TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: N/A
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After Viscount Hobart left, a deep silence fell over the dining table.
Dallas, forcing a smile, broke the silence.
"Everyone has had a tough ti seeing such a ss. Erika, you should go to your room and rest."
"Father."
"Don't worry. Philip and I will figure sothing out."
Dallas smiled gently, a smile filled with the hope that his children wouldn't worry.
At this, Erika's face twisted deeper with concern.
"Father, I'm fine. Even if I beco a concubine to such a person, I..."
"Don't say such things. It's like driving a nail into your father's heart."
"But..."
"Put your worries aside and everyone go rest."
"Lord, I will wait for you in front of the office."
As soon as Viscount Hobart left, Philip entered the dining room and bowed his head.
"Let's go now."
Dallas rose and left the dining room with Philip, his shoulders weighed down as if carrying a heavy burden.
Soon, only Eugene and Erika remained at the table.
Erika, with a sad face, bowed her head, unable to shake off the sight of Dallas's pitiful back.
"Father is pitiable."
Dallas had always prioritized the people of his household.
He always put himself last.
His face, aged like an old man's despite not yet being sixty, was a testant to his deep emotional struggles.
To be unable to do anything for such a father.
Erika resented herself.
If only she had so talent other than her pretty face, which seed rather useless.
Is not worrying, as father said, really the best thing I can do for him?
It didn't seem like the best solution, but she couldn't think of a better one.
She wanted to lighten Dallas's heavy burden even a little.
She forced the sorrow from her face and looked up.
Eugene's calm face was in front of her.
Brother seems alright.
Eugene was thinking about how to save their family, but to others, he appeared nonchalant.
Erika called out to him with a faint smile.
"Brother."
"Hmm?"
"Lets go rest, as father said."
"Go ahead. I'll think a bit more and then follow."
"No, you can't. We haven't seen each other in half a year, you have to spend ti with ."
"?"
Erika and the bodys previous owner had shared a very close bond.
Thus, she approached Eugene without hesitation and got him up.
"Let's go to my room and talk. Okay?"
"Alright."
Eugene, who only knew her from mories, was a bit startled but nodded and walked with her.
---
Raei Translations
---
Upon entering the modest room of Erika, she pointed towards the bed.
"Sit there."
It seed she wanted to have a conversation sitting comfortably on the bed.
'Were the original owner of this body and Erika... siblings?'
How could such a close relationship exist between blood relatives?
It was surprising that, before the original owner beca a fool, he was a brother who deeply cared for his younger sister.
'It's better to act according to Erika's wishes for now.'
It was important not to let on that the body's owner had changed.
Eugene walked over and sat on the bed naturally, followed by Erika sitting beside him.
She appeared comfortable and familiar with the situation.
"So, will you tell about everything that's happened so far?"
"Nothing much really."
"That's impossible.."
How could there be nothing to tell after spending half a year at the royal academy?
"Just tell anything, it's all good."
"Alright."
Eugene felt if he didn't share, she would keep pressing on.
Reluctantly, he began to recount his experiences.
'Leave out the stories about the female leads.'
He carefully omitted anything related to the heroines.
The embarrassing history created by the body's previous owner was sothing he didn't want to delve into.
"So that night, I repeated the horizontal slash a thousand tis, then the vertical slash"
"Wait a minute."
Erika interrupted Eugene with a look full of questions.
"Why aren't you talking about those girls? You used to talk about them all the ti when we t half a year ago."
"?"
"Yeah. You talked so much about them, I know what they look like even though I've never t them."
Erika recited the details rhythmically.
"Tina has blonde hair and red eyes, Celine has silver hair and green eyes, Yerina has pink hair and violet eyes"
"Stop, that's enough."
"Why?"
"I dont follow them around anymore."
"Really? I thought you seed more normal lately. So you've stopped following them too."
That's good.
That's really good.
No wonder he's only talking about swords.
Erika smiled brightly and took Eugene's hand.
"So, you've been focusing on training since half a year ago?"
"Sothing like that."
"I'm so happy you're back to your old self~"
Erika's cheerful laughter filled the room.
"So, besides training"
Their conversation flowed naturally like water.
Erika, curious about many things, asked about Eugene's school life, and he answered as best as he could within his knowledge.
After satisfying much of her curiosity, Erika shared her own stories, and Eugene responded appropriately.
'This isn't easy.'
Trying to speak and act like the body's original owner required a lot of concentration.
Indeed, nothing in the world was easy.
"Brother, you've changed a lot from before."
She couldn't quite pinpoint it, but Erika felt a significant difference in Eugene.
"It's hard to describe exactly, but you've changed a lot."
Though Eugene tried his best to emulate the body's original owner, Erika, who had observed him all her life, noticed subtle changes.
