Maki had been very clear with my sister about her punishment, and what would happen if she did something she shouldn't have. And now it was just Maki who had returned home to front Sarka who, in her eyes, had done something she shouldn't have.

  Well, that might be a bit wrong. Maki is not oo strike first and ask questions ter. She's very reasonable, and that's something I like about her.

  I've seen Zenya have a few acts that would have made any mother in my former world pull out the c right away.

  Maki first observes, listens, analyzes, and then acts, so I was sure she would act reasonably, listening first to what they both had to say before making any decisions. Fortunately, that seemed to be the case this time... at least partially.

  We had moved to another room, this time, ohat Maki usually uses wheing with a guest, known or not.

  It was a fairly simple pce, with not many decorations, just enough to imply that she had a high position in the family, but not so much that it seemed opulent or that there was excessive spending. It was a fairly typical living room, with the furniture necessary for more personal gatherings—a pair of beautiful sofas fag each other with your typical tea table iween. Maki sat solo on one, while my sister and her girlfriend were opposite.

  And, surprisingly enough, I was alone on one side of the couch Sarka was on, with the armrest behind my back. The versation was too important for me to be in the middle - but they didn't want to take me out for some strange reason. Luckily, I was a baby who knew how to behave, so I was allowed to be alone on the side.

  Of course, there was a maid near me. They were fident that nothing would happen, but it never hurt to be cautious.

  Normally I would have preferred to be on Sarka's or Maki's p, but this time I had no pints about staying in that pce. It wasn't because I refused to be in front of Maki's angry gaze or near her. No, it definitely wasn't because I was afraid....

  ...

  Anyway.

  No one had said a word since Maki arrived and I very much doubted that either of the two young women would take the initiative. The two girls stood side by side, looking down at the floor and looking rather unfortable as they met Maki's inquisitive gaze.

  "So," Maki spoke suddenly, causing both girls to jump in surprise. She then tinued in a serious and authoritative tone. "I want a detailed expnation of what's going ht now."

  Maki had her arms crossed, sitting with her back straight and gazing at Sarka as she waited for an ahat might satisfy her.

  Sarka stood silently pying with her hands, a plete nervous wreck. She was scared. Quite a bit.

  Luckily her girl seemed to be doier, and seeing how Sarka was feeling, she decided to stand up and take the initiative.

  "I-if I may." She stammered as she felt Maki's gaze settle on her, like an eagle that had chosen its prey and was about to swoop down to capture it.

  Despite that, the girl stood her ground, taking that intimidating gaze head-on. "I deeply regret my manners in not introdug myself properly. Nisire Burmont, daughter of Eleas Burmont, presents her greetings to Madam Fiana."

  Maki nodded in respoo the girl's formal greeting, revealing just a hint of satisfa in her expression.

  "Please excuse my ued visit. An emergency has arisen that required me to meet with Lady Sarka immediately."

  "And, what might this emergency be?" Maki inquired in a serious tone. Her expression indicated that she would not admit lies or half-truths, something that caused the tan-skinned girl to shudder.

  "First of all, I'd like to tell you about my retionship with her, may I?"

  Maki narrowed her eyes, but quickly nodded, giving her silent approval.

  Immediately, Nisire took Sarka's hand, who had kept her attention on the girl as she bravely presented herself to Maki. My sister was taken by surprise but seemed to uand her lover's motive with that a alone.

  "I've met your... uh..." Surprisingly, the girl could only utter those few words before stopping with a fused expression. A clear blush began to tinge her face as she went pletely bnk.

  Maki seemed to somehow uand why the girl had stopped and blushed. She brought a hand to her head, arranging a lock of hair, as she let out a sigh and immediately answered the unasked question.

  "My daughter. You refer to her as my daughter."

  Huh?

  "I-I uand. So, to pick up on what I was saying. It's been almost a year since your daughter and I met. While it has been little, I have e to feel a very strong e to her, to the point that I o longer imagine my future without her." Nisire said, her lips lifting into a proud and joyful smile, l her gaze to my sister and squeezing the hand she held. In that small moment, you could perfectly feel how much this girl had fallen in love with my sister. And that made me happy.

