“Sister…”
After taking the medicine that Ameri gave her, my sister seemed to have improved, peacefully closing her eyes and sleeping on the bed.
She was surely just asleep.
But the fragile image of her I saw earlier kept overlapping in my mind, and the fear that she might never wake up again was crushing my chest.
I went this far to protect her.
If it weren’t for Ameri, I might have left my sister, suffering from a high fever, alone in this desolate room.
What am I even doing?
“Miss…”
While I sat silently on the chair by the bed, staring at my sister, Ameri was busily moving, tending to her care with practiced skill.
She prepared a cold, damp towel, placed a packet of medicine on the small table—where she had retrieved it from, I didn’t know—and carried herself as if she’d done this many times before.
“Once she rests for a bit and wakes up, she’ll be fine.”
Grip.
“This is all my fault. When the lady refused to take the medicine, I should’ve forced her to…”
“Ameri…”
I wanted to ask her about every detail of my sister’s condition right away, but seeing how gently she held my sister’s hand, as if it were precious, I couldn’t bring myself to speak.
Compared to me, perhaps Ameri was far more helpful to my sister.
“Miss Alyssa. You mentioned there was something you wanted to ask me, didn’t you?”
“If it’s alright with you, would it be okay if we talked outside? I wouldn’t want to disturb Miss Amy’s rest.”
“That’s fine by me.”
“Thank you, Miss Alyssa.”
As she stood, Ameri lingered for a moment, gazing at my sleeping sister.
If it were anyone else, I might’ve told them to leave quickly,
But the affection in Ameri’s eyes as she looked at my sister kept me silent once more.
Creak—.
Click—.
“Ameri, let me start with the most important question.”
“Please, ask me anything.”
“My sister… Is she alright? It’s not a life-threatening illness, is it…?”
“…I’m sorry. I don’t think I can give you a definite answer.”
“What do you mean by that?!”
“Kyaah!”
Could my sister really die?
Anxious and panicked, I found myself grabbing the ribbon on Ameri’s chest, but moments later, I realized my mistake and quickly let go.
“It’s not Ameri’s fault. She only answered what I asked… Yet here I am, showing such an ugly side, unbecoming of your sister, Alyssa.”
“…I’m sorry, Ameri.”
“No, it’s alright. Hearing that your precious sister could die would make anyone lose their composure.”
Ameri brushed off my rudeness with a gentle smile.
I hadn’t realized it, having spoken so little with her over the past few years,
But now I understood why my sister cared for Ameri so much.
“Let me ask again. Is my sister’s condition really that serious? Just a few days ago, she seemed fine… I knew her health was fragile, but this is the first I’ve heard it could lead to death.”
“To be precise, I would say we don’t know her exact condition.”
“We don’t know?”
“…Lady Alyssa, this might take a while to explain. Would that be alright?”
“I don’t mind. Please, go ahead.”
“Then, from now on, I’ll share a little about Lady Amy’s childhood. A story so far back that you may not even remember, as you were too young at the time.”
Leaning carefully against the door of the room where my sister lay, Ameri closed her eyes softly, recalling the past.
Her face was filled with nostalgia, a quiet sadness seeping into her expression as if she were submerged in memories.
“Lady Amy was far from healthy even in her childhood. That said, she was not so frail as to be bedridden like now. It was merely a case of being somewhat weak.”
“Her personality was also entirely different from how it is now. It might be hard for Lady Alyssa to imagine, but to describe her back then, the word ‘tyrant’ would be most fitting.”
“Tyrant…?”
“Yes, a tyrant. Brutal, cruel, violent. She was only three years old, but with a mind surpassing adults and the ability to wield various kinds of magic, she tormented the servants relentlessly.”
…That’s not the ‘Amy Rosewell’ I know.
That’s someone entirely different from my gentle sister—a cruel being who wielded power recklessly.
“The only person who could control her was the lady she adored, her mother. But her mother, who saw herself in Amy, loved her excessively and never disciplined her. Instead, she constantly praised her. Even the lord of the house did nothing but turn a blind eye to her and her mother…”
Sigh…
Through Ameri’s deep sigh, I could faintly envision the mansion of the past.
In my fragmented memories, I could only recall bits and pieces,
But now, with the truth I uncovered through dreams, I understood.
How ruthless and wicked Amy Roswell had been—not my sister, but a cruel being.
For those she tormented, no matter how young she was, it must have been painful and unbearable.
“The servants, unable to endure her cruelty, began to leave the mansion one by one. I, bound by the grace I owed the lord, endured until the very end. But even I could not bear it and eventually decided to leave.”
“Ameri… You tried to leave, leaving my sister behind?”
“Yes. That’s how violent Lady Amy was. I, too, suffered burns to my hair from her fire magic once.”
“…I can’t even imagine it.”
Was the dream I saw just the tip of the iceberg?
How severe were the events recorded in the past that were left undescribed and passed over?
“I won’t go into detail. It’s all in the past, and the current lady is different. What’s important is that I tried to leave, and I was the last servant remaining.”
Ameri’s voice, continuing her story, was subdued, hinting at the emotions she had felt back then.
I may not have memories, but did she once read fairy tales to my sister and me?
Truly, she is a good storyteller.
“The lord who had shown me kindness passed away from illness, and with no lingering attachments to the estate, I decided to leave. I only intended to assist with the lady’s childbirth as a final act of gratitude before departing.”
“The childbirth was handled by two midwives hired with money from outside and myself. It was a pitiful arrangement, far from what one would expect for the birth of a lord’s child. But considering the servants, seething with anger at the lady’s misdeeds, spread rumors, it was natural for other midwives to refuse the call.”
