Back before the war between the Gran Chaos Empire and the Great
Tiger Kingdom, in the room with Parnam Castle's broadcast jewel...
"Huh?! Don't come back?!" Empress Maria's little sister, Trill Euphoria,
practically screamed.
This was because the person on the other side of the broadcast, her other
sister, Jeanne, had insisted she not return to the country. Up until now, Trill
had always been threatened with being dragged back to the Empire any
time she caused trouble for her beloved Genia and Ludwin. Being told not
to come back? This was a first.
The projection of Jeanne nodded solemnly.
"You heard me, Trill... The Great Tiger Kingdom has its sights set on
our country. We expect a great war in the near future. I intend to risk my life
to defend our sister, but...things could go awry. Stay in the Kingdom, under
their protection."
"I couldn't! Perhaps there's nothing I can do to come back, but I detest
the idea of staying here in safety while my sisters are fighting! Ah! I know!
Let's turn to Sir Souma for help! I'm sure he would—"
"Trill!" Jeanne shouted. "We can't get another country caught up in our
problems. Even you must know that."
"I still can't accept it! Did we not form an alliance with Friedonia
precisely so that they could assist us in times like this?!" Trill asked, tears
forming in her eyes. "Positions, duties, blood—none of that matters!
Surviving is the most important thing! If all the country does is tie you two
down, then let it be taken by those who want to have it!"
"Trill... I actually quite like the way you think," Jeanne said, smiling
gently. "And because you're like that, I want you to live life to its fullest.
I'm sure Sister would agree. This isn't about ensuring our bloodline's
survival; it's because I want you to lead the life you want to lead. I want
you to have the freedoms we didn't, okay?"
"You can't mean that!"
"Bye, now... Trill."
With that, the call was cut. The room's silence was deafening. Trill stood
there, dumbfounded for a time, but eventually, great tears began to roll
down her cheeks.
"Wah... Wahhhhhhhh!"
Trill ran out of the room, bawling her eyes out. As she ran, not even
wiping her eyes, she raced through the corridors of the castle to her
carriage, which immediately carried her to the Maxwell-Arcs family's
dungeon workshop. Hours later, once she arrived, she found Genia inside
the log house that had been built there and leapt into her arms.
"Huh? Tri— Blargh!"
"Big Sister Genia!!!"
Genia had no response. Trill's flying tackle-hug had knocked her lights
out. For a time, Trill continued violently shaking Genia. Eventually, Ludwin
arrived—much too late—and pulled Trill off.
Thirty minutes later...
"I'm sorry, Big Sister, Lord Ludwin. I shouldn't have let you see me
acting like that."
Finally settling down, Trill apologized to the two of them while drinking
the tea that Ludwin had served. She'd cried her eyes out, and seemed
dejected. The disconnect between this and her usual, cheerful self
concerned Genia and Ludwin.
"Uh, right," said Genia.
"So, what in the world happened?" asked Ludwin.
"Well, you see..."
Trill told them about the conversation she'd had with Jeanne. After
listening, Genia didn't know what to say to the despondent Trill. Ludwin,
meanwhile, seemed to be thinking about something.
"I see... That explains why His Majesty..."
"Lord Ludwin?"
"Ah! Oh, it's nothing, Madam Trill," Ludwin said, putting a hand on her
shoulder. "This may sound like an empty reassurance, but...I'm sure Madam
Maria and Madam Jeanne will both be fine. There are plenty of people who
want to help them."
"Ah! I-Is this country already doing something?!"
Were they moving to save Maria? Trill had been about to ask, but
Ludwin raised a hand to stop her.
"Any knowledge I have is confidential, so there is nothing I can say."
"I... I see."
"However, I will do everything in my power to ensure that it does not
end in a result that would make you cry. I'll be away from the house for
some time, so you're welcome to stay here in my absence," Ludwin said
before rising to his feet. "Genia."
"Yes, yes."
"I'm heading to the castle now. I won't be back for some time. Look
after the house and Madam Trill while I'm gone."
"Sure. Do your best out there, Big Brother Luu."
Ludwin made a dramatic exit as his petite wife saw him off. Trill shed
tears of gratitude as she watched him go, now confident there were people
who would fight for her sisters.
