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And so, that weekend, Ekaterina dressed up a little more nicely than usual and cheerfully made her way to the carriage.
In front of it stood Aleksei, also a bit more formally dressed than usual. Seeing his sister, smile formed on his face.

“Forgive me for keeping you waiting.”
“Waiting for a beautiful lady is a joy in itself. You’re the one who taught me that, Ekaterina.”

Oh my gosh, I’m so happy.
Only Onii-sama could say something like that so seriously—not as flattery, but as pure sincerity. Incredible. Thank you very much.

I placed my left hand on his offered right and boarded the carriage under his escort.

“I know I’ve asked this many times, but are you truly fine with something like this?”
“Of course I am. I couldn’t be happier.”

He really did check with me over and over again. He wanted to give me something extravagant instead—not just jewelry, but a horse, or even a private carriage, and at one point he offered me an entire castle…
That’s not normal. Giving someone a castle as a reward for good grades—that’s absurd. Granted, it’s apparently one of his villas in a resort area, but saying, “It’s a graceful building, so it suits you,” doesn’t make it any less ridiculous.
And what shocked me most was that none of the ducal administrators stopped him… Please, anyone, say something! Even Novak muttered “We can arrange the dowry separately,” that was terrifying. He’s definitely planning to prepare a bunch of things on his own. I once saw a museum exhibit of a Tokugawa princess’s dowry—all that lacquerware and mother-of-pearl—and, yeah, I think we’re heading in that direction…
Wait. Don’t tell me Novak hasn’t given up on the idea of me becoming Empress. That man definitely doesn’t give up after one or two failures… But no, that’s not happening. I’m not aiming for that! I finally became friends with Flora-chan and the prince; if I ended up condemned and ruined because of some “betrayal event,” my heart would shatter!
O-okay, let’s just not think about that right now.

The carriage rolled on, its wheels clattering softly.
The imperial capital spreads out from the Imperial Palace at its center. The area around the palace is lined with the urban residences of high-ranking nobles and government offices. It’s tranquil and beautiful, the broad cobblestone streets well maintained—the atmosphere reminds me somewhat of the area around Tokyo’s Imperial Palace. From here, you can see the Imperial Palace rising gracefully like something out of a fairy tale. I wonder if Edo Castle once looked that majestic back in its day.

“The statue of Duke Sergei you wanted to see is over there.”
“It really is quite large, isn’t it!”

Usually, when going between the ducal townhouse and the magic academy, we pass along the avenue with the statue of Piotr the Great. But today, as part of our sightseeing, we came to the street where the statue of our ancestor, Duke Sergei, stands.

“He seems to resemble Grandfather, doesn’t he?”
“Yes. I once told him the same thing. He laughed and said perhaps he was named Sergei because he’d looked like him since birth.”

I wonder how old my brother was then. Maybe younger than the ten-year-old version of him in that double portrait with Grandfather. He must’ve been bright even then—a little boy speaking so maturely. How adorable that must’ve been!
I couldn’t help smiling, and Aleksei tilted his head.

“Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Forgive me, I was just picturing you as a little boy. You must have been ever so adorable.”

Aleksei shook his head.

“I was always told I had no charm at all.”

That was probably that awful old hag, wasn’t it?
Did those words hurt him back then? Of course they did.

“…I’ve never been good at getting along with people. It’s not that I want to be distant—people just tend to keep away from me.”

He paused, perhaps recalling the one friend he’d ever had. For once, Aleksei looked down.

“The only people who’ve ever seemed glad to have me around are Grandfather and you. You always worry when I work too hard, but work is really the only thing I’m good at. When I have free time and I’m told to do as I please, I can’t think of a single thing I want to do. …I’m a dull man. I doubt anyone would enjoy spending a day with me.”

Watching her brother, Ekaterina thought:

Oh, Onii-sama…
How CUTE!!!

There’s just something irresistibly adorable about a perfect, capable man showing a bit of vulnerability!
From an adult woman’s perspective—seeing this mature-seeming seventeen-year-old confess his insecurities—he’s even *cuter!*
So that’s why he kept checking with me earlier… He’s secretly insecure about this kind of thing. Aww, how precious.

Ekaterina took his hand in both of hers.

“Onii-sama… Though my words may fail to express it, I truly enjoy every moment I spend with you. And you make me feel at peace. —Ever since Mother passed away, I’ve felt terribly lonely. But when I collapsed after coming to the capital and you took my hand, that loneliness vanished. Your hands are large and warm. You are honest, strong, and dependable. And you possess great knowledge. …I can say with complete confidence that I would much rather spend time with you than with some supposedly refined gentleman who only pretends to be kind to women.”

Aleksei’s eyes widened.

I bet that old witch used to constantly compare him to Father, saying things like, “Your father was so sweet as a boy, but you’re not cute at all.” And little Aleksei would glare back coldly while quietly hurting inside. Just imagining it makes me want to hug him.
Every child—every *person*—is different! Everyone has their own strengths and charms!
Okay, yes, I’m saying that, but my favorite is still my brother. Sorry. I do believe “everyone’s good in their own way,” but he’s the best for *me*, okay?!
And seriously, that old woman—he’s your grandson! You’re supposed to love him unconditionally! Not everyone adores their grandchildren, sure, but still, *you* had no excuse!

“Thank you, Ekaterina.”

Aleksei lifted her hand and pressed it to his forehead like a gesture of reverence.
Ahh—his bangs brushed against my fingers, so silky and soft.

“You truly are a gift from heaven—kind, wise, and beautiful. Sometimes I wonder if I could ever deserve something so wonderful.”

No, Onii-sama, I’m just a little sister with a hopeless brother complex.
Sorry about that.