That matter was settled.
Elysia told herself this.
But the corner of her mouth still twitched. Then she grabbed Shiraha's cheeks and squeezed hard. "Shiraha. You're going to be the savior. Your love life can't become a bargaining chip for profit."
Shiraha blinked. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Elysia didn't give him the chance.
"If even the savior turns into something so worldly, how could he ever truly create paradise?"
She said it with heartfelt sincerity.
Shiraha shrank back onto the bed and nestled close to Nee-chan.
"Right now, it really isn't necessary. Siegfried and Uncle Ryoma get along well. As long as I follow the steps properly, he's 100% guaranteed to be my ally."
As for whether, when the plot truly began, he'd still need to care about this so-called "World's Strongest", that was a different matter entirely.
Though... a Siegfried who hadn't lost his arm, maybe he could still improve a little further?
Who knew.
After lying on the bed briefly, Shiraha figured Kiana should be more or less used to her surroundings by now. He exhaled deeply, pushed off with his small hands, and hopped off the bed.
Elysia suddenly hooked the back of his collar from behind. Jerked to a halt, Shiraha turned back with an expressionless face.
"Don't keep teasing kids all the time. What if your aesthetic really does shift toward the childish?"
Elysia had suddenly thought of this and looked somewhat troubled. After all, a person's mentality really could change based on real-world conditions.
Shiraha: ....
"Relax. I don't like flat-chested, flat-butted little brats."
With that, he shook off Nee-chan's fingers and ran out of the room without looking back.
Elysia sprawled over the edge of the bed, watching his fleeing back. She blinked. Then she buried her face in the blanket and let out a muffled huff.
Hard to tell whether she was relieved, or even more worried.
Shiraha stood outside Kiana's door. He was pondering a very serious question. Directly pushing the door open and chatting would certainly build a little more closeness but would not pushing it open help Kiana integrate faster?
Make her truly feel this was her own room.
After some thought, he chose to knock.
A moment later, the door was braced from the other side. "W-Wait for me, Shiraha!"
Kiana's voice sounded somewhat frantic.
Shiraha paused in thought, then tentatively pushed at the door. It had barely opened a crack before it was slammed shut. Kiana was bracing it from the other side with even more force.
"Wait for me! I'll get the room tidied up."
Kiana's voice grew even more frantic. Shiraha let out a dry laugh. He more or less understood. Kiana probably still didn't see this place as home. She thought that when leaving, she should help tidy up the master's room.
He used a little of his ability, psychokinesis. Bit by bit. Amidst Kiana's wails, he forcibly barged his way in.
Doing this subtly over time would of course be better, but it was too difficult. After all, once Kiana truly recognized Siegfried's worth, these things would resolve themselves very quickly.
Elysia sighed again. Who did Shiraha learn this from? When did he start enjoying teasing kids?
"Why are you tidying the room? My room never—nev... nev..."
Shiraha looked at Kiana's current state and was momentarily speechless.
In this short span of time, she'd actually changed into a little dress, a white-and-purple formal gown. It was Mei-nee's.
Though any clothes and decorations left in this room were probably things Mei didn't want anymore.
"Do all you girls like dressing up this much?"
Shiraha asked, then, without any sense of propriety, reached out and rubbed Kiana's cheek. There was powder too! She'd never even touched this stuff in over a year, yet, exploring the room on her own, she'd already figured it out without a teacher?
Kiana was a mix of grief and indignation, her big sky-blue eyes glistening.
Didn't you say to look around the room by myself?!
Shiraha bit his lip, forcefully holding back a grin. "You look really beautiful, Kiana."
Kiana whimpered.
This really wasn't her fault. She'd looked around the room by herself, and Shiraha still hadn't come, and these little dresses were so pretty... idle hands, idle hands.
Shiraha couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing. "You really do look beautiful. If you don't believe me, when you go register at school this afternoon or tomorrow, you can let the other students judge."
He tried his best to make his voice sound sincere.
Kiana covered her little head. Alright, alright, stop talking. She just wanted to be alone right now.
"Hey! Brat! Did you make Kiana cry up there?!"
The image consultant Ryoma Raiden had invited was highly competent. In just over an hour, he'd made Siegfried look thoroughly presentable, dashing, even. Full of vigor.
Shiraha's smile vanished instantly. Without a word, he walked toward the door.
Kiana was still crouched on the floor, putting on a show of whimpering, her little ears perked up. Only when she was sure the footsteps were growing farther away did she carefully lift her little head.
Shiraha was pursing his lips, crouched at the doorway, watching her with great leisure. His eyes were wide open.
Uuu~
"Don't 'uuu' me. Learning to trick people at such a young age, you're definitely going to grow up to be a real beauty."
The corner of Shiraha's mouth twisted. And here he'd thought Kiana was genuinely so embarrassed she was on the verge of tears. Turns out it was an act. Now, aside from a guilty conscience, there wasn't a trace of moisture in her eyes at all.
Kiana lowered her head and buried it in her knees again. She was a little shy, and a little, though not much, self-conscious. Fortunately, this personality of hers had, from the moment of its birth, been filled with goodwill toward everything around it. So that self-consciousness quickly dissipated.
Shiraha listened to the two middle-aged men chatting in the living room and extended his hand.
"Siegfried seems really confident."
"Come on. Let's go out. I haven't changed at all, I'll serve as your contrast."
No!
But Shiraha was clearly a very presumptuous guy. Kiana stared at the hand hovering in front of her, strongly tempted to just leave it there indefinitely.
But Shiraha kept smiling. Not a stubborn, defiant smile, the kind that knew with absolute certainty it would be taken. In the end, Kiana had no choice. Tentatively, she placed her hand in his palm.
The next moment, Shiraha applied a slight force and pulled Kiana up. She bumped against his chest for a brief, buffering moment. "Don't be so shy. In my Nee-chan's words, a beautiful girl can afford to be a little willful about anything."
Thankfully, Kiana wasn't at an age yet where she felt much embarrassment. She barely had any memories, after all. She just covered her head, memorizing the sensation from just now.
It felt... weird.
"Brat! You didn't actually—"
Siegfried's words died in his throat. He stared at the pretty girl Shiraha was holding hands with as they reached the second-floor corridor. His cheek twitched.
Shiraha thought Siegfried was just shocked. After all, for over a year, Kiana had never had any pretty clothes.
He stood at the second-floor railing and spoke seriously. "Kiana's way more sensible than you."
But Siegfried's face had already gone completely black.
He'd finally gotten a new look, a fresh start. He'd thought that even if they replayed the earlier mockery all over again, he could handle it calmly.
But.
"This whole time... were you just dressing Kiana up in different clothes?"
Siegfried's voice was devoid of joy or anger. There was no admiration for his daughter in his eyes, only a deathly still stare fixed on Shiraha.
Shiraha froze.
This time, even Uncle Ryoma didn't stand on his side. Uncle Ryoma sighed. "It's about time to teach you the boundaries between boys and girls, Shiraha."
Back when Kiana wasn't in the house, it didn't matter how close Mei and Shiraha got, childhood friends, innocent playmates. But now there was an outsider in the house. Ryoma Raiden had even considered much more distant futures.
Shiraha: ....
He turned to look behind him. Elysia had a sudden look of realization. "So... did you used to watch Mei change clothes back when I was still sleeping in? Is that why they're so suspicious?"
Shiraha: ....
"Shiraha. My dear Shiraha."
Her voice carried a sincerity that was almost pleading. "Please don't let that body influence your romantic inclinations. Some things... if you do them, you really will end up behind the bars."