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IBYSRHML | Chapter 17

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The youngest unnie scolded me so harshly that I cried.

I was also banned from the playground for three days, so I had to spend my time alone in my room playing with dolls.

“I miss you, Francesca… Martina… Antonio… Vicky…”

Staying at home was so boring that my whole body felt itchy with restlessness.

Not that my sisters were willing to play with me either.

Right now, our house felt like a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment if someone so much as poked it.

The tension reached its peak when our eldest unnie returned home after quitting her job at the coast guard a few days ago.

The youngest unnie yelled out in anger, unable to contain her frustration, demanding to know if the eldest unnie really intended to go through with the marriage.

Our second unnie, after glaring at her for a long time, slammed her door shut and locked herself in her room.

As for me…

“Cookie, I really don’t know what to do.”

I had been rooting for our second unnie and Leopold to work things out, but now our eldest unnie was saying she was taking me to the Empire.

At this point, I didn’t care about the male leads anymore; I just wanted us to live peacefully in Trovancha like we were now.

The four of us together, and it would be even better if Andrea returned…

As a solution suddenly popped into my head, I hugged Cookie tightly and shouted:

“Ah! That’s it, Cookie! Let’s write to Andrea!”

If I told Andrea that our sisters were planning to marry strange men, maybe he’d step in and stop them.

Why didn’t I think of this sooner?

I jumped to my feet, grabbed some paper, and picked up a pen.

After dipping the nib in ink, I carefully began to write.

I couldn’t control the pressure in my hand, so the pen nib tore through the paper, and my hands ended up covered in ink, but I didn’t stop.

_________________

Andrea! It’s me, Liliana!

Don’t you miss me? I miss you so much.

Our sisters are getting married!

They said I have to go live in the Empire, but Trovancha is better… Stop them!
________________

Although I could read well, my writing was still clumsy. But as long as the message got across, it didn’t matter.

After sealing the letter with plenty of glue to make sure no one could open it, I tucked it into my hamster bag, ready to go.

I planned to head to the post office immediately to ensure it reached Andrea, who was in the south, as soon as possible.

I ran down the hallway and knocked on my sisters’ doors.

If I went out without telling them, I might get scolded so badly that my bottom would disappear.

“Second unnie! Come to the post office with me!”

“I’m busy.”

When I opened the door, I saw my second unnie getting ready for a date.

I gave her a thumbs-up, telling her she looked pretty, then knocked on the youngest unnie’s door.

“Youngest unnie! Come to the post office with me-“

Before I could finish my sentence, the youngest unnie swung her door open.

For some reason, she was already ready to go out.

“Sure, let’s go! I’ll buy you something delicious on the way back.”

“Really?!”

“Of course. Have I ever lied to you?”

“Yes! Lots of times!”

“You little—!”

The youngest sister tried to pinch my cheek, but I dodged her hand and dashed to the front door.

As I flung it open, something bumped into me from outside.

“Huh?”

“Ouch! That hurts.”

That voice… Marius?

“Uncle?”

Marius was crouched in front of me, holding his nose.

“Ow, ow, it hurts. Did my nose break? If the little one blows on it, I think it’ll heal.”

“Blow on it?”

“Will you?”

Marius removed his hand, revealing his face with a bright smile.

He didn’t look hurt at all—it was actually his palm that was red.

It seemed suspicious, but since he claimed he was hurt because of me, I had to take responsibility.

“Blow, blow! Heal all the pain away!”

When I cast my little spell, Marius opened his eyes wide in amazement and grinned.

“Wow, you’re amazing, little one. It doesn’t hurt at all now.”

“Right? I’m pretty awesome!”

As I shrugged proudly, Marius chuckled and stood up, patting my head.

Just then, the youngest unnie came out, her tone sharp instead of greeting him.

“Why are you here?”

“Is Alice home?”

“No.”

“Oh, come on. I know she’s here. Even if you don’t like me, don’t lie.”

“If you know, why bother asking?”

“To get closer to my dear sister-in-law?”

Marius’s playful comment made the youngest unnie frown deeply.

Her lips twisted, showing just how annoyed she was.

Seeing no other choice, I decided to step in and mediate.

After all, neither of us liked Marius, so a quick solution would do.

“Alice is sleeping, so you should leave!”

“Huh? Then can you wake her up?”

“No! Uncle, go home!”

“Hmm. Little one, you know lying stunts your growth, right? Do you want to stay tiny forever?”

“Uh… that’s not good…”

When I covered my cheeks with my palms and opened my mouth wide, Marius twitched the corners of his lips.

At that moment, hearing our quarrel, the eldest unnie came out.

“What’s the matter?”

“Oh, I came to give you the engagement ring. Even if we skipped the engagement ceremony, I thought I should at least hand over the ring myself. Let’s go out. We can have a meal at a nice place and exchange the rings there.”

“Unnie.”

The youngest unnie stiffened her face and shook her head firmly, glaring at the eldest unnie. The eldest unnie, however, ignored the opposition with a composed expression.

“Lily, where are you going? Want to come along with me?”

“She has somewhere else to go with me. Let’s go, youngest.”

