Reincarnated as the Heroine’s Big Sister, but My Little Sister Fell for Me Instead - Chapter 6

The carriage arrived just after dawn.

The luggage had been loaded the day before. All that remained this morning was to leave the house and board the carriage. That was all, but Lian remained silent throughout breakfast.

I noticed.

I noticed, but I said nothing. It wasn’t so much that I couldn’t find the words—more that I felt if I spoke, Lian would cry. I didn’t want to make her cry. That was all.

“I’m off.”

I said it to my parents and headed for the entrance. I was enrolling at the Royal Magic Academy in the capital. Since I’d be living in the dormitory, I would be leaving this house.

“So, Rene is finally becoming a magic academy student. It’ll be lonely without you at home.”

My father spoke, but contrary to his words, his face didn’t look lonely at all. To him, I was just a failed light-attribute mage, after all.

Footsteps sounded from behind.

Small footsteps. I knew it was Lian. I realized on this morning of departure that I’d recently learned to recognize this particular sound. Too late.

I opened the front door. Outside air flowed in—the still slightly chilly air of morning.

I saw the carriage. The driver removed his hat and bowed. Luggage was loaded on the back. For the next four years, I’d only return to this house during holidays.

I was about to step forward.

My sleeve was grabbed, and I turned around.

Lian stood there. Still in her everyday morning clothes. Her hair wasn’t yet tidy. I could tell she’d rushed here right after waking up.

The hand gripping my sleeve was small.

“…Lian.”

Lian looked up. She wasn’t crying. She didn’t look like she was about to cry, either. She just wore an expression of someone trying to say something but unable to find the words.

I understood. This child was in the same state as me right now. She didn’t understand the true nature of her own feelings.

“I’ll write letters,” I said. “At least once a month.”

“…Yes.”

“Will you be able to write back?”

“I will.”

“Then I’ll be waiting.”

Lian looked at me.

“Sister.”

“What?”

“Will you still practice at night over there?”

Night practice—she meant dark magic. She still remembered that night.

“I will. There’s no reason to stop.”

“I see.” Lian paused briefly. “When the moon is out, I’ll go outside and look at it too.”

“At what?”

“The moon. If I’m looking at the same moon as you, Sister, it feels like we’re connected somehow.”

Connected somehow.

I held those words in my mind for a while. Looking at the same moon, that alone makes us feel connected—this child often says such poetic things. And after saying them, she always blushes.

She was still holding my sleeve.

I placed my own hand over Lian’s.

Just for a moment. That was all.

Lian’s eyes widened slightly.

I let go. Turned on my heel. Walked toward the carriage. I didn’t look back. I felt that if I looked back, something would change. It wasn’t that I was afraid of that. My heart, my body—they just weren’t ready yet.

I boarded the carriage.

The door closed.

I didn’t look out the window. If I did, I might see Lian running after me. And if I saw her, I’d want to tell her to stop.

After a while, I opened the window just a crack.

The house was no longer visible.

There was a small figure by the gate. Too far away to see the face. But it was facing this way, standing there.

Not running. Just standing.

That was enough.

I closed the window.

I placed my hands on my lap. The same hands that had touched Lian’s just moments before.

No warmth remained. But I felt something warm still lingered.

The journey to the magic academy would take half a day. I wondered what I should think about during that time.

I tried to think about dark magic practice.

But in the end, I thought about Lian. I kept turning over her words in my mind—that when the moon was out, she’d be outside looking at it too.