“Young master, and miss. Instead of standing out here, let’s go to the reception room. We can’t keep our esteemed guest outside.”
Thomas carefully spoke up after Iberis and Regina’s meeting had successfully taken place.
“Oh, right! Let’s go inside! Mari has prepared many delicious things for brother and the Major!”
Regina grasped Iberis’s trench coat and gently pulled him towards her without hesitation.
“Mari?”
“Yes, she’s our house cook! Everything Mari makes is delicious!”
“I see, I’m looking forward to it.”
Iberis, who had widened his eyes in surprise at the unexpected action, soon softened his gaze.
“Hehe.”
Regina squirmed shyly when Iberis gave her a gentle eye smile. Her spotlessly white and fair cheeks turned pink like ripe peaches.
“Miss, please sit in your wheelchair.”
“No!”
“Pardon?”
Thomas’s eyes widened as Regina refused to get in the wheelchair and clung tightly to Lucas.
“Brother, carry me!”
“Aren’t I already holding you?”
“No… I don’t want to ride the wheelchair, so you carry me!”
“You’re heavy.”
“I’m not! And you’re super strong, brother!”
Lucas chuckled with an expression that seemed to say ‘what am I going to do with you’ at his sister demanding to be carried like a princess. Nevertheless, he lifted Regina up as if he had no choice. Whenever they met after a long time, she always acted spoiled like this.
“Oof, just this once.”
“Hehehe…”
Regina giggled as she was held in her brother’s arms, whom she had missed for over half a year. The lovely laughter, like a lark’s chirping, brought smiles to the faces of those watching the siblings.
“If you don’t want to fall, put your arms around my neck.”
“Okay!”
Regina answered excitedly and hugged Lucas tightly. She finally felt that her brother had truly come home.
“Major.”
Lucas called out to Iberis after adjusting his hold on his sister, supporting her hip firmly with one arm. Then he naturally wrapped his other arm around his lover’s waist and slowly led him.
* * *
“Ta-da! This is the study!”
Regina, who had energetically thrown open the door, looked back at Iberis with a proud expression. After lunch, she had volunteered to be the guide for the visiting guest.
“There are so many books.”
Iberis marveled at the enormous size of the study. It was a study in name only; it was no different from a library.
“Right? Thomas said there must be thousands of books.”
Regina cleared her throat with an “ahem” and lifted her chin. Then she maneuvered her wheelchair closer to the bookshelves.
“What kind of books do you like, Major?”
“I don’t particularly favor any genre… but I do enjoy reading poetry collections and fantasy novels.”
“Poetry! I had a poetry writing class the other day! It was difficult but fun! Hmm, for fantasy novels… like The Little Mermaid or The Snow Queen? Or maybe The War of the Wizards?”
“I’ve enjoyed reading all three of those.”
“I knew it! So that’s why you made the Snow Queen so well earlier!”
Clap. Regina clapped her hands as if she finally understood. After skillfully maneuvering her wheelchair around the study, she made a pondering sound.
“Hmm, where should I show you next…”
“We’ve pretty much seen the whole mansion, shall we go back?”
Iberis suggested returning to the reception room upon seeing Regina deep in thought. Having enthusiastically moved around various parts of the mansion for nearly an hour, she looked slightly tired.
“No way! I promised to entertain the Major until brother finishes his work!”
Regina puffed out her cheeks and expressed her refusal as if that was out of the question. While the two were touring the mansion, Lucas and Thomas were in the conference room discussing countermeasures against the Mars Guild.
Originally, Iberis should have participated and put their heads together, but it fell through because Regina wanted to be with him. She, who had shown strong interest in Iberis throughout the banquet, volunteered to give a house tour as soon as the meal ended.
The people of the main house, including Thomas, were greatly surprised when Regina, known for being shy with strangers, approached proactively first. It was because she had never opened up to a stranger this quickly before.
However, Regina had her own reasons. First, Iberis was the first colleague Lucas had ever brought home. Second, Thomas, whom she trusted most after Lucas, had given her a hint the night before. He told her that someone important to her brother would be coming tomorrow.
