35. Chit-Chat

35. Chit-Chat

“Can I touch your sword?”

“No.”

Inside the cafe, bathed in soft lighting, Claire’s eyes sparkled as she spoke the moment we sat at the sturdy wooden table. I firmly refused and shook my head.

Fortunately, Claire didn’t seem to intend to pester me further, as she didn’t push her luck when I refused. However, as her gaze kept drifting to my sword, it seemed she was still quite disappointed in her heart.

… It felt like I had harshly rejected my cute, young sister with her bright, alert eyes. Even though I had done nothing wrong, a sense of guilt seemed to creep up my back.

Still, I couldn’t let her lick my sword.

That’s… a no. Anyway.

I ordered a suitable drink and changed the subject, asking Claire.

“By the way, is it really okay to skip class like that?”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

Every time I meet Claire, the first thing I hear is that she’s ‘skipping class.’ I’m just curious when she’ll actually attend a class properly.

Claire said dismissively.

“Who cares? I’m a princess, a princess! Even though I’m the youngest, professors and students alike can’t even lift their heads in front of me!”

“Well, you are short, after all.”

Due to Claire’s characteristic small stature, I could only see her face if I bowed considerably. The statement that they can’t lift their heads in front of her wasn’t a metaphor; it was literal.

Claire tilted her head for a moment, as if she didn’t understand my words, and then shouted.

“It’s a metaphor, a metaphor! You idiot?”

“Ah.”

I widened my eyes.

… It’s possible not to know.

“It doesn’t matter what my grades are; it won’t affect my future anyway. I didn’t even want to take this class in the first place, so it doesn’t matter if I skip it. Edel doesn’t seem to think so, though.”

Edel was the name Claire used for her maid. Perhaps that was her name.

Soon, Claire continued.

“Aren’t you the same? It doesn’t matter if you fail the test, right? You’ll inherit the family after graduation anyway.”

“Well. If you think about it, that’s true… but I don’t want to show such a pathetic side to my sister.”

My lovely sister, my little bundle of black fur with cute wolf ears and a tail, the first thing she sees upon coming to the academy is her sister idly wasting time….

No. I can’t allow that. Freya should only see good things. That’s why I’m studying with Ella’s help, even if it means racking my poor brain.

… Even though the results weren’t good.

Claire tilted her head after hearing my answer.

“Sister…?”

Then she suddenly froze and her eyes widened. Her golden irises darted towards me, and then Claire spoke in a rather flustered voice.

“Ah! Freya…! I forgot!”

“Huh?”

My sister’s name, popping out from an entirely unexpected direction. I was startled and looked at Claire.

“Claire, do you know my sister?”

“Uh, she’s a close friend….”

Claire replied in a voice barely above a whisper.

Not just a friend, but a close friend. I looked at Claire with genuine surprise. When did my sister, who always stayed by my side, make friends?

“Since when?”

“It’s been a few years. Didn’t you know? I used to visit the North often.”

“Really…?”

I frantically tried to recall. Beyond the memory of my sister nuzzling me and massaging my body with her tail, I delved into memories from even further back.

Yes, indeed, visitors often came to the Grand Duke’s mansion. There were merchants selling daily necessities, and other people I didn’t know.

But most of them seemed to avoid me, so I also lost interest in visitors. We couldn’t talk or anything if we didn’t meet.

Was Claire among them? Did my sister become friends with Claire without my knowledge?

I sighed.

I couldn’t become friends with anyone in the North for 20 years, yet Freya was making friends even among the visitors to the estate.

….

Good job, my sister. Having many friends is a good thing. I smiled.

Claire said.

“Actually, I thought you might not know. We only saw each other from afar and then left. Honestly, every time I came to the Grand Duke’s mansion, I wanted to greet you, but Freya always stopped me.”

“My sister…? Why?”

“How should I know?”

Claire shrugged.

Is there any reason Freya would deliberately stop Claire from greeting me? I pondered, my tail tapping back and forth. And after a few seconds, I realized the reason.

Freya didn’t want to lose her friend to me!

Come to think of it, that must be it. My sister, who had no acquaintances unlike me who had plenty of friends, never introduced her friends to me. Perhaps she was worried about losing her precious friend if she introduced them to me.

My lovely sister, having such a cute thought.

Perhaps she didn’t know that friends are a concept that can be shared. It meant that Freya’s relationship with me wouldn’t be broken even if Claire and I became friends.

Well, Freya is human too, so she might have some misunderstandings. I should teach her a thing or two.

I should become even closer with Claire and teach my sister that friends can be shared by many. Freya, please wait a little. This time, your older sister will teach you common sense.

I smiled softly in my heart.

Meanwhile, Claire said urgently.

“No, that’s not important right now. There was something Freya asked me to do, and I completely forgot about it until now!”

“Freya asked? What was it?”

I asked Claire back.

What could my sister have asked the princess to do? I couldn’t even guess.

The position of the second daughter of the Northern Grand Duke is not just for show. With both money and power, Freya should be able to handle most things on her own, so I had no idea what she needed to ask Claire for.

Claire replied.

“Um, actually, Freya was worried about you, so she asked me to keep an eye on you- no, I mean, to look after you. And then she asked me to write a letter, but I completely forgot.”

“Freya did…?”

I had been completely mistaken. I naturally thought my sister had asked Claire to handle a tough matter requiring power, but she had asked for such a thoughtful deed!

I didn’t realize how jaded my heart had become so soon after reincarnating. When I heard the word ‘request,’ why was the first thing that came to mind money and power?

Moved by my sister’s thoughtful heart that cared for her older sister, I shed tears in my heart and, at the same time, reflected on my own hardened mindset.

Claire said, stamping her foot cutely.

“What should I do… It’s been a long time since she asked me. Won’t she be angry?”

“Oh, come on. Freya is so kind. She’ll understand if you say you completely forgot.”

Claire tilted her head.

“… She’s kind? I don’t think so.”

Now it was my turn to tilt my head.

“What are you talking about? My sister is such a good child.”

She grew up kind, bright, and lovely without causing her older sister any trouble since childhood. Where on earth did she see Freya as not kind?

Claire said with an expression of disbelief.

“She’s so ruthless. It was scary just watching her.”

“That’s impossible.”

My sister wags her tail like a puppy whenever she sees me and clings to me. Where on earth could she be seen as ruthless?

“I’m serious. Maybe she was just putting on an act in front of you-“

“Claire.”

Hearing someone speak ill of my sister, my face involuntarily contorted. At the same time, my body tensed up too much, and the teacup in my hand cracked with a ting.

Claire, startled, flinched. The people chatting around us also fell silent all at once. A moment of silence descended upon the cafe.

“….”

I took a breath and calmed myself down.

Yes, Claire probably didn’t mean to speak ill of Freya. She might know a side of my sister that I don’t, or perhaps she was just speaking casually as a close friend.

It’s not good to get angry based on assumptions. I took a deep breath and spoke again in my usual voice.

“… Anyway. Don’t worry too much. If it’s really impossible, should I send a letter with you?”

Freya tends to listen to me, so if I help her, she might get less angry. Although I can hardly imagine my sister getting angry.

“Uh, uh huh. That would be great, thank you.”

“Okay.”

… Perhaps because I got angry, I felt like Claire and I had suddenly drifted apart.

This shouldn’t be happening.

I hesitated for a moment, then whispered into Claire’s ear.

“Claire, I’m sorry for getting angry. Do you want to touch my sword?”

“Yes!!”

And I couldn’t help but stare at Claire’s completely changed demeanor.