《An Unseemly Lady》 Chapter 1 A sparrow tweeted. The sunshine sparkled. Normally, it was the combination to wake up and check the time first. Yes, I wish it was normal. ¡°Our cute Lili.¡± I have to get up now. A gentle voice resembling a tinkling bell sounded into my ear. I gently rubbed my eyes with my hand and opened my eyes. As my eyes focused, a woman with an unfamiliar appearance smiled. ¡°You¡¯re still sleepy.¡± Soon after she muttered, pinching my cheek lightly so that it wouldn¡¯t hurt. Even though she was pinching me, somehow the touch felt soft. My cheeks were a little softer. ¡°Hi, sister¡­¡± You are incredibly beautiful today. I looked at her and smiled brightly. The name of the woman standing in front of me was Yulianne Blanchett. Nickname Lia. She was a renowned Countess¡­ a young lady, who was almost certainly the most famous in the Empire, a senior graduate of the Delir Academy. She was the heroine of this world. *** In short, I transmigrated into a book. I know it sounds clich¨¦ and boring, but it was really surprising. To be honest, I didn¡¯t even dream that this would happen to me. I wasn¡¯t even in an accident, nor did I make a pessimistic choice. I was just going to find mistakes in the setting of the novel that my friend wrote during class. I just took a short nap after reading it. That¡¯s really it. When I opened my eyes, I was in a completely different world. It was also the novel I read before I fell asleep. ¡®Lilianne!¡¯ I woke up thinking I slept well, but then I saw a bunch of Western-looking people around me. Until then, I thought I hadn¡¯t woken up from my dream yet. But when I pinched my cheek, well, it hurt so much. If it wasn¡¯t a dream, then this was reality. ¡®¡­Who?¡¯ The expressions of people were stunned as soon as I spoke. What¡¯s fortunate is that the owner of this body had been lying sick for several months, and people believed that those were the aftereffects that came. Like that, I was able to fully acquire information about this place after pretending to have lost my memory. From the name of Yulianne Blanchett who was the protagonist of the novel, the Delir Academy and other settings. It was to a point where I could be sure that this place was in a novel. Anyway, going back to the main point, ¡®Lilianne Blanchett¡¯, who I currently was, was the younger sister of the main character Yulianne Blanchett. It was a whopping difference of over ten years younger. ¡°Lili, you should eat carrots.¡± Yulianne, who had now become my sister, chided me. It seemed that I was leaving the carrots without even realising. I nodded fiercely and smiled. ¡°Yes, Sister!¡± I actually ate carrots well. When I finished speaking, I ate the chopped carrots with a spoon. Then Yulianne, Lia rather, smiled with satisfaction. Instead of chewing food, I stared blankly at her. Wow, so pretty. Why am I my sister¡¯s younger sister¡­ If I were the prince, I could have been the male lead¡­ ¡®I think that¡¯s the problem.¡¯ I narrowed my eyebrows while chewing. The genre of the novel with Yulianne Blanchett as the heroine was a reverse harem romance fantasy. In terms of the text, it was a story close to a romantic comedy, If there was a problem, it was that the original male lead was trash. Of course, you had to be really good until you got married. Since it was a reverse harem, he had to compete with the other male lead candidates. But as soon as they got married, he neglected and despised Yulianne because of misunderstandings, and only after the misunderstanding was resolved in the second half, he realised he loved her again. In the meantime, he even met other women. Doing something like that, how dare he be the male lead! I will never allow this marriage! ¡°Lili, even if you don¡¯t like carrots, you have to eat them. You can¡¯t be sick again like before.¡± As she thought it was because I was eating carrots, Lia spoke with a stern expression. ¡°Yes!¡± I relaxed my face again and had a wide smile. Anyway, I¡¯d be against that marriage. As long as this was the case, I will protect my older sister! *** Yulianne Blanchett had four male friends. So, the four male lead candidates. From the days of the Delir Academy to the present, five years later, they had maintained their chastity. Robain Clione, the original male lead, was also one of them. The reason I was bringing this up right now is¡­ ¡°Robain, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± It was because Robain, the original male lead, came to the Blanchett mansion. Yes, the original novel started like this. In the original, Robain asked Yulianne to act as his fianc¨¦ for a while because of his family¡¯s succession problem. This was the first scene in the novel. And now, I was right in front of this scene. I shook my legs while sitting on the sofa in the living room. Of course, the original Lilianne never appeared in this scene. No, Lilianne never appeared in the novel in the first place. ¡®Lili liked this,¡¯ only appeared occasionally in Yulianne¡¯s monologue. As the story progressed in the mansion, it must have been like this. But if you¡¯re in the novel now, why can¡¯t you twist the original? ¡°¡­Is that kid, your sister?¡± Soon, Robain glanced at me and asked. ¡°Oh, yes. Lili, say hello.¡± Yulianne said, stroking my head lightly. I opened my mouth, blinking my eyes, pretending to be innocent, with my head tilted. ¡°Hello, Uncle.¡± ¡°Uncle¡­¡± Robain¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly. His golden eyes were filled with embarrassment. Well, you¡¯re 10 years older than me. Am I supposed to call you ¡®brother¡¯? My conscience wouldn¡¯t allow that. ¡°I¡¯m Lilianne Blanchett, and I¡¯m eight years old.