Chapter 349: Side Story — Brother and Sister (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 349: Side Story — Brother and Sister (1)
“I’ve finally cleared the urgent matters...”
“Good job.”
I slumped onto the garden bench.
Luce, who had been reading a book beside me, stroked my hair and whispered with a hint of admiration.
“...”
As I looked at the woman who was to become my wife, a sudden thought crossed my mind.
The Premarital Chastity Agreement.
The five women in my life had established this pact to prevent emotional conflicts before our marriage. However, it was merely a surface-level agreement. According to Alice, they had only set it up as a mechanism to keep one another in check.
By reading into their psychology, I could confirm their true intent: they were all secretly looking for an opening to secure me for themselves.
White, however, was the only one who took it to heart.
Only White seemed to accept the meaning of the agreement with pure intentions. Well, it didn’t matter to me. If my women’s true intentions were a bit mischievous, I welcomed it. As for White, I simply needed to be the one to approach her directly.
As a result, my disappointment vanished, replaced by anticipation.
I’ll play along with them.
I was curious to see how they would act, after all.
Still, nothing too scandalous should happen here. There were too many eyes watching within the Imperial Palace. No one would dare make a move on me recklessly.
In fact, over the past few days, the Imperial Palace had been holding banquets to celebrate my engagement to the women who would become my wives—regardless of whether the guests knew about the Premarital Chastity Agreement or not.
The wedding was scheduled for next year, after White graduated from the academy. In other words, it was a bit early to be throwing parties. But wasn't this essentially a celebration for the birth of my harem empire? Having finished my assigned tasks, I enjoyed the festivities to the fullest.
“…”
“…”
But... I no longer heard the sound of pages turning.
It felt as though Luce was staring at me intently. Then, her warm breath grazed my cheek.
“Gasp.”
Lick.
I felt a moist sensation against my ear.
Startled, my eyes flew open. Luce instinctively placed her hand on my cheek, preventing me from pulling away.
Nibble. Slurp…
Luce relentlessly teased my ear with her lips and tongue. The wet, rhythmic sounds tickled my eardrums, and a strange pleasure surged through me.
“What—what are you doing…?”
Alice’s playful antics usually came with a prelude—a certain “I’m about to tease you” energy that allowed me to prepare myself mentally. Luce, however, was different. She had a tendency to make bold moves without any context, which meant I was often caught off guard.
Luce finally pulled away. A thin thread of saliva stretched between her tongue and the rim of my ear.
She answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “I’m cleaning your ears. You like this kind of thing, don’t you?”
“At least say something before you do it. You startle me every time…”
“Isaac, your face is bright red.”
Luce gently turned my face toward hers, cupping my cheeks with both hands. At a distance so close our breaths intertwined, she whispered seductively, “Did you feel it?”
With an intimate gaze, she gave me a subtle, knowing smile.
She’s aggressive.
She’s actively trying to seduce me.
And of course, I felt it…
Ever since that erotic encounter with Alice, it felt as though my senses had become even more sensitive and heightened.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Suddenly, Luce leaned in and kissed my cheek.
Mwah.
Then, she showered the other cheek with kisses.
“You’re still not going to say anything? Even after this?”
Mwah. Mwah. Mwah.
It felt good, so I stayed still, a small laugh escaping me.
“Yeah, I felt it. It was nice.”
“Want me to lick you more?”
“Please do.”
When I intertwined my fingers with Luce’s, she smiled gently and leaned her body against mine. She went back to work, alternating between licking and softly sucking on my ear. Every time her soft lips and warm breath touched my skin, my body shuddered.
Ah, this feels incredible…
I was happy. However… there was one thing keeping me from fully losing myself in the moment.
Come to think of it, she’s been staring at me nonstop…
What should I do about this sister of mine, who has been secretly peeking at me from behind the wall?
Eve Ropenheim. She was the only family I had left, and she had been living with me in Düpfendorf since graduation. She often agonized over whether to speak to me, frequently ending up just stealing glances from afar.
She could just come over and talk.
Was it because I was with Luce? Eve couldn't seem to bring herself to approach. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she only stared at Luce with a hint of envy.
I haven’t been paying enough attention to her…
I had been extremely busy lately. When I needed a brief moment of comfort, I’d visit Dorothy and bury my head in her chest, but I hadn't given Eve any of my time. She must have felt uncertain, wondering if it was even okay to approach me.
…I should be the one to go to her.
She was my only remaining family; I felt a special bond with her.
*
There was always something that bothered me when I looked at Eve.
Before I became Isaac, I had noticed a recurring theme in many transmigration stories: how the protagonist handled the original owner's family and friends.
I was Isaac now. But the Isaac who existed before enrolling at Märchen Academy wasn’t me. Yet, in the version of Isaac that Eve loved, both the original owner of this body and I were intertwined.
…Revealing the truth now would only cause pain.
With that thought, I pulled on my robe and headed for the palace entrance. The robe was enchanted with recognition-blocking magic; as long as I kept the hood up, others would struggle to identify my face.
