When Brother turned his face to Will asking for confirmation, Will nodded to affirm.

"It"s something not often seen in Wilhelm, even if it"s broken you can understand various things. It"s worth examining"
"Well, there you have it"
"Vase…. Ah, that"

With Will"s explanation I recalled the fight from a few days ago.
Collecting magical tools is one of Will"s hobbies.
His interest in a rare magical tool from Sahaja must be boundless.
As I understood that, Brother"s gaze moved onto my left hand.
As soon as it did, he grinned with a nasty face.

"That. What"s with that ring? You didn"t have such a thing, right?"
"… I received it"

As soon as he said that with a smirk, I became embarra.s.sed.
When I brought the hand behind me to hide it, Brother showed all the more interested face.
… His face is br.i.m.m.i.n.g with the intent to tease me.

"Hmph. By the way, from who… That would be a tasteless question. It"s without a doubt from Freed. Turquoise gold ring… Kuku. Just how far will he go to show off"
"Shuddup, leave me alone"

Really, Brother has a sharp eye.
He seems to have even confirmed the ring"s design in that moment.

When I awkwardly averted me eyes, he grinned more and more.
Really, I hate Brother who lacks delicacy like this.

"Was it at the inspection before? Hmmph, good for you. You must"ve been considerably happy to put it on. Usually you refuse almost all jewelry finding it troublesome. Hee. Hoo"
"Ah jeez, you"re annoying! Stupid brother!"

When Older Brother came closer and examined my expression for fun, with all my strength I punched him into the pit of his stomach.
Perhaps not expecting a counterattack, holding his stomach Brother fell on his knees.

"You… Now you"ve done it"
"Shut up. This was Older Brother"s fault. Don"t tease me"
"… Because, see. It was amusing"

While holding his stomach, the corners of Brother"s mouth lifted.
Somehow, it became too stupid to seriously entertain him.

"If that"s all you want to talk about, I"ll be going"
"Aah, wait wait. It"s not. There"s something I want to talk to you about"

I was stopped and while sullen stopped walking away.

"… What. Cut it out if you only want to tease me. I have things to do in the kitchen"
"I know that… Hey, you. Do you know the singer from before?"

I was rendered absentminded by Brother"s sudden words.
I had no idea Brother was talking about for a moment.

"… Singer? … Aah, the one who was invited to the last evening party? I"ve heard about him"

While remembering, I tilted my head.
Brother stood up, came close to me, and after considering the surroundings said.

"If you know, the talk will be quick. That singer…"
"Is coming to the Royal Palace next time. I"ve heard from Freed"

The other day I heard it during a pillow talk.

"… You. Don"t interrupt other"s talk. I was still in the middle of it"
"I have no time to listen to Older Brother"s foolish talk. And? What about him?"

When I showed a stance that I"d hate to waste more time listening to him, Brother too made a serious face.
He continued in a whisper.

"… The song he sang at the last evening party…"

That subject.
Even though he didn"t finish, it clicked with me right away.
It must be about the report I heard from Marianne.
When I first heard it from her I was quite discomposed, but there won"t be a second time. I smoothly said the lines I"d prepared in advance.

"It"s about performing the song I used to sing in the past, isn"t it. I"ve heard from Marianne. But, that song wasn"t my creation, so it isn"t anything unusual. It might be unheard of in this country, however he"s a… travelling singer, right? I don"t think it"s strange that he knows it?"

As I stated it matter-of-factly without any surprise, Brother showed me a bewildered look.

"Is that so? Then why did you know it?"
"… You know I go out to town. I was taught it by an acquaintance I made there. That"s all"
"It"s plenty possible, huh. Then, are you familiar with Éventail name?"
"Stop it. Isn"t this like an interrogation"

While raising a complaint, I thought.
The name doesn"t click with me, but I know the word itself.
Mobilizing my knowledge I answered.

"Éventail, certainly it"s a family name used in Tarim? It means folding fan, doesn"t it"

When I stared at Brother suspicious of what it is about, he roughly scratched his hair.

"… No, well, it makes sense. After all you don"t know. I"m asking just to make sure, but you aren"t acquainted with somebody from Tarim, right?"
"Don"t be stupid. There"s no way I would. They"re an enemy country"

Every single year they start a war with the pretext of going south, in a sense it"s a country with a worse nature than Sahaja.

