Chihaya opened her eyes and looked at Gu Ying in surprise.

She froze even in an unnatural position on the couch and forgot to put her feet down.

Now her mind was blank, and she couldn't digest what Gu Ying had just said to herself.

"You seem surprised?"

Gu Ying said with a smile, and his attitude did not change in the slightest because of Chihaya's reaction.

"Before I ask a question, I would like to give you a piece of advice............ In the future, even if someone debunks your identity, please don't react like this, the other party may just be testing you. ”

Unimpressed, Gu Ying picked up the hot coffee that was still smoking and put it to her mouth to take a sip, and then said to her.

Maybe it was because he had had enough, or maybe it was because Chihaya's stiff appearance made him feel that he couldn't continue to communicate, and Gu Ying put down the coffee cup before saying something to calm Chihaya's mind.

"I'll introduce myself again. My name is Takezaki Koei, and I am the eldest son of the Takezaki family...... At the same time, he is also a sergeant of the Ratatosk intelligence analysis group, please advise. ”

With a smile, Gu Ying confessed his other identity to Chiza......

And the reason why I know that "Gokawa Chihaya" is "Gokawa Shido".

"Now you should be able to know why I summoned you down, Your Highness Wuhe?"

The atmosphere that made Chihaya feel unnatural appeared by Gu Ying's side again.

Even if he knew the identity of the other party, Chihaya still felt that something was not quite right with Brother Gu Ying.

As if he was somewhat hostile to her, though he had behaved rather gentlemanly so far......

"His Highness the Five Rivers?"

Chihaya didn't respond, making Gu Ying call her name in confusion.

"Big Brother Gu Ying...... You... Is it really a member of Ratatosk?"

Chihaya was still sitting in the corner of the sofa, but the expression on her face had changed from simple discomfort to thick vigilance.

That instinct, which rarely makes mistakes, tells her that Gu Ying has something to hide, and what he hides is also the reason why he is hostile to him.

Gu Ying didn't seem to expect Chihaya to have such a reaction, and he was stunned for a moment before letting out a laugh.

"I am indeed a member of Ratatosk...... Here's my work card. But ........."

After stopping laughing, he flicked the tie from the collar of the suit and pulled out a small card about two fingers wide from the hidden pocket.

He didn't hesitate to hand the important card to Chihaya, and Chihaya also carefully looked at the message on it.

The small card does have his name and proof of related work printed on it.

After seeing that card, Chihaya's doubts deepened.

He was only halfway there.........

"It seems that His Highness Wuhe is not as coarse as the legend, you are really very sensitive to such things."

Putting away the card that Chihaya had returned to him, Gu Ying smiled amusedly.

"Now that my identity has been confirmed, then I won't delay His Highness Wuhe's time, let's get straight to the point."

Even though Chihaya was very wary of being as distant as possible away from him, Gu Ying still maintained a personable smile and said.

He took a sip of the hot coffee in his hand, then took the coffee pot and poured himself another cup.

Chihaya remained silent, and didn't speak again except for the question she had just asked, only Gu Ying was talking.

"I wonder if your meeting with my sister is the meaning of the commander?"

Gu Ying opened his mouth and said something that Chihaya didn't quite understand.

Those eagle-like eyes exuded a somewhat pressing sharpness towards Chihaya.

Unlike the person who was gentle just now, now Brother Gu Ying gives people a very terrifying feeling.

It's like a serious god without a moon.,It gives people a heavy sense of oppression.。

"I—I don't understand what you mean......"

Forced by the momentum of the other party, Chihaya responded with some retreat.

She wasn't a strong person in the first place, and she wasn't used to facing this kind of persecution.

She really didn't know what Gu Ying meant by what she said.

Why is this involved in the piano?

"Really......"

It didn't seem to suspect Chihaya, and after getting an answer, Koei put away the gaze that made Chihaya feel stressed.

As if he understood Chihaya Gokawa very well, he didn't doubt the possibility of Chihaya lying at all.

Or maybe it's because he wants to try to give the most basic trust.

"I heard that the latest mission is to raid two same-sex/female elves?"

Suddenly, Gu Ying talked about something unrelated.

Chihaya was a little surprised why the other party suddenly got involved in this matter, but she also indirectly learned from his words that Gu Ying should not be lying.

His message to Ratatosk was true.

"Yes........."

Chihaya responded.

She still didn't quite understand what Brother Gu Ying was going to do when she was looking for her.

It feels like Big Brother Gu Ying's hostility is directed against him, and it is related to his identity in Ratatosk......

There seems to be something connected.

"That's why you're still a woman."

Not a question but an affirmation, Gu Ying looked at Chihaya and said.

