Ch.31First Date (2)

I stared blankly, lost in thought, when I felt a gentle tug at my sleeve.

“…pa.”

“…”

“Nepy oppa.”

“Ah, yes. Miren.”

Seeing Irefi in a wedding dress was no different from experiencing lightning striking my brain.

I must have looked quite pathetic, like a soul that had left its body to wander freely.

It was quite the twist that the outfit Miren had chosen wasn’t just a dress suitable for a social party, but a wedding dress…

‘It was such an unexpected appearance…’

Because I hadn’t noticed her exquisite feminine beauty before.

And because that person happened to be Irefi Justitia.

I was internally quite shocked.

“Uh… I’ll go change!”

She hesitated and turned around. She seemed to be trying to hide her blushing cheeks.

“Irefi.”

“…What?”

“That dress you’re wearing…”

Miren’s golden eyes sparkled brightly. Perhaps because she was eagerly squeezing her hands together, my lips moved instinctively without any filter.

“I’d… like to see it again. Definitely.”

“Nepy. Does that mean…”

Irefi’s question couldn’t continue.

“Oh my, oh my…!”

“Nepy oppa…!”

Both the madam of the boutique and Miren sent uncomfortably admiring and proud glances our way.

“I also want to see the dress that Elfi unni is wearing again, definitely.”

“Please do place your order with our boutique when that time comes! Please, grant me that honor!”

“Eh? Huh? …Ah?”

“Wh-what, what, what, Nepy?!”

I suddenly realized what had just come out of my thoughtless throat, while Irefi let out an involuntary shout.

I could sense in real-time how the already focused gazes on us intensified even more.

“Wait! What I meant was…”

“Nepy oppa’s honesty is his charm.”

“Miren!”

Both Irefi and I screamed in perfect unison.

Meanwhile, Miren, the actual instigator, was hiding behind me with a meaningful expression.

“I-I’m really going to change now!”

“Y-yes! Please do!”

Irefi covered her sunset-colored cheeks and started running. I couldn’t help but admire how she maintained such balance while running in that dress and those shoes.

Behind her, the madam followed slowly with a truly mischievous smile.

I collapsed onto the sofa as if a storm had just passed through.

“Sigh, what is all this?”

“What did you think of our unni, Nepy oppa?”

Miren asked with a beaming smile.

‘…What’s this? Has Miren’s smile always contained such impish qualities?’

No, no.

What blasphemous suspicion am I harboring about this angel-like child? Miren is just my sweet and lovely little sister.

Her sparkling golden eyes steadily urged me to answer.

“Everyone in the Empire knows Irefi is beautiful.”

“What about you, oppa, not just everyone in the Empire?”

“…”

The answer was predetermined. I had already admitted it once in front of Irefi, hadn’t I?

Confirming it again makes me feel embarrassed and fluttery.

“I think… she’s pretty.”

“Right? Elfi unni has many other good qualities too.”

“Like how diligent she is in everything.”

“And she’s very loyal once she gives her heart.”

“That’s true.”

She gave me a dissatisfied look at my plain agreement. Then she started talking to herself like someone reciting from a textbook.

“Ah, I wish I could become family with Nepy oppa.”

“I already think of you as my sister, Miren.”

“I meant I want Nepy oppa and Elfi unni to—”

“Miren!”

Miren’s words couldn’t continue. Irefi, who had changed back into her Nelfrugia Knights uniform, urgently called out to her.

Miren puffed her cheeks in disappointment and hopped up to go to Irefi.

“Now let’s look at clothes for Miren.”

Irefi said.

“That sounds good.”

I sharply expressed my agreement.

“I can just inherit the clothes that Elfi unni wore.”

“No, I can’t allow that. We need to select the cutest and highest quality products for you.”

The original purpose had been Miren’s clothes, but I had momentarily forgotten because of Irefi’s striking outfit.

“Ugh…”

Miren cutely expressed her dissatisfaction, but my resolve was firm.

Eventually, Miren was taken away by the madam to a back room to have her measurements taken.

Now only the two of us sat side by side on the sofa in silence.

Both Irefi and I sat with our hands neatly folded and backs uncomfortably straight, as if we had made a prior agreement.

“…”

“…”

An awkward silence dominated the air around us.

If we continued in silence like this, it felt like we might never speak to each other again.

So I decided to speak first.

“Irefi.”

“Nepy.”

“…”

Did Irefi have the same thought? By coincidence, our timing for speaking overlapped perfectly.

I cleared my throat unnecessarily and asked.

“Ahem. Irefi, what should we eat for dinner later?”

“Ahem. As you said this morning, I think meat would be good.”

“Yes, that sounds good.”

“Yes, that would be nice.”

“…”

“…”

Once again, a heavy silence enveloped us. My heart was pounding so loudly that I worried she might hear it.

‘Since I’m immortal anyway, should I just stop my heart completely?’

Just as I reached such a terrifying thought…

An angel descended from the other side to save us.

“Miren!”

We both stood up simultaneously and called out the same name, as if we had rehearsed it.

“Our Miren is radiant, our little sister.”

