Sister-in-Law, You Can't Do This - 2
When I opened my eyes, the white that blanketed everything around me seized my vision.
Elodie, Marie, Camilla.
And me as well—all tangled together on a single bed. It was a thoroughly dizzying sight.
“Mmm…….”
Elodie, nestled in my arms, moaned and shifted. Even then she made no move to pull away; instead she tried to press herself even closer against me.
On the other side of her, Marie and Camilla slept snuggled amicably together—naturally pressed as tight to my side as they could manage.
I carefully eased myself upright so as not to wake them. The lingering aftertaste of last night—scent, touch, every sense still thickly stirred—hung heavy in the air.
“…Whew.”
The moment I stepped out with clothes and a towel, a sigh escaped on its own. All the tension of keeping silent drained away at once.
Whoosh. I slipped into the bathroom and turned on the shower; cool water cascaded down. Even the sound of it felt bracingly clean.
“You’re diligent.”
I had barely finished washing and stepped out when I ran straight into Camilla. Her utterly unashamed poise brought the previous night rushing back.
“Yes. Did you sleep well?”
“Thanks to you. Even the same act felt refreshingly different—most enjoyable. The other two are still sound asleep.”
“They must be exhausted.”
“Quite so. I shall wash as well, so rest easy. Breakfast is best skipped in any case; the hour is what it is.”
Camilla glanced at the wall clock and took her leave. From the way she headed for the bathroom, she clearly meant to bathe.
Half past ten in the morning.
Sitting in the living room and staring at the clock, I found the time thoroughly awkward—especially in a household that kept meal hours so firmly drawn.
Might as well aim for lunch.
It would be noon soon enough, and the other two showed no sign of stirring. I simply drank some water and let the minutes pass.
“Mmm… Good morning.”
A little after eleven, Marie and Elodie finally drifted into the living room, faces still soft with sleep, and stretched into long, languid yawns.
“Go wash up, both of you. Don’t you feel sticky?”
“Yes. We will.”
They nodded obediently and headed for the empty bathrooms. Having a large house meant several bathrooms—handy at moments like this. No one had to wait around uncomfortably.
“Ah—ugh…….”
A sudden wave of muscle pain rolled through my whole body and forced a crease between my brows. After a night that long, of course everything ached. Still, I could move well enough, so I set about putting together a simple lunch—stir-frying the leftover meat, simmering an egg soup.
Perfect timing.
Just as the three women emerged, hair drying and clothes changed, everything lined up. We sat down to eat at once; cleaning could wait until afterward.
Sheets, laundry—roles divided, the work finished quickly. Even so I felt a twinge of guilt, because I had not lifted a finger the entire time.
It’s fine, so please rest properly. Honestly I should have made the meal myself……
We’ll handle everything, so don’t worry.
Since they put it that way, that must be the proper courtesy. You rest at ease.
Being coddled so thoroughly left me feeling like a child again—pleasant, yet faintly odd, as though I were not quite sure this was right. Still, my body was comfortable, so I decided to count it as a win. Thinking that what felt good was good, I rested, and time slipped by before I knew it.
“Sorry. Looks like a call’s coming in.”
Elodie fished her phone from her skirt pocket and tilted her head. With so many people who might ring her, she clearly had no idea who it was. If she only knew one or two people it might have been different—her connections ran far too wide for that.
“Ah…….”
A shadow crossed Elodie’s face—not gloom, but pure fluster. Her eyes darted this way and that; her pupils trembled. She looked exactly like a child caught secretly topping up a game behind her parents’ backs.
I asked, “Who is it?”
“My… little sister.”
“Sister? So you two don’t get along?”
“It’s not that we don’t get along—there’s just… distance. And she’s been busy herself, so we haven’t spoken in a while. It’s a little strange.”
Elodie steadied her breathing, then lifted the phone to her ear.
“Hello?”
“Unnie, right? Long time no see.”
A rather loud, bright stream of French spilled from the speaker. An immature young lady—somehow the voice painted that image perfectly.
“Yeah. You’ve been well? We’ve texted now and then… but it’s been ages since we actually talked. You said you were busy?”
“I’m home now, so I’ve got some free time. Trying to make free time, actually.”
“That’s good. Nowhere hurt?”
“Nope. Too many people fussing over me for that.”
Maybe it was the sheer energy in her sister’s voice, but Elodie’s own tone and manner seemed softer than usual today.
“That’s a relief. So—what’s going on that you came home?”
“I called because Unnie wasn’t at the house. You went to Korea, right? Is that true?”
Suddenly the sister’s voice dropped, sharp and cool, as if the real conversation were only now beginning.
“You found out after you got home.”
“Yeah. And you found a guy too? That’s why you’re staying in Korea?”
“That’s true, but… aren’t you tired? It’s the middle of the night in France right now.”
Korea ran about seven hours ahead of France, so the hour over there was a little past five in the morning.
“I can count it as morning exercise—it’s fine.”
“You shouldn’t push yourself right after coming back. You must have been worn out hunting specters over there too. You need proper rest.”
“If you’re that worried, just see me yourself.”
See me yourself. The way she drove that single phrase home made her intention crystal clear.
“It’s been half a year since we last met… Yeah. We should see each other.”
Elodie nodded, agreeing to her sister’s wish.
“Then I’ll come to you. Tell me where. I’ll find my own way.”
“You’re coming here…?”
