Cinderella's Brother

My head was spinning. I have no idea what I just overheard.

 

I was trying to figure out what I just heard, and it seems that I’ve been suffering from some sort of aphasia for about a year now, and I don’t know what it was, but I thought it had something to do with my dad, and because of that he never sent me out to any public events ever since. 

 

Emma had told me the other day that I usually never get out of bed and rarely speak, so if that’s what she meant, why hasn’t anyone said anything to me about it? I could understand if they were afraid of pushing me too hard.

 

But how on earth did I get aphasia?  I guess from various sources, something happened with my father. I don’t know what it was. And I don’t think anyone like my father would let the fact that his child had aphasia slip through our walls.

 

“Miss? Awww, why are you sitting there, you’re crumpling your dress, come on, get up, His Excellency wants to see you.”

 

Emma, who had come to my aid, as she helped me to my feet and brushed my skirt.

 

Why would he want to see me when the banquet is about to start? I was starting to freak out, c’mon. There was no way I was going to go and stiffen anyway, so I climbed the stairs, trying not to fall, and headed for my father’s study.

 

“Father?”

 

“Ah, Ray.”

 

Is it because of something I overheard just now? I felt like my heart was pounding when I saw my father walking back and forth in his study wearing fancy conquests, which were rare. I was not saying that I was nervous, but I was saying that my hair was naturally standing and my heart was pounding from tension.

 

Come to think of it, something was wrong from the beginning. Of course, it’s natural to be nervous in front of my father because of memories from my past life, but it was a bit too much. It’s like this girl’s body, the one I was sitting in now, is reacting one step ahead of my mood. Like a dog that a wizard has experimented with…

 

“Hmmm, I have a favour to ask of you.”

 

“A favour…?”

 

“Hmmm, yes.”

 

It’s not a favour, it’s an order, but that’s not the point. It’s amazing that he was talking to me like that, and it’s not the way I would have expected him to talk to me before. But why don’t I like it, and why does it make me feel like my stomach is in knots?

 

After a moment’s hesitation, my father reached for something on the table. Reflexively, I reached out and took it, and I was surprised.

 

A thin platinum necklace with a tiny heart-shaped locket. It was so familiar to me. It was a memento of my mother’s that I had played with as a child and dropped into the pond!

 

There was no way I could have forgotten it. I remember being terrified and hiding for a whole day after I dropped it in the pond. I remember barely gathering the courage to tell my brother. I thought he was going to be super mad at me then…..

 

Anyway, how the hell is this here? Oh… yeah. The me here is different from the me back then, so the thing I played with and lost must have never happened, otherwise It wouldn’t be here in one piece.

 

As I stare blankly at the necklace in my hand, my father speaks up.

 

“That’s the thing… I want you to give it to your sister.”

 

What? For a moment, I stared up at him, not quite understanding what he was saying.

 

“Later. I want you to take it as a sign that you accept her as a sister. What do you think?”

 

It is not too much to ask, is it? In front of all the guests at the banquet, I present my new sister with a treasure that belongs to my mother as a sign of my sincere welcome to the house. But….

 

What is this feeling? Why do I feel like I’m selling my soul to the devil? Something is very wrong, but I don’t know what it was.

 

“Yes…. I see.”

 

“Hmmm, good. I’m glad you guys seem to get along. Thank you.”

 

Despite being praised by my father for the first time in my life, I don’t feel very good. Instead of feeling happy, I felt strangely depressed, like something very unfair and unreasonable had just happened, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was.

 

After leaving my father’s study and thinking to myself for a long time, I slapped my knee when I realised the nature of the injustice I felt.

 

It was my mother’s memento. A memento of the woman who gave birth to me and my brother. The problem was that my father had ordered me to give it to Levina without asking my opinion!

 

Of course, the very idea of my father asking for my opinion was unthinkable, but even so, isn’t it a little unreasonable?

 

Most of all, I don’t know why I should give my mother’s belongings, which I’ve only just found again, to Levina. Does it even make sense to give my mother’s belongings to a half-sister?

 

I made up my mind. I will not give this away! I will not do such an absurd and unreasonable thing, no matter how my father turns out! I just don’t want to do that! Besides, it means a lot to me. …I’m not saying that I was the one who dropped it in the pond while playing with it, but it’s an object with meaningful memories of my brother.

 

Of course, as the only child of an empire whose father was a little bit scary and who once served as an unworthy commander, I must protect my mother’s belongings. Please, for once, don’t let that dreadful brother turn away from me.

 

Downstairs, guests were already arriving one after another. As I recall, every nobleman in the empire had come. Their faces were all full of curiosity. They must be curious about the newest addition to the ducal family.

 

“Happy birthday, my lord.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Standing by my father’s side, receiving the greeting with his usual expressionless face, was my brother, who was also dressed quite formally for his birthday. The black uniform with its rows of chains and badges looks pretty heavy. I think about it all the time, but he was very handsome, I clicked my tongue and cautiously approached him.

 

“Whew-! Who is this beautiful lady, and are you willing to allow me to take her by the hand and kidnap her?”

 

…Oh dear, if this isn’t bad enough, I’m about to vomit. I turned around, intensely curious to see the face of the man who would make such a sentimental comment to a thirteen-year-old girl, and there was a blond guy in a shiny white suit, his face was smirking down at me.

 

I’d seen him a few times before. The eldest son of the Earl of Vineyard, my brother’s best mate rather than his best friend. I don’t know where the hell the two of them got to be friends.

