[V5C6] Big Sister and the Little One

Under the sweet-scented breeze of the port town, the Fourth Thorn Witch, Melissa Roseberg, walked with a weary expression, shielding herself from the sun with a parasol.

“Ugh, I can’t stand it. The sea breeze in port towns always dries up my hair. Why am I even here?”

She looked very affluent, wearing a rose-colored dress with a plunging neckline and adorning her hair with a glamorous rose accessory. Ever since arriving, she had been accosted by beggars and candy sellers.

Melissa dismissed all of them with a flick of her hand, all while twirling her parasol.

She had come to Sazandol for a certain job, or more accurately, to clean up the mess she had made.

Honestly, she wasn’t excited about it at all, but the elders of House Roseberg had hinted at disownment. If she didn’t do her job properly, going back home was out of the question.

“Oh, poor me!” Melissa sighed while looking up at the sky. At the edge of her vision, she spotted a familiar face.

Could it be…? Squinting her eyes, Melissa identified a conspicuous duo in the crowd.

One was a handsome young man with rose-colored curly hair and green eyes——Melissa’s younger brother, the Fifth Thorn Witch, Raul Roseberg.

The other was a slender young man with long silver hair tied at the back of his neck…

(Kyah! That gentleman is… Cyril-sama!!)

Previously, Melissa had learned his name after subtly interrogating Raul. He was said to be a promising young man who was next in line to be Marquis, despite being the adopted son of the Ashley family.

Once upon a time, there were many noble houses which required magical talent as a condition to inherit the title. House Roseberg was one such case.

Therefore, the adoption of relatives talented in magic was generally accepted in Ridill. Back then, it was not uncommon to have adopted sons inherit the household.

Nowadays, as the emphasis on magic diminished, this trend has all but died out.

Yet Marquis Highown apparently insisted on it, and even reached out to various quarters to allow Cyril to become the next Marquis.

(Which means, Cyril-sama must be exceptionally talented! How lovely!)

Still, Melissa wondered why Cyril and her dumb brother were in Sazandol. She knew they were conducting research on plant enchantment in Highown, but that did not explain their business in Sazandol.

Raul generally wore his robe over his farming clothes, but he was wearing more appropriate attire today. That suggested they weren’t about to do fieldwork.

Melissa folded her conspicuous parasol and tailed Cyril and Raul while hiding in the shadows.

The two seemed to be heading towards the residential district. Although there were no grand mansions, the reasonably neat houses indicated it was a location with many upper-middle-class residents.

Eventually, the two stopped in front of a relatively modest house. Did they have business with whoever lived there?

Considering Raul and Cyril were visiting together, it was reasonable to assume they were visiting either sponsors or researchers involved in the magical imbuement studies. Given the size of the house, it was more likely to be a researcher than a sponsor. Probably a mage.

(But I haven’t heard any rumors about an influential mage settling in Sazandol. Maybe they aren’t that famous?)

Melissa bore the dishonorable title of the shortest-serving of the Seven Sages in history, but she was still a member of the prestigious House Roseberg. She had a thorough grasp over all the influential mages in Ridill, including their whereabouts.

If Melissa didn’t know them, they were either relatively young or the type who frequently changed residences.

According to Melissa’s bias, magic researchers tended to be eccentric, preferring gloomy places. They wouldn’t settle in a lively port town with good sunlight exposure.

Curiously, Melissa hid in the shadows, eavesdropping on Raul’s and Cyril’s conversation.

“Hmm, this is troublesome. Seems like no one’s home.”

“You did send a letter to inform them we were coming, right?”

“Oh, whoops, I forgot.”

“…”

Apparently, Raul messed up again.

I’m so sorry, Cyril-sama… please overlook my brother’s stupidity, thought Melissa, lightly tapping her right fist against her left palm. This was a gesture to ensure she remembered to punish her brother later.

“I guess we can take a stroll through town and come back later!”

“…Yeah, it doesn’t seem like the cat is around either.”

“No way, you have fish…?”

“Don’t look at me like that! I only have one dried fish!”

