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Chapter 27
A grandmother who, I was told, worked at sea.
I didn’t know much about her, but one thing was clear: she was the real power in this household.
“Grandma said my sister’s too hung up on good looks, so she’ll get burned badly by a bad man. Turns out she was right.”
“Mm… but I’m not gonna be a bad man anymore, okay?”
“I did not give you permission to speak!”
“Pfft!”
Reto hurriedly closed his mouth at the stern yet trivial warning.
But a little chuckle had already slipped out.
“……”
As expected.
“Y-you… youuu…!”
Clare’s face turned red as she stomped her feet in frustration.
“Clare!”
Noah, freshly changed, appeared and was startled.
Clare, startled in turn, instantly stopped what she was doing.
“You were saying nasty things again, weren’t you…?”
“No.”
Reto quickly stepped in, putting himself in front of his young sister-in-law.
“She was just playing with me.”
From behind his back, Clare’s eyes went wide.
He took my side!
That mean old man—no, wait. Looking again, he was really handsome, tall, well-dressed, and very handsome—had just protected her.
“Obvious she was scolding you.”
“Rough girls are always beautiful.”
Like you.
“…Don’t say that kind of thing in front of her.”
Noah’s ears had gone slightly red beneath her loosened blonde hair. Reto noticed, even though she tried to hide it.
Still, Noah let it pass with a sigh.
But Clare still had something else to say.
“You should go change. Are you really going to stay dressed like that?”
“……”
Only then did Clare realize how she was dressed.
“But…”
She almost faltered, but quickly stood firm again.
“I—I don’t approve of you marrying my sister. So I won’t dress up pretty…!”
“Come to think of it—”
Reto suddenly recalled something and slipped out of the room.
Left behind, Clare quickly clung to Noah’s leg.
“Sis…”
“Mm?”
“Did he leave because he’s mad?”
Her spirit suddenly wilted, Clare dropped her gaze. Noah gently stroked her head.
“No, that’s not it.”
Crouching down, Noah cupped her little sister’s cheeks.
The soft, round cheeks of a well-fed, well-grown child were delightful in her hands.
“Reto really likes you.”
“R-really?”
“How could anyone dislike the sweetest, most adorable girl in the whole world?”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
Brightening, Clare grinned, then suddenly forced herself into a serious expression.
“I’ve felt this for a while now…”
“What?”
“That man… he seems kinda immature.”
“……”
“I can just feel an annoying aura from him.”
“……”
Noah fell silent, not sure what to say.
“Miss Clare.”
Just then, Reto returned. In his arms was a huge, mysterious gift box.
The moment Clare saw it, she knew.
“It’s mine!”
“Yes, my lady. This is yours.”
Kneeling politely on one knee, Reto offered the gift.
“Woooow…”
Clare gasped at the box as big as her body. She quickly laid it on the floor and ripped away the colorful wrapping with both hands.
“You should say thank you, rascal.”
At Noah’s reminder, Clare paused mid-rip.
“Thank you, Mister!”
By the time the paper was torn and piled up on the floor…
“……!”
With a silent shriek, Clare leapt up.
She grabbed her gift, ran a circle around the room, then stopped in front of Noah and Reto.
“It’s Chef-Knife Bunny!”
“I heard Miss Clare likes Chef-Knife Bunny. So I prepared this,” Reto explained.
But Clare couldn’t answer—her joy was overwhelming, tears almost spilling from how happy she was. Her feet bounced in place, unable to keep still.
“Do you like it that much?” Noah asked, amused.
“Sis, this is, this is…!”
“Whoa—hey! Breathe! You’re hyperventilating!”
“Careful, sister-in-law. Easy breathing…”
With the adults’ help, Clare finally calmed down and shouted:
“This is Chef-Knife Bunny from the third movie! ‘The Fiery Bloodbath: Fate of the Illegal Butcher’!”
“…Are you sure this is a kids’ show?” Reto muttered, suspicious.
“Look here!”
Clare pointed at the plush’s knife.
On the stuffed blade were three little star-shaped stickers.
“The villain in the movie is this creepy illegal butcher obsessed with manicures. When Chef-Knife Bunny used his ultimate move, the stickers from the villain’s nails transferred to the knife!”
“This is really a kids’ show?” Reto asked again, doubtful.
Just then, As’s voice rang out:
“Dinner is ready!”
Clare, who had been busy playing with her toy, jumped up and tugged Noah’s hand.
“Sis, I want to change clothes.”
“You do?”
Nodding, Clare turned toward Reto and huffed.
“…It’s not like I’m forgiving you or anything.”
Back to polite speech, she hugged the plush nearly as big as she was.
Apparently, she was embarrassed at having gotten carried away and acted chummy with Reto.
Her shy little eyes peeking out from behind the plush said it all.
Reto just found her endlessly adorable.
“…Sis.”
Eyeing Reto suspiciously as he smiled at her, Clare tugged Noah down and whispered in her ear.
“I thought he was just some smug guy coasting on his looks, but he’s actually good with kids.”
“……”
“Not just because of the plush… but I’ll let it slide this once.”
It was a whisper far too loud to be called a whisper.
“……”
“……”
Noah and Reto couldn’t stop their shoulders from shaking with laughter.
