Is it really okay to just go along with the evil schemes of a nine-year-old?
Subaru gazed upon the small figure leading the way down the corridor, frustrated at his own inability to come up with a good solution.
--Annerose Milord.
Being a branch of the Mathers family, Roswaal's birthplace, he shares many physical characteristics with Roswaal, most notably his deep indigo hair and blue eyes.
Her long braided hair was wrapped around her head, and Subaru, not knowing the name of the hairstyle, secretly called the girl "braided loli."
She is a girl with a sharp intelligence that is hard to believe for a nine-year-old, and her keen eye and wisdom are indicative of someone who is related to Roswaal, but it is in this place that she shows the greatest ``relatedness to Roswaal.''
"Emily, can I hold your hand for a bit?"
"Huh? Yeah, sure, Anne."
"Well, please don't hesitate to come. By the way, Emily. Can I hug you for a bit?"
"Huh? Yeah, sure, Anne."
"Well then, please don't hesitate. By the way, Emily. I would be happy if you hold me like this..."
"Enough already."
Subaru moves Annerose away from Emilia as she holds his hand, hugs him, and tries to pick him up.
Emilia's eyes widened, but Annerose didn't seem disappointed and shook off her knees, then gave Subaru an exaggerated slap on the shoulder he'd touched.
"That's a pretty undignified way to distance two people who crave contact, Subaru."
"Where did you get the statistics on those two people who want each other? To me it just seemed like a survey of someone walking around the Milord household."
"You can't even overlook a child's cute mischief; that shows what kind of person you are, Subaru."
"If it just seemed like a cute, mischievous act, I wouldn't have said anything!"
Annerose was trying to justify her actions with a very calm demeanor, but even as she spoke, she was trying to grab Emilia's hand at any opportunity, so we couldn't let our guard down.
Annerose is a relative of Roswaal and displays extraordinary abilities beyond what one would expect from a nine-year-old.
Her extreme characteristic - for some reason, she loves Emilia too much.
Ever since the day they would greet each other whenever they got into trouble at the mansion, Annerose has shown an overwhelming amount of affection for Emilia. Emilia, who is naturally suspicious of others, seems to think that this is a cute expression of affection, but Subaru doesn't think so.
After all, she is a relative of Roswaal. Even if the truth of his "interest in demi-humans" is overturned by Roswaal's "love for Echidna," it cannot be said that they are different relatives.
In fact, many of the servants working for the Milord household are demi-humans. It seems that these demi-humans are people who Roswaal has gathered from all over the country who have experienced persecution, and at Roswaal's discretion, the Milord household has been treated as a refuge for demi-humans with such pasts.
Annerose, who was born and raised in the Milord household, was familiar with the existence of demi-humans, and therefore did not show any prejudice towards Emilia, who was a half-elf, but her familiarity with her had gone too far.
In short, Subaru was trying to stop Annerose from taking Emilia away.
And Annerose was also trying to prevent Subaru from monopolizing Emilia.
In other words, the two are rivals in love for Emilia.
However,
"Oh come on, Subaru. I don't know what you're so upset about, but how dare you get angry at a young Anne? That's really childish."
"I haven't heard of anyone getting angry lately… No, that's not it, Emilia-tan. To be more specific, the look in Annerose's eyes is not the type that can be overlooked as that of a small child…"
"No excuses! I'm sorry, Anne. It seems Subaru is still upset at being in someone else's mansion..."
"Even if they treat you like a pet that's been left in their care will never settle down!"
Since they have different stances towards Annerose, Subaru and Emilia's arguments about her attitude always end up in a stalemate.
Why doesn't Emilia notice Annerose's clingy gaze?
Subaru: "Maybe only those who have ulterior motives towards Emilia-tan can spot those with similar ulterior motives…!"
"Emily. Subaru has admitted that he is lusting after you. How disgusting."
"The way you talk is disgusting! Are you really a nine-year-old?"
Unlike Beatrice, who is only cute in words, Annerose is not cute in any real way. Even when it comes to something like "filthy," Beatrice would get away with it as a simple refrain, but for some reason Annerose sounds more real.
"Why can't you two just get along? It's so strange..."
Subaru: "Well, that guy and I both…"
"Me?"
"--Hmm, ugh."