¡± Of course, I should be twelve years old if he was ten years older than me. Shouldn¡¯t he be ten years younger for me to call him brother? I gave a wide smile. Then Robain blinked a few times and opened his mouth in a daze. ¡°Your sister¡­really looks like you.¡± ¡°What, Lili is cuter.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re more mature, I mean¡­it¡¯s cute, yeah. Cute.¡± He nodded like ten thousand times, speaking like he was screaming. Why, you¡¯re falling for my cuteness? I rolled my eyes at him. Robain¡¯s reaction was nothing unusual. I thought Lilianne was young and cute. She was the younger sister of Yulianne, the most beautiful woman in this world. Where¡¯s the genes? Silvery eyes with cotton candy like pink hair. She had a pretty face, and soft cheeks. Objectively speaking, her looks were loved wherever she went. It was a gorgeous appearance. I once sat in front of a mirror for a few minutes looking at my face. Even though it was not as good as Yulianne¡¯s. I lifted my head and looked at Lia who was sitting next to me. So pretty. My sister was too precious to be given to such an idiot. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard you saying that you had a sister.¡± ¡°I remember saying that several times.¡± Yulianne replied with a slight smile. She looked a little disappointed. Okay, you didn¡¯t have to say that. It was a mistake. I didn¡¯t plan on doing anything in this scene, but it seemed that my presence here was changing the story. Twist it. This is better. Let¡¯s twist it so that my sister can get away from you! ¡°¡­Sorry. I must have forgotten.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s true that I didn¡¯t talk about it very often.¡± Yulianne lifted the teacup and spoke. Even that motion was incredibly beautiful. Robain stared at her in a daze. Stop looking, you bastard. I¡¯m going to hit you. ¡°Well, what brings you here so suddenly? You didn¡¯t mention anything in the letter.¡± ¡°Well, actually, I¡¯d like to ask you for a favour. Oh, right.¡± He glared at me for an instant. It was a cold look. You can¡¯t tell her because I¡¯m here. Robain sighed and continued. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it in front of your sister¡­¡± ¡°What is it about?¡± What a story. You just want her to pretend to marry you. I chewed my cookies enthusiastically. The world was big and there were many good people, so why did Yulianne choose Robain who didn¡¯t even trust her? I felt a brief moment of agony at the character setting of Yulianne that my friend told me about. As a result, there was only once conclusion. Yulianne was someone who was obsessed with the idea of ¡®first¡¯. Her winning several awards throughout her time at the academy was also linked to this. And Robain was the first of the four male leads to confess. Perhaps Yulianne opening up to him was largely to blame. But in this situation, what if I, who was always her ¡®top priority¡¯, intervened? I was her only sister. Even after a few months of sickness, I barely got up, and Yulianne¡¯s love for her younger sister was unmatched. She said she would take care of me herself, and she said all the work of a servant should be done by her. In the background of this book, women were also able to actively engage in political activities. In such a background, she graduated from Delir Academy as a senior, so she would be welcomed wherever she went. I held another cookie in my hand and blinked a few times. Meanwhile, Robain bit his lips once, and reluctantly spoke. ¡°In fact, because of succession problems.¡± ¡°A succession problem?¡± ¡°My father is a little conservative, so he declared that he would not hand over his title until I got engaged.¡± He furrowed his eyebrows and made a pitiful expression. Listening directly like this makes me feel that it is a decent work. ¡°So, for the time being, I just want you to act as my fianc¨¦. We¡¯ll sign a contract. If you accept, I can give you everything you want. You just have to stay in my mansion for a while.¡± It¡¯s funny really. Engagement and marriage were originally contracts. Besides, what was that? Stay in the mansion? I smiled inwardly, breaking the cookie I was holding in half. Now was my turn. ¡°Sister, sister.¡± I carefully pulled Yulianne¡¯s collar. Then Yulianne looked down at me with a friendly glance. ¡°Lia, what¡¯s an engagement?¡± ¡°Mn, Lili. That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Your sister and I promise to be together forever.¡± Instead of Yulianne, Robain intercepted and answered. He seemed to be trying to be considerate and acted of his own accord. It didn¡¯t matter anyway. I immediately opened my eyes wide and asked Yulianne again with a shocked face. ¡°Then, are you not living with me?¡± ¡°No, Lili. This is just¡­¡± ¡°But he said to stay ¡®at my mansion¡¯. Then you can¡¯t see me?¡± ¡°Lili¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be apart from my sister¡­¡± When I looked at her with a face that seemed to burst into tears at any moment, Yulianne immediately started stroking me with her hands. I stared at her with an even more pitiful expression than before. Are you still going? Even like this? Are you still going to accept that offer? ¡°Are you leaving me¡­? And you can¡¯t see me for a long time¡­?¡± ¡°No, Lili!¡± Finally, when I gave a direct hit, Yulianne shouted in a sadder voice than mine. It seemed like she remembered when she was away from home while attending the academy. I was sorry for using psychological attacks, but it really couldn¡¯t be helped. I didn¡¯t want to make my sister suffer, even if it was just a moment compared to her whole life, as long as I knew the future¡­ The world was wide and there were many good people! ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Robain. I think it¡¯s hard to accept your request.¡± Shortly after, Yulianne hugged me tightly and spoke. Robain showed a troubled expression and looked at Yulianne in turn. Just because you look at her like that doesn¡¯t mean anything will change, dear. ¡°But, Lia¡­please wait¡­¡± At that moment, he shifted forward slightly! I stepped into Yulianne¡¯s arms and hid my face. Then my sister, who was kind, gently stroked my hair Yet, she spoke firmly. ¡°I think now is the time to focus on my younger sister. Lili is not feeling well, and everyone is busy, so there is no one to take care of her.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then a nanny¡­¡± ¡°I hate it if it¡¯s not my sister¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Robain.¡± I could understand how you feel, but I¡¯m sorry. Again, she said no. It seemed like now was the right time to leave. I put my arms around her neck and started to whine loudly. It felt like my mature mind was being cut off, and I was about act crazy. ¡°Sister, I feel sick. I want to go to my room. My head is spinning¡­¡± ¡°What? Ah, I can¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry, Robain, we¡¯ll go first.¡± Soon after, Yulianne got up from her seat holding me. Even then, Robain looked at us with a frown and looked at Yulianne in turn. Try that a few times more. I will stop everything. I leaned over her shoulder, and at the same time, stuck my tongue out towards Robain. Don¡¯t mess with my sister. ¡ª Chapter 2 Robain¡¯s arrival at the Blanchett mansion only meant one thing: the novel has officially begun. In other words, Yulianne will be involved with the male lead candidates from now on. I am planning to choose the best one among those candidates and put him next to Yulianne. And if there is not even one who is good enough, Yulianne will live with me forever. Honestly, I want to be with her. ¡°Lili, are you having fun playing with those dolls?¡± Yulianne questioned while tilting her head. Her pink hair that reaches down her waist ran gently along the movement. We both share the same hair color but why does hers look a lot prettier? Is it because I have wavy hair? I shook my head while clenching a section of my hair. ¡°Mhm. It¡¯s no fun.¡± It has been a while since I last played with dolls, I already graduated from it. Also, back in my world almost every eight-year-olds would rather play with their smartphones instead of dolls. Anyway, it would have been nice if I could have use any smart devices in this world. ¡°Well, what should we do?¡± She mumbled anxiously that made me glance at her with furrowed brows. Her long eyelashes in which underneath hides her twinkling emerald eyes perfectly blends well with each other. Yulianne¡¯s inherited her emerald eyes from our mother. It was a strong and prominent gene that was passed down in our maternal bloodline. But for some reason, I have silver eyes. Lilianne Blanchett was never been properly introduced in the novel, so I really am clueless about my current self. I do not even have the slightest idea about Lilianne¡¯s personality or even the abilities and talents she has. I just acted as myself. I feel sorry for Yulianne for making her overthink like this. ¡°¡­ I am sorry, Eonni[1].¡± I murmured quietly. I did not actually mean to sound rude. I want to say ¡®I am not actually related to you. If you may, just treat me as if I do not exist and let me be independent.¡¯ But I cannot really ask her to do that since I am merely an eight-year-old. ¡°Huh? Lili, what is the matter?¡± Yulianne, after hearing what I say, immediately glanced at me. A glint of fear and worry crept into her eyes. Slowly, I shook my head at her. I cannot tell her my situation right now. I do not want to be thrown away from this house. They might think there is something wrong in my head. Worse, I will probably get all kinds of overprotective treatment, then I will hate it. ¡°Um, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. You can tell me.¡± She held my shoulders, patting it down gently. Even that simple gesture, it was so beautiful. No, eonni. I will just do well as Lili. I was a five-year-old child and Yulianne was fifteen when she went into the academy. There was no proper exchange or interaction between us back then. After spending three years in the academy, Yulianne then must go to college for about two years. Yeah, this why she is much nicer to me. After being away from your only sibling then finally meeting them only to see them bedridden for so long. I will be much more affectionate too. Thanks to it, I can show more of my real personality and not be caught easily. What is peculiar about it though, Lilianne¡¯s personality and my real personality aligns perfectly well. Even my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Blanchett, who rarely stays in the mansion for the reason that they were busy with work and even Yulianne did not find my personality a bit strange. I was being loved too much to think I was being neglected. ¡°Eonni, I was not able to finish the carrots earlier.¡± I told her proudly while flashing a big smile. Anyway, it is time to remove all the worries from her pretty face. Yulianne who stared laughing loudly decided to playfully pinch my cheeks, only a bit more painful this time. Ah, I feel like my face is almost gone. But eonni, you look prettier when you smile. ¡°I told you to stop being picky, Lili.