Hikari hurriedly pulled out her phone and looked at the caller ID on the screen.
"Ah, it's a call from Miss Saya!"
"Moshi moshi, Miss Saya, are you calling for my sister?"
"Yes, Big Sis just got back."
"Okay, I'll hand the phone to her."
Since Yuri did not have a phone of her own, anyone who wanted to contact her either had to deliver the message in person or go through her little sister, Hikari.
In the original chain of events, when dealing with Athena, Yuri had contacted Godou through Touma Amakasu's phone.
But now, because the situation was urgent and Amakasu was nowhere near the shrine, contacting Hikari had become the fastest way to reach Yuri.
"Here, Big Sis. Miss Saya says it's about Akuto... onii-sama."
Hikari handed the phone to Yuri.
"All right, give it to me."
Yuri took the phone from Hikari with a grave expression. The fact that Saya had called Hikari directly made her genuinely afraid that some bad news might be coming.
"Yes, this is Mariya Yuri..."
"Huh? Akuto-kun actually defeated the King of Swords?"
"What? Not only did he defeat him, but according to Princess Alice, the Black Prince even fled in panic in front of Akuto-kun?!"
Alice had always liked smearing the Black Prince's reputation. He had clearly chosen to withdraw because he did not want to clash with Akuto, yet Alice had described it as fleeing in disgrace, conveniently adding another dark mark to his legacy.
...
"I see. So the Italian magic societies really went that far?"
"Yes, yes, I understand. I'll be with you when Akuto-kun returns."
"..."
"All right, I understand. Thank you."
A few minutes later, Yuri hung up and let out a long sigh.
Akuto had won a complete victory. She no longer had to worry about him being injured or killed.
And yet her mood had not improved much at all.
Because just now, she had heard another piece of news that made her heart seize up.
After the King of Swords was defeated, all the magic societies of Italy and Southern Europe had declared themselves under Akuto's command.
And according to the intelligence gathered by the hidden world in Fusou, Erica Blandelli, the liaison of the Italian side, seemed to carry herself as Akuto's knight and lover.
Liliana's name had also been mentioned in the report, but because Erica was the nominal supreme commander, Saya had placed Erica's information first in both priority and importance.
...
"Big Sis, are you worried that Akuto-onii-sama will get so wrapped up in Italy's gentle embrace that he won't come back to Fusou?" Hikari asked after hearing the whole conversation.
"Yes, I really am..."
"Eh? Hikari, what are you asking? Of course I'm not!"
Yuri only realized halfway through that she had accidentally blurted out her true feelings, and hurriedly tried to change course.
But once she got that far, she realized that anything else she said would only sound like a transparent excuse, so she gave up struggling.
"All right. I am a little worried."
Yuri's worry was not baseless. She remembered that besides that girl named Erica, Liliana, who had liked Akuto for a very long time, was also in Italy.
If Akuto really was seduced by a beauty trap and decided to stay in Italy, then what was she supposed to do?
"I see..."
Hikari nodded as if she half understood, then a few seconds later picked up her phone again.
Beep, beep, beep.
After pressing a few buttons, Hikari dialed a number she had not called in quite a while.
"Hikari, who are you calling?" Yuri tilted her head and asked in confusion.
"Akuto-onii-sama, obviously," Hikari answered as though it were only natural.
"Eh?"
Beep... beep... beep...
Before Yuri could recover from her surprise, several tones had already rung through.
"Hikari! Why do you have Akuto-kun's number? And why are you calling him? No, wait, hurry up and hang up, you absolutely can't..."
Click.
Before Yuri could stop her, the call connected.
"Hello? Hikari? I'm in Italy right now. Did you need something?"
The moment Akuto's voice came through the phone, Yuri's heart started racing.
"Yes, Akuto-onii-sama, I know you're in Italy."
"Not only do I know you're in Italy, I also know you became a legendary Godslayer and even defeated those great wanderer seniors! Congratulations, congratulations! As expected of you, Akuto-onii-sama!"
Hikari congratulated him with complete ease and openness. Her relationship with Akuto was far closer than Yuri had ever imagined. Otherwise, there was no way she would have had his number in the first place.
"I see. So you already know, Hikari. In that case, I can only accept your congratulations openly and proudly."
"Eh? Just verbal congratulations? I was thinking Akuto-onii-sama might bring me back some kind of souvenir from Italy."
