“Yeah... I like her too.”

“Hehe.”

Rio took the branch Sena handed him and stuck it into the snowman, then went on in a bright voice.

“Big brother, have you ever been to the ghost house?”

“The ghost house?”

“Yeah! The place with tons of patients.”

“...Patients?”

“I went there with Big ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) Sister Camilla last time. It was super fun! You should come with us next time too!”

“...Okay.”

“Big brother, have you ever tried the strawberry pie they sell at the market?”

“No.”

“I went there with big sister last time and had some, and it was super good! We should definitely go there together too!”

After that, Rio kept talking.

Stories about a big sister he did not know. Stories that only Rio and big sister knew.

“......”

At some point, Dive stopped moving the snow in his hands and quietly watched Rio running around the snowfield in quick little steps.

Big sister...

Did Big Sister Camilla cherish that kid more than she cherished him? He could not see her often, after all.

And the time they had spent together was shorter than what that child had with her too.

Because big sister had that child. Maybe she did not need someone like him. Maybe she did not even want to see him, and he had just come here for nothing...

“Big brother? What’s wrong? Are you cold?”

“No... it’s just...”

“Want this?”

“...What?”

“Wrap this around your neck. It’s warm!”

The sight of Rio taking off the scarf Camilla had supposedly given him, the one he had just wrapped around the snowman, and offering it over as if being generous made something surge up in Dive for no reason. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

“...I don’t need it.”

“Huh?”

“I said I don’t need it!”

“Big brother?”

“Don’t act so smug! You’re not even big sister’s real younger brother!”

“...Huh?”

“You’re not even family by blood!”

Even though he knew himself how childish he sounded, the words would not stop. Why was he so angry?

Just...

Just listening to stories about big sister that he did not know somehow made him upset, and he hated all of it.

“Big brother...”

At the sight of the child staring at him with startled eyes, Dive bit down on his lip.

He felt ashamed, and disappointed in himself too. What the hell was he saying to a little kid right now?

When his eyes met Sena’s, coldly looking at him as though blaming him, the self-loathing only deepened.

“Blood?”

At some point, Rio had stepped closer and asked in a slightly trembling voice.

“If your blood isn’t connected, then you’re not family?”

“Th—!”

“Then Doggy... and Big Brother Arsian and mister, are they not my family?”

“......!”

“I thought we were family...”

Rio’s face fell.

Dive’s eyes shook without pause. He had already heard that Rio had been adopted.

“N-No! You are family!”

“Huh?”

“I said the wrong thing!”

Dive hurriedly went on, facing the wide-eyed Rio.

“Blood doesn’t matter at all!”

“Really?”

“Big brother... big brother was stupid and said the wrong thing...”

Dive’s head dropped low.

“I’m sorry...”

Tears welled up. He really was stupid, and he felt utterly pathetic. If big sister saw him like this, how disappointed would she be?

“That’s not true.”

“...What?”

“Big brother, you’re not stupid.”

Dive looked back at Rio. As if he had never looked downcast at all, Rio had his eyes wide open and kept tilting his head.

“Big Sister Camilla said you’re super smart.”

“...Big sister did?”

“Every time she plays with me, she talks about you.”

“She talks about me?”

“Yeah! That’s why I like you! Because big sister likes you a whole, whole lot! So I like you too!”

“......”

In the end, the tears that had been trembling in his eyes spilled down his face. Seeing that, Rio hurried over and reached out a hand.

“Big brother, why are you crying?”

“I also...”

“Hm?”

“I also, I like you too.”

Rio, who had been firmly wiping at Dive’s eyes with his gloved hands, went wide-eyed. But soon, a bright smile spread across the child’s face.

“Big brother! Want to make the snowman again?”

Instead of answering, Dive gave a big nod.

The two children immediately began running busily around the snowfield again, as if they had never argued at all.

“......”

Sena only watched them quietly from the side.

“Big broth

er! Here, here! Roll it over here!”

“Okay!”

And so, before it could even truly begin, yet another tug-of-war came to an end.

Chapter. Goodbye, Arena

“Where’s Jayner?”

“I’m here instead.”

“Ah.”

Until the last time they had spoken, the plan had been for Jayner himself to bring Dive when Dive went on break.

