The Little Duchess' Home Tutor (Novel) - Chapter Intermission 3

Volume 1 Segment 1

Intermission 3 – Little Sister

Translator: Mab

Editor: Kiriyume

“Are you an idiot, Nii-san?”

Professor’s ploy to keep me being a tutor had led me to visit my lodgings in the capital the next morning.

Since I had been away for so long, I figured it needed some cleaning.

Although the Duke and Tina told me to stay in their mansion, I had to draw a line there.

From now on I plan to commute from this lodging that I was familiar with.

Well… I should’ve guessed.

My little sister came here as soon as she arrived in the capital.

“Are you listening to me!?’

“I am, Karen. I’ve made you worry, forgive me.”

“I-, it’s not like I’m worried or anything. I just happened to come here today. Yes, I just happened to. By no means am I thinking that you might be here because the Academy has released the acceptance letter.”

Yup, I sure have worried her.

I was planning on going home with her last winter if I had been accepted as a Royal Court Magician.

I sent her a letter to explain the circumstances, but she must’ve been worried.

That, and my place was clean too. It seemed like she had been cleaning it regularly—though, I felt like it was also lived in…

“A-, and so, I thought your job was only after the entrance exam? So. Why!? Do you continue working there!?”

“A lot of things happened.”

“That doesn’t explain anything. You have the duty and the liability to explain every detail of it to me, every crook and cranny.”

“—I was set up by the Prof. That’s all.”

“…I understand. Fufu… I can test some new magic on him, right? I think Lidya-san and Linne will be with me on this, so I’ll invite them over.” 

A wide grin spread on her face. Scary.

Karen was a beauty, which made the grim she showed on her face even more intense.

—Do your best, Prof. Of course I won’t save you from them.

“Honestly, why do you keep getting yourself into trouble? Just dealing with Lidya-san is enough… and the girls you taught this time also passed as the top rankers….”

“They’re really bright, you know. Both Tina and Ellie.”

“—Hold on a minute.”

“?”

I craned my neck. Did I say something weird?

Karen scowled with one of her hands on her forehead. A headache?

“…What did you say again?”

“They’re really bright.”
“The thing after that.”

“Tina and Ellie.”

“That!”

“?” 

“Why… Do you call them by their given name? Nii-san, you’re only supposed to address me, Lidya-san, and Linne by our given names. Even in the letter you sent me, you wrote ‘Her Highness and her maid’ so… why?”

—This is pretty bad.

Karen was a good girl and my prized little sister, but she was heavily reliant on me in ways different from Lidya.

And she was especially alert with girls.

A~ah, her eyes turned red…

With a plop, I caressed her head gently.

“They’re both my students, you know? Of course I call them by their name.”

“…Is that all?”

 “Although, they don’t throw a tantrum over little things, unlike Karen.”

“I-, I’m not throwing a tantrum!”

“Really?”

“I-, I really am not!”

“I see.”

“Ah…”

When I removed my hand from her head, both of her ears dropped dejectedly.

Her beautiful silver-colored tail that was waving left and right also hung down feebly.

—She’s like an open book, just as always. And so lovely.

I gave her a warm hug.

“N-, Nii-san!?”

“I’m just thinking that Karen is as cute as ever”

“C-, cute—”

I stroked her head again, gently, as though I was petting a little child.

Karen was stiff at first, but her body began to loosen. Her tail also expressed her good humor.

—And her red eyes had returned to normal. That’s good.

I did just that for a little while, then released her after.

Karen glared at me, her cheeks blushed.

“…You’re not fair, Nii-san.”

“What can I do, you’re too cute.”
“…That’s what I mean!” 

“Sure, sure. How are dad and mom? Are they doing well?”
“Yeah. Though, they missed you so much when they heard you couldn’t come home.”

“I see.”

—I was not blood related to either of my parents, nor Karen.

I was of the humankin, and apparently, they picked me up when I was a baby.

Karen and both of our parents were beastfolk—the rare and few wolfkin.

It was said that wolfkins used to be prevalent all over the continent due to their high fighting strength, but after they fought gallantly in the Demon Lord War 200 years ago—many of them scattered.

As a result, even amongst the beastfolk and their small population, wolfkins were very rare.

With their warriors and combatants dead in battles across the continent, only the mild and gentle individuals were left.

—One of the few exceptions was my little sister.

Although she couldn’t be compared to Lidya, Karen was strong.

Her swordsmanship and magic were top-notch.

If only she can grow independent from her brother though… looking at her now, it seems like she won’t be for a while.

“Oh yeah, I have a question. Tina-san, was it? How can she trust you so much ever since the first time both of you met? I understand if it was now, since you helped her get accepted at the Academy as the top rank. But, you said that she trusted you since the beginning, right?”

“Aah, about that. I was wondering that too, you see. So I asked her. And then—”

I explained the situation to her.

…Oh? Karen’s eyes are soaking red again?

“—Nii-san, I’m going over to meet Lidya-san now.”

“Y-, yeah. Don’t be reckless, okay?”

“—There is something I need to talk about with her.”

“I-, I see.”

“…Even if she wants to brag about you, Nii-san, she didn’t need to tell a girl you never met about like you were some kind of hero… That’s just asking to be strangled!! In addition—”

Karen glared daggers at me.

I’m busted, huh.

“…You didn’t tell Lidya-san, did you?”

“Erm.”

“Geez! You’re spoiling her!”

“But I’m spoiling you too?”

“Th-, that is fine, since I’m your sister. …This is a good time to settle the score. Nii-san, don’t you move anywhere until I’m back, okay!”

After saying so, Karen leapt out of the room.

—An hour later, Anna-san came to me and invited me over with a wry smile.

Dear me, she’s still a handful.