Chapter 107
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: Sisters' Time -2-
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Roman's note trembled in Eclair's hand.
'Th-this... idiot! No shame at all...!'
It was true that she loved how he showered her with affection without restraint when they were alone. The snacks or notes he sometimes left on the windowsill were the same.
If she'd found this note alone as usual, her heart would have fluttered, and she'd have tucked it away in her study to pull out whenever she had a moment. But the fact that it had fallen straight into Chloe's hands without her even hiding it was fatal.
To write something like this and leave it where Chloe could plainly see it—this man was utterly shameless, without a shred of embarrassment.
"Ah, uh... this is... um...!"
She had to maintain her dignity as a knight of the Dreitna family, as the eldest daughter, as Chloe's older sister!
Eclair's gaze shifted to Chloe as she finally tore her eyes from the note.
Her sister had tied back her ash-gray hair that reached her waist and covered her flushed cheeks, but those gently curved, pleased eyes told Eclair it was already too late for a cool, composed reaction.
"Sis. I was really surprised? The instructor at the academy seems so cold and scary. Even the guys in our department pretend not to be, but they're all terrified."
"Is that so..."
During that outdoor class when she'd worn armor to sneak in, she'd been too focused on Chloe to pay close attention to what Roman was doing.
She hadn't even imagined they'd end up in this kind of relationship back then.
Chloe picked up a strawberry from atop her cake and let out a gasp of delight. Eclair poked at her pie but barely made a dent in it.
"Even that instructor turns into a completely different person when he talks about you."
It hadn't seemed like casual chit-chat. Eclair, unable to grasp what had happened, steadied her heated face with a deep breath and asked Chloe.
"...So, what exactly happened between you two?"
At Eclair's question, Chloe cast her eyes down slightly and pouted.
"Well... I figured I should thank him for the brooch like you said, so—"
Eclair nearly slapped her forehead without realizing it as Chloe spun an epic tale worthy of an adventure saga.
To loiter around for days like that... Listening to Chloe, Eclair instantly understood why Roman had approached her first.
The dessert cafe must have been his idea too, reserved in advance. He'd probably gotten the location recommendation from Rike.
'It really was tough for Chloe. I was too short-sighted...'
It had been her mistake to lightly tell her sister—a cadet and her own kin—to just go say thanks, without considering how Roman might seem from Chloe's perspective.
Lacking experience herself, she'd simply assumed their personalities would mesh without issue.
Only she and Rike might know that Roman treated Chloe gently, unlike typical high nobles or authority figures.
From Chloe's view, he was her lover, sure—but also a platinum adventurer, a wild powerhouse who'd danced with death.
"He probably noticed from the first day you were hanging around. His senses are incredibly sharp."
Roman's five senses were always on high alert, contrary to his laid-back vibe—sharper even than her own, honed by constant tension and vigilance in her line of work.
No way he'd miss Chloe lurking nearby for days.
"Y-yeah, I figured... Was I a huge bother...?"
Eclair smiled, finally seeing Chloe slip back into her usual demeanor as her excited expression faded and her brows drooped.
She slipped Roman's note under a book and corrected her sister's misplaced worry.
"If you'd been a bother, he'd have said so outright from the start. If he didn't, he had his reasons—or needed time to think it over himself."
"Phew... good."
Chloe's tense face relaxed a bit, and her fork dove back into the cake.
"You don't need to overthink things when you're around Roman. Relax a little. Just don't get too casual or cross any lines."
Chloe nodded firmly, popping the last strawberry into her mouth and chewing as her bubbling curiosity spilled out.
"Sis. Are all adventurers... like the instructor?"
"Like him how?"
"Hm~ Hard to pin down, but... he creates this comfy vibe while having this overwhelming presence. Doesn't seem too hung up on authority? Super free-spirited, maybe... Can't quite sum it up in one word."
Eclair pictured Roman and a few other adventurers in her mind. She could answer Chloe's question definitively.
Shaking her head slightly in denial, she gave her sister earnest advice in a serious tone.
"No. That's just Roman being unusually special. If you ever meet other high-rankers—platinum or sapphire level—treat them like high nobles."
"R-really...?"
The mood grew a touch heavier, and Chloe mulled it over, nibbling her lip before nodding slowly.
Slurp—
As they sat chatting intently about Roman, Eclair's throat grew parched. She refilled her empty teacup.
"Sis."
"...Hm?"
Sensing a hint of unease, Eclair paused before responding.
"Can I ask about something else?"
Those sparkling eyes. Eclair knew what books Chloe had been into lately while staying at the mansion.
Still, her sister respected boundaries, so she wouldn't pry into anything too intimate.
"...I'll answer within reason."
