Chapter 5

According to the original story, a few years later, a pandemic would strike.

At that time, the two would also die.

It was planned that way.

‘But I haven’t prepared anything yet.’

Not even mentally.

And-

“Who will be the next master of the dukedom?”

“Alexis will become the Duchess.”

“But Alexis is still a teenager, barely seventeen years old, and hasn’t even had her coming-of-age ceremony.”

Everyone’s concern was focused on the next master of the dukedom.

“Draenei won’t wait for the coming-of-age ceremony. He’ll try to take over by putting his niece, Cyrilla, in front.”

“Well, after all, even the elders of the family and the vassals were on Julia’s side. There’s probably no one who didn’t receive money from those siblings.”

“But above all, Roel’s opinion is important. Since the deceased Duke trusted him the most, he must have left instructions for Roel to maintain the estate.”

The gaze of the surrounding people turned towards me all at once.

A twelve-year-old child standing there with a pale face, lost in thought.

No matter how you looked at it, I was the most convenient doll to manipulate.

“Poor Cyrilla!”

At that moment, someone tightly grabbed my hand.

It was Draenei.

“She’s only twelve years old and already becoming an orphan!”

Draenei raised his voice in lament.

“How difficult it must have been for my brother-in-law to leave behind such a young child! She was his most beloved daughter!”

Brother-in-law?

‘He has never called the Duke Parchision that before.’

He was the person who always bowed his head and called the Duke ‘Your Excellency’ every time.

But what was even more outrageous were his next words.

His most beloved daughter?

‘It doesn’t make sense. My father only loved himself.’

This was something meant for others to hear.

“This maternal uncle of yours will not go against my brother-in-law’s wishes. I will take responsibility for you. No one will be able to dismiss you from ‘here.'”

Draenei emphasized ‘here’ particularly strongly.

It was both to scare me and to attack Alexis.

With a moistened face, I asked,

“W-Will I be driven away?”

In Draenei’s eyes, a flame of anger flickered in response to my frightened voice.

He thought his threat had an impact.

‘What a wicked person!’

To threaten a twelve-year-old child who hasn’t lost her baby fat yet.

“Don’t worry, Cyrilla. Just trust this Uncle of yours. But you must listen to what Uncle says, okay?”

I nodded as if relieved.

Then I looked at the people who were openly staring at us.

It was then that my eyes met with Alexis’s icy eyes.

I turned back to Draenei and spoke with a pitiful voice.

Emphasizing each word with strength.

“I’m glad. You will protect ‘us.'”

“Yes, I will…”

“But who is it? The person who wants to drive ‘us sisters’ away.”

I spoke with a frightened face.

“They are really bad. Please scold them!”

Like a child who didn’t understand anything.

The surroundings instantly became quiet.

Draenei’s eyes twisted, realizing the situation a beat late.

“… Let’s talk about this later.”

Draenei left, leaving behind his niece, whom he said he would protect.

I looked at Draenei’s retreating figure with a disappointed face.

Then, pretending to belatedly notice the gazes of the people, I quickly hid behind a nearby tree.

The people felt embarrassed and averted their eyes.

‘Now, what should I do?’

Leaning against the large tree, I pondered.

My mind was in turmoil.

‘From the very beginning, everyone is pushing Alexis aside and only thinking about using me.’

I had been too naive.

I should have anticipated that the future could change.

Becoming an orphan was familiar to me.

Even in my past life, I was an orphan.

‘But back then, I had younger siblings, not an older sister.’

“Sister, can you lend me some money? I have a real jackpot opportunity this time, you know? What? Is it illegal? Ah, what does it matter right now!”

“Sister, just help me out with this accident. I won’t cause any more trouble. Just five thousand will do. What? You don’t even have five thousand? Then, why not take a loan!”

“Sister, I have an urgent matter…”

“Sister…”

Unconsciously, I tightly closed my eyes.

“You’re talking nonsense.”

But upon hearing a voice from above, I opened my eyes again.

It was Alexis.

As our gazes met, with her cold blue eyes looking down at me, my body froze.

