Chapter 17
Translator: True Detective
[The Saintess Awakens - 07]
Ellyn Frendisiv.
The second daughter of the Frendisiv family.
And the Saintess, in other words, Anastasia Lacroix's biological younger sister. If the Saintess left the Frendisiv family when she was about 5 years old, it means Ellyn was about 3 years old at the time she left, but it seemed she still had memories of the Saintess.
Come to think of it.
Even if she didn't remember, since the other party is famous by the name of the Saintess, she must have heard stories about her often, so perhaps she only remembers the name. Because usually, people don't remember things from when they were 3 years old.
'She doesn't really look like the Saintess. Though it's easy to mistakenly think they look alike because of their hairstyle and hair color.'
Unlike the Saintess, she seemed to resemble the father's side a little more. This didn't mean she had a masculine appearance by any means, but rather that a glimpse of it could be seen. In contrast to the Saintess who looked devoid of motivation no matter what she did, she had eyes full of energy, as if motivation were overflowing from somewhere.
It was better for a child to be like that.
Rather than a child who had grown up unnecessarily fast, it was just right for a child to play, laugh, giggle without thinking, and cause slightly troublesome accidents befitting their age. For some reason, there were no such children around me, and it was only children who had matured far too quickly like little old people.
Well, it was true that it was an environment where they couldn't endure without being like that, and it was true they couldn't have survived otherwise, so I had no intention of saying anything about it.
It's just that the world did not forgive children for being children. It was a pity because it felt as if the time they should have spent as children had been taken away from them.
In that sense, Ellyn, who was in front of my eyes, had a childlike face no matter who looked at her.
"Sister."
"I'm listening."
The Saintess leisurely drank her tea and looked at Ellyn.
If she hadn't called her 'Sister', the probability that the Saintess wouldn't have recognized who Ellyn was until now, thinking 'Who is this?', seemed considerably high, but I decided to let it go for now. Even at a glance, it didn't seem like she harbored good feelings toward the Saintess, but unfortunately, the Saintess wasn't tactful enough to read such things.
Later on, as a matter of knowledge, she might be able to tell, 'Ah, she's making that face, so she didn't come to talk about something good?' But right now, it wasn't easy for the Saintess to look at another person's face and read their emotions.
How could a young girl who can't even properly recognize her own emotions read the emotions of others?
"Why did you return home?"
"You're the ones who sent the invitation, I merely answered that invitation."
"You've never once returned until now. You could have just ignored it like you always have, so I'm asking why you returned this time."
"Hmm."
I see.
They must have continuously sent letters under the name of invitations until now, and the Saintess had consistently responded to those letters with 'ignorance'. Let alone answering the invitation, she wouldn't have even given a reply.
But she suddenly came this time, so they must have been surprised.
Unlike her parents, since she is young, did she come to ask that question directly?
Now then.
Where that emotion started was important. Whether it was a positive emotion or a negative emotion. Because even if the same conclusion is reached as a result, if the process is different, the meaning of the result changes significantly.
Don't they often say that the meaning of a message changes depending on the messenger?
If the 1st place student in the school criticizes the current education system, it looks plausible, but if the last place student in the school says it, it gets dismissed as the nonsense of a loser; it could be said to be similar. If one wants to change something and criticize it, they need the corresponding status and honor, and preferably achievements as well.
If they were indispensable, that was even better.
In a fantasy world like this, it was possible for an individual to possess nation-level combat power. In reality, just looking at her mana capacity alone, it was fair to call the Saintess right in front of my eyes a nation-level disaster already.
Once she grows up a bit more, comes of age, and acquires the mental strength to match that mana, I wondered if there would be any existence capable of stopping her.
If this world truly were a world inside a game or comic, I was seriously suspecting whether the Saintess was originally some kind of hidden boss or final boss.
"Just because."
"……." It was a conversation where not even the slightest bit of sisterly affection could be felt.
It seemed Ellyn was a type rich in emotions, contrary to the Saintess. She seemed to have high empathy, and even now, unable to contain her frustration, she was clenching her fists tightly. On the contrary, the Saintess on the opposite side could truly be called peace itself.
Let alone not knowing why Ellyn was angry, there was a possibility she didn't even recognize the fact that she was angry. Reaching that point in just half a year is difficult, after all.
