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Chapter 272 - Luvia's Care/A Secret Between Sisters/Mr. Ghost is a Good Person!

[Because Luvia insisted so strongly, things suddenly became easy.]

[Tohsaka Tokiomi wasn't troubled by the Edelfelt family anymore.]

[Tohsaka Sakura was able to stay in Finland because of this.]

[Usually, when a child is adopted by another family, they should take a new name.]

[But because Luvia insisted, Tohsaka Sakura was a special case. She had two names at the same time.]

[One name was Sakura Edelfelt.]

[And the other was her original name, Tohsaka Sakura.]

[According to Luvia herself, this was to always remind Tohsaka Sakura to know who she was.]

[She wasn't really a person from the Edelfelt family.]

[But the real reason was that Tohsaka Sakura didn't want to change her name.]

[Even though her father sent her to Finland, she always thought of herself as a child of the Tohsaka family.]

[Luvia really respected this feeling of loyalty to her family.]

[So, she secretly helped her stepsister with this.]

Even though Tohsaka Sakura and Luvia became sisters in name because of the adoption, most people saw the Finnish young lady treating Tohsaka Sakura more like her servant.

At least—

That's how it seemed in the clothing store.

"Here!" Luvia said, throwing a piece of clothing at Sakura. Her tone was bossy, but there was a hint of excitement in her eyes as well. She was enjoying picking out things for Sakura.

"Eh, okay!" Sakura replied, catching the garment. She looked a little surprised by the suddenness but held it carefully. She wondered what kind of clothes Luvia was choosing.

"Take this too!" Luvia said again, tossing another item. She was quickly gathering a large pile of clothes, her enthusiasm growing with each new find.

"Got it!" Sakura responded, her arms starting to fill up. She tried her best to hold onto everything without dropping anything.

"And this one!" Luvia exclaimed, adding yet another piece to the growing mountain. She seemed determined to buy a whole new wardrobe for Sakura.

"Understood!" Sakura replied, her voice a little strained. The pile of clothes was getting quite heavy, and she was starting to feel a bit tired.

Luvia bought a whole bunch of clothes all at once and then threw them all into Tohsaka Sakura's hands, making a small mountain of fabric.

Sakura held these things, panting a little from the effort. She wobbled slightly under the weight, but she didn't complain.

But she wasn't angry. Instead, she felt a little happy.

After all, in a way, Luvia giving her orders like this meant that she was accepting her. It was a strange kind of welcome, but Sakura understood the underlying kindness.

"Luvia-san, you're so rich!"

Tohsaka Sakura peeked her head out from behind the small mountain of clothes, her eyes wide with admiration. She couldn't believe how many things Luvia was buying.

"You can buy so many clothes all at once~" Sakura said, her voice filled with genuine awe. She had never seen anyone buy so many clothes at one time.

"Hmm?"

Luvia turned her head, looking at her foster sister Tohsaka Sakura with confusion. She had been so focused on picking out the clothes that she hadn't paid much attention to Sakura's reaction.

"What are you talking about? These aren't my clothes." Luvia said, a puzzled look on her face. She assumed Sakura knew who the clothes were for.

This was completely different from what she had thought. Tohsaka Sakura became confused. She had assumed all these expensive clothes were for Luvia herself.

"Not your clothes?! Then whose could they be?" Sakura asked, tilting her head in bewilderment. She couldn't imagine who else they would belong to.

"You really are an idiot."

Luvia put her hands on her hips, looking a little exasperated. She couldn't believe Sakura hadn't figured it out yet.

"There are only two of us here. If they're not mine, then of course they're yours!" Luvia explained, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Eh—?!"

Hearing this surprising news, Tohsaka Sakura's hand shook, and she almost dropped all the clothes. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

She quickly shook her head to refuse. She couldn't possibly accept such expensive gifts.

"No, I can't take these clothes! And... why did you buy clothes for me?!" Sakura asked, her voice filled with a mix of surprise and concern. She didn't understand why Luvia would do this.

"Stop talking nonsense." Luvia's attitude was very firm. She didn't want to hear any objections.

"I already bought them all. You don't expect me to go back and return them now, do you?" Luvia said, raising an eyebrow. The thought of returning the items was ridiculous to her.

"Let me tell you, I would never do something so embarrassing!" Luvia declared, crossing her arms. She had her pride as a young lady of the Edelfelt family.

"And—"

Luvia stared at her stepsister, looking very commanding. She wanted to make sure Sakura understood her intentions.

"Do you not like the things I bought for you? Or do you think the things we have in Finland are not as good as the things in Japan?" Luvia asked, her tone challenging. She wanted to know if Sakura had any hidden complaints.

"That's not what I meant!" Tohsaka Sakura quickly shook her head. She didn't want Luvia to misunderstand her feelings.

