Chapter 26 (1/2)

<noscript> <iframe src=”syndicationexdynsrvcom/ads-iframe-displayphp?idzone=3634611&output=noscript&type=300x250” width=”300” height=”250” scrolling=”no” ht=”0” frameborder=”0”></iframe></noscript>If this is the real end – 9

It

was Al who reacted to the dry knocking sound that resounded several times I

guessed he had sensed soazed

atme what should be done, but I had no other choice but

to nod I didn’t knoho it was but they had probably co I was

inside the room But for a short while Al didn’t move from his spot As there

weren’t anylike he

wanted to say soh before

speaking in a low voice, “We will continue this later” He probably wanted to make

sure his voice wouldn’t reach the other side of the door Then he suddenly

closed the book and quietly returned it to ht with you?” He

asked toInstead I directed aze

at the door to urge him to show the visitor in For a moment, Al’s looked

displeased, but he didn’t say anything and followed my instructions

“Please, wait a moment” I followed his back withhis voice

He

probably had sensed I would no longer talk about this matter If I was only

able to e once, it could be said it would have been at that one

moment But I did not do so If I was to borrow someone’s help, that person

would surely be Al Now that I had lost the absolute existence that was Crow,

speaking of a person I could trust from the bottom of my heart, it was that

escort knight That’s why, I knew Ibackheart that was about to tumble and fall at Al’s feet

“… … Big sister…”

The

voice of hts I was

i behind the

door opened by Al I immediately realized she had a fever Silvia entered

inside the roo The short

distance fro in disorder

“Silvia, you should be resting right

now”

When

I propelled uous words as she threw a fleeting glance toward Al, “It’s the sa

sister I heard you had drown in the bath…” Then she suddenly fell silent It

seeht to talk about this here Drowning

in the bath was due to my own blunder, and if people heard about it, it could

become a drawback for ht

that child too see properly “Al knows so it is fine to speak

about it,” when I told her that with a sh

and sile face somewhat made my chest ache

She

was truly concerned aboutherself

despite her poor condition to visit her sick older sister

“Huht with you…”

Al

supported Silvia’s wavering body until she reached my bed My little sister who

hanged her head, saying “I’m sorry” with her cheek dyed red, was so lovely

people couldn’t help but see her in a favorable light She aroused the desire

to protect her in every ht

leading such a feeble girl by the hand was extremely natural and didn’t have

the slightest sense of incongruity But so a

kind of disco appealed to my

intuition that the proble of Silvia and

Al wrong? I probably had this feeling because the person beside Silvia wasn’t

Soleil I suddenly realized I was surprised atsuch a

thought, and I heaved out the breath I had hold unconsciously Surprised by how

conspicuoussounded was inside the room that had fallen silent

again, I shrunk my shoulders The pain and distress I felt weren’t from my

iination

“Big sister, are you alright?”

My

little sister who had approached within a reaching distance when I wasn’t paying

attention took entle actionthe larasp that hand

“Yes I am fine, do not worry”

I

answered while shaking my head, but my own voice sounded like those of a

stranger It felt like a voice without emotion However, Silvia didn’t seem to

notice and shtly

“… This, it's a decoction mother

had infused for me”

She

gently presentedit out like it was a treasure Then putting

on airs like she was very satisfied of herself, she placed it in ht brown leaves were jammed to the fill

inside the glass bottle “It doesn’t… taste very good though” She laughed and

s “keep it a secret from mother, ok?”

while she put her index finger on her lips “It’s supposed to have the effect

of war up the body” As she explained the effects she tenderly stroked my

ar it with the softness of feathers

“Silvia?”

My

little sister whose gaze had dropped on her own fingers suddenly rose her head

“Ah, sorry You seemed cold, that’s why…” She distanced her hands I lost that

warmth too abruptly and alers

Perhaps I didn’t want to lose this gentleness that was offered with

unselfishness Opening her eyes wide, Silvia grabbed back my hand without

hesitation

I

knew that it was these hands that would robBut at the same

time, I remembered, in the past, it was the same hands that had protected me

… That’s all?

I felt that Croas laughing

Laughing that I would tolerate and excuse her fro, just because of

that

The

next day, by some kind of fate, I happened to meet with Soleil in the corridor

of the academy

“… Once in a while, wouldn’t you eat

together with me?”

Even

if he invitedhis stiff expression, as ere in front of

outsiders I couldn’t decline Because he was the heir of a marquis house, as

his fiancé there was no way I could say “I don’t want to” If we had been alone

it wouldn’t have been eht noere

in the middle of the corridor Several students happened to be passing by us

and they were straining their ears to hearAs

thefixedly at me, I couldn’t show

the slightest carelessness He wasn’t the friend as always around Soleil It was quite unusual and I also shouldn't have cross path with them Yetfor me

unexpectedly Usually, I lowered by gaze and concealed my presence to not

be found out by him, yet for some reason today I saw him And it wasn’t only

Soleil who noticed me despite my cautions

“… Is she your rumored fiancé?”

Stepping

forith a big smile on his face, Saion approached us He pretended it was

the first ti his head

obliquely In those dark colored pupils of his, a light was glowing and he was

co I didn’t know

what the conversation between Saion and me would look like in the eyes of a third

party Would someone notice ere already acquainted with each other? If erefor the first time here, then like

anyone as froive my

greetings No htly bend my knees, Scion

imperceptibly raised his eyebrow and curved his lips as if what he was seeing

seeh escape his mouth

and was enduring it

“It is a pleasure to make your

acquaintance I am called Ilya Il Marchisse”

From

the standpoint of the fiancé of Soleil, eldest child of the marquis house, it

wasn’t appropriate to assu people for the

first ti out your name first showed you were of a lower

social status, there was no need to abase myself more than that I had to pay

the greatest caution so as to not bring shame on Soleil’s family name With

just this, uessed

that Saion was a higher aristocrat from another country, I intended to be

especially careful Meanwhile, Soleil was silently watching over what I did,

not answering Saion question “is she your fiancé?” nor supple my

self-introduction by confir that it was indeed me It probably meant he had

no intention to introduce me as his fiancé Or because it was a well-known

fact, did he thought there was no need to expressly explain it here?

“Nice tolady My

name is Saion Topias”

There

weren’t anylady” was a

boorishdown on me

It was an expression used by a man in the prime of his life to address a

younger woed between a man

and a wo party, it would be a sign of showing contempt for someone However, he was someone from another

country Heyet … It was probably

better to think this way It wasn’t like I had alluded to this topic here, but it

was a fact he had revealed himself previously In such a case, I wondered what kind of

attitude was the correct answer

But

then at that aze was directed at me

“… Soleil-sama?”

Because

I had unintentionally whispered, I quickly sed my breath Soleil as