Chapter 32: Brothers (1/2)

Together with Ojousama, we walked around the busy town.

While browsing through some small miscellaneous goods, we also looked at the colorful flowers in the flower shop.

We came to a well reputed clothes shop.

Some female students who remember young lady then came over and some idle chat was exchanged through the mini blackboard.

From my delusions, it seemed as if I was having a date together with her.

Speaking of which, the thing that made Ojousama’s eyes sparkle the most today was some fried pastry being sold at a food cart.

It’s close to what is known as ‘fried bread’ in my previous life.

The bread-like food is fried in oil and then smeared with sugar and spices, it seemed to be bad for the health.

It’s about the size of a meat bun, with the price of 2 copper, or about 200 yen.

It seems like she used to buy and eat it often when going out to town with Karen and the others.

It’s a well known item that, if you’re a kid, you should absolutely have had it at least once, or something like that.

Instead of the afternoon tea party, we bought two well-made fried pastries.

They were wrapped in napkins which looked like the oak leaves used in rice cakes, even though it was bad manners, we ate it as we walked.

Ojousama ate it delightedly with gobbling noises, using her small mouth.

I felt happy just by looking at her doing that.

When I realized, Ojousama had already eaten all the pastry.

It seemed like she hadn’t had enough and stole glances at my half-eaten one.

“….. Ojousama, if you like, do you want to eat mine?”

[B, but eating Onii-chan’s share is just… unforgivable]

“No, don’t worry about it. I’m actually full so you can have it if you like.”

[Then I won’t hold back, thank you very much!]

“But before that, there’s sugar on your mouth so let me wipe it first. Ojousama, say [u~n] please.”

Ojousama obediently pouted her mouth as if going for a kiss.

Because of her meekness and cuteness, I almost went in for that kiss, but regained my senses and stopped.

If I kissed her here, Gigi-san who’s watching from somewhere would tear off my lips.

I took out a handkerchief from my pocket, wiped Ojousama’s mouth, and handed her the fried pastry.

Not caring that it was half-eaten by me, Ojousama unhesitatingly put it in her mouth and smiled as if saying it’s delicious.

When it seemed like we both got tired from walking at the same time, we took a rest and had tea.

The eatery was so crowded there was no space inside, so we sat on a bench outside.

I bought a couple of wooden cups filled with fruit juice and went back to Ojousama.

Ojousama didn’t look tired at all, and happily swung her legs back and forth while watching the people passing by.

That appearance of hers completely didn’t seem like that of a girl who had stayed indoors for about two years.

The figure of a cute little girl appropriate for her age that you can find anywhere.

Unintentionally, I kept gazing at the side of Ojousama’s face while holding my cup with both hands.

[Is there anything wrong, Lute onii-chan?]

She showed me her mini blackboard and tilted her head.

“Ojousama looked so cute, I unintentionally became fascinated.”

As I praised Ojousama, her pure white skin seemed to change colors and became red.

[Geez, Lute onii-chan, please don’t tease me]

“I’m sorry, my true opinion seemed to have leaked out by mistake.”

[I said stop teasing me already!]

Even though I apologized to Ojousama, for some reason she puffed her cheeks like a hamster.

She’s cute even when she’s angry.

[…..!?]

“Ojousama?”

However, her face turned completely pale like a ghost.

I turned my head towards where Ojousama was looking—there were two adult men standing there.

One of them was tall and thin like a dried fish.

The other one was short and considerably wide.

An odd pair that seems to appear frequently in games or manga.

They both had a dumb smile pasted on their faces and dark desire gleaming out of their eyes. The quality of the clothes they had on were good but regardless, there’s no elegance.

Their fingers, arms, and wrists were heavily decorated with jewels as if showing off, totally advertising their [crooked characters who had become wealthy suddenly].

These are characters that I don’t want anything to do with if I had the choice.

I wanted to ignore them, but Ojousama’s eyes were fixed on them, and Gigi-san who should be guarding from a distance came running in panic.

Gigi-san stood in front of the men as if to protect us.

“….. do you have some business with us?”

“We were just going out to town and saw a familiar face, so we went to give our greetings. Right, elder brother?”

“That’s right. So don’t make such a scary face, Gigi.”

“…………”

Still wearing a scornful grin, the pair answered Gigi-san.

Their manner of speaking is like that of a master to their servant.

(Gigi-san, who are these two?)

(…… Master’s siblings—The head of the Vampire Clan Pylkkänen Vlad-sama, and the second son Ravino Vlad-sama.)

Gigi-san indicated with his line of sight that the fat man is Pylkkänen and in turn the thin man is Ravino.

If you say the eldest and second sons of the Vlad house, they were the siblings who held a grudge towards Count Dan Gate Vlad because his assets far outstrip theirs, and once had a fight over it.

I finally see why Ojousama was startled and Gigi-san was wary of them.

There’s no way these two would have goodwill towards Ojousama who was the count’s daughter.

The fat man—Pylkkänen snorted like a pig and turned his gaze towards me.

“Is that brat the slave Dan bought the other day? Hmph, he looks withered and pale. Evidently, that Dan didn’t give him enough food.”

That’s just because you’re too fat!

“It’s just like elder brother said, that Dan is such a stingy fellow.”

The second son Ravino was sucking up to the eldest brother.

If master is stingy, then most people in this world would be total cheapskates!

I wanted to object, but a mere slave can’t possibly raise his voice against his master’s siblings.

Perhaps also enduring the insult, Gigi-san rolled his hands painfully into a fist.

The two’s gazes turned away from me and towards Ojousama.

“Chrisse, we were worried since we heard you became a hikikomori. But you seem to be okay and can go outside. As your uncles we’re happy to the limits. Right, younger brother?”

“Yes, elder brother. It is a most joyous occasion.”

“Both of you, Ojousama has only just gone outside. it is probably best if you do not give her too much provocation–”

“Shut up Gigi! It’s fine even if you hadn’t said that just now!”

Gigi-san’s expression turned bad at Pylkkänen’s explosive remark.