Yeny Daum opened her eyes slowly, bathed in the sunlight peeking through the curtains.
“—Gn.”
She hadn’t slept well last night and wanted to stay in bed. However, if she did that, her older sister, ordered by their grandfather, would come to wake her up with a scolding. Yeny didn’t want to argue with her sister, who seemed to pick a fight every time they met, so she rubbed her heavy eyelids and sat up.
“…That’s right. I’m staying at Olivier’s mansion from yesterday.”
Several days had passed since the kidnapping incident. The girl, who wished to be by the side of Jared, whom she adored as an older brother, had persuaded her family and started living at the Alway Ducal Family Villa, a separate residence of the ducal family, from yesterday. Her grandparents and father, who had originally intended to marry her off to Jared, rejoiced and sent her off willingly. Only her sister, however, hid her frustration until the end, unable to accept it.
Yeny didn’t want to dislike her sister, who spoke ill of Jared at every turn, but her sister’s insincere attitude, constant complaints, and yet her desire for her feelings to be understood, struck Yeny as selfish. Therefore, Yeny had no intention of acting on her sister’s behalf or telling her brother about her sister’s feelings. If Yeny acted for her sister, her sister would remain spoiled.
“Sword practice… No, I should help prepare breakfast.”
There were no servants in this mansion. They did what they could themselves. If they had extra time, they helped each other. It wasn’t a rule, but since not only her brother and his fiancé but also the Duchess herself did so, Yeny felt she had to as well. Although she was from a baronial family, which held a low aristocratic title, they had servants. She had lived a life without hardship, but Yeny had decided from a young age to do things herself, just like her brother, who she had always seen doing things on his own. Her martial ancestor grandfather and her sensible grandmother were the same. Her father was frail, and after her mother passed away, he had dedicated servants. Her sister, on the other hand, always made others do things she could do herself, so she was out of the question. Yeny also enjoyed housework, and at school, she brought handmade sweets to exchange with her friends. When her brother returned home, she would cook for him herself, as she both liked it and was good at it. Getting out of bed and changing into the nightgown she had prepared the night before, she went out of the room. She walked silently down the unfamiliar corridors of the mansion and peeked into the kitchen, where there was already activity.
“Um, good morning. Is there anything I can help with?”
“Lady Yeny?”
Trane Glasler, who was skillfully preparing meals in the kitchen, noticed Yeny. She wasn’t a servant but considered family, and she managed all the household affairs of the mansion, calling herself a maid. Thanks to her, the residents only had to take care of their own basic needs. However, even if she willingly took on the housework, they couldn’t leave everything to her. Thus, Hannelore and Olivier often worked in the kitchen. More importantly, perhaps out of pride, Trane would try to prevent others from helping with housework, saying, “Leave it to me.” Now, she grudgingly allowed them to help, but if they did it every day, she would get sulky.
“Lady Trane. I am staying at this mansion, so please let me help.”
“…But.”
The woman, dressed immaculately in a maid’s uniform despite her expressionless face, hesitated slightly. She initially wanted Yeny to get used to living in the mansion first. However, she also knew Yeny’s circumstances. She wasn’t exactly forcing her way in, but since Yeny had come to the mansion willingly, she figured Yeny would want to help with something.
“No, in that case, could you please chop the vegetables for me?”
“Yes!”
As if delighted, Yeny entered the kitchen, washed her hands thoroughly, took the prepared vegetables, and asked Trane how to cut them. Then, for some reason, she made a hand chop instead of using a knife, and with a breath, she sliced all the vegetables as instructed.
“…Um, Lady Yeny, I understand your skill is amazing, but please use the knife.”
“Ah. I’m sorry! I just… it’s a habit.”
“…A habit? I see. So, in the Daum Barony, hand chops are the basic technique?”
“No! That’s a misunderstanding! Well, it’s true that I find it easier to use a hand chop than a knife, but my grandmother and the servants are normal!”
Yeny seemed to have some awareness of her unusualness, but since many of her household’s servants were martial artists, they could probably chop vegetables with a hand chop if they wanted to. They wouldn’t be as extraordinary as Yeny, who could chop all the vegetables in one breath, so using a knife would likely be faster.
“Let’s leave it at that. Once you’re done with the vegetables, please do this next.”
Trane’s gaze shifted to a chicken.
“May I advise you? Using a hand chop might stain your hands, so I don’t recommend it.”
“…I’ll use the knife.”
Blushing with embarrassment from her strange habit, Yeny quietly picked up the knife and began preparing the chicken.
***
“Good morning, Trane. Oh, Yeny, you’re here too. Good morning.”
“Good morning, Young Lady.”
“Good morning, Olivier!”
As she was simmering the chicken soup, Olivier appeared and exchanged greetings.
“I’m sorry, I intended to help but I’m late.”
“No, thanks to Lady Yeny’s help today, we made good progress.”
“Thank you. But you just arrived at this mansion, so I wanted you to start by getting used to living here first.”
“I came here on my own accord, so please let me help at least a little.”
“You truly are a kind girl. Alright. If you promise not to overdo it, I’ll ask you to help.”
“Thank you.”
Olivier, looking at Yeny’s delighted smile, felt an urge to hug her and nuzzle her cheek, but she restrained herself, acting as the elder. After the three finished preparing breakfast and some basic prep for lunch and dinner, they began setting the table for breakfast.
