Ch.137137. Spring Outing (5)

“That elf doesn’t even catch my eye… seduction.”

“…..”

I was speechless.

What is seduction? Isn’t seduction precisely the act of enticing someone with your charms?

But looking at Sione’s current state…

There seemed to be a gap between what I understood as seduction and what Sione perceived it to be.

“Haha…..”

I laughed hollowly. The weak laughter that escaped was involuntary.

How on earth could unbuttoning the top two buttons of your shirt and stealing someone else’s cookie possibly be considered seduction?

Though I’m pretending not to notice to spare Sione embarrassment… she’s stuffing cookies into her soft cheeks as if she were some kind of rodent.

Thanks to that, I can clearly feel it with my palm against her cheek.

In this situation, if I were to lick my cookie-crumb-covered fingers, I’d look like nothing more than a food-obsessed glutton.

Where on earth did Sione, who spent so much time alone in her room, learn such an absurd method of seduction?

I gently stroked Sione’s cheek, which had displayed something closer to innocent charm than the seductive appearance intended for temptation.

“Mmm…..”

Sione’s expression softened momentarily, as if she hadn’t expected her seduction to work so easily.

Sione, who displayed innocent charm rather than seductive allure meant to tempt others.

She was momentarily dazed, trying to understand the situation. Soon after, a beautiful galaxy filled her blue eyes.

Whatever future she was imagining in her pupils, they were filled with tightly packed expectations.

“Sione.”

“Y-yes?”

While stroking her cheek.

Pinch!

I pinched her soft cheek between my thumb and index finger.

A small question settled over her expectation.

“What do you mean, seduction?”

“Waaah…!”

I pulled on her cheek flesh.

“R-Ray! L-let go…!”

Oh my, the lady is urgently asking me to let go. How could a mere servant disobey?

When my hand left her cheek, Sione rubbed her cheek and glared at me.

Like a puppy lowering its tail in confusion at the sudden prank, she showed a small resentment toward me.

“Ugh… why did you suddenly do that?”

“That’s what I want to ask. What’s with this sudden seduction?”

“Well… like I said earlier, after seeing that elf, I got a little anxious…”

“Hmm…..”

It seems Friel Arielt’s smile toward me had stimulated Sione’s jealousy and possessiveness.

The last time Friel and Sione first met, she clung to me. This time when they met, she tried to seduce me by stealing my cookie. At this rate, I wonder what Sione might do after their next encounter.

But that aside.

I had one more question to ask her.

“And where exactly did you learn this kind of seduction?”

I wonder how our lady learned such a flimsy seduction technique.

When I asked that, Sione began to scratch her cheek while avoiding my gaze.

“Well…..”

After hesitating for a moment, Sione pointed at the bookshelf in the room with a timid gesture.

“…I saw it in a novel.”

“Ah…..”

Come to think of it, Sione’s bookshelf contained various novels besides plant encyclopedias.

She seemed to have tried to recreate a seduction scene from a novel, superimposing it onto us.

“Men in the novels definitely made female protagonists fall for them when they did this.”

Oh, shit. Dear God.

“…Male characters did that? Like grabbing a woman’s hand to put on their cheek, and licking fingers?”

Flinch!

When I spelled out what Sione had done to me, she blushed widely, apparently embarrassed by her recent actions.

She looked at me nervously and finally nodded with a small sigh.

“Yes, of course. How could a woman do such a disgusting thing?”

“Ah…..”

Goodness. To think those novels on the bookshelf described men doing such disgusting things.

I never imagined those novels on the shelf would be such frightening books.

As I shuddered at the gender-reversed disparity, something Sione had just said caught my attention.

“So Sione… copied a disgusting act that women shouldn’t do.”

Flinch.

Ripples appeared in Sione’s pupils.

“Are you alright?”

“I-I’m fine.”

Sione hung her head low.

Her face was hidden by her drooping hair.

After staring at the ground while wiggling her toes for a while, Sione slightly raised her head to look up at me.

“I’m Ray’s little sister, so…”

“…..”

“It’s not strange for a little sister to act cute with her big brother… right…?”

I stroked Sione’s head and eventually burst into laughter.

I couldn’t help it. What can I do when the situation is so funny?

At that, Sione’s entire face turned completely red, as if my laughter had offended her.

“Ugh… why are you laughing…!”

I couldn’t answer because I was laughing.

