A Twisted Family Reunion
Eret Rebellion leaned against the doorway with a mischievous grin. "So, what do you think, Rian? This is my villa."
"...... Ah, it's nice."
"Right? It's a bit small, but it should be plenty of room for the two of us to play around."
But why did it suddenly turn out like this?
Rian stared at the elegant villa standing before him. It was tucked away in a quiet corner of the famous seaside resort on the southeastern outskirts of the Yumariel Empire—one of the Rebellion Grand Duchy's private villas. Of course, as Cynthia's fiancé, he had every right to be here, but...
I came here to train...
"Um, Cynthia. Are we training here?"
"Yes. It's usually a place where direct descendants come to relax, but don't worry. No one's here right now."
"That's not what I meant. How are we supposed to train here?"
"All the training equipment is fully stocked. If there's even one training maniac like my brother Casion around, of course the equipment would be here."
"I... I see."
But why did we have to come all the way out here...
He wanted to ask, but it felt like an insensitive question, so he kept his mouth shut. Somehow, he could sense Cynthia's true intentions.
Or perhaps she had noticed his suspicion?
"Is it too much? ...I chose this place because I wanted to be alone with you."
"!"
Ah, this person just keeps getting cuter as time goes on.
The Cynthia he had met again today was almost unbearably adorable. Unlike before, she no longer hid her emotions—she showed them openly. Her touches, her coquettish gestures, everything came out without hesitation. Naturally, to her fiancé's eyes, such a Cynthia was so beautiful that he could barely hold himself back.
"Well... there is one problem. This doesn't seem like a place meant for training."
"Ah, aah! R-really? I was being too..."
"This is going to be trouble. Having to spend three whole days in a place like this with the person I like."
He squeezed her hand tightly. Cynthia's eyes widened in panic as he gripped her fingers, gazing at her with a burning look.
"Do you think I'll be able to focus on training?"
"...Gulp."
For a moment, the two of them stared at each other with heated eyes before they finally began walking toward the villa. Their purpose in coming here was indeed training, but there was still plenty of time left. There was no need to start right away.
Besides, is there even a man alive who could hold back in a situation like this?
Click! Creeeeak—
"...Huh?"
"...What?"
Just as they opened the villa door and were about to step inside, Cynthia's steps halted. So did Rian's. They had clearly been told no one would be here, yet...
"Oh? Sister, what are you doing here?"
"...... Eret?"
Eret? Ah, right...
Two people were already inside the villa. A handsome man with a startled expression at Cynthia's sudden appearance, and beside him, a beautiful woman with short golden hair sitting there half-naked. Rian didn't recognize the man, but he knew exactly who the woman was.
The second daughter. Eret Rebellion.
"Fuck..."
"!?"
The tiny curse slipped from Cynthia's lips. Rian was slightly taken aback by the sight of her swearing. He had seen her angry a few times before, but this was the first time he had ever heard her curse.
"Wow~ What's this, sister? You came here to play too?"
"What the... I wondered why you hadn't been seen at the family estate. So you've been hiding out here?"
"Yep. I came with a friend to have some fun?"
"A friend......"
Cynthia's icy gaze swept over Eret and the man's state of undress. Eret was wearing nothing but a shirt with her lower half completely bare, while the man had only his pants on. No matter how you looked at it, they were clearly not in a normal "friend" relationship.
"Who the hell are you? Do you have a death wish?"
"Y-yes? No, that's not..."
"If you don't want to die, put your clothes on and get out. I'll count to ten."
"Huk!?"
Cynthia stepped into the villa radiating pure killing intent, as if she genuinely intended to murder the man. She wasn't even holding anything, yet her demeanor suggested she could kill him with her bare hands. The terrified man turned deathly pale and tried to flee.
"What are you doing, sister? Who are you to kill my friend?"
"...You crazy bitch."
When Eret stepped in front of her, Cynthia's rage finally exploded.
"You have a fiancé, you idiot. What the hell do you think you're doing right now?"
"What does my fiancé have to do with anything? We aren't even married yet, and it's just a political marriage anyway. I'm sure he's enjoying his last days as a bachelor right about now, don't you think?"
"Don't do anything so disgusting. Are you really not understanding what I'm saying?"
"Hmmm~ Disgusting?"
Eret smiled like a cat and shifted her gaze. Straight toward Rian, who stood beside Cynthia.
"You don't seem all that different from me, sister? Who's this guy?"
"Don't lump me in with you. He's my fiancé."
"Fiancé...? Ah! Rian Veilburg?"
Eret's eyes widened dramatically when she heard Rian's name. A delighted smile spread across her lips, as if she had just discovered something incredibly entertaining.
"The poor boy that sister tried to break off the engagement with after catching his 'weakness'?"
"Eret!"
"Whoa~ Not bad at all? You actually managed to seduce our sister?"
"Will you shut your mouth?"
'Weakness?'
Rian couldn't help but feel puzzled at the word. He already knew Cynthia had once tried to break off their engagement, but he couldn't think of any major "weakness" he possessed that would warrant such a thing. Yet for some reason, Cynthia looked genuinely flustered by Eret's words.
What is she talking about?
"Hello, Rian Veilburg?"
"Ah... Yes. Hello, Lady Eret."