 

Anyway, if I do say so myself, I’ve hung out with his brother, the second Earl of Vineyard, a few times. He was the one who gave me the puppy one day. The same puppy that Levina had robbed me of. Sigh. Anyway, he was a nice enough fellow. Was he at this banquet?

 

“Hello.”

 

Whatever I was thinking on the inside, I greeted him outwardly with a broad social smile. And then he stopped smiling and just stared at me with a blank stare. Awww, cute, cute, cute, I know, I’ve rehearsed that entertaining smile a hundred times.

 

“Hi!”

 

…At this point, I’m really starting to wonder if she was in love with me. Why are you popping up everywhere I go and interrupting me, you attention whore.

 

As I suspected, Levina was wearing a dress that she’d stolen (?) from me, her silver hair tied up in a bun. Objectively speaking, she was quite lovely. Though she was a white devil in my eyes.

 

“I’m Levina, I hope you like me.”

 

“Oh, you’re the one…”

 

“Yeah, that’s right, hehe. Thanks for coming.”

 

“Ian.”

 

Holy crap, when did this guy get here?

 

Without warning, my brother walked towards us and stood between me and Ian. Or to be more precise, he stood between me and Ian and glared at him.

 

His eyes half-open, he glances back and forth between me and Levina, and then, as if coming to his senses, he slaps my brother on the shoulder and starts laughing wildly.

 

“Hey, I never thought I’d see a day in my life when I’d be envious of you! You’ve got two lovely little sisters, can’t you just give me one of these?”

 

“Don’t be silly.”

 

“I’m not being silly, I’m being serious. My house is full of men, you know.”

 

I wondered if he knew about my aphasia. I tried to see his expression, but he was standing with his back to me, so I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

 

“But objectively, I think your new sister looks more like you.”

 

I was about to turn away from Levina, who was smiling brightly as if she had been waiting for me and was about to shout ‘thank you’ when I heard my brother’s stern voice.

 

“Shut up.”

 

“Why, I’m just telling you the truth, and why don’t you move your huge body out of the way, I want to see more of your lovely sister’s face, not your brute.”

 

“Fuck off.”

 

“Oh, come on, girl, you said you were going to show me today!”

 

“You saw it.”

 

Don’t ask me what kind of dialogue between friends is that. As far as I was concerned, they’ve always been that way.

 

When he finally turned to face me, I was smiling like the happiest girl in the world. Hmmm, I was pretty sure I’d just blurted out some ridiculous idea about marrying my brother, but I don’t lose my courage and call out in a silly voice with a smirk that I’ve rehearsed hundreds of times in the mirror over the past few days.

 

“Brother!”

 

I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him. I can feel the countless eyes on me, and it’s a matter of survival for me. 

 

“Ray…”

 

It was clear he was panicking, not a little, but a lot, but he didn’t push me away. A hesitant hand touched my hair, and I flinched a little, but thankfully he didn’t push me away.

 

I opened my eyes and saw Ian’s face, who was glaring at me. Oh, man, this is too much! I was judged now!

 

“This is unacceptable. You envious bastard.”

 

“…Ian. Please shut up.”

 

“If you don’t like it, then so be it! Why should a vicious bastard like you be blessed with this…”

 

It was then that I heard an unexpected sob. I turned around and saw Levina, who was staring at us with a strange look in her eyes, sobbing uncontrollably and wistfully.

 

“Levina, what’s wrong?”

 

“No… No, I’m sorry, I’m just suddenly jealous, because I, you know, I never had a brother….”

 

No bitch? That’s how it comes out?

 

I spun around to face Levina and smiled brightly once more. So brightly, so warmly!

 

“Why don’t you have a brother, we’re sisters now, my sweet little sister!”

 

Then I opened my arms and hugged Levina as hard as I could. It’s almost like a saintly spirit at this point, hugging someone you want to beat to death as hard as you can.

 

“Whoa, he’s holding her…”

 

“Ears, how cute.”

 

I can hear them chattering away. I hug my half-sister with all the strength I can muster in my arms, ready to crush her, and she stiffens and accepts my embrace, then twists away as if she can’t take it anymore. The wind threw me off-center and spun me around. She did it on purpose, didn’t she? That’s right! Ughhhhhh!

 

My brother’s arm quickly wrapped around my waist as I was about to hit  the floor. Whew, that was close. “Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

 

“Levina, be careful.”

 

Isn’t this a historic event for the ages to remember and record? This fearsome big brother was scolding Levina! It’s a soft fight, but it’s a good start! I’ll do whatever it takes to get him on my side! …Holy shit.

 

Levina stared at me in disbelief for a moment, but she quickly straightened up and put on her usual innocent, cringing expression.

 

“Me, I’m sorry, sis. I just wanted to….”

 

“Aaah, it’s okay, it’s okay, I was just too inconsiderate and one-sided.”

 

I let out a shaky laugh and buried my head in my brother’s shoulder as he held me. In the eyes of others, I would be seen as a weak, sweet child. Ian was staring at me intently, his eyes deeply burdened.

 

“My dear friend, will you not hand her over to me for a moment?”

 

“Piss off.”

 

“My dear friend, think again. Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, Duke. How are you?”

 

Ouch. Why do all my family members come up to me in silence like this?

 

I glanced at my father, who was now approaching us, and I felt the urgency of courtesy pounding in my heart again. I was already scared, but wasn’t this an overreaction?

 

My father nodded at Ian, who greeted him cheerfully and then glanced at Levina, who was now wearing a wistful expression, before turning his attention to me, who was clinging to my brother. Or rather, he looked at me and my brother.

 

With that look, I think I should run away.

 

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Translator Note: