episode_0128

With a confident air. No, despite saying so while feeling the soft touch on her arm, Eleanor glanced at Hildegarde beside her.

The person standing next to Eleanor, looking at the grand castle, was not Hildegarde with her mysterious aura mixing with the purple hue through her black hair, but a common man.

However, to Eleanor, the most precious man was Dimitri Verberitz, who was taking her away from her brother, Hildegarde, showing her fangs in frustration, backed off at the troubled expression on her sister’s face, and let go of her arm.

“Why did he suddenly change like that?”

Walking side by side, Eleanor listened to Dimitri’s explanations about the grand castle, chewing on her memories from earlier.

In fact, the encounter with Hildegarde Verberitz, the grand lady, had only been from yesterday afternoon to this morning. It was less than half a day.

And during that short time, the image that the grand lady had built up in Eleanor’s mind was elegant and somewhat cold. It was the image of a lady called a “chado-nyeo” in the world of high society.

That lady.

In just a brief teatime chat, a sudden joke, and a Golden Retriever… No, because of the different hair color….

Becoming a Russian Blue that obediently nuzzled her leg.

Suddenly…

Out of the blue…

“New sister…”

“Is that title awkward for you?”

“Uh!”

As Eleanor’s quietly pondered thoughts slipped out as a mutter, Dimitri, who was beside her, added to her words. Eleanor, unaware that her voice had slipped out, looked at Dimitri as he brought his finger to his lips, which were stained red.

“W-well, it was a bit like that.”

Perhaps caught revealing her own thoughts, Eleanor’s ears were slightly flushed as she spoke.

“Well… there’s that too.”

With a coy smile, the two walked side by side. Eventually, Eleanor continued speaking as she kicked a small pebble under her foot.

“The grand lady we met earlier is there. She looked a bit different from what we’ve seen so far.”

“Hmph… is that so.”

Dimitri suppressed a laugh at her words. Not knowing the reason for his slightly burst laughter, Eleanor giggled and faced him.

“What is it?”

“Elli. If you call her the grand lady, Hilde might cry. After all, you’ve been calling her ‘new sister.’”

“Oh… I see.”

At Dimitri’s words, Eleanor simply nodded her head.

“Well then, Dimitri.”

“Yes, Elli.”

Eleanor stood upright carefully in place. The silence that followed wasn’t too long.

“So, what should I call the grand lady?”

Finally, Dimitri’s lips curled up slightly. It was just a simple question after all, but he couldn’t help but fall for the cuteness of the woman standing beside him today.

On the other hand.

Eleanor’s mind was currently in a state of confusion in many ways.

If the situation were reversed, if she had been her original gender, things would have been easier.

If she had been a man from the start, she could have easily kept her distance from her lover’s sister.

But now it was different.

She was in a woman’s body, and her sister, who was also a woman, was approaching her closely. Should she also get closer to her? That was the question.

For Eleanor, who had lived 21 years as a man, viewing the situation from a man’s perspective, maintaining that distance was somewhat difficult.

“If you call her Hilda, she would probably like it too.”

Dmitri continued speaking as he held Eleanor’s hand, who had stopped.

“In fact, Hilda has a mature side to her, as she has helped her less fortunate brother in many ways, and she really likes those girls.”

“Is that so?”

Eleanor’s voice trembled slightly, all because of the word ‘sister.’

As the daughter of a viscount, living as the youngest daughter, she had never expected to be called a sister. She had little interaction with other noble ladies, and everyone she had met with her own body was older than her.

Thinking this, Eleanor listened to Dmitri’s words.

“Sometimes, when Dominic comes to spend the summer at the Seraphon estate, Hilda would go to meet him. And when she does, she sticks close to Dominic and never leaves his side.”

Hildegarde was easier to get along with than Eleanor had thought.

“So, if you approach Ellie affectionately and call her Hilda, you might be able to win her over quickly.”

At Dmitri’s slightly teasing words, Eleanor blushed and lowered her eyes.

“Win her over…?”

“As the woman who captivated the Duke’s siblings. Isn’t that impressive?”

“Dmitri!”

At Dmitri’s playful voice, Eleanor widened her eyes. Dmitri chuckled and pulled Eleanor into his arms.

“Well, it seems Hildegarde is already halfway captivated.”

Soon, her neatly groomed eyebrows, tinged with embarrassment, were thankfully hidden from Dmitri’s view.

#

And so, Eleanor and Dmitri wandered around the Duke’s residence, chatting about various things.

They visited the Galgami Knights’ training grounds, mingled with the knights, and even pretended to be close to Bernard, provoking his jealousy.

They strolled through the village beneath the Duke’s residence, showing off Eleanor’s beautiful appearance to the people of the North, who called her the jewel of the West.

The final event of their busy schedule was the defense of the North, where Dmitri, Eleanor’s lover, risked his life to protect it.

As the summer was still quiet with little activity from monsters, the defense forces on the wall were not very numerous.

