Total Chaos
Sane and Lidia stepped out of the academy classroom. Lidia stared at Kiene in open wonder.
'Wow... she's really beautiful...'
Kiene's lovely cherry-blossom hair, her snow-white skin, those large, beautiful eyes framed by long lashes and slightly drooping outer corners—every feature blended together in perfect harmony. Her beauty was so captivating that even Lidia, another woman, found herself enchanted. And then there were those naturally prominent breasts.
'What kind of relationship does someone this pretty have with my older brother...?'
"Um..."
Surprisingly, it was the usually taciturn Kiene who spoke first.
"Y-yes?!"
"You... what's your name...?"
Kiene's voice was soft and gentle, like a spring breeze blowing from afar, bringing Lidia a sense of comfort.
"I'm Lidia...! Lidia Hartford. I'm Logue Oraboni's younger sister..."
"I see... I'm Kiene Valentine. You can call me Kiene..."
"Okay... If it's not too forward, may I call you Kiene Unni...?"
"If that's more comfortable for you..."
"Yes... Kiene Unni!"
At Lidia's words, Kiene's face flushed for a moment. Then she pulled Lidia into a tight embrace. A soft, pillowy sensation pressed against Lidia's face.
'Can't... breathe... Why do all of Oraboni's friends hug me the moment they see me...?'
"So cute..."
"C-can't... breathe..."
Hearing Lidia's muffled groan, Kiene gently loosened her arms. A clear look of regret lingered on her face.
"...Sorry."
"It's okay... By the way, what exactly is your relationship with Logue Oraboni?"
Lidia, burning with curiosity about what connection this stunning woman could possibly have with her brother, asked directly. Kiene paused, thinking for a moment, then answered.
"...For now... we're friends."
"Ah, I see..."
'For now...?'
"Why did you come here, Lidia?"
Kiene seemed to be asking about the reason Lidia had come to the academy.
"Well... I was worried about Logue Oraboni. After he was kicked out of the family, we heard nothing from him..."
"Kicked out... of the family?"
"Yes... Rumors spread that he was beating up commoners at the academy and discriminating against them. His grades were terrible too. When Father heard about it, he said Logue was a disgrace to the family..."
Lidia's voice grew thick with emotion as she continued.
"...But that can't be true! Oraboni would never do something like that..."
"Usually... they kick someone out of the family for something like that?"
Kiene found it hard to believe that Logue had been disowned simply because of bad rumors at the academy. She pressed Lidia for more details.
"Their relationship was already bad. There were a lot of conflicts regarding my arranged marriage..."
Putting Lidia's words together, it seemed Logue had already been on poor terms with the family head, and this incident had been the final straw that got him completely expelled.
Lidia looked ready to burst into tears—teardrops like little sugar candies welling up in her eyes.
"...It's okay. Logue... isn't that kind of person."
As if all the pent-up worry had finally broken free, Lidia buried herself in Kiene's arms and began to cry.
. . .
"Hic... I'm sorry..."
"It's fine..."
Once she had calmed down a little, Lidia blushed with embarrassment at the realization that she had cried in the arms of someone she had only just met. She lowered her head.
Gurgle.
Now that the tension had eased, a cute sound rumbled from Lidia's stomach.
"Want to... eat something delicious...?"
"...Yes."
Just then, the savory aroma of street food wafted over from a nearby stall.
"Wait here... a moment..."
Kiene walked toward the stall. She returned shortly with two meat skewers and sat back down on the bench beside Lidia.
Just as they were about to enjoy the skewers, a woman with short black hair—Sane—approached them.
"You're Kiene Valentine, right?"
'That person... It's definitely her from back then.'
Kiene immediately recognized Sane as the same woman who had come looking for Logue at the count's mansion after the goblin subjugation.
"What... is it...?"
"Logue sent me. Here."
Sane held out Maria's Holy Relic and explained.
"It's the item to heal your little brother. He said you just need to shine the mirror on him and channel your mana into it. Got it? I've delivered it, so no complaints later."
As Sane turned to leave, Kiene grabbed her wrist.
"Ow... Isn't that a bit too strong?"
Sane spoke with a perfectly calm expression, not even a hint of discomfort on her face.
"...Where is Logue?"
"Shouldn't your brother be your top priority right now? We went through a lot to get this thing. It'd be a waste if we're too late. Don't you think you should hurry back?"
She was right. Kiene's younger brother had taken a sharp turn for the worse since yesterday. She had been anxiously waiting, trusting only in Logue's promise that he would heal him.