As Emilia tilts her head, Subaru is unable to say anything more clearly.
Of course, I have expressed my feelings many times, but I feel like saying it over and over in front of other people makes it seem more and more cheap. What's more, saying it on impulse at a time when I didn't intend it to be so is both cheap and embarrassing.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Annerose smiling triumphantly.
"Well, I think I'll stop teasing Subaru here. Since we're in my room anyway, let's talk inside."
Annerose said to Subaru, whose face was turning red at the sight of Emilia's innocent eyes.
When Subaru realized, he had already reached the end of the corridor and was standing in front of the overly decorated door just as the girl had said. Annerose's private room - Emilia had been invited there many times, but this was the first time Subaru had ever come this far.
Taking Emilia's hand, Annerose moves naturally to invite her into the room, but Subaru stops her.
"Wait. Your room seems a bit suspicious, so I'll go in first."
"--Fuu. Yes, please. Do as you like."
The first moment was a little worrying, but Annerose let Subaru pass with a sigh. With his hand on the doorknob, Subaru entered the room feeling somewhat nervous.
and,
"We have been waiting for you, Natsuki-sama. We have prepared some tea and snacks for you. Please sit down and relax. We look forward to chatting."
We were greeted by Clinton, who bowed politely and was ready to welcome a visitor.
Stunned, Subaru turned around to see Annerose with the obvious look on her face.
"Hey, Clind-san? Didn't you go to the dining hall with Beatrice and Petra earlier?"
"I was doing as Lady Emilia said. However, halfway through, it seemed the young lady wanted to hold a tea party in her room, so I, Clind, went ahead and prepared it. In a big hurry."
"Yes, that's what Anne said."
"Yes, that's what my Lady 'thought'. What keen insight."
Emilia, peeking out from beside the frozen Subaru, exchanged those words with Clind inside. However, there seemed to be a subtle discrepancy in their responses.
I think he said "I thought" rather than "I was told."
"If you try to rationally understand Clind's perversion, you'll go crazy. It's easier mentally to just accept that that's the way he is."
"I always try to be one step ahead of the crowd, and that's my big goal."
I wonder if it's something that can be changed with a bit of willpower.
That's what he thought, but when Annerose and Emilia began to take their seats without a care in the world, Subaru joined the tea party, tilting his head inwardly.
"Well, now that Clind's tea is ready, let's continue our previous discussion."
"The relationship between Frederica and Garfiel is to be repaired. Matchmaker."
"Clind-san, are you the type of butler who has multiple butlers?"
"I think you alone are enough for that kind of thing, Lewes-sama. You're just rehash."
The conversation wouldn't progress if he joined in. Clind must have decided this, as he prepared tea and sweets for everyone, then stood at the edge of the room, straightening his back and motionless like a statue.
His gaze pierced Annerose, but the young master brushed it off as if she was used to it,
"As Clind just said, the early restoration of the brother-sister relationship between Frederica and Garfiel is a common issue... is that okay to think of it that way?"
"Yes, that's right. We've been racking our brains trying to think of a solution, but we just can't come up with a good idea. It's a complete mess."
「Emily is cute even when she's in a difficult situation. ――So, you went around asking around everyone involved in the mansion, and when you hit an impasse, you ended up turning to me.」
"Don't be so honest with me like it's a subliminal message."
Annerose, with a nonchalant expression on her face, doesn't seem to care about Subaru's remarks.
In any case, it seems that the current situation here is recognized, so there is no need to go to the trouble of explaining it.
"Even so, what kind of wind is blowing that you also want those two to make up? Everyone else is just saying that time will solve everything."
"Isn't this tendency more prevalent in people who are used to giving up or waiting? I don't mean to flatter you, but the people you two asked are probably the ones who do this a lot."
"You're being frank, my dear… No, I talked to Otto about it too."
"Then I will add the rating of you as someone who has never experienced success."
"That's harsh!"
It's sad that even Annerose has that impression of Otto, even though they've only known each other for about a week.
However, Subaru couldn't completely deny that, so his thoughts were best left unsaid.
"I won't deny that time will heal everything. The ten-year gap between those two... if we spend that same amount of time on it, I'm sure it will be healed. But ten years is too long. Ten years is just the length of time it took my father and mother to kiss each other."
"Hmm?"