"Then that's settled." Luvia crossed her arms. She had made her point and expected Sakura to accept it.

"Since you don't dislike them, and I'm willing to pay for them, then there's no problem at all, right?" Luvia said, her logic seeming airtight to her.

Faced with Luvia's perfect circle of logic, Tohsaka Sakura couldn't think of anything to say to argue. She felt a little overwhelmed by Luvia's generosity and forceful personality.

But she was still a little worried. "But—"

"No 'buts'," Luvia said, sounding a little impatient. She didn't want to hear any more hesitation.

"Let me tell you, if you want to keep living in my house, you have to listen to me obediently." Luvia declared, her voice leaving no room for argument.

"Now, right now, go and try on all these clothes! Understand?" Luvia pointed towards the fitting rooms, her expression stern.

"Y-yes, I understand!"

Even though it was an order, Tohsaka Sakura felt very happy inside when she heard these words. She carefully gathered the clothes in her arms.

*Is this what it's like to have an older sister?*

The little girl thought to herself, defining Luvia in her mind. A small smile appeared on the corner of her lips without her even realizing it.

[Even though Luvia's actions were very forceful and bossy.]

[She was truly kind to Tohsaka Sakura.]

[She was taking care of her stepsister in a very special way, just like a real older sister would.]

"What are you looking at?!"

Luvia scolded the servants in her house. Her voice was sharp and commanding, and the servants quickly looked away.

"Have you finished all your work for today?!" Luvia continued, her eyes scanning the room to make sure everyone was busy.

"If you have, I'll find some more things for you to do right now!" Luvia threatened, her tone leaving no room for doubt.

As soon as she said this, the servants who had been gathered together, pointing and whispering about Tohsaka Sakura, scattered like birds in a panic. They didn't want to attract Luvia's attention.

They were too scared to upset the young lady of the Edelfelt family. After all, she was known to fire anyone who displeased her without hesitation.

Losing their jobs just to gossip for a moment wasn't worth it at all.

After the area became quiet, Luvia patted Tohsaka Sakura's shoulder next to her, trying to comfort her. She knew the servants' whispers could be hurtful.

"You don't have to pay attention to what they say." Luvia said, her voice softer now. She wanted to make sure Sakura wasn't bothered by the servants' behavior.

"They're just bored and like to talk nonsense." Luvia rolled her eyes, showing her disdain for their gossip.

"You... don't take it to heart, okay?" Luvia looked at Sakura with a hint of concern in her eyes.

Knowing that Luvia was trying to comfort her, Tohsaka Sakura felt very happy. This was the third person who cared about her so much, after her parents and Mr. Ghost.

"I know~" Tohsaka Sakura replied with a bright smile. She appreciated Luvia's kindness more than words could say.

"Thank you, Luvia-san." Sakura said, her voice filled with genuine gratitude.

Being thanked like this by Tohsaka Sakura actually made Luvia feel a little embarrassed. She didn't expect such a sincere reaction.

"You, you Japanese idiot, you really think I'm a good person, huh?" Luvia said, turning her head away slightly to hide her blush. She tried to sound annoyed, but there was a hint of a smile on her lips.

"But you are a good person, aren't you, Luvia-san?" Tohsaka Sakura blinked her pretty eyes, looking at Luvia with innocent sincerity. "At least, that's what I think~"

"As expected, Japan is full of idiots" Luvia muttered under her breath, turning her face away. She didn't want Sakura to see her soft expression.

And seeing her like this, Tohsaka Sakura suddenly thought of something. She looked around to make sure no one was listening.

The little girl quietly called out to the voice that only she could hear.

"Ghost-san, are you there?"

"I've been here all along," Mr. Ghost replied instantly, his voice a comforting presence.

"Then—"

"Can I tell Luvia-san about you?" Sakura asked, her voice filled with a mix of excitement and nervousness. She really wanted to share her secret with her new sister.

"..."

[You were a little surprised.]

[You hadn't expected Tohsaka Sakura to have this kind of thought.]

[But having seen how she had been living recently, you knew that even though Luvia's words could be harsh, she was actually very kind to Tohsaka Sakura.]

[So, it wasn't impossible to understand why Tohsaka Sakura would suggest this now. She trusted Luvia.]

[Even though it might be a little dangerous, you decided to help Tohsaka Sakura. You felt she deserved to share her special friend.]

[You agreed to her request.]

"You can," Mr. Ghost replied gently.

"Yay, thank you, Ghost-san!" Tohsaka Sakura said happily to the empty space. She was thrilled that she could share her secret.

This unusual scene was naturally noticed by Luvia. She raised an eyebrow, wondering who Sakura was talking to.

She looked at her stepsister with confusion and then asked:

"Hmm? Who are you talking to?" Luvia's curiosity was piqued. She hadn't seen anyone else around.

"..."