“There are people trying to drive away ‘us sisters’?”

The sun peered through the cloudy sky, casting a reflection on Alexis’ golden hair.

I cautiously reached out my hand to my shining ‘elder sister.’

“I’m on your side, sister. I’ll protect you, sister.”

One corner of Alexis’s mouth twitched upward slightly.

Whether it was astonishment or mockery, that expression was something I had never seen before.

“I won’t be driven away from this family. ‘In this life.'”

“…..”

“What you should worry about is yourself.”

Was that advice?

Before I could find an answer, Alexis distanced herself from me.

‘Moreover, she mentioned ‘in this life.”

She didn’t hide the fact that she had been regressed.

‘Of course, she probably said that thinking I wouldn’t understand.’

In other words, it meant that Alexis, who already knew the future, could seize the family’s position through her own efforts, just like in the original work.

‘Perhaps my sister doesn’t need my help.’

Maybe it would be better for both of us if I disappeared quickly.

As I had that thought, all the strength drained from my body.

A twelve-year-old girl who became an orphan without expecting anything.

She couldn’t think of any way to help the protagonist of this novel.

‘What should I do?’

I bit my lower lip and raised my head.

Ding–

That’s when it happened.

“Huh? What’s that sound?”

In the place where there should have been a cloudy sky, there was a translucent window floating.

‘This is…!’

Something I had never seen since the transmigration.

However, it is something that cannot be forgotten even if one tries to forget.

It was a status window.

The status window that only appears to awakeners!

‘Why is it appearing now?’

I’m no longer an awakener.

This world isn’t even a hunter story.

Moreover, the [Awakener Information] displayed in the status window was full of errors.

Name: Cyrilla Parchision (12)
Affiliation: ?@#%??
Rank: ?@#$
Title: $%^!?#^?
Exclusive Ability: ????
Exclusive Skill: ?!%!##@
Items: ?Check#N@ow?
...

‘I think the status window that shouldn’t be in this world has appeared as an error. Otherwise… Huh?’

That was when I noticed something strange in the status window.

‘I can check the items?’

Although the sentence was full of errors, the confirmation button was clearly activated.

In a state of confusion, I selected ‘Confirm Now’.

The inventory window, which had always been in a [locked] state, opened.

And then…

[Gold Rush (S-grade)]
[Sword of Resurrection (Legendary)]
[Hermes' Letter (Legendary)]
[Cerberus' Claw (SSS-grade)]
[Mana Stone from Dwarf Mine (A-grade)]

...

Countless items began to appear one by one like a torrent.

* * *

“I’m glad Cyrilla is so foolish. Did she take after Julia?”

“‘Youngest Miss,’ ‘Duchess.'”

At the words of Knight Commander Maran Bowers, a companion who was present gave a warning.

His tone was soft, but stern.

Maran tilted his head as if he found it absurd.

“Dein, what does it matter how we address each other when we’re alone? Anyway, it’s frustratingly stifling.”

“It was delightful to see Draenei flustered thanks to the youngest Miss.”

Dein pretended not to hear and spoke.

He was not only a knight of the Parchision Order, but he also had said everything he needed to say to the Order’s Knight Commander.

‘She has a pure appearance and a likable personality.’

Even in this current life.

Alexis thought so as she looked at her two closest subordinates.

Knight Commander Maran Bowers and Senior Knight Dein Bartal.

They were Alexis’ closest aides since her second life.

They were not only capable and loyal but also had no connection to Draenei.

So, even in this lifetime, she kept them by her side since she was young.

It was easy to have Dein under her command because he was quick-witted, but Maran was different.

Perhaps it was due to the pride of his family, which had served as Knight Commanders of the knights for generations.

In order to ‘convince’ him to become a girl’s attendant, she had to give him a good beating in this lifetime as well.

He was the type to strictly obey in front of the strong.

Then, what about Cyrilla?

Could she be someone who is quick to catch on and can easily be controlled?

Or would she be a child who needs to be rolled around roughly in order to obey?

‘Or maybe, like in the past…’