Chapter 5
“Hello… Hello, you say.”
A voice, as if it had been honed through vocal practice in some dark cave, seeped heavily into the floor.
It was a voice more befitting a demon king than an ordinary duke.
Even his voice, even his face—just the fact that this man was a human being from the same world was remarkable.
Metherio’s face looked disturbingly young for someone nearing forty.
He had the perfect look of a final boss.
His sharply chiseled features, paired with bloodless skin, gave off a dangerous air.
This man… cried ‘Hhhueoong’?
…Did I fabricate that memory?
While I was still confused and doubting my own recollection, the duke’s mouth slowly opened.
“I heard your health has greatly improved. Move to the main residence as soon as possible.”
The sudden decree made my heart drop with a thud.
Leaving behind the warm, beautiful annex to live in the main residence—where I couldn’t even wander around without being carried—was out of the question.
The words “I don’t want to” caught in my throat, but my lips wouldn’t open.
I thought my life had shifted from a survival-type romance to a healing romance, but—ta-da! Fake-out! My head spun at the sudden twist.
No. I can’t. If I live there, I won’t even make it to the start of the original timeline. I’ll be doomed to die screaming, plummeting down the Abyssal Staircase.
“M-must I really?”
At my audacious defiance, the duke’s murderous eyes narrowed.
“Are you defying me right now?”
His cold voice sliced through the air like a blade. It was the exact terrifying demeanor of the original Metherio.
Right. Let’s just say that ‘Hhhueoong’ thing was an auditory hallucination.
I clenched my teeth and bowed my head deeply. Quick adaptability was key to survival.
“…I apologize, Father.”
It felt like gravity itself was pressing down on the crown of my head and my shoulders. My neck and back automatically bent into a respectful posture.
While pretending to reflect and keeping my gaze on the floor, my eyes, now accustomed to the darkness, caught sight of something wedged between the sofa and the floor.
What’s that? Paper?
Against the entirely black floor, the little patch of white was distracting. If I didn’t remove it now, it’d probably haunt me even in my sleep.
Having momentarily lost my sense of self-preservation, I forgot I was in the middle of an apology and, as if possessed, reached out my hand.
“N-no, don’t!”
The duke’s urgent cry rang out just as I pulled out the hidden object from beneath the sofa.
…A photo?
In it was a pink-haired woman who resembled Ariel, smiling radiantly. She was undoubtedly Ariel’s mother, the late Duchess of Valienor.
Why would this be on the floor?
Like someone solving an escape room puzzle, I examined the photo and noticed a transparent thread attached to the corner.
You press buttons, and you pull strings. Without hesitation, I tugged on it, and a string of photos came tumbling out, one after another.
This one’s Davina. This one’s Jeremiah. This one’s Ariel… Wait, these are family photos.
Why tie family photos together like this? For surveillance? Like pinning suspect photos on a whiteboard for a criminal investigation? Or… could it be a curse?
My pupils trembled in 16-bit resolution. Normal people simply couldn’t comprehend the thought processes of final bosses and villains.
With trembling hands, I flipped the photos over. On the back of each was the duke’s handwritten note.
“Davina’s first steps ♥”
“The day Jeremiah wrote his name by himself ♥”
“Please, let Ariel recover her health ♥”
…
Duke, sir… Don’t tell me you made a photo garland out of family pictures?
I had a lot of questions, but I didn’t ask any. I had a lot to say, but I didn’t open my mouth.
It was too shocking. Even more shocking than seeing Mr. Ma○seok wearing a pink lace apron.
A twist in personality was fine, but this… this was just an overreach disguised as a twist.
When I finally lifted my head in a daze, my gaze met the duke’s equally dazed one. His eyes wavered aimlessly, like a little brother caught by his older sister while watching something inappropriate.
“A-Ariel… Well, you see… The thing is…”
The sheer secondhand embarrassment made my whole body shudder. All I could think about was escaping this situation.
I decided it might be better to just faint. And right on cue, my overly fragile body decided to cooperate.
Just before my eyes closed, I caught a glimpse of the duke’s startled face, looking nothing like the “Iron-Blooded Duke” his nickname suggested.
When I opened my eyes, it was as dark as a moonless night. A soft musk scent rose from the warm blankets.