¡± ¡°Aum¡­¡± Wait, I think you are pinching my cheeks way harder. One more thing to keep in mind: my sister is, no doubt, incredibly strong. ¡°You cannot do it next time, do you understand?¡± Yulianne gave me a refreshing smile after leaving a small peck on my cheek. I want to smile like that too. Back in my old self, I am around the same age as Yulianne. If I am not in this kind of situation, we might have been very good friends. Well, to be fair, being siblings is not bad either. It only becomes a problem when I must act like a child which I detest since I do not actually want to act like a child. Nevertheless, I do not have much of a choice and I might as well endure everything since I am able to eat well and live peacefully. ¡°So, Lili, do you fancy going outside? You used to like playing hide-and-seek.¡± Back then before this body became sickly, I was said to be a very active child, however I am nothing like that these days. Yulianne gazed at me eagerly, we must have been playing around together a lot. ¡°I would like to!¡± I nodded vigorously after a moment¡¯s thought. Living as an eight-year-old is very hard¡­ ? ? ? I¡­ Really¡­ What am I doing? In this kind of mental age? I huffed in frustration as I ducked within the bushes of the garden, curling my body to hide. I never meant to be this competitive. Why did I even try so hard and hide here? My child-like behavior involuntarily shows up. ¡°I should have told her I dislike it.¡± Or even say that I was having a headache as an alibi. But when I used the ¡®I was feeling sick¡¯ excuse to get rid of Robain, Yulianne panicked and caused a big ruckus because of me. I am certain that she called every single doctor in the capital, well, almost. Her face even became frantic and sullen. On the second thought, it was not that sullen. I shuddered on the thought of having it happen again. Perhaps using the fake illness excuse should only be utilized as the last resort. I am even most certain that you cannot use it just to avoid playing hide-and-seek. Personal preferences and opinions aside, kids around this age would relish to play hide-and-seek. In this kind of era where there are no electronic devices, there is nothing you can do but play physical activities. ¡­ But even if it would sound peculiar, should I tell her ¡®I would like to read a book now.¡¯? Would that be better? Then I should read a fairy tale book. I do not prefer to be called a genius for reading mature novels or books for professionals as an eight-year-old in the mansion. Do I really want to be treated a genius then become a main character? ¡­ Though my intellect is not even outstanding at all. Having a twenty-year-old brain at best may help me acquire and learn every information immediately but I will probably burn out in an instant. Imagine being called a genius who faced a big misfortune then lost her outstanding mental abilities. ¡°Lili, I will be looking for you now.¡± Voice clear as day, as if a bell rung sweetly in a great distance. Her voice definitely stood out, there is no doubt that she is the main character. I hurriedly tucked away the ends of my skirt just in case it peeked out of the bushes. I keep on trying hard to play. This is probably my subconscious thoughts appealing my desire to win this game. ¡°¡­¡± Breathless, I cannot help but to curl my body up even more. A faint crunching sound of grass and dry leaves reverberated in my ears. I heard her muffled voice from afar but to sound close by¡­ I have to crouch down a tad bit more. After a few moments, I shifted my body a little. A snap of twigs being stepped on echoed and sounds of rustling rang out. ¡­This. This spot is hard to find because you have to look deeper around. In a short notice, faint footsteps grew louder as it gradually shuffles its way over my direction. Okay so it will be like this: I will execute the ¡®Hehe~ I got caught~¡¯ plan. In few moments, I will peek my head out with a sweet and innocent smile. ¡°¡­ Hello?¡± I froze, it was not Yulianne¡¯s sweet bell-like voice but rather a soft and medium-low voice surrounded my ears. My eyes widened in shock, shifting my gaze towards the person. His silver hair slowly shifting alongside the wind, his golden eyes much deeper and darker than Robain. His eyes are shaped finely with corners that bents down smoothly. His facial features even strongly speak for themselves. Silver hair and golden eyes, then he really is Michael Evans[2]. One of the four male lead candidates, the youngest Grand Duke with a great mind. ¡°¡­ Who are you?¡± For now, I should act as if I do not recognize him. I asked blinking my eyes in pretend curiosity, he then reaches out his hand and opened his mouth to reply: ¡°You are Yulianne¡¯s sister, right? I have heard plenty about you. You look just like your sister.¡± I am pleasantly astonished with the fact that you remembered Yulianne¡¯s sibling, he is much better than Robain. I gazed at his hand? Michael Evans. He is a junior in Delir Academy, he fell in love by first sight with Yulianne and became her closest friend until she was taken away by Robain. He was known as the second male lead and a very intelligent strategist. ¡°¡­ Eonni told me to never hold hands with a stranger.¡± ¡°Well then, you were taught very well.¡± Michael Evans laughed softly, still; his hand remained outstretched. Michael¡¯s character narrative was never actually indicated in the novel, so I am not certain about his overall personality. ¡°Your pretty clothes will become ruined. Hurry, hold my hands, and get up.¡± ¡°But I am playing hide and seek with eonni.¡± ¡°You already lost since I caught you.