Sane Is So Cute It's a Problem
"Now that I think about it, Sane. You still have the holy relic, right?"
"Yes... You mean this?"
Sane brought Maria's Holy Relic over from the table.
"It really is beautiful... But what was so important that you went through all that trouble to steal it?"
Sane looked at the relic with open curiosity as she spoke. Since we had struggled through it together, I figured it was fine to tell her this much.
"It's to save the second son of the Valentine family—the one you investigated last time."
"...With this?"
"Yes. This can remove Melek's brand. ...It's a lot more valuable than I expected."
On the surface, Maria's Holy Relic looked like nothing more than an ornate mirror. In truth, it was a one-time-use item that greatly restored the target's HP, removed all status ailments, and dramatically boosted holy power upon activation.
It was a high-performance artifact that felt almost too precious to use, but I couldn't ignore Kien's request.
It's a little uncomfortable when someone you know loses a sibling... Especially if you had the power to save them.
After all, ever since I possessed this body, my goal had been to make sure the protagonist and the heroines could live happily together.
But in the game, after the brother dies, Kien falls into despair and Hero supports her, raising flags between them... I wonder what'll happen now.
Still, if I could save someone, I should.
I tried to sit up, only to writhe in sudden agony.
"Ugh..."
"Hey! You barely survived death and now you want to move around?!"
"...I need to get this relic to Kien."
"I'll deliver it, so just rest. After all the effort I put into keeping you alive..."
For some reason, Sane looked embarrassed as she spoke.
"Seriously... Anyway, I'll take it for you."
"...Alright. Thanks. Tell her the usage is simple—just shine the mirror on the target and infuse it with mana."
"That's surprisingly easy... Got it. I'll whip up some food real quick and head out, so rest properly until I get back!"
With that, Sane left the room to start cooking.
It didn't take long before a delicious aroma drifted into the room.
She's better at cooking than I expected...
Bang!
What was that...?
There was a loud crash, then Sane entered carrying a bowl of warm stew.
"Did something happen...?"
With a slightly flushed face, Sane answered.
"N-nothing at all..."
I took a spoonful of Sane's stew. Warmth spread through me along with the rich, savory flavor of vegetables.
In a word, it was incredibly delicious.
"...It's good."
"Hehe. I lived alone, so I got pretty good at cooking... I'm glad you like it."
The way Sane beamed at my praise was so cute and innocent that it was hard to reconcile with her previous self.
To think a girl like this is an assassin...
"You're such a good cook. ...Whoever ends up marrying you is going to be one lucky guy."
"Whaaaaaat?! M-marriage?! Stop teasing me!"
...What was I teasing her about?
Sane, who had overreacted wildly at the word "marriage," covered her face with both hands in embarrassment. Up close, her face was bright red like a ripe tomato.
"Hey, Sane. Can I ask you something?"
I paused while eating the stew and looked at her.
"...What is it?"
Sane was glaring at me timidly, convinced I was teasing her again.
"How did you end up joining the Demon Countermeasures Division and becoming an assassin?"
I was curious about the parts of Sane's past that the game never showed. How had such an innocent girl become an assassin?
If I had to say which side was her true self—her deadly assassin mode or the person she showed me now—I would probably pick the latter.
"Hmm... How did that happen again?"
Sane tilted her head as if she genuinely couldn't remember.
"Well... I was born an orphan in the back alleys. I did all kinds of rough, dirty work until I was picked up by the captain of the Demon Countermeasures Division and trained."
Sane spoke indifferently.
"They discovered I had a talent for assassination, and one thing led to another until I met you. That's the end of it. Nothing special, right?"
That's not exactly a life with 'nothing special'...
Though her tone was casual, a faint loneliness lingered in Sane's eyes. I could almost feel the isolation she must have endured all those years. Maybe that was why her room was filled with so many dolls.
As I felt a twinge of sympathy for her, Sane turned the question back on me.
"I'm actually more curious about you. What kind of life have you lived to know so many things? In so many different ways."
Hmm...
It was a difficult question. I couldn't exactly tell her the truth...
I decided to brush it off vaguely.
"Living as the eldest son of a count's household, all sorts of information just flows in... I somehow ended up like this."
"Hmm... Fine. I didn't really expect you to tell the truth anyway."
Sane spoke with a slightly pouty expression.
As expected, she was sharp. I avoided her gaze and kept eating the rest of the stew.
This really is delicious...
A thought that suddenly struck me while I was cooking.
This... doesn't it look like a wife cooking for her husband...?
