At O'Neill's question, Elana and the other girls looked uncomfortable. The brown-haired girl hurriedly said she had something to attend to at home, said goodbye to Elana, and headed for her carriage.
Seeing the girls' reactions, O'Neill understood what had happened. He quickly turned and bowed to Sifa. "I'm terribly sorry, Major. My sister and her friends said things they shouldn't have. I apologize on their behalf."
Sifa waved a hand and smiled. "Second Lieutenant O'Neill, tonight I'm just an older brother here to take his sister home, not a Navy Major."
Only then did O'Neill relax, knowing Sifa would not pursue the matter.
While Sifa was talking to his sister, Elana plucked up her courage and tugged at her brother's sleeve, asking quietly, "O'Neill, is Miss Belle's brother really a major?"
O'Neill glanced toward Sifa. Seeing that they had no intention of leaving yet, he hurriedly said, "Of course. I witnessed his decoration ceremony myself today."
"And I heard that the major was promoted straight from second lieutenant to major. He must have made an enormous contribution, or he couldn't possibly have jumped three ranks."
Elana stuck out her tongue. "He's that impressive?"
"Yes, and I'm already his adjutant. The major will set sail after the New Year, and I'll be serving aboard his ship. What's more, I'm joining a mysterious department, one that serves as a counterpart to MI9. You could think of it as MI9 at sea," O'Neill said excitedly.
Elana's eyes lit up as she listened. Their family had not yet fallen into decline, and with her brother O'Neill in the military, their future looked promising.
Barring any surprises, Elana's future husband would likely be a mid-ranking military officer. It wasn't that she didn't want to marry someone higher up, but men like that usually wouldn't