IPMB 02

Chapter 2

It was somewhat puzzling that Kallian’s father, Lord Oen, the head of Wignac, didn’t seem to realize how serious the situation was…

“I don’t think I can live without Rosi, Father. Her swordsmanship is quite impressive as well. What do you think about accepting Rosi as a disciple of Wignac?”

“What on earth are you thinking, Kallian? How could you possibly bring a child like that into the family?!”

“Look. Even today, I cut my arm while practicing swordsmanship. I lost an entire bowlful of blood. If Rosi had been practicing with me, I wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”

“Have you completely lost your mind overnight?”

“Ah, I think my head hurts now, too…”

“So you really want to pick a fight with your father, you reckless brat?!”

There was a bit of a commotion, but in the end, Lord Oen accepted Kallian’s request and brought me under Wignac’s protection.

In truth, he probably thought I was too talented to be merely his son’s companion.

After all, some little girl without a scrap of muscle was swinging a greatsword as if it were a part of her own body.

‘Though that’s only natural, since I was secretly receiving a Spellbinding buff.’

I was strong, too.

Not only could I lift around five sacks of wheat at once, I could even hoist an average muscular adult man up like pulling a radish from the ground.

‘This is thanks to the Star’s power, too.’

Technically, it was cheating and taking a shortcut.

I know I shouldn’t be doing this.

But, hey.

It was for the noble purpose of rescuing a poor little lamb, so it was fine.

And so, I passed Wignac’s disciple selection examination at lightning speed, proudly earning both the Wignac surname and the blessing of its guardian Star.

From that day onward, Kallian kept me by his side all day under the pretense that I was both his personal knight and his younger sister.

“I’m glad you’re here. I don’t feel lonely when I have you around. It makes me feel safe, too… cough. Thank you for staying beside a pathetic guy like me. Cough…”

“If you’re trying to manipulate me into pledging my lifelong loyalty to you by acting all pitiful, you can stop. I’m not that easy to—”

“Rosi. Are you crying?”

“Sniff… It’s because you’re always sick!”

To make matters worse, Kallian couldn’t even properly withstand the side effect that Transcendents blessed by the power of the Stars commonly suffered from: Star Fever.

He would periodically collapse with illness.

You hopelessly sickly pretty boy… Why are my eyes sweating?

“Yes, Oppa. You live happily for the rest of your life. I’ll protect you from all the hardships of the world…”

From that point onward, Kallian Wignac and I were one.

Kallian’s enemies would henceforth be considered my enemies as well.

And that was how I became ensnared by the clutches of a kind-hearted little lamb.

Thus, after spending three whole years as the dedicated servant, bodyguard, and unofficial younger sister of a beautiful boy who was missing a few screws…

We return to the present.

I was now twelve years old.

‘My baby is destined to become the tyrant’s favorite consort. This is ridiculous!’

Apparently, an enormous crisis had descended upon Wignac.

I threw away the cookie box and grabbed Kallian by the collar.

“Kallian. You gave the Emperor those sweet little smiles too, didn’t you?”

“What exactly do you think of me, Rosi?”

“I told you not to even raise your head in front of that bastard! You can’t smile so prettily at him like you’re doing right now!”

“Am I pretty, Rosi?”

You hopeless idiot! That’s not what’s important right now!

But Kallian clung to that question as though it were the only thing that mattered.

“Am I pretty? Hmm? How pretty?”

He leaned in close and pushed his face toward mine.

Even that simple gesture was alluring enough to make me sigh.

He really goes around dripping pheromones everywhere.

I stretched both of his cheeks and snapped harshly at him.

“Kallian Wignac. You’re about to be sold off to the Imperial Palace, and you can still smile?! You could disappear from this world without anyone knowing!”

Kallian smiled sheepishly and avoided my gaze.

I scrutinized him carefully.

His languid eyes were always curved into crescent moons, while the combination of platinum-blond hair and scarlet-red eyes sparkled so brilliantly that it practically made one sigh.

His narrow, well-defined jawline had none of the frailty it once possessed. As he entered adolescence, it had gradually taken on a more masculine quality.

He had also shot up in height recently.

And yet, rather than handsome, he was still better described as beautiful.

Especially when he lowered the corners of his eyes like this, giving him an almost sorrowful air.

I let out a helpless sigh.

‘Damn it. Even if I did a backward somersault and looked at him upside down, he’d still be exactly the Emperor’s type.’

