Chapter 5: Brothers and Sisters

Oh, this is my chance to visit Lieselotte.

I was a little over two weeks into my summer break. A string of coincidences during my travels to inspect various estates had cleared up my schedule for the next three days.

Furthermore, I was only a half-day carriage ride away from the Riefenstahl estate. When I realized this, I altered my plans straight away to go see Lieselotte. Using magic, I quickly sent her a letter that read, “I would like to visit your manor tomorrow. As previously discussed, this is not a public matter but a private one. May I humbly ask for your permission to come?”

I was worried that my request would be rejected due to how little notice I’d given, but she quickly sent a reply consenting to the visit. As I was a member of the royal family, retainers and bodyguards would get in my way no matter how private a meeting was; still, the thought that I would soon see Lieselotte had me jumping for joy.

As an aside, Art happened to have joined my entourage recently. Although it was obvious he was using me as an excuse to slack off, this let me fulfill my promise with him as well.

When we arrived at my fiancée’s residence, we were greeted by Lieselotte and her friend-turned-guest, Fiene.

“This is much too sudden. To think your first notice would come a mere day in advance! Though we may have agreed to meet at some point, I had presumed you would have the good sense to know the effect your royal actions have on those around you.”

Right after getting through our greetings, Lieselotte began to angrily berate me.

“No, don’t worry. You did great, Sieg! Being heard is so wonderful!”

“After Liese-tan received your letter, she was frantically busy with organizing cooking and cleaning, caring for her skin, picking her dress, and more. It’s less about you being a prince or whatever and more that she wanted more time to prepare for a visit from the man she loves. But on our end, we don’t care how sudden it is. We’re just happy to see you!”

Lord Endoh and Lady Kobayashee welcomed me with open arms. However, Lieselotte remained bitter—or more accurately, she was still pouting.

“My father has returned to our territory as of yesterday. Yet he promptly left the manor behind to inspect some of our faraway holdings, and could not make it back in time to greet you. I apologize on his behalf, but know well that it was you who made an unreasonable request, Your Highness.”

Lieselotte glared at me. I had a feeling that she was legitimately angry. Not good.

“Liese-tan woke up at four this morning to take a bath, prepare her skin, do her hair, and fix her makeup. It took a long road filled with a tear-inducing amount of effort for her to stand before you, Sieg. Please forgive her for being on the grumpy side.”

Empowered by Lady Kobayashee’s explanation, I breathed a sigh of relief. While this didn’t change the fact that I’d wronged Lieselotte, it did mean that she hadn’t seriously grown to dislike me.

“I’m sorry. I suddenly chanced upon some time to myself, and I thought that this was my best opportunity to visit. I wanted to see you no matter what... You’re as beautiful as ever, Lieselotte. Having you come to greet me like this leaves me more than content.”

With that said, I took a knee before Lieselotte. Her eyes went wide seeing the crown prince do such a thing, but I ignored her and took her hand. Like a knight greeting a noblewoman, I gently placed my lips on the back of her hand. I could only pray that my apology and love for her would convey itself.

“A critical hit! Lieselotte’s heart is skipping past tsun and straight to dere!”

“Wow, Sieg sure has gotten the hang of handling Liese-tan. How dependable. Keep it coming!”

I looked up when the gods spoke to see my fiancée bright red and at a loss for words. Fury had completely disappeared from her expression. Thank the gods.

While I was basking in relief, Art snuck up in the corner of my vision.

“Long time no see, Fiene! What do you say we leave these lovestruck idiots to their business and you show me around? I heard Lieselotte’s sisters are all really pretty. Where are they?”

Art had grown tired of playing retainer. He broke character by attempting to take Fiene’s hand, but his own hand was quickly slapped away by a magical blast of water from Lieselotte.

Still, now that he mentioned it, where were Lieselotte’s younger sisters? Had they left for the outskirts of the territory with their father?

“Stay away from my sisters,” Lieselotte said with an ice cold glare.

Perhaps the little ones had been hidden away until the marquis could arrive. Art was here, after all. None of them had fiancés, and it would be a catastrophe if any of them were sweet-talked by a playboy like him.

“I wonder why you hate me so much, Lady Lieselotte,” Art said. “I know I can’t inherit my father’s countship, but I’m slated to be a pretty important figure in the Church, you know? I’m a promising young man.”

“I think it’s how loose he is.”

Art had tilted his head like a sad puppy, but Lady Kobayashee hit the mark without missing a beat. As the goddess says.

