***Chapter 285 Dozing IV***

People truly have many different faces, she thought.

But she had never seen her sister look like that, before or since.

"I'm in love with Kalua."

"......What?"

The next day, when she went back to the house with her sister, she was sitting alone in a chair waiting for them.

As her sister and Elvena entered the room, before Elvena could even pour the tea――in the blink of an eye, Mia came out with a straightforward pitch.

"So I want you to stay with me forever."

Mia’s face was as red as it could be, and under her moist eyes were dark circles, probably from not being able to sleep.

She was sitting upright――but her hands were clenched tightly, and her whole body was tense as if she was enduring something.

She was usually dressed in the shirt and pants she wore for the military, but today she was in a rarely seen sand-colored dress. Her usually messy hair was neatly arranged.

"Um, uhh..."

Her sister looked stunned――but gradually her understanding caught up with her, and her cheeks turned red.

Then she turned her gaze to Elvena.

Elvena smiled silently, nodded, and poured hot water into the pot.

"Answer me, yes, or no."

"Y-you see...Normally, you'd need time to think――"

“Does that mean you don’t like me?”

"No, it's not that..."

"If you answer yes, I'll give you as much time as you want."

“...Uh, I don’t think getting time makes any sense if that’s the case though...”

――It was exactly as her sister had said.

Sometimes she had amazing, incomprehensible strength.

Once she made up her mind, she never wavered.

Mia's face was red, but she never took her eyes off her sister.

If she looked away, she would lose.

She stared straight, almost as if saying that, while her sister’s gaze shifted left and right, blushing.

“...Honestly, sometimes I look at Kalua in a lewd way, and my heart races.”

Mia declared confidently.

Her sister had an indescribable expression.

“I wasn’t avoiding you because I was angry. It’s just that I recently realized I liked you that way. ...After that, I couldn’t stay calm just being around you.”

"I-I see..."

"But I'm an adjutant of the Black Flag Special Forces, and Kahlua is my subordinate. No matter how you look at it, this situation needs to be resolved immediately, and on the battlefield, it could be a matter of life and death, so I think we need to make it clear now. So choose."

After placing the tea in front of them, her sister looked at Elvena as if she wanted to say something.

Her gaze seemed to blame her, so Elvena didn't say anything, but shrugged her shoulders and gave a bitter smile.

Mia raised her finger, ignoring her sister's reaction.

"The first option is for Kalua to become my lover and solve my problems from the root. This is what I want, and I think it's the best option for improving our relationship at the moment. We can expect a quick improvement in our relationship, and it will also increase my motivation, so there are many benefits."

"Um, yeah...benefits..."

"The second option is for Kahlua to dump me harshly. If Kalua declares that there’s no hope for me and that Kalua will never fall in love with me, I will give up. The downside is that I will be unable to recover from the shock of my broken heart for a while. In this case, I will ask the commander and take time off to sort out my feelings."

Mia continued, ‘Half-heartedness is no good’.

"Putting it on hold would make the situation worse, and if you say you like me but can't accept me, I'll never be able to give up, and I'll end up causing trouble for the squad. So there are two options. Do you understand?"

"Um, well, Adjutant Mia, I understand, but... Aren’t you completely disregarding any consideration for squad member Kalua? You haven’t considered them at all, have you?”

"Squad member Kalua can calmly separate her personal and professional lives, there’s no need for that. On the other hand, Adjutant Mia can't separate personal and professional lives, so that's what's important."

"...Isn't that too unfair?"

Rather than a confession, it was more like a strategy meeting.

Elvena, who was listening, couldn't help but burst out laughing, and seeing her sister glare at her made it even funnier, causing her to look down.

"...Really, Mia is Mia, isn't she?"

"Kahlua usually causes me a lot of trouble, so it’s even."

"I think the size of the impact is as different as between a rabbit and an ordinary person...”

Sighing, she scratched her head.

Her sister closed her eyes for a moment.

After a while, she replied that she agreed with Adjutant Mia.

"Th-that's... um..."

"Yes, yes, that's fine. Are you satisfied with being my lover from now on?"

“It feels... not quite right. It’s supposed to be more, like...”

Mia stood up and sat next to her sister.

Then she took two deep breaths and said.

"... Um, please be my lover."

Her sister looked at Mia in exasperation, then at Elvena.

Elvena nodded with a smile, and her sister turned away and answered with a blush on her face.

"...Yes. I swear on my sword and my name that I will accept it――"

As soon as she answered, Mia hugged her, trembling and sobbing.

She must have been really anxious and scared.

Her sister, more exasperated than ever, blushing and scratching her cheek, patted Mia’s back and head.

“Mia, you’re such a hopeless idiot.”

"...Shut up."

"I’m the one who wants to be comforted, seriously..."