Remembering Mr. Ghost's permission just now, Tohsaka Sakura pulled Luvia to a corner where no one could see them. She looked around to make sure they were truly alone.

"Um—!"

"Luvia-san, there's something I want to tell you!" Sakura said, her voice a little hushed with excitement and nervousness.

"Hmm?" Luvia pulled her hand back, looking at Tohsaka Sakura with a questioning gaze. She wondered what Sakura wanted to talk about so secretly.

"If you have something to say, just say it. Why did you pull me aside so mysteriously?" Luvia asked, a hint of impatience in her voice. She didn't like being kept in the dark.

"Because it's very important, and absolutely no one else can know about it!" Sakura whispered, her eyes wide with the importance of her secret.

"..."

Feeling that Tohsaka Sakura was being very serious, Luvia couldn't help but become serious as well. She leaned in, ready to listen.

"Alright, tell me then," Luvia said, her tone now more intrigued.

"Luvia-san, the thing is..." Sakura began, taking a deep breath before revealing her secret.

[Tohsaka Sakura told Luvia about your existence.]

[But Luvia didn't believe her right away.]

"Huh?"

Luvia frowned slightly, her expression even more confused than before. She couldn't understand what Sakura was talking about.

She reached out and gently touched Tohsaka Sakura's forehead. She wanted to check if Sakura was feeling alright.

"You don't have a fever, do you? Why are you talking nonsense?" Luvia asked, her voice filled with concern. She thought Sakura might be imagining things.

"Eh—?!"

Realizing that Luvia didn't believe her, Tohsaka Sakura became a little anxious. She really wanted Luvia to know the truth.

"Luvia-san, I'm serious!" Sakura insisted, her voice earnest.

"There really is a Ghost-san by my side!" Sakura declared, hoping Luvia would finally believe her.

"..."

Luvia was silent for a moment, thinking about what to say. After considering her words, she spoke again. She wanted to be gentle but also realistic.

"Sakura, I really want to believe you," Luvia said softly, her eyes looking kindly at Sakura.

"But—"

"Don't you think this is a little ridiculous?" Luvia asked, gesturing around to the empty space. She couldn't see anyone or anything.

The Finnish young lady looked behind Tohsaka Sakura—there was nothing there at all. She expected to see some kind of spirit or ghost.

"I... I can't believe it," Luvia admitted, shaking her head slightly. It just sounded too unbelievable.

"This..."

[Luvia's words were all heard by you.]

[You felt that her thoughts were indeed correct. From her point of view, you were an existence that couldn't be seen.]

[Given this, the fact that Luvia could still talk to Tohsaka Sakura like this showed that she was being quite restrained. She wasn't immediately dismissing Sakura as crazy.]

[But this didn't mean you had no way to prove your existence. You knew you could show Luvia that you were real.]

[You told Tohsaka Sakura a way to do this.]

[And she then told it to Luvia.]

"What?"

Luvia looked at Tohsaka Sakura with a puzzled expression. She couldn't understand what Sakura was suggesting.

"You mean you want me to write down a number, and then you can guess what it is without looking directly?" Luvia asked, summarizing Sakura's explanation.

"Yes, yes!" Tohsaka Sakura nodded eagerly. "That way, we can prove that Ghost-san exists, right?!" She looked hopeful that this would convince Luvia.

"..."

Luvia didn't really want to agree to such a strange-sounding way to prove something. It seemed a bit childish.

But seeing the expectant look on Tohsaka Sakura's face, she couldn't bring herself to refuse her stepsister. Sakura looked so hopeful.

After thinking it over, Luvia chose a compromise. She decided to go along with it for now.

"Alright," Luvia said.

"But let's get one thing straight. If you can't guess it, don't keep bothering me to try other ways." Luvia set a clear boundary. She didn't want this to go on forever.

"I won't!" Sakura promised, nodding her head with determination. She was confident that Mr. Ghost would help.

"Okay, let's give it a try then," Luvia said, still feeling quite doubtful. She picked up a pen and a piece of paper.

Luvia, still not really believing, started to test Tohsaka Sakura. She decided to play along for now.

[The result was obvious.]

[After Luvia wrote down a number, she held it up facing Tohsaka Sakura, whose eyes were tightly closed.]

[And you, who could see the number clearly, quickly told Tohsaka Sakura what it was, allowing her to answer correctly without any mistakes.]

[Once could be a coincidence, twice could be good luck.]

[But after three or four times, Luvia gradually realized that something didn't seem right. There was no way Sakura could guess so accurately every time.]

[Her stepsister Tohsaka Sakura could indeed answer every single number correctly. This meant that what she was saying was true!]

"This..."

Even though she was born into a family of magi, the young Luvia couldn't help but be a little surprised by this situation. She had never encountered anything like this before.

"Sakura, there really is a ghost by your side?" Luvia asked, her voice filled with a mix of surprise and disbelief.

