“Okaasan, otousan, we’re back.”

“Oh, welcome back Chael and Alice. What took both of you so long to get home?”

“... Well, Alice wanted to check out a weapon vendor.”

“Geez, a weapon vendor Alice? Aren’t you a girl? You should look at more feminine things.”

Alice looks down not sure as to how to answer Chael’s mother.

“But, kaasan… While we were looking at the weapons, Alice found a dagger that was left behind by her parents… Don’t you think that this is fate?”

“Well if you say it that way… So? Wheres the dagger?”

Glancing at Alice, Chael told them that Alice would have to work there until the festival ends if she wants it. This makes Alice feel nervous because they might not allow her but to her surprise, they allowed her to work there on the condition that Chael has to pick her up after work. Overjoyed, she hugged Chael’s mother with a wide smile.

“Now then… Alice, can you help me in the kitchen to prepare dinner?”

“Hai~!”

———

“Thanks for the meal”

“So… What will you be wearing if you are gonna start working there as a salesgirl…”

Alice felt a shiver up her spine when Chael’s mother said this. She quickly tries to escape by hiding her presence and trying to run to her room but to her demise, she was quickly caught right as she was at the door of her room. Looking over her shoulder, Alice sees the face of a predator (Chael’s Mother) looking at prey (Alice).

“Umm… Wha-what’s go-gonna happen to me…?”

“Hmm… Nothing much, I’ll just be dressing you up, A-L-I-C-E-chan.”

Chael who saw this exchange from the stairway simply froze on the spot. Alice who saw him, asked him for help as she was dragged to his mother’s room but Chael who was too afraid to even move or talk simply stood there. 

“N-No… Cha-Chael-niichan, please... Please save me… Chael-niichan…:

That was the last he heard from her as she was dragged into the room with the door closing on her as if it was a horror movie.

“Go-Gomenasai Alice… Oniichan is scared too… That was the first time I saw kaasan be like that…”

———-

While Chael was praying for the safety of her little sister, the said little sister was being dressed up like a doll by a demon.

“Fufufu~ This looks cute but this is good too.”

What laid out in front of Alice were lots and lots of clothes for her to wear. From frill one-piece dress to maid clothes and then a nurse outfit…

‘WA-WAIT a second… Isn’t this just cosplay at this point…”

Alice screams internally as she was made to wear all kinds of outfit. As she was looking around restlessly, a dress caught her eye. It was a seifuku that looks like the one she wore back in middle school in her previous life. Noticing Alice’s gaze on the outfit, Chael’s mother allowed her to try it out.

“Ka-Ka-Kawaii~! We must show this to Chael and my husband”

As Chael's mother went out of the room to call them, in the mirror, was Alice with her blonde hair tied into a ponytail and her ruby eyes gleaming. She twirled once while looking at the mirror while wearing the black-white long-sleeved seifuku. Feeling great about herself, she was doing to twirl once more until she heard the door creaked. At the doorway, she saw Chael and his parents grinning at her.

“A-a—ah…”

“Isn’t she adorable?”

“Mmmhm”

Embarrassed, Alice crouched down trying to hide her blushing face but was not of use when her red ears were still visible. Seeing this made Chael flustered due to how Alice’s cuteness tugged his heartstrings. If others were to look at this scene, it’ll give them a sense of duty to protect the adorable Alice.

 “Come on Alice, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It is fine to act cute and childish especially since you are still a child, am I right Chael?”

“Ye-yea.”

“Re-really?”

Alice looks at Chael with her blushing face and upturned eyes. The action was so impactful that Chael and his father fell backward.

“Eh…”

Seeing this, Chael’s mother sighs before doing a light facepalm. Alice stood up confused as to what happens.

“Well, for now, can you change to your sleepwear? It’s about time to sleep especially since you have work tomorrow.” 

“Hai~”

As Alice leaves to go back to her own room, Chael’s mother dragged the fainted father and son duo to Chael’s room before ensuring that Alice has properly hung the seifuku outfit that she would be wearing tomorrow.

——-

The next morning, Chael woke up to find himself lying down on the floor in his room beside his father. He attempts to remember what happened last night but his memory of it was fuzzy though all he remembered was Alice being dragged into his mother’s room. As he was trying to stand up, his mother came in.

“After washing up, Chael can you go and wake Alice up? Breakfast is ready.”

