U.E.
C.30: Killing Intent, Wishes and Love

Selene and Bery are special to Krische.

This is why Krische paid extra attention to Bery.

Bery smiled and appeased Bogan’s concerns, she appeared to enjoy their meal and they bathed together like usual, but Bery seemed a little different from normal.
Krische thought about the reason and the more she thought about it, the more unpleasant she felt.
――let’s kill him.
It did not take long for her to come to that decision.

Krische feels nothing about killing people.
Killing people and plucking fruits are the same for her.
She will pluck a fruit if she is hungry and she will kill if the person is unpleasant.

After coming to the estate, Krische has always been in a good mood because of Bery.
That toned down her abnormality, but her true nature has not changed.
She is still abnormal.

Bery is important to Krische.
Anything that is unpleasant to Bery is also extremely unpleasant for Krische and she did not hesitate to start making plans.
Krische ’empathised’ with Bery in her own way and that resulted in this decision.

Krische was able to infer a little about that man based on Bery’s story in the carriage.
It is just a vague guess that he is someone that did horrible things to Bery in the past, but that is enough.
Krische did not mind it much when she heard Bery’s story at first since it is a thing of the past.
But since he showed up before them and and is causing Bery distress, it would be better to kill him.
Krische’s thinking is simple.

But then, Bery is a problem.
Bery is always by Krische’s side, even when sleeping.
This is because Krische wished for it and it makes her very happy, but it is a problem today.

In the end, Krische had to wait for Bery to fall asleep.

Krische desperately fought the usual sleepiness brought on by Bery’s warmth――and slipped out of bed.
Krische took care not to wake Bery and turned to stare at her beautiful sleeping face for a while, resisting the usual urge to kiss her.
Krische breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that Bery is deep asleep, then quietly put on her cloak inside-out and pulled up the hood, hiding her thin pink negligee.
The cloak has silver embroidery and the Christand crest on the chest, but it is made of many layers of cloth and when turned inside-out, it becomes pitch-black.

Their room is narrow, half of a room that was refurbished into two rooms.
Rooms like this are common in the estate due to number of visiting nobles.
Due to this layout, Selene’s room is accessible from their balcony.
The weather is good.
The bright moonlight will be a problem though.
Krische judged that it should be fine with the cloak and planned to travel along the roofs.

Krische ignored her curved sword and drew her knife.
This is so that Bery does not notice even if she wakes up.
Krische planned to finish this quickly, fast enough that she could say she just went outside for a breath of fresh air.

According to Bogan, Roland just happened to be visiting this town and came to give his regards to the noble in charge here.
Krische had also heard Bogan mention that Roland is staying at a nearby inn.
Luckily, there is only one high-class inn nearby.
No need to spend time searching.
Even if Krische cannot find him, she can just grab a person or two and torture them.

Let’s go

“…………”

But Krische glanced at Bery, then looked away.

――will she really stay asleep?
If Bery woke up right after Krische left, Krische would not be able to explain herself.

Bery will be angry if she finds out, what if she hates Krische because of this? The unease grew in Krische’s heart.
This emotion is a recent discovery for Krische.
Bery is kind and soft on Krische.
As Krische grew more dependent on Bery, even the smallest things makes her uneasy.
Since her dependence is the cause, Krische had thought about fixing it a few times, but Bery is so kind and hard to distance.
Krische did not want to lose this feeling of comfort and her dependence grew as she mulled over this.
The stronger her dependence grew, the stronger her unease over being hated by Bery became.

Krische is not used to and does not know how to deal with this emotion, so she does not know what to do.
She grew uncertain about why she was doing this.

Bery is distressed.
So Krische will kill that man.
Krische is doing this for Bery, but Bery will not approve of this.
That is natural, this breaks the rules.

‘Er……Krische wants Bery to tell Krische if Bery does not like something or is angry.’
‘It is okay.
Why would I dislike it or get angry when the Krische-sama I love is trying to make me happy?’

Will doing this make Bery happy?

――no.
To get rid of something that distresses Bery, Krische will be doing something Bery will not be happy about.
Thoughts spun around in Krische’s mind as she stared at Bery.

“……Krischie-sama”
“……!”

Krische stepped back in surprise and her hand knocked into the shelf.
Krische watched Bery as the sound echoed, but it was just Bery’s sleeptalk.

Krische let out a sigh of relief and stepped away from the shelf――but her cloak had caught on her sword and knocked it to the ground.

“Ah……”

The sound this time was too loud.

“Krische-sama……?”

Bery’s eyes opened a little.
Krische froze, staring at Bery.
Bery sat up, her thin negligee revealing itself from under the blanket, and tilted her head.

“What happened……? Why is Krische-sama wearing a cloak?”
“Ah, er, erm……Krische wanted to, take a breath of fresh air.”
“……does this room smell that bad?”

