episode_0005

Let’s go back in time a bit, to the morning of the academy entrance ceremony.

A faint sigh filled the still quiet academy.

It was a sigh from a boy who was less than 160cm tall and had black hair and blue eyes.

“Haa… It’s been a year. Meeting Estee.”

A boy who calls the third princess of the empire by her name.

If normal people did this, people would point fingers at them and say, “Are you crazy?”

He deserved it.

His name is Louis de Blasére.

Because he was the eldest son of the Blazer family and an old friend of Esti.

But Louis’ expression as he chewed over Estee’s name was never bright.

Because she knew about the threats she made to get into the academy.

‘He even threatened to cut my hair like that… Did the trauma get worse over the past year when I didn’t pay attention?’

Cut hair.

It may be an act of nothing to others…

For Estee, it was a wound that hurt more than anything else.

The thought of her stirring it up herself made her expression impossible to be happy about.

That’s why he made a pledge.

‘I need to cherish her while we spend time together again. I need to feed her cookies and compliment her on how pretty she is.’

Taking care of Esti, who had been neglected due to the training of her successor.

He said he would restart the so-called ‘Infinite Stroking’ plan.

Even if it meant handing over the position of the next Grand Duke to his younger brother.

I will help ease Estee’s trauma.

———The trauma caused by his slip of the tongue.

‘Where. Then… Since it’s been a year since I’ve seen you, I’ll think about what to say first.’

After that, Louis thought hard about what he would say to Estee when he saw her again.

You’ve become so much more feminine over the past year. I can’t recognize you. I almost fell in love with you.

Words that girls like.

And time passed quickly.

The academy began to get more and more noisy…

The uproar reached its peak as the Abrüen royal carriage entered the Academy.

-Right now.

‘The Abruenian royal carriage. It’s finally here.’

Louis naturally followed the carriage inside.

The numerous guards surrounding him did not bother to stop him, as he was the eldest son of the Grand Duke’s family and a close friend of Esti.

The carriage stopped shortly after.

A white-haired girl jumped out of the carriage.

“Your Highness, I will give you… .”

“It’s okay!! The original concept was to jump!!”

“… … … Yes?”

-Whew.

“There is something like that. Hehe.”

A striking girl in white riding pants, having an incomprehensible conversation with her coachman.

Even after a year, Estee was still the same.

A sigh of relief came out naturally.

‘The hair is still there. Thank goodness…’

“… Ah, Louis~!! It’s been a year~!!!”

-Thump thump.

“… … … !!!!!!”

However, the relief at seeing the still tangled hair was short-lived.

As soon as Estee saw a familiar face, she ran straight towards him.

Moving her little legs. Making a thump thump sound. With a face as bright as the world.

Louis gasped at the sight.

‘It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. You seem to have gotten younger… … !!!’

Actually, over the past year, Louis has grown a little bit.

About 3mm. Enough that neither I nor Estee are aware of it.

However, Estee hasn’t grown even 1mm in 10 years.

The very subtle difference in eye level that occurred because of that…

It had the effect of making her look younger than she did a year ago.

At the same time.

A violent rejection reaction arose within him.

“Ba, nice to meet you… Woof!!”

‘Oh, no!!!’

The instinct that runs through the blood of the Blazer family went crazy.

The lips that started to spasm opened on their own.

And the words that will leak out between those lips.

He knew too well.

“Less… … .”

‘No, no… When you did that back then. When you promised yourself never to hurt Esti again…!!’

-Thump thump.

10 years ago. Words that deeply hurt Esti.

However, the Archduke Blazer family has, since their ancestors, taken only older men as companions.

As a man born with that blood, these are words I can never bear.

I’ve been holding out somehow for the past 9 years by building up my immunity…

Because my immunity was reset during the year I was engrossed in the successor class.

Because of that, Estee felt smaller and younger for no reason.

Finally, a bombshell came out of his mouth.

“It’s not ripe… … .”

-Buzzing.

-What, what the… …!!!!?

-Oh my god, what are you saying now… .

‘Undercooked’.

A truly refreshingly derogatory line that would be enough to slap an ordinary woman.

Those shocking words caused an uproar in the surroundings.

Just like that day ten years ago, when there was a ball to celebrate Esti’s birthday.

Just like the moment when his engagement to Esti, which had been a bond since birth, was shattered and his execution as the eldest son of the Archduke’s family was openly discussed.

Louis’s eyes were shut tightly.

-Kwak.

‘What makes Estee better? This piece of trash… .’

He reopened Esti’s wounds in front of countless people.

I regretted it so much 10 years ago. And again.

Guilt weighed heavily on his face.

……however,

“Pfft. Louis, you’re still the same. How are you going to live without me?”

“… Es, T?”

“To show my gratitude to this older sister, I’ll bring her a bunch of cookies later. Hehe. ”

Unlike that time when I was really angry.

Esty was laughing out loud with excitement.

Purple mana flowed softly around her.

* * *

Louis, the boy I met as soon as I got married and my ex-fiancé.

