The Beauty That Hides the Moon

Unlike other years, the Imperial Palace was remarkably busy this New Year.

It was because my sister Aria's coming-of-age ceremony, marking her twentieth year, was being held at the palace.

With only a single year between us, I too would follow in her footsteps and hold my own ceremony a year from now.

'...There's a strange difference, though.'

It was only natural, I supposed, but the coming-of-age ceremonies etched into my memories from my past life had come far earlier.

For one thing, the average human lifespan itself had been different. Territory disputes and wars were constant as well, so people tended to rush into marriage.

That odd sense of dissonance, built on the foundation of my past life's memories, reminded me at times that I was, unmistakably, a reincarnator.

'Shall I go, then.'

Folding away those idle thoughts, I made my way to Aria's chambers.

Aria's rank was, formally, that of imperial royalty. Because of that, all the noble children celebrating their coming-of-age this year would hold their ceremony at the palace, together with her.

What's more, Lapis, who was the very same age, had sent word that she would arrive at the palace in time for the occasion — so before long, I would get to see her fully blossomed into a grown woman.

Knock, knock.

Arriving at Aria's chambers, I gave a light knock, opened the door, and stepped inside.

"......"

The moment I did, Aria filled my eyes — dressed in the gown she would wear on the day of the ceremony, slipping her feet into the shoes I had given her for her birthday — and for an instant, I lost all thought.

A dress that seemed to shimmer with a faint blush of red. Lustrous platinum hair cascading down over it. Shoes that made her beautiful legs all the more striking.

It was the first time I had ever seen her dressed up to this degree, and before I knew it, I swallowed hard.

"...What is it? If you came here with business, then say it."

"......"

"Get out."

Looking at me as I stood there mute, Aria furrowed her brow and waved her maids out of the room. Even then, my mouth refused to move.

The remaining time on the Conversation I had used before entering was steadily running down.

"You're... beautiful."

After an agonizing silence, I finally managed to force the words out.

"You came all the way here just to say that? A compliment stripped of even a single flourish?"

Aria planted a hand on her hip as though exasperated. Perhaps it was that characteristic hourglass curve, but even her brusqueness was terribly alluring.

"When a man piles on adjective after adjective to call a woman beautiful, it's because he has other things on his mind."

"...What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing is more sincere than a single, blunt statement that you're beautiful."

"Then and now, all you've got is a mouth on you."

Aria gave a hollow laugh, swept her platinum hair back over her shoulder, and pinned the rose resting on her desk to the left side of her chest.

"How would you say I compare to Duke Asis's daughter?"

"What?"

"I asked how I compare to your fiancée."

Caught off guard by the sudden question, I had no idea how I was supposed to answer.

"That I've come out the lesser of the two?"

"It's been quite a while since I last saw her face to face... so I have no way of knowing how much she's changed in the meantime."

"Then dig up that memory and compare."

"...That's merely my own subjective view."

I answered as I perched myself on the edge of Aria's bed.

"You and I have grown up seeing each other's faces every single ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠day, haven't we? If we've lived this close for this long and I can still find you beautiful... then honestly, I think you're entitled to some confidence."

When a man has an older sister or a younger sister, no matter how lovely she may be, it's remarkably hard to perceive it firsthand. If I could feel it despite all that closeness, it said a great deal about just how beautiful she must be.

At my answer, Aria put on an odd expression and rested her chin in her hand, so I added one more thing.

"In my estimation — are you so unsure of your own charm that you need comforting?"

"Don't flatter yourself. There isn't a single decent man around me other than you. That's the only reason I asked."

"What about the knights?"

"Say whatever blood runs in my veins, I'm still a princess of the empire. Would anyone dare say otherwise to my face?"

"Fair point."

"Hmph. It's not that I think I'm unattractive — if anything, I have plenty of confidence. I just don't believe it's enough to erase the prejudice of being the traitor's daughter."

"......"

"This coming-of-age ceremony might end up being your fiancée's stage alone."

There was a thread of self-mockery woven through that remark, and I let out a faint sigh before speaking to her.

"A person's charm isn't only about looks. From a man's standpoint, being drawn to a woman's appearance is, at its purest, nothing more than desire. And don't women usually smile on the outside while seething with jealousy underneath? So all you need is a charm that's uniquely yours — one that rises above all of that."

Nothing in this world was so scheming, so clumsy, and so shallow as a relationship built on appearances alone.

"You've done nothing but sweat-soaked training your whole life, and yet you lecture like a scholar."

As she spoke, Aria tilted her head to the side. Her platinum hair spilled softly loose, brushing in a way that only half-concealed her collarbone — and it was, truly, unbearably sensual.

"Are you any different?"

"?"

"If what you say is true, then you're a man too, which means you're no exception. Only half the blood in you makes you my brother. The other half is..."

Was she suggesting that everything I'd done up until now had been laid over a hidden scheme — that I'd simply been waiting for the chance to lay her down in bed?

"I told you when we were young. When it comes to you, I have no need to take the long way around."

If that had truly been my intent, I would have done so long ago.

