Oppa Doesn't Have That Kind of Taste
I opened my eyes.
“……”
And closed them again.
Wait, haven't I seen this before?
-Swoosh.
A warm breath tickled my neck. So, what situation is this right now...?
Lucia was on top of me. Almost overlapping.
Her face buried in my chest, one arm hugging my neck, legs naturally intertwined.
Her pajamas were quite disheveled from how much she had tossed and turned while sleeping.
I glanced down slightly, then quickly looked up again.
Quite an ambiguous situation in many ways.
-Sigh.
Lucia was still asleep. Looking at her like this, she seemed so peaceful.
But in reality, if I moved even a little, I couldn't guarantee where or how our bodies would touch.
...It was actually good.
“……”
It's a lie.
To be honest, it felt really good.
As soon as I woke up, having such a cute and pretty younger sister clinging to me, how could I not like it?
If someone dislikes it, they must have either a twisted eye or be gay.
But that's exactly the problem. I didn't know what Lucia was thinking by doing this, but I felt like I shouldn't just enjoy this situation.
She's doing this because she trusts me, but just lying there quietly thinking it's good... it was something...
Before being her oppa, as a human, I felt guilty.
'First, let's get out of here.'
Putting aside the regret, I felt like if I stayed like this, I might do something I couldn't undo.
Just as I was trying to carefully slip away.
-Kwaak.
Lucia, in her sleep, hugged my neck even tighter.
“Hey.”
No answer. Instead, Lucia buried her face a bit more.
-Bubi.
This is cheating.
I tried to pull away again. Very slightly. Carefully.
-Swoosh.
“Uhn……”
Lucia’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. And she clung to me as I moved away.
“……”
What is this?
Even in sleep, she doesn't want to let go?
In the end, it became even more tightly intertwined than before. No gaps at all.
“Haa……”
I looked at the ceiling.
Conscience and instinct were fiercely fighting, and so far, conscience had taken an uppercut and was staggering.
At that moment.
"Eye That Sees the Hidden has activated."
"A critical branch point has occurred in one fate."
"The rejected future has remained as 『Echo of Fate』."
"By rejecting the predetermined future, your strong will has interfered with the flow of fate."
"As a result, the first fragment of 『Lucia Marque』 has awakened on its own."
"Eye That Sees the Hidden has recorded a new narrative for 『Lucia Marque』."
"The Rejected Future"
"By rejecting the predetermined future, your strong will has interfered with the flow of fate."
"As a result, the first fragment of 『Lucia Marque』 has awakened on its own."
“……”
Wait, what?
“Hold on.”
My body froze in place.
The first fragment had clearly been asleep until yesterday.
It was said it wouldn't wake without a specific trigger.
But now it had awakened?
“……Already?”
The very next day after I decided to stop the future.
Normally, the power that should have been forcibly awakened had awakened on its own.
Nothing had happened yet.
“……”
Just by deciding, this happened?
That couldn't be.
There must be some reason I didn't know, but before I could ponder it...
I slowly lowered my gaze.
Lucia sitting with her legs wrapped around my waist. She looked exactly the same as usual.
“……Lucia.”
“Huh?”
“Is there anything strange on your body?”
Lucia blinked.
“Yesterday my teeth were pointy and my eyes were sharp... and my ears were good too.”
“Now?”
“I don't know.”
“Let me check.”
I gently lifted Lucia's chin.
“Open your mouth.”
“A—”
“More.”
“Aa—”
I spread her lips a little with my fingers and checked inside.
“……”
Perfectly fine.
Her fangs weren't even there; instead, her teeth just looked cute.
“……None.”
“What?”
“Pointy teeth.”
They had only appeared briefly last night and disappeared.
So, it wasn't a complete change, but rather something that only appeared under certain conditions.
“……Oppa.”
“Huh?”
As I let go, Lucia pouted and looked up at me.
“You don't like me?”
“If I didn't like it, would I be doing this?”
The answer came immediately.
“Hehe...”
Lucia smiled happily and buried her face in my chest again.
“Then it's fine.”
She was worrying about too many things.
I lightly stroked Lucia's head.
“……”
For now, I could be relieved about the awakening.
Just because the power had awakened didn't mean her personality would flip or she would lose her reason.
Lucia was perfectly fine right now, so I could figure it out later.
“Oppa.”
“Huh.”
“Stroke me more.”
“……”
Yeah.
She was really fine.
2.
So, several days passed. In that time, Lucia had undergone some changes.
It wasn't anything grand like an awakening.
“Eh, um... ma?”
“……!”
Mom froze in place. Lucia froze with her too.
“Yes, it's Mom.”
-Warak.
“Wah!”
