"Hmm?"
As I was lost in thought, I suddenly felt as if someone was tugging at my clothes.
Turning around, a girl holding a pink rabbit doll was looking at me with innocent, curious eyes.
Huh? Was there such a cute creature in this mansion?
The first time I saw seven-year-old Aisha, I also thought she was cute, but this girl in front of me was a different level of cute altogether.
With big, round eyes, delicate and fair skin, dressed in a red-dominated dress with white cuffs, perfectly complementing her orange long hair. Her appearance reminded me of the cute loli anime characters I liked in my past life. It made me feel incredibly healed.
"Want to play?"
Coupled with that pure, milky voice unique to a girl who knew nothing of the world, it almost made me faint on the spot. Even I, who had seen countless cute pictures online, couldn't resist the destructive power of that cuteness when the real thing appeared before my eyes.
I must protect this child for life...
No, no, no! Wait! Don't be fooled! I can't even protect myself right now, and I almost willingly became a slave to a girl I just met.
"What's your name?"
"Lia."
It wasn't very surprising. My younger sister, Lia, had reached an age where it wasn't strange for her to run around the mansion. This day was bound to come sooner or later.
But I still hadn't figured out how to face my sister, who might kill me in the future.
Treat her kindly, be her good brother? That's not hard to do. But that would create two problems.
First, both of our mothers wouldn't be happy to see us close. In the struggle for the head of the household, close relationships between heirs are like exposing weaknesses to each other, and my pathological mother certainly wouldn't allow it.
Second, it would change the plot of the novel. Ultimately, Lia's reclusive heart was saved by the male protagonist. If I became Lia's emotional support, the events related to Lia in the novel would drastically change, and the resulting 'butterfly effect' could lead to unpredictable and uncontrollable developments, rendering the 'plot' I remembered meaningless.
So, should I treat her as an enemy and be rough with her? I couldn't do that even more. To do such a thing after seeing her in person would truly mean having no humanity left. I'd rather die. No, if I really did that, it would be 100% heading straight for the death ending in the novel. Either way, it's death, and I would absolutely not choose that.
"...Let's play."
Perhaps seeing my delayed reaction, Lia repeated herself, this time even directly taking my hand.
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh!
What a terrifying girl, using her cuteness to forcibly create an irresistible situation, making me instantly cast all my worries aside. Is there anything more important than playing with Lia right now? No! Even if the world were to end, Lia's happiness is more important!
"Let's go."
"Hey, wait."
Lia pulled me along without a word.
In her innocent years, before experiencing anything bad, Lia was naturally completely different from the Lia I knew in the novel. Perhaps it was a rare encounter with a child close to her age that created an inexplicable sense of closeness, and Lia eagerly wanted to spend a happy time with me.
That smile, truly an angel's.
At this moment, I completely surrendered. No matter what the consequences, I would never do anything to harm my sister. I swore it in my heart.
"Lia!"
If it weren't for a sudden third voice, I would have thought I was truly dreaming a beautiful dream.
"Mom."
Lia's mother, Mrs. Lilica, appeared in our sight. She showed a relieved expression when she saw Lia, and then immediately gasped when she saw me.
Mrs. Lilica quickly walked over, hugging Lia as if protecting her, turning her back to me.
"Didn't I tell you not to talk to strangers casually?"
Stranger? Was she referring to me? I'm her brother, yet I'm treated as a stranger.
Of course, I didn't misunderstand her mother's feelings. She might have thought I would do something to harm Lia, just as Lucis and Aisha treated me.
"But..."
Lia seemed to want to say something, but she didn't dare to contradict her mother too much.
"Alright, Lia, Mom will play with you whatever you want to play. Let's go."
"Okay."
Lia's smile disappeared. She simply wanted to play with a child her age. To elicit such a reaction from her made me very happy, even if it was just my own overthinking.
"Then, please excuse us, Young Master Robert."
"Robert? Brother Robert?"
Lia reacted to my name. Come to think of it, I hadn't introduced myself to her yet.
"...Yes, he is your brother."
"Can't I play with my brother?"
Mrs. Lilica felt a bit troubled by Lia's question. A brother and sister playing together is natural for most families, but the Anglus Family family is different.
Should she explain the real reason to Lia? No, she couldn't. She couldn't understand adult matters yet, even if she would naturally learn later, but definitely not now.
"Young Master Robert is quite busy right now and doesn't have time to play with you. Don't bother him; be a good child, okay?"
Just now, I was still troubled about what attitude to take towards Lia, and now Mrs. Lilica had made the choice for me. Since that was the case, I had no reason not to go along with her.
"That's right, I'm busy today. Maybe next time."
Neither closeness nor harm, but rather trying to avoid meeting. This is something that can be controlled in this house. Starting tomorrow, I won't wander aimlessly around the mansion anymore, and Mrs. Lilica won't let Lia run around alone either. The so-called 'next time' might never come, because by then, Lia might have clearly realized that I am her 'enemy.'
My rationality told me that this was definitely the best choice right now. Even if Lia's world didn't include me, one day in the future, she would meet a hero who would save her and live happily ever after. That hero was not a role that I, a villain, could fulfill.
Thinking of this, my departing footsteps became a little heavy.