Elodie’s eyes went round. Even I, who had only been listening, swallowed dryly in surprise.
“Yeah. Why? Not allowed?”
“It’s not only me she wants to meet.”
Elodie blinked at me. She herself had no objection to meeting, but my say was absolute. If it truly came to it, she would probably fly to France herself rather than force anything.
“I’m fine. We have to meet once anyway.”
When I answered under my breath, Elodie nodded and spoke again.
“He says it’s all right. Rest well, and come whenever it’s convenient. Just let me know roughly when you’ll arrive.”
“…Really? Okay. I’ll get in touch soon.”
Click. The other party hung up first, and a heavy silence settled over the room. Everyone who had been listening looked more than a little thrown.
“Your sister has quite a… different temperament.”
Marie broke the awkward quiet first, though the flicker in her eyes showed she was fairly rattled herself.
“She was born as a different person, so being different is only natural. At her core she’s a good, kind girl.”
A faint sigh slipped from Elodie’s lips. Even while defending her sister, the discomfort showed plainly on her face.
“Good at her core—which rather implies the everyday version is something else. A proper handful of a tomboy, I take it?”
Camilla asked while draining a cup of black coffee. Even with the air conditioner running, she had not shed a single bead of sweat in the heat.
Elodie answered, “That child… does have some of those tendencies. She’s bright and lively, so there have been a few minor incidents.”
“In other words, she might fly into a rage the moment she lays eyes on Seo Ji-hyuk.”
My name rolled easily from Camilla’s curved lips. She had already declared she would call me by name once we had shared a bed; it was only natural now.
“All I can do is hope she doesn’t. But… are you really all right with this?”
Elodie’s gaze found me. After everything she had just heard, her eyes were darting restlessly.
“Me? I’m fine. She’s not going to haul off and hit me the second we meet.”
“…Yes. My sister isn’t that rude.”
Of course not. Even if her personality ran a little eccentric, she still carried Joan of Arc’s blood. That blood was not going anywhere—that was my thought.
“Then we’re good. As long as she’s not full-on crazy French revolutionary army, we’re fine.”
The revolutionaries’ cause had been just, but their minds had been anything but. Far too many of them had been swept up in righteous frenzy and decided the only answer was to burn everything down.
Just thinking about that time makes my head spin again.
The memory of being caught in the flames of the revolution rose up and left me light-headed—an intensity that rivaled anemia or heatstroke.
“Yes. It’ll be all right.”
Another sigh escaped Elodie’s lips, as though she were praying it truly would be.
The moment the call ended, Louise booked a flight to Korea—timed so she could leave as soon as humanly possible, preparation included.
“Ticket reservation is complete.”
“Thanks.”
“Then I shall prepare myself as well, so please excuse me for a moment.”
Christine, too, had to move in a whirlwind. She needed to pack Louise’s things and then her own. No one knew how long they would stay in Korea, but a day or two would never be enough. Living in a single change of clothes for that long simply would not do.
If one were capturing specters, or stranded in some emergency, wearing the same outfit for days would raise no eyebrows—of course it would not, given the urgency. But under ordinary circumstances it would look thoroughly unkempt, and that would reflect poorly on Louise’s face as well.
Casual should be fine, right?
Louise slipped into light clothes and stood before the full-length mirror to check her appearance. The man who would become her unknown sister’s husband. To her he was an irritating existence—yet not only that. Somewhere beneath it all lay the perfectly natural wish not to ruin a first impression in front of someone who might one day be family.
Should I dress up a little more?
Too casual felt off somehow. Louise studied her reflection, then walked back to the wardrobe. The closet was large and splendid, filled with clothes of every sort. True luxury pieces—the sort labeled extravagance—were few. Nothing dirt-cheap either; the kind of clothes an ordinary person might wear without looking out of place. They simply required custom work often enough that they cost a bit more.
Jeans, a sleeveless top, a white shirt to throw over them. Louise put on the unremarkable outfit and returned to the mirror. Moderately free-spirited, with a silhouette that still flattered—more than enough charm, bordering on excessive, looked back at her.
That’ll do.
Now for the luggage. Louise patted her pockets, confirming only that phone and wallet were present. The carrier that held nearly everything else had already been packed by Christine.
“I’m sorry. You’ve been waiting quite a while, haven’t you?”
Christine hurried in with the carrier and bowed. Urgency and apology filled both her face and voice, as though she had committed some grave offense.
“It’s fine. Why are you so sorry? You haven’t done anything wrong.”
Louise waved a hand lightly and let out a breath. Booking the Korea flight on impulse had felt good, but now that the moment had arrived her nerves were jangling—loud enough that she could hear her own heartbeat.
“When do we leave?”
“If you depart the house in two hours, you should not be late. However… are you truly certain about economy class?”
“Unless I’m sponging off someone else’s money, cheaper is better.”
Perhaps it was all the education she had received from her sister Elodie while growing up, but Louise possessed a distinctly commoner’s sensibility—if anything, even more so than Elodie in certain respects.
“Then rest and catch your breath until then.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Father… didn’t say anything special?”
“It was such a sudden decision that he likely does not even know you are going. Shall I inform him?”
“What for? Other people will tell him soon enough. Leave it.”
Louise waved her off and dropped onto a nearby sofa chair. It was luxurious and solid, cradling her body with steady support.
Haa.
She closed her eyes and quietly evened out her breathing—both to settle her nerves and to pass the time.