Chapter 4

At the sound of Lisbeth’s screams, I quickly tied my hair with my hands and jumped down from the chair, the moment I saw who had entered I was shocked.

“Why are you here…”

“I was concerned about what happened earlier.”

“…”

So, why are you here? Second brother. Unlike before, I frowned at the second guy looking at me with a serious face.

“What happened?”

Are you trying to say something like you were bothered by me and rubbing against Lili or that you didn’t even say hello? Come to think of it, the second guy’s face isn’t serious. Seeing the unusual appearance, I hummed and raised my chin.

“Say it.”

“You maid, go away.”

“Ah. M-me?”

“Yes. Is there another maid here beside you?”

You’re such a high-temperature guy even if you throw it away from birth. You’re mad at poor Lisbeth. She’s the only maid already, so you have to be nice to her.

“Princess…”

Lisbet looked at me with worried eyes. I kept my mouth shut in case something happened. I looked at her like that.

“Go to the next room. I’ll call you if I need you.”

“B-but…”

“It’s fine. He’s still my second brother.”

“Yes… Understood.”

Lisbeth had to take a heavy step at my words. She had no choice but to do so. There have been so many pranks that Jeno has done to me. Making fun of me for being a commoner, pulling hair from behind, throwing beads on my way, etc. Thanks to the pranks that even elementary school kids wouldn’t do, Lisbeth hesitated whether it was just the two of us.

Don’t worry. There’s no way I can’t defeat a piece of shit that’s the size of a dwarf poop. Worrywart Lisbeth. I smiled broadly at her, and then she went into the next room and closed the door. She’s worried about me though so she left it open enough to see through her eyes.

The second guy who had a pig’s nest lip on his chubby cheeks shook his head sideways after seeing Lisbeth disappeared.

“I mean. If you touch Lili, I won’t leave you alone.”

I was wondering what you were talking about. Where does a pig’s nest look at while saying nonsense? What do you mean?

“Huh?”

“I’m here to warn you. Lili says you’re scary. I don’t know how someone like you came to the Imperial Palace smelling like a commoner, but get out of here now.”

“Huh… Did you come here to say that? Shit?”

“A-again? Did you just call me shit?”

“Ah, no I said it wrong.”

“…”

“You’re an asshole from now on.”

How sad. I don’t know how Lilian seduced you, but it’s a great brother’s love. That love is surprising. But I’m not as jealous or as bad as rat poop. Normally you should be envious as much as rat poop, but… Maybe it’s because they’re just 10 years old. I’m not impressed at all.

“A-asshole?”

“Yeah. Asshole. And don’t worry. I don’t want to touch Lilian. As long as she doesn’t touch me.”

“Why would Lili touch you? Commoner!”

I know why but he doesn’t. What kind of kid Lilian is… Well. She’s my sister who I can’t help but love so there’s no way you can see the truth. I’m not going to say. My mouth will just get sick.

“Uh-huh. I’m a commoner so can you leave now asshole?”

Ah. I really feel like I’m becoming childish just talking to this shit. After all, it’s obvious that he’s a child of his age. What he thinks is correct, he’s the smartest person on the list. So, it was better to get rid of that roughly at eye level and then plan for the future.

“You… call me shit again!”

“I didn’t say shit. I said asshole. Asshole, asshole!”

“T-that or that! Don’t say that!”

“It’s different. Shit and asshole are the difference between sky and earth.”

“Sky and earth? What’s the difference?”

What. Do I even have to explain that? But this noble prince only pouted his mouth as if he really couldn’t tell the two apart.

“What’s the difference!”

“I thought you were the great prince of the Empire, but you didn’t know that too? You idiot, idiot.”

“I’m not an idiot?”

“You’re an idiot. An idiot who can’t even tell the difference between shit and asshole”

“Hey… you.”

“If you’re so upset, find out next time.”

“What? Why would I! I won’t come here even if I find out.”

I laughed out loud when I saw the second guy who firmly said he wouldn’t come.

“Pfft. You’re going to run around and pick a fight with me again. No? You can find out then. Or is it because you can’t figure it out?”

“…You… you know what I mean. Don’t get close. If it’s bad, I won’t let you go.”

“What if it’s a good thing?”

“Even if it’s a good meaning, I won’t let you go!”

Wow.  No one is scared to say they won’t leave me alone. The second guy showed the toughest facial expression he could make, smirked, and stared at me. I smiled and shook my head at him.

“Yeah. Please don’t let me go.”

Hate me like this. Please. Then how nice. The fact that Lili who you love so much remains here and that I’m safely hated by the royal family and go as a sacrifice, I really want that so please don’t mind me.