So, unlike before, they could spend some quiet time alone.

Or so Eleanor thought, excitedly.

“Haah, hoo. How much further?”

There was no excitement there, only the rough sound of a woman’s breathing.

Her ragged breath was due to the many stairs they had climbed. When Eleanor stopped for a moment and turned around, she was suddenly overwhelmed by the thought of how to go down the stairs.

Soon, Dmitri, who had been walking ahead, turned around at the rough sound of the woman’s breathing echoing through the quiet staircase. His black eyes were filled with concern.

“We’re almost there, Ellie. Should I carry you if you’re tired?”

It would be a lie to say he hadn’t hesitated. The slender woman’s body was as fragile as it looked.

But it was not just that. Even if she agreed to be held by him, the memories of the man that had needlessly taken root in her heart rose up.

“I-I’m fine.”

Moreover.

Even if she carried a chest that heaved with each rough breath under her slender shoulders, she was still a woman who had passed a Class 1 physical examination, a strong man’s body, after all!

Of course, just breathing heavily was enough to keep her busy, so those meaningless thoughts quickly dissipated.

Once again, they continued up the stairs of death.

After that, Eleanor climbed the stairs in silence for a long time.

“Here we are, Ellie.”

And at the end of the stairs.

The orange sunset was enveloping Dmitry.

Dmitry carefully reached out his hand to Eleanor, who was standing one step below on the stairs. This time, Eleanor did not push away his hand due to her strict pride.

Looking at his face tinged with the crimson sunset, Eleanor grabbed his rough and warm hand. As their small and soft hands touched, Dmitry smiled broadly and pulled Eleanor into his arms.

“Wow….”

Followed by a conventional exclamation.

However, her expression did not match the excitement.

Under the sky starting to be dyed in crimson, an endless sea of trees spread out. The sharp-pointed coniferous forest swayed back and forth in the blowing wind, creating waves of green.

That sight was deeply etched in Eleanor’s heart.

“Today, the weather is nice, so we can see quite far.”

Dmitry, with a blissful expression, gently lifted Eleanor’s chin above his head as she nestled in his arms. The pleasant scent of roses wafted from Eleanor’s platinum hair fluttering in the wind, tickling Dmitry’s face.

“This is the end of the world.”

Dmitry raised Eleanor’s hand that he held. The direction where her hand held by Dmitry pointed was beyond the sea, towards the high snowy mountains.

“No one knows what lies beyond that mountain, what it looks like. So, this is the end of our world.”

Eleanor nodded silently. Eventually, Dmitry lifted her chin from above her head.

“This is an endlessly desolate land.”

A lie.

Eleanor thought. Fortunately, this time, that thought did not escape beyond her lips.

“Summer is short. Even calling it summer, it’s not warm, and the days are not long.”

Dmitry continued, feeling the large sapphire ring on Eleanor’s slender hand.

“As the seasons pass quickly, a short autumn follows. Then, the following winter turns this land into a snowy country. The land freezes, and the world is nothing but snow.”

Eleanor cautiously slipped out of his embrace. Facing Dmitry’s endlessly cold voice, Eleanor stood in front of him, meeting his black eyes.

“This is my land. The endlessly desolate land that I have lived in and must protect.”

She wanted to say no. The tiny hands clenched into fists soon became tense.

The grand castle visible far away under the setting sun is truly beautiful.

Not as desolate as he said.

In my eyes, it is a precious and beautiful land.

However, as she met the black eyes filled with loneliness, her lips remained tightly sealed.

“Do you remember when I first confessed my feelings to Ellie?”

“I… remember.”

Taking a step closer, Dmitry approached her until she could hear the beating of their hearts. Meeting Eleanor’s eyes with his now closer black eyes, she struggled to lift her lips to convey her words.

“My feelings from back then have not changed.”

Dmitry once again wrapped Eleanor’s small fists with his hands.

“But, Ellie, I am still tormented.”

The black eyes that were facing each other looked down. Continuing the conversation with a dull voice, only shadows were cast on his face that was once filled with the crimson light of the sunset.

“Dmitry, I-”

It’s okay.

I only need you.

With those conventional words, Eleanor tried to comfort Dimitri.

“So, what I mean is.”

Thump.

As she faced the resolute determination in his black eyes once again, Eleanor’s heart began to flutter.

“So, I will love Ellie even more diligently.”

His sky-blue eyes trembled slightly. And Dimitri continued speaking.

“I will think of Ellie more, and live the rest of my life only for Ellie.”

As the words came to an end, tears started to well up in his moist eyes. With her vision becoming blurry, Eleanor, unable to even close her eyes, gazed at Dimitri, wondering if her overflowing emotions would show.

“Will you stay by my side forever, Eleanor?”

Words were unnecessary.

Embracing his firm embrace, Eleanor simply held onto his sturdy waist tightly.

And despite their sweet conversation, the political situation in the capital was flowing somewhat urgently.

#17. At the end of the world, with you, 完