Chapter 68
After bathing and washing away the grime of our long journey, Jurgen and I got dressed while discussing what to do next.
"For now, we're on Sister Liese's pace. Let's not let ourselves get swept along by it."
"Yes. However, she certainly got the jump on us."
The look on Jurgen's face as he said that showed no frustration at all. If anything, he looked as though he were praising her, as if to say, 'As expected of her.'
Still, she had done a splendid job of smashing our plans, so I supposed she deserved credit, but this was no time to admire her.
"Speaking as her younger brother, I don't think Sister Liese's attitude toward Duke Reinfelt is one of dislike. If anything, I think she favors him."
"Really!?"
"That's only my impression, but Sister Lieselotte is that kind of person. No matter how much my coming here might have to do with it, she wouldn't come to the estate of someone she disliked. The condition she mentioned must be the reason she rejects marriage proposals."
"You mean, 'I won't marry someone who can't die alongside me'...?"
"Yes. Conversely, if someone fulfills that condition, she isn't opposed to marriage itself. If she were against marriage altogether, there would be nothing we could do. But she is a woman of the imperial family, after all. She's been taught since childhood that she would marry one day. So if the duke can prove that he fulfills her condition, there may still be hope."
"I see... However, to be someone capable of dying alongside her, he would have no choice but to become her aide."
That was the problem.
Sister Liese had gone so far as to drive Jurgen out of the military.
She was the one who closed off his chance to become her aide.
That was the one thing that didn't seem like Sister Liese. Jurgen hadn't joined the military and then washed out; Sister Liese had pulled strings to force him out.
That was what bothered me.
"Whatever the case, he has to prove that he can at least fight."
"I understand. I'll show Lieselotte-sama the results of my training."
With that, Jurgen enthusiastically thumped his protruding belly.
The flesh jiggled with a wobble, making me vaguely uneasy, but I couldn't bring myself to say so.
■■■
"That was a long bath. Does it really take that long to wash your hair and body?"
"Reducing a bath to washing your hair and body is an insult to baths, Sister Liese."
Sister Liese's hair was glossy as she said this.
She probably hadn't put much effort into it, just as she'd said. She'd likely only washed it normally.
She'd be inviting the disapproval of women everywhere.
Jurgen and I joined Sister Liese at the round table where she sat. Tea had been prepared on the table. There were sweets as well, but she had pulled them toward herself, so I couldn't touch them.
"Is that so? Water is precious on the battlefield. I don't take baths for pleasure."
"You didn't have to worry about that when you were in the Imperial Capital, did you?"
"I had maids in the Imperial Capital, so I disliked it. In the end, I take quick baths wherever I am. I don't understand the idea of enjoying a bath."
In a way, the maids were impressive too.
Weren't they afraid to get in the bath with this woman and wash her?
Well, they probably couldn't do their jobs if they let thoughts like that stop them.
What a difficult job. I'll bring something to Mother's maids next time.
"Bathing leaves you vulnerable. Perhaps Lieselotte-sama instinctively dislikes that sort of thing."
"Oh! That's it! You said something insightful, Jurgen."
With a smile, Sister Liese praised Jurgen.
Then, as though rewarding him, she handed him the sweets that had been in front of her.
Sister Liese had actually given something away!?
It was a shock.
Sister Liese was very possessive of her belongings. You could also say that she formed strong attachments to them. Even I had received something of hers only a handful of times.
Once, one of Sister Liese's subordinates incurred the displeasure of a high-ranking noble, who had them beaten so badly that they needed medical treatment. When Sister Liese heard about it, she barged into that noble's residence and declared:
"My subordinate is my property. I am entrusted with even their life. In other words, you injured what belongs to me without permission." From there, Sister Liese beat the high-ranking noble senseless.
It became quite an issue, but I clearly remember the Crown Prince stepping in and settling it before it developed into a major scandal.
For Sister Liese to give Jurgen sweets... Well, when you got down to it, they had originally been Jurgen's, and must have been served for the three of us to share.
Even so, it was extremely unusual. This alone was enough to show that Sister Liese had taken a liking to Jurgen, at least to some extent.
