Chapter 41

The next day, Lauro and I rode in a carriage to the western fortress, which is under the jurisdiction of the House of Aegis.

There’s not much difference from the southern fortress, which is under the jurisdiction of the House of Spencer.

It seems that the news of my arrival, as the daughter of the Duke of Spencer, had been conveyed, and I was immediately shown around the fortress.

The House of Aegis is known for their expertise in wind magic.

Therefore, the mages guarding this fortress are mostly those who specialize in wind or fire magic.

Wind and fire are highly compatible, significantly enhancing their destructive power.

The House of Aegis, skilled in wind magic, and the House of Spencer, skilled in fire magic, are families I would like to deepen my relationship with.

However, before my regression, I had hardly any interaction with the House of Aegis.

We only met briefly at social events and exchanged greetings.

I have no idea what the current head of the house is like or what kind of person they are.

Sigh, it hurts that I didn’t attend many social events before my regression.

This was all because Prince Lewis was cheating with Oriane, which had been disrupting my mental state.

I heard that the current head is not here today, and the next head of the House of Aegis and their younger brother are present.

I believe their family structure is almost the same as mine, with one son and one daughter.

The only difference is that they are a brother and sister, not siblings.

And the most significant difference is that the next head is the sister, not the brother.

While being guided, I stopped in front of a large door.

When I entered the room, a woman was there.

"Welcome to the western fortress, Lady Spencer."

Her hair, a deep green, which is a symbol of the House of Aegis, was wavy.

Her hair, which reached her shoulders, was styled with one side swept behind her ear and the other side in front, creating a one-sided look.

Her eyes were large and bright, and she had a beautiful but somewhat intimidating smile.

She was taller than me, with a tall and excellent figure.

My first impression was that she seemed to be a strong-willed and beautiful woman.

"I am Olga Lia Aegis. Please call me Olga informally."

Olga, the daughter of the Duke of Aegis and the next head of the house, approached me and extended her hand for a handshake.

Surprised by this un-ladylike action, I still accepted the handshake.

"Nice to meet you, Lady Olga. I am Asaria Jill Spencer. Please call me Asaria."

"Alright, Miss Asaria. Thank you for coming all this way. I welcome you."

"Thank you. This is my personal knight, Lauro."

"Lauro Apazil."

Lauro, who was behind me, bowed and greeted her, and Lady Olga extended her hand to Lauro for a handshake.

"Lord Lauro, I have heard of your accomplishments. You seem to be an excellent knight."

"…Thank you."

Lauro seemed a bit surprised but shook hands with Lady Olga.

Lady Olga smiled and nodded, and we sat on the opposite sofa, with Lauro standing behind me.

I feel like I’ve met her a few times at social events, but she’s quite different from my impression back then.

Back then, she seemed to be a well-mannered and dignified daughter of a duke, but now she’s a bit different.

Her demeanor and behavior remind me of my father and brother.

"My younger brother, Cecil, is also at the fortress, but he’s currently in a strategy meeting."

Hmm? Did she just say "Cecil"?

No, that can’t be. My brother Cecil is the same age as me, eighteen, and there’s no way he would be called that.

"There hasn’t been a surge of monsters yet today."

"Is that so? If they do come, we can help, right?"

"Your willingness is enough… but the royal family has instructed us dukes to cooperate. It might be better to have your help."

Right, I was just being polite, but Lady Olga is correct.

"Yes, it might be better to help a little."

"Alright, Miss Asaria, Lord Lauro, can I ask for your assistance?"

"Of course, we would be happy to help."

Just as we said that, there was a knock on the door, and a man entered with the words, "Excuse me."

"Sorry for being late. I am Cecil Ono Aegis."

He had short green hair and a youthful but very handsome face.

He stood up to greet us, and he was about the same height as me.

"I am Asaria Jill Spencer. This is my personal knight, Lauro."

"Lauro Apazil."

"I’ve heard about you. Congratulations on your recent ceremony. I apologize for not being able to attend as I was at the fortress."

"Thank you. It’s understandable if you were busy with work."

He’s the same age as me and is already fighting monsters at the fortress.

I can’t fall behind.

"Cecil, as decided earlier, the two of them will help with today’s monster surge."

"No, sister, I’d prefer you didn’t use that nickname in front of them…"

…So, she really does call him "Cecil" with a childish suffix.

Well, if they get along well, that’s fine.

"…Cecil! What are you talking about?!"

Suddenly, Lady Olga stood up and shouted.

I was a bit startled, but what’s going on?

I thought they got along well, but from Lady Olga’s expression, she seems quite angry.

"W-What’s wrong, sister?"

"What’s with that nickname! Call me ‘onee-tama’ as usual!"

……Huh?

Did I hear that right?

It sounds like a cute word came out of Lady Olga’s mouth, who was shouting angrily.

"…As I’ve said before, I don’t want to use that nickname in front of others."

"It’s fine in social events, but we’re not in a social event now. So, no."

"R-Really? I really have to call you that?"

"Yes, absolutely."

Cecil’s cheeks turned slightly red, and he glanced at Lauro and me before sighing.

"Ha… Onee-tama, is this okay?"

"Yes, that’s fine, Cecil."

"…Well, you two seem to have a very good relationship."

That was the only thing I could say. No, it’s not a compliment, but it’s true.

"Hehe, thank you, Miss Asaria. That’s the best compliment."

Lady Olga, who seemed to have a similar aura to my brother Ivan as the next head, showed a smile appropriate for her age at that moment.

In contrast, Cecil looked a bit complicated and smiled wryly.

Yes, Lady Olga is definitely an over-the-top big sister complex.