Ch.54Chapter 54: Interlude (3)

I should probably help out.

If I leave things as they are, my sister’s right hand will strike Excel’s crown in the form of either a karate chop or a knuckle tap.

If that happens, Excel might genuinely end up spending a long time in the infirmary.

“Sis.”

After making this judgment, I carefully called out to my sister.

She was repeatedly clenching and unclenching her right hand, seemingly engaged in some kind of warm-up exercise(?).

“Hmm?”

At my call, she stopped what she was doing and turned her gaze toward me.

I was worried she might not respond since she was so focused on her warm-up with such a serious expression.

“Yes. Did you call me?”

I was relieved that my worry was unfounded.

Her brown eyes, which might appear emotionless at first glance, sparkled with a hidden warmth.

Though her words sounded curt, I’m sure she’s deeply concerned about how to handle that guy who can’t seem to come to his senses.

There was no reason to delay, so I quickly got to the point.

“That won’t bring him back to his senses.”

I needed to offer her a solution to this situation—something only she could implement.

As she listened to my words, a slight doubt appeared on her face.

It was probably doubt stemming from seeing me act as if I knew exactly what she was planning to do.

“Are you saying that because you know what I’m trying to do?”

“Of course. You were about to raise your right hand and deliver a chop to the crown of his head, weren’t you?”

I spoke in a flat tone without conveying any particular emotion.

*Gulp*

As soon as I finished speaking, I could see my sister’s body tremble slightly.

“Ahem.”

I also heard a small fake cough, an attempt to hide her emotional reaction.

“…That’s not true.”

Her denial was obvious, but it was futile.

I couldn’t be too direct, but I slowly spoke with a hint of playfulness.

“That right hand. It’s exactly the same as when you scolded me and him after we got caught playing in the tree…”

How could I not know?

It was the same when we broke plates or pottery while playing inside and were sent outside to play.

And when we were caught climbing that massive tree as big as the Ranos mansion while playing outside.

It’s the preparatory motion my sister makes before delivering a knuckle tap or a karate chop to my and Excel’s heads.

My sister’s response to my slightly playful, grinning comment was the same as before.

“…I said that’s not it.”

Hmm. I should probably be quiet now.

Her voice was as calm as usual.

But I had the feeling that if I provoked her any further, her right hand might come for me instead of Excel.

“Well, I’ll believe you then.”

I quickly expressed my belief in her words.

“…I told you that’s not what I was doing.”

Her eyes narrowed as she spoke, seemingly unconvinced by my sincerity.

“Okay, okay. I got it.”

After hearing my repeated assurance:

“Sigh…”

Even though she didn’t seem to fully believe my tone, she apparently had no intention of pursuing the matter further as she let out a light sigh.

“Then how do I get that idiot to come to his senses?”

She lowered her right hand from the table as she asked how to resolve this situation.

Now I need to give her the answer.

I slowly began to speak.

“It’s a simple method.”

“If it’s so simple, couldn’t you do it yourself, little brother?”

“If I do it, it’ll have the opposite effect. You need to do it for it to work.”

“…?? What on earth is it?”

At my words, it seemed like a huge question mark was about to appear above my sister’s head.

She clearly had no idea what I was about to suggest.

I suppose her expression will change quite amusingly when I tell her this method, but I still need to tell her.

If my memory serves me correctly, this is something my sister often did for Excel before the regression, so she’ll get used to it with practice.

Having finished my thoughts, I calmly explained the “method” to her.

“…”

As I continued speaking, not a single word came out of my sister’s mouth.

She was making an expression that was truly difficult to describe in words.

#

It was as I expected.

Excel’s foolishness quickly came to an end thanks to my sister’s actions based on my guidance.

So how exactly did my sister stop that devoted fool’s antics?

Here’s what happened:

“Are you… feeling sick?”

With a soft voice tinged with concern—different from when she’s angry—my sister:

“Let me…”

Carefully placed her right hand on his forehead instead of striking his crown.

The effect of my sister’s delicate touch—a touch so beautiful that any description beyond “beautiful” seems unnecessary—was remarkable.

As a member of the Ranos family, renowned for their swordsmanship, she had been handling swords since childhood.

Despite her elegant appearance, her hands had calluses here and there, making them rather firm.

“…”

Excel, who had been laughing uncontrollably and acting out of his mind, completely froze the moment my sister’s hand touched his forehead.

His mouth, which had been loudly blabbering, fell silent, unable to find words.

The movement of his entire face, including his cheekbones and the corners of his mouth that seemed ready to reach the high heavens, stopped.

