Stella's family was like a shining star, the highest in the night sky. They were one of only two ducal families in the Carthian Empire, a name that would make ordinary people bow their heads in awe. But Stella wasn't happy in that glittering home. No, she couldn't be.
"We don't need useless people in our family."
Stella's parents had a clear rule: only the best would survive. They had to always stay at the top of the pyramid. And they had to weed out the useless.
"The ability to use archaic and foreign languages, an eye for economics and politics, a knowledge of the arts, and even martial arts are all essential."
What this means is that they didn't love each other equally. They only showed affection to the one who excelled, Stella or Skyle.
"Yes, I understand."
"Yes, Father, Mother."
They may have done it for the sake of their child's growth. But to Stella, it felt like abuse. Like monkeys in a circus trying to get every last banana, Stella and Skyle competed. And Skyle always won.
"As expected, he's our son. He's good at swordsmanship and has already mastered gore."
"Thank you."
Every time Stella saw Skyle being praised by the Duke and Duchess, she felt upset.
"Stella, you too should follow in his footsteps."
She, too, longed to excel like Skyle. Stella, too, excelled in many ways compared to her peers, but Skyle was different. Skyle's depth of scholarship and martial arts prowess were beyond compare. The Empire hailed Skyle as "a genius who comes only once in a thousand years."
"...All right."
And his parents were proud of him. Naturally, Stella was pushed into Skyle's shadow.
‘If only my body were healthy...’
Stella was furious at having to compete with Skyle, yet she was so weak. Skyle could sit at his desk all night or train in swordsmanship without a hitch, but Stella wasn't like that. Any prolonged movement would leave her breathing hard and dizzy, necessitating rest. Reading and studying for long periods of time also proved challenging due to her limited stamina.
'If only I had been healthy, I could have done better than my brother.'
She couldn't escape Skyle's shadow, both inside and out. Even the young ladies of her age showed interest in her because she was Skyle's younger sister. Sharp as a sculpted glass sculpture, beautiful yet noble, Skyle's appearance alone captivated many. Furthermore, Skyle's azure eyes and hair added an even more special touch to his aura.
"Hey, Stella, can you tell your brother about this? I'm Skyle's number one fan."
"Stella, do you want to come to the party I'm having at my house today? With Skyle!"
Stella, too, was a beauty, with large eyes and a sharp nose, though she still had some of her baby fat. But standing next to Skyle, her face seemed large and ugly, like a lump of dough. The thought of being outdone by Skyle made Stella feel even smaller.
"I'd love to live as Skyle's little sister for just one day. How happy I'd be if I could see that beautiful face every day. Right, Stella?"
"Well."
She wasn't happy being Skyle's younger sister. Although she didn't express it outwardly, the inferiority complex she felt towards Skyle built up inside her. This created a wall between them. Because of this, Stella and Skyle's relationship wasn't particularly close.
At one time, Stella admired Skyle.
"Brother, can I go into my room?"
"What are you?"
But Skyle was not a kind older brother to Stella at all.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know."
Skyle pushed Stella out the door, as if he didn't want her to be seen by his friends. Stella, pushed back by his strong hand, touched the spot where his hand had touched her. Her face was pale.
"What's wrong, Skyle? I miss your sister."
Skyle's friend, Anton Geron, peeked out and followed Stella with his eyes. Having never met another family's young master before, she stared at him with wide eyes. Skyle blocked their path.
"Go away."
Stella couldn't believe her ears at the sudden swearing.
"Don't make me mad, just get out of here, Stella."
It was scary. The sight of his dazzling purple eyes was enough to frighten young Stella. When she came to, she was running away from him. She heard Geron's laughter behind her.
"Hey, Skyle. What's wrong? Your little sister is so cute."
Once completely out of his sight, Stella gasped for breath. It was overwhelming. Clearly, Stella was born into a perfect family, living with perfect parents and a perfect brother, but life was overwhelming. Her breathing became so labored that her lungs ached.
'Why on earth do you hate me so much?'
In her view, Skyle, though indifferent to others, wasn't someone who hated them without reason. Stella even went to cheer Skyle on at his swordsmanship competitions, making cookies and sandwiches with her nanny. However, Skyle was only cold to Stella.
'Yes. I hate you, brother. I'm giving up now.'
At a time when Stella was desperately craving her parents' attention, something happened that would change her life.
