The girl’s identity was unknown, but my instincts were whispering to me.
I had to kneel before her, to serve her.
Though my instincts were usually just a dark impulse to torment my younger sister, there was nothing to gain from ignoring them now.
So, I promptly clasped my hands together and greeted her politely.
“Greetings. I am Amy Roswell, eldest daughter of the Roswell family.”
With courtesy, yet without losing the pride of a noble, I continued,
“May I inquire your name?”
“Hahaha! What’s this? You bow down without even knowing who I am? I don’t dislike such an attitude!”
The haughty girl laughed heartily, but her sharp eyes never stopped scrutinizing me and my sister.
Thankfully, my sister followed my lead and bowed as well, but her gaze was unfocused, as though her soul had left her body.
…I’ll have to reprimand her severely when we get home.
“I am the first princess of this nation, Sharen Karas! Normally, someone of my stature wouldn’t bother coming to a backwater like this, but I heard there was a special gem here and decided to see for myself!”
At the mention of her name, cold sweat ran down my spine.
There was no royal emblem to identify her, and nobles in remote areas like us would rarely meet royalty, but she was indeed the most exalted being in this nation.
The mere thought of stepping even slightly out of line and endangering not only myself but also my mother was dizzying.
Why would she come to such a rural place for a gem, when there are surely far more in the capital?
“Though it would be easy to simply take the gem, Amy, was it? Bring me a gem worthy of me.”
“…I’m not sure if my judgment would meet your standards, Your Highness.”
“It doesn’t matter. Now, are you going to keep me waiting?”
Utterly unreasonable.
This princess, I decided, was even less tolerable than my sister.
She said it didn’t matter, but if the gem displeased her, I was sure she’d hand down severe punishment—just like me with my sister.
…Perhaps I have a slight hatred for those similar to me.
“Your Highness…”
I glanced at the necklace around my sister’s neck but quickly looked away.
Normally, I would have offered it to the princess, but the blue diamond suited no one but my sister.
“…This would suit you better.”
After much deliberation, I chose the necklace I had initially planned to give my sister—a necklace adorned with a deep red ruby.
The design was strange and laughable, but of all the gems here, this ruby seemed most fitting for her.
“Oh…”
The princess examined the ruby necklace I handed her before placing it around her neck.
“Splendid.”
The dull, blood-like ruby transformed instantly into a fiery, passionate gem, bursting with brilliance.
The odd pattern that once seemed laughable now revealed itself to be a depiction of blazing flames.
As though delighted to have found its rightful owner, the ruby sparkled brightly, and the princess let out another hearty laugh.
“To think a mere commoner without magic could recognize this gem at a glance… Amy, did you know from the start that this ruby was what I sought?”
“I had no idea, Your Highness. Meeting you today was purely coincidental.”
“Hahaha! I see no lie in your eyes. Very well, Amy, I like you. I shall introduce you to my younger brother. Would you not join us in the capital?”
The princess’s younger brother?
Surely a member of the royal family, and an opportunity that a countryside noblewoman like me would never encounter again.
Yet, I had no interest.
He might be just like this princess.
That, I could not bear.
“My apologies, Your Highness. While I am deeply honored by your offer, my humble lineage is unworthy of such noble blood.”
And there was also the matter of my body.
“…I see. A pity, truly a pity. Well, I shall leave it at that. I’ll take my leave for today.”
“I wish Your Highness good fortune. Should you require an escort or travel expenses for your return…”
“Unnecessary! This body does not need such things as escorts.”
Though I maintained courtesy befitting a princess, she rejected my offer of assistance and departed as boldly as she had arrived.
“Mr. Bex, I must apologize for the trouble caused. We shall take our leave as well.”
“A-Ah! No, not at all, Lady Amy! It is an honor that Her Highness chose one of our gems!”
“If you think so, that is fortunate. I shall visit again soon.”
After exchanging parting words with the flustered Mr. Bex, I dragged my still-dazed sister to the carriage.
Though I wanted to scold her immediately, tormenting an unresponsive sister was no fun, so I refrained.
Clip-clop, clip-clop—
Back at the mansion, we enjoyed tea, but my sister’s annoyingly blue eyes still lacked focus.
Could the princess’s presence have shocked her so deeply?
Royalty was indeed extraordinary, but if she was to debut in society, she would surely encounter them often.
“Sister…”
“Yes?”
“Do you know of ‘Daknoso’?”
“Daknoso…?”
I thought she had finally regained her senses, but now she was spouting nonsense.
Daknoso?
Perhaps the title of a romance novel?
But it was nothing I’d ever heard of.
Plop, plop—
As her first punishment, I added three sugar cubes to her tea.
This blend had a pleasantly bitter taste, so making it overly sweet was the worst.
“I don’t know about that, Alyssa. Surely, that isn’t the title of the novel Ameri is transferring to, is it? If your behavior in front of the princess today was due to that so-called novel, then novels will be banned from the mansion going forward.”
Although the image of maid Ameri’s tearful face briefly appeared in my mind, it was quickly dismissed.
If my younger sister really is engrossed in novels, it’s only right to get rid of them immediately.
Even if we somehow avoided a crisis today, if she behaves this way in society, it won’t just embarrass Alyssa;
It’ll bring shame and ridicule upon the family.
