Thirty. Thousand. Affection points.
I stared at the number in disbelief. I hadn't expected it to be that high… but when I thought about it, it made perfect sense.
She had been living her life while suppressing all her pain, playing the role of the "strong older sister" with no one to confide in. That kind of pain multiplies when carried alone.
And on top of that, the guilt she must have felt for using her little brother as an outlet for that pain… it must have been unbearable. My forgiveness probably shocked her more deeply than anything else.
She cried for five full minutes. Even after that, we stayed in the same position — her in my arms — for another ten minutes before I finally spoke.
"Sis… are you okay?"
There was no answer, but I felt a small nod against my chest. After a moment of silence, I looked down at her — and what I saw stunned me.
Her head was lowered, eyes closed, her entire face flushed a deep red like a ripe tomato. Her lips were pursed, and she looked so adorably shy that I felt an overwhelming urge to pinch her cheeks.
Sensing my gaze, she slowly looked up. Her eyes were hazy, and something about the way she looked at me made my heart skip a beat. My vision felt slightly hazy too.
A mischievous thought slipped into my mind. I leaned forward and gently kissed her forehead, whispering softly into her ear:
"Sis… you look really cute right now."
Her whole body froze for a moment — then she shoved me away and bolted from the room. I turned toward the door just in time to see a few stunned maids, clearly confused as to why their eldest lady was suddenly running.
Chuckling to myself, I got up and started walking toward her room.
POV: Invidia
I ran.
And kept running.
I didn't care about the puzzled looks from the maids — I just ran straight to my room. Once there, I ordered the servants not to let anyone in, slammed the door shut, and dove face-first into my bed.
"Arghhh! What's wrong with you, Invidia?! Why did you cry in front of your little brother?! Now he's going to think you're such a crybaby!"
I lay on my bed, staring up at the ceiling as I tried to calm myself. But then I touched my forehead… and his words echoed in my mind.
'Sis, you look really cute right now.'
The moment I remembered them, my face started burning. How could he say something like that?!
I closed my eyes and replayed everything that had happened.
I'd heard rumors that my little brother had started to change. Curious, I invited him for tea, expecting him to act like he always did — timid and anxious around me.
But to my surprise, he didn't show any of that. He was confident — too confident. For a moment, I almost thought he was someone else.
But then I saw his black hair and crimson eyes — just like Father's — and I pushed that thought aside. Every time I looked at him, Father's image surfaced in my mind.
I had always bullied him because of Father's death.
I believed that if not for him, Father would still be alive.
Father would come home, pat my head, and play with me like he always did.
But deep down, I knew that was just a dream.
I had been using my little brother as a punching bag to vent my pain and frustration. Truthfully, I wanted to meet him and say I was sorry — to tell him how much I regretted everything.
But I couldn't bring myself to do it.
I thought today would be the same as always… but unexpectedly, he invited me to play chess. I accepted without thinking.
What I didn't expect was for him to use the game to pull out the fear and sadness I had buried inside.
Every word he spoke struck at my heart — and before I knew it, I was crying in his arms.
As I was lost in my emotions, I heard a knock at my door. Then, a voice — his voice.
"Sis, may I come in?"
Silence…
"Sis, could you open the door?"
Silence…
Why is he here?! Did he come to make fun of me?
As I stood there hesitating, I found myself walking toward the door, unsure if I should open it or not. I truly didn't know how to face him.
"Sigh… Sis, if you're angry at me, then I'm sorry."
"Everything I said back there came from my heart. I don't want you to suffer or feel lonely."
I bit my lip as I listened to his words. My heart felt both heavy and warm.
"Sis, you don't have to be embarrassed about crying. You're my idol. I admire you."
"And no matter what you do in the future, you'll always be my amazing big sister."
"I'll wait for you tomorrow in the same room. Let's play chess again… or are you too scared to lose to me?"
Silence…
"I'll be waiting."
I heard his footsteps fade as he walked away from my door.
I slowly sank down, crouched by the door, and held onto it as tears streamed down my face — this time, not from sadness, but from happiness.
"Zeref… that idiot. I'm going to beat him tomorrow."
POV: Zeref
I walked back toward my room. When I arrived, I was surprised to see an eight-year-old blonde girl standing there with a pout on her face.
I was confused for a second, but then I realized why. As I stepped closer, she jumped into my arms and started hitting my chest lightly.
"Buuu! Big brother, you didn't play with me today! I waited so long, but you never came!"
Rena pouted angrily, expressing her frustration. Smiling softly, I pinched her cheeks.
"I'm sorry, Rena. I had something important to take care of with our older sister."
After pampering her for a bit, she finally smiled again. To make it up to her, I suggested something.
"How about you sleep here with me tonight?"
My suggestion caught her off guard. She blushed deeply and averted her gaze.
"I-I don't mind… if you don't mind, big brother."
Saying that, she dashed out of my room. I chuckled and shook my head before lying down on my bed.
[DING]
[Congratulations! The Host has received a reward package for altering the original storyline.]
"System, open the reward package."
[Command received. Opening package… Complete!]
[DING…]
[Congratulations! The Host has obtained a Special Reward: Sacred Body!]
Name: Sacred Body
Rank: SSS
Description: The Sacred Body can store Divine Mana. The wielder of this body will possess limitless stamina as long as Mana exists around them.
Effect: Grants greater Mana power and quality than anyone else at the same level.
Drawback: It takes 7 years for your body to fully transform into a Sacred Body. During this time, you must not lose your virginity.
I didn't know whether to call myself lucky or unlucky. Gaining a power far greater than anyone else at my level was an incredible advantage — but having to remain a virgin until I turned seventeen?
Yeah… that part was definitely a downside.