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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: A Sister's Resolve
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My sister didn't loosen her grip, even as I struggled.
“Sister, I can't breathe…!”
It was impossible to push her away with my feeble strength.
By the time she finally let me go, the ten minutes Menelik had mentioned were long past.
In the end, Menelik came looking for me.
Perhaps not wanting to show her weakness to others, my sister acted as if she hadn't been crying at all.
“I'm hungry. I'll eat first and think later.”
Her steps were light as she headed for the duchy.
I sighed and followed her.
Under Viscount Rose's watchful eye, my sister was served a steak, and just like before, she didn't hold back her admiration.
“Wow! The juices are insane!”
She looked ready to devour the plate and all.
She also polished off the slice of chocolate cake that came for dessert without leaving a crumb.
It was as if she'd completely forgotten it was the middle of the night.
“I really love the ducal family's food. It's even better than what I ate at the imperial palace.”
She was grinning from ear to ear.
Just as I was beginning to suspect that her real purpose was the ducal family's food, she got to the point.
“Having my little sister and the ducal family's steak on my side has made me feel so reassured. I think I can gather my strength and raise some hell.”
I could understand me, but what was with the latter?!
“To be honest, if there was no other way, I was planning to run away to another country. That was my life goal, anyway. Make a killing with my divine power and then skip town. Though I'm not even sure if my power is divine anymore.”
“…”
My sister casually ruffled my hair.
And just like that, there was one more person who insisted on messing up my hair.
“But if I just leave like this, I'll only be a burden to you, right? I'll hold on for dear life and dig up every piece of information that could be useful to the ducal family!”
It was a declaration that she would now act as a full-fledged spy.
As I stood there, mouth agape, Menelik responded with a smile.
“In that case, we will serve you a meal anytime.”
Only after messing up my hair to her heart's content did she remove her hand, satisfied.
“Oh, and that request for an escort—I'll put it on hold for now. Now that I know what that old geezer is up to, I think I can handle things on my own.”
I blinked.
“Really?”
“Yep, really! Of course, I'll still give you what I promised. Don't worry about that.”
I looked at my sister, who was once again her usual energetic and confident self, with a new sense of wonder.
The heroine in had been afraid of the second moon rising.
During that time, she couldn't trust anyone and only thought of hiding somewhere.
Until the novel went on hiatus, the one thing the heroine had blindly trusted wasn't the male lead, but her own power.
But now, even though her power was gone, she was saying she would face them head-on for my sake.
But I hadn't done anything more amazing than the male lead.
Regardless of my puzzlement, my sister held out a blueprint with a slightly crumpled corner.
“Oh, right. These are the Grand Temple blueprints I promised you. You might find a use for them later. They show all the rooms and secret passages not open to the public.”
I took the blueprints from her.
My sister stood up.
“Well then, I'll contact you through the communication stone. Make sure you answer, okay?”
Wondering if she might be pushing herself and just bluffing, I asked one last time.
“Are you really okay?”
My sister grinned.
“My little sister, you've got a cute personality to match your looks. Are you worried about me?”
The way my sister looked at me as if I were a small, performing animal made me feel strange.
I don't think anyone could keep up with the speed of her mood swings…
It only flustered those around her; she herself was shameless to a fault.
Viscount Rose agreed to escort my sister to the Temple, and I returned to my room, shaking my head.
There was another note stuck in the window.
I unfolded the note with a sour expression.
[Divorce….]
“Enough about the divorce!”
Did he not hear what I said back then?
No wonder he didn't come, even after I said I'd tell him why he didn't have to get a divorce.
Having lost my patience, I wrote on the corner of the note that Jaehae and Kivrin were the same person.
At first, I just left it outside the window, but then I weighed it down with a hard candy, thinking the wind might blow it away.
When will he take it?
I sat by the window and rested my chin on my hand.
My eyelids felt heavy, as it was already past my bedtime.
The soft lights illuminating the grounds of the duchy were enough to send me off to dreamland.
Mmm… Cheshire needs to see this soon so he'll stop worrying…
I must have dozed off.
In my sleep, I thought I felt Mera come in.
“Little Madam, you'll catch a cold if you sleep by the window.”
I felt Mera's hands moving me to the bed.
When morning came, the note was still there.
I felt a sense of emptiness as I checked outside the window right after getting out of bed.
He took it right away when I gave him a bunch of sweets, so why not today?
My gaze fell on the handmade hard candy, looking lonely.
