“…Twins?”

“They’re my brothers. The one on the right is Rick, and Andy is the one wearing glasses.”

“Oh, could it be that you’re a Dragon Knight!?”

Rick leaped over the railing of the stairs and dropped into the hallway. In a flash, he’d arrived in front of Camila and excitedly shook her hand.

“Nice to meet you. Thank you for taking care of our sister—onee-chan? onii-chan?”

Camila, taken aback by Rick’s laughter, regained her composure almost immediately.

“Please address me as, ‘onee-chan.’ The two of you truly are alike.”

“Please don’t compare me to him, but my name is Andy. Thank you for taking care of my careless sister.”

“Hey, who’re you calling careless!?”

“You are.”

Andy came down the stairs and quickly asserted.

“I heard that His Majesty the Emperor collapsed? Wasn’t that because Jill-nee-san forced him undergo the path of trials?”

“T-that’s… That can’t be it! He’s just exhausted from the long trip.”

“—To top it off, you started on the wrong path, so the result became invalid. You always leap without thinking. Do something about that habit of yours. Mobility is important, though. You didn’t expect a dinner party anyway, right? Mother is calling for you. Get ready.”

Eh, Jill withdrew a step.

“B-but I heard it’s not a formal event…”

“Use your head. The crown prince is here. If you look like a mess, there’s no way he’ll show the Saber family any mercy.”

“Uh-huh. We’re here to keep an eye on you. After all, we went through the trouble of wearing formal attire, so we won’t let you escape.”

Daughter of Margrave Saber. Older sister. As the memories behind those roles resurged, she began to feel faint. The smiles on both Andy and Rick’s faces… Jill recognized them.

“Did you know that after you reject the marriage proposal of the crown prince, even the king set his eyes on you? Be more considerate of mom and dad.”

“Jill-nee-san, how did you become so popular? I also heard that you completed a bizarre ritual?”

“J-just stop… All right, I get it. I’ll be my mother’s doll.”

Her mother had a penchant for cute things. Therefore, a dress full of frills and ribbons probably awaited her. Her brothers laughed, implicitly twlling her, “That’s a great idea.”

“I was wondering what kind of family it was you had… Jill-chan, you seem to get along very well with everyone~”

Camila said so with a chuckle, and Rick turned around.

“Oh, right. What about onee-san? I don’t think Jill-nee-san has an escort for the dinner party.”

“Rick, are you asking for a fight? Cause’ I’ll give you one.”

“Hmm~ I’m not sure, I don’t want to barge in on a family reunion~”

“Huh, is Camila alone?”

Lawrence emerged from the back of the corridor. Camila spun around and waved her hand.

“Long time no see~ Tanuki Boy.”

“…That nickname is here to stay, isn’t it? Where’s Zeke?”

“He’s by His Majesty’s side. Oh, have you grown taller~?”

With a friendly smile, Camila patted Lawrence’s head. Lawrence dismissed her hand, laughing.

“Nice timing. I was wondering what to do with His Majesty’s dinner. Would you like me to deliver it to his room?”

“Oh, please.”

When the two met again, Jill felt nostalgic. She grabbed the railing of the stairs from which her brothers had just descended from.

“Please have a meeting with Lawrence, Camila. I’m going to see my mother. Only my family and His Highness Geraldo will be attending the dinner party, so don’t worry about me and have dinner with Zeke and the others.”

“Is that so~? Then should I attack Lawrence together with Zeke~?”

“Hahaha, please don’t.”

“I leave His Majesty to you.”

After that, she ascended the stairs. As she listened to the lively voices down below, Jill found herself laughing.

In her former future, it wasn’t just with Lawrence, her little brothers were also acquainted with Camila and Zeke. Now, fate had reunited them once again.

I wish everything could stay like this forever…

 As she recalled that a villa would be built, her steps became lighter.

But then, a silhouette appeared in front of her.

“Ah…”

To Jill, who unintentionally yelped, the person who was about to pass lifted his head a moment later.

Geraldo. As he was reading a document, he hadn’t noticed her, so he looked a bit surprised. However, he immediately dropped his head and averted his gaze.

As if bowing, he tried to pass by her.

—He knows he’s hated.

She suddenly recalled Lawrence’s words. She didn’t really care. After all, she had a valid reason to hate him, but that had nothing to do with the current Geraldo. As she thought that, she spoke up.

“Hey, Geraldo!”

There was no reply, but he did stop. Slowly, his obsidian eyes turned to look at her.

Both bitterness and nostalgia welled up.

He was always stoic. Despite shouldering the heavy responsibility of being the king’s representative, he wouldn’t utter a single complaint. At most, he’d show his beloved sister a sweet smile.

Even so, there were times when he’d make a troubled expressions, as if saying he didn’t know what to do—

—At that moment, towards Jill, such was his expression.

“I’m sorry to bother you. If you don’t mind, would you like accompany me for a walk?”

“…A walk? What for?”

“I want to thank you.”

Jill smiled so as not to trouble him.

---

***T/N: Wow Jill, stepping into dangerous territory there!!

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