Chihaya nodded in lieu of a response.

She is still waiting for Gu Ying to tell the truth.

So I guessed............ Is your contact with Xiaojin part of the "training" arranged by the commander? ”

Slowly, Gu Ying put down the cup of coffee and looked at Chihaya with a faint expression.

His words made Chihaya's eyes widen, and her beautiful brown eyes were stunned for a moment.

Gu Ying's face could almost be said to be expressionless, but he made Chihaya feel the illusion of a tiger sleeping and waiting to explode.

After Gu Ying said this, Chihaya suddenly thought of ......

Since he is a member of Ratatosk, Gu Ying must know something about the elven raiders. And of course, he will also know about the previous exercises.

In order to avoid any mistakes when she really attacked the elves, Kotori had repeatedly simulated the people around her as the target object.

If you think that you have just returned to Class 4 of the 2nd year as Chihaya Gokawa, and you will immediately become so close to the Nishiki relationship that you have never known before......

Originally......... Brother Gu Ying misunderstood that her relationship with Jin was deliberately arranged through Qinli.

She now finally understood the reason why Gu Ying would be hostile to her.

After all, his sister was regarded as the object of practice by others...... It's going to be upset for anyone, right?

"No...... Brother Gu Ying, you misunderstood...... Me and Nishiki... It's not a deliberate relationship. ”

After clarifying, Chihaya knew what to do.

She looked back at Gu Ying's sharp gaze seriously, not revealing her hesitation and cowardice.

She wanted to tell him that she and Nishiki didn't have a purposeful friendship, they just became friends naturally because they got acquainted.

Even if it's not a real face, she still really regards the overly enthusiastic girl as someone to befriend, not an object of practice!

Jean didn't make such a request to her, and even if she did, she would refuse without hesitation!

Because friends are not the object of her deception.

"Me and Nishiki... It's a friend ......! At least that's what I thought. ”

Straight up to those somewhat sharp eyes, Chihaya said in a voice that was a little loud for her.

Even though they had only known each other for two days, she felt that she and Jin would gradually become more familiar, and they would never be misunderstood by Brother Gu Ying like this.

For a moment, she suddenly thought of Gokawa Shido and Gokawa Chihaya...... It's a secret that can't be told, and one day it must be faced.

Soon, however, her thoughts were interrupted before her troubles could be established.

The person sitting across from her, who had not been very friendly since the beginning, burst out laughing.

Chihaya was so stunned by the sudden laughter that she didn't react for a moment, and when she came back to her senses, she looked at the person who was clapping her thigh and laughing, completely overwhelmed.

After a few seconds, Gu Yingcai wiped his tears as if he had laughed enough.

"What's wrong?"

Chihaya asked suspiciously and with a little uneasiness.

The other party would make her think that he was insane.

Why can you be so serious one second, and then suddenly laugh the next second?

"I didn't ...... It's nothing...... Just, just... Suddenly, I felt that Wuhe-kun was so cute. ”

Gu Ying, who choked on anger and showed a very weird smile, said.

A sentence that was too natural made Chihaya react super big and jumped back.

"You, you, you, you...... What are you talking about!"

The incoherent Chihaya kept turning around with her eyes open, and the whole person shrank into the corner of the sofa.

His eyes flickered around, but he just didn't dare to look directly into Gu Ying's eyes.

Although it is not that the brain is not out of order because of a sentence, it is not very honest to say that there is no panic......

It's not that she hasn't been said by a strange boy who wants to talk to her, but it's the first time she's been praised like this by someone she knows......

And on the premise of knowing that she is a boy......

"I mean...... Wuhe-kun, you're cute. ”

As if amused by Chihaya's reaction, Gu Ying reversed his previous estranged gentlemanly attitude and said in a somewhat magnetic voice.

He sat up from the couch and leaned forward.

In fact, there was only a small table between the two, and Gu Ying crossed the narrow space with one movement, and the sturdy body belonging to the male stopped in mid-air in front of Chihaya.

That handsome and imposing face was not far in front of Chihaya. There was some scorching breath coming to her face, and the smell of the man made Chihaya subconsciously want to step back, but she bumped into the chair of the sofa behind her.

Why, why did the atmosphere suddenly become so strange?!

“…………”

Seeing that Chihaya seemed to want to escape, Gu Ying didn't want to provoke her anymore, but showed the same smile as when she saw Chihaya just come in.

"It may be rude to say that, but it's hard to imagine that you were ever a man."

Gu Ying, who had already laughed until her sharp face cramped, retreated to her seat and waved her hand, indicating that she would not bully her anymore.

Chihaya has been acting very ladylike since the time he met him in the afternoon, and even has a little bit of a little woman's temperament.

