“Hum, hum, hummm♪”
Early morning at House Bradley.
It was currently just before five o'clock. Having risen early, Rebecca had immediately begun her preparations.
She had picked out her clothes the night before, so she was currently occupied with meticulously styling her hair.
With the Carol Festival approaching, Rebecca had returned to her family home for the holidays.
“...Yawn. Wait, Big Sister? What are you doing up so early?”
Maria entered the room. She was not a morning person and usually slept until nearly noon on her days off. She had simply been on her way to the restroom when she spotted Rebecca and decided to speak up.
“Ehehe... Well, actually—”
Rebecca’s expression softened into a smile as she explained that she was going on a date alone with Ray today. She looked truly, heart-wrenchingly happy.
Seeing her sister in such a state, Maria let out a long sigh.
“Hah. Well, you look like you’re having fun, so that’s good.”
“A-Actually... I even put a lot of effort into my underwear today...!”
“Eh... Underwear? You mean, like, your winning underwear...?”
Maria wore a look of utter amazement. Even she could understand why Rebecca would be so fastidious about her lingerie for today.
“W-Well... I mean... Y-You never know what might happen, right?”
Rebecca twirled a strand of her glossy black hair around her index finger, her face flushing a deep cherry-blossom pink.
Hearing this, Maria couldn’t help but raise her voice in shock.
“Whaaaaaaaat!? You mean you’re going to do that with Ray...!!?”
“I-It’s not like anything is decided! But, well... j-just in case!”
“Seriously? I mean... I really can’t imagine Ray doing something like that, though.”
“...”
Rebecca’s face instantly turned pale. Initially, she had only prepared it as a remote possibility.
She had merely been thinking that it would be nice if something happened, or wondering what she would do if it did. But once Maria pointed it out... she realized she truly couldn't imagine Ray actually making a move.
“...Well, it’s just for the sake of preparation!!”
“Big Sister, you’ve really changed, haven't you?”
Maria muttered the thought aloud as it crossed her mind.
“D-Do you think so?”
“Yeah. But I like the way you are now, too. Good luck.”
With that, Maria briskly walked away.
“Right! I have to work hard on my preparations!”
Steeling her resolve, Rebecca began her preparations with even more care. First, she tied her hair up, leaving a few elegant strands hanging down at the sides. She also applied a subtle amount of oil to her locks.
Her hair, glowing with a beautiful luster, took on a somewhat bewitching appearance.
She applied a light touch of makeup, keeping it within the realm of the absolute minimum. Since she wanted to show Ray a clean, refined side of herself, Rebecca had decided on a natural look.
Afterward, she carefully checked her underwear once more. Since she was wearing her winning underwear today, she had chosen a brand-new, matching set of pure white.
As for her clothes, she wore a pure white blouse paired with a black miniskirt—though it was quite cold for the season. For her outer layer, she selected a snow-white coat.
Her appearance, clearly the result of immense effort, was striking enough that ten out of ten people on the street would likely stop to stare.
Even those who were unaware she was the daughter of one of the Three Great Noble Families would be captivated by her beauty.
“Alright. I’ll do my best today!”
After psyching herself up, Rebecca headed toward the meeting place a full hour earlier than scheduled.
◇
Quite a bit of snow had evidently fallen last night, as a world of silver stretched as far as the eye could see once she stepped outside.
The sound of crunching snow echoed with every step. Rebecca moved forward, taking the utmost care not to slip on the icy patches.
She wore a muffler and gloves, so her cold-weather protection was solid, but the supple legs extending from her miniskirt had turned slightly red from the biting chill.
However, beauty demanded endurance.
For her, wanting to show Ray her most beautiful self, this level of cold was well within the limits of what she could tolerate.
“...”
She restlessly touched her hair and checked her reflection in a small hand mirror over and over again.
—Yes. There shouldn't be anything out of place. I'm okay, I'm definitely okay...!
While she was busy calming her nerves, the figures that entered her field of vision... were not Ray.
“Amelia-san? And Ariane-san, too...?”
Rebecca stood there blankly. It was only natural; Ray was supposed to meet her here for a date that was intended for just the two of them.
“Um... why are the two of you here?”
A smile. She wore her usual, incredibly beautiful and charming face, but it radiated an overwhelming pressure. Just a tiny bit of Prima Materia was beginning to leak from her form.
“Hah... from the looks of it, you really had no idea.”
“Indeed. That Ray is truly a sinful man.”
Both of them let out a heavy sigh.
Seeing their reactions, Rebecca arrived at a single, devastating truth.
Yes. Rebecca had never actually said a single word about going out with just the two of them.
Going out as a pair during the Carol Festival was a sort of implicit understanding.
Rebecca’s only failure was that she hadn't double-checked the details thoroughly.
In truth, she had been so nervous and had summoned such a great deal of resolve just to invite Ray that she had been in quite a panic at the time.
That was why, once Ray said it was fine, the specifics had completely slipped her mind.
If she had explicitly said they were going as a pair, Ray surely would have agreed...
“C-Could it be... were you both invited by Ray-san?” she asked in a trembling voice.
Perhaps sympathizing with Rebecca, Amelia responded with a look of pity.
“Yes. By the way, it's not just us; plenty of others are coming, too.”
“Ah... ahh... aah...!”
She began to shake with frustration.
What was the point of her life-or-death resolve back then? What was the point of her efforts in the small hours of the morning? What was the point of getting her winning underwear ready?
Despite loving Ray, she had been blinded by affection and overlooked a crucial fact.
Ray was... an incorrigible blockhead to the core.
“Rebecca-senpai. You can’t just try to steal a march on us all by yourself, you know?”
It was a declaration of war. Amelia had come here specifically to keep her in check. Naturally, Ariane felt the same.
“That is correct! We cannot allow you to get ahead of us on your own!”
Hearing them say that, Rebecca was not about to stay silent. She immediately looked up and stared at the two of them with narrowed eyes.
“...Ahem. It seems today’s situation is a tragic misunderstanding. Very well. It is one of Ray-san’s virtues, after all. Knowing him, he likely thought it would be better if we all went out together. He really is so thoughtful toward his ‘friends.’”
Amelia and Ariane did not fail to notice the deliberate, sharp emphasis she placed on the word ‘friends.’
“Heh... well, I suppose so. Ray certainly is thoughtful toward his ‘friends’...”
“I shall prove that I can go further than just being a friend!”
The three of them then stood still, glaring at one another in the snow.
“““...”””
They poured strength into their gazes, each possessed by a spirit that refused to yield a single inch. Although things had turned out this way, it was still a special day.
If one could take a significant lead here, it might greatly change the course of future developments.
A sort of war between the daughters of the Three Great Noble Families was about to begin.
“I thought I left early, but I guess I wasn't the first one here.”
The one who arrived was Ray. Unlike his usual attire, he was in casual clothes today. He wore navy pants and a black long coat. He appeared to be wearing a jacket under the coat, making him look more mature than usual.
As they caught sight of him, the battle finally began in earnest.
One had to wonder if Ray would be able to make it back home safely...