CH 30

The Bennett Sisters are Charming Today as Well

TL: PuffyPyjamas.

ED: Daemon.

“—Nnn…” 

I woke up naturally to the rays of the morning sun shining through the gaps in the curtains. I woke up before the alarm went off, because the time to wake up has already been ingrained in my body. I picked up my smartphone and quickly dismissed the alarm so that it wouldn’t ring.

Well, I should wash my face and get ready.

“Good morning, Aoyagi-kun. How are you feeling right now?”

“…Eh?” 

When I attempted to stand up, a girl looked into my face and I immediately stiffened. The girl, who had peered in after being unable to pick up on my emotions—Charlotte Bennett stared at me. She looked at me and smiled brightly.

“It seems like your fever has gone down. However, just to be cautious, can you measure your body temperature? Here is a thermometer.”

Charlotte handed me a thermometer, which she had probably prepared while I was asleep. As I was receiving the thermometer, my head gradually cleared up and I remembered the events that occurred the night before.

――If I remember correctly, Charlotte had misunderstood that I had a fever last night, and I was forced to lie down immediately after. The question is, why would she still be in my room when I woke up the next morning?

It can’t be that she hadn’t gone home at all yesterday, right…? 

“Ummm, Charlotte? Did you take care of me the entire night?”

“Don’t pay it too much mind. It’s something I did of my own volition.”

Her answer was a bit vague, but Charlotte confirmed my assumption. The feeling of guilt bubbled up within me. I didn’t have a fever, but I slept in order to escape from her gaze.

Even so, I had her take care of me all night. 

I am the worst.

“Sorry, Charlotte”

“As I already said, please don’t worry about it, we should help each other in time of need, and I chose to do so.”

“No, it’s not okay… I didn’t have a high temperature yesterday because of a fever”

“Eh?”

“You see… I was extremely embarrassed when I was touched by you, which led to the increase in my body temperature, and it was misinterpreted as a fever by you.”

It was embarrassing to tell her everything so honestly, but I didn’t want to hide it from her. I wanted to apologize properly.

“You were so warm though…? For you to get that hot just because I touched you—”

It seemed that Charlotte remembered something, as she stopped speaking and turned away. The little of what I could see of Charlotte’s face reddened immediately.

“Just to be sure, I… I touched my forehead with yours… Is that the reason…?”

Charlotte seems to be thinking that my temperature rose sharply because she touched her forehead with mine and her face was extremely close. In actuality, it was because I was merely touched by her, but she stayed up the entire night, so maybe she’s a little muddle-headed. I am kind of grateful for her misunderstanding though.

“That’s why I apologized. I didn’t even have a fever, but you had to take care of me the entire night…” 

“No, it’s because I was jumping to conclusions… I am sorry as well.”

I don’t know what she’s embarrassed about, but Charlotte started to fidget while continuing to blush. She repeatedly took glances upwards at me making her look really cute. I do feel guilty making her stay up all night, however, I do have to apologize to Charlotte as I feel satisfied just looking at her like this.

“Lotti, where are you!? Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah~”

The voice of a little girl crying permeated the walls and reached us from another room, causing Charlotte and I looked at each other in blank dismay. Now that I think about it, Charlotte was here, but her younger sister was nowhere in sight. Since she couldn’t leave her dear little sister alone at home, was she letting her sleep in a separate room?

“Lottie~!”

“Emma, I’m over here.”

Charlotte hurriedly opened the door of the room and called out to Emma. Emma, who saw Charlotte, stopped crying immediately. Emma then started running towards us.

I observed the situation thinking,”Oh, she’s going to hug Charlotte.”, but for some reason, Emma passed by Charlotte, who had her arms wide open in anticipation of the hug.

And—

“Onii-chan~!”

―She hugged me with a big and satisfied smile.

“…”  

Charlotte, who was waiting with open arms to hug her little sister, stiffened because she was ignored. I don’t know how to call out to her because of the awkwardness.

Speaking of which, the one who created this awkward atmosphere is rubbing her cheeks against mine while happily giggling. Since I was sitting up from the futon, Emma’s height and mine seems to match perfectly.

“Hey, Onii-chan. Will you live with Emma from now on?”

When I was thinking about what to do about my current predicament, Emma distanced herself from my face and asked while looking into my eyes.

“Eh, why do you think so?”

“Because Onii-chan is at Emma’s house and is even sleeping

“Ah, this is actually my house, not Emma’s house.”

“Huh…? It’s true! This is Onii-chan’s house!”

Emma, who looked around in confusion after hearing my words, seemed extremely surprised.

Wasn’t she crying because she found herself in a strange room when she woke up? Would she cry just because Charlotte wasn’t there when she woke up?

How much are you spoiling your sister, Charlotte… 

No, well, I do really understand Charlotte’s feelings of wanting to be the older sister who spoils her younger sister, and I do know that if Ema was my younger sister, I would really want to spoil her.

“Then, will Emma live in Onii-chan’s house from today onwards?”

“No, that’s not it…” 

“Eh… Emma wants to be a part of Onii-chan’s family…” 

What am I supposed to do now? Isn’t this girl a little too free-spirited? She said that she wants to be a child of my family. Well, personally, I’d welcome a cute little sister like Emma with open arms. However, Charlotte and the justice system will not allow it.

“Hmm… That means that you don’t need me right, Emma?”

Charlotte, who was abandoned by her sister, looks at Emma with a pout. Her cheeks seem to be swollen .

This girl seems surprisingly childish from her current appearance.

When I saw Charlotte, who had a lonely expression, I thought so in my heart. But I did not say it out loud. If I were to say it out loud, it would be even worse.

“Hmm, Lotti also needs to be around! That’s why Lotti will live in Onii-chan’s house as well.”

Oops, Emma really said something like that? With a big smile too… Well, that’s just what a kid said, and Charlotte would definitely wouldn’t comply with it.

“What are you saying, Emma!? Such a thing is impossible!”

You see?

In manga, the heroine might say something that is convenient for the protagonist at times like this, and create some sort of lucky development, but the reality is not so sweet. Expecting something like that is just stupid.

“Muuuuuuu~”

Maybe because Charlotte denied it, Emma inflated her cheeks and started pressing her face against Charlotte. While I was looking at Charlotte, who was coaxing Emma with a troubled smile, I thought, ‘The Bennett sisters are charming today as well.’