“To marry a priest, one must be a priest themselves. No Riefenstahl would ever choose to forsake the blade,” Lieselotte declared.

The fact that she found a reason that didn’t include a jab at Art himself spoke to my fiancée’s kindness.

“Oh, I guess that’s fair. Mmkay, Fiene, how about you come join the Church and marry me? Weapons are banned, but there aren’t any rules about fists.”

Art gave up on Lieselotte’s sisters without a moment’s hesitation. He turned to Fiene with a smile and began his pitch.

The Church had many restrictions, but it didn’t call for a total ban on violence. Force used to protect yourself or another was perfectly acceptable.

“...I’ve heard that priests aren’t allowed to eat meat?” After a contemplative pause, Fiene spoke with a serious face.

“Ah, that’s true. But it’s not like you can’t eat any meat. You’ll have to give it up for a year or two as a trainee. After that, you’re free to eat as much as you want outside of one month a year, which—”

“No, I refuse.”

Fiene instantaneously shot Art down. He hung his head mournfully.

“I’ve never been rejected over meat before... Why do I get rejected so much, anyway? I feel like I’ve got a decent amount going for me if you take the time to look.”

Art drooped his shoulders. In the very same moment, I heard someone’s muffled groaning.

“Mmph! Hrngh! Mmgh!”

My accompanying security detail surrounded us to protect us from the source of this mysterious sound. Art and I prepared for combat behind them. Fiene had cast supportive magic on herself and Lieselotte, and the two were ready to watch one another’s backs. Their teamwork was impeccable.

“Lieselotte! Lend me a hand, I’m begging you!”

At the center of all the discord was the absent marquis himself.

I looked closer and saw that his three youngest daughters were apprehending—or at least, trying to apprehend—a woman of small build. Whatever the case, the four entangled girls were approaching us.

The marquis seemed to have reservations about touching the woman himself. He simply watched helplessly from the sidelines, pleading with Lieselotte for assistance.

However, the small woman’s rampage was uncontainable. She’d been gagged and had both hands tied behind her back. Still, her rose-blonde hair flailed violently about, and her restraints were on the verge of—oh, there they go. The nearly undone rope had come undone. With both hands now freed, she tore off the gag.

“Where is my Fiene?!”

“I’m telling you, she’s over here!”

“Stop struggling!”

“Can you please stop trying to run away?”

“Fiene! Where are you?!”

“Why’s this lady so freakishly strong?!”

“I dunno, but dad said to capture her, so hurry up and help!”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to knock her out?”

“Don’t hurt her!”

“Fieeene!”

The individual speakers blurred together in a cacophony of voices. The marquis, the woman, and Lieselotte’s younger sisters were shouting one after another.

“...Mommy?”

Suddenly, Fiene pushed through a gap between my bodyguards and stepped forward. As soon as her voice carried through the air, the woman froze solid. Everyone’s eyes were on Fiene and the woman she’d called “mommy.”

Now that I look at them, they look profoundly similar.

“All the pieces have assembled,” Lady Kobayashee said. “I wanted to say something cool like that, but I never would have expected everyone to get together like this.”

Apparently, the situation exceeded even the goddess’s capacity for analysis. Wait, am I supposed to be the one settling this matter?

Struck with a terrible omen, I silently panicked. The woman was the first to break free of the confusion and speak.

“Huh? Fiene?! Goodness, what’s with that gorgeous dress and shiny skin? You look like you’re doing great! Aren’t you supposed to be getting tormented by Riefenstahl’s eldest daughter?!”

The woman was aghast when she got a good look at Fiene. It would seem that my adorable fiancée was indeed a magnet for misunderstandings.

“Lady Lieselotte gave me a whole wardrobe of dresses that she used to wear when she was my height. Plus, they’ve been feeding me all sorts of tasty things since the first day I arrived.”

Fiene’s expression was sullen and she glared at the woman, whose confusion had only worsened at this new information. Fiene went on.

“Lady Lieselotte is too kind to ever torture, bully, or do anything mean to anyone. And besides, we’re friends!”

“The corners of Lieselotte’s mouth are twitching!”

“Getting along with Fiene has made Liese-tan so happy recently that this is to be expected. Good for you, Liese-tan! By the way, the dresses were a mix of touched up hand-me-downs and new products. She’s keeping it a secret from Fiene, but the ratio is around two-to-eight.”

