After leaving the newly purchased dress on Mische, who was covered head to toe in leaves and twigs, and entrusting Lutte to her care, I left my idiot aniki’s office together with Noie, who had finished changing as well.
The way she clung tightly to my right arm was just too adorable. Every maid we passed did a double-take before their expressions softened into warm, gentle smiles.
The one melting the most was Krea.
Even though we were supposed to head back to my office for work right now… her face had gone completely slack and dreamy. I decided not to say anything about how she was desperately guarding her own chest with both arms.
At the corner of the corridor we ran into Frea-san.
「Oh, Argusta-sama?」
「Are you finished over there?」
「Yes. I was thinking of asking the captain to close the door…」
Her gaze shifted to Noie, then to her little sister, then back to Noie again.
「Your little sister?」
「It’s Noie.」
「……!」
Her eyes widened in shock.
I understand how she feels, but… making a big fuss would be troublesome.
「Then we’ll go close the door. Krea, head back to the room. Frea-san, just do whatever work you have.」
「……Haa.」
「See you!」
I pulled Noie, who was still clinging to my arm, and hurried away from the spot.
-0-
As the little girl trotted toward the door, the waiting maids’ faces broke into soft smiles.
Noie placed her hands on it gently and closed it with ease. Then she spun around, walked back to me, and those big, round eyes silently asked 『Pet my head』.
So I rubbed her head vigorously, and the maids let out hot, dreamy sighs of 「Hafu…」.
Are you all right? The maids in this castle… are they actually a secret den of lolicon?
Feeling Noie might be in danger, I quickly retreated from the area.
-0-
「Argusta.」
「Yes?」
When I turned at being called, there stood my ikemen onii-chan.
He looked at me, then at Noie, then back to me. The fact that his gaze didn’t linger on Noie showed real composure.
「I have a request. Is that all right?」
「A request? As long as it’s not urgent, sure.」
「It’s not urgent. Actually, I want to have Camille join the study group of the daughter of the Crostpage family. Until she gets used to it, could I ask you to act as her guardian?」
「Sure, no problem.」
Onii-chan showed a gentle, softened expression that didn’t suit the Prime Minister at all.
It felt like a pure request from older brother to younger brother, so I could accept it far more honestly than anything from my idiot brother.
Then Noie tugged insistently at my hand.
「……You’re coming too?」
She stared up at me intently, and I immediately understood.
Noie nodded eagerly, looking just a little happy, at my answer. So cute.
「You two really are close, aren’t you.」
「……You noticed it’s Noie?」
「I was the one who ordered Halfren to investigate the jar. And more than anything, those ears are definitely Noie’s.」
「Ears?」
Now that you mention it… no, I still don’t get it.
「Human ears don’t change much. That’s why I remember people by their ears.」
「I see.」
「Standing above others is never easy.」
After quickly settling the arrangements for my younger sister-in-law’s study group, onii-chan headed off to his next task.
He really is a busy man. So busy he doesn’t even have his own private office.
Walking down the corridor again with Noie, I spotted a familiar middle-aged man ahead.
The moment he saw us… he ignored me completely and charged straight toward Noie with full force.
Hey, hey, Your Majesty. Even dragons don’t scare my wife, but she’s clearly frightened right now.
「Argusta.」
「Yes?」
「What’s with this girl? She… if raised properly, in just a few years she’ll shine so brightly it’ll be unbelievable. A raw gemstone.」
Noie genuinely recoiled from the excited, heavy-breathing old man.
「It’s Noie.」
「……」
「Noie, who became five years younger.」
「……I see. Argusta.」
「Yes?」
「Your daughter is sure to grow into a stunning beauty someday. Ahahahaha.」
Straightening his posture, the king retreated as if fleeing.
If this child hadn’t been Noie… that old man might have tried feeding her some forbidden blue fruit or something. Terrifying thought.
-0-
「So, Prince Halfren. What about the captain’s condition?」
「……I don’t know. All the internal records from that facility were burned the moment we stepped inside. None remained. The external documents never mentioned any details about the children who were there.」
Staring up at the ceiling, he dug through his memories.
In the pouring rain… a girl standing motionless as if letting the downpour wash away the blood that covered her entire body.
From her crimson-black eyes, tears flowed and mingled with the raindrops. Her silver-white hair was stained with blood and mud.
The sight of her back then is probably something I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.
It was that powerful an impression, that fateful encounter.
Frea, perched not on the sofa but on the edge of the desk, looked exactly as she had in the days when she was his most trusted subordinate.
To be precise, one could even say from the time she was still a prime candidate to become his legal wife.
「Ever since Argusta arrived, Noie’s secrets have been revealed at a terrifying pace.」
「Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing… right now, it’s hard to say.」
「Yeah. But at the very least, when I first met her, she was already the Noie we know. It’s only natural to assume something happened between the ages of eleven and twelve.」
「True.」
Frea slid off the desk and planted her feet on the floor.
「I’ve been thinking this for a while now.」
「What?」
「The captain’s eyes… I’ve read in books that that color is quite common among the mountain tribes living at the far western edge of the continent.」
「……But Noie is probably from this country, right?」
「Yes. Still, I’ve also heard that those mountain tribes possess strange powers.」
「……」
It could just be a coincidence. But can such a coincidence really happen?
「It’s a coincidence, right?」
「Yes.」
With a small chuckle, Frea turned her back to him.
「I just thought that for the captain, something that mysterious would probably feel completely normal.」
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