Chapter 292: Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own (85)

My ‘real’ little sister.

Until recently, when I was consoling Ria, she meant nothing to me.

After all, the only one I ever considered as my sister in this manor was Ria.

Yet, the bond of blood proved to be truly terrifying.

Even though I never met this little sister in my life, my heart was already pounding with anticipation.

I felt an overwhelming urge to open the documents and discover her whereabouts right away.

But no, not yet.

I moistened my parched lips with a bit of saliva.

“Is she perhaps in a distressing situation?”

It was a straightforward question.

Yet a lot was implied in that simple query and the Sword Duke subtly avoided my gaze.

He, too, was human, and thus, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.

“...I’m not entirely sure, but it doesn’t seem so.”

I brushed my chest in relief at the Sword Duke’s response.

Even though she was a little sister I never met, if she were suffering right now, it would have broken the hearts of my family.

Even if it might affect me less, my parents and older brother had shared memories with her as well.

The next question was just as straightforward.

“Do my parents know?”

“I’ve informed them... However, the Percus couple has left the decision up to you. I suspect the wounds from the past run quite deep.”

That made sense.

My parents had to pay a heavy price for losing my little sister.

In addition, they must have carried the guilt of not being able to protect her.

In the end, the decision was mine to make.

Before me lay the clues to finding a little sister whose name I didn’t even know.

I deeply deliberated.

Suddenly, Ria’s face, whom I had comforted not long ago, flashed through my mind.

Finding my little sister wasn’t a simple decision.

It was a choice that could destroy all the relationships we built up until now.

If I were to find my little sister, how would Ria feel?

And how would my little sister, who supposedly wasn’t in a distressing situation, feel?

I didn’t dwell on it for long.

But that didn’t mean I wasn’t troubled.

After a brief but intense inner struggle, I reached a single conclusion.

I let out a brief response laced with distress.

“...I see.”

With a rip, the document was torn apart alongside its envelope.

Sword Duke simply watched my actions in silence.

The documents were then shredded into dozens of pieces. My hand tore the paper in several places, making the text almost unreadable.

Then, with a sharp thud, I placed the shredded documents down on the table.

Only then did Sword Duke speak.

“Are you sure about this?”

“I only have one little sister.”

Yes, hadn’t I promised Ria?

That there is only one ‘real’ little sister to me.

I hoped that this decision wouldn’t disturb the peaceful lives of both my little sisters.

“...Other than her, there is no one else.”

With those words, I quickly stood up.

Even I couldn’t fully grasp my own feelings.

Rather than stay and risk overturning my decision, I chose to leave, even if that meant being somewhat impolite.

Fortunately, the Sword Duke seemed to understand my state of mind.

As I bowed my head to show respect, he quietly nodded in response.

“Go on, you’ve done well... We’ll discuss the reward from the Imperial Family later.”

“...Thank you.”

My voice, in response, was already choked with emotion.

I wasn’t terribly sad.

It was just that the longer I hesitated, the more painful it became.

I quickly composed myself and moved forward.

It was now time to meet Senior Elsie.

“It’s thanks to the Saintess that I’m still alive.”

Senior Elsie couldn’t outright deny my words.

She merely grumbled, expressing her displeasure.

As it was the truth.

If the Saintess hadn’t been there, I would have died long ago or been left crippled.

With the serious injuries I sustained recently, I would have surely lost my life.

The Saintess made an enormous contribution to keeping me alive.

She, at the very least,didn’t deserve to hear absurd remarks like ‘pop her tits like watermelons.’

Besides, why would anyone want to destroy something so precious?

If anything, it should be preserved and protected instead.

However, Senior Elsie seemed deeply upset by my praise of the Saintess.

“Hmph, I just don’t like her. No matter how you look at it, she’s just a rotten wench...”

Before Senior Elsie could voice any more complaints, I took decisive action.

With a gentle tap, I placed my hand on top of Senior Elsie’s pointed hat.

As I patted her head for the first time in a while, her grumpy expression quickly disappeared.

She simply leaned her head against my chest, grinning.

Her face, as she nuzzled against me, was filled with happiness.

“Ehehe, hehehe... M-Master...”

“So, why did you call me here today?”

It was at that moment that I brought up the main issue.

Naturally, if she had something to discuss, it had to be about that.

And for the first time in a long while, I saw her expression harden.

No matter how much I patted her head, the frozen girl remained stiff.

Senior Elsie blankly blinked for a while. It was only after some time that she snapped out of it and pulled away from my embrace.

The way she cleared her throat suggested she was a bit embarrassed.

For some reason, Senior Elsie seemed intent on creating a somewhat serious atmosphere.

She hadn’t been like this since she declared herself my pet.

Today was full of unfamiliar experiences.

“S-So... Master? There’s something I really want to say...”

She cautiously brought up the topic, gauging my reaction.

There was no reason I couldn’t play along.

However, a thought suddenly crossed my mind, and I inadvertently interrupted her.

“Oh, by the way, I also have something to say.”

Her clear blue eyes turned toward me.

Her gaze suggested she hadn’t expected that I would have something to say as well.

But it was just a misunderstanding.

I had always had something I wanted to say to Senior Elsie, but the right opportunity never came, so I kept postponing it.

So, I decided to resolve this matter once and for all.

“...Can’t you stop calling me ‘Master’?”

I could almost hear a faint, imaginary sound, like something cracking.

Senior Elsie froze, her eyes wide open. She stared at me with disbelief.

I had mentioned this once before, and every time I did, her reaction was always the same.

She looked like a puppy that had just been abandoned.

In the past, my resolve would have weakened, and I would have given up by now.

But now, Senior Elsie and I were being considered potential fiancés.

If we didn’t set this relationship straight, it could likely cause problems later.

I was especially worried about meeting Count Rinella.

He was the Archmage who solidified the foundation of the Rinella family. I definitely didn’t want a firsthand experience on just how powerful he was.

In response to my firm stance, Senior Elsie asked with tears in her eyes.

“...W-What?”

“And no more formal language, either.”

At my continued insistence, her face crumpled in dismay.

“From now on, just speak casually. I’m your junior, after all.”

And Senior Elsie isn’t a puppy, either.

Hearing this simple truth, Senior Elsie couldn’t hold back her tears any longer.

Truly, it was a pitiful sight.