Chapter 11

Before the time reversal.

To Carlos Steizen, Angelina was his pride and joy, his younger sister.

She was the perfect Steizen duchess, both in intellect and in her mother's beauty.

Carlos had the same blue hair as his father, while Angelina had the same pink blonde hair as her mother.

Though their hair colors were different, their eyes were the same sky blue, which most clearly indicated that they were siblings.

The Steizen duchy was a model noble family.

The father's loyalty was to the king and the state, and he prioritized the family's advancement, as befitting a noble.

Neither Carlos nor Angelina had any particular complaints about such a father.

Before their mother died of illness, the family bond seemed stronger.

Angelina's personality also seemed to have become more reserved after their mother's death.

After that, Angelina was chosen as the crown prince's fiancée and was raised to be a high-ranking noble lady.

She no longer burst into big smiles, but instead responded to her surroundings with a ladylike smile.

Carlos had no particular complaints about his sister's transformation.

He thought she was doing well with Prince Leonhardt.

Angelina would surely be able to support him properly.

In fact, the two of them seemed to have a relationship like comrades who supported each other in battle.

Carlos did not have a fiancée.

Normally, the fiancée of the eldest son would be decided first, followed by the fiancée of the younger sister.

However, Angelina became the crown prince's fiancée and the future queen before her brother.

Therefore, the political marriage that would determine the family's future was Carlos's responsibility.

Carlos had no particular complaints about this.

He knew Angelina, the perfect noble lady, up close.

So, he thought his fiancée should be a 'wise woman,' even if not as perfect as his sister.

Even after Carlos advanced to his second year at the royal academy, there were still many candidates for his fiancée.

Despite Angelina being chosen as Leonhardt's fiancée, many families still hoped that their own daughters could be chosen.

Many noble ladies who had not yet been engaged were still available.

Sandyka, the daughter of the Rodeic duchy, which was the leading rival faction to the Steizen duchy, was also one of them.

Sandyka, who was a year younger and the same age as Angelina, had not yet been engaged.

Rumors about a potential engagement between Carlos and Sandyka had spread due to the lack of engagements for the duchy's heir and the duchy's daughter.

Carlos paid no attention to these rumors.

At the time, there was no reason for the Steizen duchy, which was positioning Angelina as the future queen, to ally with the Rodeic duchy.

Only if a family rose to a level that could threaten both major duchies would such an alliance be possible, but even the leading marquis families had not reached that level.

"Carlos, is there any lady at the academy who has caught your eye?"

"Yes, Father. A lady who has caught my eye? ...There isn't anyone in particular."

"I see."

"Feel free to continue looking for a suitable match for me, Father."

"Understood. I will do so."

Carlos had never been swayed by romantic feelings.

He always observed his surroundings with a detached attitude.

At the academy, some called him the 'Ice Prince' due to his blue hair and cold demeanor towards everyone.

Carlos himself did not care about this nickname.

Many noble ladies wished to be bound to Carlos, but none of them had ever moved him, despite their delusions that they could melt his 'ice' heart.

"...It's all so dull."

Everything was perfect. Everything was in order. He had no complaints.

Angelina was a proud sister. She would surely become an excellent and wonderful queen in the future.

From the perspective of the next Steizen duke, his sister was a capable and supportive presence.

Carlos was naturally a man with few emotions. He had no particular trauma.

The most he was moved was by his mother's death, but even that he accepted calmly.

Angelina, on the other hand, still had more emotions. She had shed tears over their mother's death.

After that, she too accepted her mother's death.

Perhaps from that time, Angelina grew closer to Carlos.

She shed her dependence and became a lady befitting a high-ranking noble.

This transformation was further refined through her education as a future queen.

"...I am..."

Carlos had no complaints. But he felt a void. He couldn't grasp what he truly sought.

Perhaps his heart needed someone's 'help' to move.

What did a cold person like himself hope for and wish for in life?

Was this enough? Carlos felt a nagging doubt somewhere.

He probably felt a sense of camaraderie with Angelina, who was becoming a high-ranking noble lady with a cold exterior but still maintaining her nobility.

Seeing his sister grow into such a refined lady, Carlos felt affirmed.

He felt that he, too, was fine as he was.

...But then, he met Merk.

"You should live more freely!"

"What?"

"Um, well, you seem very constrained?"

"Me?"

"Well, I think it's okay to live a bit more as you wish! After all, we are students!"

"...What are you saying?"

"Um, well, because! The period when flowers bloom is very short!"

"Huh?"

Carlos didn't understand what she meant. What was she trying to convey?

"Um, that's all I wanted to say! See you!"

"...Hey?"

Without understanding, the black-haired girl fled from Carlos.

"...What was that?"

Carlos was just puzzled. What was she trying to tell him?

It seemed that the black-haired girl did not want a relationship with him, unlike the other noble ladies.

Indeed, the period when flowers bloom is short. Was she trying to express this poetically?

Even so, he couldn't understand what she was trying to say.

And so, he gradually became drawn to Merk.

...And then. From a certain moment, Carlos's evaluation of his sister Angelina changed drastically, for the worse.

The trigger was something Merk had given him.

From that moment, Carlos felt a significant disappointment in Angelina, and his respect for her turned into its opposite.

"Angelina, you..."

Was it jealousy that distorted her? Even so, it was not something to be condoned.

Before the time reversal, they managed to maintain the duchy's reputation.

"...Ironically."

After the time reversal, Angelina surprisingly chose 'that' Baron Baltsline as her fiancé, as if fate had decided it.

Indeed, at this point, Angelina had done nothing to Merk.

But the doubts he had about her before the time reversal were not easily dispelled.

Carlos attended the royal academy, watching Angelina cautiously to prevent a repeat of the past.

But there were also differences from the past.

Perhaps she would go through this time without any problems.

"...Ash Baltsline, huh."

This was the first time Carlos had learned about the baron's character.

Of course, he didn't know everything about him yet.

So far, it seemed that Angelina and Ash were getting along well.

Their relationship was much more endearing than when she was the crown prince's fiancée.

"..."

Angelina must be in love with Ash. His sister.

Carlos thought she looked like a woman of her age.

"Because she didn't receive the queen's education? Or because of the person she's with..."

Angelina must be in love. He could understand her feelings.

He, too, had felt love for Merk in the past.

But from a certain point, he felt more guilt towards Merk.

He regretted not being able to stop his own sister from degrading her.

"Ha..."

Many things had changed from the past.

Now, he wanted to ensure that Angelina didn't cause trouble for anyone.

This time, he wanted to stop her from going off the rails.

And then, it happened.

"Carlos Steizen. May I have a moment?"

"...Professor Drought?"

Carlos was approached by the academy teacher, Neil Drought.

There, Carlos would learn why his time had been reversed.

And about the significant 'mistake' he had made.

Carlos Steizen's reversed life would change dramatically from this moment.