The next morning came.
You know how they say; a worthy woman draws near by the arms of a worthy man. Should I believe it, what it means is that as a man you should know how to treat women like queens and empresses. How to do it exactly, then? How to become a worthy man? The answer is pretty simple.
Learn all the household chores.
It was only five in the morning but I was already wearing an apron and was moving about at the kitchen sink. Ah, no actually I'm done with cooking so it was only cleaning that's left. After arranging the table and wiping dry the kitchen's cooking area, I went outside.
It was cold as usual, but this time the morning dew seems heavier. I can feel the air seeping in my skin as I was only wearing light clothes for cooking.
No, seriously. Today was unusually so cold.
"Brrr… It's already April, right? What the heck is wrong with this temperature?" I shivered.
I can't seem to feel the spring air, more like it's still winter. I know Saint Isle was a peculiar place with so many mysteries, but give me a break, please. Experiencing this cold don't really go well with me.
The next door was just meters away, but every step takes courage to make. Actually, I feel like an idiot for going out lightly dressed.
I pressed the doorbell to miss Elle's door. Three times to be noticed, but not so overly obnoxious. It's still morning, after all.
I was prepared to wait for how long, but the door opened immediately when what felt like five seconds passed. Yeah, well, in this coldness, it felt like every second counts as a life and death situation for me.
The one to appear was Claudia. She was rubbing her eyes as if she just got out of the bed. Her hair is a mess, too. She's wearing extremely light clothes, such which whenever she moves her magnificent mounds sways ever-so-graceful (thank you very much).
Maybe miss Elle lent her such pajamas? Seems like it, her own clothes were tattered after all. She also must have taken a bath too, her skin looks smoother than it was yesterday. And, uh, is she… not wearing anything underneath? It's actually amaz—ahem—hard to look at.
"Hmm? Who might you be...?"
She asked, still in dazed. Geez, how careless and defenseless could you be? She didn't even recognized me.
But then, when she finally opened her eyes clean, she cried in surprise,"Wha-! Gleren?! You looked like a zombie! W-what gives?!"
Understandable, though. Her surprised expression gives life to my dying soul.
"Ah, these? Hehehe. I can say it's a badge of honor."
I smiled at her as I pointed underneath my eyes. Bags lined and dark circles formed. I tried playing it off as a joke but seeing her dry reaction, it wasn't very effective it seems. And then, another person from the room stole a peek outside.
I took in the morning dew (urk, very cold). Her breathtaking form was just too good to behold. She smiled. Even her smile was a warmth to my freezing frame.
"My, good morning, Gleren."
I returned the greet with a smile of my own.
"Good morning, miss Elle. Did you sleep well?"
Miss Elle was holding a tea-cup, lightly dressed as well. She was donned with her white sleepwear, the one she wore last night under her lab coat; though, this time it was covered with her brown housecoat.
She also took a good long look at my face and then made the same nonplussed reaction as miss Claudia.
"Wh-what happened to you?! Just look at that eyebags! I should be the one to ask if you slept well!"
"Ahahaha. Actually, I asked you if you slept well because I didn't."
I laughed. But seeing miss Elle's worried expression, my jest did not work again with her as well just like with miss Claudia.
I changed the topic.
"By the way, here."
I handed over the stuffs that I promised to give last night; homemade foods for breakfast. I gave miss Elle the three wooden lunch boxes that I held in my right hand.
"My, you actually made this much?"
"Ahaha. I got a little bit excited as this would be the first time in a while that I made food for you, miss Elle. Well, it's just some simple and light breakfast, though."
"No… this… I'm grateful."
She smiled sweetly as she glanced passionately at the lunch boxes. Her cheeks tinged with a brush of pink. I was so sure that this morning was colder than most of the days, but seeing her looked so happy about something as simple as this made my will to live flair (figuratively).
Her long eyelashes were emphasized as she had her downward glimpse to the boxes. She stared at it as if it was a rare item in a game. Honestly, having your efforts being appreciated like this was just simply the best. The heat captured my face and even if I cannot see it, I know that right now that I'm considerably red.
I was just looking at her eyelashes, but my eyes were abruptly directed to her deep trench of a cleavage. It was not me, officer! I swear it was caused by some unidentified force.
I looked away. It was not intentional, okay?! But. well, uh, another glimpse will not hurt, right?
As I was thinking this, miss Elle pulled her housecoat towards her chest, and with a flushed face, she stared at me intently with a pout.
"Gleren… you pervert."
"Urk…!"
She found me out. Caught red-handed.
"Can you not flirt so early in the morning? In front of someone, too."
Ah, I totally forgot that Claudia was right besides us. She looked like a child sulking in the background.
"Were not flirting!"
Miss Elle bellowed in retaliation. Her red face gives her away, though. Also, surely, we're not flirting. I wish we were.