I quietly revered Lieselotte’s cuteness that the gods exposed. Yet I suddenly noticed that the marquis had grown solemn and was making his way toward Fiene. No one else was in his sight: not I nor any of the others. He stared straight at her and made his way over with an uncertain step.

“...Excuse me. How old are you?”

“Huh?” Fiene said, slightly intimidated. “Um, I’m fifteen, sir.”

“I see... I see. You really are... Oh, your eyes are the same. They’re the color of the sky.”

Marquis Riefenstahl nodded to no one but himself. His speech was dyed with deep emotion. He broke out into a crying smile, piecing together his words gently, softly, and with overflowing happiness.

“It is nice to meet you, young lady. My name is Bruno Riefenstahl. I am Lieselotte’s father, and...your father’s younger brother.”

“Fiene’s father is the marquis’s older brother, August Riefenstahl. He passed away sixteen years ago. And the woman who caused the whole scene just now is her mother. Her name is Elizabeth, formerly of House Marschner. Once upon a time, she was known as the Fae Princess of the Marschner Duchy.”

...That thing is the Fae Princess?

I didn’t mean to doubt Lady Kobayashee’s statement as she elaborated on the marquis’s claim. Simply put, the facts on display were too unbelievable. My first reflex was to deny them.

The Fae Princess was famed for her fragile, fairy-like beauty. The tragic tale of the love between her and her fiancé August Riefenstahl was still told in high society today.

I stared at her in disbelief. When she noticed my gaze, she glanced my way. Then, she smiled tenderly like a blooming flower and curtsied gracefully.

Her fragile beauty and refined mannerisms evoked the image of someone fit to be called the Fae Princess. However, she was so impossibly different from the person she’d been mere seconds ago that I was left to steep in the perplexity of my own mind.

————

I found myself joined by the marquis, Fiene, and Miss Elizabeth. For whatever reason, the four of us had been chosen to resolve this strange situation. We began our talks in the Riefenstahl estate’s drawing room.

To explain how it ended up being the four of us, first I have to note that Art had asked the marquis’s three youngest daughters to show him around. When they fled the scene, my fiancée had joined them to keep an eye on Art. I’d tried to do the same, but Lieselotte had asked me to sit in on the discussion in her stead, so I was forced to stay.

“I’d heard rumors that my daughter, Fiene, was ‘dragged to the Riefenstahl manor against her will to be tortured by Lady Lieselotte,’ so I rushed to the scene,” Miss Elizabeth said. Despite wearing a classless one-piece dress, her smile was more noble than any aristocrat’s.

“Dearest sister,” the marquis said, “it is far too late to don a mask of grace. If we elaborate on your actions a little further: you scaled our outer walls and infiltrated our territory to steal back your daughter. What’s more, you were more than willing to resort to violence.”

Alas, the lady’s actions lacked any semblance of nobility. When the marquis pointed this fact out, Miss Elizabeth discarded her facade as the Fae Princess. She slumped onto the sofa with a bored shrug.

“My daughters spotted her intrusion and attempted to apprehend what they thought to be a thief,” the marquis said to me. “Then, I arrived and realized she was my late brother’s wife, which is how the confusion began. Your Highness, I sincerely apologize for allowing you to witness such an unsightly scene.”

The marquis bowed to me in apology, but I was only here on a personal vacation. Honestly, I felt like Fiene deserved it far more. She was balled up with her face hidden in shame. Though, to be fair, I couldn’t think of any way for us to help alleviate her embarrassment.

“Um, Miss Fiene?” Next, the marquis turned to Fiene. “Your father may not have inherited the marquisate, but he was a good man I’m proud to call my brother. My siblings include a sister, a brother, another sister, me, and then a younger brother. Out of all of us, my elder brother—that is to say, your father—was the kindest and most gentle. What I’m trying to say is that he was a wonderful person.”

The marquis’s tender tone caused Fiene to peek out from the cracks in her fingers, and she listened to him with all her attention.

“His only flaw was a frail constitution. We weren’t sure if he’d be able to inherit the house... Truth be told, we weren’t sure if he would survive until he came of age.”

The man’s shoulders slumped down in sadness. My father had once told me that Marquis Riefenstahl had gotten along extremely well with his elder brother—or rather, that he valued brotherly love to an astonishing degree.

In fact, it was said that this military general had begun training in both swordplay and magic to protect his sickly brother.