"Thank you."
"Indeed."
Jurgen accepted something as trivial as a sweet with immense gratitude, while Sister Liese accepted his attitude as perfectly natural.
Perhaps she was in an unusually good mood today.
To find out, I steeled myself and reached for a sweet.
Then my vision spun, and an impact struck my back. Before I knew it, I was sprawled on my back on the floor.
"We haven't seen each other in a while, and you've developed sticky fingers, Al?"
"Sister Liese is just as she always was, I see..."
Sister Liese had hold of the wrist of my outstretched right hand.
She had twisted my wrist with one hand and completely unbalanced me. She'd even given me a soft landing so I wouldn't be injured.
What a terrifying sister—to go this far over a mere sweet...
"Odd... I thought you were in a good mood."
"I am. I got to see you again after so long. Despite you being an unfilial younger brother who had nothing to do in the Imperial Capital and still didn't come see me, I'm in a good mood simply because I got to see you. Don't you think I'm a wonderful sister?"
"Would you? In general, I don't think people would call a sister who casually throws her younger brother to the floor merely because he tried to take a sweet 'wonderful.'"
"That's because you tried to steal my sweet without asking."
"That's ridiculous. They were for three people, remember? They were meant for all of us to share."
"They were placed right in front of me, weren't they? Naturally, that means they're mine."
"..."
With that, Sister Liese picked up a sweet and ate it with obvious relish.
Sweets rarely made it to the front lines. As Marshal, she could indulge if she wanted, but she lived simply because doing otherwise would set a bad example for the soldiers.
So this must have been a rare treat for Sister Liese as well. She was in a particularly good mood.
Seeing her like that, Jurgen looked happy too.
Why? Why was I the only one whose wrist was being held down? It was unfair.
I'd been struggling for a while, but I still couldn't escape Sister Liese's hold.
"Sister, could you let go now?"
"Why?"
"Why!?"
"You don't release someone who hasn't apologized, do you?"
"But as I said, they were originally sweets for three people..."
"They're mine."
"I'm sorry for trying to steal your sweets."
"There should be a few more words in that apology, shouldn't there?"
"Your sweets! I'm sorry for trying to steal your sweets."
"Good."
Only then did she finally release me.
Rubbing my wrist, I returned to my chair, but the sweets that had been in front of Sister Liese were already almost gone.
"Hmm? Jurgen, the sweets are gone."
"Don't say it as if they disappeared on their own. You ate them, Sister."
"I'll have more brought right away."
"Indeed."
"..."
Why did my perfectly good retort have to be brushed aside so completely?
When Jurgen clapped his hands, maids brought cakes on small plates. The smell alone told me they were sweet, but it wasn't an unpleasant sweetness. Could it be cheesecake? It looked delicious.
First, one was placed in front of Sister Liese. Then one was placed in front of me—but Sister Liese's hand reached over from the side and pulled it in front of her.
I couldn't take it anymore!
"Wait! This is ridiculous!"
"What is?"
"Everything! Why are you taking the plate that was put in front of me!? You have your own portion!"
"I don't."
"You already ate it!? That was fast!? More importantly, that's mine! Don't just casually try to eat it!"
"A younger brother's things belong to his older sister."
"What kind of outrageous logic is that!? Then you'd accept it if I said a younger sister's things belong to her older brother!?"
"I will not yield to unreasonable behavior."
"You—!? Fine!"
Realizing that words were useless, I reached for the cake by force.
But Sister Liese knocked my hand away with one hand. With the other, she began eating the cake.
Damn it!
Determined to snatch it no matter what, I went at her with both hands, but she fended off every attempt with one hand.
Before long, Sister Liese had eaten my cake.
"Ah..."
"Prince Arnold, please eat mine."
"Duke... thank you. I'll have—"
"I told you a younger brother's things belong to his older sister, didn't I?"
The cake Jurgen handed me was intercepted before it even reached my hand.
That cake, too, ultimately ended up in Sister Liese's stomach.
Unfair...
In the end, I couldn't eat a thing there.