Chapter 31: Volume 1: Chapter 31 - That Woman, Get Your Hands Off My Brother!
The moonlight was like water, chasing away the last vestiges of the day's heat.
Artoria recalled her adoptive brother's performance on the battlefield during the day. Although she had always believed in the boy's strength, a trace of worry still lingered, and she hoped to persuade him to be more careful in the future.
And so, after finishing her official duties, she did not hesitate for long before heading toward Aozaki Rin's room.
Of course, she wasn't coming over entirely to lecture him; she also wanted to thank him.
However, just as Artoria arrived outside the boy's door, a slight smile on her lips, a sudden, charming moan drifted out from within the room, causing her face to instantly freeze.
But she quickly told herself that she must have misheard.
After all, her adoptive brother was pure of heart and innocent of character; how could he possibly bring a woman back to his room at night?
However, in the next second, another moan sounded, immediately shattering the girl's fleeting hope.
Artoria's hand, raised in mid-air to push open the door, trembled slightly. The ahoge on her head began to spin around in confusion as she let out a dry laugh.
"Ha, hahaha, I must have heard wrong. That must have been the sound of the wind, yes, that must be it..."
"Ah~?!"
"What a joke! You're too young to be doing this sort of thing, En! That woman, get your hands off my little brother—!"
After hearing the third moan, Artoria could finally no longer deceive herself. She kicked the door open directly and burst into the room, Sword in the Stone in hand, radiating killing intent.
And then, she saw him. One hand was holding a rope-like bedsheet, the other was gripping Durandal, and his knee was pressed firmly into the small of a woman's back. Seemingly startled by her intrusion, he was now facing her with a puzzled expression, blinking his eyes.
"Sister?"
Startled by Artoria's entrance, Aozaki Rin was, in fact, more shocked by the strange sounds Morgan had suddenly made earlier.
It had scared him into thinking she had suddenly been struck by some strange illness, that she was in physical discomfort, which was why she was making such noises.
But after his sister burst in, the woman he was pinning down immediately stopped her cries, merely letting out a cold snort, which left him thoroughly confused.
Artoria blinked as if stunned. She had expected to see a scene she absolutely did not want to see upon entering, but she had never imagined the reality would be like this.
After coming to her senses, she understood. The boy certainly hadn't brought a woman back to his room at night like Merlin would; rather, he had been attacked by an assassin!
"Shameless woman..."
Artoria let out a soft snort, her gaze turning icy as she looked at the woman pinned to the floor by the boy. But her attention quickly shifted to Aozaki Rin's safety.
"En, are you okay? This assassin didn't do anything strange to you, did she?"
"...No. She just wanted to take me away. Also, strictly speaking, she's not really an assassin, because she's actually related to you, Sister."
Aozaki Rin shook his head to indicate he was fine and, after some deliberation, explained.
"Related to me... Wait a minute!"
Suddenly realizing that the boy had addressed her as "Sister" and not "My King," Artoria understood at once.
The boy would never make such a mistake. The only reason he wouldn't use the title "My King" as he did in front of others was that the woman before them must already know her true identity.
A bad premonition and a sense of crisis crept up her spine. Artoria's fine brows knitted together, and with a dignified air, she pointed the Sword in the Stone at the woman beneath Aozaki Rin and demanded.
"Who are you? Who sent you!?"
"Sister, this lady is actually your sister..."
Hearing his sister's emotionally charged questioning, Aozaki Rin could understand her worry. After all, the secret of her gender was tied to the stability of the throne.
To be fair, when he had first entered the room, Aozaki Rin had failed to immediately see through Morgan's disguise and had thus exposed his sister's true gender. Through their subsequent conversation, however, he understood that Morgan must have known his sister's real identity from a long time ago, which was why she had deliberately disguised herself in that way to get close to him.
But in any case, this was still a mistake on his part. Feeling a sense of apology in his heart, Aozaki Rin decided that after this matter was settled, he would properly apologize to his sister.
Artoria, standing to the side, had a momentary look of bewilderment in her eyes after hearing the boy's answer.
—My sister?
But immediately after, she saw that the woman being restrained by Aozaki Rin had a face that was remarkably similar to her own and was glaring at her fiercely.
Subconsciously, the girl recalled what Merlin had once told her.
—[Artoria, in truth, the former King Uther had another daughter, and she was born before you. Which is to say, you actually have an older sister. But that woman is troublesome in various ways. If possible, it would be best for you to avoid contact with her in the future.]
"R-Royal Sister?! Why are you here?"
Connecting reality with Merlin's words, Artoria's pretty face was filled with disbelief.
"...Pah. Who's your Royal Sister? I don't remember having a sister like you."
Because the boy had loosened his grip slightly, Morgan spat out the bedsheet that had been stuffed in her mouth, glancing at Artoria with a look of disdain.
This, in turn, provoked Artoria's temper. After all, she had run over to find Aozaki Rin late at night, only to be hit with a psychological blow before she even saw him, and then to learn that the boy had been attacked by an "assassin."
Although the truth was now clear, her mood was not so good.
"Is that so... Hmph, fine. I don't think a lewd woman like you could be my Royal Sister either."
"Calling me lewd? Hehe, I wonder who it was that just burst in here looking like they were catching a cheating spouse. It's hard to say who's the one with the dirty mind."
Morgan let out a few cold laughs, her gaze seemingly seeing through everything as she stared directly at Artoria, causing the girl's face to stiffen for a moment.
"Th-That was just a sister's concern for her brother! Do you think you can shake me with words like that!?"
As if to prove her words, Artoria aimed the blade of the Sword in the Stone at Morgan, her expression firm. For some reason, however, the ahoge on her head curled into a tight ball in a fluster.
"Heh, I'll just take your word for it then."
Morgan scoffed, completely unafraid of the blade before her eyes. Instead, she continued to provoke her.
"Speaking of which, while you may not be much of anything, your luck is quite good. To actually have a little brother who feels so good to the touch."
—Feels so good to the touch?
"Wh-What?! You woman, you really did... to En..."
Losing her composure for the first time since becoming king, Artoria subconsciously lifted the sword in her hand, until a youthful voice interrupted her.
"Um, I know this might not be the right time, but could I ask a question?"
Aozaki Rin raised a hand, blinked his eyes, and with a puzzled look on his small face, tilted his head and asked.
"Excuse me, what does 'catching a cheating spouse' mean?"
In an instant, the two women in the room, who had been at each other's throats, fell silent.
-------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (60 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (60 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (60 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (31 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (120 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it.