This isn’t Ariel’s room. Still the main residence, I think…
I wanted to look around, but it was too dark to even see where the door was. I’d have to call someone over to move.
“Is anyone ou—”
—t there?
I clamped my mouth shut mid-sentence. A familiar silver thread was cascading from above.
This time it wasn’t like a cloud but rather a waterfall.
The hair shape was different, too. This was long straight hair.
Could it be younger sister Davina this time?
I gritted my teeth and pulled the blanket over my head. My plan was to fake sleep until the original-story villainess left.
I had no idea how much time had passed. When I sensed the presence had gone, I cautiously peeked out from the blanket.
…
Damn it.
God, I asked you to take away my troubles, but why did you give me another one?
My heart sank at the unexpected sight. Both the villainess and the final boss were standing at my bedside, staring down at me.
Apparently, Davina hadn’t left the room—she’d even brought Jeremiah along.
I have a confession: I don’t like kids.
This got me labeled as a “strange person” because I often said, “Kids aren’t cute.” But once I revealed I was the eldest sister with two younger siblings, everyone took it as perfectly understandable.
That’s what being the eldest is like. Your own family’s kids aren’t cute, and neither are other people’s. Try raising two wild beasts into humans yourself, and then see if you still call kids cute.
I watched my siblings warily, praying they wouldn’t open their mouths.
“Big sister’s awake.”
Silver hair and grayish-blue eyes—Davina’s looks screamed “Valienor bloodline at work.” Her delicate gaze examined my face intently, cold enough to feel like she was glaring.
“Wait. She might still be asleep.”
Silver hair, green eyes—Jeremiah’s gentle tone didn’t match the bratty behavior I’d seen earlier.
Unlike Davina, who was the spitting image of Metherio, Jeremiah looked exactly like Ariel, except for his hair color.
In other words, for a supposed final boss, he looked like a delicate flower.
…
Wait. Did Ariel have another sibling? No, her only younger brother was Jeremiah.
Then why does he look so soft and sweet now? He wasn’t like this earlier…
“See? Her eyes are open. She’s not sleeping.”
“She’s not moving yet. And you sometimes sleep-talk with your eyes open, remember?”
“Oh, right. Then when will she wake up?”
“How should I know? Maybe in the morning?”
“But we have to go back before then. I wanted to see her wake up… Oh! What if we give her medicine?”
…Medicine?
The villainess-like suggestion sent a chill down my spine.
Just as I was about to reveal I was awake, Jeremiah stepped in to block Davina.
“I told you over and over—our sister’s health is fragile. She can’t take just any medicine. You’re the reason I’m banned from visiting the annex too.”
“I just thought that if she had silver hair like us, she’d get healthier.”
“Are you stupid? You still believe that?”
Ariel’s memories surfaced. She had once eaten candy from Davina and gotten terribly sick. So that was some fake “silver-hair-making” medicine?
In truth, Ariel had been so sick over the past few years that she spent more time unconscious than awake.
Davina’s lips jutted out petulantly, not in remorse but in genuine indignation.
“I’m not stupid! You’re stupider!”
“Ugh, I was told not to talk to fools. Now I’ve caught your stupidity.”
“If I’m stupid, you’re an idiot!”
“What? You little—!”
“Yup~ Next idiot~”
“Where’d you even learn this…! I’m telling Master!”
“Yup~ Then I’ll tell the nanny you called me stupid!”
“I really can’t even smack you…”
“Webebebe. Go ahead, try.”
…What the hell.
I wanted to cry. Watching the villainess and the final boss roast each other in a diss battle was dizzying.
How old were they again? Jeremiah was eleven, Davina was nine…
Yep. Elementary schoolers.
In my past life, my own younger siblings had shown their true colors right around that age too. They’d been hopeless from the start, but thanks to the adults ignoring it, they’d grown into delinquent teens.
The eldest sister’s blood boiled in my veins. Before I knew it, a natural instinct escaped my lips.
“Shut it.”
“…”
“…”
Two pairs of bright eyes stared at me as if wondering whether they’d just imagined my words.
“Brother, can big sister talk?”
“Idiot, just don’t talk.”
“If I’m an idiot, you’re—”
“I said shut your mouth.”
At my sharp command, their little lips snapped shut.
