Ch.7878. Winter is Right Around the Corner

“This time… it’s stronger than before?”

Friel gave me the same greedy look as the last time I saw her.

No, it might have gotten a little worse…

I greeted her briefly and asked:

“What do you mean by stronger? May I ask what you’re referring to?”

“The scent of spirits emanating from you. It’s stronger now.”

“Ah.”

…Damn it.

There was a reason Friel was examining me with more persistent eyes than when we last met.

When I encountered her a few days ago, I was hiding the spirit energy as much as possible. But now I’m completely exposed, not even trying to conceal it.

That elf’s nose must be detecting a more intense elven scent from me than before.

“Even an elf couldn’t produce such a rich scent in just a few days—”

Friel gazed at me as if entranced.

Like a bee drawn to flower fragrance, she took another step closer to me, seemingly wanting to inhale more of my scent.

“You were hiding your spirit energy from me that day, weren’t you?”

Friel had already approached until she was right in front of me.

As if not caring about the stares around us, this damned long-eared woman wasn’t satisfied with the unnecessarily close distance.

Now she perked up her ears and started sniffing, inhaling my scent.

“Haah… to think a mere human could possess such a fragrance.”

As I stepped back from the elf who was making perverted comments while getting drunk on my scent, she quickly grabbed my collar.

The elf melted deeper desire into her fresh teal eyes, exhaled deeply, and showed a beautiful eye-smile.

She stepped even closer and whispered into my ear:

“Well, Ray. Have you finished thinking about it?”

“…Thinking about what?”

“Didn’t I tell you to make up your mind by the next time we met?”

Right, she definitely asked if I had any intention of becoming hers.

My mind was already made up. I had absolutely no intention of submitting to an elf.

“I—”

Just as I was about to express my intentions to Friel, hoping she would stop holding me here, I saw someone walking out from inside the building and stopping.

Unlike her family members who resembled proud cats, she had a beautiful face like a cute puppy.

White hair that had grown quite long during the past half year, now reaching below her shoulders.

And those clear blue eyes.

“Ray…?”

A woman who looked every bit like my master.

Sione called my name with a blank expression as she saw me and Friel.

I wondered why she was looking at me with such a devastated expression.

Then I realized the reason.

“Hmm, just when things were getting good… the Sianella lady has arrived?”

Looking at the long-eared woman maintaining a distance close enough for an embrace, I understood Sione’s reaction.

Although the proximity was entirely Friel’s doing without any willingness on my part,

from the outside, we must have looked like lovers about to embrace.

Sione was probably looking at me with the pitiful feeling of someone who had lost the man she liked to another thief cat.

Judging by her expression, Sione would likely cry and demand explanations when we returned to the room…

‘Sigh… How do I fix this?’

I felt my stomach churning at this tangled situation as I looked at Friel.

First, I should increase this too-close distance.

With a hardened expression, I spoke to the elf who was the source of all evil:

“Lady Friel, would you please step back?”

But this damned long-eared woman, even in this precarious situation, smiled sweetly and replied:

“Riel. Call me Riel and I’ll step back.”

“…Lady Riel, would you please step back?”

Only then did Friel finally create some distance between us.

Sione immediately approached me and positioned herself between us,

as if to prevent any further closeness between Friel and me.

Then Sione examined her with wary eyes.

After confirming the woman’s elegant appearance and long ears, Sione said:

“…Do you have some business with my attendant?”

Sione’s cold words were naturally buried under the elf’s slick atmosphere and smile.

Friel made eye contact with me behind Sione.

“I still haven’t received an answer.”

That was clearly directed at me.

The burdensome attention of both Sione and Friel was focused entirely on me.

In this uncomfortable situation, I barely opened my mouth to answer the elf:

“I’m sorry… but I have absolutely no intention of becoming yours.”

At my answer, two different smiles crossed the women’s faces.

One burning with deeper possessiveness, and one filled with relief at my answer.

I observed their contrasting reactions while praying for this cursed situation to pass quickly.

* * *

After finishing my conversation with Friel Arielt, I was led to Sione’s room with her holding my hand.

Well, it was more like Sione forcibly grabbed my hand and wouldn’t let go.

Having seen Sione’s devastated expression earlier, I quietly followed my master’s wishes.

Creeeeak…

Sione slowly closed the door.

