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“The elf is so tempting that it’s barely even visible…”

“……”

I was left speechless.

What is temptation? Isn’t it seducing someone’s intellect with your own charm?

But looking at Shione right now…

It seemed there was a gap between what I understood as temptation and what Shione perceived it to be.

“Haha…”

A laugh escaped me, a helpless sound that I couldn’t hold back.

How on earth can loosening the top two buttons of your blouse and snatching a cookie intended for others be considered tempting?

Although I was pretending not to notice to spare Shione’s embarrassment… she was acting like some kind of rodent, storing the cookie in her chubby cheeks.

Thanks to that, I could distinctly feel it with my palm against her cheek.

Really, licking the crumbs off my fingers in this situation would only make me look like a cookie-obsessed glutton.

How could Shione, who spent so long holed up in her room, have learned such nonsensical seduction tactics?

I chose to gently stroke Shione’s cheeks, showing more of an innocent charm than the alluring side she was aiming for.

“Umm….”

Shione didn’t seem to expect that her attempt at seduction would be effective; her expression relaxed for a moment.

Instead of showcasing an alluring charm to tempt others, Shione appeared to embody more of an innocent cuteness.

While she was overwhelmed trying to understand the situation, I saw the beautiful galaxy reflected in her wall-eyed gaze.

What were her thoughts for the future? It was filled with expectations, tightly packed away.

“Shione.”

“Uh, yes?”

As I stroked her cheek, I pinched!

I poked her soft cheek with my thumb and index finger.

A slight question nestled above the expectations.

“What’s this about temptation?”

“Uwahh…!”

I tugged on her cheek.

“R, Ray! St-stop that…!”

Oh dear, my lady quickly insists I put her down. How could a mere servant ever defy her?

As my hand fell away from her cheek, Shione glared at me while rubbing her face.

Suddenly, like a startled puppy, she shot me a look full of reproach.

“Ugh… why are you being like this?”

“I’d like to ask you the same. What nonsense about temptation are you talking about?”

“Um… well, after seeing that elf earlier, I felt a bit uneasy…”

“Hmm…”

It seemed Friel Arielte’s smile had stirred Shione’s jealousy and obsession.

The last time Friel met Shione, she clung to me. But this time, she snatched my cookie in an attempt to tempt me. At this rate, I wondered what Shione might do next time we met.

That aside…

I had another question for her.

“And where on earth did you learn this method of temptation?”

What a shoddy technique, I wonder how our lady picked it up.

When I asked, Shione slightly turned away and began scratching her cheek.

“Well, um…”

After a moment of hesitation, Shione pointed shyly at the bookshelf in the room.

“I saw it… in a novel.”

“Ah…”

Come to think of it, Shione’s bookshelf was filled with a variety of novels besides just plant encyclopedias.

It seemed she was trying to recreate the seductive scenes from those novels in real life with me.

“I mean, when guys do stuff like this, the female protagonists just fall right for it.”

Oh boy, dear heavens.

“…So, it’s the male characters doing those things? Like holding a girl’s hand and putting it to their cheek, or licking their fingers?”

Shudder!

As I articulated what Shione had done to me, she suddenly blushed widely, realizing how embarrassing her actions were.

She glanced at me, finally nodding in agreement with a small sigh.

“Yeah, of course. A girl wouldn’t do something so creepy.”

“Ah…”

Goodness. They really wrote about such creepy acts by men in those books?

I never imagined those novels collecting dust on the shelf could be so terrifying.

…Truly, the pen is mightier than the sword.

As I shivered at the absurdity of gender reversal, Shione’s earlier words lingered in my mind.

“And for Shione… if a girl does it, it’s considered unsettling imitation.”

Shudder.

Ripples formed in Shione’s pupils.

“Are you okay?”

“…Y-yeah, I’m fine.”

Shione lowered her head.

Her face was hidden behind her drooping hair.

After staring blankly at the ground for a while, Shione slowly raised her head to look at me.

“I’m Ray’s younger sister, so…”

“……”

“It’s not weird for a younger sister to act cute toward her big brother… right…?”

As I patted Shione’s head, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

I just couldn’t help it. The situation was too amusing.

At that moment, Shione’s cheeks flushed deep red, as if my laughter was a betrayal.

