Chapter 13: The “Hard Work” You Talk About… Don’t Tell Me It Means Trying Hard to Do Nothing?
In the past, Elise never liked getting involved in her sister’s problems. She already knew very well what her sister was like.
Her sister could say anything about her, and she wouldn’t care.
But today was different.
This place! Today, she had reserved it!
In terms of status, she was also a proud member of the Anthony family. She deserved that honor.
“Little sister… why are you here?”
Anna’s eyes were full of disbelief. She couldn’t understand why her usually distant and clean-cut sister was being so firm today.
“I already have plans with someone today. Sister, maybe another day.”
“But one more person won’t matter, right? Look, there’s still an empty seat next to you.”
Seeing how strong Elise was acting, Anna’s voice became softer. She was actually afraid of Elise.
To her, Elise was like a whirlpool, someone who could take away all her glory… or even the people she liked.
“This place has already been booked by me. If you want to eat, please go somewhere else.”
“How is that possible? Then how did other people get in? Why am I the only one who can’t enter?”
Elise fell silent.
If her sister went in, she would most likely ruin everything.
She had already said she would protect Peiya.
If she couldn’t even handle something this small, how could she keep her promise?
Her pride didn’t allow her to back down and she wouldn’t back down.
As they stood there in a standoff, Anna suddenly sensed something strange.
Why did she smell a familiar perfume?
It was a scent she once told Peiya to wear.
Looking carefully, she was shocked to realize, the smell was coming from Elise.
Why would that perfume be on her sister?
Anna tried to push her way inside. As she forced her way forward, she caught a glimpse of a girl’s back, and in the next moment, Elise tripped her to the ground like a stray dog.
Elise looked down at Anna, her eyes cold and without warmth.
“This is a warning. And the last warning.”
Everyone present was shocked.
The two sisters were actually fighting like this for someone inside?
People couldn’t help but become curious about that person’s identity.
After all, this was the eldest daughter of the Anthony family. Who would usually dare to offend her?
Yet now she was knocked down so easily, without any mercy.
Anna got up in pain. She never expected her sister would attack her just to protect an outsider.
She wanted to fight back, but she realized she was no match for Elise.
Elise was the most outstanding adventurer in the kingdom. She had too many honors to count.
Even her looks were something Anna, as the older sister, deeply envied.
During the time Elise was gone, Anna worked hard, trying to take the life that originally belonged to Elise.
But just before the person she admired returned, Elise came back too.
And now she even attacked her.
Anna held her swollen face and looked at Elise with resentment.
But Elise showed no sign of apology.
It was as if she was saying, you brought this on yourself.
“Fine, I won’t eat here. Let’s go.”
With the help of the maids, Anna left the scene.
After dealing with her family matter, Elise returned to her seat. The cold expression from before disappeared, and she became the same as when she first met Peiya.
Like a small hedgehog, showing her soft side to people she cared about, but immediately raising her sharp spikes when someone attacked.
Elise always believed that only by becoming strong could she protect herself and the people around her.
That was her way of living.
“Where did you go just now? Why is your forehead full of sweat? Be careful, don’t catch a cold.”
Peiya took out a napkin and reached out, ready to wipe her sweat.
“I’ll do it myself. I just handled some family matters. Are you done eating?”
“I’m done. The dessert was really good. It would be nice if I could eat it every day, just kidding.”
Eat it every day…
Elise quietly remembered that and planned to learn how to make desserts when she got back.
“Then I’ll go pay the bill. Wait here for a moment.”
“Okay~”
Peiya had already paid for the extra food she ordered. Sitting on the chair, she couldn’t help swinging her legs happily.
It wasn’t because she had “become more girly”. It was just a natural reaction after eating something delicious.
While waiting, she didn’t forget the main task. In her mind, she quickly planned a route to take Elise around later.
“I’ve paid already. Why did you secretly pay too? I said today was my treat, how can I let you pay?”
“If you repay what you borrow, it’s easier to borrow again next time. Besides, I also wanted to treat you.”
“Don’t do that next time. If you’re done eating, let’s go.”
Elise pretended to be unhappy.
She clearly said it was her treat, how could Peiya sneak in and pay?
“Okay~”
Peiya stood up and walked outside.
Thanks to the route she planned earlier, there was almost no boring moment along the way. Elise couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.
“You’re amazing. You managed to show me several interesting places nearby so quickly.”
“This is just the beginning. At night, there will be a magic fireworks show at the square over there. There’s also a place nearby that sells takoyaki. If you like juice, you should come in summer. An old man will bring sweet coconut juice, it’s really good.”
