My Sister is the Main Character

Episode 2

At those words, the chamberlain slightly raised his head. Then, noticing the blood splattered on the Crown Prince’s chest, he quickly lowered it again.

The Crown Prince, notorious for his eccentricities, was infamous for replacing chamberlains at a whim. If you didn’t want to be dragged away as a corpse, you had to watch your words and actions carefully.

The man, however, casually rubbed at the blood on his chest without a care.

“How delightful.”

Soon, a smile tinged with madness appeared on his pale, flawless cheeks. He laughed softly, a laugh that seemed oddly bashful, yet unsettling.

“How I’ve missed it.”

The man, with hair as crimson as blood, whistled a cheerful tune.

“Acrux, huh? Such a closed-off place that it’s rare to even catch a glimpse of their faces.”

“…”

“I wonder what she’ll say when she sees me.”

Jackal murmured gleefully.

“Yes, if I want to keep her by my side, I’ll need to prepare as well… After all, she possesses something I need.”

Bathed in the moonlight, his movements as he slowly rose from his seat were as picturesque as a painting.

Turning toward the chamberlain, who was frozen in place, he smiled.

“Let’s see if she can become the master of the cage.”

The chamberlain, who had worked long enough to know exactly what kind of “cage” he meant, swallowed hard.

“Inform me as soon as she arrives.”

“…Yes, Your Highness.”

***

The male lead, destined to become a tyrant in the future, coveted my sister’s “heirloom power” the moment he laid eyes on her.

‘And what exactly is this heirloom?’

It refers to one of the 12 treasures within the empire.

These treasures, known as the “Zodiac Relics,” were distributed among 12 noble families, each possessing unique abilities.

As for the treasure of our Ducal House of Acrux,

It amplifies the physical abilities of its master and transforms into the weapon most suitable for them.

Additionally, it chooses its own master.

The issue was…

The head of our family must be acknowledged by the heirloom, and it had already chosen my sister as its master when we were children.

— Sister, the heirloom will never acknowledge me as its master just because I suddenly show up claiming to be. This means I can’t become the true head of the family.

— Don’t worry. Once I’m gone, it will follow you.

Before leaving, my sister left the heirloom behind with a look of absolute certainty, as if to reassure me.

“The treasure is wise and will recognize your strength,” she said.

She even added, with a serene smile, that serving the imperial family would be a great career move.

‘Sister, that’s not a career move…’

In the original story, the female lead ended up confined after going there. Of course, I had no intention of telling my sister that.

I smiled bitterly.

‘Now I’m in a position where I might have to deal with that lunatic myself.’

Contrary to my sister’s confidence, the heirloom did not fully accept me.

Even after she left, I couldn’t wield it.

Thus, now that I had arrived at the Imperial Palace, my objective was clear.

‘Pretend to wield the heirloom perfectly.’

And… quickly charm the Crown Prince, complete my role as his aide, and return safely to my territory.

‘To do that, I need to divert his attention elsewhere.’

I planned to use my own specialty and interests to achieve this.

The retainers often said the same thing when they saw me.

— Second Princess, are you obsessed with money?

The nickname I earned after reviving our declining territory was “The Miserly Witch.”

Born with a keen sense for finances, my specialty was tax collection.

I intended to use this skill as leverage to strike a deal with the Crown Prince.

The grand hallway of the Imperial Palace was as dizzying in its opulence as it was vast.

After arriving at the palace, I walked down the hall, feeling rather low-spirited.

This was the setting of the original story.

—

— I—I hate these chains. I hate this cage! Please, let me out. Please, let me out…!

— Why? All you have to do is love me within that cage, Callisto.

—

Crazy bastard!

The male lead was a perverted, obsessive lunatic who built a giant cage to imprison people.

And that wasn’t all.

He killed the supporting male lead, who had fallen for the heroine and came to rescue her, right in front of her eyes. He also mercilessly killed a loyal retainer who offered sound advice.

I slowly raised my head.

‘So I’m about to meet a psychopath with a pretty face.’

The man I was about to face would, with high probability, bombard me with flirtations and proposals, just as in the original story.

I had already prepared countermeasures.

