The Sleeping Devil

"Oh? I hadn't heard that Dior had a sister. We've been together since birth, so what is this about? But it's strange, isn't it? Dior should be the most beautiful in the world, yet this lady here is so dazzling that it's messing with my eyes."

"Yes, indeed, indeed. Please rest assured, I am your Dior. Sheriel is a genius, but my beauty is so overwhelming that my dresses can't keep up. Should I get some new ones?"

"Oh, what a surprise! So, the beautiful lady over there is Dior. As expected, it is a universal truth that my wife is the most beautiful in the world. Buy as many dresses or jewels as you like."

Something seems to have started...

I see, Didier inherited more of Sergio's genes.

The servants are watching the farce with smiles, not knowing how long it will continue.

Shortly after the meal began, Dior made an announcement.

"Sheriel, I will also invest in your business."

"Invest? Is that so?"

"Yes, but in return, I will be the first one to benefit. Is that acceptable?"

"Of course, Mother. Even without your investment, this business is for you, so I intended it that way."

"Oh my, what a capable daughter you are. But having more funds allows us to do more things. I have high expectations."

"Thank you very much."

Dior laughing at the dining table was a first.

If this is her true self, how has she been feeling during meals for these past few years?

If she had continued to believe that I was the daughter of a mistress, how much pain would it have caused her?

"Oh my, am I being left out again? Is there nothing for me, your father? I also want something to deepen my bond with Sheriel."

Sergio, the root of all evil, showed a dissatisfied expression.

Well, he probably isn't thinking about anything anyway. He just sulks as if saying, "Let me say something for now."

"Oh, I'm grateful to you, Father. Thank you for arranging the teachers and allocating the budget."

"Oh no, that's within the scope of my duties as a parent. I want something more special. Ah, I know. Sheriel, are you interested in swordsmanship?"

What did you say? I'm still only five years old, you know?

"Father, it's not appropriate to give a sword to a girl. What if Sheriel gets injured?"

"Didier has become quite overprotective, hasn't he? I also want to be more of a father, you know."

"I've spent the most time with Sheriel, so isn't it too early for you, Father?"

No one is there to support Sergio as he slumps down in disappointment.

In the next moment, he casually started cutting the meat, so it seems that Sergio isn't genuinely down about it.

...Nevertheless, swordsmanship, huh? Considering the circumstances from my past life, I'd like to learn it someday.

The dining table has become livelier than ever before, and it warms my heart to see it resembling a normal family.

Even though I pretended not to mind, I always felt like an outsider.

Tomorrow, we are going to have a family tea party in the evening, so after the meal, everyone gets up from their seats. Both parents leave together, like sweet sugar candies.

But when Mary and I were about to return to our rooms, Didier stopped us.

"Can I come to Sheriel's room later? Let's have a tea party at night."

Since I had already taken a nap, I should be fine for a little longer.

As soon as I returned to my room, I changed into my sleepwear and prepared to sleep immediately.

"I'm intruding, Sheriel."

Didier comes in with fruits as a gift. The cluster of dark purple grapes is something I'm familiar with from my past life.

While Mary prepares tea to Didier's liking, Didier comfortably takes his usual seat.

"First of all, well done. I didn't expect things to turn out like this, but I'm glad it went well."

"It's thanks to your help, Brother. Thank you."

"Hehe, then, can you tell me now? About Sheriel's secret that you mentioned before."

Ah, I completely forgot. Come to think of it, I said I would tell him once we became closer...

In the first few months, Didier was quite explicit in his inquiries, but somehow he stopped asking altogether, so I thought he had forgotten.

It seems he has been waiting patiently.

"It's not really that big of a deal, you know?"

"Is that so? But it must be related to everything that has happened so far and to Mother's situation, right?"

As expected of my brother Didier.

Sometimes, it feels like he can read my mind, and lies and evasions don't work on him.

"Well, yes. It's not as significant as the Beriard curse, but I have memories from my past life."

"Memories from your past life? When did those memories start?"

"It was around a few months after I was born. In my past life, it was a world different from here, a world where technology called science had advanced. I died at the age of twenty-seven, and those memories are exactly the same."

"Oh, that's interesting. So, does that mean you have an adult mind?"

The eyes that gazed back at me, with a hand resting on the chin, showed no signs of doubt or exasperation.

Perhaps because of that, Sheriel spoke without the anxiety she had shown before, as if it were a casual conversation about personal matters.

"It's a bit complicated... I'm not sure if I'm an adult or a child. There are various factors mixed in, and I've had the body of a helpless child for the past five years."

"Well, that's understandable. Especially for someone from the Beriard family."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not an expert on the matter, but basically, Beriards are bombarded with knowledge and understanding similar to that of adults right after they're born, right? It's because, otherwise, they could be a threat to others. So, in a way, they're not much different from adults."