The only parts of his body that retained freedom of movement were probably his widely opened eyes.

All of this happened in an instant.

But the rare silence created by Excel’s usually noisy mouth closing felt very heavy.

“S-Sis?”

Following his eyes, Excel’s mouth was the next part of his body to regain freedom of movement.

Hearing his voice, now much calmer than before, it wasn’t hard to tell that he had indeed come to his senses.

I never expected my emergency advice, based on memories from a previous timeline, to be this effective.

I felt an involuntary satisfaction and barely managed to control my lips from curling upward.

Now I should hope that the newly subdued Excel won’t attract any more attention…

“…Hmm?”

A questioning sound escaped my sister’s lips as she kept her hand on his forehead.

What’s this? Is there going to be another unexpected development?

Feeling concerned and worried, I tried to focus my attention on where my sister and Excel were.

“…Judging by the heat in your head, your condition seems to have worsened.”

As my sister’s words with a strange undertone reached me:

“Haa…”

A light sigh of relief escaped my lips.

The effect is really good.

“Little brother… are you sure this is working?”

My sister’s voice, half-doubting and seemingly questioning me, reached my ears, but I responded by nodding my head vigorously.

My sister’s expression was filling with disbelief at my response, but that didn’t last long.

“…I remember you stroking my head in the infirmary earlier, but after that…”

Excel’s voice, much calmer than before, was the strongest evidence that he had come to his senses.

But… wait? What?

My sister stroked this guy’s head while he was lying down?

“…”

“…”

“…”

Me, my sister, and Excel.

The silence that fell between the three of us, as if by agreement, lasted for quite some time.

#

“Uh… heh… kuhup…”

Ah, that’s my laughter.

It was the first sound to break the momentary silence between the three of us.

“Don’t laugh!”

And that’s the voice coming from my flustered sister.

“K-heh… well. I made an unnecessary… intervention. You would have handled it on your own… kuhup.”

“If you keep teasing your sister like that…”

Wow. This is really something.

This is the first time since my regression that I’ve laughed so hard my stomach hurts.

It’s the first time I’ve seen the great sister of mine so flustered.

I couldn’t help but feel mischievous enough to want to tease her more.

Of course, I should exercise restraint.

Despite appearances, she’s truly frightening when angered.

As I managed to suppress my laughter and collect myself:

“Umm…”

Compared to my sister, who was trying to manage her expression and calm her embarrassment:

“…”

Excel maintained his silence, wearing a blank expression as if trying to recall something.

An uneasiness like the calm before a storm seemed to surround him.

“Sis, could you stroke my head one more time like before…”

It seemed…

It would have been better if he had kept his mouth shut in this situation.

My sister’s reaction to Excel’s words was dramatic.

*Thump*

With a movement that seemed to have completely forgotten the etiquette expected of a noble family’s child, she sprang to her feet.

“Ahem! Come to think of it, I haven’t properly greeted the director yet.”

She tried to change the atmosphere with a fake cough and forced a gentle voice.

“It was so nice and pleasant to see you after such a long time!”

With a tone that anyone could tell was hurried, my sister greeted him and then vanished from the dining hall with a movement like an arrow released from a bowstring.

Despite the many people continuing their meals around us, no one was affected by my sister’s movement.

It’s something I’ve newly realized, but:

When one reaches the level of Shizuna, my sister, or Excel, they can move that quickly without affecting their surroundings—a truly exquisite movement.

…Of course, even such exquisite movement couldn’t hide my sister’s flushed face that was momentarily revealed.

“Ah…”

Excel let out a sigh and reached out his arm in the direction my sister had disappeared, but it was too late to stop her once she had decided to leave.

*Creeak*

The dining hall door closed with an unforgiving sound.

“To leave like this…”

Excel, staring blankly in the direction my sister had gone, clenched his outstretched hand without withdrawing his arm.

*Tremble tremble*

And he began to shake slightly, starting from his arm and spreading throughout his body.

If one were to view this movement in isolation, it would be pitiful enough to evoke sympathy, showing deep regret.

But I couldn’t let sympathy cloud reality right now.

“…It’s your own fault she left because you said things without filtering them.”

I placed my hand gently on his shoulder and spoke up, willingly taking on the villain’s role.

“Urgh…”

Having lost words at my statement, Excel let out a light groan and trembled even more violently than before.

The evening’s incident, which had made me laugh out loud despite thinking I wouldn’t have such an opportunity so soon after regressing, came to an end like this.

And exactly two days later.

The day of the Subjugation Festival dawned.