Chapter 10

"Ugh..."

With a loud thud, everything suddenly went pitch black before my eyes.

My body ached all over.

My mind felt foggy, as if it were clouded over.

That's right. The injuries...?

Tentatively, I moved my hands to check my body and touched something right in front of me.

It wasn't a pillar.

It was warm and trembling slightly... a person.

"...Eh, Big Sister...?"

From the darkness, just a few dozen centimeters away, my sister's voice came.

At the same time, a drop fell onto my cheek.

When I touched it, it felt slightly sticky.

The moment I realized it was blood, my consciousness snapped back to full alert.

I was right next to the collapsed pillar.

I should have been crushed and killed, but why am I still alive?

And why is my sister, who shouldn't be here, here?

The answer was simple.

My sister had shielded me with her own body.

She protected me from the falling debris and created a space for me in a place where there shouldn't have been any room.

And I...

"Big Sister, you're hurt...!?"

"It's nothing serious."

My sister, with her hands still pressed on either side of my head, spoke in a trembling voice.

As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I could faintly see her face.

She forced a smile, despite the pain contorting her features.

"Still... magic is completely useless at a time like this."

Blood dripped from her forehead, pattering down.

It wasn't just her forehead. Blood trickled down her arms and hair, flowing endlessly.

"I practiced so much... but when I thought 'Sophina is in danger,' all the spells... they just flew out of my head. I should have been able to save you more impressively... I'm sorry."

"Why... why did you protect me!?"

You should have just left me behind.

A failure like me, who only causes trouble...

"I had to save you. You are my precious little sister."

"...!"

I don't have any medical knowledge, but the amount of blood my sister was losing was beyond dangerous.

It was easy to imagine that she was dying, even for a layperson.

Because she protected me.

Big Sister is going to die.

"I... I'm not a sister who deserves to be cherished by Big Sister!"

A failure, slow, and full of resentment and hatred, a sister whose heart is rotten and ugly.

"Saving someone like me... it won't do any good—"

"If you say any more... I'll get angry."

Thump.

My sister's bloodied forehead touched mine.

If she could use her hands, she might have slapped me so hard my cheek would swell.

Her glare was that sharp.

"Don't say bad things about my beloved little sister, not even you."

From outside the debris, I could hear people shouting.

Probably the servants.

The sound of debris being moved came through the gaps in what used to be the roof.

...Creak.

An unpleasant sound.

Whether she heard it or not, my sister continued.

"I told you before. You have a wonderful talent. I've been waiting... for that talent to bloom... for a long time..."

A decorated paper bag fell from my sister's chest.

"That's... a present. It might be a bother, but..."

"..."

Even after I pushed her away.

Even after I said I didn't want it.

My sister had bought a present for me.

"I know you hate me. But I can't help but love you."

"Big Sister..."

"Would you... like to try... putting it on...?"

What came out of the bag was a floral hair accessory.

When I put it on my head... my sister smiled gently.

"Of course... the floral pattern... suits you... so... well..."

Creak.

The sound came again, and her expression twisted even more.

The small space between my sister and me... gradually narrowed.

"I'm... sorry. I wasn't... a good... big sister... to you..."

"That's not true... that's not true at all!"

I had been swayed by others' opinions and hidden my true feelings.

"I'm sorry for always being mean! I... I also... love Big Sister..."

Squish.

(End of Chapter 5, pages 22-30)