¡± What? You are being unfair! All at the same time, I was pouting and frowning in displeasure at him, not was not even trying to hide it. ¡°I have a few muffins with me, I brought it for you so let us eat it together.¡± Michael Evans smirked, smugly waving a small box in front of me. Did he say brought it for me? Really? For me? I snickered in my head. As far as I know, Michael Evans never did something for anyone except for Yulianne. Wait, something is wrong. Chapter 2 ends. [1] Eonni/Unnie is a term that younger girls use to call an older girl. Can be directly translated into ¡®older sister¡¯. On the other hand younger guys call an older girl ¡®Noona¡¯. [2] In hangeul, it¡¯s written as Mi-ka-el but Michael sounds more natural. So yeah a bit of a note here, while editing I decided to add more to the translation. I added more context in some of the narration because there are passages that make sense written in Korean but a bit lacking if translated into English. I wanted to add more to it but I do not think a lot of readers would like that. If you may please tell me if the majority are fine with it or I should just stick on the direct translations? ?Daiyu Chapter 3 Chapter 3 ¡°We are having a lot of visitors these past few days.¡± Yulianne said while wiping off the crumbs scattered around my lips. Well now the story has begun, I am certain that a lot of people would show up. I grabbed one of the muffins and stuffed it in my mouth. Michael, who is quietly sitting down, smiled as he trailed his gaze on me. He definitely is a cunning man with that unique smile: an insincere yet laid-back smile. That expression, no doubt, hides an ill and selfish intentions. Ah, but anyway this is way too delicious. Is this blueberry cheesecake muffin? I feel upset that they would not make this for me in the mansion. ¡°Lili, do not eat too much. Eating a lot of muffins is bad for you.¡± Yulianne reasoned out. She is instantly began scolding me. She is right though, I already have eaten too much. Lilianne¡¯s body is extremely weak, however, it would not stop me from eating desserts! ¡°She is already at that age where she needs to eat delicious foods in order to grow tall.¡± Michael mumbled softly. I focused my gaze at him and continued eating. Why are you being friendly with me? All thoughts aside, these cupcakes are incredibly delicious. ¡°Lili¡¯s body is still recuperating; I have to be cautious for her own sake.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better for an ill person to eat especially as a child? Their appetites would be more likely to increase in that way.¡± ¡°But she¡¯s a picky eater¡­ She probably would not eat her meals properly since she will have her eyes on desserts.¡± ¡°Then that really is a problem.¡± Dude, you cannot just switch opinions like that! I am demanding you to insist and be more assertive! I tilted my head and pleadingly stared at Michael. For a moment, his eyes widened in profound amusement then smiles. ¡°But it would not hurt to give Lili desserts from time to time.¡± ¡°Michael.¡± ¡°Lia, you like desserts too.¡± Yeah, especially chocolate muffins. He utters appealingly docile as he hands over a muffin to Lia. Would you look at this scheming guy. My eyes widened as I straightaway nicked the muffin that Michael was about to give to Yulianne. Do you really think that we would easily be swayed and win our favor over a muffin or something? Of course, maybe if I am a normal eight-year-old I probably would have. Unfortunately for you, I am actually a twenty-year-old girl. ¡°Lili likes chocolate muffins too.¡± I feel very mortified of myself for doing this every time. When I declared my love of chocolate muffins, Yulianne instantly shone a small smile and gave me a curt warning by reminding me that I cannot eat too much. Back in my old life, when I was an eight-year-old I lived off mostly with fast foods and I did not die. Plus, muffins are better than greasy hamburgers and french-fries, don¡¯t you think so? Dismissing any unnecessary thoughts, I shook my head and engrossed myself on eating my chocolate muffin. Michael also concentrated all his attention on me, disserting me down out of sheer curiosity and mystery. Can you stop looking at me like that? Do you really think you can have my sister through those muffins? ¡°I heard that Robain visited.¡± He said, finally removing his gaze on me. Then the rumors must have spread. A thought came into light, I knew it, I know what this muffin-boy¡¯s real intentions. Rolling my eyes, I impatiently swung my legs back and forth. Yulianne opened her mouth to answer but all at the same time she took the liberty to seize my muffin from me. No, my muffin! ¡°Yes, he came over to ask me about something.¡± ¡°About what? ¡°He asked me if I could play the role of being his fianc¨¦e.¡± With Yulianne¡¯s response, Michael¡¯s expression morphed into a sour one with wrinkles forming in his face and in a brief second it turned back into its calm form. I bet you did not know about it. What you probably heard is ¡®I went to pay her a visit, but something happened with her younger sister that it was cut short.¡¯. I unconsciously began observing Michael intently as I rested my chin in between my arms. I do not have my muffins and as a result I am bored. Wait, I might be an older woman in my mind, but I am still in a kid¡¯s body. Asking for sweets is what a child would commonly do¡­ ¡°Lia-eonni[1], please give me my muffins¡­¡± I could not help it but resort on pleading and hastily tugging her skirt lightly. What¡¯s wrong with me? But can you really blame me who only ate broccoli soup or carrot filled mushroom risotto ever since I woke up? Desserts are precious to me! I will not let my muffins be taken away from me, atleast not like this. ¡°No Lili, you had enough.