A Sister’s Unraveling

When one is at their lowest, memories of their happiest moments invariably resurface.

Mylian still vividly remembered her childhood home. Though they lacked wealth, her adoptive parents had loved her as if she were their own flesh and blood.

However, five years ago, a nobleman arrived, claiming to be searching for a lost relative. He introduced himself as the head of the Candace family and, under the pretext of finding his long-lost daughter, took Mylian away.

Countless individuals yearned to join the nobility, especially a magical lineage as prominent as the Candace family. In the eyes of many, Mylian was incredibly fortunate.

Yet, leaping from commoner to noble daughter brought Mylian no happiness. Quite the opposite, her lack of the magical talent expected of a noble led to relentless discrimination.

The head of the Candace family and his wife were too preoccupied with war to pay Mylian any attention, leaving her sister, Stella, to become Mylian’s living nightmare.

Stella’s contempt began with disdain and indifference, escalating to physical abuse and verbal insults. She utterly despised her ‘country bumpkin’ elder sister.

Minor infractions led to days of solitary confinement without food or water, while verbal abuse became a daily occurrence. The endless stream of humiliation felt like an unending snowfall in winter.

Mylian had endured enough.

“You’ve ruined my life… Stella… I hate you.”

Mylian mumbled, her words barely audible. Was it her imagination, or did she sense someone watching her?

Rustle—

The sound of boots crunching in the snow grew closer. A hazy, indistinct figure, not particularly large, blocked the cold wind in front of Mylian.

Mylian slowly lifted her head, her frost-reddened cheeks reflecting in a pair of black goggles.

It was a figure standing amidst the wind and snow. They weren’t very tall, and black dominated their attire.

“Are you alright, Miss?”

A muffled voice accompanied the sway of a black trench coat as the figure extended a hand toward Mylian.

“What do you want to do to me?”

Mylian gazed at the unfamiliar figure. Her sensitive voice was like a fragile snowflake, seemingly unable to bear even the simplest warmth and concern from another.

“I’ve seen you sitting alone here for a long time. It’s cold outside; perhaps you should find somewhere warm to sit, Miss.”

The person in black radiated proactive kindness. If not for the mask covering their face, they would surely have been wearing a benevolent smile.

“Please don’t bother with me. I’ll go home by myself. I won’t trouble you.”

Mylian averted her gaze, lying to refuse the kindness. Her self-imposed emotional barrier made her difficult to approach, acting like a layer of ice severing her connection to the outside world.

Any other person whose kindness was rejected would likely have walked away. But Stella, hidden beneath the guise of the mysterious black-clad figure, could not.

According to the original plot, the protagonist, Mylian, would collapse from the cold in the street, only to be picked up by the passing carriage of a Saintess. Skipping some necessary plot points, Mylian would eventually reclaim her true identity as a princess and personally defeat Stella, the object of her revenge, imprisoning her in a dungeon.

The mere thought of being confined in a sunless dungeon after defeat made Stella shiver uncontrollably.

And that was not even considering the protagonist’s methods of retaliation—whips, wax, and other horrific things to be inflicted upon her body! Who could possibly endure that?

To approach Mylian more easily, Stella had deliberately used a magical artifact from the basement to conceal her identity as the villainess.

She knew Mylian couldn’t bear her presence, so she had to adopt a different identity and reach her before the Saintess did.

“Miss, unless you have a death wish, you should quickly get inside.”

Even in disguise, Stella kept her hand extended. Perhaps this persistence finally affected Mylian, who lifted her head to stare at the black-clad figure’s goggles. Cold words escaped her lips.

“Then let me die. No one cares about me anyway.”

Mylian’s heart was weary, pushing another person away.

No wonder you had to freeze unconscious before the Saintess picked you up, Stella thought.

Stella pondered for a moment before retracting her hand. Her sister’s heart was closed off; only more ‘proactive’ actions and words could elicit a reaction.

Whoosh—

The trench coat was suddenly taken off and draped over Mylian’s shoulders as the figure sat down beside her.

Feeling the residual body heat of the coat on her shoulders, the sudden warmth and companionship caught Mylian off guard.

Mylian’s eyes widened in surprise. She turned her face to look at the stranger, but the mask and goggles concealed their features completely.

“Do you mind if I sit here?”

“Please stay away from me. I don’t need your pity.”

Mylian was about to reach out and push the coat away, but the black-clad figure’s hand stopped her first.

“Heh, Miss, you just lied to me, didn’t you?”

“What lie?”

“You said you’d go home, but then you claimed no one cared about you. Does that sound logical to you?”

“Mind your own business.”

Mylian frowned, unwilling to discuss her terrible family affairs. She was determined to shake off the black-clad figure’s persistence, her emotions becoming slightly agitated.

It’s almost time, Stella thought.

Stella eyed Mylian’s luggage, then sprang up and snatched the suitcase. Mylian, in her surprise, accidentally pulled off the trench coat. She stared wide-eyed at the black-clad figure, who now stood deliberately waiting at the shop entrance.

“Give me back my case!”

“Oh? Come and get it if you want it, Miss.”

Stella lightly shook the suitcase. She knew it contained things Mylian valued, so she didn’t use much force—just enough to provoke Mylian into chasing her.

“Give it back!”

Mylian stood up and gave chase. Stella instantly pushed open the shop door and entered, and Mylian, forgetting all caution, followed her inside.

Ding-a-ling—

The warm, soft light from beyond the door bathed Mylian’s face. Her body stiffened for a moment. The interior was far more comfortable than she had imagined, making her reluctant to leave.

“Here you go. I’m sorry, but if I hadn’t done that, I suspect you would have frozen to death outside.”

Stella hadn’t run far. She gently placed the suitcase down. A nearby server seemed to have been briefed in advance, as a reserved table was conveniently situated right by the door.

“You tricked me! Is this a trap?”

Mylian refused to acknowledge the sense of security the warmth brought. Who would show her such kindness without wanting anything in return?

“I have no intention of setting a trap specifically for you. What would I gain? Your power? Your money?”

Stella sat down in a chair, lightly tapping the table to signal Mylian to sit opposite her.

“You’d better not have any ulterior motives.”

Mylian actually wanted to leave, but her frozen body told her she couldn’t take the cold outside anymore. Perhaps staying just a while longer before leaving would be acceptable.

“Ulterior motives? When someone isn’t interested in status, power, or money, Miss, how much value do you think you hold for me?”

Stella’s gaze lingered on Mylian. Mylian’s expression faltered, and she hesitantly looked down at her thinly clad chest.

“You… you really do have ill intentions!” Mylian instantly understood something, her face flushing crimson.

“I think you’re misunderstanding me,” Stella said, crossing her arms over her chest.