“…How many times do I have to tell you, she’s MY little sister?”

Irefi objected, but she didn’t deny my words. And for good reason—Miren in her dress was presenting herself more beautifully than anyone else in the world.

“I was just going to have my measurements taken, but they had a dress that fit perfectly, so I came out wearing it.”

Miren twirled around once and posed cutely.

Her angel-like appearance couldn’t help but draw attention from all around, with whispers coming from every direction.

The harmony of soft indigo and navy blue, like decorations adorning the early evening sky, created the illusion that she was a fairy of the moon.

Her mysteriously shining golden eyes were like a full moon illuminating the night path, constantly stealing one’s gaze.

“This is it… this is the one. I’ll take this!”

“My goodness, it suits you so well, Miren!”

Seeing our enthusiastic reactions, the madam approached with a subtle smile.

“Hoho, if it’s not too presumptuous, may I offer the dress that Lady Justitia tried on as a gift to both marquesses?”

“Would that really be okay? I can pay properly… Actually, I don’t know much about it, but I’m told I have a lot of money.”

“You know that what you just said sounds really stupid, right, Nepy?”

“Be quiet.”

The madam chuckled and corrected the misunderstanding.

“Since this is both marquesses’ first visit to our boutique… please think of it as a bribe to encourage you to visit us often in the future.”

“Then I’ll gratefully accept. And I’ll immediately return the favor.”

I boldly declared, gesturing from the left corner of the boutique to the right.

“From here to there. I’ll buy it all.”

“Oh my, oh my!”

“This line, this situation that I’ve only seen in romance fantasy novels! I’ve always wanted to try it… another item crossed off my bucket list.”

“Nepy, do you realize your eyes look a bit glazed over?”

Only after hearing Irefi’s comment did I regain my sense of reality.

This happened after the madam had withdrawn to gather all the products.

“I got carried away by the mood, but do I actually have enough money to buy all that…? If I’m short, could you lend me some? We don’t need an IOU between us, right?”

“I don’t know what romance fantasy novels or bucket lists are, but don’t worry, it won’t even make a dent. Even if you’re short, I can cover your unnecessary extravagance.”

Irefi added, ‘After all, you helped treat Miren…’

“Thank you, Nepy oppa.”

“Of course, what money wouldn’t I spend for Miren? Your oppa will work hard labor if necessary to pay for your clothes.”

I found Miren’s proper expression of gratitude endearing and patted her head vigorously.

At least until her next comment came out.

“Even if Nepy oppa has no money, seeing Elfi unni in that dress one more time would solve everything.”

“Miren!!!”

Both Irefi and I raised our voices to a peak again. Neither of us could continue speaking in the face of Miren’s innocent-looking eyes…

But it was hard to shake off the unsettling feeling that we were being drawn into something.

◇

We were walking along the main street after arranging for the boutique’s bill to be sent to the imperial palace.

Miren had insisted that she wanted to sightsee on foot rather than take a carriage.

She walked between me and Irefi, firmly holding both our hands and swinging them energetically.

Because of this, my hand and Irefi’s occasionally touched, but Miren maintained a puzzling smile and didn’t stop.

“Now it’s time for the play Miren wanted to see.”

“Yes, there’s a play I’ve been wanting to see with the three of us for a while.”

“Oh? What play is it, Miren?”

Miren answered energetically.

“It’s called ‘The Villainous Noble and the Female Knight’s Story.'”

“That’s… a title that gives me a strange sense of déjà vu.”

It’s definitely a title that reminds me of something I’ve seen somewhere.

Well, since people live similar lives everywhere, I must have seen a similar title in my previous life or somewhere else.

“If it’s inappropriate for Miren to watch, we’ll leave in the middle?”

“It’s fine. I’ve already heard the general content.”

“Is it famous enough to be the subject of rumors?”

As if she had been waiting for my question, Miren’s eyes sparkled as she recited fluently.

“It’s about a nobleman with a bad reputation in high society and a female knight who end up living together due to their circumstances. As time passes, their misunderstandings clear up, and the two fall passionately in love.”

“That’s… a plot that gives me déjà vu.”

The world is full of all kinds of creative works.

More importantly, isn’t Miren too familiar with the play’s content? Normally, people would avoid spoilers…

No, if it’s a famous play, she might have heard about it unavoidably. Let’s not dig too deep.

I’m just glad it’s not inappropriate content for Miren to watch.

As we chatted, the theater was already displaying its grandeur with its impressive size.

“Is this the theater? It’s quite large.”

“It’s a landmark of Eldrion. Even His Majesty the Emperor and his wife occasionally visit.”

“You must have had a hard time.”

“Yes, indeed. There are few places as conducive to assassination as a theater. I wish they would be a bit more cautious. Well, it might not be my responsibility anymore.”

“What do you mean it’s not your responsibility?”

“Oh, I misspoke. Let’s talk about it in detail later. For now, let’s go in.”

“Hmm… alright.”

Since she didn’t seem particularly troubled, I didn’t question it further.

I simply melted into Miren’s cuteness as she suspiciously kept making our hands bump into each other, and we made our way into the theater.