My Replacement Fiancée, the Saint’s “Failure” of a Sister, Is Acting Strange – Chapter 18

Chapter 18: The Shape of a Dream – 8

ㅤ”I’m sure that was the Captain!”
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ㅤAs soon as I entered the Magic Tower, I heard the familiar clear voice and approached it. Eddie, several other magicians, and Lily were gathered around a table. I lightly waved my hand to stop them from bowing as they noticed me, and when I looked at Lily, she blushed slightly. That alone made me happy, and I joined their conversation.
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ㅤ”What about Oswald?”
ㅤ”Well, Eddie seems to have seen the Captain in town.”
ㅤ”He was walking with a cute girl with fluffy hair!”
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ㅤFluffy hair……I glanced at Lily, and she nodded, saying,”Probably his sister.”
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ㅤ”Isn’t it a good thing if he’s recovered enough to go out?”
ㅤ”That’s true, but……It didn’t look like there was any miasma on his face.”
ㅤ”Huh? The miasma disappeared?”
ㅤ”No, he didn’t write about it in his letter……”
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ㅤEddie replied to his colleague, who said,”You should have called out to him,”with a frustrated expression,”I only saw him from the carriage!”
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ㅤIt’s been about three weeks since we heard that Oswald’s magical power was starting to return. The atmosphere in the Magic Division had become much calmer with the news of his steady recovery. Lily is still coming here, so I’ve been checking in on her whenever I get the chance.
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ㅤ”I think he would have let us know if the miasma had disappeared.”
ㅤ”Maybe he’s just using magic to make it invisible so he can go out?”
ㅤ”I wonder if he’s recovered that much.”
ㅤ”Maybe the miasma has actually disappeared, but he’s keeping quiet because he wants to rest a little longer.”
ㅤ”The Captain wouldn’t do that.”
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ㅤAs the members chattered excitedly about visiting Oswald soon, Lily looked contemplative.
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ㅤ”……Lily?”
ㅤ”I’ll go visit him.”
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ㅤEveryone stopped talking at her words, spoken as she suddenly raised her head. Everyone knows that she was Oswald’s fiancée, and many of them suspect that there’s something complicated going on with her sister.
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ㅤ”……Are you sure?”
ㅤ”Yes.”
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ㅤI call her aside later, and she says in a small voice,”I’ve reached my limit of not seeing my sister for so long,”and I feel a little relieved. Yes, she’s back to normal. When I tell her to let me know if anything happens, she smiles reassuringly.
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ㅤTwo days later. Lily asked me to make time for her, and I’m in the drawing-room. I’m concerned about Lily, who hasn’t smiled since she entered the room, let alone blushed, as I have the maids prepare tea and dismiss everyone else. It’s not exactly proper for an unmarried man and woman to be alone in a closed room, but it can’t be helped, given her serious expression.
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ㅤ”……How was Oswald? You went to visit him, didn’t you?”
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ㅤWhen I ask, unable to bear the long silence any longer, Lily finally speaks.
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ㅤ”My sister……My sister might be a genius.”
ㅤ”……Hmm?”
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ㅤI’m no longer surprised that she responded to my question about Oswald with a story about her sister. I feel a little sorry for Oswald.
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ㅤOnce she started talking, she couldn’t stop, and to summarize her story, it seems that Oswald’s recovery might be due to her sister, Chelsea’s, power. His magical power has returned considerably, and the miasma has weakened, so they should be able to completely dispel it eventually.
ㅤApparently, Chelsea can imbue holy magic and healing magic simultaneously through embroidery. I’m simply amazed, as I’ve never heard of such magic.
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ㅤ”That’s amazing.”
ㅤ”I was really surprised too……I no longer care that Oswald was putting on an act.”
ㅤ”Huh? He was acting?”
ㅤ”It seems he treated Chelsea normally.”
ㅤ”Hmm……”
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ㅤAs I’m surprised for the second time, Lily’s expression, which had been deliberately cold when talking about Oswald, softens.
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ㅤ”……He was properly taking care of her.”
