“Alyssa, does your sister’s omelet suit your taste?”
“It’s delicious, sister…”
“If it hadn’t gone cold, it would’ve been better… but that’s not your fault, so let’s move on.”
Fortunately, the omelet I made seemed to suit Alyssa’s palate.
Despite often eating high-class meals, she has surprisingly simple tastes.
It worked out well for now, but…
I’ll have to train her to develop proper noble dining habits later.
“Alyssa, don’t you have something you want to say to your sister?”
“…If you want an apology, sister, I’ll give you as many as you want. If you tell me to cut off my hand, I’ll do it.”
“Are you really such a fool? If you lose your hand, isn’t it obvious what Mother will say? Please think a little deeper.”
“I-I’m sorry…”
“What I want to hear from you right now is, why did you do such a thing?”
“Such a thing…?”
Alyssa, have you become a fool during the brief time we’ve been apart?
If you truly became a fool and made such a ridiculous announcement, I might have understood.
“…That stance you declared during the entrance speech. What on earth were you thinking!?”
Alyssa, who had been staring at me blankly, finally seemed to recall what I was referring to.
Her eyes widened, and she nodded her head.
This is bad.
My sister has definitely turned into a fool.
“Alyssa… Surely, you must have some kind of plan, right? A strategy to overcome the situation without naively relying on the power of light. Tell your sister in detail. I might even cooperate with your plan.”
“…It’s a secret.”
Squeeaaaak—.
“You were just now blabbering about your sister’s secrets to Ameri! What on earth are you saying!!!”
I couldn’t fully grasp what they were discussing because my head was still spinning, but it was undoubtedly a conversation about my past.
I interrupted them in a place I didn’t want Alyssa to know about, and as a result, I was still dizzy…
…I need to calm down.
“I-I’m sowwy, shister…” Â
“If you’re sorry, then spill everything! I’m not letting go of these soft cheeks until you do!”
“I can’t say anything…”
“Argh!”
Even after pulling on Alyssa’s cheeks for over 10 minutes, she refused to open her mouth.
I’d hoped to resolve this peacefully, but now I had no choice but to resort to my last option.
“Alyssa.”
“…Yes, sister?”
“While attending the academy, do not leave my side. Do you understand?”
“…What?”
“Just as I said. 365 days, 24 hours. Stick to me. Meals, baths, studying, sleeping. Except for biological needs, every single moment.”
“Wh-why…”
“Do not argue. Do you even understand how bitter I feel making this proposal? Try to comprehend even a fraction of how it feels to face those irritating blue eyes of yours 24 hours a day!”
It was an incredibly aggravating method, but if Alyssa wouldn’t talk, I had no other choice.
If she stayed by my side, she wouldn’t be able to pull off any tricks.
Even if she tried, I’d catch her plans in the act.
Maybe she wouldn’t do anything at all, but that’s what I was hoping for.
“Sister… I need to defeat all the students who challenge me. It’ll definitely be dangerous.”
“That’s great. You wouldn’t dare disgrace yourself in front of your sister, would you? This is the perfect chance to reaffirm your abilities.”
“I’m speaking seriously! If I act like I’m getting along well with my sister and then someone sends an assassin to threaten her…”
“Then you can protect her.”
“…What?”
“Alyssa, did you really say that so confidently while being unable to fend off even a single assassin targeting me, let alone you? If that’s the case, then go ahead, strike them down immediately, and apologize to your sister alongside me.”
If you’re declaring yourself against all the students and nobles present here, you’d better have the strength to back it up.
Plans?
You need strength to execute any plan.
For them, the simplest solution is to cut off Alyssa’s head in secret.
Even this foolish child must know that much.
“If you don’t like my suggestion, you can just tell your sister everything you’re thinking.”
“B-but…”
“You don’t want that, and you don’t want this. Then… I will sever ties with you.”
“S-sever ties…?”
“The moment I graduate from the academy and inherit the family, I will declare our estrangement and remove you from the family register. You can leave this country, go far away, and live out your miserable life.”
I hadn’t intended to go this far, but Alyssa’s actions are dangerous enough to warrant it.
I can’t blindly entrust myself to her plan, not knowing what it entails, and risk dragging the family to ruin.
At the very least, the family name will survive even in the worst-case scenario.
Alyssa has her strength, so she should be able to keep her life.
