I stared at the boy who was avoiding my gaze at all cost. Red hair with maroon roots, brown eyes with silver highlights, and wore a commoner outfit: this boy seemed very out of place. Such interesting colors are given to him… I just can't believe that the author would give a good color scheme to a mere side character.
He's just a cousin of Ramon and I'm the daughter of a noble, isn't that unfair on my part for having bland dirt hair and dull green eyes? I'd love to have a bright hair color too y'know!
But then again, he could be lying about this and he might either be a spy, a love interest, an antagonist, or something like that. As I was having my suspicions about this kid, he finally made eye contact with me. He's not bad-looking; that's a sign that I shouldn't let myself ignore.
"Hey kid, why are you wandering outside our manor alone-" I wasn't able to finish my sentence when I heard footsteps approaching us. My head turned to the side, smiling when Helen came running towards me with Ramon and June behind.
"Big sis," Helen grabbed on my sleeve, "I brought Ramon and June." She looked at me with 'that' expression and I immediately knew what she wanted. I couldn't help but grin at how cute my sister is. Giving her a quick pat on the head, I looked at the adults then glanced back at the boy that still had the same conflicted face.
"Okay kid, if you're lying about your identity then you should be running away now."
"I really am not lying! That guy is my relative!"
"I don't even know-" I raised a brow at Ramon and he choked on his words, "I meant that he's… my nephew." He awkwardly replied with a half-baked smile.
Hm? What is this? It appears that my gut feeling may be right after all. "Right, right. Kid says he's a cousin then suddenly Ramon says he's a nephew. I wonder which one I should believe in..."
I glared at the boy who flinched and the man who looked very guilty. Tsk, are these two even accomplices? Are they stupid to think that their lie would even work?
"Y-young Lady, would you please explain to me what's going on here?" June finally spoke up. She seemed nervous as she gripped her skirt, hazel eyes wavering, "I'm sorry for my rudeness but I'm completely lost."
I looked at the three then to my sister who seemed innocent as always. These four… how troublesome can this whole situation be? It felt frustrating to the point I sighed out loud with all my might.
So… this boy is obviously lying, Ramon tried to cover up for him but spilled the wrong information, June was probably flirting with Ramon and didn't pay much attention to my sister, and Helen is now somehow acquainted with a suspicious person. How bad can this get?
"June, to answer your question, Helen just talked with this," I pointed at the redhead, "and he claimed he's Ramon's cousin though Ramon said just now that he's a nephew. This is either because one or both of them are idiots and can't remember who their relative is, or both of them are idiots to tell a bad lie. They're still idiots in those two possibilities."
June's face turned pale and she gave the lowest bow I've ever seen from her. "I'm so sorry Young Lady Alianne and Young Lady Helen! This is my fault for neglecting the lady I attend to and I'm ready to face any punishment… just please spare my life!" So she does know that she committed a grave sin for not looking over my precious sister.
But of course, I'm not a merciless spoiled child that would kill off a maid so easily. "Raise your head, June. Your neglect is disappointing but we could talk about that later. The real important thing here is..." I looked at the boy who was about to run away.
My arm moved swiftly on its own and grabbed his collar again. He seemed to retort this time, it seems that I probably used my magic with more than I should've. Even so, I can't afford to let this kid run yet so I looked over at Ramon who was still standing with a confused expression.
"Don't just stand there! Call a guard or something!" Ramon was surprised when I suddenly raised my voice but there's no helping it when I'm getting too frustrated. He quickly turned around and ran to the gates.
"Young Lady, you don't have to keep doing that..."
"Big sis I think you're holding a bit too much-"
"L-let go of me this instant!" The boy yelled as he struggled to push my hand away. Such a commanding tone, I wonder who this person truly is. "I said let go-!" He started to squirm a lot and so I did as I was told.
He lost balance and almost fell on his butt. The thought of humiliating this weird kid made me smirk, "I didn't need to do that for a long time anyway." He glared at me again before taking a few steps back as he prepared to run off.
But he bumped at the two guards that towered over him. I can't see his face at this angle but I'm sure his expression must be priceless. "Guards, take that boy to Father."
"Understood, Young Lady." The two bowed as one grabbed the kid by his wrist. He seemed to struggle even more this time.