He used to think that this was her acting skills, but after the correspondence just now, he thought that he might be thinking too much.

Maybe it's because of his preconceived suspicions that he keeps thinking about Chihaya in a bad direction.

He wasn't to blame, though, because after sending the girls' luggage home, he received a contact from a certain commander. He asked for help with a strange thing, and he didn't tell why.

It made him very confused and suspicious.

This made him, who was already a little guarded, have more unwanted suspicions.

"What has ever been...... I've always been......"

Hearing Gu Ying's comment on herself, Chihaya puffed out her mouth in dissatisfaction and muttered.

She clenched her hands into fists on her lap and sat with her feet folded, her head turned away and she didn't look at the person with a wicked smile on her face.

"You're really used to this gesture, Your Highness Wuhe."

Putting away the frivolous way of salutation, Gu Ying removed the corners of her mouth with a considerable amplitude, and curved a faint arc.

The aura that made Chihaya feel uncomfortable has dissipated......

Sitting here now is just an ordinary, friend's brother.

Although this friend's brother knows many things that should not be known.

"I... I just had to get used to ......"

Hearing Gu Ying mention this topic that she didn't really want to discuss, Chihaya looked away a little uncomfortably and said in a low voice.

She was forced at all, and she couldn't resist yet!

That's why she had to learn how to adapt...... She doesn't want to get used to it if she can...

Chihaya's demeanor caused Koei to smile.

"That nightgown of yours... Burst... Really perfect for you. ”

Moving his gaze down, staring at the plain white dress under his sister's black coat, Gu Ying showed a somewhat evil smile.

Her outfit reminded him of the Commander asking for his help.

Until now, after a preliminary conversation with Chihaya, he still didn't understand the reason why the red-haired girl who became the commander at a young age wanted to replace the burden of the girl in front of him with his own help.

He smiled happily at the woman whose facial muscles twitched from hearing his words.

He never thought it would be so funny to react when someone was being bullied.

It's really a pity that such a child was born as a male.

"This ...... This was secretly replaced by Jean..."

Completely unaware that someone was thinking about something that would drive her crazy, Chihaya explained for herself.

She didn't want to be misunderstood...... Although she looked like this now, she already knew that she was speechless.

"I know."

The response to Chihaya was a word that she didn't expect.

Under Chihaya's frightened gaze, Gu Yingcai slowly spoke.

"After I returned with a few of my luggage, the commander contacted me......... She asked me to take your luggage out and send it to Phlaxinas with a teleporter. ”

He said with a funny smile.

"But don't worry, I haven't opened it and peeked inside from beginning to end......... Even if you know that you are a man, at least for now, you must follow the etiquette of treating women. ”

Picking up the coffee that had cooled down a little, Gu Ying said very politely.

As if knowing that he would put more pressure on Chihaya, he squinted his eyes kindly and kept smiling, so that the atmosphere around him was no longer as sharp as it was just now.

"I beg your pardon for not being able to disobey the orders of the commander. And I judge that as your sister, the Commander will not do anything to hurt you. ”

He understands the strength of the bond between his family.

If his sister is involved, even if he will face the whole of Ratatosk, he will definitely protest without hesitation.

However, although it has not been fully confirmed, as long as he does not play with Nishiki, he will not embarrass the girl who is visiting temporarily.

In fact, he also thought that if the commander really had the intention of using Nishiki as the object of training, he would not hesitate to use hostages to dissuade them.

And the selection of hostages is self-evident.

"So...... I wish you a great time these two days, Your Highness Wuhe. ”

Hooking up a good-looking arc, Gu Ying said with a kind expression.

There was no need for those plans, and he was very happy.

………………

After this slightly fluctuating conversation, after confirming that it was okay, Chizao breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to say hello to Gu Ying and leave.

But when she got up and walked to the door of the living room, the person behind her suddenly stopped her.

"Little Wuhe, you...... What do you think of those elves?"

Behind her, Gu Ying, who had changed her name at her request, called Chihaya, who was about to open the living room door.

She turned to see the tall man half-leaning back in the sofa chair in a relaxed position staring at the TV, his tone relaxed and seemingly casual questioning.

"I think...... They are very important friends. ”

Even though the other party didn't seem to be very serious, Chihaya still honestly said what he thought.

At one point, she didn't know how to explain their relationship, but ...... Since something started to change, the things that didn't change remained, and thus became clearer.

I don't know if it's because of her personality or because she's not really a woman, she can't rank the importance of her friends.

For her, the friends around her are the most important people, and there is no primary or secondary.

They are all her most precious people... and elves.

"Really...... Friends...?"