Bery sniffed the air, but there was no particular smell.
She approached Krische and extended a hand, but Krische backed into the shelf.
Bery frowned suspiciously at Krische’s reaction as she placed her hand on Krische’s brow.

“Temperature……seems normal.
Hmm, my body temperature is high since I was just sleeping, so this might not be accurate.”

Krische’s eyes wandered.

“My nose might be off too.
How does Krische-sama feel? Does any part of Krische-sama’s body feel weird?”
“No, er……”
“Fatigue might have built up from being cooped up in the carriage.
Err……”

Bery rummaged through her bag and retrieved a piece of fruit.

“Let’s peel this fruit and enjoy it.
It will refresh us and is good nutrition.
Which one would Krische-sama lik――wah”

Krische hugged Bery, her eyes on the ground.
Bery was bewildered, but realised that Krische was acting strange.
She hugged Krische to calm her down and patted her head.
Krische looked like a child about to be scolded.

“What happened?”
“……”
“Did you do something that I would scold you for?”

Krische hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

“……Krische, told a, lie.”

’
“A lie……about what?”

Bery embraced Krische’s trembling body.
She soothed Krische and calmed her down, then tapped Krische on the back, pulling away.
Bery undid the knot at Krische’s collar and removed the cloak.
Krische resisted for a moment, then gave up――Bery’s expression turned surprised when she realised Krische was holding a knife.
Bery fell into thought for a while, but did not remark on it and took it from Krische, picking up the fruit in her other hand.

“Let’s eat something sweet and calm down first.
Come, please sit down.”

They brought a small table to the bed and sat.
Bery placed the apple on a handkerchief and sliced it, cutting the slices to resemble rabbits and fed Krische.
Krische silently bit into the slice and took it from Bery, finishing it over a few small bites.

“Is it tasty?”
“……yes.”

Bery started carving another apple.
She dexterously handled the knife and ate the extra cuttings herself, smiling at Krische.
But Krische’s expression remained dark.
Bery hesitated for a moment, then smiled bitterly.

“……honestly, I would be lying if I said I do not resent him.
At that time, I also wanted to kill him.”

Krische widened her eyes in surprise and looked at Bery.
Bery smiled back.

“Even I think such thoughts too.”

Bery said simply.

“When I first joined the Christands, I read master’s books and learnt physical enhancement for combat.
I also asked master to train me in self-defense……as I said before, my body was weak at that time, so I told master and nee-sama that I wanted to become more fit……but that was actually to kill Roland-sama.”
“Bery, did?”
“Yes, I was a young child.
Fufu, but it seems like they realised pretty quickly……just that my body was getting better bit by bit as I learnt physical enhancement, so they could not bring themselves to say anything though they knew the reason I was so fervent about it.”

Bery’s smile turned nostalgic.

“After ojou-sama was born, nee-sama seemed very happy.
Nee-sama was similar to me, her body was not very strong and we worried for her, but she pulled through childbirth……I was preparing to leave after that, but we happened to cook together.”
“Cook?”
“……yes.
Nee-sama, fufu, she was just like ojou-sama, so clumsy when it comes to these things, just remembering it makes me laugh.”

――‘Why are you the only one that is so dexterous.
No fair.‘
――‘Nee-sama has a lot of things that I do not, so it balances out.’
――‘Well, can’t help what we don’t have……Roland had money and the Argan house did not.
That’s all.‘

“Nee-sama said that it was fate.
The Argan house had no money and nee-sama was defiled.
But thanks to that she met master and was blessed with ojou-sama.
Nee-sama said she had found happiness, she might be clumsy but she had a dexterous sister to make up for it――she said she was happy eating my delicious cooking everyday.”

The apple’s shape slowly changed, forming the side profile of a woman.

“My greatest regret was letting nee-sama be defiled.
I could not forgive that……but nee-sama told me that if I wished for her happiness, she would be happier if I was grateful for where fate has brought us and found happiness myself rather than be caught in the past and commit a crime.
She said that since I am good at handling blades, I should use it for cooking, not stabbing people.”

Bery sighed and placed the apple and knife down on the handkerchief.

“Krische-sama, did you pick up that knife for my sake?”
“……Krische, is not sure.”

Krische replied weakly.

“That person makes Bery feel unpleasant, so Krische also finds him unpleasant.
So, er……but, Krische knows Bery would not like this, so, Krische is not sure……Krische is not sure if this is good, or bad.”

Krische’s voice faltered.

“……then you did it for my sake.
It was my fault for making Krische-sama so worried.”
“Bery is not――”

Bery pressed a slice of apple to Krische’s lips and smiled.

