novelThe Nine Brothers' Sieglinde Observation Diary
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Okt. [1] 03 Albert
When we received the news that Sieg was coming back, our family was grief-stricken.
—— In the end, our little sister was being returned.
When the news arrived, father went to the ranch while looking like an animal that was getting sold off to the market.
Mother enthusiastically said that she would turn her into a lady this time, and ordered dresses. She felt that Sieglinde would have grown large in the remote land so she ordered larger sizes. No one could retort that it was too late.
A while later, I wrote a letter warning my son Claus, who was to come home on vacation from the boarding school, to not fool around with her.
Even so, what should I say to my little sister.
The mansion was surrounded in a sorrowful atmosphere.
Nov. 01 Daniel
Sieglinde is finally back.
I wanted to work without rest while my little sister and her husband was home, but my older brother said, "It's scary so please stay with me!" so I grudgingly attended the ritual where Sieglinde was being returned from her husband.
We also held a meeting to discuss who should go out to greet who would be acting violently because she is getting returned.
All of us brothers shook our heads.
The discussion went on until dawn.
The result — First, let's at least feed her some meat.
That was the conclusion we came to after we seriously discussed the matter.
We decided to pool our money and buy a cow from father's ranch.
—— Sieglinde. Do not worry. You may have been abandoned by your husband, but you have meat!!
One cow will soothe our little sister's heart.
Also, we practiced making a soft expression to receive Sieg who would be heartbroken.
Nov. 12 Diederich.
In the end, the day when Sieg comes visited us.
I couldn't tell my young daughters that their aunt was coming back.
Both Edelgard and Adeltraud followed Sieg well, but I could not bear seeing them in shock from their aunt's changed appearance.
All that we could do now was to pray to God.
—— O God, please calm down the unruly Sieg.
In the morning, everyone had a strained expression.
The sensitive Edelgard seemed to have felt the tension in the air, as she was not eating much.
Adeltraud, who is dense in a good sense of the word, was appetisingly spreading jam and bread and was biting into it.
Everyone tried their best to endure their day, using the innocent Adeltraud as a refresher.
Nov. 12 Eugen
We received news that Sieg had arrived from a servant.
Is she alone!? I thought, but it seemed that the husband was here as well.
I felt relieved that there would not be a fight when people were going to explain the circumstances.
I asked older brother what kind of person Sieg's husband is, but he replied that only father and mother met him and that he did not know.
Father said that Sieg's husband is a very kind and fluffy young man.
When I asked if he has a calm personality, he replied no.
Fluffy seems to refer to his appearance. I'm not sure what that means.
Just who is her husband who is also a count in another country.
Furthermore, apparently it was he who proposed to Sieg because he fell in love with her at first sight.
Just what part of Sieg, who always has a sharp gaze, did he like. It's full of mysteries.
The door opened with great force, causing all of us brothers to flinch.
I thought that it might have been Sieglinde who was acting wildly, but it was eldest brother's son Claus.
Claus apparently came to see Sieglinde.
He asked that we should go to the drawing room, but none of us were ready so we shook our heads violently.
In the end, Claus was to go to the drawing room alone. Eldest brother repeatedly warned him to not do anything unnecessary, but that kid probably would not listen.
I saw off the reckless Claus with a wailful feeling.
Nov. 12 Florenz
Claus, who went out energetically, came back with a face as if he saw something terrifying.
—— That's why we warned you.
Everyone in the room thought that.
Claus told us to go to the drawing room since it was almost meal time.
Ultimately, the time has come. Eldest brother murmured a heavy sentence.
The meal will be had without children.
The opponent was Sieglinde who was in her most touchy state. It's no surprise that people below the age of 18 would be refused.
Before we went to the drawing room, we fidgeted over who should be in the lead.
We drew lots with numbers up to 4, and then walked in a straight line in that order.
The lead was eldest brother Albert who drew the lot with the number 1.
When we finally arrived at the room, he blurted out, "Sieglinde!?" in a tone of surprise.
To see our little sister who has turned into a burly warrior in the foreign land, us brothers peeked into the room.
——Nnn??
