“You’re truly going to be staying in this mansion for some time…?”

I nervously asked Elena. Felix and Anastasia were also shocked.

Elena tilted her head a little.

“Did I stutter?”

“That’s not the case… How long is ‘for a while’?”

“I’m taking a long trip, so I might be here for about two months.”

Elena, who was two years younger than me, was still a student at the royal capital academy. However, while the school holiday for the current season was long, the duration of her stay exceeded that…

“…W, why so long?”

“I just decided so. Does my sister dislike my presence?”

Elena, with a hint of loneliness, sweetly appealed to me. I hurriedly shook my head.

“No, that’s not the case. I’m merely surprised by how sudden this is…”

I didn’t really dislike Elena. Being able to see her for the first time in a while made me happy. But, for what reason would she visit and decide to stay in such an empty place for such a long time?

Moreover…

I glanced at Elena. Elena was a beautiful girl. She had a much brighter personality than me, and she was obviously a charming girl.

What if, due to Elena staying here, Alex-sama became attracted to her…?

Of course, I believed in Alex-sama.

I, believe…

Elena stuck out her tongue and clasped her hands.

“Forgive me. I actually want to contact you in advance, but… here I am. But don’t worry! I won’t be a nuisance!”

Even if she says that… was there a room where Elena could stay? What about her servants and the maids?

Elena was the fiancée of crown prince, Mikhail. She was the future queen. As such, I couldn’t treat her carelessly.

“Why don’t I just stay in the same room as my sister? We used to do that in the past, didn’t we?”

Elena said that with a smile.

Certainly, we used to sleep in the same room back when we were children at the house of Duke Tchaikovsky.

As of the present, that wasn’t the case.

“I, I can’t…”

“Why?”

“B, because I’m sleeping in the same bedroom as Alex-sama…”

Elena steadily blushed.

“I, oh, I see, that’s right…”

Alex-sama and I did sleep in the same room, but there was nothing more to it…

…That said, I stopped talking.

If I kept silent, Elena would misunderstand—which might prove better for me.

I also a desired to keep up a front, thereby reducing the risk of Alex-sama and Elena getting closer…

…At the same time, I didn’t like to lie to Elena.

My worries disappeared immediately. It was because Felix covered for me.

“His Highness and Alisa are at the point where they can hold hands with each other. I’m sorry for disappointing you, Lady Elena.”

“Huh? Is that so?”

Elena looked relieved.

…Felix! You’ve said something unnecessary!

Felix then smiled.

“Therefore, I’d be grateful if Elena and I could cooperate in deepening the relationship between the two.”

Ah, I see.

That was Felix’s true objective all along.

Elena silently stared at Felix. There was an awkward pause.

Felix stared back at Elena with suspicion.

Then, Elena showed a meaningful, mysterious, and also fascinating smile.

“That’s a great idea. I’ll try to make my sister happy.”

Her words sent a shiver down my spine.

From the perspective of others, Elena’s words might sound like an ordinary remark towards her sister…

…In fact, Felix nodded happily.

But as Elena’s sister, I could feel it. There was an underlying meaning behind her words.

There was a reason why Elena came all the way here from the royal capital.

A reason which, as of the present, I was clueless about.

A gentle knocking sound echoed in the room.

Alex-sama had entered.

“Did something happen to Alisa? …Huh?”

Alex-sama stared at Elena as if he was looking at a strange object.

After he had pondered for a while, he suddenly clapped.

“Aren’t you Alisa’s sister, Ms. Elena?”

“Yes! It’s been a while since I met His Highness!”

With her pale gray eyes gleaming, Elena rushed towards His Highness.

Then Elena… grabbed Alex’s hand tightly.

“I have to refer to you as ‘brother-in-law’, don’t I?”

I didn’t know if Elena was aware or not, but if my hand was to be held by a girl as cute as Elena, and if I was stared at by such glittering eyes… any man of the same age would surely be flustered.

…Alex-sama would blush….

…wait?

Instead, Alex-sama showed a flat expression. His face was neither red nor bashful.

Unlike Felix, who blushed after being hugged by Elena, Alex-sama reacted differently.

I was a little happy. Only I could make Alex-sama embarrassed and flush.

Alex said with a gentle smile.

“That’s right. Since you’re Mikhail’s fiancée, you’re now my sister-in-law.”

For some reason, Elena looked a little dissatisfied with Alex’s words.

---

***T/N: We thought her possibly-a-farming-tool sister is the problem, but the actual problem is a legit one…

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