  Maki seemed to have that same thought, though it was less visible to the rest. Her posture had rexed, her gaze softened, and even a very small, barely visible smile had formed on her lips.

  "I know I may sound naive or even fanciful in saying this, but I feel that it was fate that brought us together. That's why... uh... that's why..."

  Nisire paused at st, not knowing how to finish her words. Her face had begun to blush again, as had Sarka's, who was still holding her girl's hand tightly. Maki, notig all those signs, seemed to have easily uood what kind of retionship the two of them had at the moment, though she showed no further rea than narrowing at the tan-skinned girl.

  Seeing that her girl was too caught up in her nervousness, Sarka finally decided to step forward, standing up and direg her gaze towards Maki.

  "For that reason, Maki, w-we... want to get engaged."

  The 3 of them had fallen silent, with the 2 younger ones holding Maki's serious gaze for what seemed like ay.

  Maki seemed to be testing the seriousness of her words, finding a cra their expressions and seeing if they could hold their own against her. The tension imosphere remained high until it was broken by Maki's soft ughter, who smiled in a satisfied way.

  "So that's the way things are. Though I already knew most of it."

  "!?"

  "M-Maki already knew!!!?"

  "Of course, I knew about it. Lara, do you think you were doing things i?"

  "I... I thought I had mao keep the escorts and servants silent..."

  Maki gave an exasperated sigh upon hearing Sarka's words. She looked disappoihough not overly so as if it was just something funny to her.

  "Lara... I am the one who manages all the family servants. My orders take priority over everyone in the mansion except for your mother and father, it's not hard to figure out what my daughters do when we're not watg them."

  "..."

  Sarka had to keep quiet at those words, there wasn't much she could say in the face of that logic.

  And that also clears up one of my biggest doubts about Maki. In the end, I wasn't wrong when I first saw her. Even though she art of the family, she was the head maid. Or something like that.

  Unfortunately, that was the only thing I could crify. This situation further increased my fusion about her. If she had the right to call us her daughters, then what was her real position in the family? What did it really mean to be a Maki?

  "Anyway." Maki raised her voice slightly, returning to her serious tone of the beginning. Sarka and Nisire reacted immediately and tensed under her gaze. "This doesn't answer my question."

  "Y-you're right. So..."

  Nisire proceeded to rete to Maki everything she told Sarka earlier. Specifically, her position and the situation with her father and her iions to tact them for that purpose.

  She was very specifi saying that she was not going to let her father try to take advantage of Sarka, she was not going to let her get hurt in any way.

  Maki seemed very satisfied with those words, but there were still things she o discuss about it.

  "I see. I uand the situation. So, Lady Burmont, what you want is for us to advocate for you and announce you as our daughter's betrothed, is that not correct?"

  "That would be incredibly wonderful...but no. That's not my goal."

  Maki raised an eyebrow, fused by the girl's words of reje. Something that also happened with Sarka, who seemed even more fused about it.

  Before either could ask, Nisire cleared her throat and resumed her words.

  "It's not that I don't want your help in this situation. I know perfectly well that with Madam Fiana's words alohis would be resolved immediately. It's just... what I need is not for you to solve it for me. What I need is for you to help me figure it out for myself." The tan-skinned girl looked towards Sarka with a worried expression, biting her lip slightly, as if hesitating to utter her words for fear of inion my sister might have. "I'm not a smart person, and I'll always be the first to admit it, and... I'm actually a rather coward." Nisire paused to breathe for a moment, letting her words sink in for Maki, and for my sister as well. Her expressio me see how difficult it was for her to reveal all this.

  "But I don't want others to solve my problems for me, at least not without first fag them myself. My mentor used to say that I should fight my own wars without fear, but he also said that, otlefield, it is not the lone soldier who wins the war, but the one who knows when to turn to his superior tize and achieve victory. So..." the girl frowned, internally battling her pride and her o find an answer.

  Finally, after a long silence, she seemed to clude. She leaned over as far as she could and in a loud voice, pleaded to Maki.

  "Madam Fiana, please give me advice about what I should do. I don't want what's between Sarka ao be lost because I wasn't good enough to protect it."

  Maki looked at her impassively for a long while. I could tell from the look on her face that she was thinking deeply about the situation.

