyable.
I usually woke up early when I was in a good mood and late on bad days.
"Puhuhu..."
"I'm glad things with the Rosaki Ladies are going well."
"It's all because Lize and Mother helped."
"That's not true. I didn't really... do anything, did I?"
"No, you've really helped a lot. Like last night when I asked for food—you made it, right?"
She'd quietly provided a lot of help.
Of course, it wasn't extremely direct.
"That's just my job anyway... I think it's natural."
"Puhuhu... You really won't let a single word slip."
"...I'm sorry."
"No, it's a joke."
Lize was steadfast in so many ways.
Anyway, I was happy things were progressing so well.
I was curious how Karen would react after seeing that scene last night.
After the kiss, she'd kept pretending to be asleep.
Would she act a little differently today?
Of course, considering Karen's personality... I doubted she'd just let it go.
Rather, thinking about how she'd seen that kiss scene but couldn't say a word...
"Puhu..."
"What's wrong?"
"Lize, how would you feel if you saw me kissing Mother right in front of you?"
"...Pardon?"
"Just curious."
I was having Lize brush my hair while asking that.
People's thoughts can differ from mine, after all.
Of course, Lize and Karen would think differently too...
"What do you think?"
"I..."
Honestly, I thought there was a good chance I'd get a bad answer here.
Even I wouldn't be able to just watch someone I like kiss and make love to another person.
"To be honest, if I saw you and Madam kissing..."
"Then?"
"I wouldn't feel particularly bad about it."
"Huh?"
"From the start, you liked Madam more than me... didn't you?"
"Right?"
"So... I wouldn't feel bad. You loved Madam first, so I don't think I have the right to say anything."
"Hmm...?"
"In a way, I'm like your concubine, aren't I...? If that's too presumptuous, I'm sorry."
"Ah... No, it's fine. It was actually... pretty interesting?"
It was true.
I was a bit flustered on one hand, but it felt strangely novel in many ways.
Honestly, I hadn't expected Lize to think like that.
Her mentioning "concubine" was completely out of left field.
Of course, if I had to nitpick, Lize was right—Rozalin was the principal wife, and Lize was a concubine.
The other women could be seen as concubines too.
"Hmm..."
Lize's words made sense, but unfortunately, they didn't apply to the situation with Karen.
Because Karen and Grace weren't principal wife and concubine or anything like that.
Between sisters...
"It's troubling."
"Is it...?"
"Yeah."
Really.
*
"Sister, good morning."
"Ah... Camellia."
"Did you sleep well last night? You got drunk faster than I expected, so I was a little worried."
"I-I'm... fine. Yes, no real hangover."
Karen's expression as she answered me was truly... heartwarming to see.
It didn't look good at all, but things were flowing exactly as planned.
Honestly, I had some worries about showing her the kiss.
Waking up during sleep isn't easy, and remembering the scene afterward... well, it was honestly iffy.
But in the end, it turned out like this.
"Last night..."
"Yes?"
"Ah, no... nothing..."
Things were progressing so successfully.
I felt sorry for our cute Karen, but it couldn't be helped.
"Last night was so much fun, right? It was our first time drinking together like that."
"...Yes."
"Grace drank better than I thought? About the same as you, Sister. But you got drunk much faster."
"...Yeah. Sorry."
"No, I had fun."
"...Ah."
Karen's reactions were so overt.
Her expressions and responses were like that, but she showed nothing in her actions.
Her personality remained the same.
It was frustrating.
Of course, I definitely liked this side of Karen's personality on some level, but it wasn't entirely good.
"Sister."
So, a little... I thought it was best to push from my side first.
She couldn't keep living so passively, introverted, and reclusive forever.
It might seem forceful, but it was for Karen's sake.
She couldn't go through life like that always.
Even living in the same house, only talking to me—it wasn't a good look.
"I've thought this for a while. Sister, are you... an idiot?"
"...Pardon?"
"Haa..."
Honestly, it was quite frustrating.
Not just because of Karen's frustrating personality.
There was a bit more... to it.
"Come with me."
Originally, I really, really planned to provoke Karen's jealousy.
To stir up some dark jealousy so she'd do something rash, Grace would notice, and...
Something like that to get both of them.
But... now her actions and demeanor were starting to bother me so much.
I could see my plans working perfectly in my mind, but her actual behavior was so different from what I expected—it was frustrating.
What should I call it...
"Ca-Camellia...? What's... wrong...?"
"...Just follow quietly."
For now, I slowly led Karen to an unused room.
Then, just in case, I brought her to my room instead.
"Young Lady?"
"Lize, out."
"Understood...?"
I sent Lize out since she was still in the room.
An empty room.
Here...
"Haa..."
It should be better.
Probably.
"Why... did you suddenly grab my wrist..."
"...Ah."
Snapping out of it, I saw a red mark on Karen's wrist.
It must hurt quite a bit, from how hard I'd gripped.
"...Sorry."
In the heat of the moment, I'd done it without thinking.
Even though I'd intended it and started the situation myself, it was too frustrating.
"It's not that. It's just... you suddenly got angry, so a little..."
"...Ah."
I got it.
Somehow, I understood.
I realized why I was getting angry at Karen and snapping like this.
"...Sister, you saw it last night, right?"
"W-what?"
"You saw. Last night."
Karen kept hesitating frustratingly.
In that demeanor... I felt a glimpse of my past self.
Exactly one month ago.
When I'd almost accidentally kissed Rozalin while drunk and was agonizing over it.
"You saw everything back then. Why keep pretending you didn't?"
"......"
"Tell me, Sister."
"I-I didn't see anything..."
"No lies. Answer properly."
"......"
It was because that incredibly frustrating version of me from back then came to mind.
Looking back now, I'd just agonizingly worried alone, and acted pretty stupidly toward Rozalin too.
The result was that idiotic kidnapping attempt...
Well, it worked out in the end.
"Hurry."
"It's just... you and Grace's business, so... just..."
"So that's why you didn't answer?"
"Sorry..."
"Haa..."
"Eut..."
So frustrating.
Does this woman really not know how to get angry?
Even thinking seriously, I'd never seen Karen get mad at anyone.
Even when angry, she bottled it up and suffered inside.
Really...
"Sister, you like me, right."
"W-what?"
"Just answer. Honestly, seriously."
I had no choice but to say it first like this.
I wanted to fix this a little, but seeing my past self made me... have to do it.
Anyway, saying this wouldn't suddenly change her.
But.
"......"
"Sister."
"Sorry..."
"Shall we go see Grace then?"
"W-what?"
"Go to Grace, and do like last night? Worse things than last night. Things we shouldn't do. Shall we?"
I had to do this.
For my sake, and for this frustrating sister's sake.
"Mix tongues, then mix bodies with Grace, whispering naughty things friends shouldn't say. Shall we do that?"
"That's... doing that..."
"So, answer. Sister, you like me, right?"
"......Yes."
"Then why don't you answer quickly? Every time."
"S-Sorry..."
She wasn't just crestfallen—she was starting to shed a few tears.
I hadn't meant to make her cry.
"Do you want to see me kissing Grace, only talking to her with you there?"
"...No."
"Then why stay quiet? Don't you want to date me?"
"No..."
But now I could confirm her feelings.
At least a little, just a little.
"Just be honest for once. Say it confidently, whatever it is."
I felt like what I was doing now was the right answer.