"That"s right… Soz"
"Nn? Is that singer perhaps from Tarim? Hee. How unusual. People of that country don"t understand beauty at all"

The culture of nomadic equestrian tribes that don"t settle in one place for long is often unrefined.
Woolen fabric and the like are splendid, but there should be hardly any development in arts that would please n.o.ble society.
And yet, he"s a singer. He must be quite an oddball.
Well, of course. Probably because he"s a reincarnator.
But, as if to say it"s different, Brother shook his head.

"No, he didn"t bear slightest resemblance to Tarim people. He didn"t have the characteristic scar either"
"Is that so? But aren"t Tarim people extremely exclusive? Using Tarim name despite not being from Tarim would normally be unthinkable"

Or rather, people of Tarim wouldn"t allow that.
People of Tarim are truly exclusive.
It also involves religious stories, but they tout a pure-blood doctrine called Tarimism, in no way they allow foreign blood.
All the royal family marriage partners should be chosen from the influential clans of their own country.
If such a country were to invade, it"s easy to imagine every citizen of Wilhelm would be enslaved.
Still every year Freed gains victory like it"s a matter of course, so it"s not something to worry about.

"… That"s right, it must look strange to you. After all, about that singer. Various things are unclear"
"It"s not something I understand well. So, Older Brother? Am I cleared of suspicion?"

When I stared at him with censuring eyes, Brother became lost for words.

"… It"s not like I really doubted you. I just thought you need to hear this story"
"If I was doubted about every single song I"ve sung, there"d be no end to it. Moreover, it"s a story from many years ago"
"Well… That"s right"

I sighed at Brother"s vague reply.

"I"m sure it was a coincidence. I don"t have any Tarim acquaintances. Well, I"m looking forward to meeting the singer though. I regret missing it before"
"… You two withdrew before, didn"t you"
"Tha, that couldn"t be helped!"

Recalling rus.h.i.+ng into the bath play, my face involuntarily flushed.
But, it"s true that I want to meet the singer.
Because, he"s likely the same former j.a.panese as me. Perhaps we might even have an opportunity to talk.
I think it"s inevitable I"d be interested in what kind of person he is.
When I was about to leave having finished talking with Brother, Will, who until then had intently listened to our talk without cutting in, called out to me.

"Lidi… You might get lost alone. I"ll escort you"
"He?"

I absentmindedly opened my mouth at Will"s words.
I don"t understand why he said that at this timing.
To begin with, doesn"t he have things to do.

"Escort me to the kitchen? No, I"m fine. I can get there alone, and Will has work"
"Ah, no… I see…"

When I refused, Will dejectedly hung his head.
Eh, why. Is it somehow my fault?
I thought it"s out of question to be escorted by the Magician Division Commander who"s at work, however with this it looks like I"m the bad one here.
As I was dumbfounded, while patting Will on the shoulder Brother said.

"Well, isn"t it fine, Lidi. Let Will escort you. You"re Freed"s fiancée. You better not act alone much. Haven"t you been told that?"
"Really?"

I thought that Cain should probably be near, then when I recalled I hadn"t spoken with him yet I breathed a small sigh.
Freed became a complete worrywart after I collapsed and spends most of his time with me, until today I"ve never been alone.
When Freed isn"t there, Clara constantly attends to me.
His actions only stopped when I snapped shouting that I have enough of being trapped.
The result. Naturally, I had no time to summon Cain.
And that"s how we arrive at present.

I thought a little about Brother"s words about the necessity of an escort, and nodded.
I reached the conclusion that rather than having a bodyguard I don"t know well forced on me, I will be much more comfortable with Will whose disposition I know.

"Then, I wonder if I should accept the escort… But, is it really alright?"
"Yeah. You don"t have to mind"
"Didn"t you want to quickly see the magical tool?"
"Yeah"
"Then"

I know about Will"s collecting habit.
That"s why I thought Will would refuse after all, but while looking at Brother with an extremely serious face Will said.

"It"s alright. Alex will carry out the preparations over there. There"s no problem. Isn"t that so? Alex"
"… So you"re using me to back you up. s.h.i.+t, got it. I"ll deal with the formalities"
"Lidi"
"Aah, yup. Then please take care of me"

I could only smile bitterly when eyes, that seemed to ask if with this it"s alright, were turned towards me. Will is also quite merciless towards Brother.
To not waste time now that the talk is over, I parted from Brother and immediately started to walk towards the kitchen.
Will is walking a little behind to my side.
I think he probably doesn"t know the way to the kitchen by his somehow unreliable steps, while trying not to look at Will I let out a soundless giggle.

That"s why I didn"t notice.

Until the end I didn"t notice that Will behind me had narrowed his eyes sorrowfully looking at the ring on my fourth finger.