  Sarka, meanwhile, was looking at the ground with a hesitant expression. She seemed to want to be part of the versation and support her girlfriend, but she didn't know what to do or say.

  Suddenly, Maki spoke up.

  "Lara, take your sister a out."

  "!?"

  Sarka was taken by surprise, as was I. Why did she suddenly want us both to go out?

  "B-but..."

  "It's okay Sarka, I think I know what Madam Fiana is thinking."

  My sister didn't look vinced. Her eyes reflected a desire to disobey the order and stay until the end, but Nisire gave her a fident look and a nod. Sarka couldn't say anything else.

  "...I uand."

  Sarka stood up from her pd taking me in her arms, headed for the door. She gave o gnce back, still doubting if she should leave, but Maki nodded reassuringly and Nisire gave her a wry smile, somewhat calming her down.

  We both left the peth, of course, behind us. A personal maid should always be o her dy.

  We did not stand in the hallway for long. Sarka, although nervous and a little sad to be left aside, decided it was best to wait in the "greenhouse" where we 3 sisters met st time.

  …

  …

  There was a deathly sile the table. Sarka was lost deep in thought, and in her expression you could tell how worried she was that her girlfriend was aloh Maki, talking about who knows what.

  Behind her was h, who, although looking expressionless as always, had her antewitg stantly, revealing that she was equally, if not more worried than her dy.

  For the first time since I've been with my sister; or anyone in my family in general, I'm sitting in a chair by myself.

  By myself.

  Very lonely.

  That was the level of they both had. Fortunately, I had armrests, so there was no worry that I was going to fall, ah, although she seemed distracted, was keeping a in case something happeo me.

  "h..." spoke my sister suddenly, her voice soft and ed. "What do you think Maki is talking to Nisire about?"

  The maid was silent for a while, carefully pting her answer. "sidering she's Madame Fiana... she may be interrogating her."

  "Interrogating?"

  "Yes. Madame is, as the young dy knows, quite meticulous about non-family members and servants. And, taking into at that Lady Nisire aspires to an e, she will want to press her until she gets her to let her true thoughts out."

  "S-she'll be all right?"

  "Don't worry, young dy. Even I could tell that Lady Nisire had been reized by Madame Fiana. Trust your Maki and Lady Nisire."

  "..."

  My sister did not respond, but merely nodded and tinued in silence.

  ...

  A couple of hours passed before Sarka finally couldn't bear to sit quietly and do nothing.

  Just as she was getting up from her pce, a servant girl, another one of those I had never seen around the mansion, arrived at our pce. Behind her, Nisire with a hard-to-read expression.

  "Nisire! What happened? What did Maki say? Is she willing to help you? Did she turn you down? Should we look for another solution?" As soon as she saw her my sister ran towards her, throwing as many questions at her as she could.

  "C-calm down Sarka, that's too many questions at once." Replied the tan-skinned girl, panig, not knowing what to do in the face of su indiscrimiack. "Madam Fiana just asked me a few questions and then we discussed a few things."

  "Really? She didn't push you too hard?"

  "Well... I 't say it wasn't... plicated. But she was muicer than I expected. And uanding, too. But, let's leave that for now, there are some things we o talk about."

  At that proposal, Sarka nodded auro her chair at the tea table. Nisire took the chair o my sister, stayiween her and me.

  Suddenly she noticed my presend smiled sweetly at me, going so far as to gently stroke my head, making me smile with satisfa.

  h, like the good servant she is, poured her a cup of tea, quickly retreating behind me, instead of pg herself near Sarka, her mistress.

  The girl sipped her tea quietly, visibly enjoying the taste and aroma, and rexing the instant the liquid went dowhroat.

  A solemn sileook over as my sister's girlfrie out all the tension that seemed to have built up in her shoulders.

  Unlike her, my sister looked anxious to ask what happened when we left but hesitated whether she should speak up when she saw how much her girl hat moment of peace.

  Before long, Nisire's expression looked much more rexed and calmer, allowio finally begin the versation.

  "My Lady." She began. Her words somehht a twity sister's face. Something about her girl's voice sounded... different. "I'm sorry it took me so long, but the versation I had with Lady Fiana was... enlightening."