Her sister stroked Mia as if she were a child.

But she didn't seem completely unhappy with it, her cheeks flushed――she looked towards Elvena as if searching for an escape route.

"...Traitor."

"I'm sorry....But, fufu, you two are a perfect match.”

Elvena moved closer and hugged them both from behind.

"Tonight's dinner is a feast. If I can make you a delicious dinner, will you forgive me?...After what happened yesterday, I'd like to ask for a little leniency."

“I accept. I want lots of meat.”

"...Yes."

They suited each other so well, and at that moment, she thought so more than ever.

Seeing the two of them like that was a happy thing.

The mansion's dining room――In the center was a large table made of a single board.

At the head of the rectangular table sat the master of the mansion, Selene, with Anne and Elvena on her left.

To her right sat Krische, Bery, and Kreschenta.

Gone were the days when there was a dispute over seating arrangements because Krische wanted Bery next to her, and Kreschenta wanted to sit next to Krische. This setup had become the norm.

The mansion's dining room--In the center was a large table made of a single board.

There was a time when Krische would sit in the middle, but then she would only talk to Bery and not face her, which annoyed Her Majesty, so she would sometimes eat on her laps, which seemed to satisfy her.

Regardless of what Her Majesty says, she likes both Selene and Berry.

She seems to crave attention, and sometimes she'll pretend to be angry and sulk, and when she doesn't eat, she'll act selfish, only to be placated by eating while sitting on someone’s lap.

Elvena remembered when she sometimes pretended to be unwell for the same treatment from her family and couldn’t help but smile whenever she saw it.

"...That girl she’s sure serious in weird ways, huh."

Their conversation at dinner was about the two of them.

She was a strangely serious person.

The next day, she reported to her commander, Dagra, and declared to the team that they were in a relationship.

She also stated that while it was personal, she would remain impartial as the team’s adjutant, ensuring no favoritism—a declaration that was soon known to everyone in the mansion.

“Right... though I don’t think it was necessary to make such an official announcement to Dagra and the squad”

Elvena replied with a wry smile at Selene's exasperated look.

It doesn't seem like Mia had discussed this with her sister yesterday. She could imagine her sister's shock and blush at the sudden ‘public declaration of their relationship’, and chuckled.

In any case, it would have become an open secret eventually, but saying it aloud was just like her.

"Ehehe, but it's good that they get along."

“Onee-sama, please don’t do anything foolish by imitating them.”

“...Anything foolish?”

“Argan-sama, if she imitates them, it’s your fault.”

“That seems somewhat unreasonable...”

“Then make sure to educate her properly.”

Kreschenta glared at Berry, and Selene agreed with a nod.

“Did you know? Among the soldiers, there’s a joke that the servants secretly rule the kingdom because you flirt everywhere.”

“Uh, um... I’m trying to be careful, though...”

“Your standard of care is too lenient.”

"That's right, you're really a breeding ground for a bad reputation."

“...I’ll have you know, Kreschenta, it’s you too.”

“Me? What do you mean――”

Seeing Arne quietly holding back her laughter next to her, Elvena also smiled.

Not only with the soldiers, but also at the royal palace――Kreschenta was a queen in public affairs, but when Bery was around, she would complain and act spoiled.

The servants and nobles who saw her every day could tell by the atmosphere.

Of course, it was just a joke, but the same applied to Selene.

By any ordinary standard, she was quite desensitized, and from the perspective of outsiders, everyone was about the same. This small world of the mansion was of great interest to many, and there was no shortage of gossip in Christand.

"So that's why Kalua-sama stayed the night the day before yesterday."

"Yes. Mia-san consulted me about it... I'm sorry for causing trouble to both Anne-sama and Bery-sama."

“No... if anything, I’m the one always causing trouble.”

"Not at all."

Elvena smiled and met Bery’s gaze, bowing her head.

"As Anne-sama says, it's not a bother at all. The day before yesterday was much more lively thanks to Kalua-sama's presence..."

"Well, that's true. The two always take care of Krische... So if you have the chance, please invite them to come over. I want to thank them."

"... Yes, thank you."

Even if her sister and Mia become like that, it's not like anything changed drastically.

She spends her time at the mansion as usual, coming back from time to time, and living her daily life.

The people in the mansion welcomed Elvena warmly, and her sister and girlfriend also welcomed her warmly.

It must be a happy thing to be able to think that this was all right.

There was a feeling of loneliness somewhere, but she was able to look at the situation calmly.

――After finishing her meal, she took a bath, returned to her room, and then patrolled each area.

The mansion's corridors were lit by Everlasting Magic Lamps.

The Everlasting Magic Lamps were always filled with the minimum amount of magical power, and when everyone was about to go to sleep, they all ran out of magical power and the lights went out.

