After my conversation with my father wrapped up, I stopped by the guest room to see how Kris was doing. I knocked on the door, but there was no answer.
“Are you awake, Kris?” I asked as I cautiously opened the door and peeked inside.
Kris was lying in bed, sound asleep. I recalled how during my previous life, people sometimes pulled pranks on others while they were asleep. Feeling mischievous, I tiptoed to her bedside.
“Kriiis,” I called out in a hushed voice.
The only sounds she made were the quiet breaths of a person in slumber.
“Now that I think about it, I’ve never looked at Kris this closely before,” I mumbled to myself.
Unable to suppress my curiosity and desire for mischief, I couldn’t help but stare at her while she slept. The elf had clear, even-toned skin, and her hair was silky and smooth. Since she’d been using the conditioner, her long hair had gotten even more beautiful. She usually had it tied up in a ponytail, but it was currently down. Perhaps a maid had brushed through it when the staff was getting her set up in bed. Several strands were on her face.
Kris had prominent features and long eyelashes. Her lips were a soft shade of pink and looked quite plump. Anyone looking at her this close up would undoubtedly be charmed. The more I stared, the more I began to see that she was a rare beauty.
Everyone knew that she was beautiful, but it was possible that people hadn’t realized just how gorgeous she was. Kris was usually busy running all over the place taking care of business, so most people didn’t have a chance to get a good look at her. Perhaps that was why most hadn’t realized how mesmerizing she was.
“Mmm, no...” Kris muttered in her sleep, her tone unintentionally bewitching.
Her voice was more sensual than I would’ve expected, and I felt my face flushing bright red. My father had mentioned that some nobles had reached out to him hoping that he would help them ask for Kris’s hand.
They were probably charmed by her captivating beauty, on top of all the confidence and grace she showed in the audience chamber.
For some reason, that thought made me irritated.
“No, you mustn’t, Empress Matilda...” Kris mumbled.
What is she dreaming about?
I figured that there was no point in staying here for much longer, so I quietly made my way back to the door. I turned the doorknob, but...the door wouldn’t open.
No, it wasn’t that it wouldn’t open.
“Is there someone on the other side?” I wondered aloud.
I forcefully tugged on the door once again and got it slightly ajar. From the small opening I saw a pair of eyes, the same purple as my own.
“Hey, Mer,” I said. “Can you open the door?”
“What are you doing, brother?”
I’d never imagined that Mer would send such a chilling shiver down my spine. I felt myself begin to sweat with fear.
“You spent lots of time speaking to father,” she continued. “Then, you came to see the elf lady, even though I was waiting for you this whole time...”
“I-I’m sorry, Mer. I heard that Kris had passed out, so, um, yeah! That’s right! I was worried about her, so I came to check on her.”
I technically wasn’t lying, but for some reason I felt like I was trying to make excuses to cover up for cheating on my significant other. That was just how intimidating Mer was at the moment. I thought I could see a jet-black aura emanating from behind her.
“You were staring at her for a looong time, brother,” Mer pointed out.
“That was only because I was worried about her condition.”
“You know what else, brother?”
“Wh-What, Mer?”
A terrifying look appeared on her face as she said, “You went into a lady’s room on your own, while she was asleep. That means you already did a bad thing.”
“Yeah, you’re right...”
I deeply reflected on my actions and realized it was no good to cause mischief. But despite my lamenting, Mer still wouldn’t let me out.
“Can I come out now, Mer?”
“No. You have to wait a little longer.”
“Huh?”
As soon as I wondered what she meant by that, I heard a maid coming down the hallway.
“Lady Meredy!” a voice called out from a distance.
I completely froze up. Mer had no intention of forgiving me for this transgression. I continued trying to escape, but she wouldn’t let me.
“No!” she said in a firm tone.
Of course, if I truly wanted to, I could force the door open, but that could injure her, and causing such a commotion would only make matters worse.
Before I knew it, Danae had reached the door. I gave up on fleeing and stood there, frozen.
“What are you doing, Lady Meredy?” Danae asked.
“Um, I’m trapping a bad person,” Mer explained with an adorable smile. “You’re here now, so I’m going to open the door.”
“Excuse me?” Danae replied with a perplexed look.
The door opened, and Danae was met with a figure standing still before her. She froze up for a moment, then a stern look of disgust washed over her face.
“Sir Reid! What are you doing?”
“I heard that Kris passed out, so I came to check on her...”
“That’s not true!” Mer said. “You came here to stare at the elf lady while she was sleeping, right?”
I felt the air around me turn freezing cold, and Danae wore a terrifying look. But the scariest person here right now was still my little sister.
“What is the meaning of this, Sir Reid?”
“No, um, well, it’s true that I came here because I heard she wasn’t feeling well, but I was just feeling a little mischievous, and I...”
Danae let out a deep sigh. “So you entered a young woman’s room without permission, while she was asleep, and stared at her as she slept? That is an unforgivable thing for a young man to do, Sir Reid. That is absolutely horrible.”
“Urgh...”
“I agree,” Mer chimed in. “Let’s go see mother so she can scold brother!”
“That sounds wonderful, my lady.”
“W-Wait, hold on!” I pleaded. “Mother is sick, and she can’t get out of bed, so we mustn’t trouble her.” I couldn’t imagine how my mother would react upon hearing that I’d been staring at a woman as she slept.
“Let’s go see mother!” Mer announced, ignoring me.
My points were valid, but neither Mer nor Danae considered them. I soon found myself in my mother’s room.
“Did you two come to see me?” She greeted us with a smile as we entered her room.
Mer immediately dropped the bomb. “Mother! There’s an elf lady in the guest room right now. She’s sleeping because she’s tired, but brother just went into her room without asking! And...he was staring at her face! He’s the worst, right?”
My mother’s smile turned from cheerful to dark and twisted. “Is this true?”
Danae immediately responded, “Yes. Lady Meredy said there was a bad person in the guest room, so I checked for myself and saw Sir Reid standing still within.”
“I see. Mer and Danae, you may both be excused.”
As instructed by my mother, the two left the room. I can’t really recall what happened after that, but I learned one lesson that day that I would never forget.
I must never anger my mother or Mer.