“Ugh… why are you laughing…!”

I couldn’t respond because I was still laughing.

“You came from a world where gender roles are reversed! I went to the trouble of unbuttoning two buttons…!”

Bam!

Shione stood up hastily from her chair and strode toward me with determined steps.

Then, she began to lightly punch me with her feeble fists.

“You not falling for my charm is what’s strange! Big Brother, you like me!”

“I do, but I like you a lot more than that elf-like ear-cutting creature.”

“Yeah, of course, you prefer me over that elf─”

Shione, who had been fuming, suddenly stopped and stared blankly at me.

“Oh…”

“But─”

I poked her cheek again.

“It might be tough for me to like the cookie inside your mouth.”

That cheek was the one she had filled with the cookie she had snatched from me.

“Ah.”

Shione finally realized her mistake.

I gave her a small smile and, in a playful tone, said,

“Lady Shione seems to be quite far from the concept of temptation, doesn’t she?”

“Ray, you…!”

Shione’s expression contorted like a child about to burst into tears.

It must have been very embarrassing for her to be reminded of her ridiculous act.

In the end, she uttered that word she hadn’t said in a long time.

“Get out!!”

After her outburst, I quickly cleared away the empty plates and teacups on the table in front of me.

“Then I’ll get some more cookies and tea.”

Well, when I return, she’ll hopefully have cooled off a bit.

If that doesn’t work, I could always pet her head until she calms down, I figured.

*

Time flew by after I returned to the room.

There was considerable commotion outside for a moment, likely those ear-cutting elves arriving at the Count’s villa for dinner.

It was getting late, so the important discussions would have to wait until tomorrow…

Well, Ainel Shianella would take care of the conversations with Friel Arielte well enough.

She had been subtly informed about the mischief of the elves before. She should be able to approach them with a fair amount of caution.

The problem was—

“Ray… can’t we sleep together in my room tonight?”

It seemed Shione was still not tired of her little game of temptation, as she was emitting an unusual plea.

“…What do you mean by that?”

“Ah, I don’t mean anything weird… just that I want to be with you a little longer…”

“Hmm. Are you still worried about that elf?”

“…Yeah, I can’t stop thinking about her for some reason.”

So many worries to have.

Despite having lectured her multiple times on why I couldn’t possibly fall for an elf, Shione didn’t seem to ease her vigilance toward Friel.

When she went to see Friel off earlier today, she just insisted nothing significant was said. It was truly frustrating.

“And─”

Shione gave me an expectant look, her eyes sparkled with hope.

“I think I could have a good dream if you’re beside me.”

Well, it wasn’t a big deal to sit beside her.

“I’ll hold your hand until you fall asleep. How does that sound?”

Shione nodded her head.

Then she climbed into bed, snuggling under the blankets, and I settled into a chair beside the bed.

“Ray, good night.”

After saying that, Shione playfully kissed my forehead and closed her eyes while holding my hand tightly.

In the dark of night, only the gentle glow of the moon filtering through the window illuminated the quiet room.

Swoosh… swoosh…

Shione’s breathing steadied.

Hmm, she should be asleep by now.

Just as I was about to rise and head back for some rest—

Crack.

I could feel an unexpected strength in Shione’s grip as she held my hand.

“…?”

Shione, who had been with her eyes shut, was now staring at me wide awake.

Her blue eyes shone brightly in the darkness, like a predator spotting its prey.

“Not yet.”

“……”

“Stay seated.”

Ten minutes passed.

“Still not asleep.”

Thirty minutes.

“Stay put.”

Forty-five minutes.

“Not yet.”

“Hold on.”

“Ray.”

Why was she, who usually falls asleep in an instant, acting like this today?

Maybe it was because we walked around all day long and met the elves; my mind was busy processing everything.

I was tired too.

“Shione, surely you’re not trying to use this as another seduction attempt, are you?”

“……”

Her eyes, once tightly shut, slowly opened.

“Big Brother… with such a beautiful girl sleeping next to you, shouldn’t you kiss me at least once…?”

Beautiful girl or not!

My deep-seated annoyance began to bubble up quietly.

Shione timidly lifted her eyelids to look at me, her expression now a mix of panic.

“R, Ray…?”

…Should I kill her?

 

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