“Now then, hey, Yeny. Jared should be meditating in the backyard. Could you go call him for breakfast?”
“Yes, I understand! Leave it to me!”
With a spirited reply, Yeny bowed and left the kitchen, her footsteps pattering as she ran towards her brother. Watching the retreating figure of the adorable young girl, Olivier sighed softly.
“Youth is wonderful, isn’t it?”
“…Um, Lady Olivier. I think that statement is a bit much.”
Trane, with a rare, strained expression, looked at Olivier, who had just made a remark like an old person.
***
“Older Brother…”
Yeny found her brother in the backyard, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed. She started to call out to him but quickly covered her mouth with her hand. A desire to avoid disturbing his concentration, along with a mischievous impulse, welled up inside her. The girl suppressed her breathing and presence, and without a sound, lightly kicked off the ground, circling behind Jared to surprise him.
However, before the girl could even change her voice, the boy, still with his eyes closed, thrust out a fist. She was surprised, but the speed wasn’t beyond her ability to track with her eyes. Yeny’s physical prowess, displayed during her recent fight with Rosa Roen, could be utilized to some extent even without wielding a sword. Jared’s movements were something she could fully react to and counter. She deflected the incoming fist and disrupted his balance. Still holding his wrist, she moved behind her brother and kicked him behind the knee, pushing him to the ground.
“Guh.”
Seeing her brother fall to the ground with a pathetic groan, Yeny panicked.
“I’m sorry! Older Brother!”
“Ouch, ouch! Let go of my arm!”
As Yeny apologized, twisting her arm, Jared cried out in surrender.
“Ah, I’m sorry! You attacked me, so I reacted instinctively.”
Freed from her grip, Jared looked at the girl standing behind him, tears in his eyes.
“What, it was Yeny. You were so quiet approaching, I thought it was Pfeil.”
“I was trying to surprise you. It was just a momentary impulse.”
She had succeeded in surprising her brother, but Yeny regretted having subdued him.
“Yeah. I was really surprised. I never expected Yeny to be this fast. I mean, I knew your physical prowess was amazing from your fight with Rosa, but seeing it and experiencing it are completely different.”
Jared was inwardly shocked. He never thought he would be outmatched by his beloved little sister. Though he would never voice it, he resolved to resume his training.
“Your physical prowess is remarkable. You should be grateful for the talent you were born with.”
“Pfeil.”
“Good morning, Sir Pfeil.”
“Ah. I heard you defeated Rosa, and I couldn’t believe it at first, but seeing your speed now, I understand. And with sword techniques that surpass even a Sword Demon, it makes sense. I would very much like to spar with you as well.”
Pfeil, who had appeared without a sound, offered Yeny his praise. Pfeil, who had been living at the mansion since the recent kidnapping incident, often provoked Jared when he had time. They hadn’t had a full-fledged battle, but he often engaged him in sparring as training or launched surprise attacks. It might be his way of communicating, but the target of his attacks was naturally uneasy. That was why Jared mistook Yeny for Pfeil and was easily defeated.
“You can both come to the dining hall now. I helped a little with the preparations.”
“Yeny did?”
“Yes. Along with Trane and Olivier. It was fun.”
“Is that so? Good. Are you settling in well at this mansion?”
Jared, worried as an older brother, knew the answer before his sister replied. It was because Yeny was smiling.
“Lady Olivier is also very kind. I’m not used to calling her ‘Sister’ yet, but I want to get along better. I’m sure I’ll get along well with everyone.”
Seeing his sister’s earnest efforts to be positive, Jared’s expression softened.
“What? I thought Olivier Alway would act like a shrewish sister-in-law.”
Jared was greatly exasperated by Pfeil’s remark.
“…You know, it’s not a book or a play. There’s no way that would happen.”
“Is that so? A consort of a ducal family might hire an assassin to kill the main wife. It wouldn’t be uncommon for an old maid, finally having obtained a fiancé, to become frantic trying to prevent a young girl from stealing him.”
“You better not say that in front of Olivier!”
If he said something like that, there was no doubt it would lead to a bloodbath in the mansion.
“Fufu.”
“Yeny?”
“I’m sorry. You and Older Brother are getting along so well, like old friends, so I couldn’t help myself.”
At his sister’s comment about them being “friends,” Jared gave Pfeil an unreadable look.
“She says we’re friends.”
“I don’t want to be friends with someone weaker than myself.”
“Hey, come on. You were the one who lost last time, not me.”
“Hmph. But I won before that.”
“Ah, you won using poison. Are you happy with winning like that?”
“You! I’ll settle this with you right here, right now!”
“I’ll fight you off!”
Yeny found the sight of the two boys glaring at each other, their foreheads touching, to be amusing. Jared seemed not to notice, but Pfeil had said he didn’t want to be friends with someone weaker than him. To Yeny’s ears, that meant he wanted to be friends with her brother, who was his equal or superior. However, they seemed to be having fun, so she decided to leave them be.
“Older Brother, Sir Pfeil, let’s eat before you two start fighting. Olivier and the others are waiting.”
She had left her familiar home and started a new life—but she was sure fun days awaited her. Yeny Daum, with a feeling close to conviction, looked forward to the days ahead.
