TRMPBADFBB 03

03　My Brother

When I lifted my gaze, the dim ceiling came into view.

There was no luxurious chandelier; instead, a sooty lamp hung from the corner of the ceiling. The heavy curtains weren’t properly closed, letting just a sliver of light drift into the room, faintly illuminating the space.

Turning my face to the side, I saw that the wallpaper was old, with the edges slightly peeling away.

Even the bed was surprisingly plain for a princess. The blanket was thin, and there were faint stains on the sheets. As my eyes roamed further, I noticed a small closet tucked in a corner, along with a lone desk and chair.

A thin layer of dust covered the desk, making it immediately obvious that no one had used it in a long time.

(Is this… really the princess’s room?)

It was far removed from the picture-perfect rooms of happy princesses in storybooks.

I swallowed hard. A cold, damp air seemed to cling to my skin, as if this place alone had been left behind by time.

(I didn’t hear that Lilibel, who’s supposed to exit the story by narration death, was treated so poorly!)

The illustrations of Lilibel had indeed made her seem a bit fragile. Now that I think about it, she might have only been half-visible in those images.

(The heroine gets rewarded with a happy ending, but Lilibel… didn’t have any happiness at all…?)

That was wrong. My heart churned with anger.

Speaking of which, in the memory of falling into the fountain, Lilibel seemed to have given up. She stopped moving her limbs in the water and closed her eyes quietly.

Perhaps she had no lingering attachments to this world. But why… she was only fifteen.

(But… I want to live… for my previous life too, properly…)

There were so many things I wanted to do, yet I had died so easily from illness. And now, I was about to become a princess who would die just as easily again.

(No… I can still do something! I absolutely will not die this lifetime.)

I made a strong resolve. I wanted to change Lilibel’s fate and grasp happiness as Lilibel herself.

“Haah… haah… first, I need to bring down this fever…”

I needed to get over this cold before I could make any plans. Once the fever broke, I could at least demand proper meals. Maybe I could even practice magic and get better at it.

“I absolutely… won’t lose…”

Just as I made this resolve, barely able to catch my breath, I heard footsteps approaching outside the door.

“…co…ming.”

I could hear voices as well. Judging from the multiple footsteps, it didn’t seem like the maid had come alone.

As I strained my ears, the footsteps stopped right in front of the door.

“I apologize, Your Highnesses. The room isn’t quite ready yet…”

“‘Not ready’—what do you mean by that?”

A cold, masculine voice responded to what sounded like a maid’s voice.

“L-Lilibel-sama is resting. She has a high fever and is barely conscious. She hasn’t been properly prepared, so it would be unseemly to show her like this…”

“What are you saying? I came to check on my sister’s condition. Open the door.”

“B-But…!”

The familiar voice of the maid sounded like she was desperately resisting.

(Did he just say “Your Highness”…?)

If someone is addressed as “Your Highness,” it must be one of the princes—my brothers.

That meant my brother was on the other side of the door. Why, I had no idea.

“If that’s the case, could we have a little time to get her ready…? I’ll prepare the princess.”

The maid was clearly trying to prevent my brother from entering the room.

The small sip of water I had taken before hadn’t quenched my thirst. I felt it again, a dry, parching hunger in my throat.

(Why is my brother here…? At least… some water…)

I tried to grab the water pitcher with what strength I had.

“Ah!”

But the fever made my hands too clumsy to grasp it properly. The pitcher slipped and hit the floor with a loud crash.

At that instant, the door opened without hesitation.

There, standing with the ever-spiteful maid Emma, were my brothers—Luke and the others.

“…Lilibel, this is…”

Luke’s blue eyes flickered slightly, betraying surprise.

It was the first time they had ever visited my room. That was what Lilibel’s memories told me.

We hadn’t spent much time together since childhood, and most of our conversations had been purely formal.

My brother looked at the room with a shocked expression, quickly taking in its state.

I hastily combed my sweat-soaked hair with my fingers and patted the disheveled bedcover, trying to make the room look a little more presentable. But Luke only raised his eyebrows even more suspiciously.

“What is the meaning of this… seeing Lilibel like this in her room?”

His low voice carried an unusual gravity, far from his usual calm tone.

I blinked rapidly and stared at him.

Luke Derrick Gutenberg.

The crown prince of this country, a prince straight out of a picture with golden hair and blue eyes.

With his refined appearance, intelligence, and honest character, he had earned the people’s trust—but he was never close to Lilibel as a brother.

(Uh… Luke’s role is…)

One of the heroes in the novel. A perfect man who shoulders the weight of being crown prince, always smiling as he works, yet secretly searching for a place where his heart can rest, eventually meeting a kind-hearted heroine and doting on her. Classic and perfect.

Lost in thought, I was suddenly drawn to the person standing next to my brother.

(That must be Lord Keith… Keith, wait, isn’t he…?)

His jet-black hair and golden eyes gave him a cold, tense aura, like a king of the night. I thought I vaguely remembered such a description.

As his title suggested, Keith Tim Winterhalter, the marquess’s heir, held the villain role in the novel.

(…But he was my favorite…)

I stared at Lord Keith intently. Why had this friend of Luke’s fallen into darkness to the point of becoming an enemy? I tried desperately to recall the story.

Keith was the eldest son of the Winterhalter household. In the novel, he resented the princes who neglected their sisters, secretly maneuvered against them politically, and ultimately met a tragic downfall.

(Wait, then does that mean his sister, Lady Efa, is the villainous young lady…?)

Being the villain’s younger sister, of course, she would also be a villainess. I think she was also one of the top candidates for engagement to my brothers.

Yes, after my brothers had their eyes on the heroine, they caused all sorts of trouble, ultimately leading to the ruin of her family. Though that all happened after Lilibel’s death.

“…Is something the matter?”

“…!”

I had been staring at him too much, and now Lord Keith’s expression seemed less cruel than frustrated, making me look away instinctively. S-Scary.