Let’s Make It Clear

“There are wheat fields everywhere.”

“Yeah. It must be getting close to harvest time, so everyone’s probably busy.”

Duke Ignis’s territory, located in the southern part of the kingdom, is the largest granary, responsible for more than 60% of the grain consumed in the kingdom.

It’s no exaggeration to say that most of the wheat used to make bread, the staple food of the kingdom’s people, is grown in Duke Ignis’s territory.

As such, the scenery visible outside the train almost always showed wheat fields or windmills.

And as the train continued to run, the wheat fields visible outside the window gradually decreased.

“I think we’re about to arrive.”

As Riel said, a city could be seen in the distance.

Brimton City in Duke Ignis’s territory.

Though not as large as the royal capital, its considerable size was noticeable as the representative city of the Duke’s territory.

People were lined up in front of the walls surrounding the city.

If we had come by carriage, we would have lined up behind them, but since we came by train this time, the train entered the city along the railway.

“This is convenient. In Wentos County, there are no trains, so we have to go through inspections every time.”

As the only son of the lord, I could pass quickly, but I still had to stand in line as a good example to those below me.

In contrast, if you take the train, you can go directly to the station inside the city because your identity is already verified when you board the train.

And then one more check when getting off the train. That was it.

Although the waiting time wasn’t much different, it could be finished faster than at the main gate where you had to line up and go through inspection.

Brimton City, as seen after leaving the station, looked very ordinary at first glance.

If there was anything unusual, it was that knights were patrolling instead of soldiers, but since we had already heard about the circumstances in the letter, we didn’t find it strange.

“Everyone, this way!”

At the loud voice, we turned around to see a knight waving at us with a carriage behind him.

He was a knight order member I often saw when I accompanied Princess Aine and the knight order in the north.

“I came to greet you as you were about to arrive.”

To the knight who said that, Riel, who had been looking around, asked.

“By the way, hasn’t my sister come?”

“Ah, Commander Eve is in the north right now… I think she’ll arrive later.”

If she’s in the north, that’s completely opposite from Duke Ignis’s territory here.

Well, if they were contacted simultaneously, she would be a bit later.

“Then let’s go. Her Highness is waiting.”

Andrew was lost in thought in his room for the first time in a long while.

After arriving here and hearing from Princess Aine about what had happened at the Duke’s mansion, he was greatly shocked.

He had personally visited the hospital where the servants were said to be sleeping.

“Willy… Ellen…”

He saw several servants he was acquainted with.

According to the doctor, initially, they weren’t asleep but just blank, as if they had lost their minds, and recently they had lost consciousness as if quietly falling asleep.

Because of this, they weren’t eating properly, so they were hospitalized with intravenous fluids prescribed instead.

He heard that the soldiers, being too many, were moved to hospitals in other cities, and they were in a similar situation.

While looking around at them, Andrew realized.

The current state of the servants was very similar to his mother’s condition.

“Could it be… this is also the work of fairies?”

With that thought, Andrew immediately returned to the mansion and had been holed up in the study almost all day.

His goal was literature about fairies.

The former Duke Ignis, who didn’t have a very good relationship with the church, had rebelliously collected books about fairies that the church had designated as forbidden, and they were neatly organized in a corner of the study.

Thanks to that, he clearly learned that fairies can cause simple manipulations in the human mind or inflict mental damage.

He was speculating whether what he had suffered for years might have been this, when:

“Lord Andrew, are you there?”

“Ah… yes.”

Alicia was the one who opened the door at Andrew’s answer.

She carefully looked around the room, and when her eyes met Andrew’s, she entered the room.

“Just now, your younger sister has arrived at the mansion, they say.”

“Is that so?!”

At Alicia’s words, Andrew jumped up from his seat.

He remembered his cute younger sisters whom he hadn’t met once since parting years ago.

His older younger sister Eve and his younger younger sister Riel.

He was told that Eve had joined the Magic Corps and was working under Princess Aine, and was now searching for their father in the north.

He was told that Riel was now attending the academy in the royal capital.

If someone had arrived now, given the distance, it was probably Riel.

“Riel…”

A small, young, cute younger sister.

He remembered what Riel looked like when he last saw her before they parted.

A child who hardly spoke and always lived shrunk back as if in fear.

He was deeply moved to think that she had already grown enough to attend the academy.

“She was unloading her luggage just now, so I think she might be inside the mansion by now.”