"Oh no! Stella fell into the sea!"
It happened when she went to the South Sea with her parents' relatives. The day before, Stella had overheard their conversation. Even when swimming, Skyle had perfect form, but Stella was clumsy. She couldn't stand it. To show her parents her effort, Stella went out early in the morning and practiced alone, oblivious to the fearsome morning waves of the South Sea.
"Sal, please save me!"
She screamed at the top of her lungs. Her legs were cramping, and her whole body was already freezing. Still, she wanted to live. There was so much she hadn't done yet.
Parents. She couldn't even imagine how pathetic they would feel if she died like this. Even in death, she didn't want to disappoint them. "Ah, ah, ah," she thought, vomiting the seawater rushing up her esophagus.
"I can't die like this. My parents will be disappointed. I want to live."
Gulp. She felt water filling her lungs. Her breath gave out, and her eyes closed. She had been struggling against the sea pulling her, but now the strength was gone.
'It's over now.'
When she came to, she was in bed. The young ladies of her age were furious when they found out she was missing, so perhaps their knights had rescued Stella.
'Thank god.'
At first, she felt relieved. She could breathe again, close to her parents. She still had a chance to show them a good side. She could live diligently, studying harder and focusing more on socializing with the nobles so she could be of service to the Duke of Lanedict.
'Is that fortunate...?'
Near-death experiences can make you reflect on your life. Stella was no exception. She realized anew how painful it is to live a life neglected by her parents. At that moment, Stella wet her pillowcase alone.
"I, I want to be loved like brother Skyle. I don't want to live like this."
Stella suffered from a severe fever as a result of her drowning. For a while, she was unable to leave her bed. She had to rest.
"What if you go into the sea too hard, Stella?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
The Duke and Duchess were anxious as she remained confined to bed for several days. They were concerned that an important event would soon be held at the Duke's residence, and if Stella were unable to attend, she would be embroiled in gossip.
"Honey, don't say anything too much. Stella, Father and Mother won't be angry, so get well soon."
The Duke and Duchess visited her daily until she recovered. Previously, they had only seen her once a week, using the excuse of being busy. Now that they were so attentive, Stella felt a warmth in her once lonely heart. Her need for love seemed to be gradually being fulfilled.
'I love it. I wish Father and Mother would come see me more often.'
As her health improved, she grew more anxious. Her parents' attention felt like sweet candy. The thought that once she recovered, her parents wouldn't care about her as much as they did now made her heart pound. She had already tasted the sweetness of candy.
'I can't get better. I have to keep hurting.'
Stella snuck down to the kitchen and brought back ice and ice cream. She hoped her sore throat and fever would ease. She took a cold shower and slept with the window open.
'So that Father and Mother will come see me.'
As she was munching on the ice she had hidden, the door opened.
“Oh... brother?”
It was Skyle. He had never visited Stella's room before, except when she was very young. She didn't hide her bewilderment.
"What's going on here?"
Skyle looked at Stella with blank eyes. His purple hair, just like Stella's, swayed slightly in the wind.
"Are you still in pain?"
It had been a long time since she'd spoken to him like this. Skyle was always busy with his own work, never welcoming Stella warmly when she visited him. The thought of him coming to see her in person filled Stella with excitement, and she nodded. The resentment she'd held against him seemed to melt away like snow.
"Are you worried about what happened?"
Skyle laughed at her words. Stella couldn't figure out why.
"You're unlucky."
He looked down at Stella with a contemptuous expression. She flinched, desperately trying to cover the ice cream she'd hidden behind her back. It was unclear whether Skyle noticed.
"You're nothing but a nobody."
"We don't need useless people in our family."
Stella's parents had a clear rule: only the best would survive. They had to always stay at the top of the pyramid. And they had to weed out the useless.
"The ability to use archaic and foreign languages, an eye for economics and politics, a knowledge of the arts, and even martial arts are all essential."
What this means is that they didn't love each other equally. They only showed affection to the one who excelled, Stella or Skyle.
"Yes, I understand."
"Yes, Father, Mother."
They may have done it for the sake of their child's growth. But to Stella, it felt like abuse. Like monkeys in a circus trying to get every last banana, Stella and Skyle competed. And Skyle always won.
"As expected, he's our son. He's good at swordsmanship and has already mastered gore."
"Thank you."