“August managed to survive to adulthood,” Miss Elizabeth said. “Actually, he made it all the way to twenty-four. But by the time I could marry him at sixteen, he could hardly rise from bed. The Marschner duchy that I belonged to didn’t wed me to August as a person, but to the next marquis, so they tried to make me marry Bruno here instead. I had to keep arguing with them even after Bruno and little Josephine got together, and I lost my temper. I screamed at them that I didn’t care about marriage so long as I could have a child with August, and... This probably isn’t a story I should be telling my daughter.”

Fiene stared at her mother in disbelief. Miss Elizabeth cleared her throat once and attempted to resume her tale.

“Anyway, when August was twenty-four and I was seventeen, I chose to become an unwed mother. I only realized we’d succeeded after he had already passed, though. I knew that if my family found out, they’d try to kill me, or at least kill my baby. Since I was antagonizing them either way, I looted our house and ran away. That’s how I made all those powerful nobles so mad.”

Marquis Bruno had been treating Miss Elizabeth as his sister-in-law this whole time, but I recalled that House Marschner had blocked their official marriage. Furthermore, the tragic tale of the man who had passed away and the woman who had disappeared in despair was a popular morsel of gossip to this very day.

“Why?” the marquis asked, furious. “Why did you flee?! Any enemy of my brother and his family is an enemy of mine! I would have used everything under the Riefenstahl name to bring those who would hurt you to their knees!”

“That’s exactly why. An all-out war between a marquisate and duchy is no laughing matter.” Miss Elizabeth’s reply was quick and simple. “Use your brain, will you? How would Fiene feel knowing that she sparked a conflict like that? What about me? What about August? Would House Riefenstahl emerge unscathed? And your little daughters are...well, rather sturdy, I’ll admit, but... Oh, I know, what about Josephine? She can’t fight. Speaking of, where is she?”

Miss Elizabeth’s argument slowly broke down as she remembered the young girls’ contributions to her capture. Instead, she elected to ask about the marquis’s wife.

“...My wife is currently cooped up in our mountainside atelier.”

The marquis seemed somewhat dissatisfied, but answered all the same. His wife, Josephine Riefenstahl, was a painter. Despite the fact she had been born a viscount, her artwork was so exceptional that having a portrait done by her was considered a status symbol. Even after marriage, she had begun to delegate all her own work to Lieselotte lately, so that she herself could return to the path of art. No other noble would get away with such things, but none dared to question her.

“Oh, so she’s been struck with another bolt of inspiration?” Miss Elizabeth asked.

“No, she’s there because it’s hot. I doubt she’ll return to the manor until fall.”

What is she, a wild animal? An unbearable silence followed the marquis’s reply.

“Uh... Um... Well... Anyway! Look, your kids were still young back then, and I figured it would be best for me and my daughter to keep our heads down. That’s why I went into hiding!”

Miss Elizabeth was anything but subtle in her attempt to shift the conversation. I decided not to notice.

“But then, last year, the Marschners finally caught up to us. They nearly killed Fiene and me, but my daughter is strong. She managed to fight them off almost entirely by herself.”

There had been an incident where a certain commoner girl happened to have the ability to use magic. At the time, her encounter with a band of scoundrels had seemed like a coincidence, but it was clear that had been untrue.

“That’s when I realized Fiene would be fine on her own. In fact, I’d just drag her down. So, I disappeared and had the academy take custody of her. Not even a duke can cause trouble there.”

The academy was so isolated from outside influence that I was permitted to walk its campus without a single bodyguard. That spoke volumes to how safe it was. Miss Elizabeth’s plan made a great deal of sense.

“Also, I was sort of hoping that she might find herself a boy who could take her in and protect her.”

“What?!”

This final statement triggered a heated reaction of shock from Fiene. Miss Elizabeth looked at her daughter and sighed before continuing on.

“Think about it. Those cravens want to kill us both and pretend we never existed. If they decide that’s too much work, they’ll change strategies and try to use us as their pawns. Say, by marrying you off for political gain. Personally, I just want to see you marry someone of your own choosing before they can start meddling.”

“Oh? I think I’ve got just the guy in mind!”

“His name starts with ‘B’ and ends with ‘aldur’! He’s a bit of a romantic dunce, but everything would wrap up just fine if he and Fiene fall in love. That’s not to say it has to be him or anything, but I totally ship it!”

Lord Endoh and Lady Kobayashee’s enthusiastic voices reached my ear. And if I could hear them...

“In any event, Miss Fiene, your first order of business is to become my sister.” These were the words that accompanied Lieselotte’s graceful entrance to the drawing room.