“I agreed with nee-sama, but at the same time I also believed that she could only say that because we were lucky……in the end, nee-sama passed away together with her second child.”

――‘A younger sister would be nice, but a younger brother would also be good.
You showed me how they can help make up for what you are lacking.‘
――‘I want to give Selene a younger sister or brother.
Bogan said he wants a boy, but seeing how he dotes on Selene, both seem fine.‘

――‘……I will be leaving her alone.
Take care of her in my place, Bery.
She is similar to you, I’m worried that she will work too hard.‘

“Ojou-sama was a little too serious and stubborn.
Nee-sama was worried about ojou-sama and wanted to give her a younger sister or brother.
She thought that it would let ojou-sama relax a little.
So she tried……but failed.”

Bery lowered her eyes as she recalled the past.

“And so nee-sama left ojou-sama in my care.
I did my best to act bright, to make up for nee-sama.
But ojou-sama kept driving herself further into a corner.
I am really bad at these things, I just do not know what to do……but then, Krische-sama arrived.
“……Krische?”
“Yes, Krische-sama.”

Bery pulled Krische closer and laid Krische’s head on her lap, stroking Krische’s brow.

“After Krische-sama arrived, Selene-sama became so cheerful that she is like a completely different person.
I also enjoy doing many things together everyday and had a lot of fun……this must be what nee-sama meant by fate.”
“……fate.”
“I resent Roland-sama.
But thanks to him, nee-sama met master, I met ojou-sama and I also met Krische-sama.
That’s why I am very happy now and even if I could redo the past……I would still choose the path that would let me meet Krische-sama.”

Bery’s loving caress moved from Krische’s brow to her cheek.
Bery smile was extremely gentle.

“Krische-sama is a lot more dexterous than me.
Most things would be simple for Krische-sama.
But I would like for Krische-sama to use that strength for fun things, for happier things.”
“……fun?”
“Yes.
Killing someone with a knife might make you feel better.
But using the same knife to cook is much for fun and a much happier thing right?”
“……yes.”
“At the very least, that is what nee-sama taught me.
Thanks to that, I am very happy right now……I wish for Krische-sama to find such happiness too, so I am teaching Krische-sama the same thing.
That is all.”

Krische’s eyes wavered as she looked up at Bery.
They wavered uneasily, the eyes of a lost, scared child.
Krische eventually met Bery’s eyes again and asked hesitatingly.

“Bery is not, angry at Krische……?”
“Krische-sama picked up the blade for my sake.
I am very happy about that.
If as a result of that, Krische-sama does something that someone would be angry about, I am also guilty.
At that time, I will atone for it as well.”
“But, Bery did not……”

Bery’s pressed a finger to Krische’s lips.
Her touch was gentle, a mere caress, but it was enough to seal away Krische’s words.

“That is how it is.
I have decided to stay with Krische-sama no matter what, so please keep that in mind.
I am more stubborn than I look.”

Bery laughed cheerfully and continued.

“But rather than getting scolded together, I would prefer to cook together, drink tea together and rest together like this.
If Krische-sama feels the same about me……if meeting me was also fate for Krische-sama, then……”

Bery paused for a moment, shutting her eyes before continuing softly.

“Please……stay with me like this forever.”

Bery’s words made Krische feel vague, uncertain emotions.
Krische does not know what those are.
But no matter what they are, Krische’s answer is set.

Krische embraced Bery, raising herself to sit on Bery’s lap.
Krische pressed her lips to Bery’s to convey her own feelings, then answered happily.

“……Krische also wants to say with Bery, forever.”

They fell silent for a while with Bery just stroking Krische’s pale cheek.
Tearful brown eyes surrounded by long lashes peered into Krische’s eyes and the hand stroking her cheek felt comfortable.
Krische tilted her head at Bery’s silence, but Bery clasped Krische’s cheeks between her hands,

“……nn.”

――and silently replied by slowly pressing her lips to Krische’s.

Bery’s lips gently touched Krische’s, pressed harder, then slowly pulled away reluctantly.
To Krische, it felt like a much longer kiss than usual.

“Ah……”

Bery seemed to come back to her senses and pulled away, her cheeks turning bright red and her eyes wandering.

This is the first time Bery has kissed Krische on the lips.
Krische was a little surprised, but was also delighted and returned the kiss.
Carefully, just like how Bery did it.

Bery’s cheeks grew even redder and her voice was a little shrill when she spoke.

“……it, it is late, shall we sleep?”

’
“Ehehe, okay, ah, the apple……”
“Y, yes.
I forgot, we have to eat it first.”
“Krische will feed Bery.
Here, aahn.”
“Er……o, okay, aaahn.”

The sound of a door slamming came from the balcony and they turned.
But the balcony door was still open, the sound must have come from Selene’s room.

“Selene?”

