No Skipping Church

Nellie: Were you down at the church again today, Mell?

Mell: Yeah. There was something I didn't know how to translate, so I went to look it up.

Nellie: Wow, so diligent. I can't say I really like the priest there, personally.

Mell: Actually... I kind of feel the same way.

Nellie: What? Really?! Why?

Mell: Well, you know. I have my reasons.

Nellie: Mmm...

Nellie: Hehe. So even you don't always like the priest, huh?

Nellie: Let's skip Mass on Sunday, then! We can go play—

Mell: No skipping church.

As grew the brother, so too did the sister. That day, Nellie would be turning fourteen. And Mell, three years her senior, was seventeen.

You saw it with your own eyes, so you know just how much she has changed. She was always a cute little girl, and she grew into an even more beautiful young woman.

Though she was only fourteen, she was well on her way to becoming a fine lady.

As for her character, well...

Hehehe. But a girl like that has her own charms, would you not say?

Drifting down the river of time, the two siblings matured into healthy young adults, but the core of their relationship did not change in the slightest.

Nellie was very much attached to her brother, and as much as Mell complained, he still cared deeply for his sister.

Around the time the sun had begun to set, carriages started lining up outside as well-dressed aristocrats made their way into the house. 

As Nellie had suspected, the majority of them were boys.

——————

???: Yes, I understand. You don't need to say anything more.

???: Rose Manor, right? Okay, we'll go together.

???: Me, alone? No, please don't make me...

???: ........

???: The inhabitants of Rose Manor...

???: are surely living quite contented lives.

???: And I'm sure they don't remember a thing...