The moment he turned pale as if having a seizure, I knew what was going to happen.

“More, less… .”

‘……distortion!!’

And we have already experienced how strong the aftershocks can be.

I quickly spread my mana and cast illusion magic.

So that no one but me and Louis could hear our conversation.

The effect was perfect.

“It’s not ripe… .”

-What, what…!!!?

-Why is there a sparrow sound coming from my mouth…?

His bombshell remarks only reached my ears.

To others, it sounded distorted as the sound of a sparrow crying, ‘Peek-a-boo, Peek-a-boo.’

Even the Knight Commander standing next to me looks puzzled, so I can say that it is definitely effective.

A smile naturally appeared on my lips.

‘I felt like I was in total chaos right now…!!’

-Hehe.

“How are you going to live without me?”

“… Es, T?”

“Don’t worry. Other people probably didn’t hear it!”

-Knock knock.

Feeling elated at the perfect success of my magic, I started teasing Louis by poking him in the ribs with my elbow.

Of course, while doing so, he did not forget to check the information as befitting a mastermind.

-Tiring!

[Current favorability rating of ‘Louis de Blasé (20 years old, male)’ towards the subject: 80]

[As a result of the favorability effect, the probability of winning the other person’s favor is ‘significantly’ higher.]

‘Okay. Even if I look at it again, it’s perfect favorability management.’

Louis’ affection towards me is still 80.

In other words, just best friends.

The corners of my mouth curved upward even further.

‘He has to go to the female protagonist. If he gets 100 favorability and starts to fall in love with her, it’ll be very difficult.’

Louis is a rare good person who shows kindness to the female protagonist in the ‘Witch’s World’ which is overflowing with human trash.

That’s why I thought of connecting Louis with the female protagonist.

He’s kind and comes from a good family…

Above all,

‘… I saw a few comments saying that I’d like to see their couple continue. Haha. I can’t stand it.’

In Witch’s Slaughter, I consistently pushed for Louis to be the male protagonist.

There’s no way I could miss an opportunity to legally get you out of debt.

That’s why I’ve been watching Louis from all sides, being careful not to buy too much favor.

10 years ago, when I was still confused after the ice ceremony, Louis blurted out, “You’re not very ripe.”

Not only did he silence his family members who were going wild about executing him immediately, but he even supported them and became friendly with them.

… Mentally, to me who was 13 years old, Louis seemed like a younger brother by 3 years, so that may be part of it. Anyway.

Louis opened his trembling mouth at my consideration for his younger brother.

“… Estee, you?”

“Huh? What?”

“Aren’t you angry?”

I was thinking that he was going to say thank you for blocking the aftermath, but Louis suddenly started worrying about me.

My head tilted involuntarily.

“What, do you think this older sister would be mad at you for something like that? Phew. Don’t worry, little sister.”

“… … No, but still. Aren’t you a little angry? I said something terrible. ”

Then came the question, wondering if I had been hurt.

I shook my head calmly.

Because I already knew why Louis was reacting so strangely.

“Not at all? You didn’t say that out of spite, did you?”

‘Family history, that is.’

Louis’ family, the Archduke of Blazer, is a member of the ‘Oneshota’ family with a long history of marrying only older women.

Born and raised in such a family, it was natural for me to instinctively avoid lolis.

… Let’s put aside the thought of whether there really is such a family.

‘For me, it’s more favorable to do it that way.’

And, that reaction didn’t seem bad.

Actually, whenever other men said I was pretty, a song would automatically play in my head saying, “If you touch me, you’re under arrest! Roll call in prison!”

This guy is honestly saying, ‘Oh, lol, that’s a bit much.’

When we first got into a fight, I got a little angry because I thought he was going to start a fight…

Now, you can actually laugh at it and say it’s great.

That’s why I smiled brightly.

In this world full of lolicons, to a desirable younger sibling who sticks to the right sexual orientation.

“Pfft. And, I’m saying that people who see me as a woman are the ones who are weird?”

-Mumble mumble.

“It’s several times worse than I thought.”

“… …Louis?”

‘Hey, your expression has gotten worse?’

In response to my defense, his expression turned pale.

That’s why I lifted my magpie legs, stretched out my arms with all my might, and gave the black mark a sincere pat.

‘Oh my… I guess I have to appease this older sister.’

-Slurp, slurp.

“Anyway, I don’t care if you say this, but if other people hear you, you’ll be in big trouble, so watch what you say.”

-Those two, what are they doing, making sparrow sounds… What is that? They’re cute!!

-Are they playing house? Is the 3rd princess playing the mother?

-Prince Louis, you look so embarrassed you’re on the verge of crying. How cute~.

-Mumble mumble.

“… … I’ll atone for this somehow. Estee. Even if it means giving my all.”

‘What is he talking about again? Hey, I told you he’s a very hands-on little brother. What are you going to do if you get dumped by the female protagonist?’

So I consoled Louis for a long time.

… The commander of the knights told me later that it was a chaotic scene in many ways.