"Your gaze is different."
The most prominent change was in Eugene's eyes.
'The affection is gone.'
Eugene used to genuinely care for Erika, and whenever he looked at her, a deep-seated affection would naturally show in his eyes.
But now, that warm light of affection was absent.
His shoulders had broadened, his body had beco firr, and there was a peculiar new aura about him
These were positive changes, but
'The affection has vanished!'
A very important emotion seed to have disappeared.
'Has brother beco more mature as he's grown older?'
Although their family was close to ruin, if a miracle occurred and they avoided disaster, Eugene would eventually beco the head of the family.
It made sense that he was preparing for that future, possibly at the cost of losing his childhood emotions.
It was understandable, but
'It's a bit disheartening.'
It was inevitable to feel a bit saddened, especially since he didn't rember the words she had said to him the night before he left for the royal academy.
'Why can't he rember? I was really moved.'
Should I ask again?
Erika opened her mouth, her face filled with resolve.
"Brother."
"Hmm?"
"Do you really not rember?"
"Rember what?"
"The words you said to on the night before you went to the royal academy."
"Oh, that"
Faced with Erika's fiery, determined gaze, Eugene couldn't pretend to rember.
'But I really don't recall.'
What on earth had the body's original owner said to her?
No matter how much he searched his mory, nothing ca up.
Erika's cheeks puffed up with air, visibly upset.
If he said he didn't rember, her cheeks would likely inflate even more.
Eugene, feigning concern, asked,
"Have you been well?"
""
Erika's lips protruded in a pout.
"No, I haven't!"
She turned her head sharply away.
"Sorry, I really can't rember. Can you tell what I said that day?"
"No, I can't!"
"Why not?"
"Just because!"
She shook her head vigorously and crossed her arms, clearly offended.
'Why can't I rember?'
A silence naturally fell between them.
After a short while, Erika, her emotions slightly eased, deflated her cheeks and looked back at Eugene, her eyes full of unspoken feelings.
"You're in the wrong, right brother?"
"It seems so."
Faced with that gaze, Eugene had no choice but to admit his mistake.
"Since you're in the wrong, you should make it up to , right?"
"Huh?"
The conversation suddenly took an unexpected turn.
"Will you indulge even if I act a bit spoiled?"
"What?"
"Did you say 'what'?"
"No, its just that"
"Forget it!"
Erika giggled and laid her head on Eugene's lap.
""
This scene seed almost unreal, sothing that wouldn't exist in reality.
Erika, now over fifteen, was using Eugene's lap as a pillow.
'Is this how they were?'
Reflecting on his mories, Eugene realized that Erika and the body's original owner indeed used to do such things, quite frequently.
"I should sleep like this after such a long ti."
Erika, basking in the pleasure of acting spoiled with her brother, smiled gently and closed her eyes, intending to really fall asleep.
""
While the situation was hard to accept as reality, Eugene decided to embrace it as it was.
He stroked Erika's shoulder without questioning the oddness of the mont.
He thought that caressing her hair might help her feel better and sleep quicker, but from Eugene's perspective, being nearly strangers, this was the limit.
""
Erika fell sound asleep, her soft breathing audible.
'I should lay her down properly once she's deeply asleep and then leave.'
Eugene thought this as he watched her sleeping face.
They shared the sa blood, both having brown hair and similar eye colors, yet their facial features were worlds apart.
'Is this a case of genetic jackpot?'
Although Eugene wasn't unattractive, standing next to Erika, it was almost certain that people would question if they were really related.
'She is pretty, indeed.'
As he gazed at Erika's face, hidden mories from their past began to resurface in his mind.
-Brother, show magic!
-...
-Wow, that's amazing! Why can't I use magic like that?
When Eugene first mastered magic.
-Elise, I just baked cookies. Let's eat them together!
-But I'm just a maid, you dont have to
-What are you talking about? We're family living under the sa roof!
When Erika learned to cook.
-Erika is hurt because of . What should I do
-It's okay, it will heal with so dicine.
-That can't be
-If I say it's fine, then it's fine. Dont worry!
When Erika got hurt due to a soldier's mistake.
Many scenes appeared in his mind, but none of them were negative.
Erika was truly a child born with a kind heart.
Even though their family's circumstances worsened and most servants left, had it not been for the goodwill Erika had built up, even the few who remained to maintain the household would have been gone.
'To think such a girl is at risk of being sold off as a concubine.'
It was a crisis.
To prevent the family's downfall, being sold off seed inevitable.
'If things really co to that'
He didn't even want to imagine what might unfold next.
'I can't let that happen.'
Eugene gently laid the deeply sleeping Erika down and left the room.
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