301. Sibling Ep – Threshold

“…I understand that the family name was given according to the ancestral surname passed down through generations. I’m not sure what you mean by ‘Raono.’”

Joseph said. Lean was convinced he knew something.

“Were your ancestors nobles?”

“I don’t know. The family name could have been ‘Rauno’ originally, and over time, it might have been adopted as a surname. It’s not even an officially recognized surname by the king, so we’re essentially using it however we please. Honestly, I’m not quite sure myself.”

His expression still showed no signs of movement.

Lean nodded blandly, “I see.”

Well, he didn’t expect a single question to resolve the mystery that began with a beggar with a broken arm and a grave from a mystical temple.

There was something there. Satisfied just to have confirmed that much, Lean got up from his seat. There was no need to provoke someone who wasn’t going to answer anything anyway.

“I thought ‘Raono’ sounded similar to a famous ancient family name, so I wanted to ask. Haha. Now, I would like to request the room my sister will be using. I want to see it first.”

“Of course, it’s no problem.”

Joseph also stood up.

He went outside and spoke to Ober, who was standing there in bewilderment.

He requested two empty rooms right next to each other. Ober looked even more puzzled.

“What the hell have you done?”

You’d think Ober would react differently after seeing Joseph’s behavior, but he remained unchanged.

“Go ahead and kill me if you want.”

He was a thug who disregarded societal norms. Lean didn’t dislike Ober for that.

“Haha! You would be surprised if you knew what I did!”

“Ah—what is it? Why aren’t you telling me? Did you steal something impressive?”

The heart of Ksenia, of course.

Lean smiled slyly, refusing to spill the beans. He browsed the rooms Ober suggested, considering which one was the best, and eventually chose a slightly smaller one.

It was a rectangular room with a tall window that let in plenty of light.

Opening the window made sunlight pour onto the bed across the way, so it should help fix his younger sister’s sleep pattern, which often led her to sleep in late.

She’d probably scream, “Aaaah! Close the window!” for a while… but he imagined his sister would happily cherish her newly acquired room without realizing her older brother’s clever plan.

Step by step, they were moving forward.

There’s a threshold to happiness, and guiding his sister toward extreme happiness involved letting her slowly taste the great happiness that lay ahead.

So that my beloved younger sister,

Who has endured only horrible tragedies until now,

Can be eternally happy.

As Lean basked in the cool summer breeze blowing through the window, he found himself crying without even realizing it.

*

“Oh my, how pretty.”

Lean and Ksenia, who usually dated at home, met outside for the first time in a while. Reriana hid behind her brother, stealing glances at the actor who would soon become his ‘fiancée.’

But, hm! If it’s a weird girl, I have to scold her, she thought, only to find the very bad words she learned from Tian inadequate.

Reriana felt a sense of déjà vu.

‘I feel like I’ve seen this person somewhere before.’

A very familiar older sister vibe. It wasn’t a bad feeling. Reriana shyly stepped forward.

“Hello…”

“Hi. You must be Reriana? Nice to meet you. Lean, you should have told me your younger sister was so pretty. She didn’t even put on proper makeup to come out.”

“What do you mean, she needs makeup? She’s this pretty.”

“Ah, you just don’t know.”

In truth, she was almost fully made up. She wouldn’t show up without prepping for a visit to her soon-to-be brother-in-law’s sibling.

But—this is too much.

Lean’s younger sister was so beautiful it took your breath away. No, she was stunning.

Her flowing blonde hair sparkled with no blemishes, neither too thick nor too thin.

Her plump, fair skin made it unbearable for people to stand. Ksenia wanted to touch those adorably chubby cheeks right away.

What would it feel like?

If I pulled, would those pitiful, rosy lips twist, or would she smile widely at me?

She was so perfect that it instilled an impulse to destroy.

If this girl smiled despite this cruel impulse, she might feel guilty for being so beautiful and perish.

‘I should have gotten a massage before coming out.’

Reriana’s impeccable features were impressive, but Ksenia was also incredibly beautiful.

She was certainly no less than a leading actress at the Arille Theater.

So, frankly, it was slightly embarrassing, but she could withstand it with her pride.