Krische tilted her head while Bery scratched her cheek and smiled awkwardly.

――The next day.

“……Selene, are you okay?”
“Whose fault do you think it is……”
“……?”

They had just finished their breakfast, got dressed and were about to board the carriage――Selene glared at Krische as she sniffled.
She had caught a cold after being standing in the cold night wind for an extended period of time last night.

Instinct.
Selene had a vague premonition.

Bogan had also met Roland and had spoken to Bery, concerned about her.
At that time, Selene’s thoughts were that this confirms that something had happened in the past.
It was a coincidence that the unpleasant merchant――Roland had paid a visit to this estate.
But then Bogan mentioned that Roland is staying at a nearby inn.

――Krische had been concerned about Bery this whole time, but she had looked at Bogan then.
She had been expressionless as per usual.
But for some reason, this caught Selene’s attention.

Krische’s mood shows surprisingly easily.
When they were looking around the market, the corners of her mouth were relaxed and she looked happy.
After they came back, she had grown more and more expressionless.
Since Krische was concerned over Bery’s unusual behaviour, it is natural that her good mood would dissipate since she is worried about Bery.
But even so, Selene felt uneasy.

If there is a need, Krische would not hesitate to kill.
Krische is attached to Bery.
To a precarious extent.
She would not forgive anything that saddens Bery.
If she does not forgive, what would she do?

Selene could not believe that Krische would not do it.
The sight of Krische killing the most people on the battlefield was burnt into her eyes.
Selene also knows how simple Krische is.

This might be overthinking.
But even as she thought that, Selene stood at the balcony connecting her room to the next.

Selene had been standing on the balcony.

――the cold balcony exposed to the night wind.

After Bery woke up and the two started talking, Selene could not return to her room.
So she could only endure it and stand there listening to their conversation.
She had returned to her room after hearing Bery convince Krische, but this had resulted in catching a cold.

People like Selene who have strong mana are tougher than normal people but that does not mean they cannot catch colds.
Going out in her sleepwear with only a blanket draped over her shoulders was also part of the problem.
But it was just instinct and she was not sure.
Since it would be weird to get dressed for a hunch, in a sense it was inevitable that she ended up standing there in that outfit.
She could have returned to her room when it got too cold, but Selene is part of the army.
She is so overly serious that she applied the rule of not leaving your post without a replacement to this situation and it led to this.

Since her bad premonition had come true, it was not a waste――is what Selene tried to convince herself, but since Bery solved everything, Selene did not do anything and felt like she lost out.
Selene sniffed disgruntledly.

“How about resting in the carriage? I can ride a horse with Krische-sama.”
“My cold is not that bad.
And at times like this, its better to breathe the outside air than be cooped up somewhere cramped.”

Bery’s brow was creased in worry, but Selene replied in a sulking tone.
Gallen had been watching them and interjected.

“……but you need to participate in a ceremony.
Don’t be stubborn.
You can ride on the luggage cart.”
“Err, but, Gallen-sama.
I appreciate your concern, but that would look too……”
“Just hang a curtain.
A soldier’s treasure is their own body, whether you are a commander or common soldier.
Didn’t Bogan teach you that?”
“……yes.”

Selene blushed.
Bery glanced towards the luggage cart and got an idea.

“Then how about the three of us ride together? The luggage area is quite empty and we should not need to worry about transmission if we leave a gap for wind.
We can also watch over her.”
“Uuu……”

The luggage cart has some luggage, but it is meant to carry the valuables they will be rewarded on the trip back, so there is plenty of space.
The three of them can fit with no problem.

Bery and the soldiers quickly set up a curtain with Krische helping, then laid out a large amount of blankets at Krische’s request.
Krische happily hugged Selene from behind while Bery watched them with a smile.

“……thank you very much, ojou-sama.”
“I did not do anything you need to thank me for.”

It was weirdly infuriating when the two of them had started flirting after their conversation, so Selene had slammed the door loudly enough for them to hear, but she glossed over that.
Part of it is because she is sulking, but it is also because she had heard Bery’s story.

“There’s no need to take care of me anymore……you should focus on taking care of Krische.”

Bery’s eyes widened, then lowered

“……okay.
I am sorry for overstepping my bounds.”
“I am grateful too.”

Selene spoke without looking at Bery.

“……okaa-sama’s wish came true.”
“Eh?”
“Right here……I got a stupid, empty-headed, idiotic and troublesome sister.
So neither of us are able to focus on ourselves.
Is this fate too?”
“Yes, it must be.
I believe it is.”

Bery stroked Krische’s head as Krische puffed out her cheeks.

“Krische is not stupid.”
“……you are the only one that thinks that.”
“Ihyai”

Selene pinched Krische’s cheek without even looking back.
Bery laughed softly as she stopped Selene.
And their journey continued.

