It felt like I was going to die from the awkwardness.
Usher was obsessed with such thoughts.
Of course, on the outside, I appeared to be like Bersia, but Usher was still a man, and someone who had no relation to Ludio at all.
“Wh-what about calling me ‘sister’…?”
The instinctive resistance to the title came naturally.
Leaving that aside, facing such goodwill, for some reason, I felt like I was deceiving him, which made me feel guilty.
But what could I do? The situation had already come this far.
All Usher could do was try to adapt to the situation as best as possible.
The only fortunate thing was that Ludio was a kind person. He was also someone who spoke his opinions clearly.
What Usher had to do was just respond with a simple “yes” or “no” to the various questions he asked.
It was almost like a question-and-answer session.
Moreover, Usher could easily tell what the purpose of these questions was.
“Oh, you like sweet snacks too. It must be in the bloodline!”
“Ah… Is the book not interesting? How could that be…”
“The ugly statue in the royal hall was confirmed to be an artifact from a thousand years ago. That caused quite a stir in the royal family. Do you remember that statue?”
It seemed like he was trying to find common ground.
It seemed like he wanted to establish some shared understanding.
In fact, in building a relationship with someone you’re not particularly close to, this kind of approach was the most straightforward method.
But Usher was taken aback by his actions.
No, to be exact, Usher was moved.
“Ah, yes, this is how a conversation is supposed to be…”
It wasn’t strange.
After all, ever since Usher’s body had been switched with Bersia’s, every connection had been with beings who rejected this kind of normal communication, hadn’t they?
From the three saintesses, including Rubena, Judith, and Halia, to the strange people seen in every region, and even the citizens who fell into a frenzy at the slightest use of divine power.
The world surrounding Usher had been chaotic for almost a year.
This was normal. If this was what a conversation between people should be like…
As such thoughts grew stronger, the inner sense of intimacy Usher felt for Ludio inevitably grew.
The sight of the boy earnestly trying to engage in conversation was truly satisfying to watch, and Usher’s expression grew warmer and warmer.
It even made him feel a bit teary-eyed.
“S-sister? Are you crying…?”
Ludio, who had been chattering away, was taken aback by Usher’s actions.
Usher shook his head.
“No, no. He’s grown so well. I feel relieved about that…”
“Sister…”
“Wind…?”
Bersia covered her mouth to suppress the laughter that was about to burst out.
Usher slyly pinched her thigh.
Even as the two of them were secretly bickering, Ludio seemed moved and was holding back tears as well.
It truly was a confusing situation.
But what was clear was that Ludio, who did not know that Usher was in Bersia’s body, could not help but feel an increased fondness for his ‘sister.’
At the same time, a sense of resentment towards his mother rose within him.
To hear words like “damn” or “mother” coming from the mouth of such a gentle, girl-like person…
It was said that the further apart siblings are, the more tender their relationship becomes.
Ludio, seeing the tears of the sister he had just met for the first time, keenly felt the sins of the royal family.
He thought to himself.
He must behave properly to prevent his sister from becoming even sadder.
He realized that simply sympathizing with his mother and suppressing his own identity was not the right way.
The boy’s resolve was aimed at Bersia.
He wanted to convey this determination through his gaze to someone like an elder sister.
Bersia, who had been secretly orchestrating everything and enjoying the situation from the background, smiled sweetly at Ludio’s gaze.
Her thoughts were simple: wasn’t this enough to resolve things smoothly?
It truly was a chaotic mess.
The meeting ended like that.
Now that the festival was almost over, Ludio mentioned that he had to return as soon as the queen’s meetings were finished.
His final words were as follows:
“…If it’s not too much trouble, would it be alright for me to write to you occasionally?”
Of course, that was fine.
If it were letters, there was no need for Usher to act as an intermediary since Bersia could write them herself.
There was no reason to refuse.
The way she smiled brightly at those words was so pure that it was almost blinding.
After they were left alone, Usher, deeply impressed, began chattering away to Bersia.
