1-4 - Interested In An Intimate Relationship Between Siblings?

“If I’m punished because you did the right thing, then I’ll gladly accept that punishment.”

That was what Milly had told me. But no, it was precisely because Milly would say something like that that I wanted her to stay by my side.

I wished for that desperately, but everything depended on Claireridil’s mood. Since I couldn’t leave the detached building, there was nothing I could do, and I spent my days worrying.

About three days passed, and just as I was beginning to think everything might be fine, something happened. Milly and I were drinking tea in my room when a maid suddenly came to visit.

She was a maid with black hair and black eyes. Naturally, I’d never seen her before.

“…May I ask who you are?”

Milly rose from her chair and subtly moved to shield me behind her.

“Please forgive my unexpected visit. My name is Michelle, and I am Lady Claireridil’s personal maid.”

“And what business does Michelle-san have in this detached building? I believe entry is forbidden to anyone without permission.”

“That is certainly true, but… weren’t you the ones who broke the rules first?”

“…Whatever do you mean?”

“Please don’t be so wary. I merely wish to speak with Lord Leon for a moment.”

“As I just explained, unauthorized visitors are not permitted here. Please leave.”

“—Milly, wait.”

I got up from my chair and tugged at Milly’s sleeve.

“…Lord Leon?”

“Sorry, Milly. I’d like to hear what she has to say.”

“But… No, I understand. If that is your decision, Lord Leon, I won’t interfere.”

Milly stepped aside but remained close to me, and I turned to face the maid who had introduced herself as Michelle.

“You are Lord Leon, correct?”

“That’s right. And I heard you’re Claireridil-san’s personal maid. What do you want with me?”

Since the person who’d come barging into the detached building wasn’t one of Caroline-san’s messengers, the worst-case scenario probably hadn’t happened. Still, Michelle’s expression betrayed a mixture of emotions, making it impossible to guess her intentions.

I braced myself to remain calm no matter what she might say.

“Before explaining my business, might I ask you a question?”

“Sure, but… what is it?”

“Would you be interested in an intimate relationship between siblings?”

“………………………Huh? Sorry, I think I misheard you. Could you repeat that?”

“I asked whether you would be interested in an intimate relationship between siblings.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!”

“An intimate relationship between siblings refers to sexual relations between a brother and sister—”

“I’m not saying I don’t understand the words! I’m saying I don’t understand why we’re suddenly talking about that! And what kind of person brings up something like that with a child?!”

“Is it really such a strange subject? Admittedly, such relationships are exceedingly rare among commoners, but they do occasionally occur between nobles.”

“Th-They do?”

As expected of another world… No, that wasn’t quite right. Such things had happened on Earth in the past as well, and considering this world’s cultural development, perhaps it wasn’t particularly surprising.

“Did you not know that, Lord Leon?”

“How would a child like me know something like that?”

“Yet you seemed perfectly familiar with what an intimate relationship entails.”

“—Pfft!”

“Besides, I was only half-convinced when Lady Claire told me about you, but you certainly have an unusually mature way of speaking.”

“That’s…”

Damn it. Since Milly was the only person I ever spoke to, I’d stopped paying attention to how I talked lately.

If word reached Caroline-san that I wasn’t an ordinary child, it would undoubtedly make my situation even more difficult. I needed to somehow explain myself, but…

“There’s no need to look so troubled. I intend to keep this conversation between us, so you needn’t worry.”

“…What exactly do you mean by that?”

“I mean that I haven’t reported what happened the other day, nor do I intend to report our conversation today.”

“And you expect me to believe that?”

“At the very least, I believe nothing has happened to you over the past three days?”

“…That’s true.”

If Caroline-san had heard about the incident, she would surely have taken action by now. The fact that nothing had happened suggested that Claireridil had kept quiet.

“I see. So that’s why you waited a few days before coming here.”

“…The fact that you can deduce even that is truly remarkable. I always thought Lady Claire was exceptionally mature for her age, but… you really make me wonder whether you’re a child at all.”

“Lord Leon is an exceptionally intelligent young gentleman.”

Milly said that proudly, but in reality, I had around nineteen years from my previous life and another six years of experience, so there was nothing particularly remarkable about it.

I had a feeling a genuine twenty-five-year-old would be much more capable than I was… Wait, hold on. Wasn’t I supposed to be a child who’d never received any formal education?

…Well, it was a little late to worry about that now. I’d already let quite a few things slip in my confusion. Fortunately, Michelle seemed willing to keep quiet, so perhaps I should focus on winning her over to my side.

“I feel this goes beyond mere intelligence… Well, there’s certainly no doubt that Lord Leon is human. Perhaps he’s what one might call a genius.”

