Chapter 12 - And So the Story Begins (そうして物語は始まる)

“Hey, you’re sticking too close again.”

In response to Julius's words, Arnold said, “Oh, I'm sorry,” and walked away from me in a hurry. I had begun to sweat a lot on many body parts, so I was honestly relieved.

“Arnold is a natural airhead. Be careful with him. I saw many women crying because of this guy.”

“Wow...”

Julius explained with distaste, shooing him away with his hand.

Having someone like Arnold touch you casually like this would definitely cause a misunderstanding. And to think that he was unaware of that was, to say, quite frightening.

“I'm really sorry, Rene. I'm usually careful, but I feel close to you since you’re Julius’ sister.”

“No, it's fine.”

Since he had an apologetic expression on his face, I waved my hand to reassure him not to worry about it. He then smiled in relief. My heart, which had been caught off guard, screamed at his destructive power.

Let’s just finish these chores quickly. I still had to review the parts of today’s class that I didn’t understand.

With that in mind, Arnold held my hand firmly for some reason when I turned to the flower bed again.

“Let me teach you one more time.”

“Um...”

It’s flattering, but I didn’t want to listen to that ‘bwap’ and ‘swish’ again from the beginning. However, I couldn’t find a reason to refuse.

“You’re really bad at teaching. Just give up.”

Julius said so, jumping out of the second-floor window. Once he cushioned his land with wind magic, he brushed off Arnold's hand, who was holding my hand.

“You’re being too touchy.”

“...I thought I’d recovered recently, but turns out it’s all in my head.”

Arnold’s expression was like a scolded puppy. So this was the so-called natural airhead seducer. Too scary.

“Also, this guy is a genius, so he’s probably using magic in a way we won’t understand. You’re wasting your time.”

The way he said that made me feel uneasy.

Because it’s like he wasn’t a genius, the unconfident tone unlike my usual proud brother.

“You want to finish this quickly and go home, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I'll teach you earth magic next time. For now, I’ll finish this.”

“T-Thanks.”

“You're welcome.”

Then, he finished the task in no time with his impressive earth magic. His kindness was too much that it made me confused.

After I thanked him again, Julius smiled softly. Followed by screams from all around us.

“I also want a cute little sister like Rene.”

Seeing us like that, Arnold muttered, envious. Since he was an only child, he longed for siblings.

Having an older brother like Arnold... would put too much strain on my heart. I’d die prematurely.

Julius wrapped his arms around my body, the same as he did before, and pulled me close to him.

“I won’t give her to you.”

◇◇◇

That night. I got a little hungry in the midst of my late-night studying, so I came to the kitchen to make a midnight snack.

“Hm? What are you doing this late at night?”

“That’s what I want to ask, Rene.”

When I was thinking about what to make among the recipes I had in my brain, Julius appeared. Apparently he came here for the same reason.

“So, what were you doing until this late?”

“I was studying”

“Eh!?”

“I also have another rank exam next week, remember?”

Although the contents differed depending on the grade, the rank exam was held on the same day for all grades. And the results would come out within the same day.

“It’s surprising. Somewhat.”

“Really? I’m not as genius as you think I am. Just so you know, I’m also putting in quite the effort.”

Julius might be more hardworking than I thought. I initially thought he could do anything with ease. The surprising fact improved the image of my brother a little bit again.

“You’re so busy, yet you had to use your time to teach me. Sorry.”

“It's fine. It's also for my sake.”

“...What do you mean by that?”

“Secret.”

After all, I couldn’t understand my brother. I took out some vegetables and meet, turning around with a twirl.

“How about a simple soup with bread?”

“...Rene, you’re going to cook?”

“Yeah.”

If it’s just making soup and baking bread, then I could do it without a recipe. Seeing him nod, I also made a portion for him

“When did you learn how to cook?”

“I made a midnight snack with Rosa two days ago, so I remember quite a bit.”

“Hmm.”

Two days ago, when I came to the kitchen, hungry, I met Rosa in the hallway, and she taught me about kitchen tricks, ingredients, and seasonings from around the world.

Since I had been living alone before, I had to cook every day to save money, so I wasn’t completely clueless. I had no confidence that I could make something impressive, but it should be passable.

Eventually, I served the simple dishes on a plate and arranged them in front of myself and him. Julius still had a slightly surprised expression on his face, but he soon began eating.

“...It’s good.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, really. Will you marry me?”

“Are you an idiot?”

Since he just took a bath, his usually organized curly hair was a bit messy, and he looked a little younger. Around his ears were shining gold earrings that looked good on him.

I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this face, I thought as I scooped the soup. Even now, I still get surprised by my own reflection in the mirror at times.

“Thank you for the meal. It really was tasty.”

“That’s good.”

We finished eating in no time. He told me, “I think I can do my best thanks to Rene,” and it warmed the depths of my heart. Thinking back, I never cooked for other people in my previous life.

Family... was it something like this? As I thought about that, Julius held my hand and started walking, saying, “Let's go back.”

...And I realized. That I was getting used to this big, warm hand. Though just a little bit.

“You’re sticking too close.”

“It’s fine if it’s me.”

Strangely enough, I also felt like I could still do my best tonight.

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