Brotherly Resonance

Not far from the little gazebo where the young prince and princess were enjoying their sweet little date, I lay hidden in the shrubbery, silently observing everything.

Lady Katarina wore the princess-style updo I’d stayed up all night to learn, along with the peach-pink dress I’d personally picked out—one that best brought out the color of her hair.

She looked just like a princess stepped out of a fairytale.

…To be honest, burgundy would’ve looked even better.

But that shade’s a bit too mature—unfitting for a child.

It would’ve made her look like she was trying too hard to act grown-up.

Still, peach-pink suits her just as well.

Our lady’s cuteness is absolutely unrivaled in the world!

Squatting in the grass, I gave her an invisible thumbs-up.

…Wait, don’t I look like some kind of pervert right now?

But this is all because of my brotherly—er, sisterly—concern for my dear little sister!

Tell me—what kind of older brother… or sister… wouldn’t personally screen their sibling’s potential boyfriend?

So far, the Second Prince has passed the visual test.

He’s handsome, gentle in demeanor, and his identity as royalty is spotless.

No obvious red flags.

Alright, I’ll give you a pass on the first round.

“What are they talking about?”

The distance was too far.

I couldn’t make out their conversation at all.

Getting closer would risk being discovered, so I had to rely on their facial expressions and gestures to gauge the mood.

From what I could tell, the atmosphere seemed… pretty good.

They were smiling, laughing.

Probably nothing to worry about—

But whether or not you’re good enough to marry our lady, there are still many trials ahead of you!

…Okay, yes. As a mere maid, I technically have no say in noble marriage arrangements.

I just wanted to say that line once.

Truth is, I’m just trying to make up for a regret from my previous life.

Not being able to witness my little sister’s wedding still hurts a little.

“Katarina looks pretty happy… Alright, I’ll tentatively approve round one…”

Suddenly, a muttering voice startled me from nearby.

I turned around—

And nearly jumped.

“Young Master Claude!?”

Yes, that Young Master Claude.

There he was, holding two branches in his hands, camouflaging himself like some kind of forest spirit.

Wait… is he spying on their date too?

I never would’ve guessed the usually proper Young Master Claude would be doing something like this…

“Oh? Isn’t that Ailena? You’re here to monitor their date too?”

“At least don’t use the word ‘monitor’…”

“What would you prefer, then?”

“…Does it really matter?”

“True. What’s important is how Edwin behaves toward my sister.

If I don’t personally assess him, I’d never feel comfortable handing Katarina over.”

…Edwin?

Noticing my puzzled look, he added:

“We’ve met a few times at social events. So I know him… more or less.”

More or less and you’re already calling him by his first name?

…Well, thinking back—he called me ‘Ailena’ after just two meetings, so I guess calling a prince by name after a few encounters isn’t that strange either.

“But still—even if it’s Edwin, I must be thorough!

I’m not handing my precious little sister over to some random man so easily!”

With that, Young Master Claude turned to me.

His eyes seemed to say, “You agree, don’t you?”

I met his gaze and nodded in silent affirmation.

And in that instant—a brotherhood was forged.

Without another word, our hands clasped together tightly.

“…Comrade!”

“Comrade!”

See? I knew it!

There’s no older brother—or sister—in this world who wouldn’t care deeply about their little sibling!

…Even if I am a sister now, the sentiment is exactly the same!

“Wait, look over there—something’s happening!”

At Claude’s prompt, I looked back toward the gazebo.

To my shock, the Second Prince had picked up a small piece of cake—

And was feeding it to Katarina.

He was using the ‘feeding’ play!

And on their very first meeting, no less?!

How bold! How scandalous!

That alone sent his approval rating plummeting in my mind.

…N-not because I was jealous or anything!

It’s not like I’m bitter that I haven’t had the chance to feed her yet!

“Crack! Crack!”

At that moment, I heard a strange snapping sound beside me.

When I turned my head, I was shocked once again.

Claude’s branches had snapped clean in two.

Though his face still wore a smile, there was no warmth in it.

His entire expression had darkened—he looked like a demon from an old play.

“Edwin, you bastard…! How dare you make such a move!”

The air around us grew heavy.

He must’ve unconsciously released some of his magical energy…

A clear sign of just how angry he was.

Yeah… not a good place to linger.

Time for a tactical retreat—Run for it!

That said, I still wanted to get a little revenge.

Nothing drastic, of course.

Just something to balance the scales a bit.

So I got permission to use the kitchen—

And decided to make a special dish that would steal Lady Katarina’s heart.

With food!

And what better than…

—Curry! Loved by all!

This world doesn’t have curry, let alone ready-made curry cubes,

So making it from scratch was a bit of a hassle.

But curry is incredibly aromatic, and all the ingredients were readily available in the estate kitchen.

It was the perfect choice for my plan!

Dinner was still a ways off.

But this little curry—

Heh. I’ll make you sing!

Knock knock.

“My Lady, it’s time for dinner.”

“Ailena? Come in.”

When I entered, Lady Katarina was seated in her chair, looking somewhat drained.

She must be tired from today’s outing.

Perfect timing for my special curry to shine!

“Sniff sniff… What’s that smell?”

Her appetite kicked in almost instantly.

Gurgle.

I could clearly hear her swallowing.

…That’s the power of curry!

In fact, after I finished making it, the head chef practically begged me to teach him the recipe.

He nearly got on his knees.

But I slipped away.

Sorry, Chef.

I wanted Katarina to be the very first to try it.

“This is a special dish I made just for you, My Lady.

There’s only one plate like it in the entire duchy.”

“You made this, Ailena!?”

Her eyes sparkled like stars.

“Let me try it—quickly!”

That eager, slightly flustered look—

Absolutely adorable.

I set the dish and lifted the cover with a smile.

The already mouth-watering aroma exploded into the room.

Then I scooped up a steaming spoonful of curry and rice,

Blew on it gently—

…This was all part of my clever little plan.

I’d brought it in while it was still just a little hot,

So I’d have the perfect excuse to feed her directly.

“Here you go, My Lady—say ‘ah~’.”

This was my counterattack!

I haven’t forgotten yesterday’s shameful play!

Lady Katarina blinked in surprise.

Heheh. Gotcha!

She’s totally embarrassed!

But just as I was about to enjoy her flustered expression—

She opened her mouth wide without hesitation.

“Ah~”

…Huh?

That’s not how this scene was supposed to go.

And just like that, I ended up feeding her the first spoonful.

“Mmm! It’s delicious! Ailena, more!”

Before I could even ready another bite, she was already waiting, mouth open.

“Ah~”

…This isn’t right.

Why isn’t she the least bit embarrassed?

Even for a child, shouldn’t she feel some hesitation being fed like this?

With no other choice, I continued spooning bites into her mouth.

As she slowly savored the curry, her face bloomed with bliss.

Well… there goes my plan.

One look at that expression and all my schemes flew out the window.

…At least my original goal was achieved.

And in the end—

As long as Lady Katarina is happy, that’s all that really matters.