"As you say. But, Gleren, how about me? Don't tell me you just went and cooked for your beloved miss Ella and forgotten about me; a poor woman who has just recovered from being injured!"
She pointed herself, emphasizing her arm that was just healed.
"Ah, yes. I forgot about you and just cooked only for my beloved miss Elle."
"No way~! You're so mean!"
She cried in defeat. I chuckled. Teasing this childish adult's really worth it. She really makes so many different reactions.
"Gleren, if you cook for me, now. I'll give you a kiss as a reward."
She said as she put her pointer finger on her puckered lips combined with a wink. There she goes again on the teasing. Oh, well, might as well teach her a lesson.
"Incidentally, those three lunch boxes are actually for miss Elle, for you and, the for Maria, was it? Yep. Now, give me the promised kiss."
"Hwuhe?!" She yelped in surprise.
But it's already too late, you know. I held her chin and closed my face to her. As our nose touched each other; she suddenly exploded with steams coming out from her reddened face. She slowly collapses on the spot. Seeing her react like this is the best reason to tease her.
"Heheh. Learned your lesson, now? Teasing me takes years to accomplish!"
As I laughed to celebrate my victory, I felt a tug at the hem of my shirt. I shifted my gaze to find miss Elle, fidgeting with face as red as a tomato.
"Sh-should I give you a kiss as well? I-I mean, you also cooked for me, so…"
My eyes went saucers and my brain went "@#$&+" as I stared at her pleading eyes.
Honestly, I want to shout "YES, PLEASE!" to the capacity of my throat. I won't even care if my lungs would burn. But I might actually die if I do so—in the hands of my own family, that is. Also,
"Miss Claudia was just joking, you know? And, uh, I was just teasing her as a payback…"
After Claudia, it was miss Elle's turn to explode. Face blushed scarlet and fumes were coming out of her beautiful mug as well. Then, when she finally recovered, she stared at me in an upward glance with her misty eyes.
"Gleren, you idiot."
"Wow..."
I felt like something inside me just went with a burst. This is what I was talking about. The charm of a mature woman.
Letting out an exaggerated exhaust, miss Elle urged me in her resident.
"Anyway, please come in first. I'll have you tell me what happened to those eyesbags of yours."
Come to think of it, the coldness I felt when I went out the house just disappeared when I started talking to both of them. Strange, really. Pleasantly strange. This is what I was talking about. The charm of a mature woman (2×).
I went inside and sat on the sofa. This time, we were not at the clinic but the living room on the second floor. Miss Claudia sat lazily on the opposite seat, a tea table between us, while miss Elle was preparing me a coffee. Actually, today is Friday so I have classes to attend to, but since I still have time, I guess chatting with them for a bit won't hurt. Sofy's still asleep as well.
"So? What happened to that eyes of yours?"
Miss Elle immediately asked as she put down the coffee she'd brewed. One in front of me and another for miss Claudia who's sloppily flopped on the sofa. Also, ain't this lass feeling at home too much? She was just a patient last night, wasn't she? Why is she acting as if she owns the house? Or are they actually already this close? As expected of miss Elle. This is what I was talking about. The charm of a mature woman (3×).
"Well, you see, I got scolded by my sister."
I confessed. It was really bad, actually. I thought that I would never wake up again if I took a wink; thus, the eyebags.
What happened last night when I got home, you ask? Well, something like this;
*
Last night—
When I opened the door to our home, the room was conspicuously dark. Not a single spark of light can be made out—except for the indicator of the switch, which conveniently glow in a line symbol at the wall next to the door.
"Is Sofy's not home?" I muttered to myself.
I pressed the switch and that's when the horror begun; when the light illuminated the whole room, there she was—standing in front of me who just entered the door. Arms crossed under her chest and she was still in her uniform. She was smiling.
Yes, my lovely little sister was smiling but her eyes weren't. She looked so lovely with her grin even if I'm sure it was forced. Still, the way she wore that plastered smile tells me that I need to run immediately.
So I smiled back at her, and took my stance as I turned around and attempted to flee. But, alas, my hope for scape was nothing but a fairway dream; when her soft hand got a grip of my shoulders—her grip was light and physically speaking, I can shake her off easily; that is if I had a death wish.
Indeed, her hand was soft, and her grip was so light, but my psychological power won't just help me out this time. I turned my head back at her, slowly as if a rusty valve. There I saw a face of my little sister that I haven't seen for a long while now. A face shadowed by her slipping dark aura.
I smiled bitterly. I might not be able to make it out alive here.
"You will tell me everything, won't you? my dear beloved brother. EEEVERYTHING!"
"Y-yes…"
I replied timidly as my will power seeped beneath the wooden floor.
I was forced to kneel at the entrance of the house. I was not even allowed to change to my house clothes, nor was I able to ask her a single question. This was not a simple brother-sister conversation—this was a blattant straight-to-honest interrogation…
"First, I want you to tell me how you became so close with that glasses girl… uhm—"
"Varvara?"