“You don’t know…”
Alyssa’s eyes, which regained their clarity, were filled not with their usual timidness but with evident hostility and suspicion as she looked at me.
Unpleasant.
Even with that gaze, her blue eyes remain dazzlingly beautiful.
The sight of my reflection in the mirror always struck me as nothing more than the feeble struggles of a coward.
But her blue eyes were almost painfully beautiful.
“You mustn’t glare at your sister like that.”
If she had looked at me like this during childhood, I would have slapped her instantly.
But as the eldest daughter, I had to maintain my dignity.
Instead, I settled for pinching her cheeks lightly.
Her soft, supple cheeks stretched as far as I pulled them, making me curious about how far they could actually stretch.
“I’m sorry, Sister…”
Hearing her apology, I released her cheeks immediately.
Checking to see if there were any marks left behind, I felt relieved to find only a faint reddish tinge without any injury.
…Next time, I’ll aim for a spot that’s less noticeable.
If Alyssa were to get a mark on her face, Mother would surely explode with rage.
Ever since the day we met the princess at the assembly, Alyssa’s attitude had clearly changed.
She started barging into my room multiple times a day, and even when I scolded her, she no longer wore her usual frightened, meek expression.
Instead, she gave me a look as if testing me.
My already-annoying younger sister had become an even more irritating presence.
In front of Mother, I worked hard to keep up the act of being a kind sister, but my patience was wearing thin, and it felt like my forced smile was about to break.
“Sister, shall we go in together?”
“…What?”
Now. My younger sister’s audacity had reached its peak.
She was interfering with my most cherished moment-soaking in a tub filled with my favorite bath oils.
“Alyssa… do you even realize what you’re doing right now?”
“Mother already gave me permission. She said it would be nice for sisters to enjoy some bonding time.”
“… What!?”
Although I wanted to kick her out immediately, Alyssa was invoking Mother’s name, leaving me with no choice but to grudgingly let her into the bath.
Swish, swish.
Alyssa slowly removed her thin nightwear, piece by piece, placing them in the basket the maid held.
As her bare skin gradually came into view, her beauty was overwhelming, forcing me to compare it to my own body, even though I didn’t want to.
Perfectly shaped, modestly full breasts.
Unreasonably large, unladylike bosom.
A waistline and legs naturally sculpted to perfection, as though created to captivate any man’s gaze.
Alyssa.
Not only your face but every part of your body seems as though it was crafted by a god-beautiful enough to be the protagonist of this world.
Meanwhile, I, your sister, am utterly hideous.
“….Sister, you’re beautiful.”
Smack!
“D-Don’t say… such nonsense…”
The moment I heard her compliment, my heart raced uncontrollably, and I instinctively slapped her cheek.
My voice, filled with anger, even carried a quiver of tears that surprised me.
Don’t look down on me.
“I’m serious. You’re beautiful, Sister.”
I worried that my slap might make her cry, but to my surprise, Alyssa’s face held a faint smile instead.
Why… why are you smiling…
Press-
Alyssa grabbed the wrist of the hand I had slapped her with, and then seized my other wrist, pinning me mercilessly against the bathroom wall.
Born weak, I was no match for my younger sister, who had been blessed by the gods with strength exceeding that of most men. The disparity between us was stark, leaving me unable to resist.
“You might think you’re hideous, Sister, but your body is something men would adore. I can guarantee it.”
“Alyssa, do you even realize what you’re doing right now?”
“I do. But I have to confirm it for myself.”
The younger sister’s blue eyes had darkened, resembling murky muddy water rather than a refreshing sea.
I felt a twinge of regret over the lost luster of those hateful eyes, and instinctively wanted to reach out, but both my hands were already restrained, leaving me unable to do even that.
“Why did you reject Her Highness the Princess’s proposal?”
“…What are you talking about?”
“If you had accepted her offer, you could have become the Crown Prince’s fiancée and lived happily ever after.”
I had no idea why my younger sister was saying this.
The Crown Prince is the Princess’s brother? That’s news to me.
In our family, which was ostracized from high society, the only rumors we ever heard were about the scandals of nearby rural nobles.
Except for the occasional love letter addressed to my sister, we were thoroughly isolated.
“I refused because I didn’t like it.”
“What?”
“I didn’t like the idea of it. If I didn’t like her, I surely wouldn’t like her brother, whom I haven’t even met. That’s all.”
“…Is that truly the only reason?”
“Do I need another reason?”
Hearing my response, my younger sister’s eyes returned to their former beautiful, clear blue—a shade so lovely it was unbearable.
Letting go of my wrist, she knelt before me and bowed her head politely.
“Indeed, you are still the sister I know. That answer was so perfectly fitting for ‘Amy.’”
“Are you mocking me right now?”
“I’m sincere. Please, punish me until your anger subsides.”
“…No, I’d rather not. First, leave the bathroom, Alyssa.”
My younger sister’s odd plea gave me the chills, so I promptly kicked her out of the bathroom.
Left alone, I soaked in a tub filled with bath salts, but the relaxation I sought didn’t come.
The thought crossed my mind: had Alyssa always been acting all along, even when she was at my mercy?
…Maybe I should just marry her off quickly and get that unbearable sight out of my face.
Then I wouldn’t feel compelled to torment her anymore.
If she found a good husband and lived a happy life, that would be best.
And so, my plan to get Alyssa married off began moving for the first time.
The opportunity came the very next day.