Suppose I secretly lusted after a girl who was nothing more than the traitor's daughter — would that give her any right to point her finger at me? As long as it never reached my father's and mother's ears, it was no trouble at all.

And if I'd simply been curious about a woman's body, the first place my hand reached would have been ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Hundred Demons, not Aria.

"Perhaps things that come too easily simply aren't fun."

"Am I your plaything, Sister?"

"Plaything or not, in practice you're no different from a slave, are you?"

If she meant a state of servitude, it wasn't entirely wrong, but...

"If you'd watched everything I've done all this time, you'd know I've never treated you that way. That was nothing more than a safety measure."

"And now? Things have changed so much. The child back then was a boy, and the girl who grew up rubbing shoulders with you was a child — but the woman standing before you now is a woman, grown and whole."

"Because what all those years carved into me is Aria the sister."

At my words, Aria held her silence for a moment — then rose slowly from her chair and came toward me.

She stood gazing down at me where I sat on the edge of her bed, then slipped off one of her shoes and stretched her foot out toward me.

With the dress hiked up nearly to her thigh, the flawless lines of her legs bared themselves shamelessly and seized my gaze whole.

Press.

At last, like an ant scaling a mountain, her foot crept stealthily inward, and upon arriving at its destination, Aria curled her toes down firmly.

Jolt!

At that direct stimulation, I shuddered faintly and let a low groan escape.

When something touches you like that, unless you're broken, there's no way to keep up a blank mask.

I gently pushed her foot away from where it rested on me, and the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fabric began to swell little by little.

Flinch!

Perhaps this was her first time experiencing a man's arousal firsthand — Aria started slightly, a look of bewilderment crossing her face...

But only for a moment. She drew her foot back, slid her shoe on, curled her lips ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠upward as if to sneer, and looked down at me.

"The half of you that isn't mixed with mine apparently doesn't see me as a sister at all."

"......"

Aria pointed at my lap, laughing openly, as though this was the most entertaining thing she'd seen in ages.

I had no idea what answer she'd been hoping to wring out of me — but if I let it slide here, she would go on needling me like this forever. That was, by any measure, not a prospect I relished, so I rose and seized Aria's slender wrist.

"Ah— that hurts—!"

However she strained to pull free, my grip held her hand without the slightest tremor.

"Let— go!"

"Like you said, Sister — we're brother and sister, but only half our blood is shared."

The sharp flash of pain had her looking genuinely frightened, and my resolve wavered for an instant — but it felt like this knot had to be tied for certain, so I pressed her back against the wall.

"Nngh!"

The loosened strap of her dress slipped down her shoulder, laying bare the alluring hollow of her collarbone and the soft rise of her chest.

"In all my years as your brother, have I ever once treated you this way?"

"You—!"

"You're showing."

"What?"

Had she been too flustered to even notice her disheveled clothing? Aria reached with her free hand to hastily pull the strap back up — but pressed this close, her hand had nowhere to go.

She pushed against my chest instead, straining to shove me away, but when I didn't budge an inch, she bit her lip hard and glared at me with flashing eyes.

'This much should be... enough.'

Judging it sufficient, I stepped back a single pace, released her hand, drew the fallen strap up over her shoulder, and neatly straightened the front of her dress.

"Why on earth did you have to go and provoke me, then?"

"......"

"I'm straightening your dress because I'm facing you as your brother. If I weren't, I'd have been far too busy untying it."

"......"

"Just like you always say — you still have the composure left to call me the worst, don't you?"

After a long, long silence, Aria finally turned her head away at my last remark and spoke with a sulky pout.

"Don't climb."

"And after trembling so theatrically?"

"What kind of man corners a woman with a mood like that?"

"There's no word that suits us less than 'romance.' Treating me like a lover, though..."

"Shut up. Just get out."

Hearing her voice fly at me, I gave an awkward laugh and scratched my cheek.

"...Tomorrow, as an apology, I'll cast you a magnificent spell or something."

Me — a man with no mana at all — and a spell, of all things. Reading the expression on Aria's face, which plainly demanded that if I had time to spout nonsense I'd better use it to leave, I turned my back to her.

"Have a good night. See you tomorrow."

"......"

She offered no reply to my farewell. Thinking, with some regret, that it couldn't be helped, I opened Aria's door, stepped out into the corridor, and assembled the consonants and vowels I carried.

Originally, I had intended to master Thousand Armies, Ten Thousand Horses, but since it was a permanent word, I had left that final slot empty.

Yet as time went on, no word sprang to mind that I needed so urgently as to fill it now — and the time for Initialization was already looming close at hand.

So I thought: why not use it to give Aria a truly magnificent coming-of-age ceremony?

What I arrived at after turning that thought over was Hides-the-Moon, Shames-the-Flowers.

There was, of course, also Beauty Toppling Kingdoms...

But the two words carried very different weights in their very letters. And so I chose the somewhat gentler Hides-the-Moon, Shames-the-Flowers.

With that, I found myself looking forward to tomorrow a great deal. I returned to my room, lay down on my bed, and closed my eyes.