Chapter 247: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (40)
Chapter 247: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (40)
"……Get that hunk of meat away from me."
"H-Hunk of meat?!"
It was a single sentence, uttered without even lifting my eyes from the documents.
Ria seemed quite shocked by the choice of words, as she practically leaped up from her spot and snapped back into a proper posture.
It was only natural that an indignant Ria would start interrogating me.
"Th-Then what does that make the brother who was mesmerized by his sister’s 'hunk of meat' earlier?!"
"I was never mesmerized."
"You were! You avoided my eyes and your face turned red!"
"That was because it was a scene too painful to look at with my eyes open."
"……Aaaagh!"
Ria clutched her head with both hands and let out a scream at my airtight logic.
I simply snorted and continued reading through the papers.
No matter the circumstances, I couldn't exactly admit to feeling lust for my own sister.
Setting aside the honor of a nobleman, it was a matter of my dignity as a human being. Not to mention the peace of the Percus family.
However, to the fuming Ria, such ethics were of no use.
She simmered in her anger for a while, then suddenly wore a meaningful smile as if a brilliant idea had struck her.
Immediately after, a pleasant weight pressed down on my thighs.
Ria had thrown herself into my lap.
Startled by the sudden, close contact with my sister’s body, a sharp rebuke flew out of my mouth.
"Ria, you……!"
"……Oho, what’s wrong?"
Ria deliberately pushed her hips back, pressing herself even closer to me.
The scent of a woman’s body wafted up, nearly making my head spin.
She was barely over ten when I first saw her, but when had that tiny girl grown this much?
I couldn't hide my bewilderment.
While I was dazed, Ria went a step further and pressed her body firmly against my chest. A soft pressure transmitted through the fabric of our clothes.
Giggling, she whispered in a sweet voice.
"Didn't you say you weren't mesmerized by your sister? Was that a lie?"
"……Of course I meant it. I am not mesmerized by my sister."
"Aha, is that so?"
Ria then subtly rubbed her hips against my thighs, her eyes curving into a mischievous smile as if she’d thought of something fun.
Her soft breath brushed against my cheek.
It was a precursor to whatever she was about to say.
I had no choice but to avert my gaze slightly from that ticklish sound of her breathing.
"……Then, shall we make a bet? To see if Brother gets excited by his sister or not."
Desire flickered in Ria’s golden eyes as she made the ridiculous proposal.
I tried to soothe my mind by telling myself that the emotion behind it was likely just a competitive streak.
In the end, I could only let out a sigh—I’d lost count of how many I’d exhaled today.
"This is sexual harassment……."
Of course, Ria didn't care about my lamentations in the slightest.
Instead, she giggled and wrapped her arms around my neck. To an outsider, it wouldn't have been strange to mistake us for a groom holding his bride.
In an alluring tone, the girl delivered the finishing blow.
"……If I win, we’re sleeping together tonight for the first time in a long while."
Crazy girl.
I cursed inwardly and pressed a hand to my forehead.
I deeply regretted indulging her childish whims about not being able to sleep lately.
Ria was this dangerous when she didn't get enough one-on-one time.
She was a woman who couldn't stand it unless she had her brother all to herself.
* * *
The younger sister’s rebellion ended as abruptly as it had begun.
It was because I, unable to take it any longer, gave Ria a sharp flick to the forehead.
"……Ouch!"
A single tear welled up in the eyes of the girl who had been triumphantly teasing me. Naturally, the arms wrapped around my neck let go.
She had to rub her aching forehead immediately.
When Ria glared at me with tearful eyes, I intentionally put on a stern expression.
"Ria, I don't care if we're family… a maiden of marriageable age shouldn't act like that."
At my scolding, Ria’s spirit instantly deflated.
It was rare for me to truly reprimand her.
Because of that, Ria tended to be exceptionally affectionate toward me. In truth, I didn't want to scold her either.
But occasionally, when she crossed the line, it was necessary to correct her behavior.
That was what a proper relationship required.
However, even in her dejected state, Ria attempted a small act of defiance.
"……I-I’m not going to get married anyway."
"You don't know that, Ria… who knows how your life will turn out later."
Ria, speaking in such a tiny voice, looked a bit gloomy.
Her reaction suggested she truly hadn't expected to be scolded.
In the end, my resolve softened. I quietly pulled Ria into an embrace.
"Ria, I’m sorry I haven't been able to pay much attention to you since I got back. But it’s because there’s something really urgent… I’ll make it up to you later."
"……Really?"
I patted Ria’s back as if telling her not to worry.
To be honest, the contact with her full chest was a bit stifling. Still, this was a level of endurance I could manage as an older brother.
If it had been the Saintess, I wouldn't have been able to hold her this firmly.
Though I harbored such improper thoughts for a moment, there was no way Ria could know my inner mind.
She simply grumbled cutely in my arms.
"Are you really going to do everything I ask?"