"Yes! That girl! Just how did you get so close?!"
"Well…"
"Knowing you, brother, you are not the type of person to get close unnecessarily to other people. So, when I saw you two happily chatting together, it's just…"
She looked so anxious when she says this… and then as if realizing something, she suddenly said something I did not expect her to.
"Ah! C-could it be that she had some dirt on you?!"
"What?!" I let out a dumbstruck voice.
That's not the first thing to come in mind when a boy and a girl seen together, is it now?
"Could it be that she was blackmailing you to obey what she wanted?!"
"How the hell did you arrive at that conclusion?!"
You watch too much anime, my little sister!
"If not, then maybe… her type of girl is what brother prefers…?"
She sounded really reserved as she said this. She looks really anxious with tears almost falling down her beautiful eyes. I never would have imagined that I'd see a day that my sister, that Sofia Stasis, which was held as the most—if not, one of the most beautiful women in Saint Isle would get jealous to other girls.
"I mean, well, miss Varvara seems really wonderful. She's someone brother's especially close to, so I cannot see her as a bad person. She looks wonderful too, and her demure personality is just amazing… I cannot compete with her."
When she said that, an image of Varvara suddenly popped out my head; A girl with braided twin-tail and wears thick glasses, showing her smile. Well, true that I find Varvara really cute, but hearing Sofy say she can't compete with her is a stretch, isn't it?
And what the hell is she competing with her in the first place?!
"No, no, no. Sofy and Varvara have different charms, so—"
"You just don't get it, brother. Someone like miss Varvara could pull something I can't. Well, you'll see what I mean when she finally pulls all the breaks!"
Pull all the what now?
"Well, if you say so."
"Ah! You're not taking this seriously aren't you?! Don't come running away when it finally hits you, you hear?!"
I don't really get it, but sure enough, I would never run away from Varvara no matter what.
"Well, just think of her as my closest female friend, okay? She's nice and kind. I find her cute too. But certainly, we are just friends."
I emphasized. Also, it would be rude to Varvara if I thought of her as a potential lover on my own. I don't want to disregard her own fellings.
"..."
"Is that all? My dear sister, I would like to take a bath and change clothes first. I feel really uncomfortable right now…"
"Well, okay. I'll leave it at that."
"Then, I'll—"
"Oh, did I said that I'm already done? Hmm?"
I thought I was finally released... After she said that, I was interrogated for three hours more. She asked me about the Elisha. What happened between me and Shinra after school. Seems like Shinra sold me out to Sofy after what happened at the rooftop. I'll be sure to punish her for this later. And finally, about the picture of the girl—Maria—that she saw on my phone.
I was hellish, I tell you. Sure, I would happily talk to Sofy but not when she's like this. I was grilled to death. No, maybe toasted?
The conversation had only ended when I explained to her that it was all related to work. When I told Sofy that it was all Jin's order, she immediately nodded and apologize.
Sofy knew about my job, and anything related to it was something she promised me that she'd never get involved with. If I realized that it would be that easy, I should have just said so from the very beginning. But alas, I failed the most simple task.
It was already past mid-night when I was released. And I was not even allowed to sleep. She only settled down when I presented her the pudding that I bought for her. Thank God, I did.
For my punishment? She requested I let her sleep with me in my bed.
Yep, not a wink I'd sleep.
*
And back to the present.
I relayed all that happened last night to miss Elle and miss Claudia. Yes, everything except my identity as a member of Kage no Kishi and my mission as monitor for Maria. Also, that one time with Shinra. I omitted these details, but everything else, I spilled.
Miss Elle stared at me with a worried look on her face while miss Claudia was laughing hard at the sofa, holding her stomach.
"You have it hard, eh? Having such a sister with major brother complex. Well, I can understand her jealousy, though. I mean, she really has a womanizer for a brother. HAHAHA"
"Don't say that! And this ain't a funny matter!"
I talked back to miss Claudia, who's still laughing, even harder than earlier. She got me this time, this childish woman!
"That's right, miss Claudia. Stop teasing him now, will you? He had it rough."
Miss Elle... You really are a goddess! You're the only one who understands my pain.
Miss Elle got close to me while I trained my thoughts. Then, with her open palm, she directed her soothing healing light to my face. Immediately after that, all the dizziness that I felt left me as if they were just my imagination.
I felt even better than before and the bags under my eyes were gone together when the light faded.
After that, we chatted a litter more while waiting for the girl, Maria, to wake up. But since she seemed really tired, she did not woke until I left to eat my breakfast with Sofy. I'll get scolded again if I did not eat with her, after all.
I told miss Claudia that I would guide her after school hours to the Academy so they can both get rest until then.
And so, another day begun with troubles to look forward to.