In the middle of a statement that was unbecoming of a nine-year-old, he suddenly came to a conclusion that was also befitting of a nine-year-old.
As Subaru groaned, unable to keep up with the sudden downshift, Clind, on the other side of Annerose, put his finger over his mouth and made a gesture of "quiet."
I don't quite understand it, but perhaps that's the kind of knowledge a nine-year-old should have. I'd like to avoid going into detail here, since Emilia has the same misconception.
"What was that strange growl just now, Subaru?"
"Nothing. I just have a bit of phlegm in my throat and a feeling of helplessness."
"That's true. Adolescence is tough. But anyway, I have no intention of making those two spend that much time with me."
"We agree with that, but do you have any ideas, Anne?"
"What was Emily thinking?"
It was as if Emilia was being asked a question in response to Annerose's question, but she frowned, put her finger to her lips, and said, "Umm…"
"I think they both want to make up. Garfiel seems to be trying to make time to talk, and Frederica seems a bit awkward, but I don't think that's why she doesn't want to talk."
"Yes, that's right. So?"
"So I thought it would be easier if I just locked those two in the same room."
"Emilia-tan, you choose a pretty violent method, don't you!?"
In the extreme, even though Subaru thought that was the only option, he was quite surprised when Emilia uttered that opinion. Incidentally, while Subaru agreed with that opinion, he had a slightly more twisted take on it. However, the way he twisted it was the problem.
"Even if we throw them in the same room, if those two work together they'll be able to force their way out of most rooms. I also want to avoid the mansion being half-destroyed because of that. We're staying in the mansion in place of the destroyed one, so destroying it in a week is like a time attack."
"In that case, what do you think we should do, Subaru? Lock those two in the ice room I made?"
"I don't think it's necessary to bring about a revival of family love in such an extreme situation! Look, it's better to give them a common goal and put them in the same room!"
"A common purpose...?"
Emilia tilts her head with a puzzled look on her face.
Subaru somehow manages to stop himself from committing a crime, but in reality, his ideas are stuck there as well.
Although he had thought of a common goal for the two of them, he could not come up with a concrete plan for it. Maybe he should pit them against a monster that they could only defeat by joining forces.
Where is that convenient monster-slaying event?
"The truth is, I was thinking the same thing as Subaru."
"Eh? Are there requests to defeat Cyclops or Chimeras or something?"
"Apparently, that was not the case."
Seeing Annerose's scornful gaze, Subaru stuck out his tongue and smacked his head in apology.
The nine-year-old sighed softly, his cheeks flushing as Emilia's eyes sparkled with expectation.
「Our way of thinking is the same in the sense that we have the same goal. However, the difference in the information we have about those two is surely the difference in our way of thinking between me and Emily.」
"What information do you have on those two...?"
"Of the two, Emily and the others are more familiar with Garfiel. But I've been friends with Frederica for over eight years. I've been acquainted with that fanged face ever since I was old enough to understand."
I see, Subaru realised roughly what Annerose wanted to say.
It seemed that Annerose, through Frederica, was able to fill in the gaps in their common goal that Subaru hadn't thought of earlier.
"Are you sure about that?"
"If only we could find someone to help us. Then, Frederica isn't a problem, but Garfiel is the problem."
"Garfiel?"
"If Garfiel's personality is as I have observed over the past few days, then I think things will go smoothly."
It is unclear to what extent Annerose paid attention to Garfiel's personality, but at least as far as Subaru knew, Garfiel was being himself here.
Unlike in "Sanctuary", she doesn't show any senseless stubbornness or any attempt to hide the immaturity of a 14-year-old middle school student.
"I don't think there's any problem with Garfiel being natural."
"Then it will be fine. Now the only thing left is to find someone to help... Could you ask Lewes-san, the family of those two, to help us out?"
"To Mr. Lewes?"
When talking about people who had a close relationship with those two, this is the first name that comes to mind.
However, it was unclear whether Ryuzu, who had not been particularly cooperative, would go along with it. In any case, Annerose did not seem to have any such concerns, as she lightly beckoned to the butler behind her.
"Clind."
"Yes. If you're in the kitchen, we can delay dinner preparations and give you two hours of free time. A suggestion."
"Yes, I understand. Tell that to the dinner attendants."