There was an old saying commonly used both in Delphiam and Abwie.

Beautiful people are doomed to misfortune.

Something about my brother’s fate was definitely not right.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself.

No.

There was still hope.

The most important thing was what Kallian had said in response when the Emperor invited him on a date on the night of the festival.

“So, Kalli. What did you tell the Emperor?”

“I told His Majesty that it would be an honor to spend some pleasant time together.”

What?

For a moment, I wondered if I had heard him correctly.

The little lamb then drove the final nail into the coffin with a bright smile.

“I told him I would be looking forward to it and that I’d happily prepare for the occasion.”

“Oh, Mother…”

It’s not just me who thinks that sounded strange, right?

Anyone would think that was strange, wouldn’t they?!

“Did… Did I say something wrong?”

There was only one person who had no idea how dangerous his own words had been.

The very person who had just made that dangerously suggestive statement.

“…Oppa, you basically went to the tyrant and wagged your tail while saying, ‘Please come kidnap me.’”

“Oh. Is that what it sounded like? But it didn’t feel particularly dangerous.”

I became helplessly exasperated again as I stared into Kallian’s utterly innocent red eyes.

It didn’t feel dangerous?

Of course it didn’t.

To Kallian, whose head was permanently filled with flowers, the entire world probably looked pink!

This was the same man who had once nearly guaranteed a swindler’s loan under the Wignac family name because he felt so sorry for the man’s tragic story about losing his family.

‘Isn’t he just giving Kallian candy and luring him in, planning to devour him once he becomes an adult? And then drag him into his harem…!’

The future awaiting Kallian appeared vividly before my eyes.

“Young Wignac. I find you most pleasing, but tell me, what do you think of me?”

“It would be an honor if Your Majesty were to choose me.”

“Hehe. What an adorable little thing. Then shall we start with a proper date?”

Once I started thinking about it, there was no end to it.

At the very edge of my proliferating imagination, a bright-red censor label dangled ominously.

‘…Oh. My. God.’

I forcibly stopped myself from imagining any further.

I didn’t want to turn our precious living national treasure into the protagonist of such a filthy fantasy.

And I certainly didn’t want to explain any of it to Kallian in words…!

As punishment for having such impure thoughts, I repeatedly slapped my own cheeks.

“Get a grip, Rosien!”

“R-Rosi?”

“I’m sorry, Oppa!”

“Hm? No. You don’t need to apologize.”

Seeing his innocent eyes only made me feel even guiltier.

Whenever I was around Kallian, I sometimes felt like I was an incredibly depraved person.

Just like now.

But there was something I needed to confirm.

I cautiously opened my mouth.

“Kallian. You know… You don’t happen to have unusually broad tastes, do you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Come to think of it, Oppa, you even turned down Princess Aselli’s marriage proposal.”

As far as I had observed, I had never once seen Kallian blush at the sight of a man.

But then again, he was strangely indifferent to the subtle glances and romantic advances of girls.

And even though a boy around fifteen or sixteen, no matter how chaste he might be, would normally find it difficult not to spare at least a glance toward girls his own age, Kallian showed absolutely no signs of interest.

I steeled myself and looked at Kallian.

I felt that directly asking, “Kallian, are you gay?” might be too much for his innocent mind, so I deliberately approached the subject indirectly.

“I really wouldn’t mind at all if you happened to have an identity different from other people’s. So don’t worry. Just tell me. Are you perhaps not interested in women?”

“Hmm. I’m not exactly sure what you mean, Rosi.”

Kallian smiled gently and playfully pushed my forehead with his index finger.

“I rejected Princess Aselli’s proposal because I’m not ready to get engaged yet. I want to spend the most time with you.”

“So does that mean you could date another woman in the future if you met someone you liked?”

“……”

Kallian didn’t answer for a moment.

He simply stared at me.

Then, as though he had suddenly thought of something, his eyes narrowed and his scarlet gaze darkened.

“Rosi… Do you want me to get married as soon as possible?”

For an instant, I sensed something ominous.

The spring breeze that had been gently blowing through the open window suddenly turned cold, as if someone had flipped a switch.

Huh? What was that just now…?

But the moment I flinched, the strange sensation vanished without a trace.

Instead—or perhaps I should say, as a consequence—Kallian’s expression had become strangely cold.

The lovely curve of his lips remained, but his eyes were no longer smiling.

“Really? You want me to get engaged to Princess Aselli? You want me to become a royal son-in-law and leave for the royal palace?”