U.E.
C.30: Killing Intent, Wishes and Love

Selene and Bery are special to Krische.This is why Krische paid extra attention to Bery.

Bery smiled and appeased Bogan’s concerns, she appeared to enjoy their meal and they bathed together like usual, but Bery seemed a little different from normal.

Krische thought about the reason and the more she thought about it, the more unpleasant she felt.

――let’s kill him.

It did not take long for her to come to that decision.

Krische feels nothing about killing people.

Killing people and plucking fruits are the same for her.

She will pluck a fruit if she is hungry and she will kill if the person is unpleasant.

After coming to the estate, Krische has always been in a good mood because of Bery.

That toned down her abnormality, but her true nature has not changed.

She is still abnormal.

Bery is important to Krische.

Anything that is unpleasant to Bery is also extremely unpleasant for Krische and she did not hesitate to start making plans.

Krische ’empathised’ with Bery in her own way and that resulted in this decision.

’

Krische was able to infer a little about that man based on Bery’s story in the carriage.

It is just a vague guess that he is someone that did horrible things to Bery in the past, but that is enough.

Krische did not mind it much when she heard Bery’s story at first since it is a thing of the past.
But since he showed up before them and and is causing Bery distress, it would be better to kill him.

Krische’s thinking is simple.

But then, Bery is a problem.

Bery is always by Krische’s side, even when sleeping.

This is because Krische wished for it and it makes her very happy, but it is a problem today.

In the end, Krische had to wait for Bery to fall asleep.

Krische desperately fought the usual sleepiness brought on by Bery’s warmth――and slipped out of bed.

Krische took care not to wake Bery and turned to stare at her beautiful sleeping face for a while, resisting the usual urge to kiss her.

Krische breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that Bery is deep asleep, then quietly put on her cloak inside-out and pulled up the hood, hiding her thin pink negligee.

The cloak has silver embroidery and the Christand crest on the chest, but it is made of many layers of cloth and when turned inside-out, it becomes pitch-black.

Their room is narrow, half of a room that was refurbished into two rooms.

Rooms like this are common in the estate due to number of visiting nobles.
Due to this layout, Selene’s room is accessible from their balcony.

The weather is good.
The bright moonlight will be a problem though.

Krische judged that it should be fine with the cloak and planned to travel along the roofs.

Krische ignored her curved sword and drew her knife.

This is so that Bery does not notice even if she wakes up.

Krische planned to finish this quickly, fast enough that she could say she just went outside for a breath of fresh air.

According to Bogan, Roland just happened to be visiting this town and came to give his regards to the noble in charge here.

Krische had also heard Bogan mention that Roland is staying at a nearby inn.

Luckily, there is only one high-class inn nearby.

No need to spend time searching.

Even if Krische cannot find him, she can just grab a person or two and torture them.

Let’s go

“…………”

But Krische glanced at Bery, then looked away.

――will she really stay asleep?If Bery woke up right after Krische left, Krische would not be able to explain herself.

Bery will be angry if she finds out, what if she hates Krische because of this? The unease grew in Krische’s heart.

This emotion is a recent discovery for Krische.

Bery is kind and soft on Krische.

As Krische grew more dependent on Bery, even the smallest things makes her uneasy.

Since her dependence is the cause, Krische had thought about fixing it a few times, but Bery is so kind and hard to distance.

Krische did not want to lose this feeling of comfort and her dependence grew as she mulled over this.

The stronger her dependence grew, the stronger her unease over being hated by Bery became.

Krische is not used to and does not know how to deal with this emotion, so she does not know what to do.She grew uncertain about why she was doing this.

Bery is distressed.
So Krische will kill that man.

Krische is doing this for Bery, but Bery will not approve of this.

That is natural, this breaks the rules.

‘Er……Krische wants Bery to tell Krische if Bery does not like something or is angry.’‘It is okay.
Why would I dislike it or get angry when the Krische-sama I love is trying to make me happy?’

Will doing this make Bery happy?

――no.

To get rid of something that distresses Bery, Krische will be doing something Bery will not be happy about.

Thoughts spun around in Krische’s mind as she stared at Bery.

“……Krischie-sama”“……!”

Krische stepped back in surprise and her hand knocked into the shelf.Krische watched Bery as the sound echoed, but it was just Bery’s sleeptalk.

Krische let out a sigh of relief and stepped away from the shelf――but her cloak had caught on her sword and knocked it to the ground.

“Ah……”

The sound this time was too loud.

“Krische-sama……?”

Bery’s eyes opened a little.

Krische froze, staring at Bery.

Bery sat up, her thin negligee revealing itself from under the blanket, and tilted her head.

“What happened……? Why is Krische-sama wearing a cloak?”