No, I’m just a reincarnated person—but there was no way I could ever admit that, so I pretended not to notice her remark.

“I understand that you and Claireridil are keeping quiet, but what exactly are you after?”

“Before I explain that, I’d like you to answer my earlier question.”

“Your earlier question?”

“I asked whether you had any interest in an intimate relationship between siblings.”

“…Wait, you were seriously asking that?”

“Of course I was serious. So, are you interested?”

“Of course not. I’ve never even thought about something like that.”

“Well, if you’ve never considered it, perhaps you might consider it in the future…”

“No, I won’t.”

In my previous life, Saya and I had supported each other through everything. To an outsider, our relationship might even have resembled that of a married couple. But what existed between us was familial love, not romantic attraction.

That was why I couldn’t even imagine having that sort of relationship with an older or younger sister.

“…I see. I understand perfectly.”

“Well, I still don’t understand a damn thing.”

I threw a sarcastic remark her way, but Michelle looked thoroughly satisfied and paid it no attention whatsoever. Seriously, I had no idea what was going through this woman’s head.

“Anyway, now that you’re satisfied, could you finally tell me why you’re here?”

“Ah, yes. First, I’d like to thank you for what you did the other day.”

“Thank me? You mean for treating her injury?”

“Indeed. My lady is terribly stubborn and rarely allows us to treat her injuries, so you were a tremendous help. How on earth did you persuade her?”

“I didn’t say anything particularly special. I just told her the wound might get infected if bacteria entered it.”

“If bacteria entered it… I see. That’s exactly what my lady told me. But what does that actually mean?”

“…Huh? Oh, I see.”

I’d assumed Claireridil hadn’t understood because she was a child, but apparently the medical knowledge in this world was simply underdeveloped. No wonder my explanation hadn’t made sense to her.

“Hmm. You know that wounds can sometimes become infected, right?”

“Yes, I’m familiar with that much, but…”

“Bacteria are what cause it.”

“…In other words, if you prevent those bacteria from entering the wound, it won’t become infected?”

“Or you can wash the bacteria away with clean water.”

“I see… I’ve heard of a custom where people wash serious wounds with alcohol. Is that for the same reason?”

…A custom? That was seriously all they knew about it? Apparently, medical knowledge here was even worse than I’d imagined. I’d have to be extremely careful not to get sick or injured.

“Well… the reasoning is similar, but it’s better not to use alcohol.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. Ideally, you should wash the wound with clean water, preferably saline solution—basically, a weak saltwater solution. After that, apparently it heals faster if you wash it occasionally and keep it moist instead of letting it dry out.”

Even on Earth, this had only become widely understood relatively recently, so it was hardly surprising that people in this world had misconceptions. Disinfecting wounds too aggressively or allowing them to dry out could actually slow the healing process.

“You certainly are knowledgeable. Thank you for sharing such valuable information.”

“It’s nothing special, so don’t worry about it.”

“You consider that nothing special…? I’m rather curious where you acquired such extensive knowledge, but… I suppose it would be wiser not to ask.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

“Understood. Now, regarding my final reason for coming—”

“Michelle, how much longer are you going to keep me waiting?”

The door opened, interrupting Michelle, and a flash of silver swept into the room.

“…My lady. Didn’t I specifically tell you to wait outside until I called for you?”

“You worry too much, Michelle. I told you we could trust my little brother.”

She spoke to Michelle in a dissatisfied tone. The flash of silver had been Claireridil’s long hair.

“…What are you doing here?”

“Ehehe, I came to see you!”

“No, you can’t just say you came to see me. Caroline-san told you not to associate with me, didn’t she? Are you sure it’s okay for you to come here?”

“Hmm… Well, I think Mother would be absolutely furious if she found out. So if someone threatened me and said I had to obey them or they’d tell her, I might not be able to refuse.”

“Whoa, hold on. You shouldn’t be telling me something like that!”

“Hmm? Why not? Are you going to threaten me, little brother?”

“No, of course not. But you’re being far too open about it. You really ought to be a little more cautious—”

“—See? Michelle, you heard him too, didn’t you?”

Without even letting me finish, Claireridil turned to Michelle with a radiant smile.

“Indeed. Lord Leon certainly appears to be someone we can trust. However, my lady, you really must exercise a little more caution. Once something happens, it will be too late.”

“That’s why I keep telling you that you worry too much, Michelle. Right, little brother? Don’t you agree?”

“Actually, I think you should be a little more suspicious of people too.”

“Oh? Says the little brother who snuck out of his detached building to help a girl he didn’t even know?”

“Ugh, it’s hard to argue with that. Wait, little brother?”

Only then did I finally question the way she’d been addressing me.

