The Love of a Prank

Wanting one’s imperial brother to become one’s personal possession sounds a little frightening, doesn’t it?

But Ellie was just that kind of person—

Or rather, Eric was that kind of person.

It was only because of everything that happened later that his emotions became somewhat twisted.

If you can’t obtain it, then do something—

Something that will stay in your brother’s heart for a lifetime.

Even if it means becoming a nightmare, that still counts as being by his side forever.

Ellie’s words made Solor freeze for a moment.

He hadn’t expected her to say something like that at all.

Seeing Solor standing there blankly, Ellie let out another teasing laugh.

“I’m joking, big brother.”

“You’re the future sun of the Empire.

You belong to every citizen.

How could you belong to me alone?

If that were the case, I’d be far too selfish.”

—I want to be that selfish.

But that inner voice couldn’t be spoken yet.

After all, it was an inner voice.

As long as she herself knew it, that was enough.

Let those thoughts remain forever sealed in her heart.

“…Ah… mm…”

Clearly, Solor was still quite shaken.

Although Ellie promptly added her explanation and framed it as nothing more than a prank, her imperial brother still blinked repeatedly, his gaze drifting restlessly around the room.

“…Mm.”

In the end, it wasn’t clear what he was agreeing to.

He simply murmured “mm” several times in place.

“Alright, big brother, you don’t need to worry about me.

Look, I can talk to you normally now.

It’s just that I walked around all day today, so my body’s a bit tired.

I’ll be resting soon.

I want to sleep a little longer, so even if I don’t show up for dinner, you don’t need to panic.

My maids will take good care of me.

Don’t worry.”

“Ah, okay.

Mm.”

Solor nodded somewhat stiffly, blinking again and again, as though repeatedly turning something over in his mind.

But in the end, he still couldn’t bring himself to say much.

He stood up, opened his mouth—

Then stopped.

When he was about to turn and leave, he turned back to look at Ellie once more.

His hand had already lifted.

His mouth had already opened.

But after pausing in place for half a second—

He still said nothing.

Finally, Solor left.

He left cleanly, returning all the silence of the room to Ellie.

“…”

Silence.

Pure silence.

So quiet that she could hear her own breathing, her heartbeat, and the faint rustling sound of her body shifting beneath the blankets.

Perhaps she still wanted to talk with her brother a little longer.

But stopping abruptly at a prank like this was just right.

Even that abrupt ending was part of the prank itself.

A prank…

A prank, huh…

Ellie lay back down on the bed and, feeling a little weary, adjusted herself into a more comfortable position.

Coming to this world was probably a prank played by the gods.

She couldn’t understand the meaning of her return to this world beyond atonement.

She was an evil person.

An evil person through and through.

Her values were just barely enough to support her being a “normal” person.

So she knew very well that she had committed countless wrongs.

And she knew that one day, she would have to pay the price.

The price…

Yet even knowing that she had come to this world to die, she would occasionally wonder what it would be like to live a few days longer.

“…Ah… who knows.”

Who knew what would happen if she lived just a couple more days.

Ellie didn’t want to think any further.

All those calculations and schemes, repeated again and again, only made her frail body feel worse.

The headache caused by vomiting earlier hadn’t completely gone away.

And those few words exchanged with Solor—

The interesting expressions her brother had shown her—

They barely managed to ease it a little.

But at the end of the day, her head still hurt.

So she might as well rest.

She knew she would die someday.

But if she were to die just because she vomited and didn’t rest properly afterward—

Wouldn’t that be a bit too miserable?

So in the end, Ellie chose to close her eyes.

She felt like a hibernating bear.

Always sleeping.

Only sleep could barely make up for the stamina she expended.

At times like this, she would always think of the white dove who used to be by her side.

That guy was quite useful.

At critical moments, he could always pull out some strange medicine or another.

For example, if she had a headache like now, the white dove would take out something that effectively treated headaches.

Maybe it was just an ordinary painkiller.

But the effect was remarkable.

After swallowing one pill, in just a few seconds, the pain in her head would disappear completely.

If it were him, he might even be able to properly treat her body.

Even if he couldn’t cure all the illnesses inside her, he could at least restore a fair amount of her mobility.

Forget it…

Forget it.

That white dove was far too unstable.

Even though she would recall the conveniences he brought her at times like this, his stance was ultimately far too “self-centered.”

When their positions aligned, their goals matched, or when their interests were connected, the white dove was a very obedient companion.

But once interests conflicted, he would abandon everything else without hesitation and devote himself entirely to his research.

A man who was usually nowhere to be seen—

And when he did appear, it was never for anything good.

Someone like that…

Useful when useful.

But truly useless when not.

Better to forget it.

Although she had thought about rebuilding the Nightingale House and finding those people who once stood by her side again—

The white dove…

He could be searched for last.

Or perhaps not at all.

In this life, she wasn’t someone who could wrestle with him.

With her frail body, she might die at any moment.

How could she possibly have the energy to deal with a man who might be wearing some kind of poisonous perfume?

“Huu…

Haa…”

As she thought, Ellie lay in the blankets.

Perhaps because of the warmth, or because of the comfort the bed provided, her eyelids began to droop.

After yawning once, drowsiness surged up.

Before she could even start counting sheep, sleep had already arrived.

On the other side, Solor had returned to his office—

He didn’t even realize how he got there.

He went back to his room, relaxed a little, curled up on the sofa, and twirled his fingers.

Although everything around him had quieted down, the sound of his heartbeat only grew louder.

He picked up the cup on the table.

Inside was black tea that had already cooled.

But for him right now, the temperature was just right.

He gulped it down.

Yet the image in his mind was still Ellie from just moments ago.

She had smiled at him.

Called him “big brother”—

A form of address that never changed, one that always carried a slight sense of distance.

And yet she had stretched out her pale finger, pointed at him, and told him—

That he was what she wanted.

“…Me?”

He swayed the empty teacup.

For some reason, just those few simple words were enough to throw his heart into turmoil.

“…Me…”

“…Yeah…”

He muttered to himself as he leaned back, completely sinking into the sofa.

“The two of us…

We’re already the closest people there are.

And yet, after all this time…

I still don’t know what she needs.

What she wants.”

Those prank-like words—

Could they have been a kind of reproach aimed at him?

He felt his heart pounding wildly.

Maybe it was because he had walked back too quickly.

But it was as if his mind had split in two, each half offering a different explanation for his current feelings.

One explanation was that this awkward, twisted sensation came from embarrassment—

From realizing his own ignorance toward his sister.

And the other…

No.

Forget it.

There was no other explanation.