Under the night sky, a woman with silver-blue hair bathed in moonlight came into view. As soon as she saw me, she sprang up from the bench.
It was Eve Ropenheim, dressed in her best outing clothes.
“Sister.”
I lowered my hood, smiled brightly, and waved. Eve gaped at me, seemingly forgetting how to breathe. When I stopped in front of her, she regained her composure and quickly looked away.
“W-why did you call for me? And why did you tell me to dress up… weren’t you busy?”
Eve fidgeted, twisting her fingers nervously in front of her.
“I’ve finished the urgent work. We haven’t spent much time together recently, and I’ve been busy ever since graduation.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“Let’s head out for now.”
I gestured toward the main gate with my chin.
“Where?”
“To hang out. Because I want to spend time with you, Sister.”
When I smiled warmly, Eve froze, looking as though she had been turned to stone.
*
The streets of Düpfendorf were predominantly bathed in shades of blue. The icy structures, the elegant architecture, and the cityscape tinged with blue mana and golden lights had always dazzled Eve.
However, today was different. Because she was walking side by side with Isaac, she had no mental capacity to appreciate the scenery.
“Um, are you really okay with this? Spending time with someone like me…?”
“Stop with the self-deprecation… My wife-to-be does that enough.”
It was like the story of Snow White. The woman considered the most beautiful in the world always showed a particularly vulnerable side to Isaac. Compared to White, who outshone her in status, beauty, and talent, there was no way Eve could feel confident.
“Shall we get something to eat?”
“Y-yeah, sure!”
Isaac led the overly enthusiastic Eve to a skewer stand.
“How much for these?”
“Two copper coins!”
“Two, please.”
The vendor handed over two steaming skewers. Thanks to the robe’s magic, he didn’t realize his customer was the famous Isaac.
“Here, Sister.”
“Can I eat it? Me?”
“Why wouldn’t you be able to…?”
“Thank you…”
Eve took the skewer and ate the meat piece by piece. She couldn't even taste it. Her entire focus was on Isaac, who was walking beside her, casually enjoying his own snack.
Eve glanced at Isaac’s right hand.
“By the way, Isaac.”
“Yeah?”
“Why did you ask to hang out with me? Wouldn’t it be better to spend that time with your wives?” Eve asked, her voice trembling slightly.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be there. It was just that Isaac had chosen her over his future wives, leaving her with a profound sense of doubt.
However, Isaac’s reply was incredibly simple.
“We’re family. There are things I can talk to you about that I can’t with them. Do you really have to ask?”
Eve’s lips twitched.
“…Really?”
Eve had always believed there was an insurmountable gap in priority between herself and Isaac’s future wives.
Is he saying I don’t need to worry about that?
Is he saying it doesn’t matter because I, as his only family, hold my own unique position?
The thought brought a sense of relief to her chest. Eve’s cheeks flushed as she laughed awkwardly, clenching her fists and lowering her head.
“W-well, if that’s what you mean, then it’s fine if you lean on me when you’re struggling, just like you do with Dorothy… I can give you comfort and encouragement! And I’m sure I’d be good at ear-licking, too! I’ve even practiced!”
“That doesn’t seem like something you should say to your brother.”
“Oh.”
Eve flinched. In her relief, she had accidentally let her true feelings slip. Surely, Isaac would find it burdensome—especially since he was an Archwizard who could read minds. Eve was certain Isaac was being incredibly considerate of her, and she resolved to be more careful.
“Y-you didn’t take that seriously, right? Obviously, I was joking!”
“Right…”
Both of them knew it was a lie, but to avoid making things awkward, Isaac let it slide.
As they moved through the crowd, Eve looked up at the night sky and spoke again. “That reminds me.”
“What does?”
“About me. I said I’d take responsibility for you no matter what after I graduated from Märchen Academy.”
Eve had planned to sever ties with the Ropenheim family and live with Isaac for the rest of her life once she obtained her diploma. She intended to never marry, living entirely for Isaac until he settled down and led a stable life. For her, it was enough if her beloved brother lived well. That was the resolution Eve had held in her heart, shedding tears of blood, on the day she abandoned her family.
“Why bring that up now?”
“It’s just… it’s fascinating how things turned out. The one I thought was weak turned out to have the potential of an Archwizard and became the strongest person in the world… You might not understand, but it still feels a bit surreal to me. Like my brother has become someone else…”
Eve gave a faint smile.
“Sometimes I wonder… What if I hadn’t abandoned you from the start? I also wonder if how we’ve ended up is a miracle or a tragedy.”
“Why waste your time thinking about that?”
“You’re right. But I still don’t know. During the time after Mom passed, when I couldn’t see you, what kind of changes you went through…”
Eve looked at Isaac’s right hand, which was holding the skewer.
“Like, you know… I’ve been watching you at the academy for a while and I noticed. You’re completely right-handed now.”
“…”
“You used to be left-handed.”