Paradox

Chapter 3

"Hm? Wait," I paused for a minute and curled my fingers under my chin. "I live alone and I don't have any automated home appliance except for the cleaning and security bots." I listed down all the other possibilities that would contribute to the phenomenon in my kitchen.

"Don't tell me—!"

I jumped out of my bed and dashed all the way to where I heard the commotion. My heart was racing for what might be in-between excitement and uncertainty. I leaped at the last turn of the hallway and—

"Minoru!"

At the sound of his name being called, the man named Minoru turned around and smiled. "Marian-nee, long time no see." He said while putting down the plate on the dining table. His dashing smile made me contemplate whether I should reprimand him or be happy that he's here.

Ahem.

"He's not the only one here though." A voice came up behind me.

I swiftly turned my attention to the new arrival and saw a grown woman leaning against the door frame. She was closing one of her eye as she kept her eyes on me. My eyes twinkled for one moment until I realized that I was about to fall into one of her tricks.

I slouched with my mouth hanging low. "Eh~ you're here too, Kyouko-nee?" I remarked, pretending to be uninterested. A snicker from Minoru was enough to inform me that my act was good. My inner self buffed her chest like a proud woman as she is. If it wasn't for the light smack behind my head, this ego would've inflated.

"Now, now, Marian-nee, you shouldn't bully our sister like that." Minoru slung an arm around me and placed all his weight on me. I groaned at the sudden heavy feeling I got from him—which almost toppled me over.

I was about to retort when I caught him giving a stern eye contact to our older cousin. His lips formed a thin line and his grip around my shoulder tightened for a millisecond. Without giving off another word, he led me to a chair and urged me to sit down. After, he sat down beside me and dragged a plate of pancake and bacon.

"Well then, I'll leave Minoru in your care for today, Marian."

We looked at Kyouko-nee, who already had a bag and a long coat on her arms. She took her wallet from her purse, opened it and left some banknotes on the counter.

"Eh? What about school?" I asked before she could leave the room. She raised her arm without looking at us and told me not to worry. I glared at the man beside me which he, in turn, blocked with his hands.

"Things have blown up thanks to what you did last night." She announced.

A small 'oh' left my mouth. It took a moment for it to sink in but it did definitely hit something. 'Was the commander quite displeased with my manners last night?' I asked myself.

"That, and the fact that you used a high grade spell out of nowhere." She answered as if she had read my mind. We sighed in defeat and from the thought of having to face leaders that are far worse than Major Kazama.

"Err...is grandpa..."

"The geezer's fine. But as for..."

The way Kyouko-nee's voice trailed off made me worry about my future. She forced a light smile but it made me notice the way she glanced at Minoru. The latter heaved a heavy sigh. His firm hand ruffled my hair and said, "I'll do something about father."