“He’s such a good child. His vocabulary was soft, and his intentions were pure. His choice of conversation topics was also admirable. It was clear that he wanted to learn about various fields. He certainly seems to be a hard worker. To be honest, when I first heard that he was related to the saintess, I was worried. I feared he might enjoy playing nasty pranks, and I was stressed about how to handle that, but this child is so kind…”
“Your tongue is getting very long. And why are you suddenly poking me?”
“Does it look like I’m poking you?”
Usher widened his eyes.
It was fortunate that everything went smoothly, but if Ludio had been even a little careless, the situation could have been dangerous.
Of course, there was no real threat to Bersia.
But that’s how people are, right? Even a small misinterpretation of a casually thrown word could easily create bad rumors or reputations.
Or, perhaps, they might emphasize their blood relation and make difficult requests.
When Usher brought this up, the response was:
“If he were that type of child, I wouldn’t have created such an opportunity.”
“Even aside from that, that’s true! Saintess! You were enjoying it!”
“……”
“Hey?! Don’t avoid my eyes! Look at me properly!”
Usher remembered it clearly.
The moment it happened, he remembered how Bersia was holding back her laughter, and how Ludio misunderstood something and reacted with reckless resolve.
‘Seriously, even if it’s about her bloodline, can’t she take it a little more seriously?’
She must have had a reason for bringing him all the way there and comforting him, but her reaction seemed way too indifferent for someone involved in such a serious situation.
As Usher glared at her with a sulky look, Bersia spoke.
“It’s because I trust you, Knight. And besides, it’s funny.”
“What’s funny?”
“You trembling just because someone called you ‘sister’? And despite that, sitting demurely like a girl, nodding your head and agreeing?”
“…I’m starting to dislike you, Saintess.”
“Don’t dislike me. I like being loved.”
“Can’t you try doing something lovable instead?”
“How about this?”
Bersia placed her index finger on her cheek.
At the shameless display of cuteness, Usher’s face twisted in discomfort.
The atmosphere did shift enough to make him forget it was his own body doing it, but still—who could possibly enjoy watching themselves acting cute in the mirror?
“Seriously, could you stop that?”
“Guess that’s not it.”
“Yes, it’s definitely not.”
With a sigh, Usher spoke.
It was a thoughtless remark.
“Saintess, you suit confidence more than charm. Bold actions suit you better, so rather…”
He paused.
Usher suddenly realized what he was saying.
His furrowed brow slowly relaxed. His lips tightened as he stared into the air, his body beginning to tremble.
Bersia’s sly voice drifted in.
“I’ve noticed something about you.”
“……”
“You really like being led, don’t you, Knight?”
Bersia wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
As he gasped, her whisper pierced his ear.
“You say you don’t like it, but you don’t resist and end up clinging, right?”
“I… I do not…!”
He couldn’t answer with confidence.
How could he?
‘Is that really true…?’
The scenario that came to mind by accident was exactly that kind of situation.
Usher was thrown into confusion.
The sound of Bersia giggling echoed in his ears.
That he couldn’t even bring himself to refute it was his biggest regret of the day.
‘What exactly… am I hoping for?’
That question had haunted Usher’s mind all night.
He tried to dismiss it, thinking that being in this body for too long was twisting his common sense.
That was his last thought before he fell asleep.
The next morning, he woke up feeling exhausted.
He had gotten up early because there was a scheduled meeting with the saintesses at dawn.
The official reason was to prepare for the banquet with the leaders of each nation at the end of the festival—but the real reason was to put up with the cardinals’ annoying chatter.
Of course, the meeting wasn’t really progressing; everyone was just wasting time, doing nothing productive.
Even at that moment, Usher was still restless and lost in thought.
That’s when Rubena suddenly asked Judith a strange question.
“Hey.”
“What?”
“Do you… make that kind of medicine too? You know, something that makes your body heat up when you drink it…?”
“An aphrodisiac? Are you out of your mind…?”
“I didn’t say it was an aphrodisiac! Just something that makes you feel warm! And maybe… makes the person next to you look… a little different!”
“That’s literally an aphrodisiac, you crazy woman!”
Usher was speechless.
‘What the hell kind of conversation is this first thing in the morning?’
His head was spinning.