Why the Duke of Esclara had come in person instead of Jayner, she did not know, but...

It would be difficult for both of them to leave at the same time.

So she could understand Jayner’s absence. Camilla gave a small nod and picked up the cup set in front of her.

These people really must think I’ve actually turned into a child.

She clicked her tongue inwardly as she looked at the cocoa mixed heavily with milk instead of the tea she usually drank.

Just because her body had gotten younger did not mean her taste had changed—

Sip.

...It was good.

Why was it good?

Unable to bring herself to set down the cocoa that clung sweetly to her mouth, Camilla let out a long sigh.

“About Jayner.”

“Yes?”

At that moment, the Duke of Esclara’s voice rang out. When she looked up, she found him watching her with a somewhat grave gaze.

“I heard you already knew too.”

“Knew what?”

“Khan.”

“Ah.”

Khan, the assassin group headed by Jayner.

She had heard that the Duke of Esclara had learned the identity his adopted son had kept hidden all this time.

“He was the one who tried to kill you.”

“To be precise, he had simply taken the contract.”

The fact that the head of the group that had tried to kill his own biological daughter had been Jayner.

“If that contract had succeeded, you would have—”

“He did not even know who I was back then.”

Camilla hurriedly cut him off and put on as calm an expression as possible. As though what had happened back then had not been a big deal at all.

“......”

Had her effort worked? A long sigh, one that did not suit him at all, slipped from the Duke of Esclara’s mouth.

“I’m sorry.”

“...What?”

At that one sentence, Camilla nearly dropped the cup she had been holding.

“I did not say... anything to Jayner.”

No, he had not been able to.

The moment he learned the full truth, his mind had gone blank for an instant. Anger had flared up briefly, but it had not lasted long.

What could he possibly blame now, this late in the day? What right did he have to interfere?

“It’s all over already.”

She had already received all sorts of help from him in return, and there was no reason now for her to hear an apology.

Especially not from the mouth of the Duke of Esclara, who had not even been the one involved.

“...I see.”

He had already heard it from Jayner. Camilla had known everything a long time ago.

The Duke of Esclara looked at Camilla with fresh curiosity.

Even knowing all of that—knowing Jayner had once tried to kill her—she had still kept him by her side?

He had even heard that after learning the truth, she had gone on to make use of the bastard instead.

Who on earth did she take after?

The Duke of Esclara let out a faint laugh. Then he quietly watched Camilla holding the cocoa cup tightly in both hands as she drank.

Times like this felt good, and bitter too.

The regret of not having been by Camilla and Ravi’s side while they were growing up only deepened with each passing day.

“You’re getting along well with Dive, right?”

“Of course.”

Only now did he finally understand a little. Why Camilla had insisted so much that he spend more time with Dive.

“It’s better than I could have hoped.”

That she had meant he should not create another future in which he looked at Dive later and felt regret and lingering sorrow, the way he did now.

Knock knock.

Just then, the door opened and Dorman came quickly inside.

“My lady, Arsian is here.”

Behind him, she could see Arsian.

“Arsian.”

Camilla set down the cup in her hand and welcomed him gladly.

She had already been wondering, since she had hardly seen him at all lately.

Lila and the others had visited her from time to time while she had been sick, but she had not seen Arsian even once.

That had left her a little hurt, and worried too. She had wondered if something had happened.

“Huh?”

Camilla’s eyes widened as far as they could when Arsian came closer.

“You... what happened to your neck?”

There was a large wound on Arsian’s neck.

It had already healed, leaving only a faint mark, but it was clearly the trace of something that had cut deeply into him.

“It’s nothing...”

“It’s nothing? What exactly did you do to get a wound like that?”

“I got hurt during sword training.”

“......”

Did he really expect her to believe that? Camilla looked at Arsian as though the claim were absurd.

Everyone knew that even Petro, talented as he was with the sword, gave Arsian a handicap. And someone with skill like that had gotten hurt while training?

“You—!”

“It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Camilla shot him a sharp look at the way Arsian subtly tried to change the subject.

“You never even came to visit me.”

“...You’re right. I’m sorry.”

No, why was the mood sinking again?

Seeing Arsian lower his head bitterly, Camilla ended up more flustered instead.