Every time Stella saw Skyle being praised by the Duke and Duchess, she felt upset.
"Stella, you too should follow in his footsteps."
She, too, longed to excel like Skyle. Stella, too, excelled in many ways compared to her peers, but Skyle was different. Skyle's depth of scholarship and martial arts prowess were beyond compare. The Empire hailed Skyle as "a genius who comes only once in a thousand years."
"...All right."
And his parents were proud of him. Naturally, Stella was pushed into Skyle's shadow.
‘If only my body were healthy...’
Stella was furious at having to compete with Skyle, yet she was so weak. Skyle could sit at his desk all night or train in swordsmanship without a hitch, but Stella wasn't like that. Any prolonged movement would leave her breathing hard and dizzy, necessitating rest. Reading and studying for long periods of time also proved challenging due to her limited stamina.
'If only I had been healthy, I could have done better than my brother.'
She couldn't escape Skyle's shadow, both inside and out. Even the young ladies of her age showed interest in her because she was Skyle's younger sister. Sharp as a sculpted glass sculpture, beautiful yet noble, Skyle's appearance alone captivated many. Furthermore, Skyle's azure eyes and hair added an even more special touch to his aura.
"Hey, Stella, can you tell your brother about this? I'm Skyle's number one fan."
"Stella, do you want to come to the party I'm having at my house today? With Skyle!"
Stella, too, was a beauty, with large eyes and a sharp nose, though she still had some of her baby fat. But standing next to Skyle, her face seemed large and ugly, like a lump of dough. The thought of being outdone by Skyle made Stella feel even smaller.
"I'd love to live as Skyle's little sister for just one day. How happy I'd be if I could see that beautiful face every day. Right, Stella?"
"Well."
She wasn't happy being Skyle's younger sister. Although she didn't express it outwardly, the inferiority complex she felt towards Skyle built up inside her. This created a wall between them. Because of this, Stella and Skyle's relationship wasn't particularly close.
At one time, Stella admired Skyle.
"Brother, can I go into my room?"
"What are you?"
But Skyle was not a kind older brother to Stella at all.
“Didn't you see other young men coming into the room?”
Skyle pushed Stella out the door, as if he didn't want her to be seen by his friends. Stella, pushed back by his strong hand, touched the spot where his hand had touched her. Her face was pale.
"What's wrong, Skyle? I miss your sister."
Skyle's friend, Anton Geron, peeked out and followed Stella with his eyes. Having never met another family's young master before, she stared at him with wide eyes. Skyle blocked their path.
"Go away."
Stella couldn't believe her ears at the sudden swearing.
"Don't make me mad, just get out of here, Stella."
It was scary. The sight of his dazzling purple eyes was enough to frighten young Stella. When she came to, she was running away from him. She heard Geron's laughter behind her.
"Hey, Skyle. What's wrong? Your little sister is so cute."
Once completely out of his sight, Stella gasped for breath. It was overwhelming. Clearly, Stella was born into a perfect family, living with perfect parents and a perfect brother, but life was overwhelming. Her breathing became so labored that her lungs ached.
'Why on earth do you hate me so much?'
In her view, Skyle, though indifferent to others, wasn't someone who hated them without reason. Stella even went to cheer Skyle on at his swordsmanship competitions, making cookies and sandwiches with her nanny. However, Skyle was only cold to Stella.
'Yes. I hate you, brother. I'm giving up now.'
At a time when Stella was desperately craving her parents' attention, something happened that would change her life.
"Oh no! Stella fell into the sea!"
It happened when she went to the South Sea with her parents' relatives. The day before, Stella had overheard their conversation. Even when swimming, Skyle had perfect form, but Stella was clumsy. She couldn't stand it. To show her parents her effort, Stella went out early in the morning and practiced alone, oblivious to the fearsome morning waves of the South Sea.
"Sal, please save me!"
She screamed at the top of her lungs. Her legs were cramping, and her whole body was already freezing. Still, she wanted to live. There was so much she hadn't done yet.
Parents. She couldn't even imagine how pathetic they would feel if she died like this. Even in death, she didn't want to disappoint them. "Ah, ah, ah," she thought, vomiting the seawater rushing up her esophagus.
"I can't die like this. My parents will be disappointed. I want to live."
Gulp. She felt water filling her lungs. Her breath gave out, and her eyes closed. She had been struggling against the sea pulling her, but now the strength was gone.