◇ ◇ ◇
Now, we return to the present. Some time after the Gran Chaos Empire
and Great Tiger Kingdom had fought their war...
"So, why are you still here?" Genia said, puffing up her cheeks.
"Because I want to be with you, of course, Big Sister," Trill replied,
unfazed.
With the war over and Maria and Jeanne both confirmed safe, Ludwin
returned home, and the Gran Chaos Empire was reorganized to become the
Euphoria Kingdom, but Trill was still staying in Genia's house. Up until she
knew for sure that Maria and Jeanne were safe, Trill had acted meek and
timid, but now, she was already back to her old shenanigans.
"Sir Ludwin told me to stay in this house."
"It was only as long as he was away, right?"
"Oh, my. Was it?" Trill put her arm through the loop Genia was making
with hers and leaned in to touch their cheeks together. "Hee hee, Big
Sister~♪"
"Enough. Big Brother Luu, help me."
"Give it a rest, Madam Trill."
As Ludwin was watching the two of them, a wry smile on his face...
There was a sudden knock at the door to the log house.
"A guest?" Genia said, cocking her head to the side.
About the only people who visited them down here were Merula, Trill's
research buddies, or the members of Souma's family. And if it was Souma's
family, they'd have been notified in advance.
"Hm? Yes, come in."
"Excuse me."
The door opened to reveal a beautiful woman. It was Maria Euphoria,
former empress and future third secondary queen, who had chopped her
blonde hair short. Trill let go of Genia's arm as her eyes widened in
surprise.
"Big Sister Maria?! What brings you here?"
"I heard I could find you here."
Maria walked over, a smile on her face, and came to a stop in front of
her sister. Trill's face twitched as she got a vaguely bad feeling about that
smile.
The corners of Maria's mouth turned up even further. "Now then, Trill."
"Wh-Whatever could it be, Big Sister Maria?"
"It's time to go home!" Maria told her, sounding like a town loudspeaker
in the evening.
Trill blinked. "Erm... By that, do you mean...to my house in Parnam?"
"No. To Valois, the city of your birth."
"The Imperial capital?!"
"We're a kingdom now, so it's the royal capital."
Maria was ordering her to return to the Euphoria Kingdom.
"The joint research project to create a drill has produced results, and
your fellow researcher, Taru, has returned home as well. It is about time you
went back to Valois. We need someone to teach people in the Euphoria
Kingdom to use the newly developed technologies."
"That's not fair...! Ah! I know! I have my duties as ambassador to the
Kingdom to attend to..."
"I'll be taking over that job." Maria cut down any further arguments
before Trill could make them. "We've adopted what's effectively a 'two
countries, one nation' arrangement. I can act as a bridge between them."
"Uh, but aren't you busy, Big Sister Maria?"
"When I am away, Sir Ginger's wife, Madam Sandria, will fill in for me.
She originally came from the Empire, and she still has family in the
Euphoria Kingdom."
It looked like there was no escape. Maria had run the Empire for a long
time, after all. Trill was never going to be able to beat her in an argument
like this. As she fell silent, at a loss for words, Maria took her hand with a
gentle smile.
"Big Sister Maria?"
"Come along, Trill. It's time for your triumphant return. You'll be
supporting Jeanne from now on."
"N-No fair! Big Sisteeer!"
Trill desperately reached out to Genia for help, but...
"Yes, yes, your big sister's right here. And you have another one in
Valois," Maria said, pulling her along by the hand as she left Genia's house.
The Euphoria sisters came suddenly, and left the same way. Genia and
Ludwin watched, dumbfounded, as it all went down.
"I don't know what to say... It's like a storm just finished blowing
through," Ludwin murmured once silence returned.
Genia smiled wryly at that wording. "It sure is. But now..."
"Genia?"
Genia pressed herself against Ludwin's arm. Due to her small stature
compared to his, she had to use her whole body to wrap herself around his
arm.
"Heh-heh, now the two of us can finally enjoy some alone time."
"Uh... Y-Yeah, I guess so, huh?"
The handsome second-in-command of the National Defense Force
nodded, turning a bright shade of red.