“Brother? Do you mean Haru?”
“Yes, didn’t I tell you a little while ago? Brother is coming to this country.”
“I think I remember you saying something like that.”
Jared recalled Rio’s words.
The Prince of the Dragon Kingdom. The reason young Rio had eloped alone. For Jared, he was also an opponent with whom he had fought to the death.
Although he had heard that Haru was in the Wethered Kingdom, that was the last he heard. Rio had said she wanted to invite her brother to the mansion, but she hadn’t said anything else afterward.
He had assumed he wouldn’t be able to come due to his busy schedule and then forgot about it.
“Rio, you startled me by saying you had someone you wanted to introduce so formally. You are part of our family, so please don’t hesitate to invite whomever you wish.”
“…Olivier.”
“And anyone who is your family is important to us too.”
“…Thank you. However, I needed to be prepared to call him.”
“Honestly, I’m afraid to ask, but what kind of person is your brother that you need to steel yourself to call him?”
Olivier timidly asked, looking at Rio with vacant eyes.
“He’s a pervert.”
“…I’m sorry. Could you say that again?”
“He’s a pervert!”
“Your… brother?”
“Yes! Didn’t I tell you before? The former Haru was cool, manly, kind, and a dragon I respected! But! What is the current Haru like!”
Rio stood up from her chair with a thud, clutching her head and running her hands through her hair, leaving Jared and the others speechless.
“Suddenly, he declared he would live as a woman! Then, before I knew it, he became beautiful, Father and Mother fainted, and his fiancé tried to become a man in his place!”
“…Well, what can I say.”
“…Don’t look at me. I don’t know how to react.”
Jared tried to seek help from Pfeil, with whom their eyes met by chance, but he turned his head away. He didn’t even try to hide his desire not to be involved.
“It’s worse because he became beautiful for no reason! Veterans and young soldiers falling for Brother… What kind of nightmare is this?!”
With a shout, Rio even spewed flames. However, she then collapsed on the floor and began to cry.
“I can’t stand it anymore… The other day, I saw him for the first time in a while, and he had perfected it. His voice is like a woman’s now… Is it possible for us dragons, who have human forms, to change that much? The brother I knew is dead.”
It was clear she was an emotional child, judging by the memory of their sudden encounter. However, since they had started living together in this mansion, she had been well-behaved.
She would take the initiative in helping and never complain. While she could be spoiled, she was a bit too mature to be called a child, perhaps due to her upbringing as a princess. Yet, she also showed many childish sides, like when she played or ate sweets.
To the residents of the mansion, it didn’t matter if she was a dragon or older in actual age. She was a beloved daughter and sister. That was Rio.
—Someone do something.
However, because Rio was currently exploding with emotions and acting strangely, the boys couldn’t bring themselves to step beyond their role as spectators.
Jared, in particular, didn’t want to do anything rash and incur the dragon’s wrath, as he had heard that Haru had found the impetus to live as a woman during their battle, though he didn’t know the exact reason.
He looked around, desperately searching for someone to help, but no one met his gaze. The dejected boy hesitantly began to speak to the Dragon Girl.
Just then,
“Excuse me!”
A clear female voice echoed through the mansion.
“Oh, it seems someone has arrived. I didn’t think we had any appointments, though.”
“Yes. No visitors are scheduled for today.”
As Olivier and Trane stood up to go see who it was,
“Wait, Olivier! Trane!”
“Rio?”
The crying girl hurriedly raised her head and called out to her sisters with a serious expression.
“He’s finally arrived.”
“Arrived? Who? Oh, is it today that you’re introducing Haru?”
“That’s what he said… No, he hadn’t said it yet. But, well, it can’t be helped now that he’s here. I’m sorry this is a report after the fact, but I will introduce Brother to you. However… please be prepared for anything.”
“…You could have warned us beforehand.”
While Jared worried about whether it was appropriate to greet a prince of a nation without any preparations, Olivier and the others, who knew nothing about Haru, wondered,
—What kind of person will appear?
They headed towards the entrance, feeling bewildered but ready to welcome Rio’s brother, who must have arrived.
