Searching for clothes, Finlay moved to the next room, which was much smaller than the previous one, but froze before he could do so.
The first thing he saw was himself.
More accurately, it was the reflection of his naked body with glistening drops of water on it in a large mirror.
"Wow."
Letting out a short exclamation, he struggled to tear himself away from his reflection as he walked past.
While he really wanted to pay more attention to it, he didn't have time for that right now, so he just picked up on the most important details.
"Attractive face, black hair and alluring dark eyes."
In the closet, he used memory to find the things Finlay usually wore, which turned out not to be much for a member of the Noble House.
He put them on with deft movements, as if they were his own, and glanced in the mirror.
After making sure he was no longer naked and looked quite decent, he moved towards the exit.
"Hmm?"
As he passed his desk his hands grabbed the sword scabbard lying neatly on the table by themselves. It wasn't a conscious action.
And even as he contemplated whether he should take his sword into meeting his little sister, his hands refused to let go of it as if it were a part of his life.
"Okay, whatever."
Deciding not to think about it any longer, he simply fastened it to his belt and moved towards the exit.
As soon as he opened the door, a stream of cool air from the hallway showered his still damp body.
Lowering his gaze slightly, he noticed her.
White hair and crystal clear blue eyes.
Remy, my little sister and holder of the purest Esterra blood in generations.
Although he had mistaken her for his other sister and made her wait in that cold hallway, she didn't seem upset.
"Long time no see, Remy."
Finlay greeted her with a warm smile.
Her eyes ran over his appearance and stopped at the sword on his belt.
Her expression didn't change, but a trace of distaste flashed in her eyes before she responded with a simple nod.
"Young lady, you shouldn't have, I could have escorted the young master myself..."
It was only at that moment that he noticed another girl standing slightly away from his sister with a guilty expression on her face.
It was like she was a ghost, even directly looking at her he could barely pick up her presence.
'I think her name was Leah?'
The personal servant of his little sister and her Shadow. And like many of the personal servants serving the direct line, she was of noble birth.
By the way, bastards don't have the luxury of a personal servant or Shadow, so a lot of things Finlay is used to doing himself.
Remy waved her hand.
"Leah, you know yourself that today is a special occasion. Leave us alone."
Leah didn't look at her mistress any further, instead casting a look filled with complex emotions at Finlay.
'Hey, but I haven't done anything yet?'
He felt as if he was being unfairly accused, but after a couple seconds, his little sister's Shadow relented, bowing her head.
"...Whatever you say, young lady."
Leah disappeared as quickly as she had appeared, leaving them alone.
Meeting his gaze, Remy turned around and walked away.
"Let's go. That Man is holding a Family Dinner for the first time in a long time, so everyone should attend."
Finlay flinched slightly.
There was only one person his sister called 'That Man'.
'Father...'
Goosebumps ran across his skin, but he followed her anyway.
As he walked through the vast grounds of the Esterra, he took another glance at his little sister walking just ahead of him.
By the way, they were born on the same day, so 'little sister' was just a figurative expression he was used to.
And to be fair, Remy fit that expression quite well.
With her short stature, delicate facial features and fragile appearance, she was like an ice sculpture, ready to shatter from one careless touch.
Even among the noble families that were known for their good looks, she stood out a lot, even earning the title of White Lily of the Esterra.
If it weren't for her cold face, she would be the perfect personification of a cute little sister.
…Step-sister, to be exact. He was a bastard after all.
"Brother."
Perhaps he was looking at her too intently, because at that moment Remy turned around.
"Is there something on my face?"
She ran her hand over her pale skin, looking at him questioningly.
"Ah, nothing."
While he couldn't help but admit that it was easy to get lost in time looking at her, she was still his sister.
When she received his answer, she looked forward again. And when Finlay thought she would continue walking silently as before, she asked without turning around.
"I assume you're nervous about the upcoming Family Dinner? After all, That Man will be there too."
Her words echoed in his head for a moment, drowning out everything else.
Just like the last time she had mentioned Father, something in him clicked. Not in him, to be precise, but in his past 'self'.
Father.
This short but heavy word was separately recorded in Finlay's dictionary.
Feeling many complex emotions awakening within him, he tried to recall the last conversation with his Father, but soon frowned.
Memories of the conversation with Father. No matter how much he dug through his memory, he couldn't recall anything.
'Ah.'
He soon realized. The problem wasn't his memory.
He remembered perfectly well what he'd had for breakfast six months ago, but despite that he couldn't recall a single word from Father.
There just weren't any.
All he had to do was smile crookedly and answer his sister.
"I assume that's what it is."
"Brother, you..."
Remy bit her lips and fell silent.
"...Nevermind."
They walked the rest of the way in complete silence, each immersed in their own thoughts, until they reached the Main Dining Hall.