"You're my sister's fiancé, but since you aren't married yet, it's fine to speak casually, right? We're the same age, after all."
"I-is that so? Still, considering our positions, I should probably use formal speech..."
"Aww~ Don't be so stiff~ You came here to have fun, didn't you? Come in, come in~"
Squeeze—
What the—!?
In the blink of an eye, Eret closed the distance and grabbed Rian's arm. The problem was her state of dress. While she covered the important parts, it was still far too defenseless for approaching a man.
"You must really be crazy and desperate to die."
Swish—!
"Whoops."
Eret dodged Cynthia's lightning-fast strike like a cat. Though her playful expression twisted into one of exaggerated grievance, the chill down her spine was unmistakable.
"Are you seriously trying to kill me, sister?"
"Even jokes should have limits, don't you think?"
"What joke? I was just acting like I normally do?"
"I clearly told you. He's my fiancé."
"...What is this situation? I don't really get it. Sister, don't tell me you actually like this guy?"
"...That's right. What about it?"
"Oho~ If that's true, then it's really something. To think someone managed to seduce Cynthia Rebellion."
Upon hearing Cynthia's answer, Eret's expression as she looked at Rian grew strangely intense, as if curiosity had been ignited. It was the face of a mischievous child who had found a brand-new toy. Rian averted his gaze with an uncomfortable expression, only to hear a deep sigh from beside him.
"Haa— This is so annoying I can't stand it anymore."
"Hm?"
"Let's go somewhere else, Rian. This place feels too filthy to stay in."
"Eh? Sister, you're leaving? We finally came all the way out here—why not stay and play together?"
"Shut up."
"You're thinking of heading to the opposite shore, aren't you? I wouldn't recommend it. Uncle's there right now."
Freeze!
"...... That man is here?"
"Yep~ He's probably enjoying a little debauchery with some young things about now? It's even dirtier than here."
"Ah, please, can you just shut your mouth?"
Embarrassing myself in front of Rian...
She had only come here with light intentions to relax, yet in the span of a few moments, Rian had witnessed the most shameful sides of her family—and in the absolute worst possible way. Of course, since Rian was a noble himself, he probably had some tolerance for such things, but still.
Damn it... Should we just head back today?
Embarrassment was embarrassment.
Squeeze—
"Cynthia."
"...Yes?"
Rian suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her close. Caught off guard by the unexpected action, Cynthia looked at him in confusion. Rian offered her his usual gentle smile and spoke softly.
"You don't look well. Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah... I'm fine."
"Really? Then how about we head to the shore for a bit? It's been a while since I've seen the ocean, and I'd like to take a look."
"...You want to play here?"
"Yeah. Since we came all this way together, it would be a waste not to enjoy ourselves, don't you think?"
"...You think so?"
Her expression melted like snow at just a few of Rian's words. It was a pure smile that even her own family had never seen before. While Eret and the man stared at Cynthia in utter shock, Rian took her arm and led her out of the villa.
"Let's go. A date by the sea sounds fun too."
"Yes, let's... Ah, Eret."
"Hm?"
"Clean up the entire villa. And both of you, get out. If you're still here when I return, know that you'll both die."
"What? That's not fair! I got here first!"
"I said what I said."
Having finished her piece, Cynthia followed after Rian. As Eret watched her sister's retreating figure with a fascinated look, the man standing beside her let out a long sigh.
"Whoa—! I thought I was going to die."
"Yeah. Right?"
"Yeah? That's all you have to say, Eret!? Is this really okay? You told me no one would come here, so I came all the way out, and now we've been caught!?"
"Hmm~ It should be fine, shouldn't it? I'm probably not going to die, and even if someone does, it'll only be you, Russell."
"...Hey, hey, this isn't a joke."
The man called Russell's face turned deathly pale. Since the woman he was involved with was a daughter of the Grand Duchy, her words didn't sound like a joke at all. If these people truly wanted to, they could erase someone like him without leaving a single trace.
"Damn it. Anyway, let's get out of here before your sister comes back. If we stay, we'll only end up annoying her."
"Hmm~"
"What are you thinking about? Let's hurry up and go!"
"Hmm~~~ Leaving like this feels a bit boring, though."
She had just witnessed a truly entertaining scene—the first time seeing her half-sister's genuine reaction. Eret had no desire to leave just yet. After all, the chance of her dying was close to zero, so why not enjoy herself while she could?
"Russell, if you leave like this, you might actually die."
"W-what!?"
"Obviously? I have a fiancé and got caught by my sister, but you're the one committing adultery with me. The entire family could be turned upside down."
"T-then what should I do? What the fuck do I do, Eret!"
"Don't worry. I have a plan."
Eret extended her finger, pointing toward the two figures growing smaller in the distance—Cynthia and Rian's backs.
"What do you think of my sister now that you've seen her in person?"
"Huh...?"
"She's incredibly beautiful, isn't she? Didn't it turn you on?"
"W-what are you even saying... Y-yes, she was beautiful, but..."
"Good. That's fortunate. Because that's the only way you'll be able to survive this."
As Russell trailed off with an anxious expression, Eret flashed her usual cat-like smile and revealed her solution.
"I'll help you. You should spend a night with my sister too."