“Fortunately or unfortunately, the childbirth went smoothly, and Lady Alyssa was born. She inherited the late lord’s golden hair, and while she was lovely, it wasn’t enough to change my mind.”
Smile.
“Of course, now I love her dearly.”
“Th-that kind of detail isn’t necessary… Just get on with the story.”
Hehe.
“As I quietly prepared to disappear, Lady Amy entered the room and locked eyes with me. I thought, ‘This is bad!’ but she ignored me and ran to the lady’s side.”
“…I still vividly remember it. Climbing onto the bed, taking Lady Alyssa from the lady, her expression, and her voice.”
Alyssa, I will protect you no matter what.
From the cold winds of this world, from countless evils, I will shield you.
So, please, love your sister too.
“After a brief conversation with the lady, Lady Amy held Lady Alyssa close and said those words. The usual cruel expression was gone, and she looked no different from a saint.”
My sister said something like that…
…Sister…
“Seeing her like that moved my heart… and for a moment, just a moment, I decided to stay at the estate. I kept a thought in the back of my mind, though: if Lady Amy hadn’t changed, I would leave immediately.”
“But the lady changed. She stopped her usual cruel behavior and became like the Lady Amy we know now, who loves flowers and tea time.”
“…Perhaps as a result of that, her grades dropped, and she lost her ability to use magic that she used to excel at. Though she believes she has always been that way…”
So, that’s where it all started to change. From the beginning, my sister was different, but I was a fool who didn’t notice.
“Regardless, Miss truly loved and cherished Miss Alyssa. She would save her favorite foods to bring to you, laugh it off even when her cherished dress got ruined…”
In the past, I thought my sister was bullying me, but she wasn’t. At the time, I couldn’t even imagine what Amy Rosewell was capable of when she decided to torment someone.
“Even Miss Amy’s actions of the past started to fade with time, and I thought everything was finally going smoothly. I even started to think it might be okay for me to stay in this mansion a bit longer.”
But.
“One day, Miss Amy collapsed.”
“I vaguely remember that. Was I about five years old…? But it was just a simple cold, wasn’t it…?”
“No. No, it wasn’t. The truth… is different.”
Gulp.
“Miss Amy was on the brink of death that day.”
“Even when we placed an ice pack on her forehead, it melted instantly. She complained endlessly of stomachaches and headaches. I held her small hand tightly, but even my hand got burned from how hot her entire body was.”
“We called for a doctor, but they couldn’t find any cause. All we could do was watch helplessly as Miss Amy slowly slipped away.”
“…And yet, Miss Amy…”
Alyssa might worry about me…
Don’t let that child find out…
“All she cared about was Miss Alyssa.”
My heart clenched tightly.
I… I thought I knew everything, but I was nothing more than an ignorant fool.
“Seeing that, I made a decision.”
“From that moment on, I vowed to live for Miss Amy. To protect this pure and kind girl.”
“After I firmly made up my mind, I used my personal connections to secretly bring someone in without Madam knowing. By that time, Madam was so preoccupied with doting on Miss Alyssa that she didn’t pay attention.”
“What kind of… person was it?”
Mother.
Mother loved and cherished me, just as I remembered, and I took that for granted.
But I never thought about how much my sister was neglected while I was being loved.
Was I a fool for not realizing?
No, I used to think that because she was the villain, she deserved to be neglected.
If I could turn back time.
If I could just go back to the past.
I would have loved my sister.
Beneath the mask of being the delicate younger sister, she wouldn’t have hidden her true self or secretly tried to grow stronger.
She would have protected her older sister from their mother.
“That person…”
Creak.
“You all… What exactly are you talking about right now?”
“Ma… Miss!?”
Cough, cough.
“Whispering at the door while someone is unwell! If you thought I wouldn’t hear, you’re gravely mistaken!”
“Are… Are you feeling okay!?”
“…Still feeling a bit chilly. Could you bring me some warm tea? It’d be nice if you brought along the cookies Ameri baked, too.”
“I’ll bring them right away!”
Ameri, acting on her sister’s command, stopped talking and darted away.
She was dying of curiosity at having the most critical part of the conversation cut off, but right now, what mattered was the older sister standing in front of her.
“Alyssa.”
“S-Sister…”
“Don’t you have something you need to say to your sister?”
“…Something to say?”
Stretch.
“You really are clueless in the strangest ways. This morning! Have you already forgotten how you pushed away your sister’s hand? Apologize now.”
“I-I’m sorry… sister…”
“…Alright.”
My sister, having received the apology, finally let go of my cheek.
My cheek, which had been pulled, stung slightly, but thinking of it as sisterly affection oddly lifted my mood.
“Alyssa, are you… hungry?”
“No, I’m fin—”
The curiosity about my sister’s story was enough to distract me from hunger.
I intended to leave it at that, but the endearing and pitiful gaze my sister cast on me made me recall the table behind her.
On it lay an omelet.
“I’m not fine… I am hungry. Especially for an omelet.”
“That’s a relief!”
My sister’s beautiful face lit up with a smile, like a single flower blooming.
Perhaps because of the story Ameri had shared earlier, her expression reminded me of the sun.
I couldn’t help but stare at her entrance.
“Here, this sister has made an omelet for her pitiful younger sibling. You’ll have to endure eating this awful omelet.”
Whirl.
She, grabbing my hand joyfully, headed to the table.
The sight of her back felt so pitiful, so lovely, that my chest felt like it would burst.
“Amy, sister…”
All I could do was call her name.