In the end, the second guy, who blushed like a bright red balloon full of water, eventually turned around without holding back his anger. In the meantime, the second man stared at me, shaking his head as if he would spit at me like a donkey.

“I’m frustrated. When others see us, they know we’re really siblings. Huh. Oh well.”

Those guys are like men who won’t have it even if I give it to them. Just whine that you like me later. I’ll give you a very strong kick. Seeing the second guy getting farther away, I closed the door and sat down on the sofa with a grin.

Lisbeth came out late and asked if the prince was gone, she was worried that something might happen, but luckily the second guy didn’t come to the room after that. The afternoon passed without much going on.

A few hours later, Lisbeth went out for a while following another maid who visited her, I lifted up the unknown book that had been tossed one side with my feet opening the first page while laying down in boredom.

[It was raining endlessly like a hole in the sky. There were very few people on the street. However, only a few people were busy walking away from the rain. And a little kid on the road. Because it was too dark, the figure of the child wearing a thick dark blanket was hard to see. Instead, only the flowing silver hair showed that there’s a person inside.

The child who had no movement enough to think she was dead, moved only a little when hugging a cat a little bigger than her hand that dug into her to escape the rain. A hoarse voice was heard, but the voice was quickly submerged in the rain. The child holding a cat colder than she thought.

“Am I going to die like this? Can I finally end this?”

A child without a name lived on the street as her house. She lived day by day, begging for money from passers-by, extending her life with bread thrown away by someone. Many things fit people. “Where does dirty thing catch?” often got hit until her whole body’s senses disappeared. Therefore, she thought death would be more welcome.

The child who couldn’t even be the lowest class of the empire quietly closed her eyes, thinking that she could finally die if it rained just a little bit more. Then suddenly the rain from the sky stopped. At the same time, the child raised her head at the sound of a man’s voice. A large umbrella was hung over the child’s head.

“Come with me.”

A man she has never seen before. When she saw a man with the same silver hair like her, the child’s heart moved strangely. Unknown belief in the stranger. It seemed scary, but the child’s head shook up and down as if possessed by something.

“Let’s see.”

The man placed his hand on the child’s head. At that moment, a brilliant silver light flowed from the jewel in the small ring in his hand.

“That’s right. Let’s go.”

A large hand reached out to the child as if to hold her and get up. The hand was big and warm. The man said things that the child couldn’t understand, but as if she didn’t hate it, the child only looked at the man.

The child who staggered as if she couldn’t get up was able to get up from her seat only after holding his hand tightly. It was hard to dare look up at the face that was barely visible when she looked at a shining face.

“What’s your name?”

“…”

“None. A name? Or are you unable to talk?”

The man next to him wiped the child with a towel as if pitying her. In the meantime, the man holding her hand hurriedly urged the child.

“I asked what your name was.”

“Your Majesty seems like everything is too early.”

“…You said she’s my bloodline idiot. She couldn’t even talk. Take her and leave her on the side of the palace. I can’t show everyone the blunt dullness.”

It was then. The child realized that they were talking to her and opened her mouth for the first time. Just like the child’s appearance, a small and soft voice quietly filled the place.

“…Cat…”

“What?”

“Cat… can I take it?”

At the sudden child’s words, the man lowered his eyes as if surprised. His eyes were terrifying, but the child thought it would die if she passed this person so she held his hands tightly. With a cat shaking in her arms.

“It’s a relief that you know how to talk. Do whatever you want. That’s the royal family. Being able to do whatever and everything you want is also your life from now on.”

“…”

“You’re my daughter from now on. No, you’re originally my daughter. We’ll go to the Imperial Palace now. We’ll live there.”

“…Live…”

A single word escaped from the child’s cracked mouth. As if unsatisfied with her appearance, a continuous sound leaked from the man’s mouth.

“It’s annoying. I’m taking you with me because you’re my bloodline but…”

His cold eyes touched the child.

“Live like you’re dead. At least I’ll pretend to be your family.”

“Family…”]

“You said you’d pretend to be my family. Are you really just ‘pretending’?”

I closed the unknown book again. Something choked up and sprang up while being okay. This part was exactly the same as the reality that started as soon as I opened my eyes. It was a day when it rained so much that I wondered if I had woke up from the water.

At that time, I grabbed my dad’s hand who was reaching out to me because it was chaotic. But if I had known in advance. Had I known that I was destined to remain in the Imperial Palace and die without being chosen as the sacrificed princess, I would never have held my dad’s hand. I didn’t know I’d make the same decision as to the book…

‘N-No. Not all of them are the same. The words that came out of my mouth were completely different…’