Creak—
The bedroom door opened from outside.
Ram stepped into the room in her black-and-white maid uniform.
Although her expression had returned to its usual calm, faint traces of tears could still be seen on her face.
"How despicable."
"You clearly knew Ram was outside, yet deliberately said all those things to Rem."
"Ram is beginning to worry about what working as Shiro-sama's maid will be like in the future."
Even after secretly crying outside, Miss Ram's mouth remained as sharp as ever.
The moment she entered, she immediately voiced her dissatisfaction with Shiro.
"Don't say that."
"I was helping maintain the relationship between you sisters."
"That kind of accusation really hurts."
"When did Shiro-sama notice Ram standing outside?"
"Hmm..."
Shiro pretended to think seriously for a moment.
"Probably when Rem said she couldn't forgive her despicable self and had been forcing herself to work perfectly ever since."
"That was when you started crying outside, right?"
"To be fair, you hid yourself pretty well."
"I was completely focused on Rem's horn."
"If you hadn't cried, I might genuinely not have noticed you."
Shiro spoke with an expression that made it seem as though he were sincerely complimenting Ram's ability to hide.
Unfortunately—To Ram, every word sounded irritating.
However, when she glanced at her stunned younger sister, she hesitated and ultimately chose not to pursue Shiro's obvious teasing.
Instead, she closed her eyes.
"As a gentleman, this is the moment when you should thoughtfully leave two sisters alone to settle matters privately."
"Not remain here and watch both sisters embarrass themselves."
"What a shame."
"I'm no gentleman."
"I've always believed in doing whatever I want."
"That way, when I'm about to die someday, I won't remember something I regretted and get so angry that I start beating my chest."
"And what do you mean by watching both sisters embarrass themselves?"
"Why did Rem suddenly get dragged into this too?"
"You're clearly the only one who cried."
"They say good people die young while troublemakers live forever."
"It seems Shiro-sama still has a very long time before he can look back on the past and beat his chest in regret."
"People also say a bad life is better than a good death."
"Anyway, I'll take that as a blessing."
Shiro grinned, looking completely immune to Ram's sarcasm.
His attitude made Ram narrow her eyes.
Her gaze moved slowly up and down his face, as though searching for the best place to punch him later.
Fortunately—
Rem finally recovered from her daze at the crucial moment.
"Sister... why are you here?"
"Then everything I said just now..."
"Your sister was probably worried I might take advantage of you while studying your horn."
"So she's been guarding the door ever since we came in."
"And apparently, after hearing from Emilia that I'm pretty strong, she didn't even dare breathe too loudly outside because she was afraid I'd notice."
"If I hadn't called her in, she probably would've listened to everything and then secretly run away by herself."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk."
"I wonder who she learned that habit of being so dishonest from."
Shiro spread his hands, shaking his head with exaggerated disappointment while occasionally clicking his tongue.
Two imaginary anger marks practically appeared on Ram's forehead.
She immediately began driving him out with absolutely no mercy.
"A touching heart-to-heart between sisters does not require the presence of a noisy sparrow."
"Ram hopes the bird can learn to read the atmosphere and fly out the window on its own."
"Otherwise, Ram may have to consider whether tomorrow's breakfast should include grilled sparrow."
As she spoke, mana began surging around her.
Her tone also carried an unmistakable trace of irritation.
"If you did something wrong, just apologize."
"Ram will definitely forgive you."
"This sparrow will go look for somewhere warm to spend the winter."
At this point, Shiro had no intention of continuing to stay.
After leaving Rem with those words, he walked out of the room.
As he closed the door, the corner of his eye caught a glimpse of the sisters embracing each other.
An older sister who had lost the most important horn of an Oni to protect her younger sister.
A younger sister who had abandoned her own path out of guilt and tried to shoulder her sister's fate.
From here on—They could settle things themselves.
There was no need for an unrelated outsider like him to remain.
...
"Sister... Rem..."
Inside the room, Rem lay in Ram's arms with her head resting on her sister's thighs.
Her expression was complicated.
Then—She suddenly felt something wet land on her face.
'Is the ceiling leaking?'
Just as that thought crossed Rem's mind—
"Idiot..."
Ram's voice came from above.
Rem's attention shifted away from the moisture on her face and toward her sister.
And with a single glance—She froze.
Ram had gently wrapped both arms around Rem's chin.
Two clear streams of tears slowly ran from the corners of her eyes as she looked down at Rem with an incredibly gentle gaze.
Rem had never seen Ram like this before.
The sister everyone had always praised.
The sister who had always been called a prodigy.
The sister who had always seemed capable of anything in Rem's eyes.
Could she really make the same kind of expression Rem only ever showed when she failed?
Rem looked up at Ram, who silently cried while holding her.
Then she remembered what Shiro had said before leaving.
Her lips slowly moved.
"I'm sorry."
That was right.
If she had done something wrong—Then she should simply apologize.
From beginning to end, Rem had never truly considered how her sister felt.
So—
"I'm sorry."
For throwing all the clan's expectations onto you and running away by myself.
"I'm sorry."
For feeling relieved when your horn broke.
"I'm sorry."
For deciding on my own that I had to atone for it without ever discussing it with you, and for making you worry all these years.
"I'm sor—"
Rem tried to apologize again.
But a soft white finger pressed against her lips and stopped the words from coming out.
Tears still clung to the corners of Ram's eyes.
Looking at the little sister who kept apologizing, the gentlest smile imaginable appeared on her face.
Then, in the softest voice Rem had ever heard from her—
"Honestly."
"You really are a child who never stops making people worry."
"But what can Ram do?"
"You're Ram's adorable little sister, after all."
The moment she heard those words—Rem finally could not hold back anymore.
She twisted around and tackled Ram onto the bed.
As though releasing more than ten years of bottled-up emotion all at once, Rem buried herself in her sister's embrace and burst into loud sobs.
Ram, knocked onto the bed beneath her, said nothing.
She simply smiled—And slowly, gently stroked Rem's head.
…