Chloe's face lit up like she'd just received the latest romance novel in the mail.
"The instructor said to call him casually since he's not 'instructor mode' at the academy... What should I call him? Mr. Adventurer?"
"Hmm—..."
It was an unexpected question. What would suit Chloe calling Roman?
"Brother-in-law?"
Eclair's head snapped up from her pondering at the offhand suggestion.
"N-no! Roman and I aren't married yet...!"
"But you're seriously dating with marriage in mind, right? That's how he seemed."
"...He seemed that way? R-really?"
Roman always showed actions and feelings that painted a future together whenever they met. She felt no falsehood in it.
She'd naturally assumed they'd end up together, but hearing Chloe saw it the same way—that he truly thought seriously about their relationship—made her heart soar, even if she couldn't show it in front of her sister.
"Yeah! He seems to put you first... It put my mind at ease too."
"Ahem...!"
Chloe giggled softly at her sister's cough in lieu of a reply.
"Real emotion-based relationships like this aren't common in the Empire, right? That's why everyone dives into novels and plays..."
The harsher real life got, the more fiction's popularity soared. Chloe understood those escaping thirst and reality through books, theater, or revelry.
She'd once buried herself in books back in the territory for the same reason.
"True... I know I'm lucky to be in this special spot."
"Huh? That's not what I meant! You're finally getting rewarded for all your past hardships."
Chloe corrected her with a look like What are you saying? Eclair stared into her teacup at her sister's firm stance on that point.
The smile on her lips felt genuine, not forced like the expressions she'd practiced in the mirror for imperial events long ago.
Eclair steered the conversation away before it drifted into painful past memories triggered by "hardships."
Her foolish history was an embarrassing black mark that shredded her own blanket—far more shameful than her romance with Roman. Time for a sharp turn.
"About the title... 'Brother-in-law' is too soon, so hold off. It could cause issues if others overhear... Just 'Instructor' should be fine, no?"
"Yeah, 'brother-in-law' would be bad if others heard..."
"Exactly."
Chloe swallowed the last of her cake, pondered a moment, then clapped her hands lightly with another idea.
"You and the instructor have some similarities, so... 'Oppa' feels too casual. How about 'Oriabuni'?"
"...!"
Eclair's surprise wasn't at the title.
"Hm~ That won't work either?"
Setting down her teacup, Eclair gazed at her innocently curious sister and asked.
"...Chloe. This isn't a scolding, just genuine curiosity... Does Roman scare you or make you uncomfortable? Could you actually call him something like 'Oriabuni' or 'Oppa' to his face?"
"Huh?"
She'd watched Chloe from afar at unavoidable noble gatherings and knew it took her ages to open up to others.
Especially to the opposite sex—it required even more time and effort, leaving her with no real close male friends.
Eclair wasn't one to judge, though... She herself had no qualms talking to men for work.
Yet Chloe seemed utterly at ease discussing Roman.
A brief silence fell. Chloe set her fork on the empty plate, clasped her hands, and fidgeted with her fingers.
"...This might be really rude."
"Speak freely, no worries."
Organizing her thoughts, Chloe fixed her gaze on the empty plate to hide her embarrassment and spoke slowly.
"I'm always bad at gauging distance with people, so I make lots of mistakes. I've rushed ahead excitedly alone and ruined the mood plenty of times."
"..."
"Even today... I was so nervous around the instructor that I messed up a ton. Embarrassing just thinking about it..."
"Mm."
Eclair nodded, understanding her sister well.
Chloe overthought and acted cautiously more than most, fearing harm to others—but that caution often backfired, amplifying her timidity.
"O-others say it's fine, but their eyes... they always looked a bit scary, like they let it slide because I'm your sister..."
"...I see."
Eclair's heart twinged like a needle prick as she watched Chloe speak flatly, suppressing her emotions.
They were both hypersensitive to gazes. Their ways of handling it just differed sharply.
"But today with the instructor—even our first real talk felt like... if I had an older brother, it'd be this. Even when I messed up, his eyes were soft, like yours..."
Eclair thought Roman would be the same in that situation.
"..."
"That too...! Now that I think about it, I got overexcited and rushed ahead again...? You're right, better stick to 'Instructor'... Almost messed up again... Hehe..."
As Chloe wilted, interpreting Eclair's silence negatively, her sister smiled and offered the answer.
"Chloe. Next time you're alone with Roman—"
The two had dinner together and taken a stroll around the grounds before returning.
Rike had dived straight into studying academy memorization subjects at her desk.
"Hoo—"
Roman sat cross-legged, exhaled deeply from his body, and made a careful decision. Between the two paths, which would be more efficient?
Second Form
Activated