Ch.104104. Distrust (1)

Sion, who had left the Count’s estate when the cold was ending, returned only when the bitter winter was beginning in earnest.

Neither Sione nor I had heard any news about Sion until this morning. Where on earth did he suddenly appear from?

He was speaking to his personal attendant behind him and his escort in front of him.

His escort didn’t look in good shape. The dried brown bloodstains on the edges of their combat uniforms and the faint scent of blood reaching my nostrils suggested there had been a battle.

Judging by the fact that they hadn’t even wiped away the smell of blood and the fatigue they were showing, they seemed to have just arrived here.

‘…Will Sione be okay?’

Remembering Sione from her lung disease days when she could hardly be considered human, and knowing her past with Sion, I couldn’t help but watch my master’s reaction.

Their relationship was certainly more like enemies than blood relatives. I can still clearly remember Sion who despised his sister, and Sione who growled endlessly at him.

And just as I thought.

“So you’re back from the academy. It’s been almost a year. I see you haven’t changed at all.”

Sione muttered in a low voice with an icy tone.

Her blue eyes that captured her brother’s image began to sink into a calm and deep stillness. The smile that had been somewhat cutely spread while talking with me also disappeared.

Since I knew very well that the siblings didn’t get along…

After bowing my head and checking Sion’s escorts moving to the opposite side, I was about to carefully catch Sione’s attention.

Thump, thump.

In contrast to Sione’s increasingly hardening expression, I heard leisurely footsteps approaching.

I was going to suggest turning back if she wasn’t ready to meet Sion yet, but unfortunately, I missed the timing to speak.

Sion was already standing in front of us with his personal attendant, taking us in with his eyes. A year ago, he would have said all sorts of things to belittle my master.

But today, Sion showed a different reaction.

“Hmm?”

Gone was his nonchalant expression that looked down on Sione. His face now contained subtle emotions that were difficult to describe.

It was a natural reaction.

‘While Sion was away, I turned Sione into a human being.’

The image of his sister that he remembered was from when spring was approaching, when she was still working hard to burn fat.

Seeing his sister now, who had transformed from a bear walking on two legs to looking like a winning lottery ticket, such a reaction was inevitable.

“Lady Sione… is that you?”

At Sion’s complex voice, Sione silently nodded.

There was only an unbearably awkward silence that seemed to choke me. After Sione’s small gesture, no words were exchanged between them.

Sione continued to display a coldness that seemed emotionless. Looking at the incredulous expressions of Sion and his attendant, I could see him moving his lips and speaking first.

“…You’ve changed so much that it’s hard to recognize you.”

“It’s been a year. It would be stranger if nothing had changed.”

“But for all these years, through all seasons, you’ve always remained the same, haven’t you?”

Clench.

Sione tightly balled her fist.

Normally, Sion would have noticed such a small reaction from Sione and given an unpleasant smirk.

This time, Sion was different. He didn’t snicker. Instead, he faced Sione with an even more serious expression.

“News from the royal palace has spread throughout the kingdom. Even in a remote fief like this… the story will soon reach here, and tavern bards will talk about it daily.”

Sion’s eyes suddenly began to sharpen.

“They say it was Lady Sione, the incompetent second child of the Sianella County, not our talented knight sister Siabel, who protected the princess.”

“……”

“How did you do it?”

With a twisted expression and furrowed brows, his emotions, which had always seemed composed, began to intensify unnecessarily.

“You gave up the sword long ago and had no talent for magic. Did you sell your soul to a demon—”

Finally, Sione glared at him fiercely in response to his words.

“Sion. Shut your mouth.”

“……”

Her sharply honed words cooled the overheating atmosphere.

The Sianella County, a family that hates and guards against demons more than anyone else. The words Sion spat at his sister, a member of that family, were not insults that could be easily forgiven.

What was going through his mind to say such things after appearing for the first time in so long? Fortunately, he seemed to clearly recognize his mistake, as he kept his mouth firmly shut.

“Sion, you should know the weight of your words.”

“……”

“Even for someone known to be incompetent like me, if a commoner dared to mention demons in my presence, their head would have rolled. The same goes for children of other noble families. Even if I couldn’t behead them, it would cause quite a nuisance.”

“That’s—”

“Do you know why, despite all the abuse you’ve hurled at me, I’ve always listened quietly, showing only slight discomfort… without ever getting angry?”

“……”

“……”

Sion subtly shook his head.

Sione, as if she had expected this, quietly but loudly enough for everyone present to hear, exhaled.

The atmosphere had suddenly reversed.

With things turning out this way, Sion had no choice but to give up pressing Sione further. Sione walked straight up to him.

“…Be careful from now on.”

“…I will be careful.”

After finishing her conversation with Sion, my master half-turned to look at me.

After meeting my gaze once, she turned her head sharply as if telling me to follow her.

As I quietly followed behind her, passing by Sion, I observed his complexion.

With a hardened face, he was thinking deeply about the words Sione had left, more than anyone else.

* * *

“Haah……”

As soon as we returned to the room, Sione let out a deep sigh.

As if she had spent too much mental energy talking with her brother, Sione plopped down on her bed.

She stared blankly ahead with a tired look, sighing heavily.

Feeling I should do something rather than just watch, I spoke as I was entering her room.

“…I’ll bring some sweet snacks.”

I postponed speaking informally. Given the situation, it seemed a bit tactless to use informal speech now.

Since Sione likes sweet pastries, if I brought something a bit sweeter than usual, the sweet taste spreading on her tongue might help relieve her stress a little.

Thinking this, I was about to open the door and leave again when—

“…Don’t go.”

Sione stopped me.

Turning around at Sione’s voice from behind, I saw her patting the spot next to her on the bed.

It seemed like she wanted me to sit beside her…

This time, I obediently sat down next to her.

As I gently sat beside her, I felt a comfort that was incomparable to my own bed.

No wonder she doesn’t want to leave her bed. I somewhat understood why she insisted on eating cookies in bed despite my protests.

Then.

Poof—

Sione gently leaned against me.

“…What are you doing?”

“Stress relief.”

“Would you like cookies?”

“This is better.”

Rather than going back and forth to get snacks, it was more comfortable to just sit here and stroke her hair as usual. So I stroked her hair as if tousling it, passing the time.

After some time had passed, Sione smiled brightly as if it was enough now and got up.

Then she picked up an arrow she had brought to the room for mana concentration practice and sat down at the table.

Woong…

Mana gathered at the arrowhead and then dissipated.

My master, who had been silently manipulating mana while deep in thought, gradually began to look at me. Soon, she opened her small mouth and spoke in a low voice.

“…What should I do?”

“What do you mean…?”

“My younger brother, Sion. We’ll inevitably run into each other in the mansion even if we don’t want to. Sister Siabel is fine, but… I really don’t know how to deal with Sion.”

Sion—family, but worse than an acquaintance.

Sione was deeply contemplating how to face him from now on.

As I was also trying to organize my thoughts in response to her words—

[A quest has been formed.]

“Like the Past”

“From the moment she shut herself in her room and stopped coming out, the siblings’ relationship gradually grew distant, to the point where they might as well be enemies now. Your master, Sione Sianella, longs for the time when she was incredibly close with her younger brother. Help her improve their relationship.”

“Reward: Awakening of Sione Sianella’s power, Breaking through Sion Sianella’s growth limit, Seed of Demon-Destroying Power”

I cut off all the thoughts that had been branching out in my mind without hesitation.