166 Meeting Ein Again

"Big Sis Lyra!"

The voice was full of happiness and sounded so clingy.

...Being called like that sounded so nice to my ears, I felt slightly eneamored by the delight for a moment before snapping out of it...

"Oh, isn't this Ein? Of course I remember you! Thanks for coming!" I quickly went into my [good big sis Lyra] mode.

"Then, you still remember your promise back then, right?" He asked with eyes full of expectations.

"Uh... I... I...," To be honest, I couldn't really understand a kid's thought process, so I wasn't really sure what I should answer him. If I were to say yes, then what should I tell this kid?

Live your life so well, study hard, then when a comet hits you and a spectre of light offers you to reincarnate, just obey it and... if it offers you any wish, just ask for unlimited knowledge if you want more cheat.

...Haha... hahaha!! Like hell I could say that T__T

"You promised to take me as your apprentice the next time we meet!"

"A... appren... whut?!" For a moment, any kind of etiquette and mannerism I've learned went into dust. Yep, I still recalled what Mother said. That I became less refined... Seems like it's true.

"Big sis Lyra isn't an ordinary kid, right? What gift do you have? How do you learn your knowledge and mannerism? I'm eager to learn them all!!"

...Thirst of knowledge is always a sign of promising youth—but please, you're asking the wrong person to guide you.

"Oh my, Ein? What's the matter with you?" Kania-san was surprised to see Ein's liveliness and eagerness towards me.

"What's going on?" Dad and Mom were perhaps notified by Ein's loud and crisp voice when he called me back then, so they were already standing behind me to see what was going on.

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Dad had this kind of expression that seemed to tell me... that he was relieved he decided to come and take a look. After all, he was somehow a bit wary towards Clyde and Nicole—after they suggested my engagement several times.

"Ah, forgive my loud child. This boy seems to be impressed with Lyra-chan after he asked her to solve a difficult riddle and for her sensibility at such a young age," Nicole answered.

...Wait... Lyra...chan?! Since when did she add "-chan" behind my name?!

I felt like Nicole giggled after I showed a flash of surprise in my face.

...Wait, did she deliberately do it?!

"Ein seems to like Lyra a lot," Clyde answered shortly...

...C-C-Clyde, that's definitely not the right answer choice when you're in front of Dad, you know?!

"Oh? Is it because he wants to have a big sister like our Lyra?" Dad suddenly came up with a suggestion.

"Big sis Lyra is big sis, after all!"

Innocent as a child, Ein enthusiastically answered. He definitely didn't understand what Dad was hinting at.

"I-I'm glad if Ein thinks like that, I feel like he's my own ne—new little brother!"

To be honest, I always see him as my own nephew—but since there's no way I can admit it, I can just substitute it wih a little brother, right?

However, I deliberately said that in order to quell Dad's suppressed agony (I think he is definitely agonized inside, as I know how overprotective he is towards me).

"Ohoho, they have such a good relationship now that I'm glad," Nicole tactfully answered.

I grasped some hints behind her words—that right now, my and Ein's relationship was good, perhaps like siblings... but who knows what will happen in the future?

Eeeh, I definitely won't be with the kid I viewed as my own nephew, okay?!

"Lyra as a big sister... Hmm, Lyra is certainly suited to be the big sister role," Mom suddenly muttered.

"Big sis, big sis, you still haven't answered my question!"

"Eh? B-but apprenticeship... don't you have tutors to teach you what you need to know?" My mind was quickly pulled back to Ein at his demanding words.

"I do have tutors, but... I feel like big sis has some tricks or secrets that you can teach me to be better, right?!" Ein's tone wasn't that of inquiry—it was that of... affirmation.

Uh... Yes, my trick is to live your second playthrough... like—new game plus of a game...

"I don't... it's just by luck that I managed to live up to your expectations last time. I'm not so sure of next time..."

"Then, let me observe you!"

"..."

Him? Observe me? When will he have the chance to, unless we meet by chance in noble parties? At any rate, I'm not a party person, so sometimes I simply don't attend some parties especially during the hectic period at school...

Right, easy challenge!

Challenge accepted!

"Sure, then, if you can!" I smiled politely and just like that, this little kid was so happy.

...Felt guilty tricking such an innocent child...

"My, Eine sure looks up to Lyra-chan! Please treat him well, okay?" Nicole happily asked.

"I'm glad it's Lyra that Ein wants to be close to," Clyde said, implying that they were happy their son was also interested in me.

Ugu... I'm certainly not happy with this kind of development, okaaaaay?

Oh well, I will only meet him sometimes for a short moment like this, so okay.

I can maintain my perfect acting just for a moment like this.

"...Heh, I wonder whose influence was it that this kid was so interested in Lyra?"

I felt like I heard Dad murmured something with a chilling voice, but perhaps it was only my imagination as no one else seemed to be bothered with it...

Afterwards, Clyde, Nicole, and Kania-san all congratulated me for my eighth birthday. Then, since I felt like the formal greetings from the guests seemed to have ended, I decided to go to where my friends were.

Right. It was supposed to be my relaxing time, my salvation from all the tension...

"...So, why are you tagging along, Ein?" I smiled a bit awkwardly to Ein who quietly followed me behind, like a baby chicken following their mother.

"Eh? I told you I wanted to observe you, right, big sis? Then, if I can prove that you have any trick to your capabilities, you will take me as your apprentice!"

"..."

For the first time in my life, I felt like heaving a deep, deep sigh.

But when I turned at my friends' location and spotted the figure of the country's crown prince... An idea popped in my mind.

Between the big sister figure that caught your parents' interest and the crown prince who would someday rule over the country... well, he would definitely know who was the bigger catch, right?

With such an idea in my mind, I smiled happily at Ein for the first time.

"Okay then, let me introduce you to my friends!"

...And the unthinkable happened.

In front of me, Ein was always acting like a spoiled child that was so innocent.

So I already forgot about how he might be a little devil in disguise.

But upon seeing Ein who was introducing himself to my friends, I was reminded of that.

...Instead of remaining as the little adorable kid, he suddenly showed a degree of prestigious noble that exceeded kids his age. His adorable smiling face that seemed to weaken my defense also changed into that of... a business one?

He politely introduced himself as he kept his eyes at the crown prince and his aide—Luca and Kiri.

...I'm sure that he was told to be polite and show his best attitude in front of the higher-ups of this country, to forge a good relationship to the other nobles.

Most of the noble kids were taught of that when they debuted at the age of 6.

But this kid—Ein—he didn't seem to be that nervous, and that fact alone put him in a different level than the others.

Well... at least when I'm with my friends, Ein will not bother me that much, haha! I'm sure he has shifted his objective to Luca and Kiri more than me! Hahaha!

...I'm not sacrificing Luca and Kiri, okay?

Look, his attitude to them is so different compared to when he is with me, he definitely won't bring them troubles like he does to me!