Hikari's already cute voice gained an extra hint of spoiled sweetness.
Akuto really was fond of Hikari.
After all, who would not like sisters?
And Hikari was not only different from her sister in personality, but different in type as well. In every way, she fit Akuto's tastes perfectly.
A pair of pretty girls with similar looks but entirely different charms was exactly the sort of combination he had always liked.
On top of that, Hikari knew very well how to act spoiled.
A cute girl who also knew how to coax affection like that was exactly the type Akuto adored.
So he agreed to her request right away.
"A souvenir? Sure. Is there anything you want?"
"I was already planning to bring you something, Hikari. But if you want to choose for yourself, that's fine too."
He let out a soft laugh as he said it.
"Hm... then could you bring me back a stone from the Colosseum in Rome?" Hikari replied softly after thinking for a few seconds.
"A stone from the Colosseum, huh? All right, no problem. I'll try to find one that's as special as possible."
"Really? Yay! Thank you, Akuto-onii-sama! As thanks, I'll keep making bentos for you like always, okay?"
"Is there anything you want to eat? Even if it's something I don't know how to make yet, I'll work hard and learn!"
Hikari was not the type to only receive without giving anything back. She understood that one-sided taking could never last.
The moment Yuri heard that, her light brown eyes widened in utter disbelief as she stared at her little sister.
Wait. Since when had Hikari built such an intimate relationship with Akuto?
And she had been making bentos for him too? It did not even sound like a one-time thing.
That explained why Hikari sometimes used oversized lunch boxes. Back then, the excuse she gave was that she had been watching a lot of comedy shows and wanted bigger portions.
Now it was obvious... those bentos had been for Akuto all along.
Yuri suddenly felt like she barely knew her own little sister.
And after replaying Hikari's wording in her head, she realized her little sister's level was astonishingly high.
First, she opened with direct congratulations.
Then, by asking for a souvenir, she confirmed that Akuto would be returning to Fusou. After all, if he was not coming back, then how could he give her the souvenir?
And after that, by offering to repay him with bentos, she secured an opportunity to spend more time with him. It was a graceful way to express gratitude while also laying the groundwork for future contact.
Compared to her little sister, Yuri felt like a complete rookie.
...
While Yuri was still in shock and deep thought, Akuto had already settled on the kind of food he liked, and Hikari cheerfully agreed to it.
...
But just then, two voices came through the phone. Voices that instantly made both sisters react.
"Akuto-kun, ahhn, this steak is going to get cold if you leave it too long." That was Erica.
"Erica, please don't disturb Lord Akuto. Lord Akuto, there's no need to worry about the food getting cold. The service here is very refined. If a dish cools down, they'll remove it and bring a fresh one right away." That was Liliana.
As Liliana's close friend, Yuri could recognize Liliana's voice immediately.
Liliana was having dinner with Akuto?
And judging by the sound of it, that Erica girl, the one who was every bit as formidable, was there too?
Once she realized that, Yuri's feelings turned hopelessly complicated.
Even after Hikari hung up, Yuri still had not recovered from the shock.
Swearing loyalty was one thing, but why were Erica and Liliana having dinner with Akuto together? And from the sound of it, in a very high-end restaurant too?
Could they be... on a date?
Smack.
Hikari slapped Yuri hard on the shoulder.
"Big Sis! Don't get discouraged! It's just one meal. You have to believe in your own charm."
"And didn't Akuto-onii-sama say he's coming back to Fusou? If he's coming back, then you'll have plenty of chances! Anyway, we absolutely cannot let those evil Italians steal Akuto-onii-sama away!"
Hikari pumped her little fist as she cheered her sister on.
"Huh? What do you mean I'll have plenty of chances?" Yuri shot back.
"Obviously I mean your chances to become Akuto-onii-sama's bride!"
"..."
Yuri did not say a word. Her face simply turned the color of a steamed crab.
"I... I-I-I... when did I ever say I wanted to become Akuto-kun's bride?"
She stammered so badly she could barely speak.
"Really? Big Sis, don't you like Akuto-onii-sama?"
Hikari put a finger to her cheek and asked in obvious confusion.
"You've kept the birthday present Akuto-onii-sama gave you for this long, and every time he goes away on a mission, you use Revelation to check whether he's safe. If you didn't like him, Big Sis, why would you go that far?"
(End of Chapter)
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