"Yes, yes~" Tohsaka Sakura, having successfully proven her point, nodded her head repeatedly. "Luvia-san, you finally believe me, right?" She looked happy that Luvia was finally convinced.

"I have to believe it," Luvia said, her expression a little awkward. "Otherwise, how else can you explain what just happened?" She still felt a bit strange about the whole thing.

"By the way... has he hurt you?" Luvia asked, her tone showing concern for Sakura's well-being.

"Ghost-san would never hurt me," Tohsaka Sakura said with a smile, shaking her head gently. "He's a very good person!" She trusted Mr. Ghost completely.

"And if it wasn't for him... I might not have met Luvia-san!" Sakura added, feeling grateful for Mr. Ghost's help in bringing her to Finland.

"This..."

Luvia's expression gradually softened. She started to accept the idea of a friendly ghost.

"So, he's a good ghost? That's a little better then," Luvia admitted, feeling a bit relieved.

"And according to what you said, I should even thank him, right?" Luvia asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"No, no!" Tohsaka Sakura waved her hands. "He said he's the one who should be saying thank you." She wanted to make sure Luvia understood Mr. Ghost's kindness.

"'Thank you for taking care of Sakura'—that's what he said!" Sakura relayed the message with a sweet smile.

"Eh—?!"

Luvia blushed a little. She was surprised and a bit flustered by this unexpected compliment.

"He really said that?" Luvia asked, looking a little shy. She couldn't believe a ghost would say something so kind.

"Yes!" Tohsaka Sakura nodded firmly. "Ghost-san thinks Luvia-san is a good person." She repeated Mr. Ghost's words with conviction.

"Umm... well, I think so too!" Luvia said, turning her head away slightly to hide her embarrassed smile.

Don't let Luvia's usual bossy and rude behavior fool you. She was actually a very easily touched person. Compliments, especially when they came from her stepsister Tohsaka Sakura and the unseen Ghost-san, made the young lady feel even more shy.

But she didn't want anyone to know how she really felt. So, she flipped her hair and tried to cover it up with a loud laugh.

"Hahahaha~" Luvia laughed loudly, trying to act confident and unaffected.

"Of course!" Luvia declared, striking a proud pose.

"I am the future head of the Edelfelt family, after all!" Luvia reminded Sakura, puffing out her chest a little.

"Yes, the future head!" Tohsaka Sakura cheered along happily. She admired Luvia's confidence.

However, she suddenly became quiet again, as if she had heard something. Her eyes widened slightly as she listened.

"What's wrong?" Luvia, noticing the change in Sakura, asked again. "Did something else happen?" She wondered what had made Sakura go quiet so suddenly.

"Nothing," Tohsaka Sakura replied, her voice a little quieter. She looked around to make sure no one else could hear.

"It's just that Ghost-san wants to ask you if you could please not tell anyone else about this?" Sakura relayed the message carefully.

"..."

Luvia hesitated for a moment, thinking about the implications of keeping such a secret. Finally, she nodded.

"Okay, I won't tell anyone!" Luvia promised, her voice firm. She understood the importance of keeping this quiet.

"Really?!" Sakura asked, her eyes shining with relief and gratitude.

"Of course, really," Luvia said, putting her hands on her hips confidently.

"You and he were willing to tell me something like this. Why would I betray your trust?" Luvia said, looking at Sakura with sincerity.

"Besides, I don't want to make things so complicated... It's definitely better if we don't say anything." Luvia admitted, thinking about the potential trouble it could cause if others found out.

"So—"

"Let's just keep it as our secret," Luvia said, winking at Sakura.

Tohsaka Sakura's eyes became a little brighter. She was happy that Luvia trusted her and Mr. Ghost.

"Thank you, Luvia-san!" Sakura said, her voice filled with warmth and gratitude.

[After having a 'shared secret', Luvia and Tohsaka Sakura's relationship became better and better.]

[They gradually became like real sisters.]

[Even though Luvia still often ordered the latter around, her attitude was noticeably much kinder.]

[People would often see the two little girls talking to the empty space, as if something was there.]

[Of course, no one questioned it, and no one dared to question it.]

[As the young lady of the Edelfelt family, anything Luvia did was considered reasonable.]

[Time passed by like this for almost two years.]

[One day, Luvia found Tohsaka Sakura.]

"Sakura, pack your things," Luvia said, her tone matter-of-fact.

"Eh? Why do we need to pack?" Sakura asked, looking up in surprise. She wondered where they were going.

"Because we're going to visit a place. We have to go on a long trip," Luvia explained, already starting to gather some of her own belongings.

"Where are we going?" Sakura asked, her curiosity growing. She was excited about the possibility of an adventure.

"The Clock Tower," Luvia replied, a hint of anticipation in her voice. She knew Sakura would be interested in this place.

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