15 Emma’s confession

A/N: Is this what I think it is?! Read and find out. XD

---

There was an ensuing silence as I looked at her and she tried to see my reaction as well.

"What secret are you talking about?"

A young man in his 20s has many secrets in his life. Some of them I wanted to get rid of, if possible, from my past life.

[Your personal collection was wiped clean by your younger brother a few days after your 'passing away.' He also took the Eroges who had hidden under your clothes in the closet too. In short, your dignity is preserved.]

'Oh! That's a big relief—wait, how the fuck did that bastard know about my personal collection?! And why are you telling me this now? I thought you said you couldn't tell me about future events and you even asked me to move on from my past life. Was it all a lie?'

[It wasn't a lie, Alex. I did mean it and I still will say the same. As for the said info, I could say it because it happened just before my connection with your previous world was severed a few days ago. Before that, I got to see that happening. I can tell you this since it's an unimportant detail. Your brother did care for you, Alex. Same as your other family members, including your younger sister. Apologies for not telling you about this, but I decided it was better if I didn't tell you, in case you feel depressed from thinking about their situation.]

'… Yeah, well, I do feel sad now.'

I looked down and reminisced about my family. But quickly got rid of those thoughts as they brought nothing but pain.

[I'm sorry, Alex. :( ]

'No, it's alright. I do need to move on from that. Can't keep moping about what was lost.'

While I was doing all this 'talking' and reminiscing, I let a few emotions leak on my face and Emma who was looking at me didn't fail to catch them. And she comically mistook them as my emotions about the "secret".

She looked at me with pity now. There was a clear hint of guilt in her eyes. She still was determined however and spoke.

"About Olivia. I know what she did to you…what she has done to you. That…That night, about a year ago, during one of her home visits, I saw her in your room, doing… doing those t-things to you… I-I was there. I saw it all."

Listening to Emma's confession woke me up from my inner thoughts. I looked at her and found her shaking, her guilt and nervousness were on full display. I noticed her teary eyes, her anguished face, and clenched fists.

I got a sudden pop-up, but I discarded it after a frown and then an internal smile, my face not showing the latter emotion. I had caught on to something interesting.

'Looks like I'll have a golden opportunity soon.'

I smirked inside as I thought.

Looking at Emma, I realized there was more to her feelings about my situation with Olivia than simple discomfort and guilt.

Perhaps she hid those feelings before, even from herself, since there was no such mention of them on the <Observe> page. But now all sorts of remarks were being shown and her 'Status' was filled with all sorts of emotions and feelings.

She was sad, apologetic, angry, disgusted, jealous, distressed, and much more—

—Wait, jealous?

I looked back to see if I had read something wrong. But no. I just barely caught it in the Status section before it disappeared and new emotions took its place. It was quite chaotic.

'What was that all about? A random stray feeling that somehow got mixed in her head or does it mean something more?'

I didn't have a lot of time to wonder about it since I had to answer Emma.

She was looking at me, waiting for my response.

So, with a small sigh, I spoke.

"I see. So you knew about big sis Olivia doing all those… 'things' to me."

My voice was neutral and contemplative.

But it caused Emma to shudder, possibly due to her guilt.

"I-I'm sorry… I wanted to help. But... y-you never said anything. I..."

She gave a lousy excuse, but then grimaced and didn't continue. I could tell she herself wasn't sold out on her own excuse.

"I didn't ask for help because I didn't even know you were hiding there and looking at us."

Emma's guilt increased more as she stared down. She had realized that she was in the wrong for not helping me. I added to her guilt with my next words.

"Furthermore, I love Big sis Olivia. Not in the way she loves me, romantically, but as an elder sister. She's suffering herself as you know already. And I didn't want to shout and create a scene, or worse, cause her reputation to pummel. What will happen if people found out that the eldest daughter of house Maximus, a married woman, was sucking her underage little brother's dick?"

Hearing my crass words clearly stating facts made her frown but she didn't retort or argue. She just started at the bed sheet, seemingly looking for something, perhaps an answer or maybe even an apology. I sighed exaggeratedly.

"Well, obviously it would have been bad. No, it WILL be bad if it were to be found out. That's why I kept quiet. And also… I was scared back then. I didn't know who to talk to. I thought no one would believe me or help me, except maybe Mother. But Mother would be distressed hearing it. Even she won't be able to think of Big sis Olivia to be that kind of person. But if she did find out somehow… I think you can imagine the consequences. Mother, being the worrywart and over-protective woman that she is, will be devastated. Her relationship with Big sis Olivia would go down the drain and there will be unfixable cracks in the family.

I... don't want that. Even if now I have gained my 'voice' and 'confidence' a bit, I don't plan on ratting Olivia out ever. And I request the same to you. Don't let anyone find out. I'll deal with it myself."