“Thank you. I’ll go now.”

Andrew left his room and ran down the stairs.

He could see the open mansion gate below.

The characteristic flame-like red hair of the Ignis family was visible.

She had grown considerably compared to when they parted, but she still retained some of her childhood appearance.

“Riel!!”

When he shouted her name loudly, the girl turned around, startled.

The girl’s red eyes met his, and her small mouth opened.

“…Brother?”

Andrew, who rushed to his sister whom he met after a long time, hugged her small body tightly.

“Waa!”

Riel let out a small scream.

A young man with flaming red hair like Riel’s—that person must be Riel’s brother Andrew.

He called Riel, then ran over and hugged her tightly in his arms.

“Riel…! I’m so glad to see you’re doing well!”

“Um… yeah… what about you?”

Riel seemed a bit dazed.

That’s understandable, as Riel had almost no impressive memories of her brother.

“Um… brother?”

“Y-yes! What is it?”

“It’s… it’s a bit suffocating, so I’d like you to let go…”

At Riel’s words, as if now aware of his current state, Lord Andrew separated with a face as red as his hair color.

Thanks to that, I could properly see his face—he was a gentleman-style man with slightly grown hair of the same color as Riel’s.

He looks like someone who could make several noble ladies cry if he attended a banquet.

“Um… I’m sorry. It’s just been so long…”

“No, I understand.”

“Yes. Thank you. …Hmm?”

Andrew’s gaze turned this way.

I was wondering if this was the timing for me to say something, when Andrew opened his mouth.

“Is that perhaps Phyllis over there?”

Ah, he wasn’t looking at me but at Phyllis behind me.

I almost felt awkward for almost speaking up.

“It’s been a long time, Lord Andrew.”

“Yes, it seems you were safe.”

“Pardon?”

Phyllis let out a pathetic sound involuntarily, startled by Lord Andrew’s words.

Well, come to think of it, when Phyllis was expelled from the mansion, Lord Andrew had already left the mansion with the Duke and Duchess.

He probably didn’t even know that Phyllis had been expelled.

Phyllis seemed to have reached the same conclusion, as she fixed her expression that had almost crumbled and said:

“No, I’m currently working for another family.”

“…Is that so? Then why are you here now…”

“That’s…”

Phyllis sent a glance toward me.

Following that gaze, Lord Andrew’s eyes also turned to me, and realizing it was finally my turn to speak, I extended my hand to Lord Andrew.

“Pleased to meet you, Lord Andrew. I’m Kyo Wentos.”

“Wentos…? The Count Wentos family?”

“Yes. Your younger sister’s…”

Honestly, I was struggling with how to describe my relationship with Riel.

But I haven’t even confessed yet, and we’re not dating yet.

I definitely think I feel love for Riel.

And I speculate that Riel probably feels the same way, but…

What if she doesn’t?

“…We’re academy friends.”

I felt Phyllis’s glare from behind, and Riel looked at me with a slightly disappointed expression.

…Should I just be confident without thinking about the aftermath?

Just as I was thinking that and about to turn back to Lord Andrew.

“Urgh!”

In an instant, I felt a sharp impact on my side and hunched over.

When I turned around, clutching my side, Riel was standing with a sulky expression, her fist tightly clenched.

…Did Riel hit me? This seriously hurts…?

“Kyo!”

“Wha… what?”

Riel grabbed my shoulder tightly and shouted.

“Let’s make it clear now!”

“Wha…what are you talking about?”

“Do you like me or not?!”

My mind went blank at Riel’s sudden question.

Well, I’ve always been internally debating whether I should confess or not.

But I never expected her to say such things suddenly in front of family.

“Um… Riel?”

“Answer me now!”

“I… I like you!”

…I gave in to the pressure.

Riel, who heard my answer, grinned.

“Good.”

“Wha… what?”

“I like you too.”

I had no words left.

I mean, while I was seriously contemplating when to confess, I never expected to be forced to confess.

“Brother!”

“Y-yes…”

And Lord Andrew, who had been looking dazed at the situation before his eyes, collected himself and looked at Riel in surprise.

“This person is my lover.”

“So… so…?”

…Is this really okay?

Can it really go this smoothly?

With such thoughts, I shifted my gaze toward Lord Andrew, and I felt that his eyes looking at me contained a hint of murderous intent.

…I think I’m going to have a hard time.