¡± ¡°But you will not give it back tomorrow!¡± It has only been a day and you are about to throw those away! You are not even going to buy me a new one! I cannot even ask the staff since all the people here only listens to Yulianne! This is unacceptable for someone who loves to eat snacks like me! I huffed my cheeks and stared at Yulianne. ¡°Pardon me for interrupting, Yulianne. But the reason why I am here is that there is something about the previous conference that I would like to discuss with you. I think you know this better than I do.¡± Michael, who sat back and silently watched Yulianne and I, reluctantly uttered. By his sudden interruption, I sheepishly retracted my grip from Yulianne¡¯s skirt and regained my composure. I cannot keep on acting like a child. For a moment, I lost my self-control because of a muffin. After confirming that I have calmed down, Yulianne spoke softly: ¡°If it is about a conference, then you must be talking about the council, but can you really tell me about it?¡± ¡°You will be involved with it soon anyway. It is not like you are going to stay in the mansion, am I right? ¡°I mean, it is not like that but¡­¡± Yulianne trailed off, glancing at me hesitantly. Her eyes softened with glints of sorrow that clouds her gaze. Well, I mean¡­ It does not matter whether you put me up first before anything else, however, you cannot act as if there is nothing that you have always wanted to do. Besides, I know how talented Yulianne is, she was even able to climb to the top and become the lead of the well-known academy of the empire. She would always work a ton harder than most of her peers because she is that competitive. ¡°¡­ I still have to take care of Lili.¡± As if convinced with her own answer, she smiled and stroked my hair. Well, would you look at that, I am still the utmost priority. All of a sudden, thoughts of guilt started rapidly piling up in my head¡­ I started switching my gaze between Michael and Yulianne the moment I felt troubled. Although I started feeling anxiously suspicious of his bravados, Yulianne painstakingly seemed willing to help him¡­ On the brightside I think I would be able to eat a lot of desserts, if Michael comes here often¡­ Ah, of course, the last one is an unnecessary but welcomed reason. Still, you cannot win over our hearts with just desserts. ¡°Eonni, eonni.¡± After coming into a decision, I shot up and immediately called on Yulianne¡¯s attention. I am really sorry but never try to give up from doing what you want because of me. ¡°Hey Ahjussi[2], do you want me to help you?¡± ¡°Ahjussi¡­¡± Michael mutters in bafflement. Just like Robain, calling him ¡®Ahjussi¡¯ must have been a shock and I did not even regret to call them that. ¡°I would like to help you. However, do you not live far away?¡± ¡°No Lili, Ahjussi will come here.¡± Michael responded in a flash. He even lowered his head and called himself ¡®Ahjussi¡¯. As expected of him, how intelligent to try and appease me. Truly a master schemer, he is way too quick-witted. As swift as his response, I masked on an innocent smile. ¡°That is good then! Eonni and I would help you, Ahjussi! Just how eonni helps me.¡± I am not actually helping you; I am just keeping an eye on you. It is just that I need a proper justification that is all. As soon as I finished talking, Yulianne¡¯s face was practically glowing. She must have really wanted to help. I poked her arms and winked at Michael. Hey buddy, from now on you should be extra nice to me. At first, I would not have allowed it since I do not like you at all. It is just that Yulianne is happy when she works and that is it. And you must bring desserts too. ¡°¡­ What a relief.¡± Michael, who probably mistaken my wink as a sign of pure goodwill, sighed in ease as a smile crept in his face. You might already think that I am cunning. But I must say he is also a pretty daunting opponent. But of course, Michael Evans must have probably been more cunning than I am when he was the same age as me. Anyway, this is a happy ending for all of us. I get to have desserts more often, Yulianne will have the satisfaction of working, and Michael has a good excuse to see Yulianne. Of course, I would not allow Michael to get any closer to her more than they are right now. It is simple as this: If a person tends to keep tabs and trying to do something, they will eventually try to pry themselves into the other party¡¯s lives more permanently. That is why I will never, ever, fall into your schemes for desserts! ? ? ? A day after the situation with Michael, was a day with a peaceful afternoon. To be exact, it was a peaceful afternoon up until a while ago. It is all because I was suffering a desserts withdrawal just after tasting those sweet muffins. So, I decided to wander around the mansion watching out for dogholes and at the same time trying to avoid Yulianne¡¯s watchful eyes¡­ ¡°Hello, are you Lili? You are really pretty since you look like your sister. Do you want some cookies?¡± Then what? Should I tell her that a kind oppa[3] gave it to me? A hand suddenly appeared in the wall right in front of me. To be exact it phased through the wall. Out of surprise, I stumbled backwards falling down on my butt. This crazy?! Chapter 3 end. [1] Eonni/Unnie is a term that younger girls use to call an older girl. Can be directly translated into ¡®older sister¡¯. [2] Ajeossi/Ahjussi can be roughly translated into uncle or mister. There is no exact translation for it but something to call a male stranger around their 30s-40s. [3] Oppa is a term that younger girls use to call an older guy. Can be directly translated as ¡®older brother¡¯. Chapter 4 I stared at the outstretched arm and grinned. Ha, sure, as if this is not crazy at all! ¡°Do not be surprised, Lili. This Oppa[1] is not a bad person.