ㅤ”That’s good.”
ㅤ”Yes.”
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ㅤI think the burden on her shoulders has finally been lifted for real, seeing her smile softly.
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ㅤ”I want you to keep Chelsea’s magic a secret. Her magical power itself is very weak, so I don’t think she’ll be exploited, but I think we should consult with Oswald before researching the imbuement method.”
ㅤ”Okay.”
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ㅤ”Thank you,”Lily says, bowing her head. I’m glad I dismissed everyone.
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ㅤ”By the way, now that Oswald’s injury is healing and things are going well with Chelsea, does that mean I can take a step forward?”
ㅤ”……? What are you talking about?”
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ㅤI approach Lily, who seems to have completely forgotten, take her hand, and kneel on one knee.
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ㅤ”Does this mean you’re ready to accept someone’s feelings?”
ㅤ”Ah……!”
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ㅤWhen I pull her hand closer and kiss her fingertips, Lily blushes and her shoulders jump. I let go of her hand, intending to go no further, and she quickly retracts it, which is a little disappointing.
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ㅤ”So I don’t need to hold back anymore?”
ㅤ”Your Highness……”
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ㅤLily, who was restless for a while, saying,”Um, well……”eventually mutters as if giving in.
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ㅤ”……I want to sit at the family table at my sister’s wedding.”
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ㅤSeeing her expression, which practically says,”And after that……”I feel my own face soften into a goofy grin.
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ㅤA few days later, I had another dream. A girl’s dream. She’s laughing, as if the time she was sobbing was a lie, and I’m relieved. I feel like the light is shining on me too, as I envy the warmth of the place where she is, and I even think I don’t want to wake up from this dream.
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ㅤ”Thank you for inviting me today.”
ㅤ”Yes. It’s just a casual tea party, so please don’t be so formal.”
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ㅤIt’s about a month later. I sent out invitations for a small tea party. The guests are Lily, Oswald, who returned to work this month, and……
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ㅤ”This is my fiancée, Chelsea.”
ㅤ”H-Hello, my name is Chelsea Carvel……! I-It’s an honor to be invited today.”
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ㅤA girl, who was standing shyly behind Oswald, appears before me with a nervous expression. The moment I see her face, everything clicks into place, and I can’t help but exclaim.
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ㅤ”Ah!! Ah, I see, it’s you. Ahaha, ah, yes, I see.”
ㅤ”Um……Excuse me……?”
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ㅤChelsea, as well as Lily and Oswald, look at me suspiciously as I suddenly burst out laughing. I realize it, but I can’t stop laughing, and I end up making Chelsea anxious, as if I’ve done something wrong.
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ㅤ━━It’s the girl from my dream.
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ㅤThe girl in my dream was a small child, so she’s grown a lot since then, but I think what I saw was her feelings. It’s not like I only see the future in my dreams, but this is the first time I’ve empathized with the feelings of someone I’ve never met to this extent. I’m surprised, but strangely convinced. Her large, pale green eyes are looking at me.
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ㅤ”Sorry, it’s nothing. Nice to meet you, Chelsea. Your eyes are the same color as your sister’s.”
ㅤ”……! Y-Yes, they are! Um, I don’t resemble my sister in many ways, but our eye color is very similar……! So I really like my eyes, and……”
ㅤ”Yes. Ah, the tea is ready, so come this way. Tell me more, about Lily, about yourself.”
ㅤ”Okay!”
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ㅤHer expression, which brightens the moment we start talking about her sister, is so similar to Lily’s when she talks about Chelsea that I can’t help but smile. I’m sure this girl never said a bad word about her sister at Oswald’s house. Judging from her demeanor, I doubt she’s ever said anything negative about her anywhere else.
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ㅤThe tea party, which was supposed to be a celebration of Oswald’s return to work, ended up being dominated by my conversation with Chelsea. The person being celebrated seemed to have no problem with it, as he was watching his fiancée talk happily with a gentle expression on his face. Lily was the only one who looked embarrassed, beside Oswald, who looked more at ease than I’d ever seen him.