The youngest unnie grabbed my hand and deliberately tapped Marius on the shoulder as she passed by.

Following behind her, I waved back at the eldest unnie.

“Unnie, don’t spend too much time with the silly uncle and come back home soon, okay?”

I warned her to return early, but I wasn’t sure how effective it would be. After all, I’m only six years old, and my eldest unnie is twenty-four—an adult.

After stopping by the post office to send the letter to Andrea, we headed to a restaurant.

The children’s meal was so delicious that I hummed while swinging my legs under the chair.

But the moment the door jingled open, everything froze because of the guest who entered.

Even the fork stabbing into my steak fell to the table with a clatter.

“Oh, oh… I want to go home!”

The guest who entered the restaurant was none other than François Cassel.

I had hoped it wouldn’t be, but François spotted us and started walking toward us.

He was probably here to offer another magic-infused drink like last time.

The youngest unnie had tricked me.

As I tried to slip off the chair and run home, the youngest unnie grabbed my arm firmly and made me sit back down. Meanwhile, François Cassel kept striding toward us.

My heart pounded wildly. I hadn’t been this scared even before getting a shot.

“Ugh. I-I want to go home. Let me go!”

As I started to whimper, the youngest unnie quickly made a proposal.

“I’ll buy you mango pudding.”

“No! I don’t need pudding!”

“I’ll also get you jelly. And a coupon to skip eating bell peppers.”

“J-Just one?”

“Two.”

“…Four.”

“Fine, three. Three jellies, one pudding, and three bell pepper-free coupons. Deal?”

“Mm, okay. I’ll try to endure.”

Thinking about the pudding, I swallowed my fear.

Just then, François Cassel sat across from me and smiled.

“Hello, little lady.”

I didn’t like François Cassel.

Not only was he a dangerous character in the original story, but I also hated how he kept calling me “little lady.”

Scowling at him, I retorted sharply, “I’m not a little lady.”

…Well, I tried to be sharp.

“Then can I call you Liliana from now on?”

In truth, I was too scared to respond aggressively to François Cassel.

But his unexpectedly gentle response made me wonder if I had misjudged him.

Even though he had confined the heroine and used me in the original story, that was fiction.

Maybe he wasn’t as dangerous in this different, real world.

Perhaps I could be a little more at ease around him.

Gathering my courage, I replied, “Mm, okay. Call me Liliana.”

“You’re here? Have you eaten?”

“Not yet. Should I order something too?”

“Suit yourself.”

Something felt off. Very suspicious.

I didn’t think the youngest unnie and François Cassel were on such friendly terms.

Narrowing my eyes, I alternated glances between them, and soon, François Cassel’s eyes met mine.

He examined my face closely.

“Liliana, are you afraid of me?”

“N-No? I’m not scared!”

Admitting fear would be a loss.

I deliberately stared at François with determined eyes, but instead of looking intimidated, he just smiled softly.

“Not brother, but uncle, perhaps? If you had made a mistake in your youth, you’d have a daughter as young as our youngest here.”

The youngest unnie sneered, but François didn’t argue back.

Instead, he poured a potion infused with magic into a cup.

“Magic potions must be consumed within an hour of being made. Even if it tastes awful, you have to endure it.”

The purple potion looked unappetizing and had an unpleasant smell.

I’d rather forgo pudding and jelly than drink that.

As if reading my thoughts, François suddenly pulled out a small teddy bear from a paper bag.

The fluffy pink fur was so cute that my gaze followed the bear as François shook it.

“If you drink this, I’ll give you this bear.”

“Really? …Promise?”

“Of course. Naturally.”

He smiled as he handed the bear to me.

Hugging the bear tightly, I rubbed my chin against its plump belly, savoring its soft texture.

“Hehe. I can do it now!”

I mustered my courage and picked up the cup.

Closing my eyes tightly and holding my breath, I tilted the cup.

The potion touched my lips.

Forcing my mouth open, I gulped it down.

Even though I held my breath, the bitterness rose with each swallow, making me feel like throwing up.

Every time I did, I clutched the fluffy bear tightly with both hands.

If I finished this, the bear would be mine. Just a little more.

“Ugh. It’s so awful.”

As I plopped the empty cup down, the youngest unnie clapped her hands.

“Wow! Even drinking magic potions now, our youngest has grown up!”

“Indeed. Liliana is such a brave child.”

“Exactly! Liliana will become a valiant warrior, so this is nothing!”

Straightening my shoulders and puffing out my chest, François smiled silently.

I fiddled with the bear I earned as a reward for enduring the world’s most disgusting drink.

“This one is now named Jelly. Hello, Jelly. You’ll play with me every day from now on.”

At that moment, the youngest unnie popped some food into my mouth.

I pouted and grabbed a fork myself.

“Am I a baby? I can eat by myself.”

“Small one, you’re still a kid.”

A moment ago, she said I was all grown up… I wanted to argue, but the youngest unnie’s stern gaze made me nod quietly.

“Yeah, I’m a kid.”

Sigh. I need to grow up quickly and become a hammer-wielding warrior.

• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •

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