Chapter 64

Merry Christmas!

"......I'll crush them. The Makias family."

Gilbert said this in an unusually low voice, thirty minutes after Cecilia and Ein had the worst possible encounter. In the corner of the empty classroom, Cecilia smiled wryly as Gilbert treated the wound on the back of her hand.

"Well, Ein just misunderstood, right? You don't have to be so angry..."

"He didn't just throw stones; he kicked you too, didn't he? And he didn't even listen to Zwey when he tried to stop him..."

"Yeah, that's true..."

"Once it gets to that point, there's no room for excuses. Besides, they don't think they can get away with hitting a duke's daughter either."

"Exactly! They didn't even think I was a duke's daughter!"

Cecilia said this hurriedly to the expressionless Gilbert, who spoke in a voice as cold as absolute zero. She appreciated that he was angry on her behalf, but Ein had only been trying to protect his brother. It was unfair for him to be scolded.

Gilbert took a cotton ball soaked in alcohol from the first aid kit and applied it to Cecilia's wound. At that moment, her back stiffened.

"Ouch! Gilbert, be a bit gentler!"

"I'm being gentle enough."

"But it hurts! Ow!"

The wound itself wasn't that painful, but the alcohol stung. Cecilia's eyes welled up with tears. Seeing her expression, Gilbert looked worried.

"Still, shouldn't we have Mr. Mordred look at this injury? He could heal it right away..."

"I thought about that, but if he notices the shoulder injury, it could be troublesome..."

The spot where she was kicked was right next to the mark of the candidate for the divine maiden. If the hand injury was being treated and the shoulder injury was discovered, it could lead to a request to "show me your shoulder," which would be problematic. Mordred still hadn't realized that Cecilia was a girl.

"Still, is your shoulder okay?"

"Ah, yeah! There's some bruising, but it seems to be just that!"

"Can you raise your arm?"

"About this much, I guess?"

She raised her arm, but it was less than half the normal range. She couldn't extend it straight to the side either. Seeing this, Gilbert's expression turned serious.

"Does it hurt more than that?"

"Yeah, it seems to have hit the joint. ...But! I can still raise it, so it's okay!"

To avoid worrying Gilbert, Cecilia said this in a deliberately cheerful voice, even making a fist pump to show her optimism.

(Actually, this hurts a bit too. But it should be okay, right?)

It was only bruised for now, but it might swell later. She thought this internally but didn't say it out loud. If her overly worried step-brother found out, he might tell her to "never see the Makias twins again," which would be quite a hassle. Gilbert, after observing her, sighed.

"I understand you're okay, but let me check your shoulder just in case."

"Huh? Why?"

"I want to make sure there's no bone damage. And, you know, you tend to underreport things to avoid worrying me."

"Hehe..."

She was caught red-handed.

Gilbert pressed her.

"Come on, show me your shoulder."

"No..."

"Are you hiding something?"

"Ah..."

His long fingers reached out and touched the buttons at her collar. The first button was undone without hesitation, and Cecilia's body stiffened.

"Ah!"

Her face and body flushed instantly. His fingers, which touched her as he undid the button, made her feel uneasy.

(He's just worried, so it's strange to push him away! But... this...)

She was at a loss for how to react. It was her first time in this situation, and his hands and body, which had grown larger, made her feel flustered.

(It's not like I'm being undressed, so stay calm! Stay calm!)

The more she tried to stay calm, the less calm she became.

Gilbert, after undoing about three buttons, checked her shoulder with a nonchalant expression. Then, he let out a sigh of exasperation.

"Sure enough, it's swollen. But, it's not too bad. If it gets worse, let me know, okay? ...Why are you blushing? Are you feverish?"

"Ah, no, um..."

"Hmm?"

"It's just... embarrassing in this situation..."

She said this without meeting his eyes, and Gilbert froze as if he had just realized something. He traced his fingers and let out a small "ah." He must have been so worried that he hadn't even thought about the situation until now. He quickly pulled his hand away from Cecilia's clothes.

"...Sorry."

"Umm..."

Cecilia, taking over from the blushing Gilbert, buttoned up her shirt. As she moved her fingers, she was plagued by self-loathing.

(Why am I blushing, me!)

It was really embarrassing to blush when the other person didn't think anything of it. She must have confused Gilbert and probably made him think she was strange.

(I have memories from my past life, but to Gilbert, I'm just his older sister. It's weird to be blushing like this!)

Cecilia slapped her cheeks hard with both hands to snap herself back to her senses. The dry sound of the slap made her head feel a bit clearer.

"Phew..."

With a slightly calmer mind, she raised her head. Gilbert was looking at her intently, his lips curved into a gentle smile.

"...Gil, you look happy?"

"I am."

"Why?"

"Because you're blushing?"

"Huh?"

She didn't understand. Was he just teasing her?

As Cecilia tilted her head, Gilbert brought the conversation back to the original topic.

"So, can you get along with them?"

"Huh?"

"You need to get along with those twins, right?"

"Oh, yeah! Actually, I have a good idea!"

She leaned in towards Gilbert.

"Will you help me?"

"Of course."

Volume 2 of the manga will be released on December 28th!

It's already available in some regions!

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