Elise listened to these familiar yet unfamiliar things. It felt like she had never really experienced them.
Or maybe she had seen them before, but only at a glance, thinking they weren’t important.
Now that she thought about it, her childhood felt quite empty.
But what surprised her the most was how Peiya could arrange all these activities so neatly.
Elise sat on a bench. A gentle breeze lifted her long hair, making her feelings a little restless.
Peiya ran over, holding two cups of juice.
“Try this. It’s a local specialty. It’s made from a very sweet kind of orange, you probably can’t find it anywhere else.”
Peiya gently shook the juice in her hand. When it came to food in this area, she was very confident. She had tried most of them before and even made notes.
She knew clearly what tasted good and what didn’t.
She might not be very good at choosing gifts, but when it came to food, she was a professional.
Elise took the juice. Her soft lips touched the bamboo straw as she took a small sip. The fruit pulp mixed with light crushed ice slipped into her mouth, and she could smell a hint of mint from the bottle.
It felt like she had suddenly returned to a lively summer.
The taste was really good.
“Do you like it?” Peiya asked.
“I like it. You’re really amazing. If I had to plan today, it would probably be a mess.”
Elise spoke honestly. She was good at fighting, but when it came to going out and having fun, she really wasn’t good at it.
“That’s normal. Everyone has things they’re good at. There’s no need to force yourself to understand something you’re not familiar with.”
“Things I’m good at…”
Elise looked up at the sky. What was she good at?
At the age of seven, she awakened her talent for magic and swordsmanship, and from then on, she was called a genius.
But even after growing up, she still didn’t know what kind of path she should take.
“Maybe the thing I’m best at… is having nothing I’m best at.”
Elise raised her pale hand and waved her fingers slightly, blocking the sunlight above her. The warm sunlight made her feel a little lightheaded.
“How could that be? There must be something. Think again.”
“Swordsmanship?”
“That counts. What else? Don’t you have any hobbies?”
Elise shook her head. She once tried to take care of a cat, but it didn’t go well.
After that, she would quietly sit in a corner of the library and read. She was so quiet that people would sometimes forget she was even there.
“That’s all.”
“I see…”
Based on what Elise said, Peiya could roughly guess what her past few years had been like.
Not being noticed. Maybe a bit afraid of social interaction.
Because Peiya had also experienced pain before, she understood how people sometimes pretend to be strong when they are actually hurting.
And Elise kept avoiding the topic of social interaction. That was probably the root of the problem.
Peiya wasn’t foolish. If Elise didn’t have this issue, she would definitely be even more popular.
Maybe something happened in the past that made her this way.
But Peiya wouldn’t interfere. She knew this was something Elise had to face herself.
She didn’t want to overstep either. It was better to give each other space to breathe.
After a gentle smile, she stepped forward and softly comforted her.
“It’s okay. Whether you have hobbies or not doesn’t really matter.”
Elise faced the wind and took a few deep breaths until she calmed down.
On the way here, she had already experienced so many new and surprising things.
For the first time, she walked from one end of the street to the other with someone.
Every now and then, when she looked up, she would see Peiya staring eagerly at things inside shop windows.
Elise wanted to buy them for her, but before she could act, Peiya’s attention would already move to something else.
Like a butterfly that had been trapped in a cocoon for a long time, finally spreading its wings after breaking free.
This day felt full and meaningful. Before she knew it, so much time had passed.
This was something Elise had never even dared to imagine before.
When she came back to her senses, Peiya was sitting beside her obediently, gently swinging her fair legs. Her slim waist could be faintly seen under her clothes.
As if she noticed the gaze, Peiya turned her head and asked,
“What are you looking at?”
“Cough…”
Elise cleared her throat. She tried to look directly into Peiya’s eyes. Even though it felt a bit uncomfortable, she didn’t look away.
“Thank you for today. This is the first time someone has said these things to me. All this time, I thought my life would always stay like this. I didn’t expect that someone would actually care about me.”
Elise took a deep breath. The book in her arms was flipped open by the wind. Bathed in sunlight, she brushed a few messy strands of hair behind her ear and gave Peiya a slightly awkward smile.
“Miss Peiya…”
“Hmm?” Peiya didn’t avoid her gaze. She quietly waited for what Elise wanted to say.
“From now on… please take care of me.”
Elise smiled gently. The sound of the wind slowly faded, and the pages of the book turned to the very last page.
How to Make Friends — The End