Ofilienne had a brother one year her senior.
But the two of them shared almost nothing in common.
Their hair was different. Their mothers were different.
He had hair the color of dark earth and eyes like chestnuts. His skin was swarthy. His mother had been a Gypsy dancer.
A woman Servan had fallen in love with and brought home during his wandering years.
Ofilienne's brother was the son of such a woman.
Ofilienne was different. She had been different from birth. Her mother was a princess of the Kingdom of Sharlan.
Servan named his son Young Lord of the family.
Ofilienne's mother screamed.
"While I still draw breath, I will not allow that lowborn creature to become the head of this house…."
She had always lived consumed by bitterness.
She was a woman of noble birth. Born a princess of a sovereign kingdom, she had been betrothed to Servan since childhood.
Being abandoned was unbearable. Being robbed was unbearable. But the thought of common blood rising to the pinnacle of the family — that she could not endure.
After giving birth to Ofilienne, her womb suffered complications, and she could no longer conceive.
Having no son meant defeat.
Yet she did not give up. She still had a daughter.
"You must lead this family, Filly."
The education was carried out by her mother's own hand.
Everything she had learned growing up in the royal palace was poured into her daughter.
But.
Crack!
The switch came down across a small, tender palm. A red welt rose immediately.
"What are you doing? Why don't you know this?"
"I'm — I'm sorry…."
"Filly."
"Y-yes."
"Filly. Look me in the eye."
"Yes…."
"What is this? Tell me. You know it. We went over it before. What is it? Say it."
"I — I don't kn—"
"Why don't you know? Who told you it was acceptable not to know?"
"I really don't—"
Before the words could even finish falling—
Crack!
This time it was her cheek.
Ofilienne's head snapped to the side, and tears fell.
A handprint bloomed dark across her right cheek.
Fat tears dropped.
Her mother's lessons always came with tears.
She never stopped the lesson when her daughter sobbed. If anything, she grew harsher.
At a young age, Ofilienne mastered two languages, learned the history of the family, and discovered how to perform.
But the greatest lesson her mother gave her was something else entirely.
"The world will never show you consideration. Do not be mistaken. Do not think everyone will cherish you as your mother does. There are far more who will despise you."
"…Why would they hate me?"
"There are many reasons. But you need not concern yourself with the circumstances of insignificant people."
"Then what should I do?"
"Remember two things. Either make them your ally — or, if you cannot, crush them so thoroughly they can never rise against you again."
"Crush them…?"
"Yes. Crush them. Grind them down so they can never come crawling back to you. An enemy's pride, their honor, their assets — it doesn't matter which. All that needs to remain is the fact that you stand above them. You are noble, Filly."
"…."
Her mother smiled a beautiful smile and stroked Ofilienne's hair. When her hand made contact, Ofilienne's body flinched.
It was the same hand that had struck her cheek only moments before.
"You are my daughter. No one will ever treat you carelessly. Do not hesitate — take what you want. You were born to do exactly that."
She hadn't understood what those words meant at the time.
But they did not fade easily.
They lingered long inside Ofilienne's heart, and in the end, became the very foundation of who she was now.
* * *
Inside a moving train.
The gaze that had been tracing through those past scenes returned, suddenly, to the present.
Matyos was sitting in the seat across from her. They were facing each other. No matter how much either of them might have wished to avoid it, they were positioned to see each other's faces.
Matyos looked deeply uncomfortable in this arrangement. He kept stealing glances at her, then immediately snapping his gaze back to the window, over and over.
Whenever their eyes threatened to meet, he startled and shrank back. Like a frightened rabbit — always with the look of someone ready to bolt.
'…Am I really that terrifying to you?'
Ofilienne rested her chin in her hand.
Matyos had changed.
He was clearly different from even a year ago.
Back then, he had been a child who called out "Sister, Sister" with desperate affection and trailed after her everywhere. Far from fearing her, he had always tried to stay close, growing anxious whenever she was out of reach.
But then, around the time he turned sixteen.
He had suddenly begun watching her with wary eyes, and at some point he had drifted away from her in a way that was impossible to miss.
At the time, she hadn't known the reason, and she had felt hurt — a vague, inexplicable ache.
But now she understood.
'So you want to become Family Head that badly, do you, Maty.'
Ofilienne let out a faint sigh. In the end, they're all the same. Mother. And you.
She propped her chin on the windowsill and watched the scenery outside.
The landscape swept past in a blur. The train had left the estate and was heading toward Porca.
The two siblings passed the time without exchanging a single word.
Each lost in their own separate thoughts.
After gazing at the scenery for a while, Ofilienne took out a grimoire and began to read.
Matyos continued to stare out the window.
He gazed up at the vast sky and sank into thought.
'…So we're really going. The Academy.'
That place where so many things happen. I'd been telling myself it was none of my business — and yet, somehow, it's come to this.
I summoned the Status Window I had gained along with my memories of my past life.
《Matyos Binna Moretti》
◆ Physical
Age · Gender: 17 — Male
Height · Weight: 158.5 cm — 45.9 kg
◆ Skills
[Moretti Collateral Line], [2nd Circle], [Superior Marksmanship]
◆ Stats
Strength [5] Agility [7] Stamina [4] Mana [9]
A healthy adult male's stats sit at '10.'
