The moment she opened her eyes again, the sky outside had already turned completely dark.
Her own body—she wasn’t even sure who had carried her to the bed.
Sigh~ Was it because of training? She clearly hadn’t done anything, yet felt so exhausted…
And… her right hand, at this moment—she didn’t know if someone was holding it or what, but she could feel something soft beneath her hand.
Touch… touch touch…
Mm~ Soft, smooth, really comfortable!
Ileya slowly turned her head, looking to her right.
At her side, it wasn’t Veil, but… Xiao Yaba.
Hm?
Right now, the girl’s eyes were closed, sleeping soundly.
Maybe because of her sleeping posture? Ileya’s hand, at some point, had slipped into the other’s bed.
The spot she’d just touched must be… her thigh… close to her lower abdomen.
Almost as if to confirm, Ileya subconsciously felt around once more.
Mm~ That’s right.
Smooth and soft… as expected of my little sister.
With that thought in her heart, the slightly fatigued Lady didn’t even consider pulling her hand back.
She simply left it in Xiao Yaba’s bed… and slowly closed her eyes.
And just as her breathing gradually steadied…
The “sound asleep” Xiao Yaba beside her squinted her eyes just a tiny bit.
Carefully, she glanced at the white-haired, messy Lady lying beside her.
Did… did I get away with it?
Why is she touching me…?
And… why doesn’t she take her hand away? Just leaving it on my leg like this… is that really okay?
With her ears slightly reddening, Xiao Yaba felt like crying without tears…
She thought… even if she didn’t mind the other’s behavior, it was the kind of thing she should have been unhappy about…
But for some reason, there were no other thoughts in Reliel’s heart—just… a bit of shyness.
Hoo… In the warmth under the covers, her little hand carefully gripped that icy-cold hand.
It felt chilly, but for some reason, holding Ileya’s hand gave Reliel a sense of peace… and warmth in her heart.
This was… a feeling she’d never experienced in the Mercenary Company before.
As these thoughts spun through her mind… the girl drifted off into a deep sleep.
In her dream…
She found herself, for some reason, in a huge garden.
All around her, many people laughed and flattered her, saying all sorts of pleasant things.
What… what are these people doing?
Confused, she suddenly felt someone push her hard.
But in the dream, she was clearly not a fragile girl.
She stood firm, just startled for a moment… and looked to the side.
And then—she was shocked to discover that the one who pushed her… was Ileya?!
L…Lady?
Was this person really Ileya? Reliel wasn’t quite sure.
Because at that moment, the other’s eyes… were so simple, without that deep, calculating look.
Nor was there that trademark mischievous smile.
Instead, she looked extremely displeased and angry.
Seemingly provoked to the extreme, a pair of red eyes glared fiercely at her.
Wha… what was going on?
It was the first time she’d seen this kind of expression on the Lady’s face.
She couldn’t imagine that the Lady’s face… could actually show such an expression… could it?
“You.”
[Who do you think you are!? Get out! Get out!]
Eh…?
It seemed not only Reliel was stunned beyond belief—those guests who had just been flattering her were also all dumbfounded.
In an instant, the scene became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Just as Reliel wanted to say something…
The scene before her eyes suddenly faded away like a bubble… and a drowsiness swept over her mind.
When she opened her sleepy eyes… she discovered that lying at her side, the Lady who had just been hysterical in her dream, was now right beside her.
Soft, fragrant white hair spilled over the pillow, and below her delicate collarbone was an adorable, slightly messy little vest.
“Awake?”
As she said this, Ileya mischievously… squeezed her palm, as if reminding Reliel of her current precarious situation.
Eh?
Did the two of them… really just hold hands and sleep the whole night?
A strange feeling surfaced in her heart, but… that dream just now—
Hoo…
But before she could think any more, the Lady lying beside her suddenly scooted closer, nearly half her body… burrowing into Reliel’s bed.
“Eh?!” Reliel’s body instantly tensed… feeling something soft and cold… pressing against her thigh…
And on her arm… eh?!
Thi-this-this…
“What… are you thinking about?~~~”
The Lady seemed to have just woken up, her lazy voice tinged with a nasal tone…
She looked just like a white cat, lazily declaring her territory, grooming an orange cat that had wandered onto her turf~
“Nothing…” Reliel instinctively shook her head.
Looking at the Lady’s slightly lazy smile before her…
She really couldn’t imagine that this face… could show such a hysterical expression…
That dream of hers really was… completely illogical…
And…
She looked a bit helplessly at the Lady, who seemed to be snuggling even closer.
How long does she plan to stay this close?
Ugh… Why does she keep… rubbing up against me…
“Hey~”
The mischievous elder sister slowly leaned her face to her silly little sister’s ear.
“From now on… I’ll call you Lili~”
A cool breath brushed over the girl’s reddened ear and fair neck……
Making her body tremble slightly!
And then grow even stiffer.
“Mm…”
“Heh~ Lili♡… do you like it?”
Li-like what?
Ugh… and what’s with that tone…?
While being thoroughly teased by her mischievous sister…
The Holy Sword Bearer had already gotten up more than an hour early.
Under Amisa’s guidance, she began morning practice… well, “morning practice” was really just tree climbing!
Climbing up and down trees, trying to make no sound, and not brushing against any leaves or branches…
For Holly, who in her previous life was a noble young lady, this was indeed quite a challenge.
Even before regaining memories of her past life, as an ordinary girl, Holly had never climbed trees before…
Huff! Thud!
“Ow… hiss…”
Falling from halfway up the tree, Holly looked blankly at the thick canopy above…
The ache from her fall, added to her sore waist and legs from a full day of training yesterday… at this moment, she just wanted to lie on the ground and rest for a whole day.
But… thinking about what might happen next, and remembering her past life’s enemies…
The girl lying on the ground regained her determination!
Without another word, she got up and began challenging the big tree she could only ever reach halfway up!
At that moment, arms crossed, standing on an even higher branch, Amisa pushed her glasses up and… nodded to herself.
In the afternoon, in the Study at Akki Valley Manor.
“What?” Jerros, the eldest son of the Kelvidi Duke, who sported a beard like his father, set down the scroll in his hand and turned to the servant.
Just now, the servant had reported… that his second brother seemed to have gone missing.
“You’re sure he’s not just out fooling around with that group of women?”
His tone was stern, but he didn’t sound worried.
It wasn’t the first time his brother had disappeared for days, neglecting his duties—Jerros was used to it.
“Eldest Young Master… this is… a message from the Lady of the Viscount Mashur Family to her subordinate, saying that Second Young Master stood her up last night—she waited all night, but he never showed……”
“And his Guards?” Jerros frowned even more.
“The Guards… this subordinate doesn’t know.” The servant shook his head.
Clearly, as soon as he got the news, he had reported to his Young Master at once.
“Then go find him, what are you waiting for?!”
“Y-yes!”
Soon, Franlot’s Guards were brought in… standing awkwardly in front of the stern Young Master, eyes flickering.
“Y-Young Master…”
“Speak. Where did Lot go last night?” Jerros’s face darkened, his tone and eyes terrifying.
Thud, thud!!
The group of Guards instantly fell to their knees.
R-reporting to Young Master… After we left the manor last night, Second Young Master dismissed us… we truly don’t know where he is right now…”