“Alyssa, make your choice! Will you reveal your secrets, keep them and follow your sister, or sever the ties of sisterhood?”
Alyssa’s beautiful face wavered like never before, revealing the depth of her turmoil.
I can’t deny I wondered if I went too far, but this kind of extreme measure was necessary for her.
Our mother’s excessive overprotection left Alyssa knowing far too little about the world.
She has power but no control over it.
This isn’t the first time.
When she challenged Lady Sharen, it was dangerous.
When she fought bandits alone, it was reckless.
She’s like a child left by the water, constantly making me anxious.
So, Alyssa.
Just this once…
Listen to your sister.
“…I’ll follow my sister.”
“Are you serious? That would mean giving up your privacy entirely. I will interfere in every little thing you do.”
“That’s fine.”
Thud.
“In fact, I’d like it.”
“…What?”
“Let me follow you, Sister.”
Blue eyes.
Alyssa’s frustratingly blue eyes had dulled.
Though they hadn’t lost their light, the depths of her gaze were unfathomable, and I couldn’t help but feel a tinge of fear at what might be lurking there.
“S-step back!”
I tried to push away the hands holding my waist, but Alyssa only pulled me closer, pressing our bodies tightly together.
The breath felt near my stomach was so unbearably warm that it seemed like the heat in my head was spreading throughout my entire body.
It was agonizing.
“Let… go of me…!”
“But you told me not to let go, sister.”
Tightly—
“That’s not what I meant! I’ll seriously get mad!”
When I hit her head hard, only then did Alyssa seem to come to her senses and let go of me.
The way she alternated between looking at her hands and my waist with a dazed expression somehow frightened me, so I put some distance between us.
But Alyssa approached me as much as I retreated.
“Sister.”
“W-What is it…”
“I’m going to revise my plan a little.”
“What nonsense are you talking about…”
“As expected, the best method is to stay by your side. So from now on, I’ll always be with you.”
Tap, tap—
Step, step—
“Don’t… don’t come any closer! Alyssa, your eyes look strange right now!”
Tap, thud—
‘A w-wall…!’
“Ameri! Ameri, where are you!”
“Ameri will be late because you told her to take her time baking cookies.”
I didn’t want her to hear about severance, so I gave her that order, but it came back to haunt me…
“Sharen! Miss Marybell!”
“I’ve already cast a soundproofing spell, so no one can hear us, sister.”
“I’ve always thought so, but you waste your strength on useless things!”
Even as I spoke, Alyssa kept getting closer, until the distance shrank to the point where I could touch her if I just reached out my hand.
The younger sister who normally only annoyed me somehow looked frightening, and embarrassingly,
I unconsciously recoiled.
“Sister.”
Step—
“Dear sister, Amy.”
Step, step.
“I’ll do whatever you say.”
Thud—
‘The wall is cracking…!’
“Don’t… don’t talk about severance.”
“…I’ve finally met my one and only family.”
“What are you…”
“And then to hear the words of parting right away… It’s too cruel…”
What nonsense are you saying when we have a mother?
The words I wanted to say couldn’t pass my lips and were swallowed back down.
Drip, drip…
Tears began flowing from her beautiful blue eyes, slowly sliding down her cheeks and wetting the floor.
It was the first time I’d seen her cry since she grew up.
Before I knew it, I reached out my hand and carefully wiped her tears away.
“Alyssa, your sister made a mistake.”
“Sister…”
“Please don’t say such things anymore, so don’t cry.”
Alyssa, so small that she has to stand on tiptoes to reach my chest.
No matter how strong she pretends to be, or how composed her demeanor is, she is still just a child.
Squeeze—
“Your sister thinks of you as…”
I tried to continue, but a strong dizziness engulfed my head, making the whole world seem to spin.
Even when I tried to open my mouth, my lips were parched dry, and I felt as though speaking further might cross an irreversible line.
“…like a younger sibling.”
In the end, I swallowed back the words I wanted to say and could only utter the familiar ones instead.
Ironically, the dizziness and thirst melted away like snow, bringing me a sense of comfort.
…I’m a coward, too.
“Amy… sister.”
“You should step away now. Your sister has a fever and needs to lie down for a while.”
I coldly pushed Alyssa, who was trying to burrow into my arms, and climbed onto the bed.
Why do I long to see the smooth ceiling of the mansion instead of the luxurious patterns etched into this one?
It’s all because of the fever…