¡± Said the arm waving on the wall. This exactly looks like a scene from a horror movie. What the heck is this? This is just creepy! ¡°Lia-eo?¡­¡± ¡°Uh, do not call for Lia yet. We still have not made up.¡± It is strange to see a dangling arms waving frantically. For real, what really is this? ¡°As much as I want to show myself to you, I cannot, Lia¡¯s protective barrier is just too strong¡­ Anyway, baby girl, do not be frightened. Please, will you take this first?¡± ¡°The one who speaks, who are you¡­?¡± I mumbled in a very shaky voice. Oh, I spoke maturely. I mean, I was in a shock I do not have time to have second thoughts and calculate my every move! ¡°I swear, I am not a bad guy. These are cookies, I know you like cookies and I want to become friends with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± What a shitty excuse. I looked at my droopy arms and shoulders then gulped. Ah, calm down, maybe it is magic. If he knows Yulianne then perhaps he is a classmate. Also, what a peculiar personality. Of course, what came into my mind is one of the male lead candidates. He is considered the crazy dog of Delir Academy, the polar opposite of Yulianne and yet he is one of her dearest friends. Allen Lowell Apparently, you are even crazier in person. I let out a heavy sigh and turned around. My sister told me to avoid suspicious people at all costs. ¡°Wait, Lili!¡± He cried out abruptly. His voice laced with desperation, sounding as if he was holding onto a lover who wanted to part ways. Wait a second, how do you even know my nickname? I swiftly walked away from the garden, every step quicker than the previous one. I would not listen or even care anymore, with that bravado you are instantly out, you punk. ? ? ? ¡°My apologies, Yulianne, I was not able to hinder Lowell from entering.¡± A man with blond hair and green eyes that resembles the same color as Yulianne¡¯s, spoke as if exhausted. Silently observing the man in front of me, my dangling legs swung back and forth. An unusual height with face that bores a calm yet cool expression and even a gentle manner of speaking. I immediately recognize the one character with this kind of description. Cedric Royston. ¡°Cedric, did you bring him here?¡± Yulianne asked in a very unusual yet alarmingly cold tone. Oh, my sister is so tenaciously steadfast¡­ I knew it. It was one of my sister¡¯s character description. Though I never expected to witness it first-hand. All of a sudden, my appetite grew that I was tempted to taste the delectable-looking cookies right in front of me. It was the cookies that the madman almost shoved in front of me earlier but right now it is being neatly presented in front of me. The way that Cedric calls him ¡®Lowell¡¯, I assume Allen really was causing a fine ruckus. I glanced at Cedric and nodded. Well to be completely frank, shouting ¡®Hey, I am Allen Lowell!¡¯ would really be something he would do. Soft and fluffy silver-blue hair[2] with eyes that shines of overflowing playfulness. My personal favorite character, Allen Lowell. However, with my situation right now, he is not. In all honesty, it is fun to encounter a crazy person outside the novel. But meeting them like this, you will be a criminal at that very moment. Anyway, this talk is not that important, moving on¡­ I snuck a glance at Allen Lowell then averted my gaze towards the cookies in front of me. My mouth watered at the thought of homemade cookies. Perhaps it is because I was getting sick of the carrot cookies given to me. Allen might be guilty of giving me a fright; however, the cookies are innocent here. Therefore, I can eat them. ¡°Lili, you can only eat five.¡± Maybe I was looking a bit cautious on picking the cookies so Yulianne uttered those words as if giving me permission. Lia-eonni[3], you do not have to worry about it too much. I nodded my head earnestly. I glanced at the two guys who also has their eyes on me: Allen Lowell, who was grinning like a fool while Cedric, on the other hand, seemed to be a bit restless. The two of them shares an antagonist-like look, but possibly it is only on my point of view or just my personal pettiness. ¡°You look a lot cuter up close, Lili.¡± ¡°How did you learn about Lili¡¯s nickname, Allen?¡± Alarmed, Yulianne covered me with her arm as she asked him in a cold tone. ¡°I have heard about it a bunch from you. It appears to me that the two of you were having fun.¡± Yeah, well how did you hear about that? I tilted my head, observing him in mistrust. Remembering what happened earlier, when he reached out his arms, it looks like he was talking to me specifically as if he sees me. Then, by chance, he may really be a wizard. Of course, Yulianne is far more amazing than him. Gently, I leaned my head against her arm. It is, well, if Yulianne does have magical powers, I actually do not have an idea about it since it was not mentioned in the novel. However, there was a scenario where Yulianne was able to perform advanced high-level magic probably due to our family¡¯s unique bloodline. In an outsider¡¯s perspective, the way Yulianne is acting right now does look as if she is very assertive and dominant. Still, it looks amazing. Maybe because it is one of the perks and buffs for being the heroine. ¡°Your little sister is really cute.