'It's over now.'
When she came to, she was in bed. The young ladies of her age were furious when they found out she was missing, so perhaps their knights had rescued Stella.
'Thank god.'
At first, she felt relieved. She could breathe again, close to her parents. She still had a chance to show them a good side. She could live diligently, studying harder and focusing more on socializing with the nobles so she could be of service to the Duke of Lanedict.
'Is that fortunate...?'
Near-death experiences can make you reflect on your life. Stella was no exception. She realized anew how painful it is to live a life neglected by her parents. At that moment, Stella wet her pillowcase alone.
"I, I want to be loved like brother Skyle. I don't want to live like this."
Stella suffered from a severe fever as a result of her drowning. For a while, she was unable to leave her bed. She had to rest.
"What if you go into the sea too hard, Stella?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
The Duke and Duchess were anxious as she remained confined to bed for several days. They were concerned that an important event would soon be held at the Duke's residence, and if Stella were unable to attend, she would be embroiled in gossip.
"Honey, don't say anything too much. Stella, Father and Mother won't be angry, so get well soon."
The Duke and Duchess visited her daily until she recovered. Previously, they had only seen her once a week, using the excuse of being busy. Now that they were so attentive, Stella felt a warmth in her once lonely heart. Her need for love seemed to be gradually being fulfilled.
'I love it. I wish Father and Mother would come see me more often.'
As her health improved, she grew more anxious. Her parents' attention felt like sweet candy. The thought that once she recovered, her parents wouldn't care about her as much as they did now made her heart pound. She had already tasted the sweetness of candy.
'I can't get better. I have to keep hurting.'
Stella snuck down to the kitchen and brought back ice and ice cream. She hoped her sore throat and fever would ease. She took a cold shower and slept with the window open.
'So that Father and Mother will come see me.'
As she was munching on the ice she had hidden, the door opened.
“Oh... brother?”
It was Skyle. He had never visited Stella's room before, except when she was very young. She didn't hide her bewilderment.
"What's going on here?"
Skyle looked at Stella with blank eyes. His purple hair, just like Stella's, swayed slightly in the wind.
"Are you still in pain?"
It had been a long time since she'd spoken to him like this. Skyle was always busy with his own work, never welcoming Stella warmly when she visited him. The thought of him coming to see her in person filled Stella with excitement, and she nodded. The resentment she'd held against him seemed to melt away like snow.
"Are you worried about what happened?"
Skyle laughed at her words. Stella couldn't figure out why.
"You're unlucky."
He looked down at Stella with a contemptuous expression. She flinched, desperately trying to cover the ice cream she'd hidden behind her back. It was unclear whether Skyle noticed.
"You're nothing but a nobody."
He continued to speak words that tore at Stella's heart.
'Nobody?'
With each word that came out of Skyle's mouth, her heart pounded. Her lips parted, and the back of her throat stiffened. She was frozen, unable to move.
"If you're going to keep making a fuss like this, get out of the house."
She couldn't understand why such abusive language was coming out of Skyle's mouth. He wasn't like that. Skyle was sharp and smart. So, he could have expressed himself indirectly, rather than directly. But now, without a shred of consideration, he stabbed Stella in the chest.
"Because someone like you doesn't fit in our family."
Stella bit her lower lip. It was the word she hated the most. Being told she wasn't worthy of the Lanedict family. She knew it. She knew she wasn't worthy of the Lanedict family. But hearing it from Skyle made it all the more heartbreaking.
"Do you hate me that much?
Yeah. I don't like you.
Skyle slammed the door shut and left. With that sound, Stella's feelings for Skyle were completely shut off. She absentmindedly mulled over the conversation just moments before. Who in this house would like Stella?
'I think they're all Skyle's followers anyway.'
She ate ice cream like crazy, thinking that she couldn't lose to Skyle.
'I need to eat more. I can't let my fever go down.'
Her teeth were aching, and her palate was chapped. She couldn't even taste the sweetness of ice cream anymore. Her fever had persisted for about a month, and at some point, her parents' visits became less frequent. The Duke's important event had already ended, so Stella didn't need to leave immediately.
'Mother... Father...'
Suffering from a prolonged fever, she called the Duke and Duchess, but they never came to visit Stella. She stopped eating ice cream.
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