There were different styles!

But the skin… I could never keep up with it. Even if it was due to age difference, they didn’t appear too far apart.

Ksenia thought to herself, well, at least Lean didn’t like me for my looks. It was a good thought.

On the other hand, Lean wondered why Ksenia was acting this way.

She seemed a bit jealous… but this had never happened before.

He soon realized the reason.

They had first met when he was in tatters from starving. Although she had been beautiful then, it was different from now when she was well-fed and healthier.

He wished he could avoid any unnecessary jealousy. Lean led the group.

“This place is delicious. They serve chicken… Wait, what?!”

The chicken place was closed. No sign of life. The front was boarded up, looking rather ominous.

What on earth is happening now?

Lean stroked his neck in a panic when the place he had invited everyone to was out of order. He quickly suggested another restaurant.

“Let’s go to that bakery. It’s delicious. They have many menu options…”

“Really? I’m a bit skeptical.”

“It’s good here.”

As Lean broke into a sweat from Ksenia’s retort, Katrina, who had been following behind to protect them, jumped in.

“I know that place. I went there often when I was a knight. The cheaper meals have big portions, and the expensive ones are tasty. You won’t regret it.”

“Thank you for covering for me, Katrina.”

Katrina shrugged her shoulders, not saying much else. She still regarded Lean unfavorably.

Honestly, it was thanks to Katrina that he found out about this bakery…

Somewhat saddened, Lean turned his interest back to the other two girls. His sister’s eyes sparkled.

“Wow! It’s my first time at a bakery! They have cookies too?”

“Reriana, we’ll eat those later, after the meal.”

“Just looking at them is enough!”

“Ksenia, let’s just go ahead and sit.”

Leaving his sister mesmerized by the colorful shapes of the cookies, Lean and Ksenia settled down.

Ksenia looked on a bit sadly at Reriana, who was getting overly excited about nothing.

“Is it your first time in a bakery, little lady?”

“…Yes. It is.”

Her boyfriend didn’t talk much about himself. Particularly, he never mentioned his past, and she understood why.

Ksenia took Lean’s hand, who was sitting next to her.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“…”

Lean felt a ticklish sensation.

Unlike Lena, no one had ever comforted him saying they had suffered together.

Though he and Minseo often consoled each other about their shared hardships, it was different—Lean smiled faintly.

Finally, they chose their dishes.

Naturally, they didn’t order just bread but opted for proper meals, while Katrina said she wouldn’t eat since she had to guard them, and Lean, Ksenia, and Reriana summoned the kitchen staff to order their meals.

While waiting for the food, Reriana, who had been seated apart due to arriving late, squinted her eyes and asked.

“How did you and that… sister meet?”

“We met by chance, little lady. Truly by chance.”

“Then. I’d like to hear a bit more about this chance.”

Leaning forward with her thumb perched on her chin, she looked just like an interrogator.

If the table hadn’t been at her chest height.

Ksenia suppressed a laugh that nearly burst out and answered quite seriously.

“Actually, I was the victim.”

“What? Hmm. What kind of harm did you suffer? Because my brother is listening, you must speak only the truth.”

“Of course. This man doused me with water. I was just doing my morning exercise as usual.”

“Ah! So that’s why you couldn’t… Ahem! There must have been a good reason. My ‘brother’ would never do something like that without a reason.”

It seemed neutrality had already been blown away.

However, Ksenia, being the actress she was, spoke with a rather pitiful expression.

“Yes. I also… think it was an accident. But I believe that if this man hadn’t focused solely on his cup of water, such an unfortunate incident wouldn’t have happened. I went home looking like a drowned rat… but it’s okay.”

“Well, that’s good to hear. Luckily it was summer, so it wasn’t a big deal. Did you receive an apology?”

“No, not at all.”

“Excuse me?”

Such audacity… Reriana’s eyes lit up as they darted toward her brother.

Ksenia delivered the final blow.

“I didn’t receive one at all. He did come to find me later, but he didn’t apologize then either. Instead, he came demanding my assistance and for me to love him… like a shout.”

“…When did I ever shout?”