¡± Allen Lowell exclaimed in admiration, adorning me with in a gaze with the same amount of awe. Who are you kidding? You came to see Yulianne. Why are you looking at me like that? Masking an annoyed expression, I clung into Yulianne calling for her attention. The cookies are delicious, all at the same time I know you do not like them¡­ So unfortunately for you, Allen Lowell, you cannot be with us¡­ ¡°Anyway, I came here to apologize.¡± Allen Lowell uttered as his gaze drifted towards Yulianne. All at the same time, Cedric sighed. The way he reacted probably means that he witnesses this scenario more than often. Allen would get into trouble, Yulianne will get angry, and then Cedric would stand as the pacifist and act as a mediator between the two. If I remember it correctly, that kind of scenarios happens quite a lot in the novel. How Yulianne got close to a person like Allen was one of those rare occurrences, a miracle even. ¡°What do you mean apologize?¡± Yulianne, still with a cold tone, shot back immediately. The way she is being coldly monotonous must have mean he did something extremely wrong. I reached out and went for another cookie, I have three more chances to pick which kind of cookie I want. Three¡­ It really is too much to hinder me from eating more than five when there is like more than ten kinds of cookies here. ¡°About that, I could not actually listen to your request when you asked me to examine Lili. I apologize for not saying anything and ignoring it to the point of hiding.¡± Allen Lowell said in a very apologetic and pleading tone. It was complete switch of attitude than the one from earlier. Yulianne, completely bewildered, stared at him in response. Right, I remember liking Allen¡¯s sincere, although interchanging, behavior and personality. I continued to munch on my cookies while thinking about the situation right now. To make everything simple, when Lilianne¡¯s body was ill, Yulianne must have asked Allen for help. Oh yeah, it was during that time that Lilianne was ever discussed in the novel, no one knows what happened after since it was just left undisclosed. Is it as if he did not want me to live! That is a red flag, I will definitely be placing him in the lowest of low on my list of possible male lead candidates. What we need to do right now is observe Cedric¡¯s personality. I was really enamored on Robain¡¯s narrative that I do not remember much of him. Perhaps he is bad¡­ Or maybe he is sweet¡­ Ah, I really do not know. I remember everything about Michael and Allen¡¯s but not about his narrative. Regardless, there is no doubt that I will be gradually discovering it in the near future. All I know is that he is one of the male lead candidates. ¡°So, in that case, Yulianne.¡± Allen implied himself into deep thought before uttering the next few words: ¡°To express my earnest apologies, please give me a chance to visit Lili and play with her.¡± All the sudden I felt unwell. After he finished speaking, Allen smiled handsomely. This guy and that guy are definitely no ordinary schemers. I furrowed my brows, shifting my glare at Cedric¡¯s. Now what defense are you going to use to barge in and out of here. ¡°I¡­¡± A few moments after Allen spoke, he mumbled. His soft voice resonates gently around the four corners of the room. With that, I can only envisage a character description for Cedric. Ah yes, there is a reason why I cannot remember Cedric properly. It was because¡­ ¡°Well, I just want to make sure that you are doing well.¡± It was because of his extraordinary timid personality. To state it simply, his presence and overall impact is kind of lacking compare to the others although he was one of the male lead candidates. Still, he was covertly popular because of the term Joshin-nam[4]. That is why I do not remember much of him; his personality is just not my type. But now that we are facing each other like this¡­ I think he seems alright¡­ ¡°¡­Fine, Allen. I will accept your apology, in exchange, you will regularly visit for Lili¡¯s check-up.¡± After a long silence, Yulianne spoke, acting as if he has not won over Yulianne¡¯s forgiveness. And yet, Allen Lowell smiled, his face already brightened up. No way, Lia-eonni! Wouldn¡¯t the gentle and docile Cedric be a lot better than him? He is perfect for a workaholic like you, Lia-eonni. Of course, it is not like me to insist something like that. I hope there is a way to express my point clearly. ¡°Cedric-oppa.¡± My mouth, as if having a mind of its own, did not hesitate to utter those words just after I finished thinking. All at the same time, three pairs of eyes were immediately fixed on me. Yulianne was, in fact, astonished to hear me call someone ¡®Oppa¡¯. Well, to be fair, I did call Robain and Michael ¡®Ahjussi[5]¡¯ that she probably finds it interesting to why I acknowledge Cedric as an ¡®Oppa¡¯. ¡°Come again next time.¡± Once again, I gazed at him beaming a pretty smile. You poor guy, I will give you a chance to be with Yulianne. Chapter 4 end. [1] ??/ Oppa is a term that younger girls use to call an older guy. Can be directly translated as ¡®older brother¡¯. [2] ????? ??? I do not know the exact translation of this phrase if it is sky-blue or silver-blue. [3] ??/Eonni/Unnie is a term that younger girls use to call an older girl. Can be directly translated into ¡®older sister¡¯. [4] ???/Josin-nam/Joshin-nam is usually used as a Korean slang for shy and careful flower boys. Sometimes can be described as ¡®submissive¡¯ in the extreme sense. [5] ???/Ajeossi/Ahjussi can be roughly translated into uncle or mister. There is no exact translation for it but something to call a male stranger around their 30s-40s.