“Ah, er, erm……Krische wanted to, take a breath of fresh air.”

“……does this room smell that bad?”

Bery sniffed the air, but there was no particular smell.

She approached Krische and extended a hand, but Krische backed into the shelf.

Bery frowned suspiciously at Krische’s reaction as she placed her hand on Krische’s brow.

“Temperature……seems normal.
Hmm, my body temperature is high since I was just sleeping, so this might not be accurate.”

Krische’s eyes wandered.

“My nose might be off too.
How does Krische-sama feel? Does any part of Krische-sama’s body feel weird?”

“No, er……”

“Fatigue might have built up from being cooped up in the carriage.
Err……”

Bery rummaged through her bag and retrieved a piece of fruit.

“Let’s peel this fruit and enjoy it.
It will refresh us and is good nutrition.
Which one would Krische-sama lik――wah”

Krische hugged Bery, her eyes on the ground.

Bery was bewildered, but realised that Krische was acting strange.

She hugged Krische to calm her down and patted her head.

Krische looked like a child about to be scolded.

“What happened?”

“……”

“Did you do something that I would scold you for?”

Krische hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

“……Krische, told a, lie.”“A lie……about what?”

Bery embraced Krische’s trembling body.

She soothed Krische and calmed her down, then tapped Krische on the back, pulling away.

Bery undid the knot at Krische’s collar and removed the cloak.

Krische resisted for a moment, then gave up――Bery’s expression turned surprised when she realised Krische was holding a knife.

Bery fell into thought for a while, but did not remark on it and took it from Krische, picking up the fruit in her other hand.

“Let’s eat something sweet and calm down first.
Come, please sit down.”

They brought a small table to the bed and sat.
Bery placed the apple on a handkerchief and sliced it, cutting the slices to resemble rabbits and fed Krische.Krische silently bit into the slice and took it from Bery, finishing it over a few small bites.

“Is it tasty?”“……yes.”

Bery started carving another apple.

She dexterously handled the knife and ate the extra cuttings herself, smiling at Krische.

But Krische’s expression remained dark.
Bery hesitated for a moment, then smiled bitterly.

“……honestly, I would be lying if I said I do not resent him.
At that time, I also wanted to kill him.”

Krische widened her eyes in surprise and looked at Bery.Bery smiled back.

“Even I think such thoughts too.”

Bery said simply.

“When I first joined the Christands, I read master’s books and learnt physical enhancement for combat.
I also asked master to train me in self-defense……as I said before, my body was weak at that time, so I told master and nee-sama that I wanted to become more fit……but that was actually to kill Roland-sama.”

“Bery, did?”

“Yes, I was a young child.
Fufu, but it seems like they realised pretty quickly……just that my body was getting better bit by bit as I learnt physical enhancement, so they could not bring themselves to say anything though they knew the reason I was so fervent about it.”

Bery’s smile turned nostalgic.

“After ojou-sama was born, nee-sama seemed very happy.
Nee-sama was similar to me, her body was not very strong and we worried for her, but she pulled through childbirth……I was preparing to leave after that, but we happened to cook together.”

“Cook?”

“……yes.
Nee-sama, fufu, she was just like ojou-sama, so clumsy when it comes to these things, just remembering it makes me laugh.”

――‘Why are you the only one that is so dexterous.
No fair.‘

――‘Nee-sama has a lot of things that I do not, so it balances out.’

――‘Well, can’t help what we don’t have……Roland had money and the Argan house did not.
That’s all.‘

“Nee-sama said that it was fate.
The Argan house had no money and nee-sama was defiled.
But thanks to that she met master and was blessed with ojou-sama.
Nee-sama said she had found happiness, she might be clumsy but she had a dexterous sister to make up for it――she said she was happy eating my delicious cooking everyday.”

The apple’s shape slowly changed, forming the side profile of a woman.

“My greatest regret was letting nee-sama be defiled.
I could not forgive that……but nee-sama told me that if I wished for her happiness, she would be happier if I was grateful for where fate has brought us and found happiness myself rather than be caught in the past and commit a crime.
She said that since I am good at handling blades, I should use it for cooking, not stabbing people.”

Bery sighed and placed the apple and knife down on the handkerchief.

“Krische-sama, did you pick up that knife for my sake?”“……Krische, is not sure.”

Krische replied weakly.

“That person makes Bery feel unpleasant, so Krische also finds him unpleasant.
So, er……but, Krische knows Bery would not like this, so, Krische is not sure……Krische is not sure if this is good, or bad.”

Krische’s voice faltered.

“……then you did it for my sake.
It was my fault for making Krische-sama so worried.”“Bery is not――”

Bery pressed a slice of apple to Krische’s lips and smiled.