It was usually Bery's job to light these, and she never wastes anything.

For example, one magic lamp was just a little bit poorer quality.

To such lanterns, just a little more magical power was added than to the other magic lanterns, and conversely, to magic lanterns of slightly better quality, just a little less magical power was added.

The magic power was reduced in small increments, starting with the first lamp that was lit, and when the time comes, all the lamps in the mansion would go out all at once, which surprised her a lot in the beginning.

Magic lamps usually store a certain amount of magical power.

It depends on the price, but if you fill them up with magical power, they could stay lit for a week. To make them available to anyone, they have a mechanism that allows you to turn them on and off by touching a separate magic crystal that lights them, and normally you would use that to turn off each one before going to sleep, but even the effort to do that was noted.

Without touching the switch on the magic lantern, she simply poured magic power directly into it in the morning and was done.

By controlling the magic power she poured in, she easily automated the process――she really liked that kind of efficiency.

If something can be solved with technology or skill, she wouldn’t be satisfied unless it was done, no matter how advanced it was.

To avoid the trouble of turning off the lights at night, she did what normal people would never think of.

The pursuit of rationality through irrationality.

Elvena had recently come to understand that the strange amount of work was the result of repeated efficiency improvements that might seem excessive.

Having become quite accustomed to handling magic crystals, she asked if she could try it out, and began practicing with the magic lantern in a corner of the mansion――in front of the storeroom, for about half a year.

Though as expected, it no longer goes out in the middle of the day or stays lit until morning, fine adjustments were still difficult.

The lights in the hallway had been turned off a long time ago, and all that remained was this corner lit by Elvena.

Three out of six magic crystals had gone out, and the remaining three had varying degrees of brightness.

One was on the verge of going out, and the other two would likely follow suit.

It was hard to read each of its slight quirks.

It was just some pastime, she said, and it was true. It wasn't anything important.

It was fine if it went out after everyone was asleep, and it wasn't something she was nervous about, but when she couldn't fall asleep she would often stare at the light until it went out.

Perhaps because gazing absentmindedly at the lights brought back memories of the past.

Thanks to her bloodline, she later learned that she had some innate talent, but infusing magical power into things like perpetual magic lamps was the job of the magic engineer who lived in the village.

Though their family was wealthy, neither her sister nor she knew anything about magic, and neither did their mother.

Magic lamps were installed in each room, but when they ran out they had to call in a magic engineer, which of course cost a bit of money, and they would get scolded for wasting it.

Yet, Elvena had a troubling fondness for being held by her sister and gazing at the magic lamp on dark nights.

The one in her sister's room was modest enough to read a book, and it was just right to gaze at it absentmindedly, her eyes opening and closing as she dozed.

Every time her sister asked if she could turn it off, she replied, ‘Just a little longer.’

Every time, she would say ‘just a little longer’, until she finally fell asleep, causing her sister quite a bit of trouble.

Looking back, she felt she had been nothing but a bother.

Even so, her sister forgave her, with a troubled look on her face, saying it couldn't be helped――perhaps Elvena wanted to see that face of her sister.

The face of her kind sister who, despite the trouble she caused, would smile and forgive her.

Because at that moment she always felt like she was special.

"Would you like some warm milk?"

"...Huh?"

Appearing from around the corner of the hallway, her red hair swaying, Bery was dressed in the same nightgown as Elvena.

Draping a shawl over her shoulders to cover herself slightly, she held steaming milk in both hands.

She thanked her and took the glass with both hands, the wooden cup was slightly warm.

Bery looked at the magic lantern and smiled quietly.

"It's a pity. This magic crystal looks low in purity at first glance, but the engraved lines were only on the parts with high purity, so it's higher quality than it looks."

"...I see."

"The one that's fading is mine... Fufu, it's simply a matter of skill. The other two were engraved by Krische. Guess I also still have a long way to go."

She laughed happily, shook her shoulders, and sipped the milk, Elvena did the same.

Moistening her tongue with the gentle taste, they both placed their cups on the window sill.

After a brief silence, she spoke.

"...Are you feeling lonely?"

"...Maybe. Just a little."

When she answered honestly, Bery smiled.

Bery also understood why she had sneaked out of her room to come here.

She was happy for the two of them, and she also felt like congratulating them for their happiness.

Her emotions were calm, she accepted it, and she didn't question it.

She loved both her sister and Mia, and if they were happy, she was happy too.

But she probably also felt lonely.

It was strange, even though their relationship wasn't changing and they weren't going to be separated.

"Sisters are strange things...Compared to other people, the bond is much closer and deeper, but somehow it feels like we're very far apart."

Bery said as if reminiscing about something.

Elvena nodded and asked.

