However, as a matter of course morning came.

“Well then, I’m going to go all out!”

Seeing how Cecily had arranged herself surprised me.  The hair that had been messy was now a little smoother and neatly arranged, and her frayed clothing had been mended.  Even her hands and knees were smoother than before, like withered grass that had revived after being given water.  Her bangs had been cut away, exposing dew blue eyes.

While I was surprised, Cecily gave a smug smile from before the mirror.

“I got up early, borrowed materials from here and there, and made various changes.  While this may be shallow wisdom from eight hundred years ago, a girl’s appearance carries importance, regardless of the era, yes?  With this, I won’t let anyone call you “withered grass” anymore!”

While I had fainted(?) from fear… just how much trouble did she go through?  There shouldn’t have been anyone who would lend me the materials to arrange my appearance.  Just how many times did she have to bow her head?  How miserable did she make herself?  Just for the sake of this body…

Yet, standing in Cecily’s way just as she was about to head to school in high spirits was her.

“Hey, you.  Wha—t do you think you’re doing!?”

My older twin sister Neria Travasta.  Even though our appearances were originally identical, she had magic power, like normal, while I did not.  As a result, while my older sister was raised like a butterfly and a flower, I was forced into the life of a doormat left out to be stepped on… Ours was the sort of setting normally found in a story.

My older sister’s words were absolute— as was the custom in my household, Neira forced unreasonable demands onto me.

“To approach that gentleman without my permission… and more than that, you’re suddenly dress yourself up.  Do you intend to act as if you’re already his lover?  You think it’s okay to act like that?  I’m going to tell Father-sama!”
“Please do as you like?”
“…Haa!?”

Cecily passed by Neria, and as she did, said one thing.

“To have a dotting father complex at your age, how adorable.”
“You… better remember this!”
“Shouldn’t you remember my name first, onee-sama?  Well, I’ll make you remember it whether you like it or not, though.”
“Kiiiiii!”

…It’s over.  My life is over.  Well, it was a life that had already been over, but even so.

“You, in my place, complete my class duty for—”
“Why?  For someone like me to take onee-sama’s place would be presumptuous.”
“You, in my place deliver this letter to—”
“Why?  Is it acceptable for your important recipient to receive a filthy letter touched by my hands?”
“You, in my place go—”
“If it’s an apology, do it yourself.  Or did the meaning of the word ‘sincerity’ change over the past eight hundred years?”

After one week, my older sister cried.

The biggest cause was probably that, Cecily refusing to take a test in her place.  By taking advantage of the fact that we were twins, I was always made to take tests while pretending to be my older sister.  Even if my magic proficiency test was what it was, my academic ability had been good since long ago because of this… Well, because of this, they ended up becoming my older sister’s grades.

Incidentally, I was treated as absent during those tests and always had to take a make-up test… Therefore, my grades were only assessed at something like eighty percent.

But this time, Cecily flat out refused my older sister’s request.

While my older sister tearfully took supplementary lessons, Cecily for some reason joined the drama club, performed a classical song, and became famous in various senses of the word.  She was also very active during the spring sport’s day, became even more liked by a famous person whose name can’t be spoken, and watching over her… I can’t help a thought.

The last spring of youth is about to end.The flowers that symbolize spring have already long since scattered, but my heart may finally have begun to form buds… or something like that.

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