Mom's eyes slightly reddened, touched by the emotion.
“You heard it?”
“I heard.”
Father, sitting on the sofa, drank his tea calmly.
Lucia's gaze naturally turned toward him.
“……”
“……”
Strange silence.
Lucia hesitated for a long time before opening her mouth.
“A... ppa...”
Father's hand stopped for a moment.
“Okay.”
That was it.
A flat response, nothing like usual.
But.
“Father.”
“Hm.”
“The cup is empty.”
“……”
She had been holding the empty cup since earlier.
So, Lucia was slowly melting into the Marque family routine.
3.
-Thud!
“Ugh.”
The wooden sword flew off with force.
I shook my throbbing wrist and glared at Father.
“Father.”
“Why?”
“You love your daughter so much, but why are you beating your son from morning?”
“Listen to the sword.”
“What answer?”
“If you listen, I'll tell you.”
...A lie.
I picked up the fallen wooden sword. The daily routine hadn't changed much lately.
Learning swordsmanship, practicing magic, and occasionally getting beaten by Father.
But there was one strange thing.
Days ago.
[Swordsmanship mastery has reached 100%.]
Finally, 100 percent.
At that moment, a new window popped up as if waiting.
[Third-Rate Swordsmanship (C) acquired.]
So, I had become a proper Third-Rate swordsman.
“……”
I wasn't happy at all.
But the strange part came next.
Since I had hit 100 percent, I decided to put away swordsmanship and focus on other fields.
After all, my limit was Third-Rate.
Going further here would be meaningless, so I told Father boldly.
“From now on, I'll focus a bit more on magic.”
Father nodded his head.
“Okay.”
It was surprisingly easy to get permission.
“Do it after swordsmanship ends.”
“……Yes?”
The result.
[Swordsmanship]
[Current mastery: 107%]
Even though it had gone over 100 percent, the number kept rising. But it didn't seem like it had gotten stronger after that.
Where does this keep going?
-Whoosh!
“Eh.”
Without time to think, the wooden sword flew toward me.
-Thud!
My wrist throbbed again.
“Concentrate.”
“I'm concentrating.”
“No.”
This time, the tip of the wooden sword aimed straight for my neck.
“Crazy!”
I hurriedly twisted my body.
After acquiring Third-Rate Swordsmanship, I had definitely improved, but the opponent was the opponent.
I barely dodged the attack, but my posture collapsed badly. And Father wouldn't miss that.
-Puk.
“Huk.”
Lying on the floor staring at the sky, a familiar face suddenly blocked my view.
“Are you okay?”
Lucia looked down at me with her waist bent.
After all, my ally was only Lucia.
“Oppa, though.”
“Huh?”
“Do you... like it when you get hit?”
Cancel.
She wasn't my ally either.
“What does that mean all of a sudden?”
“……Lily said that. There are people who like it when they get hit.”
“……”
What did she teach you?
“If that's the case, then I...”
“No, Oppa doesn't have that kind of taste.”
I cut her off hurriedly.
I sat up and brushed off the dirt on my clothes.
“Tch...”
“Why are you disappointed?”
“I'm not disappointed.”
Lucia turned her head away with a snap.
Then her eyes stopped on the wooden sword at my feet.
“Appa.”
“Hm.”
“I want to try this too.”
Father looked at Lucia.
“Swordsmanship?”
“Yes.”
Lucia picked up the wooden sword. She fiddled with it in both hands, but her posture looked clumsy.
“Come here.”
“Yes!”
Lucia came running up to Father.
“Hands here.”
“Here...”
“Release the strength.”
“Like this?”
“Yes.”
I watched the scene quietly.
Hmm, something strange.
Suddenly, the memory of when I first learned swordsmanship from that person came to mind.
-Thud!
-Bwoeok!
-Thud!
“Uwa, no!”
“……”
Shit. I didn't have that.
“Swing it.”
“Yes.”
Lucia raised the wooden sword. Her posture was awkward.
But.
-Swaeek!
“……?”
The sound of the wind was weird.
Father's eyes narrowed slightly.
“Again.”
“Yes!”
-Swaeek!
Same as before.
“……Rian.”
“Yes.”
“Block it.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
I reluctantly stood in front of Lucia.
“Can I really hit you?”
“Yes.”
Even so, the guy who just picked up a sword for the first time...
Her speed was a bit fast, but blocking an attack coming straight on shouldn't be difficult.
-Swae-ek!
-Kwa-jik!
“……”
The sensation transmitted to my hand was strange. Slowly looking down, my wooden sword had become a wooden sword.
“……You have talent.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Lucia's expression brightened immediately.
“Hehe.”
“……”
I looked at the handle left in my hand.
Is this really the right one?