Chapter 169: Full Moon Night – Part 1 (2)

In 10 minutes.

“So, the two of them were running around the school, desperately searching every nook and cranny, while hugging a puppy that they had fed chocolate to!

And at that exact moment, the priest happened to leave the infirmary, so they were desperately looking for him all over the school, like hunting for something. Isn’t it just so cute?

The way that strong, iron-willed hero got genuinely flustered by just one puppy, it really makes you feel like they have a lot of humanity, it’s just so wonderful~”

“Hooh…”

Marianne was walking through the forest with Raizein, chattering away.

It was a strange thing.

Originally, she was very shy, and when meeting someone new, she struggled to even finish a sentence, being extremely awkward around strangers.

Despite that, up until now, she had caused a lot of trouble for Sion, but that was because it involved the hero party topic, and other than those exceptions, she was typically very timid.

But for some reason, there was no instinctive rejection towards the woman standing in front of her.

It felt as comfortable and familiar as if they had known each other for years, and she wanted to eagerly answer everything she asked.

In some ways, she even felt closer than her own older sister.

If there had been another older sister above Therese, it would probably feel like this—so familiar.

Maybe it was because she gave off a similar atmosphere to the hero? That might be the reason.

“Oh, and for the sports festival, she even wore a bunny girl costume! It was really cute~”

“Bunny girl?”

“Yes!”

Marianne grinned and pulled out a photo from her bosom.

“Seeing is believing, so here’s a picture taken by my maid. Would you like to see it?”

“Yes, please.”

Raizein took the photo that Marianne handed her. As she looked at the image of Sion in the picture, her eyes widened.

“This… is Father… the Hero?”

“Yes! Isn’t it adorable?”

“……..”

Raizein stared at the photo, almost hypnotized, without answering.

Though she didn’t say anything, her passionate gaze scanned Sion’s figure in the photo, from her nape down to her bare thighs.

Still fixated on the photo, she asked, “Did they make this costume mandatory for everyone at school? For all the students?”

“No? Only the people who signed up for the cheerleading team wore it. It wasn’t mandatory, just voluntary.”

“Really? She wore something like that voluntarily? Her?”

“Yes, that’s right! Since if the hero participated in the competition herself, the balance would shift dramatically, so to avoid that, she decided to join the cheerleading team beforehand.

Thanks to that, we were treated to a real eye feast today! Seeing the hero dancing hard as a bunny made me want to hug her, it was so adorable, heh.”

“……….”

Raizein glanced at Marianne for a moment, then turned her gaze back to the photo.

A somewhat resentful tone slipped out of her lips.

“Why only them… wait, no, I could just grab them and force them to do it…”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“Nothing.”

Raizein quickly erased her expression, lowering the photo.

Then, with a smile as if nothing had happened, she gently clasped her hands together and asked Marianne.

“I know this might be a bit of an unreasonable request, but could I take this photo with me? I really like it…”

“Hmm? Sure, go ahead. The original film is kept separately anyway.”

“Ah, really? Thank you so much!”

Raizein smiled brightly, bowing her head. Then she carefully placed the photo in her bosom as if it were a precious treasure.

Marianne stared at her for a moment, then suddenly voiced the curiosity that had come to mind.

“What is it?”

“By the way, this might be a bit of a late question, but…”

“Raizein, what kind of relationship do you have with the hero?”

This was a very important question. Strictly speaking, it was something she should have asked when she mentioned guiding her.

Since they looked alike, she had assumed they might be related, but she wasn’t sure exactly what their relationship was.

She only guessed that since she referred to him as ‘that person,’ they likely weren’t enemies.

What kind of relationship did she have with the hero? Would it be okay for her to introduce them freely?

“Hmm, I see…”

Raizein, after briefly placing her hand on her mouth and thinking about the girl’s question, turned slightly toward Marianne and spoke.

“Perhaps family… I would say. A real family with the same kind of blood flowing through our veins.”

“Huh? ‘Perhaps’? Are you not sure?”

“Not yet. I believe it’s 99.9% likely, but there’s still that 0.1% possibility. That’s why I’m here to confirm it personally.”

“Heh…

Could it be a younger sibling lost in childhood? Or maybe a mother and daughter who were forcibly separated?

Either way, it’s quite possible. I heard the Hero grew up alone in the back alleys without any special parents or siblings, so it’s possible they were separated from their family for some reason.

More than anything, the similarity in the aura I feel through my skin can’t be explained unless it’s a blood relationship.

But there’s one thing that worries me.”

“By the way, if they’re a family with blood ties, why do you refer to the Hero as ‘That Person’? Is there really a need to use honorifics?”

“Oh, this? Before coming here, I received some strict training. While I’m below, no matter how much we are family, I was told never to omit honorifics and always show respect.”

“Ahh—”

Marianne nodded in understanding.

She had heard a similar warning from her father, so she knew.

Now, she could casually spend time with her older sister Thérèse, but once Thérèse took the throne as Queen, she had to show the corresponding respect.

The Hero was the same.

No matter if the person were her biological mother or older sister, given their visible status, she could not treat them disrespectfully in a public setting.

It was a necessary measure to protect their dignity.

Raizein turned toward Marianne and asked.

“By the way, Marianne, what kind of relationship do you have with that person?”

“Me? I guess… a close friend?”

“A close friend?”

“Well, I’ve done some things recently that I’m not proud of, so I’m not really sure…”

Marianne recoiled, remembering the Hife incident. Ugh.

“Well, aside from that, I would still consider them a friend. At least, I do. I often invite the Hero to read comics with me.

She still stubbornly refuse to read any comics related to Lord Sien, but one day… maybe…”

“Huh? ‘Lord Sien’?”

Raizein raised an eyebrow in response to the specific keyword.

“A comic related to that person…

…If it’s a comic, then it must be a series of small images arranged to tell a story, right? Is there a work where that person appears?”

“Yeah? Of course! Lord Sien is the most popular and charismatic character in the Hero’s party!”

Marianne’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.

Her voice carried an excitement she couldn’t hide.

“Arrogance! Pride! Exceptional abilities! A past shrouded in mystery, and glimpses of their human side!

Which creator would miss such delicious material? It’s the finest ingredient that hasn’t lost its flavor even after being boiled a thousand times!”

“Ah, uh, yeah…”

Raizein looked at Marianne with a rare, very flustered expression.

This teenage girl’s extraordinary passion was enough to leave even a centuries-old vampire stunned.

Raizein cleared her throat awkwardly and spoke.

“Um. It seems like you really like Lord Sien, Marianne.”

“Huh? Of course! It’s no exaggeration to say I’m more passionate about Lord Sien than anyone else in this world, except for Lady Exia!

I’d be willing to give my life for Lord Sien!

Ahh, I envy the people from 500 years ago… to breathe the same air as Lord Sien… I wish I could have experienced that…”

“…….”

Raizein briefly looked down at Marianne with a somewhat perplexed expression, then gently shook her head and gave a faint smile.

There was a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

“Congratulations. If that’s your wish, you might just see it come true today.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Hehe.”

Raizein bent toward Marianne and whispered softly into her ear, as if sharing a secret.

“Normally, this would be information I shouldn’t leak, but since you’ve caught my interest, I’ll tell you.

You see, the Hero, whom you believe to be a close friend, is actually—”

Just then,

Clunk, clunk!

Suddenly, the sound of heavy boots echoed several times, followed by three night guards holding torches rushing through the bushes toward them.

They looked much more serious than usual.

The lead guard shouted a threatening warning toward the two of them.

“Hey, you two! Stop right there!”

Raizein scowled, frustrated by the interruption.