"Bery-sama's Nee-sama...what was she like?"

"Hmm...well, she has quite a similar air to Kalua."

‘Kusu’, Bery said with a chuckle.

"She's always cheerful, thoughtful, and doesn't worry about small details――oh, that's a bit rude to say."

"... No."

Elvena laughed and shook her head.

It's true that her sister had a rough personality, and she probably liked that about her in a good way.

Making things wasn't exactly something they minded, and she thought that's where she and Elvena are a bit similar.

"... She was always concerned about me. She wanted me to be happy.... So when she married the head of the family, I was a bit lonely. It felt like I was going to lose my only Nee-sama."

Elvena narrowed her eyes and gave a malicious smile.

"Is that why you came to comfort me?"

"Uh, well... I wouldn't exactly call It, comforting..."

Bery hurriedly waved her hands, her big eyes darting side to side.

Although she seems mature――or rather, she was supposed to be an adult woman, but her innocent side sometimes peeks out, and that inconsistencies of her were very endearing.

"...N-no, I guess Elvena-sama is right..."

"Fufu, I'm just kidding. Don't worry about it... Though it might seem rude, I can't help but find Bery-sama's reactions adorable, so I can't help but feel mischievous and teasing you."

"M-mischievous..."

She chuckles, and seems to have been seriously thinking about something, but her face gets even redder.

Bery glares at Elvena with a bashful, slightly reproachful look, then sighed in relief.

"...I thought your atmosphere was a little different, so that bothered me."

"Atmosphere, you say?"

"...Yes, and so I ended up being a bit meddlesome."

Looking at Bery apologetic face, Elvena lowered her eyes.

"I thought I was pretty good at hiding things... or maybe I've gotten worse."

Then she let out a soft smile,

"Whatever the case... I'm no match for you."

"Ah..."

She leaned in close and hugged Bery.

"... Like I said, maybe I wanted Bery-sama to comfort me."

Bert looked a little surprised, then slowly stroked her head.

It felt good and reassuring.

She didn't know what she was feeling relieved for.

"... I think maybe I love Nee-san. Is it as a sister, or something more?... I don't really know myself."

Bery stroked her head, not saying anything for a while, as if she was deep in thought.

A little later, she gave a wry smile.

"...Me too, even now, when I'm asked if my love for Nee-sama was that of a sister, it's difficult to answer... It's very difficult to answer when asked where the boundary is."

As Bery spoke, she could see her troubled smile on her face without even looking at her.

"For example... fufu, if Nee-sama had confessed her love to me, I might have said yes. That’s just how much I loved her

As if she was telling a secret, as if she was disclosing something important.

Bery eyes narrowed at the tone of her voice.

"My feelings for Krische-sama... are they protective, possessive, controlling, or perhaps romantic, affectionate, or simply dependent? I feel all of them are true, but at the same time all of them feel wrong."

"... Wrong"

"Yes, if I had to choose one, then"

She gave a wry smile.

"I simply call this mixed emotion love.... Even if I divide it up, none of it will disappear, so I don't think there's any point in defining it in detail."

When she asked Bery if that's how it was, she replied, ‘I think so’.

She said the young lady had also lectured her about it once.

"What matters is probably just being at peace with oneself... Love might be simpler than we think."

With her eyes closed, she listened to Bery's comforting words.

There was nothing more reassuring than being affirmed by someone.

"...Maybe that's true."

Invited into the mansion as an outsider, Elvena had been accepted as if she were family, trusted, worried about, and comforted.

What had she been worried about?

With a vague understanding, she opened her eyes slightly.

In the deep darkness of the night, there were three lights――a dimly lit corridor before her eyes.

Held warmly, with gentle fingers stroking her hair.

Memories of lying in her sister's bed, gazing at the magic lamp, came to mind.

She remembered the time when she crawled into her sister's bed and looked at the magic lamp.

She must have felt that one day she would lose it.

With experience, her various emotions had drifted far away.

But even now, Elvena was still here, still a child.

"I love Nee-san."

‘Yes’, she nodded, putting just a little more strength into her words.

Elvena relaxed and closed her eyes, letting herself be held.

"So... I feel frustrated and lonely, as if Mia has taken Nee-san from me."

Putting it into words, it felt right.

She genuinely wanted to wish them happiness, felt joy, but also felt these things.

No matter how much she checked the boundary, no matter how much she sorted it, it didn’t disappear.

"...Can we stay like this a little longer?"

She scoops up the chaos without boundaries, as if randomly stirring it up――trying to name this vague, uncertain dozing ‘love’.

Not maybe, not probably.

She decided that that was what it was, without making any distinctions, she simply and roughly put it in the box.

It didn't seem perfect, but somehow it felt right.

"Yes, of course."

At least, it fits inside the box.