Are You Sure Our Empire's Knight Order Captain is a Yandere? - Chapter 9

After saying goodbye to Jingū Yoru at the inn, Bransien paused. Was he actually going to work right now?
Nah, definitely not!
He tidied the used dinner plates on the table. As he passed the counter, Bransien casually tossed a pouch of gold coins over. “Room Six, for another day.”
Leaving the inn, Bransien walked quietly through the streets, enjoying the peaceful leisure. Even the merchants’ shouts seemed like mere background music.
However, there was one thing that was starting to annoy him.
“It’s Mr. Ho!”
“There he is, Mr. Ho!”
“Isn’t he going to work today?”
“Let’s go to the tavern tomorrow; Mr. Ho isn’t around today.”
Whispers followed him everywhere. No matter where Bransien went, several pairs of eyes watched him.
Bransien sighed softly, took one swift step forward, and in the same instant, he had vanished, reappearing ten paces away in a small alley.
“Where’d Mr. Ho go?”
“He’s gone! Wasn’t he just standing right here?”
“What a pain,” Bransien muttered, flicking his left hand into the air. Like magic, a pitch-black cloak materialized in his grasp. He quickly threw it on, then casually strolled back onto the main street.
Hmm, much quieter now.
Bransien continued his sightseeing. Since carrying a drunken Jingū Yoru back to the inn last night, he hadn’t had a proper chance to look at his surroundings.
Ten steps away was a balcony garden, where marble statues, frozen in strange poses, spewed water from their mouths.
The coffee shop had a massive queue. Apparently, the owner’s brewing skills were top-notch—he was practically the Mr. Ho of the coffee scene.
“Oh?” Bransien became interested. “Is his skill really on par with my bartending?”
He turned and changed direction, heading straight toward the long line.
“Here’s your coffee. Thanks for stopping by.” As Bransien took the cup from the owner, a familiar, strange feeling shot through his heart. “………” Bransien also noticed the owner’s body gave a slight tremor.
To outsiders, it simply looked like one cloaked person handing coffee to another.
However, to them both, every step… every movement, concealed infinite murderous intent.
“Did you sleep well last night?”
“Mind your own business,” Bransien retorted, snatching the coffee and turning away. “Meet me at the usual spot.”
Once Bransien was out of sight, the owner looked at the massive queue, thought for a moment, and decided to pull down the shutter, closing for the day.
“Sold out for today.” Ignoring the surprise of the disappointed crowd, the owner quickly returned to the back room.
“Hehehe~~~” The owner tore off the cloak. With delicate features, seductive purple pupils, and white hair tied in a single ponytail, she was a beautiful young woman.
“Big Brother, I only left for three years to train. How is it that people in the organization are already saying you’ve married?”
“………”
“You promised to marry me…” Instantly, the girl’s eyes filled with tears that looked ready to spill at any moment.
“Absolutely not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” A man wearing a pitch-black cloak stepped out of the shadows. “Don’t cry! Ahh! Don’t!!”
The moment she heard his flat denial, the tears welling in her eyes spilled over, splashing onto the pristine floor.
“But you promised… Big Brother, you promised me…” The girl covered her face, not wanting her Big Brother to see this embarrassing display.
When? When did I say that?
The moment the man saw the girl crying, his normally calm heart began to panic. His eyes, which should have been fixed on the girl, involuntarily darted about in distress.
“Heh~ heh~ heh heh heh~~~” A clear, bell-like laugh came continuously from the girl’s covered mouth, as if her hand couldn’t contain the mischievous, wicked mockery.
“You’re so naive, aren’t you? What kind of sister even says something like that? You wouldn’t find anyone like that, even if you scoured the whole city!” The girl lowered her hand from her mouth, a wide, mocking grin forming before the man’s eyes.
“Use your brain, will you?” The girl slowed her pace of speaking. “B-i-g B-r-o-t-h-e-r.”
“………We haven’t seen each other for three years,” the man removed his hood, forcing a strained smile onto his stiff face.
“And that’s the first sensible thing you say?”
“You must’ve realized it already, right?” The girl crossed her arms, dropping her previous playful attitude for a serious one. “The Empire’s number one bartender, Mr. Ho?”
“Mm.” Bransien’s expression darkened. “Freesia, who sent you?”
“Oh my, oh my~~~” Freesia’s lovely eyes darted away. “Is Big Brother worried about me?”
“I’m not joking with you,” Bransien shook his head. “What about the training Father and Master gave you?”
“I passed.”
“Nonsense. The martial arts Father made us practice usually take a regular person seven years. How on earth did you master it in three?”
“Heh,” Freesia scoffed lightly. “Didn’t Big Brother only take seven minutes?”
“………”
This sister is getting cheekier, though she’s always been like this.
“You’re not me,” Bransien had no choice but to soften his tone. “Freesia, you only need to work hard for four more years, and you’ll be unbeatable in the entire Empire. Go back!”
“I won’t!” Freesia stuck out her delicate tongue, smiling sweetly as she talked back.
“Big Brother, if you have no important news for me, I’ll be leaving now.”
“You may go.”
After leaving the coffee shop, Freesia ran and ran, only stopping confidently once she was certain her Big Brother wasn’t following her.
“Where am I…” Freesia had been so focused on running that she hadn’t paid attention to her direction. Now that she’d come to her senses, she had somehow stumbled into a small park.
This small park was specially established to commemorate the successful slaying of the Fourth Demon King, Mildigard, by the Red Leaf Hunters. Maple trees, symbols of the Red Leaf Hunters, were planted all around the park. Every year as autumn turned to winter, the view was one of a flurry of red leaves.
She casually found an empty corner. Freesia’s steps suddenly faltered, and she quickly leaned against a nearby maple tree and squatted down.
…It seems she had finally reached her limit.
Freesia slowly closed her eyes.
Tears, crystal clear, silently rolled down from between her tightly shut eyes. She remained squatting there, huddled in a deserted corner of the park.
She loved her Big Brother so much!
She had finally seen her Big Brother, but… but…
She had overcome every obstacle simply to see her Big Brother, for the promise made on that night three years ago.
Why… why, when she had worked so hard to pass Father’s training, did Big Brother still… still…
Freesia was no genius. She wasn’t a genius like Bransien, but she was hardworking. She strove to catch up to her Big Brother and walk side-by-side with him.
Freesia had always believed a motivational phrase her Big Brother had once shared with her:
“Hard work is more important than talent. The genius who relies on talent will one day surely lose to the common person who relies on effort.”
Whenever her Big Brother was assigned one mission, she would proactively take on three.
Whenever her Big Brother mastered a new martial art, she would learn it, even if it meant going a week without food or sleep.
What did he mean by “Freesia, you only need to work hard for four more years, and you’ll be unbeatable in the entire Empire. Go back!”?
Is Big Brother only focused on staying with that airheaded, ********** loli**?
Did he ever consider how much effort she put in to condense seven years of a common person’s training into three?
Why… why, when she had tried so hard to pass Father’s training, did Big Brother still speak to her with that attitude?
Was that any way to speak to your fiancée (sister)?