Click.

After locking the door, Sione:

“…You’re mine.”

She hugged me tightly.

And not just lightly, but strongly, as if she would never let me go.

After burying her face in my chest and mumbling something for a moment, Sione looked up at me.

“Ray… I think I need an explanation.”

“…I’ll explain everything slowly, but could you please release your arms first?”

Sione held me for a while longer before finally releasing her arms.

Then, sitting across from each other at a table, I explained what had happened with that damned long-eared woman in the subdued atmosphere.

Fortunately, Sione sat quietly and listened to my story thoughtfully, allowing me to make her understand without any trouble.

Just when I thought the situation would end without problems,

Sione suddenly began to speak:

“…I was shocked when I first saw it.”

“Pardon…?”

“How could I have known you would be so close to a woman I’d never seen before?”

“…It was beyond my control.”

“Yes, I’m sure it was. But even so, my heart feels so tight. What should I do?”

Sione’s eyes began to moisten.

She was clearly consumed by her emotions.

“You definitely said… your ideal type was someone cute and affectionate.”

“…Yes, I did say that.”

“Then I’ll adjust for you…”

Sione got up from her seat and approached me.

“I’ll be… your Sione.”

Then she embraced me and said:

“Please look only at Sione…”

This is driving me crazy…

It seems the cleanup will take much more time.

* * *

Time passed quickly.

During that time, Eunice Kallia sent me a new sword as a gift, and Adelheid bestowed an elven bow upon me as a reward.

Not to mention the bow from Adelheid, the sword from Eunice was also a single-edged blade similar to the one I used on the day of the attack.

Since it closely resembled the sword I regularly used, I was somehow able to replace both my main weapon and secondary armament with premium items.

The news that Sione handled a bow did not spread beyond the Sianella family. And since she only used a short knife on the day of the attack,

The royal family awarded her a splendid sword befitting her title as a daughter of a knight family.

For a while, unlike me who received a bow, she grumbled about receiving a sword.

She was still doing it now.

“Ugh…”

My master with her long grudges was making sounds of frustration while looking at the sword standing in the corner of her room.

Watching Sione, I spoke with a faint smile:

“Forget about that sword… please look at Ray instead…”

My expression as pitiful as possible, my voice as sorrowful as I could make it.

Imitating Sione’s appearance from a few days ago, her cheeks instantly turned as red as carrots.

“Eek…! Didn’t I tell you to stop teasing me…!”

“What does it matter? Come here. I’ll pat your head.”

“…Do you think I’ll forgive you just for that?”

“Would it be alright if I don’t pat you?”

“O-of course.”

I nodded leisurely in response to Sione’s words:

“Then I have no choice.”

At that, Sione puffed her cheeks and complained to me, while looking at my hand with regretful eyes.

If you’re going to be like this, you should have accepted when I offered to pat you in the first place.

I chuckled and patted her head.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“…Shut up.”

When I stopped patting her head, Sione looked at me with a sullen expression.

“…”

“…”

“…What are you doing? Hurry up and pat me.”

At her words, I let out a small laugh.

And my master, apparently not liking that, started to screech.

As I was spending time with Sione like this, Ainel came to visit before long.

Ainel was properly dressed in uniform, not in the sky-blue pajamas I had seen before.

She spoke in a deliberately serious tone:

“We’ll be returning to the county in two days.”

Sione asked in response:

“In two days?”

“Yes. Siabel will be waiting for us at the estate.”

Ainel glanced at the scenery outside the window.

“With winter approaching, soon your younger brother—”

As the word “younger brother” came from Ainel’s lips, a slight wrinkle formed on her forehead.

Sion Sianella.

The third child and youngest of the Sianella County, who was born with outstanding talent as a priest instead of sword talent.

From what I knew, the relationship between Sion and Sione was among the worst possible.

So it wasn’t strange that Sione’s expression hardened coldly at Ainel’s mention of “your younger brother” referring to Sion.

Ainel continued speaking, regardless of Sione’s reaction:

“Isn’t it about time for Sion to return to the estate from the academy?”

Ainel naturally crossed her arms and tilted her head slightly to the side.

“Let’s return to the estate first and welcome Sion before the cold winter winds arrive.”

Along with the harsh season of winter,

Sion Sianella would be returning to the county.