Chapter 264: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (57)
Chapter 264: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (57)
I float hazily through unfamiliar memories.
By the time I regain my senses, the world has already transformed.
After a brief moment of confusion, my five senses begin to open one by one.
First, the humid tropical air caresses my skin.
A pungent scent wafts from the reddish soil. With every step, the sound of leaves brushing against me rings in my ears.
Judging by the pouring sunlight, it is midday.
Parting those golden curtains of light, I walk alongside a small girl.
At the start of our journey, there hadn't even been a path. But as time passed, traces of civilization began to appear more frequently.
I can't even tell how long it has been since I last walked on such a well-paved road.
I am simply moved by the fact that I have left the wilderness and returned to the embrace of civilization.
Though, it is destined to be a brief reunion.
Once my Master’s errand is finished, I am fated to return to the Great Forest.
The time given to me is three or four days at most, yet I am already looking forward to soaking in the atmosphere of the city after so long.
Especially since I have such a special companion for this outing.
The tip of a pointed hat sways to the sound of a humming tune.
She is a girl with striking brown hair and blue eyes.
Her small stature and lovely features make her look almost like a doll. At a glance, she appears to be in her mid-to-late teens.
It is an appearance that makes it hard to believe she is older than me.
As I watch her intently, the girl tilts her head and asks, "…Why?"
"No reason. You just seem to be in a particularly good mood today."
At my plain question, the girl lets out a short, flat laugh as if the answer was trivial.
It is an attitude that shows not a shred of respect for a senior. Technically, I am the Senior Brother and she is the Junior Sister.
On the contrary, that casual behavior is part of my Junior Sister's charm.
She meets my eyes with a faint smile.
Her gaze is brimming with affection.
"If you think about it, this is my first date with our Junior, isn't it?"
Her words are filled with undisguised sincerity.
I have to avert my eyes, letting out a dry cough as my face heats up for no reason. Until recently, she at least pretended to play coy, but she doesn't even bother doing that anymore.
It seems she has decided that this approach is a more effective strategy.
For my part, I can't help but feel flustered.
My feelings aside, I am someone who hasn't even achieved independence from my Master yet.
In contrast, my Junior Sister is already a Great Witch who has established her own school in the world of magic. She even comes from a high-ranking noble family of the Empire, possessing immense familial influence.
Compared to her, I have far too many shortcomings.
Still, if we are to be companions for life, I believe it is best to establish an equal relationship.
If my Master or my Junior Sister heard this, they might laugh at me for clinging to petty pride. Nevertheless, I cannot break my stubbornness.
My Junior Sister is someone who has already lost precious people once before.
I want to become strong enough, at the very least, to make her feel secure.
To achieve that, I have to solve the homework of the 'Blooming' of my Aura and the secrets of 'Binding and Unbinding.'
Deliberately clearing my troubled expression, I ask her again.
"…Still, you seem exceptionally happy."
"Hmm," she hums playfully, the corners of her eyes crinkling. "Didn't you say you met His Majesty the Emperor yesterday?"
"Yes, well… seeing as Master sent me on an errand right after, it feels like something is going on."
At that, my Junior Sister grins and delivers a sharp smack to my back.
As the impact forces my back to straighten, she bursts into a fit of giggles.
"I heard it from Master, you dummy! He said His Majesty took a liking to you!"
"…That's news to me."
Since it truly is the first I've heard of it, I can only give a blank response.
Despite that, she skips along excitedly. The smile plastered across her face speaks volumes about her heart.
Only now do I understand why she is in such a good mood.
She seems hopeful that I might have caught the Emperor's eye. If that were the case, my path to success would be all but guaranteed.
To be making such a fuss when nothing is confirmed yet.
My Junior Sister’s emotions fluctuate wildly, especially when it comes to things involving me.
A deep sigh escapes my lips involuntarily.
"But still, what if? What if His Majesty decides to use you importantly?"
"Why would he trust and delegate things to someone he just met yesterday…?"
"T-That could happen! Look! See how kind your eyes look!"
With that, she suddenly brings her face close to mine.
In her clear eyes, my golden pupils are reflected.
It isn't exactly a kind-looking gaze.
I give her a dubious look, but her expectations show no sign of wavering.
Instead, she simply clasps her hands together with a dreamy expression.
"All power in the Empire flows from His Majesty, right? So, if you just catch his eye, your future will be bright!"
It is an overly optimistic outlook.
I start to say something to her, but then I stop.
It is because she looks quite cute with that expression of a dreaming girl.
Regardless, she is devastatingly beautiful.
In the end, I can only manage a hollow laugh and ask her back.
"Do you like it that much?"
"Of course!"
She answers without a moment's hesitation.
With a seductive smile, she pokes my side with her elbow.
"…My future husband is going to do well. Of course I'm happy."
I am left speechless by the narrowing distance between us.
It is always like this.
She approaches, and I push her away.
Then, when she starts to grumble, I end up soothing her—that is our daily routine.
But a thought suddenly occurs to me.
It feels as though I have never given back as much affection as she shows me.
She isn't the type to be unaware of the self-loathing or helplessness I feel.
Perhaps that is why she clings to me so unilaterally.
Because she wants me to regain even a little bit of confidence, and because she fears that if even that advantage disappears, I might be the first to leave.
It is a wicked thing to do.
So, I decide to follow the voice of my conscience.
"…Junior Sister."
"Huh? What is it, husband… a-and I told you not to call me Junior Sister!"
As usual, she giggles playfully before suddenly snapping at me.
The title 'Junior Sister' serves as a reminder of the boundary between us.
It means that while we seem to have a deeper relationship, we are, for now, fellow disciples.
It is a comfortable distance.
So, I deliberately twist the title.
"Then, Wife?"
"Yeah, that's much better! Wi… Wi… what?"
Her tongue falters as she tries to continue her boastful tone.
Her gaping mouth reveals just how flustered she is.
It is a sight I haven't seen in a long time.
I chuckle.
"If there's a husband, there has to be a wife, right?"
"T-T-T-That's true, but…!"
Rarely, she blushes and trails off.
She belatedly pulls her pointed hat down low, but it is already too late.
She can't completely hide her face, which has turned beet-red all the way to her ears.
Having turned the tables for once, I continue in a teasing tone.
"Why are you so flustered? You were the one calling me husband first."
"…H-Hey! That was…!"
She raises her voice as if trying to come up with some excuse.
But no matter how much she thinks, no plausible pretext comes to mind.
After all, I have only given back exactly what I received.
In the end, she can only trail off again.
"I-It was a joke…."
As she steals glances at me, she seems worried that I might actually take it as a joke.
If I did, all the effort she had put in until now would go to waste.
If I were to treat everything she said from now on as a 'joke,' she would be at a loss.
I think it might be fun to pretend I don't know.
As someone from a high noble family, her pride is no joke.
I can already see her agonizing over it, unable to take back what she said.
Of course, I have no intention of actually going through with it.
Instead, I go a step further and lean down.
As the distance between us closes, our mouths and ears reach the same level.
It is then that I whisper to her.
"…I wasn't joking, Junior Sister."
When placed on the defensive, she is incredibly vulnerable compared to when she is on the attack.
In the end, she squeezes her eyes shut and shouts with a face that looks ready to explode.
"Agh, seriously!"
The next moment, she grabs me by the collar.
"Whoa—" I instinctively try to pull back, but it is futile.
She stands on her tiptoes and presses her lips against mine.
My first kiss in life, surprisingly, feels like nothing at all.
There is no 'mwah' sound.
I don't feel a tingling or sweet sensation.
There is just a soft texture, followed by her scent wafting past the tip of my nose.
Before I know it, her eyes are spinning.
I can only stand there blankly, staring at her.
"D-Don't mess with me! How dare you try to act equal to your senior… a-and you're the one who confessed first, okay? I was just joking!"
With those final words, she leaps backward.
Then, after glancing at me with a groan, she turns and starts running.
She holds the brim of her pointed hat tightly.
Her face is so red that I can almost hallucinate steam rising from her forehead.
I let out a laugh and shake my head.
"…I'm the Senior Brother, though."
Reciting a fact that will likely never be acknowledged as long as I live, I walk after her.
There was much to do in the city.
The few days I spent alone with her were joyful.
It felt as if the density of time had suddenly increased several times over.
I thought these happy days would continue forever.
Until the Great Forest burned.
Flickering flames dye my vision a scorched red.
I open my eyes, gasping for air.
My breathing is ragged. Fragments of nightmares drift between the blood vessels of my brain.
Memories of an unfamiliar man and the scenes I saw just before losing consciousness intermingle.
For a moment, I lose track of who I am.
Am I the man who was in the Great Forest?
Or am I the man who collapsed pathetically after being stabbed by his younger sister?
Only after panting for a while do I finally regain my senses.
Immediately, there is only one name I cry out.
"…Lia!"
A fierce pain flares in my abdomen, but I scramble to sit up.
I have to go find Lia right now.
Judging by the scenery, I am in a bedroom.
It means the group hasn't left the mansion yet.
It also means not much time has passed since I lost consciousness.
If it had, I would have already been placed in the refugee procession.
However, I am forced to stop after only a few steps.
Something has tripped my foot.
My puzzled gaze drops to the floor.
There, a woman with dark blue hair is positioned.
She is kneeling, with her head pressed against the ground.
Realizing her identity instantly, I have to swallow a hollow laugh.
"…What are you doing on the floor, Sir Irene?"
The once-proud and noble female knight speaks in a tearful voice.
"M-Master…."
She has the face of a young girl terrified of being punished.
It seems Sir Irene has her own set of circumstances as well.