"You are always like this, Sister, even before you became a Saintess."
"……Was I?" "Please do not ask me." Why is she asking while looking at me.
This person didn't seem to realize the fact that it had only been half a year since she met me. Recently, because she started everything with 'Ed, where are you?', the meaning of me being her educator was fading.
Because I just became the Saintess's handler. The Pope didn't particularly stop it either, and went so far as to say she'd pay me more so I should just accommodate her. It seemed the fact that the Saintess reacted in such a way at all was good news to the Pope. Because the Pope, who lives humbly, must have so much money it's rotting away.
"You are." "Adrian Valtus, you may perceive me as the Saintess's servant." "You mean a butler?"
"Well, something similar."
I brew her black tea, I do half her room cleaning, the Saintess calls for me whenever something happens, so it wouldn't be inadequate to call me her exclusive butler.
"You seem close to my Sister?"
"Perhaps we are."
At the very least, it seemed true that the Saintess treated me more amicably than anyone else around her. Whether that was simply interest, or a human attraction, I couldn't know, but there was no doubt she gave me special treatment.
And I considered that a positive omen.
The ability to give someone special treatment meant, in other words, the ability to recognize others. Until now, no one had been reflected in the Saintess's eyes, and she was living a life where 'you' was absent in a world that should consist of 'me' and 'you'.
But if my entering it allowed her to recognize 'you', the world the Saintess sees would broaden, and her method of recognition would change.
Hmm.
That aside, both sisters seem to have strong personalities.
Is it genetics?
Surprisingly, there might be parts where they resemble each other.
"My introduction was late. I am Ellyn Frendisiv, the younger sister of the 'Saintess' over there. You haven't changed since the old days; in fact, you're exactly the same. Sister."
"Yeah, I'm glad to see you look like you're doing well."
"……." Now it doesn't look like she's doing well. The Saintess doesn't seem to know the fact that her 'doing well' younger sister's cheek is twitching. She probably has no interest anyway.
That aside, even though Ellyn must have been barely 3 years old around the time she left this house as a Saintess, she seemed to remember her properly, so that was more shocking to me. Of course, it was plausible to have special memories from childhood, but from the way she spoke, it didn't seem like that was it.
It wasn't that she simply remembered her as a sister because people around her said so, but the nuance was that she actually remembered Anastasia Frendisiv, the older sister she lived with as family.
"So……. Your party was tomorrow, right? We could have just met tomorrow, so what's the reason you went out of your way to come to my room? Do you have something to say?"
"Something to say……. Right, something to say. I already told you, I asked why you came." "I answered, too. I came 'just because'."
"……." She had a face that looked a tiny bit hurt. I roughly understood. She has affection.
At the very least, this young girl named Ellyn had far more affection for the Saintess than their parents did. That's why she seemed somewhat hurt by the Saintess's indifferent reaction.
I don't know what happened in the past, but at least to Ellyn, the person named Anastasia seemed to still be her 'Sister'. Unfortunately, that didn't hold any meaning to the Saintess in the past, nor does it now.
Should I intervene here.
Should I not.
I debated a little.
"Even if I had business here, there would be no reason to report it to you, would there? Even if I said something to you, who are still young, it would have no meaning. If I'm going to say it, I should say it to Father and Mother."
"……."
"Saintess."
"What?"
A sigh almost slipped out, but I held it in.
When I looked back at Ellyn, she had an expression mixed with indescribably complex emotions. It was an expression mixed with the feeling of, 'Then what about me?'
When I called her, the Saintess made an expression as if seriously pondering whether she had done something wrong, and soon pressed her temples.
"Ah, right. Happy birthday."
"……."
"……." When the surrounding reaction was quiet, the Saintess had a face that said, 'Is this not it either'.
Ah.
When I looked at Ellyn again, this time she was looking at me. It was a shocked expression just like before, but it seemed to contain a slightly different emotion than before. Slowly taking a few steps toward me, Ellyn spoke.
"T-The two of us, let's talk for a moment."
"Pardon?"
"Just a moment is fine."
Well, it shouldn't matter.
Thinking so, I was about to answer.
But with a clack, the Saintess set down her teacup, looked at Ellyn properly for the first time, and opened her mouth before I could.
"No."
Oh.
She has eyes that look like they could kill a person.