It didn't even have a dusting of powdered sugar, so it looked quite unappetizing on the outside.
*He'd change his mind if he just tried it,* I thought, before a sudden realization struck me like lightning.
D-don't tell me he's picky?
Was this his way of saying not to bother contacting him with such a meager reward?!
I couldn't tell who was the subordinate and who was the master.
No wonder Del used to nag him…
My past self had very accurate judgment.
Bewildered, I pouted and retrieved the candy and the note.
I'd have to put it back out at night, since the risk of Mera or the other maids seeing it was high during the day.
After clearing the windowsill, I trudged downstairs.
I saw Viscount Rose glaring at his breakfast with a serious expression.
Huh?
I approached Viscount Rose and checked the morning menu.
“Rose? What's wrong?”
There weren't any bug dishes.
While I was at it, I sat down next to him.
As I was eating the soup served for me, Rose spoke after a slight delay.
“About that Saintess.”
“Yeah? What about my sister?”
Did something happen when he took her to the Temple yesterday?
I put down my spoon and waited for him to speak.
Then, Viscount Rose's eyebrow twitched.
“It's nothing. Just eat.”
What's with that? So anticlimactic.
Viscount Rose started eating as well.
Then he suddenly muttered.
“I think I have to help that Saintess after all.”
“Are you worried about my sister?”
I remembered what Viscount Rose had said just before I visited the marquisate for the second time.
—*Who cares? As long as you're safe, it doesn't matter if that damn territory goes to ruin or not.*
And this was that same Rose!
As I was feeling both shocked and moved, Viscount Rose said.
“I'll go in my true form—”
“Absolutely not.”
I felt my touched feelings vanish in an instant as I flatly refused.
I had a good reason for it, too.
“Have you forgotten that the Temple tried to attack you, thinking you were the ducal family's good omen?”
Viscount Rose's true form was too small.
The supernatural abilities he wielded were also far from combat-oriented.
Besides, even if he's a phoenix, it still hurts, doesn't it?
“If that precognitive ability doesn't come from a god, she might be the reincarnation of someone I knew long ago. Maybe even Del…”
Although Viscount Rose had his own valid reasons, I couldn't back down from my opposition.
“There are plenty of ways to help my sister without putting yourself at risk of getting hit by an arrow. And if you get hurt, that Del persona will come out.”
As if to prove she was the past life of the dependable Lady Cheria, she was incapable of restraint when Kivrin's and Rose's safety was on the line.
Viscount Rose flinched at my words.
Just then, Kivrin, who had woken up early and already eaten breakfast, stepped in to mediate.
“L-let's just watch for now. You d-don't have to, get close. I can hear everything anyway, with my, my ears.”
“You're going to help me? You?”
Kivrin smiled at Viscount Rose's provocation.
“Of course. I, I promised Lady Cheria that I'd take responsibility for you with her.”
“…”
“As your guardian.”
Having lost that exchange, Viscount Rose made a face like he'd bitten into a bug.
He was undoubtedly recalling the time I gave Kivrin the engagement ring and asked him to look after him.
Kivrin ignored Viscount Rose's reaction and sat down next to me.
Thanks to him, I now had Kivrin and Viscount Rose on either side of me.
Kivrin looked at me with his clear eyes, concerned.
“A-are you not eating?”
“I am eating!”
I diligently shoveled food into my mouth.
While we spent our time with some minor bickering, the Dedication Festival began.
Hearing Kivrin's suggestion to go out since we were in the capital for a change, I quickly grabbed the flowerpot.
Viscount Rose watched me as I cradled the small pot in my arms like a treasure.
“You're going to take that with you?”
“Yep. I'm going to show it the beautiful scenery and let it photosynthesize!”
I excitedly boasted about my plan.
Kivrin bloomed this flower himself, so I have to treasure it!
Viscount Rose tilted his head.
“As far as I know, when someone who's never grown a plant before suddenly showers it with affection, it has the opposite effect…”
“Rose.”
Kivrin cut Viscount Rose off.
“Lady Cheria is so, so happy about it.”
Huh?
I asked, just in case.
“I can't take it with me?”
“Of course you can.”
Kivrin answered immediately.
I was startled for a second, thinking I couldn't.
I hugged the flowerpot tightly again.
Kivrin muttered something to Viscount Rose.
I heard something like, *There are plenty of seeds, we can just secretly replace it,* but it was too quiet for me to be sure.
In any case, it seemed that despite their bickering, the two of them had become close enough to whisper to each other.
