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Realizing the giant before me was Den, I lost my words and just stood petrified.

Before, Den had a three-meter-tall and swelled-out body, and also smaller legs compared to his long arms; a typical Ogrish body, if you will.

However, the one standing before me now still had the height but looked slim, and even his legs appeared to have grown longer.

Thanks to that, his monster-like appearance had been mitigated, and simply looked like a giant man that had grown even bigger.

Moreover, his previously bent back posture had now become straight, and his bald head had started to grow hair. His giant mouth used to look terrifying, but now, the rest of his appearance simply made it look stern, not even a trace of the fearfulness remaining.

“Yo… You… Who the hell are you!?”
“What? It is I, Den, at your service, M’lady Nicole.”
“My my, this is quite a change. Could there be a ley line here as well?”
“Like hell there is!”

I used this place for years in my previous life. If it was such an abnormal location, it would have affected my body too. In other words, there couldn’t possibly be a ley line here.

“Oh, Lord Maxwell is here too. It pleases me to see you in good health.”
“How polite. I am also pleased to see you healthy.”
“It is all thanks to your assistance. This is all due to Lord Maxwell and Lady Nicole’s benevolence.”
“I must say, this is quite a shocking growth on your part.”
“Wait, why the hell are you so casual about this!”

Den greeted Maxwell politely, with even more refined speech than mine, while the latter also responded back as if there was nothing strange, making me snap without thinking.

In the first place, some ley line couldn’t have contributed to his education. Which would mean, there was someone who had educated him…

“What the, I wondered why it was noisy. Turns out it was you lot.”

The one who I considered to be the primary suspect came through the entrance with that casual remark. Needless to say, it was Aste.

“Were you…?”
“Hmm?”
“Were you the one who did this to Den!?”
“Oh, that? Yes, well, he seemed to have a better memory than I imagined. I suddenly got into teaching him.”
“Lord Ha-… Aste also has my gratitude for this favor. Thank you very much.”
“Right, keep polishing your skills as a butler as you have been.”
“Don’t do that!?”

What you mean butler, he was unmistakably an Ogre. Where would you find a noble who’d hire him? This guy really did whatever he found amusing, didn’t he?

“Oh dear… This is a blunder on my part. To have my master and guest wait at the entrance. My apologies. Please, come in, I shall prepare the tea.”
“Wait, I didn’t mean that.”

I retorted it, but Den didn’t seem to lend an ear to it. Thus, we were relentlessly lead inside and made to sit. After that, he bowed to us and excused himself to brew the tea. The whole situation happened so smoothly I couldn’t find an opportunity to interject.

I just remained seated and glared at Aste. That simplistic Den had changed far too much. Well, I was the one who recommended we leave him to this guy.

“How did he turn into that?”
“Ah, well, he was far too wild at first. But his intelligence wasn’t too bad. So, I tried to teach him out of curiosity, and the result is what you see.”
“I don’t understand your logic of arriving there.”
“Well, it was my wife who proposed turning him into a butler.”
“She’s back?”
“Already gone. It’s been a while, so she was quite worked up during the night.”
“Right.”

Looks like everything was going well between the two. Go die.

Still, it saved me the trouble that this guy showed up here.

“Right, we came here today because we had something to request of you.”
“Oh?”
“Actually—”

With Maxwell’s assistance, I told him about my current situation. The fact that Cortina was going through bitter experiences because I was hiding my identity. And that she was reaching her limit already.

As he listened, Aste started to frown more and more. I could tell that he wasn’t thinking anything good about the situation.

“Let me give it to you straight. Just reveal yourself. That’s the shortest way.”
“I mean, I wouldn’t have come here if I could do that. I can’t even imagine how awkward it would be. Plus, I had a sister born just recently. I am expected to do my part as a big sister…”
“Your sister or this Cortina, which is more important to you?”
“As If I could answer that.”

On one side was my one and only little sister, and on another, my old comrade and someone who has continued to love me for so long. I could not possibly compare them.

Revealing my identity could also lead to robbing the sister named Nicole from Fina. Even Cortina might turn her back on me for my actions. That thought scared me.

I didn’t even know if Lyell and Maria would forgive me for continuing to deceive them for so long. In the worst case, I could lose everything I had.

“I like my current life… No, my current home. It’s one thing I don’t want to lose.”
“But that would also mean sentencing that woman to eternal sorrow.”
“I get that. But… Just for a little longer, I…”

My words were gradually losing their strength. Even I understood that this situation couldn’t continue for much longer.

In the near future, I would most likely be pressed with the decision — Return to being Reid and give up on Nicole, or choose Nicole and give up on Reid.