Chapter 195

The Past and Reunion

※ This is told from Manaria Sousa’s point of view .

“Onee-sama!”

“Hey, Claire . It’s been a while . ”

After arriving to the Imperial city after a long journey in a horse carriage, I was greeted by my lovely little sister-like figure .

“You’re as cute as always, Claire . In the time we’ve been apart, it feels like you’ve become even more beautiful, huh . ”

“Fufu, how flattering . But nothing will come out of complimenting me, you know?”

Claire, who was giggling, was genuinely really adorable, though .

She was a bit more thorny in the past, but she had become much softer recently .

“It’s not like I’m just trying to flatter you or anything, you know? You’re really cute, Claire . You’ve become even cuter than before . Is it thanks to Rei?”

“G-Geez… . . ! Onee-sama, you’re saying something that Rei would say, aren’t you!”

So she says with that attitude, but she did not look unsatisfied .

“Seeing as how you’re not even denying it, I must not be far off the mark . I’m a bit sad that my precious little sister has been taken away from me, though . ”

“What are you saying, onee-sama? I’ll always be your little sister, right?”

Claire said as she gave me a hug .

A little sister, huh .

In the past, she’s looked at me with a romantic gaze before, but now, her eyes no longer gleam with that color .

I was the one who purposely went out my way to turn away from her feelings for me, so perhaps the loneliness I feel right now is just because I’m only human .

“Fufu, I’m glad . You seem well, Claire . ”

“Yes . I could say the same to you, onee-sama…… Ah, or should I refer to you as ‘Your Majesty the Queen’ instead?”

“Please don’t . If you call me that now, it’ll just send chills down my spine . Although you’ll formally have to refer to me as much in the political world, at least when we’re together like this, just call me by what you always have . ”

“Fufu, I understand . ”

Her eyes looked like they were just teasing me .

This was also something that had changed about her from the past . Her eyes used to have a crueler shade to them, but now they had become clear .

“Is Rei doing well too?”

“Yes, she’s as fine as she can be . ”

“I see . I’m sorry I couldn’t attend the wedding . ”

“Don’t be ridiculous . You’re the monarch of an entire country, onee-sama, and the two of us are just average citizens . It’s only natural that you weren’t able to come . ”

“Thank you . ”

Not being able to attend one of the most important celebrations in my beloved little sister’s life was a choice that wasn’t easy for me to make .

“You must’ve met with Tred-sensei a while ago, but have His Majesty Sein and the others arrived yet?”

“Yes, they got here just before you . After guiding them around briefly, when I heard that you’d been arriving shortly afterward, I decided to wait around for you . ”

“I see . Thanks, Claire . ”

“You’re welcome . ”

When I smiled, Claire responded with a grin as well .

“How is it, living in the Empire? When I heard that Bauer wanted to send you here, I was about to stop supporting Bauer almost on reflex . ”

“Geez, onee-sama . I’m living much more comfortably than I’d thought . Although, I was bit nervous at the beginning . ”

“Even though you have Rei with you?”

“Don’t make fun of me, onee-sama . ”

Claire quickly turned her face away .

Those gestures of hers are cute as well .

“Ahaha, sorry, sorry . I’m just getting a bit of revenge since you’ve become distant from your elder sister, so please forgive me . ”

“I don’t remember becoming more distant from you, though? I don’t feel like I’ve been spoiled enough yet . ”

“You’re saying things to make me happy, huh . ”

“It’s the truth, though . ”

While we were having our conversation, one of my attendants encouraged me to get a move on .

“Let’s talk while we walk, then . ”

“Yes . ”

I took Claire’s hand like I was escorting her and began walking .

Claire responded to the gesture naturally .

“About the three way alliance…… I’d like to apologize for what Bauer did to you . ”

The alliance planned to include Sousa, Appalachia, and Bauer for the sake of resisting and fighting back against the Empire, but it never ended up being formed .

On the contrary, Bauer Kingdom was at risk of being targeted, so as a result, they had to send Claire and the others out here to avoid that .

“Please don’t apologize for it . As a politician, you’re just looking out for your own country and trying to make the best choices for it . Meanwhile, I’m just a former noblewoman . I can understand this much . ”

“I appreciate you for saying that . ”

Claire’s level of understanding regarding her surroundings had improved as well .

In the past, her field of vision was narrower, and although her short-sightedness was kind of cute, she seems to be much more mature now .

It feels a bit lonely that the person who instilled that change within her wasn’t me .

“Was Rei angry about it as well?”

“At the beginning, she was incredibly frustrated . However, she knew how determined I was about it, so we thought it through together . I’m sure that she understands just how much you agonized over it too, onee-sama . ”

“I’m glad if that’s the case . ”

Rei Taylor .

My second love .

She was somebody who loved Claire above all else, and when it comes to Claire, the color in her eyes change .

Despite what Claire just said, I can’t help but feel like Rei feels some kind of resentment towards me .

Of course, just like what Claire mentioned earlier, Rei probably understands my position .

But this and that were two different things, and since I threw Claire into such a difficult position, I’m sure Rei would not forget this .

“It’s fine . Rei is quite fond of you too, onee-sama . ”

Claire said, smiling as she tried to reassure me .

She really has matured quite a bit .

Unfortunately, I had never been able to fall in love with Claire, but I could tell that she’s matured a lot .

But I never looked at her romantically .

Claire was too similar to that person .

Her exterior, as well as her true nature .

My first love .

It was something that I felt pain and remorse over .

“Speaking of which, where’s Rei? It’s rare to see you two apart . ”

“…… His Majesty Sein asked me the same thing earlier, but it’s not like we’re with each other twenty-four seven, you know?”

“Even though you actually want it to be that way?”

“Onee-sama!”

Claire responded when I poked fun at her .

Even this part of her reminded me of that person .

“Rei is running other errands today . She’s gathering some documents along with some of her former students . ”

“Wow . Since it’s Rei, I’m assuming that all of her students adore her, right?”

“That’s not exactly the case . While most of her students seem to love her, there’s one girl in particular who seems to dislike her . ”

“That’s rare . What kind of girl is she?”

I was a bit interested .

What kind of girl would hate a person that I fell in love with?

“She’s a bit of a withdrawn person . She’s very taciturn and when she does speak, only insults come out . Oh, and speaking of which, it’s a bit uncommon, but she wears glasses as well . ”

“I see . ”

‘Oh?’ I thought to myself .

Perhaps this was just because of the bitter memory that I had recalled earlier, but the person that was being described right now seemed very similar to the person I was thinking about .

“What a strange girl . She sounds like somebody I once knew . May I ask for her name?”

“Well, it’s Eve . Eve Nunn . ”

“…… What did you say?”

Hearing that name made me flinch .

Because .

Because that name――

“Wait a minute, Claire . Eve? Did you just say ‘Eve Nunn’?”

“Yes, that’s right . What’s wrong, onee-sama?”

“No way…… That girl…… No way……”

The person I had wronged .

My beloved, whom I had hurt .

The girl who had disappeared from my sight, like she was just an illusion .

“Onee-sama?”

“Claire, please take me to her! Right now!”

“W-Wait a moment, please calm down . What happened with Eve?”

Claire looked completely confused .

But she was undoubtedly not as dismayed as I was .

I mean .

I mean, that girl is――

“She was one of my maids, and the first person that I had fallen in love with . ”