"Big sis, you don't have to take Vince to Father…!" Helen desperately said with furrowed brows. What? How the hell did these two get so close that my sister is defending that thing? "I-I think I finally made a friend besides Big sis… please don't take him away..."
A friend? Besides me? My heart ached not only at the thought of losing her to a boy but the face she's making right now is eating me away. She seems heartbroken… ah, but aren't I doing the right thing?
I hurriedly looked at June who could only give me an apologetic smile. Seriously, why is everything so concerning at this moment?!
I looked over my shoulder to see the boy who's still trying to resist the hold of the guards. He didn't seem to be much of a threat and he's even considered as… a friend… by Helen. Am I doing the right thing? I am doing what's best, right?
God, this is too confusing for me!
Another heavy sigh escaped my lips as I shook my head. I can't think straight and I just finished my lessons then suddenly I'm faced with a worrisome situation. I wanted to either push this kid away and never set foot even near the fences of our manor, but on the other hand, Helen might be very upset at me for being the reason that she lost a… friend.
"Okay, okay, I understand." This is giving me a headache. "Guards, don't take him to Father."
"...Big sis!" Helen's blue eyes with hints of purple shone brightly once again.
"Seriously?!" The annoying boy sounded relieved. "Thanks, I understood my mistake so I'll take my leave now-"
"But you aren't going anywhere! Guards," I smirked the moment his hopeful face turned into despair in merely two seconds, "I order you to escort our guest to the mansion. That boy is an uninvited guest but I still have to show him hospitality and respect as the lady of this house." My words may seem nice but the thorn behind my voice is pretty obvious.
"Wha- but I thought I can leave-"
"Understood, Young Lady." The two guards gave a quick bow once again before dragging the redhead. He started to flail around and possibly curse me but of course, I don't care. I'm not going to tell Father (yet) and he also gets to enter our mansion so he wouldn't be able to escape; this is a win-win situation for both parties.
"Young Lady, isn't this a bit too rash?" June's eyes are now filled with a mix of doubt and concern. "Suddenly letting a stranger enter our manor..." Helen - who seemed devastated earlier - was now nodding at her caretaker's words.
How confusing. What was I supposed to do then?
I scratched my head for a bit before thinking of an explanation. "Well, the weirdo- I mean, the little kid… he wouldn't go as far as to lie about his identity if there isn't a reason. Throwing him out may seem like a good decision but there's no guarantee that he isn't a threat that would report back to his master. I could also call Father for it but Helen seemed to be conflicted about my decision so I concluded that talking to him face to face in our household would be a risky but good option. After all, he wouldn't be able to do anything now that he's in our territory."
"Young Lady… you have a scary smile on your face right now." Oh, I didn't notice my smirk became too obvious.
Helen blinked at me twice. She doesn't seem to fully understand what I was trying to say but that's fine, I'd handle this anyway. "Don't worry, Helen. Big sis will try to do her best to take the best course of action. I'm not sure if this is what you wanted but I'm confident that things will go well."
Helen was quiet for a few moments but soon gave me a smile."I trust Big sis so I know that it would go well!" Yes, that smile she has. That's what I swore to protect no matter what.
"Now then, let's go to the living room, shall we?"
I went back inside the mansion with my sister and her caretaker. The gate couldn't be left unguarded so one of them left and the other stayed to make sure that the brat wouldn't be more of an inconvenience. Sitting down across the boy, I crossed my legs and glared at him so much I could say I'm threatening him in any way possible.
"You didn't expect this, didn't you?" I asked after taking a sip of my tea that Rachel just brewed. "You should taste the tea too, boy. At this very moment, you're a guest so feel free to take a drink."
"...What do you want from me?" He may seem good-looking but he sure is slow.
"I want to confirm your identity since you obviously lied about that." June and Ramon… no… everyone in this household should be warier. I'm glad that nothing bad happened to my sister. "I don't need a detailed explanation, just prove that you're not a threat to this house so I wouldn't tell the Viscount about this."
The boy opened his mouth and wanted to fight back but he bit back the urge to. Looks like he's thinking of the most appropriate way to word out his thoughts. "Fine, you got me, I'm not his cousin or his relative for that matter."
"Then why would you hide it? That's a very suspicious move you got there."
As we glared at each other, my younger sister simply stayed beside me without saying anything at all. The fact that she's sitting near me gives me enough strength so it's fine, though I wonder if she understands this situation at all. If she does then I suppose it's alright too.