I spied Art holding the door open for her as she walked in. I couldn’t tell whether he was unharmed or if he’d simply healed all the damage he’d taken. His face looked fine and well, but his clothes were suspiciously tattered. And most curiously, he was dutifully playing the part of Lieselotte’s retainer.

...I guess Lieselotte taught him a lesson.

“Your sister, Lady Lieselotte?” Fiene asked with rosy cheeks.

“I feel like we’re witnessing the birth of a new misunderstanding!”

“I’m almost positive that this isn’t the kinky kind of ‘sister.’ But then again, these two did share a yuri route...”

That was not something I could let slide. A sudden sense of crisis struck, propelling me to step into the awkward mood the two of them were sharing.

“Do you mean to say that House Riefenstahl should welcome Miss Fiene as an adopted daughter?”

“Precisely,” Lieselotte said. “What do you say, father? Would it not be lovely for your beloved brother’s only child to inherit our great estate?”

“There could be nothing better,” the marquis said. “The marquisate was originally meant for August. It wouldn’t be unheard of to have a female heiress, but... Ah, do you mean to suggest we find a groom for her? But still, I’ve promised the title to Baldur, so we’ll need to discuss this together...”

The marquis’s wishy-washy response drew a harsh glare from his eldest daughter.

“The very Baldur you speak of has already made an attempt to woo Miss Fiene,” Lieselotte said snappily. Her declaration filled me with silent awe.

I had no idea.

The gods had said something similar, but the thought of Baldur falling for Fiene—and what’s more, flirting with her—was unimaginable to me.

“Although,” Lieselotte continued, “it would be rather difficult to wed the two at present, seeing as they are not yet lovers. However, we must swiftly make it known that Miss Fiene is to inherit our house, lest her life and honor be targeted once more. Baldur would happily concede his claim to the title for his beloved Fiene, so let us waste no more time dawdling.”

I found Lieselotte’s confidence strangely persuasive.

“But that’s pure speculation. I mean, everything we know points to Bal being head over heels for Fiene, but...is it really all right to make that claim when he hasn’t even said it himself?”

For once, Lady Kobayashee seemed hesitant. Yet I chose to dismiss the goddess’s fears and put my faith in Lieselotte.

“In essence,” I said, “Baldur will be removed from the line of succession temporarily. Instead, you’ll tell the world—and more importantly, House Marschner—that whoever marries Miss Fiene will be the next marquis.”

Lieselotte nodded emphatically. This plan would exceed the Marschners’ wildest dreams; after all, they’d wanted to install their daughter as the grand dame of the Riefenstahl marquisate for years. Fiene’s safety would be all but guaranteed.

The only issue was that Baldur’s social position would be weakened considerably. Still, Lieselotte showed no sign of hesitation as she cast him aside.

“All shall be well so long as Baldur manages to charm Miss Fiene. And if it fails, then all responsibility lies with its own shortcomings. Our first priority ought to be Miss Fiene’s safety. Let us take her in at this very moment.”

“You have a point,” the marquis said. “I raised Baldur to be a sturdy man. Besides, I suppose I can always assign him a position with one of our branch families should Fiene choose to marry another.”

Lieselotte smiled with great satisfaction. In contrast, the mother and daughter duo had frozen, their eyes wide in shock. Lieselotte’s tongue only grew sharper, as if to drive the point home to Fiene and Miss Elizabeth.

“The post of a knight or aide is more than enough for a failure. I should hate to imagine my own cousin to be so lacking that he lets another man swoop away Miss Fiene from under his nose.”

Lieselotte’s grin was positively wicked.

“Looking cool, Lieselotte!”

“Boy, she really feels like a villainess now! Check out that evil sneer and her nasty insults. I couldn’t imagine a better antagonist if I tried! But when I think about how her actions are being fueled by her love for Fiene and trust in Baldur... Ugh! I can’t! I love you, Liese-tan!”

Lord Endoh, Lady Kobayashee, and I all marveled at Lieselotte’s diatribe. Meanwhile, her father nodded with an awkward smile and then walked over to Fiene.

“What do you say, Miss Fiene? Would you do me the honor of becoming my daughter?”

“Uh, um, but... I-I’ve lived my whole life as a commoner. I don’t know anything about my father, and none of this changes the fact that I was born out of wedlock. I don’t think I’m fit to be the heiress. Plus, I think there would be a bunch of people who’d doubt that I’m even my father’s child.” Fiene sounded panicked.