At that moment, Lidia—who had been listening to the conversation between Sane and Kiene—suddenly spoke up when Logue's name came up.
"Do you know where Logue Oraboni is?!"
Sane looked momentarily flustered by the sudden question.
"I do, but... who are you?"
"I'm Logue Oraboni's younger sister!"
"His younger sister...? You? ...Now that I look at you, there is a slight resemblance... But he had a sister this cute...?"
"...?"
Sane muttered in surprise when Lidia claimed to be Logue's sister.
"Could you please let me meet Oraboni...? I'm begging you..."
"...Are you really that guy's sister?"
Sane, who had a soft spot for cute things, hesitated when Lidia looked up at her with those desperate, pleading eyes. She was worried that seeing Logue in his current state might upset the girl.
"Please..."
When Lidia gently tugged at the hem of Sane's clothes, Sane finally gave in and pulled her into a hug.
"Alright! I'll take you to him!"
"...C-can't... breathe..."
Kiene watched the little comedy unfold.
"Lidia... I'm sorry. I have somewhere I need to go..."
Still wrapped in Sane's arms, Lidia managed to answer.
"I-it's okay... Kiene Unni. The meat skewers were delicious! Please be careful!"
With that, Kiene hurriedly ran out of the academy grounds, most likely heading back to the family estate where her brother was waiting.
"Unni will take you to your brother!"
"Th-thank you..."
It took quite a while before Lidia was finally released from Sane's embrace.
"Logue! I'm back!"
Sane's voice rang out. It seemed he had fallen asleep after she left. When he looked outside, the sun was high in the sky.
'Huh...? Did she bring someone with her?'
Listening closely, he realized the footsteps weren't just one person's. There was a second, lighter set of steps accompanying Sane's.
Soon after, Sane entered the room with a young girl.
The girl had a short bob haircut. She possessed the same black hair and golden eyes as the owner of this body, Logue. She gave off an overall cute impression, but it was clear she would grow into a stunning beauty.
"Sane. Who is this child with you...?"
"...She says she's your younger sister?"
The girl looked utterly shocked at my words. Her eyes widened as she spoke.
"...Oraboni...?"
'Damn it... Did Logue have a younger sister...?'
Since I had never paid much attention to an extra character like Logue, the existence of his sister was completely new information to me.
"It's me... Lidia... You're joking, right...?"
What should I do...? Even if I pretended to recognize the girl—Lidia—without Logue's memories, it would only be a matter of time before she caught on. It was practically impossible to pull off.
In the end, I chose to lie.
"I'm sorry... Lidia, was it? I lost my memory in a recent accident... Do you know me?"
At my words, Lidia's eyes shook violently. She collapsed on the spot. Sugar-candy-like tears streamed down her cheeks. Her face twisted as she tried to hold back her sobs.
"...Are you alright?"
Seeing Lidia so heartbroken made me feel like I had done something terribly wrong. I spoke awkwardly.
After some time, Lidia stopped crying. Though tears still clung to the corners of her eyes.
"...I'm Lidia, Logue Oraboni's younger sister... You really don't remember? What kind of accident was it, Oraboni...?"
'I have no idea either...'
"I got hit by a carriage like an idiot... Thanks to Sane's help, I received treatment, but I can't remember anything except my name... I'm sorry."
"Hah?"
When I told the lie about losing my memory after being hit by a carriage, Sane let out a disbelieving snort.
"...Is that true...?"
Lidia looked at Sane with a trembling voice, asking if it was real. I shot Sane a desperate glance. Thankfully, she seemed to understand my silent plea. With a slightly awkward expression, she backed up my story.
"It's true... I found him collapsed on the side of the road and took him to the temple. When was that again...?"
"...About a month ago."
"Right. A month ago. Around then. The priest said that people who suffer major accidents sometimes experience this."
"A-are you okay?! Is your body alright, Oraboni?!"
Upon learning there had been an accident, Lidia immediately checked on my health. I had no memories of her, but from this short encounter alone, I could tell just how much this girl adored Logue.
'...It seems Logue actually treated his sister well.'
Considering his history of acting like a complete scoundrel, it was an unexpected side of him. Maybe it really was different when it came to family?
"I'm fine... ugh..."
Right as I tried to say I was fine, an excruciating pain surged through my chest. It looked like the side effects of the Transcendence Potion hadn't fully subsided yet. Seeing me clutch my chest in agony, Lidia looked like she was about to burst into tears again.
'What do I do...?'
Sane had apparently given up on trying to understand the situation and was now having a one-sided conversation with the dolls in the room.
It was total chaos.