Lean interjected due to her harsh choice of words.

He did apologize right after dousing her. Although it got derailed when Katrina jumped in.

However, the momentum had clearly shifted to Ksenia.

“Oh my, my! Just hold on. So?”

“I was helplessly… because he was wearing a sword at the time…”

“Wait just a moment!”

Ksenia even started to cry. Who knew she was such a talented actress?

Lean quickly jumped in to defend himself, but Reriana was already exclaiming, “Oh my, oh my!” not listening to her brother.

As Ksenia kept cornering Lean for a while, she burst into laughter, wiping her tears away, and the two girls chatted happily without Lean needing to insert himself. Finally, the food arrived and caught everyone’s attention.

Reriana happily tore off and devoured the ‘Egg-in-a-hole’ that Lean had ordered. The outside was crispy, and the egg inside was moist, coated in a sweet sauce.

Ksenia received the “Dish of beans,” also known as “bean dish plate.”

It was five types of beans, including red bean, simmered in a spicy chili-flavored sauce and served with flatbread. She preferred spicy flavors.

Lean ordered a “Bread pizza roll,” with various vegetables wrapped in bread, which was not only tasty but easy to share. He requested a food share from the cook, paying a little extra on top of the meal price so each could eat from one another’s dishes as the chef thanked them and brought out separate plates.

Lean divided his food among his sister and Ksenia.

“It’s delicious. Try some of mine too.” — Eventually, the three of them ordered cookies and milk for dessert. Ksenia’s had a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Crispy yet soft, the sweet cookies varied in texture. Reriana gobbled them down, holding two different kinds in her hands.

Ksenia and Lean enjoyed warm, nutty milk while chatting.

Primarily, their conversation revolved around the engagement plans.

“Why this sudden engagement?” It was because a trivial matter had arisen in the wedding planning.

As for the wedding, it was agreed to take place in the estate of the House of Count Peter.

Lean would be stepping in as a son-in-law, and it was indeed a natural outcome externally. However, Lean hoped the timeline would be postponed a bit.

Originally, they had hoped to marry as soon as possible. But just the day before, Ksenia had announced her intention to invite her grandfather, which caused the situation to change. Count Gustave Peter had feigned dissatisfaction on Lean’s behalf, but Ksenia would not relent when it was her wedding.

Lean once again thought that the situation had become complicated.

Ksenia’s grandfather was Cardinal Berg of the Conrad Kingdom.

Reb was essential to apprehending Oriax, but if he summoned him over here, it could create difficulties there, so he reconsidered.

It was better to hold the engagement first.

He changed his wording to express that he hoped their suddenly deepening relationship would proceed step by step from this point forward.

He intended to wait until the results of the arrow fired toward the Conrad Kingdom were realized before addressing Count Gustave Peter and approaching Ksenia’s mother, Edlyn with:

“I’m worried about how far the estate is. I’m sure you have many acquaintances you wish to invite. If we have our engagement here, you can invite them and have a great time.”

He pretended to be a son-in-law who cared deeply for his mother-in-law.

Edlyn was immensely pleased and said:

“Yes, dear. Since it’s a once-in-a-lifetime marriage, make sure to take care of the engagement. I got married without an engagement… and while it was beautiful at the time, looking back now, it feels a bit regretful.”

And so, the matter was settled.

Initially puzzled by Lean’s sudden change in words, Ksenia soon accepted, and they discussed when the engagement would take place.

Since they needed to invite guests, it was best to have it at a time when it wouldn’t overlap with other families’ events. Above all, they had to avoid days with any grand occasions.

“We’re quite unlucky. It seems that soon, a prince from another kingdom will come to visit our princess here in Orville.”

Ksenia said. Lean nodded, knowing the future.

However, there was a change…

“I assume it’s Prince Anolf de Klaus from the Asran Kingdom. I’ve heard he is quite handsome…”

“Really? Hahaha! You’ve misunderstood a bit. How could we possibly send our precious princess off to such a barbaric kingdom as Asran?”

Ksenia burst out laughing.

“The one coming is Prince Vivian de Isadora of the Aisel Kingdom.”