"I..." The boy had his head down but this time he took his hat off. I could now see his face better, catching me off-guard with how beautiful his eyes are even if it seems like a plain color. "I'm wearing a disguise."
"Ah, I knew you're weird as hell and that you're secretly an assassin. I've heard enough so please take this boy away." I don't want to hear more of his useless plan to harm my sister.
"Wait, no, no, no!" The thing yelled, again and again, the moment the knight guard gripped his arm. "I'm not an assassin or whatever you're thinking! I'm just a nine-year-old son of a Count, I'm not a rebel or anything of the sort!"
Ah, yes of course he's the son of a Count… hold on, this redhead is the son of an important noble?!
My heart dropped at the realization that I'm in deep trouble if he is the son of a Count! I mean, seriously, I can be jailed or something for treating a noble so rudely! Why is this even more complicated than before?
"He's not Ramon's cousin…?" Why is Helen more concerned about that? It's more concerning that I somehow abused this kid and humiliated him despite him being a noble from a higher rank.
But still, he's a weirdo. I need to calm down… I shouldn't trust his words so easily knowing that he lies so easily.
"And how am I sure that you're not lying to me again?"
"You want proof? I'll show you proof!!" Redhead aggressively stood up from the sofa and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes then opened his palm. I wasn't sure at first at what he was trying to do, but as soon as I saw droplets of water form, dancing around his fingers, I understood what he meant.
"Woah… water!" My sister clapped.
His magic is from an element which is water meaning that he's a water attribute user. Only nobles can have elemental magic since that's a very special gift handed out through generations and that's enough proof that he is from nobility. "I see... excuse me if I sound rude but, which house are you from?"
"Hah, what a question!" The thing exclaimed and crossed his arms. "Isn't it obvious with my magic? Of course, I'm Vincent Cohar from the Cohar household!"
Ah, that Cohar household! They're famous for their outstanding water attribute users throughout history and if he's the son from that family then I made a mistake. Not only that, Gilbert Zen Cohar, the father of this redhead, is the Count that my father assists. I just messed with the son of an important family and this could definitely ruin ours.
Why… why is everything not in my favor? What did I do wrong?
There was an awkward silence that I had to break with a cough. I stood up and gave him a bow, "my apologies, Young Master Cohar. It seems that I've highly offended you in multiple ways than one and I can't forgive myself for it. I know it's unlikely but I wish that you accept my apology for I only wanted to keep suspicious people away from my sister."
"Big sis…?"
The kid - err, I mean Young Master Cohar - looked at me in disbelief before laughing like a wild animal. "Y… you should see yourself right now! You're suddenly a different person that I don't think I'm still talking to that overly confident girl earlier. This change is too much for me to take in!"
I feel my face slowly heat up out of embarrassment. Now I've done it. There's no way I could even forget such shame I brought upon myself and my family. "...Forgive me for my ignorance, I'm deeply sorry, Young Master Cohar."
"This is way too entertaining!" The boy laughed even more. It's not even funny. "Okay, I forgive you even if you really irritated me like hell. It's my fault for wearing a disguise as a commoner, but all I wanted was to take a break from the noble life sometimes and just wander around town by myself."
"Why is Young Master Cohar doing such a thing? Not to mention, you were all alone and anything bad could happen to you."
"This is still really fun and entertaining but you don't have to address me that way. Just call me Vincent if you feel like it," he chuckled. "To answer your question, it's my hobby to sneak out. Don't worry about me since I know how to wield a dagger, I could've used it and my magic to fight against your guards earlier... but that would only make things more complicated so I didn't bother saying my real identity at the time."
Well… reasonable enough. It still doesn't change the fact that the situation is already a headache. "I understand your point now but why are you standing outside our household and being a creep? Also, feel free to call me Young Lady Alianne, Young Master Vincent."
"A creep…? Also, the way I address you and vice versa didn't change at all?!" Whoops, I went too harsh on him, but then again, I wasn't lying. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that… and since you asked… well..." He stammered here and there. Now that I can see his face properly without his cap, his eyes were glancing at a direction from time to time.
I don't like where this is going.
"Umm, last week, at your birthday party, remember when I bumped into you two?" Now that he mentioned, the reason why he feels familiar isn't because he reminds me of Ramon, but because he's the kid that bumped onto Helen and looked at her with such eyes! "The moment I saw Young Lady Helen, my body just froze all of a sudden. She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen and I just feel like my heart was taken at that moment-" He stopped himself from saying anything further. "Sorry. I've said too much."