That alone had already increased her favorability, but Iberis, whom she met in person, was as handsome and beautiful as her brother. It was a fresh shock to Regina, who thought Lucas was the most handsome person in the world. She didn’t know there could be someone else as beautiful as her brother.
Not only that. He had the same ability as her favorite animation character. His dining manners were as elegant and gentle as the Spring Kingdom Prince, the companion of the Snow Queen. When their eyes met, he would smile softly.
Thanks to this, Regina’s remaining wariness melted away like snow in spring sunshine. Instead, her growing fondness took its place, sprouting like new buds.
That’s why she spoke up as soon as the pleasant dinner ended. Regina wanted to spend more time with the Esper who was as wonderful as her brother.
Naturally, Iberis couldn’t refuse Regina, who was looking up at him with sparkling eyes. He sent a helpless glance to Lucas, seeking assistance.
However, Lucas couldn’t dissuade Regina either. In the end, he asked her to entertain Iberis, their guest, in his place. Then he left for the conference room with Thomas.
“It’s a mission brother entrusted to me! I’ll definitely succeed!”
Regina said with an enthusiastic face, clenching her fists.
“I think the mission has already succeeded… Instead, why don’t we take a few books from here and read together in the reception room?”
“Oh, shall we?”
Regina looked intrigued by Iberis’s suggestion. Though she didn’t show it, she was actually a bit tired. After all, she had been too excited to sleep well the night before, knowing Lucas was coming. Moreover, due to the severe mana surge right after her awakening, she was physically weak despite being an ability user.
“What kind of books do you like, Regina? Can you recommend some?”
“…! Yes!”
Regina brightened at Iberis’s request for book recommendations.
“I like everything except scary things. Recently, I’ve been reading a lot of webtoons.”
“Webtoons?”
“Yes. There’s one where a Northern Duke and a Count’s daughter have a contract marriage, but later the heroine misunderstands the male lead because of a villain and runs away. So the Duke searches hard for her. It’s really exciting… But we need a phone to read that, so I’ll show you next time.”
“Hmm?”
Is it okay for kids to read such things? Iberis tilted his head hearing the webtoon plot. But seeing Regina chattering excitedly, he soon thought it must be fine.
Although her mental age seemed somewhat younger, Regina was clearly a teenage girl. Above all, her guardians, Thomas and her home tutors, wouldn’t let her read inappropriate books.
“Other than that… Well, I enjoyed reading a Greek and Roman mythology book a few days ago… Ah, here it is!”
Whirr. Regina maneuvered her wheelchair, searching various parts of the bookshelf. Soon, she found her target book and raised her arm with sparkling eyes. However, it was just out of reach, placed in a precarious spot.
“Eek.”
Getting impatient, Regina frowned and tried to stand up. But having risen without preparation, she lost her balance and stumbled.
“Oh!”
I’m falling. Regina, losing her center of gravity, closed her eyes tightly as her body tilted backward. However, the expected impact didn’t come. Iberis had firmly supported her body.
“Oh my.”
“…?”
Regina gently opened her eyes, feeling slender but strong arms and a cool body temperature, as if winter air clung to it, wrap around her. She saw Iberis examining her with a worried face.
“Are you okay?”
“Ah…”
“You’re not hurt, are you? Does anything hurt?”
“Th-that…”
Regina stammered, realizing Iberis had saved her. The moment she met his eyes, transparent like snowflakes and sparkling like diamonds, something like a bell rang in her head. Simultaneously, scenes from numerous fairy tales, animations, and other works she had seen unfolded in her mind.
“Uh.”
Suddenly overcome by a strange feeling, Regina bit her lip. It was the first time someone other than her brother and the mansion’s employees had held her like this. Perhaps that’s why her heart was racing and her cheeks were burning.
“I’m sorry, Regina. I rushed and… Is my body too cold?”
Interpreting her reaction negatively, Iberis apologized with a regretful expression. Thanks to consistent guiding, the cold emanating from his body had diminished, but it hadn’t disappeared completely. Since arriving at the mansion, he had been careful not to touch Regina, worried she might feel pain from skin contact with him. However, the situation just now had been too urgent to avoid it.
