“I want you to apologize to Miriya right now! Immediately! This instant!!”

Rita was furious at Rane’s utterly indifferent attitude, furious at herself for misjudging someone she had trusted for so many years and furious that she felt she had let down her best friend.

For the current Rita, emotional instability was extremely dangerous.

An out-of-control magic source would not only affect Rita’s own body, it would also unconsciously put everyone around her in danger.

Realizing this, Rane decisively adjusted his mindset, stood up and apologized.

“Miss Miriya, regarding what happened last night, I am truly sorry.”

Rita clearly had not expected Rane to admit fault so quickly, nor with such sincerity and for a moment she was completely stunned.

Sensing the airflow in the dining hall gradually stabilizing, Rane quietly let out a sigh of relief.

‘Good thing I slid to my knees fast enough, or I’d probably be dead before finishing breakfast.’

“I-it’s okay, Rane^[1]. You must have had your reasons, right?”

Miriya waved her hands in a bit of a panic toward Rane.

She had already realized last night that there was likely some kind of misunderstanding.

It was just that, due to her agreement with Viscount Claude, she hadn’t immediately explained things clearly to Rita.

Already feeling guilty toward Rane, seeing him being forced by Rita to apologize to her made her feel even worse.

“Reasons? What reasons could he possibly have? I think he just went crazy! Taking advantage of your trust in him, Miriya, to do something so unforgivable to you!”

Rane’s apology did not dispel Rita’s resentment.

The young girl’s still-developing chest rose and fell sharply. It was clear that just recalling last night’s events was enough to enrage her.

Rane endured his little sister’s scolding and continued eating.

Compared to the high-intensity, profanity-filled flame wars of the internet, his little sister was honestly far too gentle.

Calling it honeyed speech wouldn’t even be an exaggeration.

This kind of harmless noise was nothing more than a bit of wind and frost to Rane.

Rita threw a few more sarcastic remarks at Rane, but seeing that he completely ignored her, she found it boring and fell silent as well.

Miriya, on the other hand, looked anxiously back and forth between the two of them.

She wanted to try to mend the relationship between the siblings, but couldn’t come up with any good way to do so and after a soft sigh, said nothing more.

An eerie silence suddenly settled among the three of them, lasting all the way until the end of the meal.

“Hey! Why did you do something like that to Miriya?”

Just as Rane was about to leave the dining hall, Rita’s slightly dissatisfied and puzzled voice reached his ears.

“…”

Rane didn’t say a word and turned to leave.

He had no interest in pressing his warm face against her cold backside.

Even though it wouldn’t matter if he told Rita that carefully fabricated lie of his, being scolded for so long for no reason had still lit a bit of a fire in him.

‘What kind of attitude is that? Why should I beg so humbly for your forgiveness? You’re just my sister, not my wife. You speak with barbs and still expect me to be gentle with you? Go eat shit. If I really can’t be saved later on, just wait and live with regret for the rest of your life. Waking up in the middle of the night, thinking of me as the brother who silently gave everything for you without asking for anything in return, who was still misunderstood even unto death you’ll wish you could slap yourself a few times, then sob until dawn! This kind of lifelong-regret literature hits way harder than your little tantrum ever could.’

Rane believed that Rita, who had never been tempered by twisted literature, had no chance of withstanding this all-in, life-on-the-line punch of his.

He could already see his little sister trembling and crying uncontrollably under this blow.

* * *

“Miriya! Look at him!! What kind of attitude is that? How did I never realize he was this annoying before!”

After Rane left, Rita sat back down with her lips pursed, hugged the arm of Miriya sitting beside her and shook it.

“Rita, you and Rane really don’t need to fight this fiercely. Rane is actually a very good person…”

Thinking of how she had accidentally fallen last night and how Rane had immediately protected her, Miriya’s earlobes turned slightly red.

She felt a tiny bit envious that Rita had such a gentle older brother.

“Miriya! You’re just too kind. That guy did something like that to you! If I’d arrived even a little later last night, who knows what he might have done to you!!”

The more Rita spoke, the more agitated she became, her small hands starting to wander restlessly over Miriya’s body.

“Our Miriya is so cute and so beautiful. Soft and sweet-smelling who wouldn’t lose their head looking at you? I don’t believe anyone could hold back!”

Miriya gave an awkward smile.

Thinking of Rane’s eyes that night so clear they held not a trace of desire her heartbeat quickened slightly.

‘There are people who can, Rita. Rane can…’

“Hey, stop touching me! We just finished breakfast and you haven’t even wiped your hands yet!”

“Heehee…”

Laughter immediately filled the dining hall, the orange mood looking extremely promising!

* * *

In the afternoon, in order to avoid further conflict with Rita, Rane chose to eat lunch in his own bedroom.

Only after Rita’s magic source had completely stabilized and was no longer affected by emotional fluctuations would Rane consider eating in the dining hall again.

Not long after finishing lunch, Rane learned from the butler Soth that Claude had summoned him to his bedroom.

Rane knew that his opportunity had arrived.

Old Claude was about to hold the Pixie Covenant ritual for Rita!

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Rane followed Soth to Claude’s bedroom.

Sure enough, Rita stood with her eyes closed in one corner of the room, looking lively and delicate.

Beneath her feet, layer upon layer of intricate magic patterns were drawn, interlocking with one another.

Just staring at them was enough to make one feel dizzy and dazed.

“Young Master, do not stare directly at the covenant. It will cause severe damage to your mind.”

Soth warned.

The Pixie Covenant manifested in the form of magic patterns.

When these magic patterns converged, they would ultimately outline a spirit-realm teleportation array leading to the Pixie Hall.

The teleportation array would send those within it to the Pixie Hall and only after signing contracts with the little elves would they be sent back by the Pixie King.

“Rane, come here.”

Claude, who had been watching Rita from the side, beckoned to Rane.

“Originally, I should have accompanied Rita to the Pixie Hall. This has been a tradition passed down through our family. But the spirit-realm teleportation array formed by the Pixie Covenant can transport at most two people at a time, so this time I cannot go with you.”

Claude narrowed his eyes, as if recalling something.

“I have already communicated with the Pixie King in advance. He has allowed you to replace me as Rita’s guardian and accompany her. I don’t know whether Theodore has told you this, but in fact your family also once had a covenant with the Pixie King. However, that covenant was artificially destroyed during your father’s generation, which caused the Pixie King’s covenant teleportation array to be lost starting from your generation. Each family’s covenant with the Pixie King is different and the method of entering the Pixie Hall also varies. I don’t know what will happen if you use our family’s covenant to enter the Pixie Hall, but since the Pixie King has already agreed, there generally shouldn’t be any conflict between covenants. This is not only Rita’s opportunity, it may also be yours. You must seize it firmly!”

From Claude’s resolute gaze that carried a trace of encouragement, Rane saw the expectations he held for him.

‘Son, don’t worry about covenants or anything like that! Once you’re in there, sign as hard as you can if you get the chance! Grab as many as you can, I’ll shoulder the consequences for you!’

‘A father’s love that could move heaven and earth! This dad really had awareness. Even closer than a biological father at this point. Old Claude is a stand-up guy!’

Rane’s eyes grew sore, his fists clenching unconsciously.

In his heart, he quietly made a decision.

‘Damn it! If Rita loses even a single strand of hair in the Pixie Hall, I’ll twist my own head off and give it to you father!’

[1] Rane-ge was used here meaning older brother not really important but if you wanted to know