Repeating the girl's response, Gu Ying's eyes on the TV were obviously not on the screen.

He couldn't understand it...... Why was she able to fall in love with those abominable beings.

For him...... Incomprehensible.

"I see, thank you for your answer...... You can go up, Xiaojin may be looking forward to you. ”

Temporarily putting away his sigh, Gu Ying turned his head with a smile and said to the person who was standing at the door waiting for him to reply.

It didn't matter, he hadn't thought that this innocent girl who had not been harmed by those calamity lifeforms would be able to appreciate what the elves really brought to humans.

It might be nice for her not to know about that hatred.

Because she was able to seal the elves and make them indistinguishable from ordinary humans.........

Only in this way can we effectively reduce the loneliness of those miserable lives and the threats to them as ordinary people.

So she has this obligation, and therefore she can't hate the elves

"By the way, please make sure not to tell Nishiki everything about the elves and Ratatosk, she doesn't know."

When Qianzao was still a little puzzled why he said that Jin Hui was looking forward to her, Gu Ying shook his head with a smile and got up and said.

Then, he bypassed Chihaya, who was standing in the doorway, said hello, and walked to the bathroom in his room.

………………

"What did the eldest brother say to you, why did you go for so long?"

When Chihaya returned to her room on the second floor, she had just opened the door when she received a pair of glances.

Kazawa, who was already wearing normal pajamas, was lying on the only bed in this room, flipping through magazines, grabbing snacks and putting them in his mouth without a mouthful.

And ----- Jin, the owner of the bedroom, was holding the handheld game console and pressing, and immediately asked after seeing Chihaya open the door.

Chihaya was a little frightened by the super-fast problem.

"I... Brother Gu Ying just asked me about Xiaojin's school. ”

Although she was a little flustered for a moment, she immediately thought of the words that Gu Ying had just provided when she unified her voice.

"Strange...... Why don't you come directly to me or Xiaomei for this kind of thing..."

After receiving the answer, he probably felt that Chihaya was not the kind of person who could lie, and Nishiki didn't doubt it much. Just a whisper of confusion.

But she soon gave up thinking about it, jumped up from the floor where the bed had been made, and patted Chihaya on the shoulder.

"It's good if it's okay...... I went to the toilet. ”

There was no doubt about it, so Nishiki bypassed Chihaya and walked straight out of the room.

Seeing that Nishiki left so decisively, Chihaya also quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

If Jin continued to ask, she really didn't know how to answer.

Since Kasawa occupied the bed, Chihaya had to go to one of the two beds on the ground and sit in a daze, waiting for Nishiki to come back.

The space fell silent in an instant, except for the sound of Kasawa flipping through the magazine.

In such a silent atmosphere, Kazawa, who surprisingly doesn't like to talk much, spoke first.

"I thought it would be longer......"

A faint voice came from above the bed.

I don't know when the magazine has been closed, Kazawa maintains a semi-recumbent position and stares at Chihaya on the floor.

The blue frames of the glasses reflect the white light of the electric lamp slightly, making it look a little cold.

"Huh?"

Chihaya let out a short sigh of surprise.

"A conversation with Mr. Kooying."

Xiang Ze, who still didn't talk much, said in the same voice.

"W-What do you mean?"

Not understanding what the other party was going to say, Chihaya asked rhetorically.

"Could it be Mr. Gu Ying...... Didn't tell you about the princess?"

Perhaps thinking that the glasses were a little in the way, Xiang Ze took them off and folded them and put them on the table next to them.

The beautiful Dan who became even colder looked at Chihaya slightly.

"No... There is no ......"

Chihaya was still confused and replied.

Maybe it's because of the frequent contact with elves. When she heard the word "princess", the first thing she thought of was not the character who was paired with the prince in fairy tales, nor the heirs of the kings and queens in history, but a friend who was very close to her.........

Identify the elf named "Princess" ------- the night sword god Toka.

Although it is now known that Brother Koei is a member of Ratatorsk, Chihaya still doesn't understand why this has something to do with Toka......

Wrong...... Wait a minute... What did Kazawa-san say just now?!

Sensing that something was wrong, Chihaya's eyes widened and she looked at her classmates who had no expression in their eyes.

She's just ...... Mention of "princess"?!

……………………

……………………

After the exam~XD

Well...... Although I haven't taken the real exam yet, I still ...... Let's relax first (?)

I've been too keen to write short stories lately and haven't updated them

Seriously, writing short stories will be addictive!

And then the series about that fake horror short story is not just irresponsible, it was not finished! I just want to combine the characters of the newly written story, so I'll ...... for the time being.

Damn, I want to eat pudding~~~~ (What a ruin.)