Volume 3 Chapter 12 My Sisters Have Become Disobedient Lately
"........."
"Hey, Ai, you gonna eat or what? Just because you're a prisoner doesn't mean you have to hold back."
I sipped my ale, watching her sit silently beside me.
It'd be a waste not to touch the dinner Belle went to the trouble of making.
"Big Bro Ryuuji, you did something in the bath, didn't you?"
"Don't be silly. I wouldn't lay a hand on a kid like that."
"That means you would if she wasn't a kid! Lene! We've got a flirt here!"
"Hey, Minori, how about we have a sparring match later? If you don't understand your brother's authority, I'll make you understand."
What did this sister of mine see in me?
Well, my wife seemed to take it as a joke, letting it slide with a calm demeanor, which was a relief.
Today, our usually lively dinner table was joined by Aine and Ai.
The overly energetic scholar, Aine, was eating heartily without a hint of restraint.
Ai, the assassin who came for her, seemed to have no intention of touching her meal.
Starving her wouldn't do any good, though.
She still looked down, fidgeting uncomfortably, rubbing her feet together. She had taken off her black outfit and was now wearing Suzu's hand-me-downs, apparently not used to the skirt.
"Then I'll force-feed you. Come on──"
"Stop it! Don't touch me!"
I grabbed her shoulder playfully and brought a fork stabbed with spring vegetables close to her, but she reacted more strongly than I expected.
She told me not to touch her.
That was a bit of a shock.
"There's a brother here shocked because he forced himself on a girl who hates it."
"...When you put it that way, I sound like a real jerk, don't I?"
"Yaaay!"
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"........."
"Hey, Ai, aren't you eating it? You don't have to be shy about it just because you're a prisoner."
While giving a small cheer, I called out to Ai, who was silent next to me.
It would be a waste to not try the dinner Belle had made for her.
"Big Bro Ryuuji, did something in the bath?"
"I'm not doing it, are you going to put your hands on a child like this?"
"Yes, if you're not a child, you'll have to put your hands on it!? Lene! There's a cheating man here!"
"Hey Minori, let's do Kumite later for the first time in a long time. If you don't understand your brother's dignity, I'll let you understand."
How does this little sister look at me?
Well, my wife seems to be sharing this as a joke, and I feel a sense of relief inside.
In this way, Aine and Ai are joining the lively dining table for any time.
Aine, a fussy scholar, is reluctant to eat, but Ai, the assassin who came to her with the aim of her, apparently has no intention of getting into eating.
I'm hungry or dying, but I'm in trouble.
Ai remains facing down, but she rubs her legs together in a calm, uneasy look.
I was given the black outfit I wore, and now I'm wearing Suzuki's everyday clothes as a hand-held one, but it seems like the skirt is not used to it.
"If that's the case, I'll force you to eat it, come on──"
"No, I don't want to touch it!"
I jokingly grabbed her shoulder and brought the fork with a spring vegetable stabbed closer, but it made me feel even more disliked than I expected.
Or rather, I was told not to touch her.
A light shock.
"My older brother is shocked to be forced to denounce a girl who doesn't like it."
"...I guess it's the worst if you put it in words, me."
"Hey"
I'm even getting bullied by Suzu.
My little sisters have been getting so mouthy lately.
It makes me sad.
"No way! Ryuuji, you can't keep bullying Ai! Ai's been freaked out ever since Ryuuji saw her n*ked in the bath, so she's just being cautious, right?"
"Ugh..."
Lene, sitting right next to Ai, rubs salt into the wound.
The little assassin buries her head in her hands and groans.
Ah, so that's why she didn't want to be touched.
"...Well, I guess she'll get used to it eventually. Just eat your meals, okay? You have to eat..."
"...No."
A pear-shaped pebble.
Hmm, this is a problem.
I could force-feed her with magic, but I really don't want to do that.
It doesn't matter if it's a short time or a long time, we have to live together after all.
"Maybe there was something Ai didn't like in the food? I should have asked beforehand."
"...It's nothing like that. The Sakura people eat everything that's put in front of them. But I'm not a guest."
As if feeling a little guilty for making the meal, Ai, looking down at Belle, said that with a shy smile.
She's really being considerate because she's a prisoner.
What a good kid.
"To me, Ai's a guest! I put my heart into making it, so I want her to eat it!"
"......Okay."
Perhaps moved by Belle's bright, carefree smile, Ai finally started eating.
Good, now I can breathe easy.
"Can I get you some more?"
"Uh, uh, yes!"
...This scholar is a pretty good eater, isn't she?
* * *
Dinner was over, and I returned to the workshop with Lene, Aine, and Ai.
It's time to continue the prisoner interrogation.
Even though I asked her all sorts of questions in the bathroom, she just kept covering her n*ked body and wouldn't talk at all.
I guess you can only really get comfortable with someone else n*ked when they're the same gender.
"Alright, back to the questions... how was Belle's cooking?"
"...It was delicious."
"That's good to hear. I found that guy wandering around lost, so I took her on as a disciple. She's surprisingly good at everything around the house, so she's been a real help. What about you, Ai? What are you good at?"
"........."
Oh, I thought she was finally starting to open up, but I guess it's too early.
If that's the case, I'll need to try a different approach.
"...Is it still ninjutsu?"
"What!?"
I only lightly challenged her, but Ai fell right into it.
By the time she covered her mouth, it was too late.
That's the same as admitting it.
"Ninjutsu... what's that?"
"What do you mean?"
As expected, Lene and Aine have no idea and tilt their heads in confusion.
Well, it's not something they'd know about.
It's more like a Sakura-exclusive profession or clan, you know?
"It's a secret art used by ninjas in the Sakura Empire. Remember when you fought Ai? Even with Anti-Magic active, she summoned a beast. That's ninjutsu."
The stick she used was probably a shuriken, a type of ninja weapon, and the summoning technique was also a form of ninjutsu.
I thought it was a long shot, considering she summoned a thunder god named Raiden, but a ninja?
Really?
"...I mean, ninjas are supposed to be legendary figures, right? Oh, and by the way, female ninjas are called kunoichi."
"Wow! There's such a thing? I'd love to learn more about it!"
With clear, unclouded eyes, Aine made such a request to the very assassin who had come to take her life.
Talk about thick-skinned—this scholar was something else.
Meanwhile, Ai, whose true identity had been exposed, had her eyes wide open, staring downward with a frightened expression.
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