Oh, you definitely did.
"I hope that… didn't creep you out, Young Lady Helen. It's hard not to admire your beauty." He isn't lying though I felt so disgusted that I reflexively hugged my sister close to my chest.
"Creep." My voice never sounded so weirded out before.
"Creep? Is Vince being creepy, Big sis?" Helen looked at me with pure confusion, I'm surprised that she now knows the meaning of that word. I didn't hesitate to nod and explain the reasons why she shouldn't befriend that boy at all.
The way her face slowly turned into disappointment made me want to burst out laughing.
"Hey, I-I'm not being a creep! I planned to formally ask for an invitation so I could visit sometime but this is just too unlucky. The reason I was there in front of the manor earlier was that I just wanted to be familiar with the garden so when I visit here I wouldn't feel lost at all. I didn't have the opportunity to visit the garden last time."
"Excuses. Why did you talk with my sister then?"
"It was purely coincidental! I didn't plan to talk to her, she was just near the place I was walking at so she noticed and smiled at me. I can't be rude to a lady that gave me a warm smile so I greeted her back and that's how the conversation started." Redhead reasoned out as he dropped himself back on the sofa. "And… she's just too cute it's hard to avoid talking with her."
"I was starting to believe you and understand that you didn't have any bad motives but with that last sentence of yours I feel very conflicted and now I take it all back," I said flaty without any pause. He seemed like he wanted to talk back but he retreated instead.
"Big sis calls me cute a lot too, I don't think I deserve a lot of praise but..." Helen's angelic smile suddenly blinded me. "Thank you."
The face redhead had was the same as mine. We're both attacked with a direct hit and now it's only a matter of time before we start showering her with compliments. "Of course my little sister is cute, you're the cutest!"
"Th...that's right! Young Lady Helen is the cutest!"
Shut the hell up, redhead.
"Aren't your inner thoughts a bit too harsh?! You seriously thought out loud just now!"
I snickered at how pitiful he looked. As this thing bickered with me, I wasn't able to notice that Helen's smile only grew softer. I was too busy telling the redhead to know his place and that he shouldn't attempt to flirt with my sister whatsoever when suddenly I heard a giggle.
My heart melted the moment I realized that my younger sister started to laugh. She may smile a lot but I don't see her laugh as often, this moment right now is more valuable than any treasure in this world. Helen truly is an angel and this precious laughter of hers made me and redhead close our mouths shut. It wasn't long before I started to join her, laughing with a warm feeling in my heart. Redhead was confused for a while but he cracked up and chuckled.
I never expected that this would happen but I suppose I should've expected the unexpected.
"I'm glad Big sis and Vince are friendly with each other now." Helen softly said with such a happy smile I felt myself smiling as well. I don't agree with that but... oh well. I placed a quick but heartfelt kiss on her forehead before hugging her.
As I felt her embrace me back, I looked over at the boy and gave him a smirk. His face was confused about why I was doing such a thing but it soon turned into an expression of jealousy.
"Heh, I am not letting you get closer to my sister more than this, and I'm most definitely not letting you marry her."
"That's not your position to say! It's not like you two are gonna marry each other in the future!"
"Marry…? But I want to marry Big sis though?" Helen tilted her head and looked at the redhead as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. My sister… she's too pure and innocent for this world I feel myself tearing up.
"Wha- sisters can't marry-"
"Shut up redhead, my sister already decided to marry me so you have no choice but to agree. You can be our ring bearer if you want."
"You're brainwashing your sister…!"
"Brainwashing…?"
"Don't listen to him, Helen. We're going to marry in the future and he can't and can never do anything about it."
Our conversation about who will marry this angel didn't stop there. I thought that I'd hate someone that likes my sister but it seems we have a feeling of camaraderie instead. I'm not sure how I exactly feel about this, though it is nice to find another person who appreciates my sister a lot too.
I've been so focused in our conversation that I kind of forgot to scold June and Ramon… oh well, I'll do it later. I suppose befriending this redhead is not a bad idea; though I still am not giving my sister up to him.
I'm going to crush any obstacle that hinders Helen's happiness and torture anything that would be a threat to her. Watch out plot because I'm not backing down at all!