  "Nisire?" asked Sarka, a little panicked, her voice almost crag. I could see in her eyes that her girlfriend's words had made her very anxious. She almost looked frightened.

  "Calm down. It's not what you seem to be thinking." Sarka let out a sigh of relief, the fear expelled from her mind. "Although... it's not very good news either. Let me expin."

  At first, the versatioween Nisire and Maki had been a real interrogation. Maki attacked her with questions about her daily life, her political stance, her family, current and future goals, among many others.

  Once Maki was satisfied, they moved on to the important part of the versation.

  "Madam Fiana told me 2 things. The first was that she admired the fact that I wao figure things out on my own and that my stan seeking advice was admirable. But..." Nisire paused, inhaling deeply before tinuing, her tone a bit distressed. "She said I was being too naive."

  "Naive? But wasn't it wise to have asked someoh more experience for advice?" Sarka asked, tilting her head to the side in fusion.

  "That was what I thought too, but her words vinced me that she was right. Sarka, was it really wise to e here to ask your family for advi how I should solve my family's problems?" Nisire kept that question in the air, not waiting for an answer. One for which my sister couldn't say anything even though she had said it had been a good choice. "I said things that should be kept within my own house. I revealed the pns, ma, and behaviors of a neointed earl, to a family that, not only is more powerful than my own, but could very well, and should, make use of suformation to profit from us. No, I was too overfident, foolish, and naive. In my innoce, I revealed things that could put my father, and therefore my family, at a distinct disadvantage... and dangerous situation." Nisire ched her fists tightly, frowning, frustrated as she realized the mistake she had made.

  From my point of view, having been an adult and having lived through a lot of difficult experiences, I agree with Maki. And I must also admit that, although I listened carefully to Nisire when she came and revealed all that... I never really sidered the sequences of her as.

  Even though my mind is the mind of an adult, I have lived my fair share of years in a very harsh enviro, with stant work flicts and unreasonable demands, not being able to see something so obvious, was...

  I felt ashamed of myself.

  Sure, you may think that, at the end of the day this is not even my problem, but my sister's and her girlfriend's (especially her girlfriend's), so I shouldn't feel bad for not realizing it, but is it really?

  It is foolish to think that just because it is not my problem, I be fiven for not thinking about it. The experiehat shape who you are and will be iure do not e only from what affects you directly. Many times, you learn, improve, and overe situations by uanding and resolving the situations of your acquaintances. In my previous life, I mao overe difficult moments thanks to the fact that some of my acquaintances had gohrough simir situations, and in some cases, I eve a helping hand.

  Thanks to that I improved in many aspects, both in my work and in my daily life. And just at this moment, I felt incredibly foolish for not having analyzed a situation that I could have uood the first time around if it were my previous life self.

  I looked up at my sister and saw that she, too, looked angry and embarrassed. She was biting her lower lip in frustration.

  "But." Nisire resumed, drawing our attention tain. "Thanks to that, I have now uood what I must do. But, before that, I must mention the sed thing Lady Fiana told me." The girl immediately erased her downcast expression, repg it with a more cheerful one. She took the st sip of her tea and carefully pced the cup oable.

  Sarka csped her hands together anxiously, notig the sudden ge in her girlfriend's attitude. She seemed to realize that her words seemed to be good news, but still, there was a faint hint of fear in her eyes. Ohat I assumed was due to fear that she was going to be asked to end their retionship.

  "Madam Fiana told me that she had seen my way of ag, my determination, and..." the girl stopped while a blush ainted on her cheeks. Something that did not go unnoticed by my sister, who smiled seeing such a rea. "My love for her daughter... *cough* she told me that she decided to take our side, but that she couldn't give an answer for sure until she had spoken to your other parents."

  Sarka rose from her chair in surprise. Her eyes were wide open in shock.

  "You're tellihat Maki offered to mediate for us with my parents?"

  "That's what I'm saying, yes. Uh... although... there's more to it."

  "More? What do you mean?"

  Nisire put a hand behind her head, stroking that area, lookiant to utter her words. This time, her silence, and thus her hesitation to speak, sted a while longer, leaving my sister too ed to maintain said silence.

  "Nisire! What's going on, what else is in all this?"