A trained soldier's at '15.'
And a knight's minimum stat was '40.'
Compared to that, I'm…
'Pathetic.'
Part of it was that I'd never exercised much as a child, but being constitutionally frail certainly didn't help.
I was seventeen and hadn't even cleared 160 cm. At this rate, I was starting to get anxious.
'Please, just let me be average.'
I wasn't asking for much. I just wanted to hit 170 cm, that was all.
I dangled my stubby legs and swung them back and forth.
Casually.
I let my eyes slide sideways to steal a glance at my sister.
Sitting quietly and reading her academic text, she was the picture of a model student.
Unlike me, my sister had long, straight limbs.
Her looks were so extraordinary that simply sitting there turning pages, she looked like a painting in a gallery. The word 'graceful' came to mind on its own.
Ofilienne Binna Moretti.
In the game, there were many words used to define her.
Villainess. Schemer. Psychopath. Mastermind. Hot sis— no, scratch that.
Anyway. Ofilienne was the villainess who tormented the protagonist throughout the entire story.
Though not in an open, frontal way — she worked from the shadows, weaving schemes.
A true mastermind, through and through.
When all her misdeeds were finally exposed near the end, I had gotten goosebumps all over.
Bribing professors to give lower grades. Taking those around the protagonist hostage. Secretly poisoning someone so they'd be killed by a monster. Spreading false rumors.
And so on.
The most shocking thing of all was that she had done every last one of those things while smiling a perfectly pleasant smile to everyone's face.
'That's exactly why I've kept my distance.'
She was a woman who might plunge a knife into you at any moment. Knowing her true nature, I couldn't treat her the way I used to.
'Of course, she won't be able to touch me carelessly.'
Before we boarded the train, Father had spoken to the two of us — well, to my sister, really.
'Matyos is your brother, Filly. Make sure nothing happens to Maty. I'm counting on you.'
It was a warning.
A warning that if anything happened to me, she would be held responsible.
For someone who had her eye on the position of Family Head, those words weren't something she could brush aside lightly.
"Maty."
I'd been stealing glances and ended up meeting her eyes.
"You're staring quite a lot, aren't you? Do you find your sister that pretty?"
The deep-set eyes curved softly. Even knowing her true nature, it was a smile magnetic enough to make one's heart waver for just a moment.
"…I was just looking."
At my answer, my sister let out a small laugh and dropped her gaze back to her book.
I exhaled slowly and at length.
Every time I talked to my sister, I felt like my lifespan shortened by a day.
'Don't give up. You can do this.'
I steadied myself.
Lamenting my lot in life was pointless — nothing would change from that.
I had knowledge of the Academy.
Surely I could make something work with that. Whatever happened, it was up to my own actions.
'The problem is that something's about to happen right now….'
There was no way the train to the Academy would pass without incident.
This train was about to be attacked by enemies.
Rattle, rattle, rattle…
I bounced my leg.
Even knowing the future, fear was something I couldn't help.
Right now, I was weak. I was in no state to beat even a common foot soldier.
"Why are you shaking your leg?"
Thump.
Just then, my sister uncrossed her legs and placed them on top of my knees. The trembling stopped.
I looked down at her outstretched feet, then carefully ventured a question.
"No reason. Aren't you worried, Sister?"
"What worry could have our Maty so frightened?"
"…The people on this train aren't exactly ordinary."
Just the two of us alone were children of one of the empire's four great families.
Beyond us, there were countless noble sons and daughters aboard.
And with my sister's fiancé, the Crown Prince, and my own fiancée, the princess, both on board — that said it all.
If anything went wrong with this train, it would be the opening shot of a world war.
"That's true enough. But? Are you worried something might happen?"
I gave a timid nod.
Not 'might happen' — it will happen. Once we pass through the Almans Mountain Range, enemies will launch an attack.
"Needless worry. Anyone with a brain wouldn't dare attack this train."
My sister's words weren't arrogance.
It wasn't only students on board.
The Sword Saint — the empire's foremost blade — along with twenty royal guards and twenty holy knights were riding this train.
Even that alone would be enough to obliterate most organizations.
In the actual story, the train attack passes without any casualties.
I could only hope it would.
"…If you're really that scared."
My sister turned her gaze toward the distant scenery and spoke.
"Stay with me. Keeping one little brother safe is nothing at all."
For some reason, the tips of my sister's ears had gone faintly red. Perhaps she was cold.
I accepted her words with gratitude. Being at her side meant being safe.
"Thanks. I'm going to use the restroom for a moment."
"Mm, be back soon."
I stepped out of the compartment.
I stood in the corridor for a moment and looked at the scenery. There was still a long way to go before we crossed the Almans Mountain Range.
Maybe I'd take a brief look around.
'The protagonist siblings should be on this train too.'
Not just the protagonist — students enrolling in the Academy were on board.
I set off, intending to get a look at some faces and perhaps make a few acquaintances in advance.
I was crossing between cars when it happened.
"Hey, hold on!"
A sharp, prickly voice called out and stopped me in my tracks.
I turned to look at her and was taken aback.
Bright hair like flames. Blue eyes.
A beautiful woman with a prickly air stood with her arms crossed, glaring at me with undisguised haughtiness.