"Phew, thank you," Grace said, getting up to look over the bandaged wound.
The treatment had been done carefully enough that she did not have to worry about it loosening on its own.
"There's no reason to be overly polite with me, Grace. I share part of the blame for you getting hurt."
Wise turned his gaze to the smart machine that had collided with Grace. It approached as well, expressing its remorse through its movements.
"You should apologize to Grace as well, got it?"
"Mm-hmm."
The intelligent machine responded twice before stopping in front of Grace, its electronic screen flickering several times in quick succession.
Wise could not understand its meaning, as the machine had yet to load its language module. Grace, however, understood right away.
"Mm, it's fine. I know you didn't mean to do it. I'm okay now, so don't feel bad," Grace said, reaching forward to softly touch the data expression displayed on the machine's screen.
In response, the intelligent machine showed clear signs of happiness.
"Being able to admit mistakes and apologize, that's what makes a good child."
After hearing Wise's praise, the smart machine became even more cheerful. Unexpectedly, it stretched out its mechanical arms and pulled both of them into an embrace.
"Eh? H-Hold on!"
Grace reached out to stop it, but her reaction was too slow, leaving her pressed firmly against Wise.
The machine basically forced them into a tight hug, and that sudden contact totally ruined Grace's composure.
Their bodies were forced into a close embrace by the intelligent machine. With that sudden contact, Grace found it impossible to stay calm.
A wave of bashful, youthful emotion flooded her heart. Her face burned a deep crimson as her trembling eyes locked onto the handsome face just inches away.
Her heart started to beat wildly, as if it were about to leap out of her chest. If she had to name that sensation, infatuation felt like the right word.
You couldn't really blame her, since any teenage girl would fall for a guy who was that sweet, good-looking, and clearly powerful.
Even so, Grace wouldn't admit it, or perhaps she just wasn't brave enough to face the truth.
Wise was the person Koleda liked. How could she possibly feel the same way?
An older sister stealing her younger sister's man was just too horrible to think about. She quickly shoved those ridiculous thoughts out of her head.
"This child seems very happy right now," She said it to calm the awkward mood.
Wise made no move to look at Grace despite her closeness. He simply shifted his attention toward the smart machine's body and spoke again.
"Hm? Yeah, yeah, that's right. Even if it's an smart machine, its way of thinking is only comparable to that of a small child."
Grace blinked, caught off guard by Wise's words, then smoothly followed along, keeping the thoughts she'd had earlier to herself.
Still, that made Grace felt a strange mix of comfort and disappointment. Wise didn't seem to care about her closeness at all.
Was there something lacking about her appearance? Or was Wise simply drawn to someone like Koleda?
'If that's how it is, then maybe there's no need for me to worry about Wise and Koleda at all?' Grace mused, her mind turning into a jumbled mess.
Soon after, the smart machine appeared to have hugged enough and finally loosened its mechanical arms, releasing them both.
"Grace, do you need to do any more experiments?" Wise asked calmly.
Grace gave no immediate response, her gaze fixed downward, clearly lost in her own thoughts. Left with no choice, Wise spoke louder and called her again.
"Grace?"
"Ah? What is it?" She nearly yelled, startled by his voice.
Snapped out of her daze, Grace looked up at Wise standing in front of her. Confusion filled her eyes, along with traces of other emotions she didn't quite understand.
"Nothing, I just wanted to ask if you have any more experiments to do?"
"Oh, that. No, that's enough for today. Thank you for your hard work."
Wise chose not to ask anything else. After confirming that Grace was alright, he bid her farewell and headed off in search of Koleda.
Grace remained seated, quietly watching Wise disappear from view. After a moment, her hand moved to the bandage wrapped around her waist, her fingers resting there absentmindedly.
She sat there for a long while before Koleda suddenly showed up, sweating and clearly out of breath.
Grace sensed her presence, but the situation felt off. Someone with Koleda's endurance shouldn't be this exhausted from such a short run.
Before Koleda even entered the room, a familiar fragrance reached Grace's nose.
'Is this the scent of Sweet Pea? No, it should be Wise's,' Grace thought, her confusion deepening.
The scent lingered in the air, far stronger than usual, and there was an unsettling strangeness to it.
At that moment, Koleda had already walked up to her and spoke first.
"Sis, why are you still sitting here? Lost in thought? Oh, yeah, how did things go with Wise just now?"
"With Wise… I— we were only doing regular experimental work. Nothing else happened!"
Grace answered too quickly, her voice a bit loud and tense. Koleda tilted her head, clearly confused by the reaction.
"What do you mean nothing happened? I heard Wise mention that you seem to like him quite a bit, so I came to ask you about it."
Those words made Grace's face instantly lost all color.
'W-what? When did I ever admit that? Was I that obvious? Wise noticed and even told her about it?'
For a brief moment, she felt as if everything was over, her reputation as an older sister crumbling right before her eyes.
Her heart raced wildly as her mind descended into a complete mess. She didn't notice the faint redness creeping onto Koleda's face as she spoke those words.
And of course, she had no idea that she'd completely misunderstood what Koleda actually meant.
"What's wrong, Sis? You don't like Wise?"
Koleda watched Grace keep her head lowered, saying nothing, and worry slowly crept into her heart.
Did her sister not like him as much as Wise claimed? If that was true, then what should she do? Should she simply ignore Grace's feelings and continue being with Wise?
While Koleda was stuck in her thoughts, Grace finally spoke up.
"No, Wise is right. I really do like him."
Koleda had already come to her with such a direct question. She was clearly almost sure. If Grace continued to deny it, it would only make her look like a coward as an older sister.
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(T/N: As thanks for reaching 100 Power Stones, here's an extra chapter.)
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