The lady sitting on the chair is Sieglinde!?
With longer hair and a plumper body, Sieg looked like a different person.
She looked, miraculously, good in the dress.
In addition, we realised that we were greatly mistaken.
Sieg was just visiting on vacation.
Everyone in the family greeted Sieg and her husband awkwardly.
From seeing my little sister, I could tell. She was cherished in the foreign land.
Sieg's husband Ritzhard whom I saw for the time had a fluffy impression like snow as father and mother said.
He was sociable, talking to us with smiles.
As I watched him, I came to an understanding.
If it was someone as sociable as him, befriending Sieg would have been fast after all.
Father gathered us for a meal.
On the table, there were many meat dishes.
They were all things that Sieg likes.
However, Sieg did not eat well.
In the middle, when the main course came out, she covered her mouth and ran out of the room.
The whole family became puzzled over what might have happened.
Ritzhard quickly said, "Morning sickness."
Believe it or not, Sieg was pregnant.
It's great that the couple is on good terms.
Nov. 15 Georg
My older brother who was back home for holiday informed me that I would be able to see something interesting, so I decided to visit the family home.
When I asked what the interesting thing was, older brother did not answer.
Since I was told that I would be able to know if I went to the drawing room, I headed there.
When I opened the door and entered, there was a red-haired lady that I saw for the first time.
A relative? Or so I thought, but that person said that it has been a while in a friendly tone.
While I was tilting my head from hearing that we met before, I discovered an unbelievable fact.
The lady in front of me was Sieglinde.
To be frank, I was surprised.
She changed so much, in so many ways.
To become so feminine, just what happened overseas.
I did think that she was being cherished by her husband, but to become like this.
Moreover, I never saw her wearing accessories before, but there was jewelry shining at her ear.
Apparently it was a present from her husband.
When I honestly told her that it suits her well, she smiled shyly.
I wanted to greet her husband who changed her, but he was returning home then.
When I joked, "Could he be abandoning you?" she glared at me with a terrifying expression, the like of which I never saw before.
—— O husband, please come quickly and take Sieg away.
I hoped so as beads of sweat formed on my brows.
Dez. 13 Heino
From some time ago, I received news that Sieg was back at our parents' home.
Letters of misfortune informing my brothers' agonies arrived once a week.
Believe it or not, it was discovered that Sieg was pregnant so she was to recuperate. Meanwhile, her husband was back in his country temporarily.
It was written that they were being at the mercy of Sieg's emotional instability, but I could tell that it was because my older brothers joked about or said something unncessary.
To anger Sieg, I thought that my brothers were being funny.
There were not many things I could do.
While thinking of our parents' place, I clasped my hands.
—— Ritzhard-dono, please return quickly and calm down the rampaging Sieglinde.
A few days later, I received news that Ritzhard-dono came back.
It seemed that peace finally returned there.
Dez. 21 Ewald
I was so very surprised at Sieglinde's change.
I could not imagine my little sister being someone's docile wife, but Sieg who was in front of me felt like a reserved wife.
I could only be surprised at Ritzhard-san's ability.
Jan. 15 Johann
When I visited my parents' place after a long time, there was a woman crouching in the garden so I tilted my head.
Who could this be.
She wore a hat decorated with flowers and ribbons, and was removing the snow on the flowerbed with clothes that looked to be a little thin for winter.
The skin was flawless and blended into the snowy landscape.
I was somewhat bothered so I talked to her.
"Young lady, you will catch a cold in those clothes, " said I as I offered her a coat.
The person that was crouching down looked up and made an elegant smile.
And then, a reply of "I'm alright!" came back.
I was surprised by that.
Because the voice was that of a man's.
The person with the appearance of a fairy was Sieglinde's husband.
As to why he was wearing a lady's hat, it was something mother bought for Sieg but because she did not want to use it, mother asked him to try it.
—— Erm, you can refuse those things.
I told my innocent younger brother-in-law.
◇◇◇
Within a year, Sieg changed surprisingly.
We recalled father saying that all women had potential to bloom like a flower.
This time, we could not help but nod to those words.
[1] The author uses abbreviations of the German words for the months.
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