“I agreed with nee-sama, but at the same time I also believed that she could only say that because we were lucky……in the end, nee-sama passed away together with her second child.”

――‘A younger sister would be nice, but a younger brother would also be good.
You showed me how they can help make up for what you are lacking.‘――‘I want to give Selene a younger sister or brother.
Bogan said he wants a boy, but seeing how he dotes on Selene, both seem fine.‘

――‘……I will be leaving her alone.
Take care of her in my place, Bery.
She is similar to you, I’m worried that she will work too hard.‘

“Ojou-sama was a little too serious and stubborn.
Nee-sama was worried about ojou-sama and wanted to give her a younger sister or brother.
She thought that it would let ojou-sama relax a little.
So she tried……but failed.”

’

Bery lowered her eyes as she recalled the past.

“And so nee-sama left ojou-sama in my care.
I did my best to act bright, to make up for nee-sama.
But ojou-sama kept driving herself further into a corner.
I am really bad at these things, I just do not know what to do……but then, Krische-sama arrived.

“……Krische?”

“Yes, Krische-sama.”

Bery pulled Krische closer and laid Krische’s head on her lap, stroking Krische’s brow.

“After Krische-sama arrived, Selene-sama became so cheerful that she is like a completely different person.
I also enjoy doing many things together everyday and had a lot of fun……this must be what nee-sama meant by fate.”

“……fate.”

“I resent Roland-sama.
But thanks to him, nee-sama met master, I met ojou-sama and I also met Krische-sama.
That’s why I am very happy now and even if I could redo the past……I would still choose the path that would let me meet Krische-sama.”

Bery’s loving caress moved from Krische’s brow to her cheek.Bery smile was extremely gentle.

“Krische-sama is a lot more dexterous than me.
Most things would be simple for Krische-sama.
But I would like for Krische-sama to use that strength for fun things, for happier things.”

“……fun?”

“Yes.
Killing someone with a knife might make you feel better.
But using the same knife to cook is much for fun and a much happier thing right?”

“……yes.”

“At the very least, that is what nee-sama taught me.
Thanks to that, I am very happy right now……I wish for Krische-sama to find such happiness too, so I am teaching Krische-sama the same thing.
That is all.”

Krische’s eyes wavered as she looked up at Bery.

They wavered uneasily, the eyes of a lost, scared child.

Krische eventually met Bery’s eyes again and asked hesitatingly.

“Bery is not, angry at Krische……?”

“Krische-sama picked up the blade for my sake.
I am very happy about that.
If as a result of that, Krische-sama does something that someone would be angry about, I am also guilty.
At that time, I will atone for it as well.”

“But, Bery did not……”

Bery’s pressed a finger to Krische’s lips.Her touch was gentle, a mere caress, but it was enough to seal away Krische’s words.

“That is how it is.
I have decided to stay with Krische-sama no matter what, so please keep that in mind.
I am more stubborn than I look.”

Bery laughed cheerfully and continued.

“But rather than getting scolded together, I would prefer to cook together, drink tea together and rest together like this.
If Krische-sama feels the same about me……if meeting me was also fate for Krische-sama, then……”

Bery paused for a moment, shutting her eyes before continuing softly.

“Please……stay with me like this forever.”

Bery’s words made Krische feel vague, uncertain emotions.

Krische does not know what those are.

But no matter what they are, Krische’s answer is set.

Krische embraced Bery, raising herself to sit on Bery’s lap.Krische pressed her lips to Bery’s to convey her own feelings, then answered happily.

“……Krische also wants to say with Bery, forever.”

They fell silent for a while with Bery just stroking Krische’s pale cheek.

Tearful brown eyes surrounded by long lashes peered into Krische’s eyes and the hand stroking her cheek felt comfortable.

Krische tilted her head at Bery’s silence, but Bery clasped Krische’s cheeks between her hands,

“……nn.”

――and silently replied by slowly pressing her lips to Krische’s.

Bery’s lips gently touched Krische’s, pressed harder, then slowly pulled away reluctantly.To Krische, it felt like a much longer kiss than usual.

“Ah……”

Bery seemed to come back to her senses and pulled away, her cheeks turning bright red and her eyes wandering.

This is the first time Bery has kissed Krische on the lips.

Krische was a little surprised, but was also delighted and returned the kiss.

Carefully, just like how Bery did it.

Bery’s cheeks grew even redder and her voice was a little shrill when she spoke.

“……it, it is late, shall we sleep?”

“Ehehe, okay, ah, the apple……”

“Y, yes.
I forgot, we have to eat it first.”

“Krische will feed Bery.
Here, aahn.”

“Er……o, okay, aaahn.”

The sound of a door slamming came from the balcony and they turned.But the balcony door was still open, the sound must have come from Selene’s room.

“Selene?”