"Yes, of course."
"And sleep with me too?"
"No, that’s a bit… if our parents find out, all hell will break loose."
A man and a woman of marriageable age entering a bedroom alone was a recipe for misunderstanding.
The last time I’d coaxed Ria to sleep was about two years ago. I remembered convincing myself back then that she was still young.
But now, Ria was a woman facing her Academy entrance next year.
I was certain that if our parents caught us, it wouldn't end with just a scolding.
Unaware of my concerns, Ria pouted her lips in a show of dissatisfaction.
"Then, kick out all the other women except me."
"How can I do that to guests?"
"……Hmph."
In the end, I had to spend much more time than expected to appease Ria.
I was just glad she settled for a trip to the city with just the two of us.
If I had stayed in close contact with her any longer, it might have been dangerous.
I’d felt an instinctive sense of crisis when she was rubbing her hips against me.
Exhaling a sigh, I left the reception room.
Now, it was time to find Sir Reynold.
Sir Reynold was staying at an inn.
Though a bit old, it was a building the owner had maintained with great care. It could be called the best among the few inns in the Percus territory.
Even so, it was somewhat insufficient treatment for a guest of the Lainella Magic Corps' caliber.
I was particularly worried about how the fastidious Sir Reynold was faring.
Considering Senior Elsie’s case, Sir Reynold must have also received all sorts of luxurious treatment within the Lainella family.
Living in a worn-out inn in a rural territory couldn't be without its discomforts.
Concerned about this, my father had offered to dispatch several servants from the mansion, but Sir Reynold had flatly refused.
At the time, I thought he was just being stubborn.
But seeing Sir Reynold at the inn, those worries seemed almost laughable.
Sir Reynold was sitting in his room with his uniform unbuttoned. Though he was always a blunt man, I could tell he looked much more at ease.
In his room were a few books and an old staff.
When I showed interest in the staff, Sir Reynold added an explanation in his usual inscrutable voice.
"It’s a staff I used back when I was working as a mercenary."
"……A mercenary?"
My eyes widened at the unexpected revelation of his past.
Lower nobles often worked as mercenaries when they were short on funds. But for a high-ranking noble, who would never lack money, to engage in such a grueling profession was unheard of.
Sir Reynold shook his head as if he’d expected my reaction.
"It was the folly of youth… back then, I hated the constraints of the family. After breaking off an engagement with the woman I loved, I left the family in search of freedom."
It seemed even this stone-faced man had once been in love.
For someone who seemed to value family discipline so much to have run away from home, it must have been a quite passionate romance.
Love stories were a popular topic regardless of age or gender.
I was no exception, and I waited for Sir Reynold’s next words with an intrigued look.
"It was good at first, I was happy… perhaps because of that, I still find a clean inn like this more comfortable than a flashy bedroom. But the ties of blood are stronger than one might think."
"You eventually returned to the family, didn't you?"
At my remark, Sir Reynold wore a faint, bitter smile.
It was the first time I’d seen him show a proper expression.
"……My older brother spent ages running around everywhere to find me after I went missing. And he was a man known for being strict and harsh since childhood."
It seemed Sir Reynold couldn't overcome that sentiment.
If they were bound by such strong brotherly affection, it made sense why he was entrusted with the Magic Corps. Moreover, Sir Reynold was someone who had once abandoned the family; he was unlikely to covet power.
Perhaps Count Lainella had searched for his brother knowing this.
An existence called an 'Archmage' was a powerful force in its own right.
Of course, this was just speculation.
It wasn't my place as an outsider to meddle. However, I did feel that the look in Sir Reynold’s eyes when he gazed at the staff was different.
It was a look filled with nostalgia.
After staring at the staff for a moment, Sir Reynold asked point-blank.
"……So, what is your business?"
I began to recite the lines I had prepared.
It was mostly information Senior Neris had investigated.
That there had been a similar disappearance incident ten years ago, that the rumors circulating then were spreading again, and that I had visited the Yurdina family’s encampment to uncover the truth behind those rumors.
When the story reached the part about encountering Mitram, Sir Reynold even nodded with an impressed look.
He let out a low sigh.
"……You alone are better than the entire Lainella Magic Corps combined."
Most of it was Senior Neris’s credit, so I felt a bit embarrassed.
Sir Reynold organized his thoughts for a moment, then slowly began to speak.
"Then, of course, the Lainella family must cooperate. Especially since there is an order from His Majesty the Emperor. However, I have one question……."
It was a positive response.
Having achieved my primary goal, I secretly clenched my fist. If the Lainella Magic Corps helped, the search would become several times easier.
Feeling good, I looked at Sir Reynold, signaling him to ask anything.
But the question Sir Reynold threw out immediately after was so unexpected.
"……Do you have any intention of getting engaged to Elsie?"
My mind went completely blank.
It was a question where the fate of both Senior Elsie and myself could change depending on my answer.