“You said you came from a world where gender roles are reversed…! I even unbuttoned two buttons for you…!”

Screech!

Sione pushed back her chair and approached me with quick steps.

She started hitting me with weak fists.

“…You’re the strange one for not being seduced! You said you like me!”

“I do like you. Incomparably more than some pointy-eared elf.”

“Yes, yes, of course you like me more than that elf—”

Sione, who had been venting her anger at a rapid pace, suddenly stopped and stared at me blankly.

“Uh…..”

“But—”

I poked her cheek.

“It’s hard to like the cookie inside your mouth too.”

It was the cheek where Sione had been storing the cookie she stole from me.

“Ah.”

Sione finally realized her mistake.

I smiled at her and said in a playful tone:

“Lady Sione seems quite far from the concept of seduction, doesn’t she?”

“Ray, you…!”

Sione’s expression was contorted like a child about to burst into tears.

She must have been terribly embarrassed by my teasing and the memory of her own behavior.

Sione finally uttered that word she hadn’t used in a long time.

“Get out!!”

Following her command, I gathered the empty plates and teacups from the table in front of me and said:

“Then I’ll bring some more cookies and tea.”

Well, she’ll probably cool down by the time I return.

If not, I can always calm her down by patting her head until it gets hot.

* * *

Time passed quickly after returning to the room.

It got quite noisy outside once, which I suspected was because those pointy-eared folks who said they’d come in the evening had entered the count’s residence.

Since it’s getting late, they’ll probably discuss important matters tomorrow…

Well, Ainel Sianella will handle the conversation with Friel Arielt well.

I had subtly informed her about the elves’ insidiousness before. She should be able to deal with the elves with some caution.

The problem was—

“Ray… can’t you sleep in my room tonight?”

As if she hadn’t tired of the seduction game, Sione was making a request she normally wouldn’t.

“…What do you mean by that?”

“N-no, I don’t mean anything special… I just want to be with you a little longer…”

“Hmm. Are you still bothered by that elf?”

“…Yes, I keep thinking about her for some reason.”

She really worries a lot.

Despite my explaining several times why I couldn’t be enchanted by an elf, Sione wouldn’t lower her guard against Friel.

When I asked what they talked about earlier today when she went to see Friel off, she just insisted it was nothing special. Not telling me anything. How frustrating.

“And—”

Sione started staring at me intently with expectant eyes.

“I think I’ll have good dreams if you’re by my side.”

Well, staying by her side isn’t a big deal.

“I’ll hold your hand until you fall asleep. How’s that?”

Sione nodded.

Then Sione slipped under the covers on the bed, and I sat comfortably in a chair with a backrest beside the bed.

“Ray, good night.”

After saying that, Sione brazenly kissed my forehead, then closed her eyes while firmly holding my right hand.

In the dark night, only the soft moonlight shining through the window gently illuminated the room.

Huff… huff…

Sione’s breathing stabilized.

Well, she must be sound asleep by now.

Just as I stood up to return to my room and rest—

Grip.

Sione’s hand holding mine suddenly tightened with unexpected strength.

“…?”

Sione, who had her eyes closed, was now clearly looking at me.

Her blue eyes were shining brightly in the darkness like those of a predator that had spotted its prey.

“Not yet.”

“…..”

“Sit.”

Ten minutes passed.

“Still not sleeping.”

Thirty minutes.

“Sit.”

Forty-five minutes.

“Not yet.”

“Stay still.”

“Ray.”

Why was someone who usually falls asleep instantly acting like this?

Perhaps because she’d been walking around all day and had a lot to think about after meeting the elf.

I’m quite tired too.

“Sione, surely this isn’t another attempt at seduction?”

“…..”

Her tightly closed eyelids moved.

“Big brother… when a beauty is sleeping next to you, shouldn’t you at least give her a kiss…?”

Beauty or whatever.

A deep irritation silently crept up.

Sione slightly lifted her eyelids to look at me and showed a surprised expression.

“R-Ray…?”

…Should I kill her?

* * *

Friel Arielt quietly gazed out the window from the room assigned to her by the courtesy of the head of the Sianella family.

Late at night, the moon had risen to where the sun had been, casting a soft light upon the world.

“Hmph—”

She looked up at the moon quietly and snorted.

“…Damn demons. My bond with the spirits has weakened again.”

The demon’s clutches had already reached the people of the great forest.