"Understood. Quickly. Urgent."
After a quick exchange between the two, Clind silently leaves the room. Subaru and Emilia look on in surprise. Annerose smiles as she takes a sip of tea.
"Come on, let's get this problem over with quickly. There are still people whose business we need to meddle with."
Saying that, Subaru and Emilia looked even more confused.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
The moment he stepped into the kitchen and spotted the "unfamiliar back," Garfiel sighed, realizing he had fallen into a trap.
"...No matter how many times you do this, you're always meddling too much."
Even though he was cursing, there was a slight smile on his face.
Garfiel's nose is specially made. His sense of smell is incomparable to that of an ordinary person, and he was able to detect this smell even before he entered this place.
Yet, Garfiel's decision to go through with the unfamiliar body could be seen as the man's final act of determination, or perhaps his petty manly pride.
"Gaaf?"
As Garfiel scratched his head, a woman turned around and called out to him in an unfamiliar voice.
Standing before him was a woman with long, sparkling blonde hair. Taller than Garfiel, her physique could only be described as robust. The group of sharp fangs adorning her mouth, combined with the strength of her physique, gave off a somewhat barbaric and violent air.
Without that gentle voice and the soft light of her eyes as she gazes towards us, her true nature would likely continue to be misunderstood by others.
Frederica Baumann - that's what Garfield Tinsel had heard his sister call herself. Tinsel was his mother's family name, Baumann his father's.
Garfiel didn't know why Frederica had chosen to take his father's family name, and tried not to think about it too much.
However, I don't think the people who created Garfiel's current situation have given much consideration to his complicated feelings about this. Or maybe Garfiel is just exaggerating things and it doesn't seem like a big deal to others.
"It's a rare occasion to meet you, sis."
"That's what I say. For Garf to come to a place like this... dinner isn't ready yet, so there's nothing to snack on."
"I'm not here just to snack on you. You're treating me like a kid."
"The fact that you dislike being treated like a child like that shows you're not a child at all. Besides, Garf is still at an age where he wants to be spoiled."
"Well, I'm fourteen and past my prime. Who's calling me a spoiled brat?"
Feeling strangely stabbed, Garfiel barked a denial.
Frederica shook her head at Garfiel's overreaction and returned her gaze to the back of the kitchen - to her own hands,
"I have something to do right now. Unlike Garf, I'm not in a position to just play around."
"It's not like I spend every day having fun. And I didn't come here just to kill time... I think it was the same as my sister's."
"With me?"
"It seems the person who asked me is different though."
With just those words, Frederica seemed to understand the situation.
"So that's what it was," she muttered as if she had finally understood.
"I thought it was strange. Lady Annerose suddenly said, 'If you don't eat the meat pie Frederica made, you will die instantly.'"
"I wonder if my sister will be fooled by that argument."
"Who... no, what did Grandmother tell you to come here?"
"If you don't eat the meat pies I make, you'll get more senile..."
"I also don't think Garf would believe that."
Garfiel fell silent in response to Frederica's reply.
Now that you mention it, I was genuinely worried, so it can't be helped.
"My big sister, who abandoned her caregiving for the old hag, probably doesn't understand. When it comes to the old hag, it's not unusual for her to ask, 'Is dinner ready yet?' even though she just ate a moment ago. It's only natural that I'd be worried."
In reality, this is a tragic misunderstanding that occurs when the representative personality, Lewes, is replaced and does not inherit memories of even the right or wrong of eating, but Garfiel never notices this, and neither does Frederica, who heard about it from someone else.
Both siblings were now more worried about Ryuzu's mental condition, who was like a family member to them.
However, Garfiel's words at that moment struck a different, weak spot in Frederica's heart. This was because, unintentionally, Garfiel had struck her with a part of the void of the past ten years.
"...That's right. I haven't returned to Sanctuary even once in these ten years. During that time, it was Garf who was guarding it. I don't know what was going on inside, or how Granny was... but I can't speak as if I knew."
"No... I didn't mean it that way. I just..."
"――――"
Garfiel turns around again and finds himself face to face with Frederica.
That face is still unfamiliar to me.
Ten years have passed, and the image of his sister that Garfiel had in his mind for those ten years had not changed since she was a child ten years ago.