“Well, you and I are related by blood, aren’t we?”

“Technically, we share half our blood, but…”

“Exactly! So I’m your big sister, and you’re my little brother.”

“I understand the logic, but what are you going to do if Caroline-san hears about this?”

Simply associating with me was dangerous enough, but openly treating me as her younger brother would definitely cause trouble if anyone found out. Yet here she was, casually calling me her little brother. I couldn’t help worrying about her.

“It’s fine. I might not look it, but I’m quite confident in my ability to judge people.”

“That’s only because you’ve been surrounded by trustworthy people. Once you go out into society, you’re going to learn some painful lessons.”

Claire was only seven years old. She probably hadn’t even made her debut in high society, and everyone around her was connected to the Granches family. Naturally, if she only ever had allies around her, she could hardly go wrong choosing whom to trust—or so I thought.

“That’s not true at all. After all, aside from Michelle, you’re the first person I’ve ever trusted.”

“…Really?”

“Everyone around me is always trying to use me for something.”

“They… are?”

I glanced at Michelle for confirmation, and she gave a small nod.

“That’s… well, I don’t know what to say. Sounds like a pretty harsh environment.”

“Right? I’m sick of it. Just the other day, they even arranged a marriage meeting for me without asking.”

Ah, so that was why she’d been crying that day.

Even I, with a mental age over twenty, had felt utterly miserable when I learned about my own arranged marriage. It was only natural that a seven-year-old girl would cry over something like that.

“Sounds like you’ve got it rough.”

“We both do.”

…I see. No wonder I felt a strange sense of sympathy for her. We were both in the same situation, being treated as tools for political marriages.

“I get that you trust me, but what did you come here for, Claireridil-san?”

The moment I asked, Claireridil puffed out her cheeks in sudden displeasure.

“Honestly! It’s not Claireridil-san, is it? Why are you calling me something so distant and formal? It’s Big Sister Claire, remember?”

“B-Big Sister Claire? That’s a little too embarrassing for me.”

“Huh? Why?”

Why? Well, because I’m actually much older than you—but obviously, there was no way I could say that.

“Um, would it be okay if I called you Claire-nee instead?”

“Claire-nee?”

“Yeah. It’s just a shortened version of Big Sister Claire… Would that be okay?”

“Hmm, that’s fine. Say it again?”

“Claire-nee.”

“One more time!”

“…Claire-nee?”

“…Yes! I absolutely love it! Hehe, Claire-nee, huh~?”

Claire-nee spread her arms and spun around excitedly, looking as though she might burst into a dance at any moment. I’d thought she seemed unusually mature, but moments like this made her look adorably like a girl her age.

Normally, she seemed to be trying a little too hard to act grown-up. Perhaps that was simply something her circumstances had forced upon her, and this was what Claire-nee was really like.

“So, what did you come here for, Claire-nee?”

“…What did I come for? I didn’t come for anything in particular. If I had to give a reason, I suppose it was to see my little brother. Besides, I hadn’t properly thanked you for the other day.”

“Thank me? I told you that wasn’t necessary.”

“What? Does that mean you didn’t want me to come, little brother?”

“That’s…”

Someone I’d wanted to become friends with had gone out of her way to visit me. Of course I was happy about that.

But…

“Are you sure it’s okay? Caroline-san will be angry if she finds out, won’t she?”

“It’s fine. Mother did tell me not to associate with you, but she also taught me that I must always repay the kindness I receive.”

“…Is that really going to work as an excuse?”

“Lady Claire is always like this.”

Ah, somehow that explained everything.

Well, if Claire-nee thought it was fine, perhaps I shouldn’t worry too much. Besides, if she was the one coming to visit me, it probably wouldn’t cause Milly any trouble either. …Probably not, right?

Feeling a little uneasy, I glanced sideways at Milly, who gave me a small nod. Hmm. I couldn’t tell whether that meant everything would be fine or that it wouldn’t be fine but she was willing to accept it anyway.

I wasn’t sure, but I wanted to talk to Claire-nee some more. For now, I’d just have to rely on Milly’s kindness.

“Thanks for coming to see me, Claire-nee.”

When I finally made up my mind and said that, Claire-nee’s previously anxious expression brightened instantly.

“I’m so glad! Well then, little brother, let’s talk about something! I’ll tell you absolutely anything you want to know!”

“Huh, really? Then could you tell me about the plants in this world?”

“…Plants? Sure, but… what kind of plants do you want to know about?”

“Let’s see. For example—”

And so, a single stone named Claire-nee was cast into the quiet little world that had contained only the two of us.

The ripples it created would eventually grow into great waves, setting off all sorts of incidents… But at the time, I had no way of knowing that.