Bang!
The ridiculous thought made me forget I'd left the drawer open. I looked up and smacked my head on the cabinet.
"Ouch..."
This was all because of that stamina potion. Ever since then, I've been constantly aware of him, and strange thoughts keep swirling around in my head.
The first kiss I imagined wasn't supposed to be like that...
A first kiss that tasted of blood and stamina potion.
It was nothing like the romantic first kiss I'd always dreamed about.
"It's done..."
Fortunately the stew had turned out well and smelled delicious. I ladled it into a bowl and carried it into my room where Logue was waiting.
.
.
.
"You're such a good cook. ...Whoever ends up marrying you is going to be one lucky guy."
Is this guy doing it on purpose?
His strangely gentle tone, the unusual amount of praise he kept giving me when he'd never done so when we first met—it made me wonder if he was intentionally trying to seduce me.
But when I looked at Logue's face, he was simply enjoying the stew with no such intention whatsoever.
Seeing him like that, a warm smile unconsciously formed on my lips... For a brief moment, the thought that this kind of life might not be so bad crossed my mind.
This is ridiculous...!
I must have messed up my head from all the hardship. Once I finished Logue's errand, I needed to rest properly.
While I was thinking that, Logue suddenly asked me a question.
"Hey, Sane. Can I ask you something?"
"...What is it?"
"How did you end up joining the Demon Countermeasures Division and becoming an assassin?"
"Well... How did that happen again?"
It was such an old memory that I couldn't recall it clearly. I remembered the cold and hunger, but the painful period might have been something I'd deliberately erased.
I briefly told him what I could remember of my past.
After listening, sympathy appeared in Logue's eyes.
That look felt too heavy, so I changed the subject by asking about his own past instead.
"I'm actually more curious about you. What kind of life have you lived to know so many things? In so many different ways."
"Living as the eldest son of a count's household, all sorts of information just flows in... I somehow ended up like this."
As expected, Logue had no intention of telling the truth.
I already knew that, but for some reason it still stung. I glared at him with a pout.
He seemed awkward and simply focused on eating the stew I'd made.
It's strange. We've only spent one long day together, yet that terrifying person has become this friendly... It's amazing.
Our first meeting was the worst, but maybe Logue wasn't such a bad person after all.
Meanwhile, at the academy where Hero was.
"Hmm... Looks like that Logue guy isn't coming. What should we do?"
Serein whispered to me quietly so Lidia wouldn't hear.
Lidia, who called herself Logue's younger sister.
From the circumstances, she really did seem to be his sister. Since she'd shown up late at night, we'd let her sleep in Serein's dormitory for now.
We arrived at the academy together with Lidia during morning commute, hoping to meet Logue, but...
"Yeah..."
Lidia looked like she was about to cry.
Logue's seat was completely empty.
Huh...? That girl is...
A pretty female student with pink hair was hovering anxiously around Logue's desk.
—Her expression revealed unmistakable worry.
She's definitely the one who was there that time... Kien, was it?
The slightly eccentric girl from Class C. Despite her otherworldly personality, her overwhelming combat ability kept her grades at the very top, making her famous in many ways.
She had also been by his side during the argument between Isabel and Serein.
...It seemed she was worried because Logue hadn't come to class.
"We have to attend class, so we need someone to look after Lidia... We can't just send her back either..."
While we were worrying about it, Kien had already approached us.
"Whoa... You startled me..."
"That child... looks like Logue..."
They don't resemble each other at all...?
The only similarity between this angelic girl and Logue was their black hair. But apparently Kien saw it differently.
"Do you know my older brother?!"
Lidia reacted immediately upon hearing the name.
"Older... brother...?"
I explained the situation to Kien. That Logue's sister had come looking for him, that he wasn't here right now, and that we were wondering what to do with her.
"...Then... I'll... take care of her..."
"Are you sure? What about your classes...?"
"I don't... really pay attention anyway..."
It was an incredibly simple answer. In the end, we decided to leave Lidia with Kien.
"Thank you so much, sisters and brothers!"
Lidia gave us her thanks.
"Ah... What do I do...! Let's just live together, sis!!!"
Serein hugged her tightly, unable to resist how cute Lidia was.
"I... can't breathe..."
After that, we parted ways with Lidia.
"To think such an angelic child is Logue's sister... It's really unbelievable!"
As I listened to Serein, I thought about Logue.
If it's really as I suspected... If Logue was intentionally acting like a delinquent...
How should I treat him from now on?