Kikyo sat facing the lamplight, a half-finished black garment draped over one hand, while the other clumsily guided a needle and thread. She was trying to sew, but her technique was far from perfect; her fingers had already been pricked several times.
Beside her, Kaede gazed intently at the moths fluttering around the oil lamp's glow. Kikyo lifted her head slightly, frowning as she pondered something. After a moment of thought, she gave up and sighed.
"Go and ask Brother Sebastian tomorrow," she said.
Receiving no answer, Kaede drew her eyes away from the lamp, disappointment clouding her youthful curiosity. She decided she'd ask Sebastian herself when she saw him next. At her age, the world brimmed with questions, and in her heart, Sebastian was a wise, all-knowing figure.
A small smile crept across Kaede's lips as she turned toward her sister. Yet, upon seeing Kikyo's fingers jabbed again by the needle, she winced as though feeling the sting herself. Her face twisted into an exaggerated expression of pain, even more dramatic than Kikyo's.
As the village's admired priestess, Kikyo's status stood second only to Sebastian's. Tasks like sewing were beneath her station. Most villagers now relied on the high-tech tools Sebastian had introduced, with mechanical looms replacing manual work long ago.
So Kaede couldn't help but ask, "Sister, why are you making your own clothes?"
"I heard from the aunts in the village that if you want to be a good wife, you must know how to sew," Kikyo replied, her tone steady though her hands were clumsy. She ignored the pricks and the pain, her attention fixed on every stitch.
When Kaede moved the lamp closer to help, Kikyo smiled softly. "Once I learn, I'll make you a pretty little dress, Kaede."
"Thank you, sister! Kaede wants one with colorful patterns and butterflies!" she squealed, twirling in delight. Her fingers fidgeted as she imagined the dress in vivid detail.
"Then you'll have to wait until I get better at this," Kikyo teased.
Kaede paused mid-smile, her expression turning sly. Her eyes glittered with curiosity as she leaned closer. "Sister… do you want to marry Brother Sebastian?"
"Don't, don't say nonsense! I don't have such thoughts!" Kikyo stammered, her face instantly flushing. She nearly pricked her finger again, her heart racing like a startled child caught in a lie. After spending so much time with Sebastian, how could she deny the faint stir in her heart?
"Kaede, what are you talking about!" Kikyo protested.
"Sister, I'm right!"
"Watch me teach you a lesson!"
Setting aside her sewing, Kikyo lunged playfully at Kaede. The two sisters tumbled across the bed, laughter filling the room.
"My sister is learning to make clothes for Brother Sebastian, uh! Stop, stop!" Kaede squealed as Kikyo pinned her and tickled her mercilessly.
Kaede's giggles echoed uncontrollably as she tried to escape. "Okay, okay, I give up! I won't say it again!"
"I can't let you off that easily," Kikyo declared with mock seriousness, pouncing again as Kaede shrieked with laughter.
Then Kaede suddenly grew serious. "Sister, you should be careful; you have a lot of competition."
Kikyo froze mid-tickle. "What do you mean?"
"Have you forgotten Sister Ram's attitude toward Brother Sebastian?" Kaede said thoughtfully. "She doesn't even let strangers near him."
Kikyo blinked, recalling Ram's fierce protectiveness.
"Not just her," Kaede continued, counting on her fingers, "There's Sister Esdeath, Sister Beatrice, Sister Ristarte... so many!"
Kikyo felt her cheeks warm again.
"Sister, you've got a long road ahead," Kaede said like a little adult, patting Kikyo's shoulder. "But don't worry, your loyal little sister will support you."
"Thank you, Kaede." Kikyo smiled, touched, until realization struck. Wait... wasn't that practically an admission?
Kaede smirked. "Sister, you just slipped up!"
"Kaede!"
A week slipped by in a blink. During those quiet days, the uneasy calm finally broke. Restless monsters, unable to contain their hunger, launched an attack on the outskirts.
Though their numbers were great, their assault was meaningless; Sebastian didn't even need to intervene for them to be annihilated.
After more than ten days of clear skies, the heavens finally opened. Torrents poured down in sheets, turning the world gray.
"Boom!" A flash of lightning tore across the sky, followed by a deafening crack of thunder. The thick storm clouds pressed low, suffocating the air itself.
"It seems some decent opponents have finally arrived," Sebastian murmured, a faint smile tugging at his lips. It had been a long time since he'd drawn his blade; perhaps now, he thought, it was time to stretch his muscles again.