Emma looked at me in a daze as I kept weaving words like a sensible adult.

I'll admit, most of it I came up on the spot but I was right about it most of it. I could make an educated guess that this was what would happen if the secret got out.

And I also knew that Emma was smart enough to understand everything I said, more or less.

After contemplating my words, Emma nodded.

"You're right. We can't tell anyone. But, what about you? Are you okay with it?"

She looked at me. For the first time since meeting her, I saw a look of genuine concern and worry in her eyes. I could only imagine Emma from the game making this face after you had made her fall in love with you and spent some time together.

She looked cute.

I smiled a bit and replied.

"Well, it would be weird if I said I don't mind it at all. What happened to me was… not good. But I'll talk about it with Olivia and sort out this mess."

I had already planned to have this talk with Olivia when she came to my room next time, hoping to pour her pent-up desires on me again. But that was a thing for the future.

"Until then, I'll just pretend it never happened. That it was just a nightmare."

I mused, looking outside at the view I was getting from the window.

"Hmm."

Emma was apprehensive, but she still nodded.

"I'm really sorry, Alex. I should have helped you. I'm a bad older sister too. I was scared when I saw it happen."

She spoke another apology.

I was happy to see she was being honest with me. For me, this meant that I was gaining access to her better personality, the deredere, instead of the outer Tsuntsun.

I climbed down from the bed and reached in front of her. She started at me with a look of surprise and confusion, wondering what I was doing.

I leaned forward and hugged her.

"Ah."

She squeaked a response but was too much in shock. Shocked to see me doing something like that. The wimpy Alex, who was suddenly so mature and sensible, was hugging her. He had forgiven her for her mistake and was still being nice to her.

She hugged me back as a smile crept on her face.

—♦♦♦—

[Emma's POV]

"Thank you, for forgiving me."

Emma said as she and her younger brother kept hugging. She felt like a heavy burden had lifted from her shoulders. Her heart was lighter. She didn't feel the same sadness, anger, frustration, and guilt that she was feeling a little while ago.

Alex's words and hug had cleared it all from her heart.

She closed her eyes as she melted in his hug.

She was finally relieved of one of the most burdensome things in her life. She felt refreshed. And along with it, she felt happiness.

"I love you, Alex."

She muttered, still in the slightly euphoric mood, but then jolted as she realized what she had spoken.

"Hmm?"

She heard Alex's inquisitive hum and immediately separated from the hug, now looking away from him.

'Agh! Why did I say that?! It sounded so weird!'

She reprimanded herself in her mind for saying a strange thing in this situation.

Even if she now added, "as a family/sibling/brother", he'd still find it awkward. Just confessing her feelings was embarrassing enough to Emma who was known to others as a distant and strong girl.

She felt her cheeks and ears burning. It was a bit feverish.

"Emma? Are you alright?"

She looked back at Alex, who seemed confused at her actions.

'Maybe he didn't hear it.'

She thought to herself, giving some sort of relief. If Alex didn't hear it, she could just pretend she didn't say anything.

"I'm fine."

She answered, looking at Alex. But her face still felt a bit warm.

Alex simply hummed in reply.

'Good. Seems like he didn't hear—'

But Alex's next words caused her delusions to crack and shatter.

"I love you too, by the way. Like a sister, I mean."

He then smiled cheekily.

The fever she felt went up a notch as her face now felt on fire!

'Aaaaagh!! Nooo! He definitely heard that!'

"You heard that!"

She blamed, even though it wasn't his fault for hearing it. But she wasn't exactly in the best state of mind to reason that.

"I did. And I was quite surprised too. Who knew you were such a sweetheart? Claiming your love for your little brother like that. How bold~"

Alex blatantly teased, for the first time in his life. He knew exactly what was up and he was making fun of her momentary weakness. He didn't even hide his amused smirk.

She blushed even harder as her right hand formed a tight fist and hit his left shoulder, near the collarbone.

"Gah! Ouch, that hurt! What the hell!?"

Alex groaned as he held his supposedly aching shoulder.

She took the chance and ran towards the door, but then halted as she opened it. She suddenly turned to look at Alex and spoke hurriedly.

"Forget what you heard! I meant 'like a brother!' Idiot!"

And after "giving him a piece of her mind," she stomped out of the room, 'humph'ing in annoyance and embarrassment.

As she walked out of the door, she found the head maid Laura standing near the door.

'What's she doing here?'

"Good afternoon, young mistress Emma."

The maid politely greeted.

For a second, she stopped, forgetting about her current mood. But then she walked away with a simple "Hmm" as her reply.

'That Alex has become too cheeky for his own good. He needs to be taught a lesson.'

She thought as she walked back to her room.

But unknown to her, there was a smile on her face, and her steps were light; so was her heart.

[End of Emma's POV]

***

A/N: Hah! I fooled you! Probably not, but eh. I tried.