The two walked off while bantering with each other.

Melissa hurriedly followed them, but amidst the bustling crowd of an unfamiliar city, she lost sight of them after turning a street corner.

“Ugh, seriously!”

Melissa bit her red-painted nails and thought to herself.

This was a rare chance to get acquainted with Cyril. She couldn’t let it slip away. Honestly, her job took a backseat to this.

However, Melissa was unfamiliar with the area, and she didn’t know anyone in Sazandol.

The only thing she did know was the location of the house Raul and Cyril had visited… In that case, there was only one thing to do.

Melissa retraced her steps and unfolded her parasol in front of the house Raul and Cyril had been.

She didn’t know who the owner of this house was, but they seemed to be an acquaintance of Raul and Cyril.

Thus, Melissa thought to acquaint herself with the homeowner and have them introduce her to Cyril.


Melissa ended up waiting in front of the door for several minutes. Just as her patience was about to reach its limit, a young girl appeared.

The girl was unremarkable, with light brown hair tied in a simple style. She had a plain and modest face.

When the girl noticed Melissa, she spoke with a timid expression, adding a touch of anxiety to her mumbled words.

“Um… do you, uh, have some business with this house…?”

Though Melissa didn’t like the girl’s shy attitude and mumbled voice, she was an adult, so she decided to be generous for now.

(…Judging by her appearance, she’s probably a servant of this house.)

This child exuded the aura of a lower-ranking servant, so there was no way she could be the owner of the house.

“Hello, I have some business with your master. When will they be back?”

“M-Master? Uh, I’m not sure what you mean…”

This girl must be a low-ranking servant who didn’t even know her master’s schedule. She was truly at the bottom of the pecking order. Most likely a laundry maid or something similar.

Now what? Melissa huffed out a sigh.

Melissa came to Sazandol for work, but honestly, she had lost all her motivation for it. After all, she was in a bustling port town filled with so many charming sights. She couldn’t possibly resist indulging in delicious seafood and a bit of shopping.

Pragmatic and true to her own desires, Melissa had her current priorities set as follows:

  • Top Priority: Dining and shopping

  • Second Priority: Get acquainted with Cyril-sama

  • Postponed: Work (aka Cleanup)

…And so, Melissa came up with the perfect solution. She could enjoy meals and shopping under the pretext of working, and also figure out a way to get closer to Cyril-sama at the same time.

“Hey, Little One. What’s your name?”

The girl, seemingly disheartened by being called “Little One,” fidgeted with her fingers and responded in a stammering voice.

“Um, M-Moni… Monica Ev…”

“Okay, Moni-Moni.”

“Moni…!? Uh, um, it’s Monica! I’m Monica!”

Ignoring Monica’s frantic protest, Melissa, who loved teasing girls like her, dismissed Monica’s claim and casually started picking at her ear.

“You said Moni-Moni in front of me, so now you’re Moni-Moni. You only have yourself to blame for making such a shameful display.”

“B-But I…”

Smiling cheerfully while enjoying Monica’s tears, Melissa brushed her red hair back with her hand.

“Moni-Moni, you’ll guide me around Sazandol a bit.”

“Huh? W-Why…”

“I have some business with the owner of this house, making me a guest. That means you have an obligation to entertain me, right?”

Monica stammered, mumbling things like “Um, I’m…” and “What’s your business…” in her feeble voice. However, Melissa paid her no attention because she was already thinking about what to have for lunch.

“Come on, Little One. Hurry up and guide me. Start by taking me to a place where we can eat. Just so we’re clear, we’ll have a problem if you take me anywhere other than a seafood restaurant in this port town.”

Melissa walked a few steps forward before stopping and turning around to yell at Monica.

“Hurry up! What are you dawdling for!”

“W-Wait, please wait… uh, well, your name…”

Realizing she hadn’t introduced herself yet, Melissa lifted her red lips into a sly smile. She whipped her dry red hair to the side with a theatrical gesture.

“You can think of me as your cool and beautiful older sister. Call me Melissa-oneesan!”

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