“Artur Richter,” Lieselotte said quietly. All she had to do was utter his name for him to step forth and straighten himself out.

“Yes, ma’am!” he said. “Marriage is synonymous with the Church! I swear by the goddess that I will find the records of August and Elizabeth Riefenstahl’s solemn vow, for the sake of your newly sanctioned sister!”

Art? What happened to you?

Seeing this foreign creature answer so readily filled me with terror. Putting that aside, though, Art was the perfect man for the job. Art’s aunt currently headed the central religious body of our kingdom, and there were plenty of other Richters working in the Church.

If Artur Richter said that he would find the records, then he would...even if they didn’t exist.

“Oh...” I said in a contrived way. “The royal records might be a bit unreliable considering how long ago this was. Still, I’ll make every effort to find them.”

“Unreliable indeed,” Lieselotte said with a nod. It appeared she caught my drift. “Alas, the crown is not perfect, so such hiccups ought to be expected.”

Forging national records was practically hopeless, but that wasn’t to say we didn’t lose track of a file every now and again. It was well within the realm of possibility to make their marriage impossible to disprove.

Bolstered by our backing, Lieselotte smiled like a child pulling off a prank.

“Miss Fiene,” she said, “it would seem you are, in fact, my uncle’s flesh and blood. Of course, if you choose to join our family, no one would dare question your birth again. Or rather, I wouldn’t let them try.”

“Uh, um... Huh?” Fiene was overcome with disbelief.

Then, Lieselotte took a single step forward. The distance between them closed by the slightest of increments.

“Miss Fiene, don’t bother worrying about Baldur. Just take a moment to think. Do you not want to be my sister?” Lieselotte asked, her tone sad.

“Of course I do!” Fiene said. “Lady Lieselotte, you’re so kind, beautiful, elegant, graceful, and strong! You’re adorable when you’re with His Highness, and even though sometimes your tsun is really strong, recently I’ve started thinking that just makes you cuter! You’re so cute that I think it’s unfair! I love you, Lady Lieselotte!”

Fiene feverishly shook her head. Her enthusiasm caused Lieselotte to flush bright red and take a step back.

“A surprise attack straight outta left field! Fiene’s words of praise leave Lieselotte recoiling!”

“This is dangerous. You’d better stay on your toes to make sure Fiene doesn’t snatch Liese-tan away, Your Highness.”

That would be a problem.

“To be honest,” Fiene said, “I do. I do want to be your sister. But...the thought of becoming the next marquis terrifies me.”

Fiene’s tightly clenched hands were trembling in front of her chest. Although it seemed she was doing her best to steady herself, it clearly wasn’t going very well.

“There is nothing to fear,” Lieselotte said. “I will be here with you. Miss Fiene...Fiene. Your mother was once the daughter of a noble duke. I’m sure she will be there for you too.”

Lieselotte cupped her hands over Fiene’s with a smile so tender that—“...Probably.”—it left me enchanted.

Wait. I distinctly heard Lieselotte quietly whisper an extra word.

True, Miss Elizabeth was rather, shall we say, eccentric when she wasn’t playing the part of the Fae Princess, but I doubted that she would ever unmask herself.

...Probably.

“Lady Lieselotte...”

Fiene seemed unaware of Lieselotte’s addition, and she looked up at my fiancée with her big, sky blue eyes. They were damp with emotion.

“My, won’t you refer to me as sisters do?” Lieselotte said with a snicker.

At long last, the floodgates of Fiene’s eyes could bear no more.

“I’ve been an only child all this time! And we moved so much that I never had any friends! So...So... I’ve always wanted a sister like you, Lieselotte. I’m so incredibly happy.”

Fiene wound down to a bashful smile at the end. She was undeniably adorable. Yet I couldn’t help but be more concerned about the fact that Lieselotte then hugged her in a fit of joy, squealing, “So cute! Yes! I finally have a cute and well-behaved little sister!”

“Sieg looks so conflicted!” Lord Endoh said.

I immediately covered my mouth, but the analytical tone of Lady Kobayashee quickly followed.

“The fact that Liese-tan is interacting with Fiene without a hint of her shy, tsundere exterior means that she already sees her as family. I’m sure there’s no need to worry.”

Are you sure?

There was something about the passionate tears they exchanged while looking into one another’s eyes that made it seem like nothing else in the world mattered to them. Is this mere sisterly love?

“...Probably.”

My goddess, I really, really did not want to hear you so uncertain.