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The three-day voyage ended without incident. After thanking the captain and crew who had taken care of them, Ekaterina disembarked from the fast ship together with Aleksei.

We are now within the Duchy of Jurnova. Having traveled considerably north, the air felt cooler than in the imperial capital. The buildings lining the riverbanks on either side of the tributary also looked different from those of the capital—many of them used timber and brick in their exteriors, giving the place an atmosphere reminiscent of Switzerland or Scandinavia from my previous life.

This landscape would have felt foreign for my former self.
But now—it felt nostalgic.
Though I hadn’t lived exactly a happy life in the ducal estate, my body still remembered this wind, the color of the sky, the green of the surrounding mountains. Returning home for the first time since regaining my past-life memories filled me with a strange sensation—but this was, undeniably, my home in this life.

Ah! The mismatch between my past and present selves is a dangerous sign. I’d better be careful not to lock up and collapse again like I did after the entrance ceremony!

“Ekaterina, are you all right?”

Aleksei gently took her hand, pulling her back to the present.

“I’m fine, Onii-sama. The scent of the wind felt so nostalgic, I found myself lost in it for a moment.”
“Did you, now?”

Aleksei softly stroked her hair.

“It will take a full day by carriage to reach the capital of the domain. We’ll rest overnight along the way, so if you feel unwell, say so immediately.”
“Yes. Um, Onii-sama… please, hold my hand.”

The common thread between my past and present lives—that was our love for our Onii-sama!
If I just stayed close to him, helped him, and made sure to break his overwork-death flag, then surely the mental lock wouldn’t trigger again.

Aleksei’s lips curved faintly. Then he enclosed her delicate hand between both of his.

“I will never let you suffer again. I will protect everything that you are.”
“Onii-sama…”

Ah, Onii-sama, that’s not it! I’m not having trauma flashbacks about my confinement. I’m sorry, I’m just a troublesome little sister with reincarnation issues and mental locks, sorry!

“As long as you’re with me like this, I have nothing to fear. I may be frail, but even so, I intend to protect you, Onii-sama, so that you never have to endure hardship again.”
“Thank you. You’re a kind girl.”

Aleksei smiled, then raised his head and called out behind her.

“It seems your workload has lightened, my knights.”
“I see you remain unchanged, my lady—so gentle, yet your words are sometimes most valiant.”

Came a deep, rugged voice in reply.
Ekaterina turned around, eyes wide.

“Lord Rozen!”

There stood the handsome, steel-gray-haired, mustached captain of the Knights of Jurnova, Rozen, leading a disciplined formation of knights.

Stepping forward, Rozen straightened his back, placed a fist over his chest, and bowed before Aleksei and Ekaterina. Both he and his men wore their standard field equipment, not ceremonial dress as they had during the imperial family’s visit. The worn, battle-scarred armor marked them as true veterans.

“My Lord, my Lady. It is an honor to welcome you home.”
“I appreciate it.”

Aleksei answered curtly.
As expected of Onii-sama—those archaic turns of phrase rolled off his tongue so naturally, and he made them sound cool.

“Our Lord, our Lady—the Knights of Jurnova shall guard you all the way to Jurnova Castle.”

At Rozen’s words, the knights all struck their chests with their fists and bowed in perfect unison—a sight of disciplined beauty.

Beyond them stood a procession of carriages, led by a magnificent one emblazoned with the ducal crest. It must have come from the main estate. Surrounding the carriages were yet more knights—also in field gear—carrying the banners of the Knights of Jurnova and the ducal family. Four standard-bearers in total: two at the front and two at the rear, bearing the flags side by side.

This number of knights…
I don’t know what constitutes an appropriate security detail, but my instincts told me this is far too many for a mere escort. Even if the Jurnova lands were known for frequent appearances of powerful monsters.

A newly installed young duke, a domain rife with unrest—strong opposition from within our own territory was to be expected.

Taking that into consideration, this must be a show of force by the Knights themselves, a demonstration of loyalty declaring that they stood with Duke Aleksei. In other words, they’re making it clear under whose banner they literally march.

For Aleksei, the full backing of the duchy’s greatest military force was an immense advantage.

Incidentally, Jurnova Castle referred to the main estate of the ducal domain. While it had been called “the ducal residence” in the capital for distinction’s sake, here in the domain it was more commonly referred to as Jurnova Castle. Four hundred years ago during the founding era, it had been a fortress—a military stronghold—but with the Empire now stable and the surrounding city developed, it had long since been rebuilt into a stately mansion (or rather, practically a palace). Still, the knights continued to call it “the Castle” out of tradition.

.

Yup, that’s my Onii-sama for you.
While our useless father was off fooling around, it was my still-young Onii-sama who risked his life leading the knights in monster hunts and disaster relief efforts. This wasn’t our grandfather’s legacy—this was something Aleksei himself had built. A bond that could never be shaken.
To have secured the most important power base in the duchy at only eighteen—he was truly amazing.

And come to think of it, the reason our knights have remained what they’re meant to be—protectors of the people against monsters and disasters—is because of him. In other places, our knights have become little more than decoration, or worse, oppressors who protect nobles instead of the common folk. So once again, thank you.

Ekaterina smiled warmly at Rozen and the knights, full of gratitude.

“How reassuring. With our noble and valiant knights beside us, even a den of demons would tuck their tail and run the other direction. I can return home with peace of mind.”

A faint smile touched Rozen’s lips—her message had been received.

“The people have also long awaited your return, my Lord, my Lady. They will be overjoyed to see you.”

The people supported Onii-sama, as they should. They knew what he had done for them—but likely Novak and the other senior officials had also made sure to tell the people that it was Aleksei who had been doing the duke’s work all along. Deeds must be shared to be known, after all.

Aleksei smiled and gently took his sister’s hand.

“Then, let us go home—to your castle.”
“Onii-sama, you are the master of both the house and the castle.”
“I told you; I am your servant.”

As her brother led her toward the carriage, Ekaterina thought,

…Onii-sama, that word “servant” really sounds kind of wrong, so please don’t say it in public too much.
But well, he *is* a siscon, so I guess there’s no helping it.