January 4th.
Evi would be returning tomorrow. This spacious room was honestly a bit much for me to handle all by myself.
I had no particular plans for the day and was settling in to read as usual when a knock sounded at my door.
I felt like I’d been having a lot of visitors lately. Most of them were Princess Olivia, though; she was the only one who ever showed up without an appointment.
I assumed this time would be no different, but my prediction turned out to be wrong.
"Ray! I need to talk to you!"
Pure white hair and a row of piercings in her ears—standing there was none other than Maria. We had run into each other frequently in the city, but this was the first time she had ever come to visit me like this.
"What's wrong? You seem flustered."
"I have something to discuss. Can I come in?"
She carried a sharp, intense aura. Her attitude left no room for refusal, so I stepped aside and let her in.
Once inside, I sat down at the table across from her.
"I'll get straight to the point," she said.
"All right."
"Who exactly is Lily-oneesama?"
"..."
It wasn't time to panic yet.
Calm down, Ray.
I had known this confrontation was inevitable. I had already considered the possibility that my secret would be exposed once Maria enrolled in the Arnold Magic Academy.
The current situation was simply the result of me procrastinating on the truth.
She stared at me with an unwavering, serious gaze. I, on the other hand, couldn't stop the cold sweat from breaking out.
"See, I got curious and did some digging," Maria continued. "I figured it would be good to know since I'm enrolling next year. I looked to see which class Big Sister is in at this Academy."
"A-Ah..."
"She's not here. So then I checked to see if she was at a different Academy, but she's not there either. Tell me, is Big Sister really a student? For that matter... is she really your younger sister, Ray...?"
I looked up at the ceiling.
Closing my eyes, I steeled my resolve. There was no way I was going to escape Maria's scrutiny now. It was time to apologize with the utmost sincerity.
Maria would surely be shocked. I could tell from her behavior just how much she respected Lily.
But to keep piling lies on top of lies... that would be a grave sin.
I had to make my choice.
"Maria. I'm sorry."
"Eh? Wha—what's wrong? Why are you bowing your head like that?"
I pressed my forehead against the table and offered my apology. Without looking up, I confessed the truth.
"Lily White is a fictional person."
"A fictional person...? But I've met her so many times...?"
I raised my head. Her eyes were wide, and she looked completely bewildered.
"It would be better to show you proof. Please wait a moment."
I made my decision.
Using the disguise kit I kept with me, I quickly transformed into Lily. It pained me to show her this form under these circumstances, but deceiving her any further would be a disservice to Maria.
I had to face her with total honesty.
"Eh...!!? B-Big Sister!!? Why are you here...!?"
"Maria-san..."
I had already switched my voice to my feminine one. I reached out and gently placed both hands on her shoulders.
"Ray disappeared, and Big Sister appeared...? Wait. Does that mean..."
She was beginning to piece it together. Though she was clearly agitated, she had likely already reached the logical conclusion.
"Maria-san, please listen carefully."
"Yes... Big Sister."
"I am... Ray White."
The moment those words left my lips, Maria fell silent.
About five minutes passed in total stillness. Finally, Maria managed to find her voice.
"Um. Could you say that one more time?"
"I am... Ray White."
"R-Ray? But your physique and your voice are totally different..."
"I'm manipulating both with magic."
"M-Magic...!!?"
"I'm sorry for deceiving you for so long. I am truly, truly sorry..."
I bowed my head. I knew I had to keep apologizing until she was satisfied.
"Um... so, can you use your usual voice too?"
Her eyes wavered with a mix of expectation and dread.
If this was what Maria wanted, then I had to comply, even in this form.
"Yes. I can speak with my normal voice as well."
"A... ah... It really is you, Ray?"
"I'm sorry. I am, without a doubt, Ray White."
"...Kyuu."
Letting out a strange little squeak, Maria lost consciousness and collapsed.
"Maria!? Are you all right!!?"
After that, I laid Maria down on my bed. I intended to stay by her side until she woke up. I supposed the shock had just been too much for her to handle.
It really must have been a massive impact.
While she was unconscious, I reverted to my male form. It would have been too cruel to make her wake up to that appearance again.
"U... ugh... Big Sister..."
"Maria. Are you awake?"
"Ah, Ray... then it wasn't a dream."
"I'm sorry..."
Maria sat up, and we faced each other once more.
"...So Big Sister was actually Ray."
"Yeah. I once had to dress as a woman for an infiltration mission. This was essentially an extension of that."
"I see. So that's how it is."
"I'm so sorry... I don't even know how to make it up to you. For now, I promise I'll never appear before you in that form again."
When I said that, Maria’s expression went completely blank.
"Wait. Does that mean I won't ever get to see Big Sister again?"
"That would be the case, yes."
"I won't allow it!!"
She slammed her hand down on the bed. Her anger wasn't directed at me—it was directed at the idea of never seeing Lily again.
"Hold on. Let me organize my thoughts."
"A-Ah, okay."
Maria pressed a hand to her forehead, her brow furrowed in deep concentration. Then, with her eyes still closed, she spoke.
"I was thinking... if I ask you to, will you become Big Sister?"
"I don't mind doing it, but... wouldn't that be unpleasant for you?"
"...That's that, and this is this. Even if I know it's you, Ray, Big Sister is still Big Sister to me. Besides, Big Sister has taken such good care of me. I worked so hard to get into this Academy specifically for Big Sister's sake..."
"I'm so incredibly sorry..."
"Geez! Stop apologizing! It's fine! I was the one getting all excited on my own anyway. Though, I definitely never dreamed it was a disguise."
She was back to her usual self. I was relieved that she didn't seem to harbor any resentment toward me.
Despite the fact that I'd been lying to her all this time... Maria really was a wonderful person.
"Okay! From now on, Ray, you have to become Big Sister whenever I ask."
"I don't particularly mind, but..."
"And when you're Big Sister, don't use your man's voice. You have to commit to being Big Sister through and through."
"A-Ah... sure."
She brought a hand to her mouth and began muttering under her breath.
"Yeah... yeah... this works. This totally works. In fact, isn't it amazing that I can see Big Sister whenever I want? And besides, is this what they call a 'feminine boy'? Like in those books my Big Sister has... If I look at it that way, it's like two flavors in one? Hehe. Hehehe. This might actually be even better..."
She was speaking with a frighteningly intense look in her eyes.
It seemed like she was talking to herself, so I couldn't catch everything, but she appeared to have successfully pivoted her perspective.
"All right!"
Maria clapped her hands together sharply and stared intently into my eyes.
"From now on, you'll become Big Sister whenever I say so. I won't ask for it all that often."
"A-Ah... okay."
"Also, make sure you dote on me properly when you're Big Sister."
"Um... are you sure about this?"
"I'm sure! In fact, I'm starting to feel like this is a great deal! Anyway, I'm going to go buy some clothes that will look good on Big Sister! See ya!"
I stood there in a daze, watching her dash out of the room.
It had been like a whirlwind. Even if I hadn't been scolded, was this really okay...?
At the time, I had no idea that my careless agreement would lead to such deep regret once I became a second-year student.