  The tan-skinned girl kept her gaze away from my sister and refused to utter a word despite the urgen Sarka's tone.

  "Nisire! Tell me! What happened?" Demanded my sister loudly. Her eyebrows drew together in an expression of clear a her girlfriend's silence. She khere was something she wasn't going to want to hear, but she o know all the same.

  Nisire closed her eyes and sighed i, with no choice but to indulge my sister and answer her question.

  "Madam Fiana, after reprimanding me so harshly for my as, promised me that everything we had discussed today would remain just between us. A gesture of good faith, and gratitude."

  "Isn't that a good thing, why doubt...?" My sister's question was half-asked, as she saw her girl slowly deny and give her a flicted look.

  "No favor is free. Madam Fiana and I agreed. I 't give you the details, but I want to ask you to trust me for now." Nisire stood up, stroked my hair, gave me a small smile, and the straight to Sarka, whom she gave a tight hug and, to her surprise, a deep kiss.

  Uedly, or so I think, Sarka not only accepted it easily, but got excited (maybe a little too excited), and it ended up being a much longer and mrown-up kiss than I would have expected from my sister.

  Perhaps there were some naughty hands involved, but my eyes were half obstructed by the gentle hands of a maid I had fotten was with us.

  A signifit amount of time passed in whie rather... suggestive sounds were heard before h had to separate them by clearihroat.

  They both took a few steps away from each other, with very flushed faces and their clothes somewhat... disheveled.

  "S-sorry, I guess I... got a little carried away."

  "It's okay my ... Sarka. I... I really needed something like this." Nisire said, causing my sister to blush even more. Beyond humanly possible... though we weren't human...

  The girl took a deep breath for a few seds before taking my sister's hands and lookiraight in the eyes.

  "Sarka, do you trust me?"

  "What, what's wrong, why are you askihat?"

  "Do you trust me?"

  "O-of course I trust you. What's wrong?"

  "Then please, I need you to keep doing it. No matter lease believe in me."

  "N-Nisire, you're sg me. What do you...?"

  The girl released her grip and k on one leg in front of my sister.

  "Do you remember the promise I made you iher's embrace?"

  Sarka opened her eyes wide, realizing what her girlfriend was referring to, and nodded immediately.

  "Then believe in that promise and wait for me."

  "Wait for you? Nisire... Nisire, what do you mean...?"

  Without giviime to plete her question, the girl stood up, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, smiled at her, and turo leave. Sarka quickly raised her hand to stop her but froze before she even raised it fully. She lowered it immediately and watched as her girl walked away, leaving with a sad smile and a wave of her hand. Her footsteps echoed as she walked aassing through the door without a backward gnce.

  Silenihe pce for a long time until it was broken by the sound of a chair. My sister slowly sat down and stayed there, not moving except to cover her face with her hands. There was no sobbing, but her body trembled profusely, apanied by the sound of her breathing, inhaling and exhaling deeply.

  ...

  ...

  "I must trust her, mustn't I?" asked Sarka, finally ing out of her stuate.

  "Yes, my master," h replied, sloroag Sarka.

  "I must trust her, right?" she repeated her question.

  "Yes, my master." Reiterated the maid, standing only a couple of steps away from my sister.

  "I must trust her, right?" she asked o time, with more for her tone.

  "Yes, my master," h replied o time, her voice as firm as her respey sister was high.

  The maid stood by Sarka's side. She did not move an inch, did not say or ask anything. Her duty was to wait for her master's orders no matter how long it took her to utter them.

  And so, she waited and waited. She waited for what seemed like hours, but it was only a few minutes.

  "I'll trust her then." My sister said with determination in her voice. She rose from her chair, her expression much fresher and free of doubt. She looked at me, putting on a genuine and sincere smile. "h, bring more sweets, my little sister deserves something delicious. She's been lonely and bored for a long time, she deserves to be pampered, don't you think?"

  "Of course, my young dy. I will ply immediately." Said the maid with a beautiful smile. She turned around and started gathering different kinds of sweets for me. Sarka took me in her arms and, for the rest of the afternoon, I ate as much as I wanted without hindrance.

  That fateful afternoon... I had a terrible stomach ache. But it was worth it.

  FivesZeta