So even now, after meeting her again after so much time, he is unable to accept the fact. Frederica is surely in the same situation. So, just like him, her sister is probably looking at him with confused eyes.
However, what bothered him now was the look of confusion in his sister's eyes and the equally intense wave of emotion.
What on earth does her sister feel about her?
"...a"
When he looked back at him, Garfiel abruptly let out a sigh.
And then, all of a sudden, the answer hit me.
I noticed.
He suddenly realized that the emotion passing through Frederica's eyes was the same as what he was seeing.
It was the same emotion that had occasionally risen to Lewes's mind when he was in the Sanctuary. And it was surely the same emotion that he had seen reflected in his own eyes as he watched the reflection of the water.
In that case, it is a feeling of loneliness, mixed with a sense of regret.
"Yeah, that's right."
Garfiel had always thought that the events of ten years ago had been resolved.
Inside the tomb, Garfiel recalled the scenery he had seen as a child, and the time he had said goodbye to his mother. Understanding the feelings his mother had left behind at the time, Garfiel thought he had found closure.
I thought I shared that moment of decision with my sister.
But it was different.
The events at the tomb were merely events between the tomb and Garfiel.
Garfiel had only confirmed his mother's feelings and the difficult-to-put-into-words feelings towards his sister. His sister, who was in a faraway land, had no idea about them, nor could she convey them to him.
And so Frederica still stares at Garfiel with the same unresolved expression from ten years ago, not knowing what to say.
That's why, even though my sister looks a lot older than she did ten years ago, she still has the same eyes.
"Big sis."
"--!"
"Sorry, I couldn't tell you anything. It's okay. I'm okay now. I think I understand my mother and sister properly."
"Gaaf..."
Frederica's eyes darted, and strong emotions moistened them.
Garfiel was unsure of what to say, and feeling pathetic about his own lack of ability to speak, he searched for the words that would somehow properly convey his feelings.
I search my head, the books I've read, for the words I need to convey.
Subaru: "I understand when you left the 'Sanctuary', and how you never came to see me after that… I can't tell you, but I think I do. So… you know what?"
"Have you been able to forgive your mother?"
"--There's no forgiveness whatsoever."
Garfiel's mouth curled up as he shook his head at Frederica's words.
That's right. There's nothing to forgive.
The love and hate that Garfiel had imagined in his heart for so long had been completely misplaced from the start. He had been ignorant of the facts, ignorant of his own heart, and had simply been throwing a tantrum, venting his anger at not being able to see anything in the darkness where he could not understand anything.
If you know the facts, it's no big deal.
There was nothing that I had to forgive or bear any grudges against.
"I already know that you loved me... loved us."
"――――"
"So, if you're avoiding me because of what happened back then, it's no use. It has nothing to do with me anymore. Rather than that, let's have a better conversation, sis."
Returning to his usual way of calling her and speaking, Garfiel rubbed his slightly red nose with his fingers.
At Garfiel's attitude and words, Frederica let out a deep, long breath. Then she used her finger to scoop up the droplets floating faintly around her eye,
"Gaaf... you've grown so much."
"Are you being sarcastic?! I'm not any bigger than my big sister! What happened to my big sister?! Why is she so big... gulp!?"
"Even if you're family, what kind of thing do you say to a woman, you idiot Garf?"
He grabbed my leg and pulled me to the ground, hitting the back of my head.
Garfiel looked up at the ceiling, dizzy, and saw Frederica looking down at him, her face already turning into a smile.
"Come on, stand up."
"You're the one who turned it upside down, and now you're the one saying stuff like that?"
Taking the offered hand, Garfiel stood up.
He then brushed himself off lightly and asked, "So?" as he peeked at the counter where Frederica was working.
"Sis, how good are you at making meat pies?"
"I've just prepared the ingredients and started chopping them up. You, Garf, remember very well how to make the food you ate when you were little."
"That nosy guy left the instructions behind so that we could make it after he was gone. Come on, I'll knead the dough."
"Then I'm the seed."
Standing in front of the ingredients, Garfiel wrapped a towel around his head and prepared them, while Frederica brought out Garfiel's cooking utensils and handed them over in perfect unison.
The two siblings then began working side by side, as if there had been no gap of ten years between them, and they went about their familiar work as if it were the most natural thing in the world