“Okay Okaasan”

While walking towards the bathroom, Chael heard a weird sound coming from Alice’s room which frightens him so he decided to check on her.

“Fufufu~”

” Al-Alice ?” 

The moment Chael was about to knock on Alice’s room door, it opens revealing Alice in the outfit she wore last night.

“Oniichan? What are you doing outside my room?”

“Ah… No-nothing? I heard a weird sound coming from your room so I wanted to check on you.”

“Oh… Uhh… Can you forget about it?”

Alice’s face turned slightly flushed but Chael did not mention it as he felt that it was something he should not touch upon so he decided to change the topic.

“Well okay… Oh, yea Okaasan said breakfast is ready so go on ahead, I’ll join shortly after I wash up.”

“Okay…Just remember that you have to escort me to Ojiisan’s shop and pick me up after work.”

“Sure, sure.”

‘Damn, I really am loving my new life. Though adopted, I got myself a pretty cute little sister and this time, I can live my life without regrets and maybe… I could find that girl… The shitty goddess said so anyway. Who knows where she is but if possible, I want to get close to her, her bravery entranced me and I wonder how she’d feel after I tell her who I really am after getting into a relationship with her.’

As he moved aside to let Alice pass, Chael continued his way to the bathroom smirking. While he was thinking that, he bumped into the door of the bathroom and making a loud *thud* sound.

—-

“Is your forehead alright now Chael-niichan?”

“Yea.”

Chael and Alice were now walking to Moose’s shop while holding each other’s hands since the festival was still ongoing. As they kept walking, there was a commotion happening in the middle of the streets. A boy that looks to be around Alice’s age was being ganged up by two rough-looking men. The boy was dressed in rags and in his hand was what seemed to be medicine. The two men were shouting at the boy about how he stole the medicine but the boy was protesting and saying that he bought it with his own money. 

Chael glanced at Alice, her face tells him that she wants to do something for the boy so he decides to tighten his grasp on Alice’s hand.

“Don’t risk it, Alice.”

“But, but…”

Suddenly, one of the men approached the boy threateningly while holding out a knife. Fear can be seen written all over the boy’s face as he tries to get away but because of the crowd, he was trapped just like in an arena. His face soon meets with Alice which caused a sense of guilt in her. Despite having the power, Alice was still unable to help the boy in front of her and all she could do was watch.

“Move aside!”

A group of armed people in uniforms appeared. The color scheme of their uniforms was light pink and white. On their shoulders was a shield-shaped emblem, a rose flower background with crossed swords. These people are known as the citizen’s shield, Cadora’s female-only Knight Order, the Order of the Rose Guardians.

‘Maybe if I join them, I will no longer be afraid to help those in need of protection…’

“It seems like the incident will be resolved with this. Let’s get going, Alice”

Alice simply nods while still fascinated by the knights. 

——

“Ojiisan, I’m here~!”

“Oh, Alice-chan and Chael-kun too. Welcome and here’s your dagger.”

Receiving the dagger from Moose, Alice was overjoyed and the motivation to work hard could be seen.

“Well with this, I shall head back home first, good luck Alice.”

After Chael left, Moose starts explaining to Alice what she would be doing to help out.

“Alice-chan, I want you to help me attract customers while wiping the display case at the front of the shop.”

“Attract customers?”

“When you see a customer that seems interested, I’d like you to invite them in using your cuteness.”

“Eh…”

“Well, for now, give it a try”

Not really sure about what Moose said, Alice, took the slightly damped cloth and started wiping a display case and after she was almost done wiping, she saw a woman looking at one of the display cases that contained a rapier. The woman seemed interested in the rapier so Alice decides to talk to her.

“Hello there, are you interested in this rapier?”

“Umm, ah yes…?”

Alice ushers the woman in after hearing her reply before calling out to Moose saying that there’s a customer and then going back to wiping the display cases. After roughly half an hour, Moose and the woman came out and then he unlocks the display case with the rapier for her. The woman hugs the rapier after receiving it from Moose as if she was truly satisfied with her transaction. Alice tilts her head in confusion while looking at this.

This same interaction continues and becomes more frequent as the days go by. Although there were hardly any regulars due to the shop only dealing with the sales of weapon, The number of people coming and going continues to increase and for some reason, there were also people who came just to stare at Alice working but she got used to it and when Alice told this to Chael, a terrifying aura exudes from him.

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