Prologue: Possession (1)
There's a female-oriented otome game called The Garden of Blue Roses.
It's a typical reverse-harem romance fantasy set in the fictional Arcadia Academy. As someone who's a hardcore fan of games with female protagonists, I wouldn't normally know the title of a game like this. But, thanks to my parents apparently failing at raising normal kids, my one and only sister turned out to be just as much of a geek as I am, so I ended up hearing about it constantly in our daily life.
To be honest, being force-fed information I didn't care about wasn't exactly pleasant. I thought I was an idiot for getting roped into drawing art for her just because she offered to pay me. Still, looking back now, I'm glad I did it. If it weren't for my professional pride making me listen to all that info about a female-oriented game I'd never play, I probably would've let it go in one ear and out the other.
Why am I grateful for memorizing details about a game I'd never touch? Well, as you might expect—cliché as it is—I got reincarnated into the world of The Garden of Blue Roses.
And not just anyone, but as Scarlet Cepheus, the younger brother of Leticia Cepheus, the villainess who obstructs the heroine in every route.
About a month has passed since I was possessed. The name Scarlet Cepheus still doesn't feel entirely familiar, but I've gotten used to responding when someone calls me.
Every morning, I'm attended by a pale-faced maid who looks devoid of life, like a machine or a corpse. That's because they're ghouls. And my sister and I, who command these ghouls, are vampires. After washing up and looking in the mirror, I see blood-red eyes sparkling like jewels.
Being a vampire must be why my appearance is jaw-droppingly stunning. I smirk with satisfaction. Whatever else I might dislike, I'm definitely pleased with this body.
From what I heard from my real-world sister, the Cepheus family, one of the most ancient vampire bloodlines, accepted a noble title from the empire as a symbolic gesture of harmony between humans and near-human species. They even buy blood openly to live respectably in society.
Since the game focuses more on characters than intricate world-building, the vampires in this story aren't weak to silver, crosses, or running water. Their only real weakness is sunlight, but even that's negligible for high-ranking vampires. I experienced this firsthand—walking through the garden at noon felt fine, with just a slight tingling on my skin.
If my predetermined fate wasn't ruin, I could probably live a sweet life here. But knowing that every ending in the game leads to the Cepheus family's downfall—or outright extinction—makes it hard to feel optimistic. I'd love to return to my original world, but first, I need to survive here.
And then there's this:
Scarlet Cepheus
Strength ▶ 102 (44)
Agility ▶ 121 (41)
Vitality ▶ 105 (39)
Endurance ▶ 84 (32)
Magic ▶ 214
Status: Fatigue, Desire
Traits: Vampire, Void, …
When I quietly mutter "status window," a translucent panel pops up before my eyes—the classic reincarnation perk. It's the same status window the heroine uses in the game to manage the male characters' affection levels. Scrolling down, I find the quest window.
Main Quest - Survive
▶ You are destined for ruin! Defy your fate and create a new ending!
Reward: Varies based on the difficulty and quality of the ending achieved.
Tutorial - Set a Goal (??? 0/1)
▶ Every journey begins with a single step. To achieve the main quest, set and accomplish a small goal.
Reward: Varies based on the difficulty of the goal set.
The main quest catches my attention. The reward depends on the quality of the ending I create, meaning my effort determines the outcome. I don't know if this will help me return to my original world, but it's the most promising option I have. I don't exactly have the luxury of choosing otherwise.
My top priority is preventing my sister from falling for the prince. In the original story, that happens during her second year, first semester at the academy, when she's a third-year student. I still have time to stop it. Two months from now, I'll enroll in the academy, and she'll be in her second year. There are other routes where she falls for the mage tower lord or the northern grand duke, but those branches don't start until the second semester of her second year, so I'm safe for now.
For now, I'll focus on stopping her from falling for the prince.
As I think this, the tutorial quest text updates with a ding.
Tutorial - Goal Set → Raise Leticia Cepheus's Affection!
▶ Increase Leticia Cepheus's affection to prevent her from falling for another man!
▶ Condition: Reach 70+ affection with Leticia Cepheus (Current: 61/70)
Deadline: Before enrolling at Arcadia Academy
Of course, an otome game quest would be like this. I let out a hollow laugh as the quest auto-registers without giving me a chance to refuse. With no way to cancel it, I nod and dismiss the window. I change into the clothes handed to me by the ghoul maid standing silently nearby. It's nice that I don't have to worry about ghouls judging me since they just follow orders, but I can't help feeling a bit disappointed—where's the flirty maid fantasy I imagined?
If my sister's okay with it, maybe I'll hire a human maid next time.
With such silly thoughts, I head to the dining hall. As I approach, a ghoul maid bows slightly and opens the door. Inside, my sister waits, her face slightly pouty, clearly having waited for me.
With an elegant gesture, she taps the table lightly with her palm. I'm not sure if tapping a table can be elegant, but she pulls it off.
"You're late," she says.
"Sorry, I had some things to think about."
"Liar. You were probably half-asleep because it's morning. I told you, if you want to blend in with humans, you need to get used to mornings."
She's right. Even though high-ranking vampires can handle sunlight, we're still night creatures who thrive under moonlight and move through shadows. The Cepheus family, one of the three great vampire bloodlines alongside Draculea and Nosferatu, is the only one that adapts to human habits for the sake of diplomacy. My sister, an academy student, and soon I, as an incoming student, have to adjust to morning routines at her insistence.
Since I'm admittedly weaker in the mornings, I nod sheepishly at her scolding. Seeing me comply, she softens her stern expression and sighs as if she can't help it.
"Fine. Since you get it, I won't nag further. Any pain?"
"Almost fully healed. Don't worry."
The day I was possessed, something was seriously wrong with Scarlet Cepheus's body.
They say a vampire's body, which shouldn't feel fever, was burning as if the blood itself was boiling. I don't know if it was a side effect of possession or if the body was already in such bad shape that it allowed me to take over.
Either way, since I'm clearly not the original Scarlet Cepheus, I preemptively claimed memory loss to avoid suspicion. Not total amnesia—just enough to say I remember who I am, who my sister is, and the basics of daily life, but everything else is blurry. I've spent the past month holed up in the mansion sorting out my thoughts, rarely leaving my room, so it's no surprise my sister's worried.
Even outside of mealtimes, she visits my room every day without fail, trying to help me recover my memories. Now that I think about it, her affection level is already over 60. In the game, 50 and above means a certain level of fondness. Even accounting for familial bonds setting a higher baseline, it's higher than I expected.
I glance at her. Her gaze, filled with concern and affection, meets mine. Subtly, I take in her appearance. Even though she's not my real sister, as Scarlet Cepheus, she's undeniably my older sister, Leticia. Raising her affection for a quest feels a bit wrong, but if it's for the quest, maybe I have no choice? Even if I don't want to, it's something I have to do for her sake.
I decide to lean into it. Honestly, I've been holding back, but with the quest as an excuse, I don't have to anymore.