Krische tilted her head while Bery scratched her cheek and smiled awkwardly.

――The next day.

“……Selene, are you okay?”

“Whose fault do you think it is……”

“……?”

They had just finished their breakfast, got dressed and were about to board the carriage――Selene glared at Krische as she sniffled.She had caught a cold after being standing in the cold night wind for an extended period of time last night.

Instinct.Selene had a vague premonition.

Bogan had also met Roland and had spoken to Bery, concerned about her.

At that time, Selene’s thoughts were that this confirms that something had happened in the past.

It was a coincidence that the unpleasant merchant――Roland had paid a visit to this estate.

But then Bogan mentioned that Roland is staying at a nearby inn.

――Krische had been concerned about Bery this whole time, but she had looked at Bogan then.

She had been expressionless as per usual.

But for some reason, this caught Selene’s attention.

Krische’s mood shows surprisingly easily.

When they were looking around the market, the corners of her mouth were relaxed and she looked happy.

After they came back, she had grown more and more expressionless.

Since Krische was concerned over Bery’s unusual behaviour, it is natural that her good mood would dissipate since she is worried about Bery.

But even so, Selene felt uneasy.

If there is a need, Krische would not hesitate to kill.

Krische is attached to Bery.
To a precarious extent.

She would not forgive anything that saddens Bery.

If she does not forgive, what would she do?

Selene could not believe that Krische would not do it.

The sight of Krische killing the most people on the battlefield was burnt into her eyes.

Selene also knows how simple Krische is.

This might be overthinking.But even as she thought that, Selene stood at the balcony connecting her room to the next.

Selene had been standing on the balcony.

――the cold balcony exposed to the night wind.

After Bery woke up and the two started talking, Selene could not return to her room.
So she could only endure it and stand there listening to their conversation.She had returned to her room after hearing Bery convince Krische, but this had resulted in catching a cold.

People like Selene who have strong mana are tougher than normal people but that does not mean they cannot catch colds.

Going out in her sleepwear with only a blanket draped over her shoulders was also part of the problem.

But it was just instinct and she was not sure.

Since it would be weird to get dressed for a hunch, in a sense it was inevitable that she ended up standing there in that outfit.

She could have returned to her room when it got too cold, but Selene is part of the army.

She is so overly serious that she applied the rule of not leaving your post without a replacement to this situation and it led to this.

Since her bad premonition had come true, it was not a waste――is what Selene tried to convince herself, but since Bery solved everything, Selene did not do anything and felt like she lost out.Selene sniffed disgruntledly.

“How about resting in the carriage? I can ride a horse with Krische-sama.”“My cold is not that bad.
And at times like this, its better to breathe the outside air than be cooped up somewhere cramped.”

Bery’s brow was creased in worry, but Selene replied in a sulking tone.Gallen had been watching them and interjected.

“……but you need to participate in a ceremony.
Don’t be stubborn.
You can ride on the luggage cart.”

“Err, but, Gallen-sama.
I appreciate your concern, but that would look too……”

“Just hang a curtain.
A soldier’s treasure is their own body, whether you are a commander or common soldier.
Didn’t Bogan teach you that?”

“……yes.”

Selene blushed.Bery glanced towards the luggage cart and got an idea.

“Then how about the three of us ride together? The luggage area is quite empty and we should not need to worry about transmission if we leave a gap for wind.
We can also watch over her.”“Uuu……”

The luggage cart has some luggage, but it is meant to carry the valuables they will be rewarded on the trip back, so there is plenty of space.The three of them can fit with no problem.

Bery and the soldiers quickly set up a curtain with Krische helping, then laid out a large amount of blankets at Krische’s request.Krische happily hugged Selene from behind while Bery watched them with a smile.

“……thank you very much, ojou-sama.”“I did not do anything you need to thank me for.”

It was weirdly infuriating when the two of them had started flirting after their conversation, so Selene had slammed the door loudly enough for them to hear, but she glossed over that.Part of it is because she is sulking, but it is also because she had heard Bery’s story.

“There’s no need to take care of me anymore……you should focus on taking care of Krische.”

Bery’s eyes widened, then lowered

“……okay.
I am sorry for overstepping my bounds.”“I am grateful too.”

Selene spoke without looking at Bery.

“……okaa-sama’s wish came true.”

“Eh?”

“Right here……I got a stupid, empty-headed, idiotic and troublesome sister.
So neither of us are able to focus on ourselves.
Is this fate too?”

“Yes, it must be.
I believe it is.”

Bery stroked Krische’s head as Krische puffed out her cheeks.

“Krische is not stupid.”

“……you are the only one that thinks that.”

“Ihyai”

Selene pinched Krische’s cheek without even looking back.
Bery laughed softly as she stopped Selene.

And their journey continued.