Although Sam and Noelle were often in ‘disharmony’, it was more due to their contrasting personalities than any actual conflict or misunderstanding. After all, the two of them knew each other quite well, better than many actual pairs of siblings.
Whether it was due to their mutual understanding or Noelle’s generally flexible attitude, Sam hadn’t actually had many opportunities to actually face off against the older girl’s stubborn side. But looking at her current ‘uncompromising’ stance, the taller girl couldn’t help but wish she hadn’t had such a rare opportunity at all.
The two of them stared at each other in tense silence before Sam sighed and motioned for the older girl to take a seat.
Noelle’s expression didn’t change at all as she did as she was told. “Is there anything you need from me?”
Sam frowned as she saw her still indifferent expression. “What’s up with you today?”
The gray-haired girl raised a brow curiously. “What do you mean? Speak clearly.”
Sam couldn’t help but run a hand through her shoulder length hair in exasperation. “Oh, come on… Do I really need to say it? How can you treat my little baby like that?!”
Hearing the whining tone of her ‘boss’, Noelle couldn’t help but sigh. ‘These two sisters… why are they both so childish?’
Of course, although she knew both of them would be pacified with a few sweet words, Noelle decided some bitter medicine would suit them better. Even if it made her their ‘enemy’, it was for their own good.
The gray-haired girl nodded to herself before fixing Samantha with a meaningful stare. “How old are you, Sam?”
The taller girl blinked. “Huh? What does that have anything to do with—”
Noelle smiled. “You’ll be thirty in a few more years, you know?”
”…!”
The older girl gave her a ‘disappointed’ look. “When are you going to grow up?”
Sam grit her teeth in rage as she glared at the gray-haired girl. “Miss Noelle, just because you colored your hair like that doesn’t make you an ‘elder’, okay? Even you haven’t hit thirty yet, and I’m way younger than you!”
Noelle couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “I’ll be thirty before you know it, and three years after that, so will you! As for that little sister of yours… well, she’ll be twenty soon, and your parents will start considering her marriage. Are the two of you going to stay as ‘children’ forever?”
Sam coughed. “W-Well, y-you don’t have to worry about Emilia’s marriage, our parents won’t interfere.”
”…?”
Seeing her ‘doubtful’ expression, Sam could only clear her throat awkwardly. “A-Anyway, let’s just say that my little baby can grow at her leisure. I, as her big sister, will be the mighty tree that shields her from the scorching sun all the way!”
Noelle sighed. “See, that attitude right there, that’s the problem. If you want your ‘little baby’ to grow up, you can’t keep coddling her forever. Or could it be… are you afraid of being unable to take advantage of her if she gains some maturity?”
Sam’s expression twisted immediately. “What nonsense—?!”
She couldn’t believe that Noelle still thought she would harm her little sister in any way. After all, whether it was Danielle or Emilia, they were both extremely precious to her, in different ways.
Noelle chuckled, not minding her enraged expression at all. “Can you really say with clear conscience that you’ve never taken advantage of her? Be honest.”
The taller girl couldn’t help but be stunned.
Naturally, before they ‘got together’, there had been numerous occasions where she had tried to go as far as she believed she could with their ‘sisterly’ relationship.
Just because Emilia never considered it as ‘taking advantage’, Sam couldn’t say she had never done so with a clear conscience.
Seeing the guilty look on her face, Noelle sighed. “See what I mean?”
Sam couldn’t help but bite her lip as she turned her head away from the older girl. “B-But you can’t say I don’t love her!”
Noelle nodded. “Yes you do, you love her too much, but isn’t that a problem in itself?”
The taller girl could only pout helplessly. “I-I don’t care about that, and neither does Emilia, so who cares?! A-Anyway, you didn’t mind it so much either, r-right? Why are you being like this now?”
Noelle sighed. “I don’t know how you misunderstood me, but I’ve supported neither your perverted pursuit nor Emilia’s overindulgence. I just couldn’t find a way to stop you. As for what changed… Well, I wasn’t directly involved before, but unfortunately, now that is no longer the case.”
Sam sneered. “Oh? Then shouldn’t you have just kept out of it if you were so unwilling?”
Noelle almost rolled her eyes. ‘Is it so easy to resist that kind of temptation? I would have if I could!’
Of course, she believed Sam knew that better than anyone else, so neither of them needed to say it out loud.
In the end, Sam could only roll her eyes angrily. “Really, the last person I expected to see throwing a tantrum was you, but the day really came!”
Noelle sighed. “Am I throwing a tantrum?”
Sam frowned at the older girl disapprovingly. “What else are you doing, then?”
Noelle pursed her lips in thought before shaking her head in defeat.
Seeing her act this way, Sam sneered. “I have no idea what’s going on in your head right now, but if you want Emilia to give everything up for you… let me just say this, you’re dreaming. All you’ll manage to do is hurt her, but that’s all. Is that what you want?”
Silence reigned between the two of them for the next few minutes, but although Sam regretted it a little, she refused to take her words back.
In the end, Noelle just gave her a somewhat bleak smile. “Well, boss, looks like you’ve really grown a lot in the past few years, haven’t you? You really think I’ll hurt you or your sister?”
Sam hurriedly shook her head in denial. “No! I never said that. Don’t you know it better than anyone else how much trust we place in you?”
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