Indeed, in terms of knowledge alone, Didier surpasses the average adult easily. And his behavior and self-control have been drilled into him forcibly through lessons on socializing and understanding people, making it dubious to call him a child.

"Oh, I see. That's why I can't find Didier adorable."

"What? That's rude. I'm highly regarded as adorable by Mother, you know."

Indeed, for Sheriel, who knew nothing and could do nothing, Didier was a reliable older brother. At first, she had tried to escape, but in the end, at that point, she hadn't seen him as a younger boy. ...Because she couldn't compete with him. With her older brother.

"That's my secret. In my previous life, there was no magic, but at least beauty and food were more advanced than here."

"I see. But that's not all, right? Why did you think of bloodletting for Mother's illness?"

"Well... In my previous life, there was no magic for healing, but medical techniques were advanced. The causes and routes of infections and diseases were mostly understood."

That wasn't a lie. Although it may be different from the workings of this world, knowledge of diseases and infection routes came from her previous life. If it was different here, that would be fine too. She felt hesitant to predict her mother's death or anything like that.

"Hey, one of Mother's maids fell ill."

Huh? I didn't ask. So maybe that dream really will come true. But when and why did Dior die? I don't know.

"That disease takes several months to a year from the onset, and even the person themselves won't notice it without special tests. But once it appears, it's incurable. Magic can't cure diseases, and no herbs have been found to be effective against it. You understand what that means, right?"

An incurable disease that is difficult to diagnose. And...

"That means it can be transmitted from person to person."

"Yeah, that became clear with this incident. Sheriel saved Mother."

That's why she willingly took a bath and washed her hair today. But it's good. We can't relax yet, but we might have avoided a crisis for now. Sheriel breathed a sigh of relief.

"How did you know? It could be just a coincidence, or maybe someone leaked the information. Father should be investigating that merchant, but did Sheriel know who he is?"

Hmm, what should I do...

It's true that I feel awkward, but being accused of being a spy is also troublesome. I really don't know about that situation. I pondered.

But now that I think about it, isn't the memory from my previous life more problematic than the future dreams?

In that case, it's fine…

"Before gaining my past life memories, I had been having a dream of my own death every day..."

"Huh? Sheriel is going to die?"

"It seems so. Not immediately, though. I had the awareness of the people around me when I died and even in that dream, Mother had passed away within a few years after I came here."

"Wait a moment. Are you saying that the dream is coming true? Did you know about this house and about me?"

"Well, vaguely. You know how sometimes in dreams, even if they are fantastical, you understand that the people or yourself appearing in the dream are like that? It was something like that. I understood what kind of person I was and how I had ended up like this. I had the recognition that I was taken in by the Beriard family and raised as the daughter of a mistress. However, other details and faces were blurry and not very useful once I woke up."

"So, I was by your side at that time? What was I doing?"

"Well, you were... laughing. Since the students from the academy had gathered, you thought it was good to meet such a flashy end."

Dídier lowered his head and his shoulders trembled slightly.

Oh, did I strike a nerve? I didn't like it when my death was laughed at, remembering that dream.

"...Impossible. Impossible... it's impossible. D...ie... you can't... die... So, you'll die in eight years at the earliest, or thirteen years at the latest? And I will still be alive afterward, right? People eventually die, right? But I can only be with Sheriel for a few more years, and on top of that, I was laughing at her death? Impossible. I won't allow it. No one can allow such a thing. I won't let you die before me. Who would do such a thing? I absolutely hate it. It's impossible for Sheriel to die. What is this? It feels so terrible. Weren't we supposed to go mad? It feels like my head is going to break... What should I do?"

"Brother! I'm sorry! I'm fine, so please calm down!"

Sheriel suddenly grasped Didier's hand.

His fingertips had turned cold, and his pale gray eyes were swirling around. He was anxious. He was angry.

He was now rejecting Sheriel's death, filled with grief and intense anger.

"Sheriel, you won't die, right? If you're going to die, make sure it's after me."

Ah, Brother... Didier was properly treating her as his sister.

But what about me?

Until now, hadn't I given up on Didier, thinking of him as a heartless demon?

Because he was that kind of person.

Always passive, always thinking only about what he could do for me, always considering him to be different from me, constantly protecting myself, relying on his kindness...

The emotions that Didier were stirring up tightened Sheriel's throat.

It was painful and agonizing.

"I... I promise. I'm sorry... Oniisama."

Finally, she managed to squeeze out those words, and Didier hugged her gently.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, mixed with the pain in her chest.

"So, this is what it means to be important? Sheriel is my precious little sister. I'll protect you as long as I'm alive."

Let me face it as well.

Didier, patting her back awkwardly, felt like a true older brother to her.