How long had I been standing in the imperial hallway? Rodemin, who stood beside me, asked quietly:

“…Just when do you plan to go in?”

“I will go in. I said I will. I’m not scared. Got it?”

For a brief moment, a look of mild disappointment flashed across my aide’s eyes.

When I cleared my throat and stepped closer to the door, the attendant said politely:

“Only the Duke of Acrux may enter.”

I nodded, and the door opened.

As expected, the room was large.

Step.

The sound of my footsteps echoed through the room.

As I came to a stop, a long shadow came into view.

The person I was to serve—and the one I would have to endure—was right in front of me.

The attendant who had entered with me introduced me politely:

“Your Highness, the Duke of Acrux has arrived.”

The man, who had been gazing out the window, slowly turned his head.

His loosely draped clothes revealed pleasing contours.

‘…Is he an exhibitionist?’

This wasn’t information I had anticipated.

I bowed.

“I, Acrux of the Southern Cross of the Seven Constellations, greet the descendant of the greatest sun, Anthos.”

As I slowly recited the greeting, a low voice came from above.

“Raise your head.”

When I raised my head, our gazes met—a lazy, tilted stare.

Golden eyes, as brilliant as a dragon’s.

His gaze was persistent.

His facial features were finely chiseled within lines so perfect they seemed to have leapt out of a masterpiece.

‘He’s disgustingly handsome.’

I had known this, but he was even more good-looking than I’d imagined.

Rather than rugged and masculine, he was more beautiful, his face a blend of languid indifference, idleness, and celibacy—a contradictory mix.

“Welcome, new Duke of Acrux.”

His voice was so low and sweet it was almost breathtaking.

The Crown Prince tilted his head slightly. Even with his barely-there clothing and small gestures, an air of elegance radiated from him.

“But I thought your older sister would be coming…”

Behind those golden irises, something that was undoubtedly madness flickered.

‘He’s not asking because he doesn’t know—he wants me to explain it myself.’

If it’s curiosity he wants satisfied… I lowered my gaze.

“…Because I am more competent than my sister.”

This was one of the more moderate reactions I had predicted. I placed my hand on my chest and erased my smile.

“The person standing before Your Highness is the master of Acrux, who protects the Empire.”

At this, Jackal slowly leaned toward me.

…Because of his size, it felt like a large beast was looming over me.

“…It seems you really don’t remember me.”

Huh? What did he say?

His voice was so quiet I couldn’t catch it.

“Good. The fact that you’re here means you know how to use Acrux’s treasure, right?”

His voice carried a faint trace of interest.

‘As expected, the male lead covets the treasure of the constellation.’

Of course he does. His goal is immense power.

More precisely, his goal is to make the person who can wield that power his own.

If they wouldn’t follow him, he’d kill them and take the treasure anyway. He was someone who truly embodied the phrase, ‘If I can’t have it, I’ll destroy it.’

Where my sister would have nodded in response…

The difference from the original story was that I, the half-heir, was standing here instead.

I lied calmly and shamelessly.

“Yes. I know how to use it.”

In Jackal’s golden eyes, unmistakable excitement and unreadable emotions flickered.

As he took a step closer, he ran his hand smoothly over his strong neck.

Somehow, this felt like…

‘Is he… embarrassed?’

As if to confirm my suspicion, the man’s pale cheeks turned red.

He was such an overwhelmingly handsome man that the sight was pleasant, yet it gave me chills. Why would someone like him be embarrassed? The lack of reason made it frightening.

“I understand this might be sudden and surprising.”

…What is he about to say?

“I’ve fallen in love with your soul.”

…What?

At that moment, my previously unshakable sanity, which had remained intact even as corrupt retainers spewed nonsense, began to crack.

What do you mean, fallen in love, you crazy bastard?

But the attack didn’t end there.

“I heard your family gathers intelligence on suitable spouses.”

Oh right. He was supposed to be a candidate for my sister’s husband… But why bring that up?

With an enchanting smile, as if he were trying to mesmerize me, Jackal spoke again, looking embarrassed.

“I’d like to become the ‘groom residing with the bride’s family’, Would that be possible?”