I Was Reincarnated As The Older Brother Of A Villainess Destined to Die, So I Want To Change The Future By Raising My Younger Sister With My Own Hands. I Am The Strongest In The World, But My Little Sister Must Be The Cutest In The World - Volume 3 Chapter 4.3
Two days after the evening tea party, I departed for Loranbel and returned to Foranada after a journey of about ten days. During that time, I didn’t obtain any new information, but I no longer felt anxious. I was able to maintain a calm and composed attitude.
“Brother!”
“Big brother Zex!”
Upon arriving at the castle, Caron and Orca embraced me immediately.
Naturally, there was no choice but to accept their affectionate gestures. I enjoyed the embrace with my adorable younger siblings.
We then proceeded to the conversation room and engaged in casual conversation. Shion expressed concern about whether I had accumulated fatigue, but I assured her that I was fine. I reinforced my physical strength with “Physical Enhancement,” so I wouldn’t easily collapse. Moreover, interacting with Caron and Orca would be refreshing.
It had been a whole month since I last saw the two of them. Although I had returned to Foranada a few times due to matters related to Nina, I hadn’t visited Caron and Orca. I didn’t have the time, and I also wanted them to get accustomed to living apart.
I used to joke, “Caron might be experiencing withdrawal symptoms,” but it turned out to be true. According to Caron, “My hands and feet were trembling uncontrollably.” Orca also mentioned, “Caron’s eyes were really scary after about a week.” Their expressions tightened as they spoke.
It seems that Caron’s sibling affection for me goes beyond what I imagined. Fortunately, it didn’t disrupt their lives significantly, but it’s unclear how things will progress at the current pace. It might be a good idea to train them soon. It has indeed reached the realm of dependency.
Setting aside Caron’s correction plan, I listened to their stories about the time I was absent. Caron continued with their usual activities, primarily helping at the church, while Orca took on the responsibility of my work.
Caron complained that the people at the church, upon hearing about my absence, became even more clingy than usual.
On the other hand, Orca was worried that they were working too much. It seems that being my substitute kept them extremely busy. Well, I had instructed them to delegate only certain tasks, but it didn’t quite work out.
To make matters worse, even Shion, who was waiting nearby, joined in and said, “Zex-sama, you’re working too hard!”
Realizing that continuing this topic would be unfavorable, I quickly decided to change the subject. Conveniently, I had a topic that everyone would be interested in.
“Actually, there’s someone I want to invite to this castle.”
By bringing up the topic in this way, I expected to get the desired reaction.
“Who’s this thief cat!?”(*I think she is jealous*)
“Who could it be?”
“I have no recollection whatsoever…”
Caron became spirited, Orca was highly interested, and Shion looked perplexed. Each of them focused on my next words.
Operation successful. While inwardly thinking, “I did it,” I continued speaking.
“It’s someone Caron knows. It’s Nina, the girl I’ve been taking care of under Sis’s name.”
“Ohhh…”
Everyone reacted with understanding since they had heard about Nina.
In particular, Caron, who is close to her, quickly transformed their attitude from burning with jealousy to a very delighted smile.
“Are you arranging for Nina to live here too?”
Caron’s body trembled with anticipation. Considering their good compatibility, it was a response I expected.
I replied with a wry smile.
“Yeah, that’s right. Things have been a bit suspicious around her lately. So, I intend to let her live in the castle to ensure her safety.”
“Is that… safe?”
“No problem. We’ll strengthen our defenses, considering all possibilities. Besides, the threat is not significant in terms of strength, just troublesome due to the unknown identity.”
To reassure Caron, who was concerned about Nina, I responded with confidence.
After discovering the “Witch’s Curse,” I initially struggled deeply, but upon calm reflection, I realized that the enemy wasn’t such a significant threat. The curse doesn’t affect me, and I currently possess the physical curse itself, allowing me to conduct various verification experiments. Eventually, I’ll be able to create a magical tool that completely neutralizes the curse.
Therefore, apart from the unknown identity, there was no need to worry at all. Sheltering Nina in the castle was just an insurance measure until countermeasures were complete, a precautionary action.
As I explained these points, Caron visibly showed relief. It showed how genuinely concerned she was for Nina. She’s truly a kind-hearted girl.
Orca, who only knew Nina as a source of information, expressed interest.
“Caron-chan seems to be really concerned about her. I’m even more excited to meet her!”
It was a friendly statement typical of Orca, the most outgoing among the siblings. Just like the children in the town below the castle, Orca would easily get along with Nina.
As I watched the two of them with a smile, Shion voiced her discontent.
“Lord Zex, when you invite people from outside, it would be troubling if you didn’t inform me in advance.”
“I told Sebestian about it.”
“I wasn’t informed, though.”
“Well, you just got back today.”
“Even if Lord Zex informed me, wouldn’t it have been better?”
“Ah… I’m sorry.”
Facing her half-glaring eyes, I apologized sincerely.
Upon reflection, she was right. Shion had been by my side all along, so I could have notified her at any time.
The reason I didn’t was simply that I had forgotten. It was my mistake.
“Enough! Please be more careful next time.”
Shion puffed up her cheeks.
I’ll keep to myself the thought that even when she’s angry, she looks adorable. It’s probably best not to say it out loud, as it would likely spoil her mood even more.
Our conversation as the four of us continued for several more hours.