IRBC 4

Chapter: 4

A few days later, the day came for me to leave the Michela Count’s estate. My family saw me off all the way to the train station.

“Bonnie, your sister will be back after sleeping a hundred nights.”

“Okay, Sis. You’ll come back quickly, right?”

My sister and I hugged each other tightly as we exchanged our final goodbyes. Watching our close bond, our parents smiled to themselves in quiet satisfaction.

Riiing—!
Screeeech—

With a loud noise that filled the station, the train pulled in. I rose onto my toes and embraced my parents.

Their warm touch felt like encouragement. Reluctant to part, I kept turning back even as I stepped onto the train.

“I’ll be back. Don’t worry too much.”

“All right. Travel safely. And write to us.”

I waved brightly at my parents and Bonnie. Soon after, the train doors closed and the departure announcement played.

As usual, I handed my luggage to the station staff and began looking for my seat. Checking my ticket and seat number as I walked, I soon found it.

“Joy.”

“Huh? David?”

Just as I was about to sit down, a familiar voice called out from behind me. That couldn’t be right.

When I turned around just in case, David Taylor was standing there, staring blankly at me.

Jet-black hair like ebony and crimson eyes. He was still infuriatingly handsome, looking down at me with that same arrogant expression. Even the way he casually rolled up his sleeves was unchanged—his white shirt and black trousers suited him perfectly.

“Why are you so late?”

“That’s my line. Why are you here?”

I was glad to see him, but at the same time, I was puzzled. The David I remembered before my regression had gone to the academy in the Taylor family carriage.

He had said he preferred a private carriage to a crowded train.

David was surprisingly fastidious. So I naturally assumed he’d take a carriage again this time.

“A carriage is too slow.”

David muttered as if making excuses. But the Taylor family’s carriage was enchanted with acceleration magic—it was anything but slow. Everyone knew that.

“Slow, my foot. And you don’t even like sharing space with strangers.”

“Right. That’s why I bought all the seats around mine.”

“…What?”

“Come sit with me instead of here.”

Without waiting for my reply, David grabbed my hand. I had no choice but to follow him to another car.

What on earth is going on right now?

“You bought all the surrounding seats?”

“Literally. I bought tickets for all of them. The whole car I’m in is probably empty.”

“Do you even know how much train tickets cost?”

“Do you know how much money the Duke of Taylor has?”

He grinned, saying this was pocket change.

“Why go through all this trouble?”

“You said you wanted to make friends.”

“Huh?”

“I’m helping you.”

“With… what?”

“Friends.”

At David’s shamelessly confident answer, I was left speechless.

Why was he suddenly bringing up friends? Before I could protest, I was already being dragged along.

It wasn’t long before I realized what he meant.

“E-excuse me… Ah, h-hello, Young Master Taylor! I’m Adele Francis of the Francis Count family. I-I’ll also be enrolling in the academy—”

“Yes. I’m David Taylor, and this is Joy Michela. Do you know the Michela Count family?”

“Y-Yes! I’ve heard a lot about you from my father. Hello, Lady Michela.”

“Ah, um… h-hello, Miss Francis.”

Like that.

I had momentarily forgotten that David was the sole heir of the Duke of Taylor. A founding contributor to the empire, the imperial family’s eternal ally, their spear and shield—his family carried countless such titles.

As David led me back to our seats, word about him must have spread through the train. The moment we sat down in the previously empty area, children our age began coming over to greet us.

At first, I didn’t think much of it—they were probably just trying to curry favor with David. But that idiot kept introducing me along with himself.

The students waiting their turn behind them began whispering among themselves.

It was obvious what they were thinking: pleasing me meant pleasing David. Before I could stop it, the new students crowded around my seat.

“Nice to meet you, Lady Michela. I’m Timothy Veronica.”

“Hm. It looks like Young Master Veronica’s companions are waiting over there. You should probably go.”

“Hey, David. What’s your problem?”

“…Then please excuse me.”

David didn’t just abandon me among them. He stayed glued to my side, carefully watching the children who approached.

If their manners were proper and their family’s reputation decent, he didn’t interfere. But if someone seemed rough or came from a family with a bad reputation, he showed clear displeasure and drove them away.

Oh, and which category did Timothy fall into?

There was nothing wrong with Timothy. Except that he was male. More specifically, a handsome boy.

Even with my high standards, Timothy stood out—a pretty boy with wavy wheat-colored hair, pale skin, and light violet eyes beneath soft lashes.

His downturned eyes reminded me of a baby rabbit I’d once seen. I remembered him being fairly popular in my previous life too.

And yet, that bastard David clearly felt threatened by Timothy’s looks and chased him off without hesitation.

It was outrageously petty.

“Hmph. He just looks unlucky. I don’t like him.”

Watching Timothy’s retreating back, David muttered into my ear. You’re not exactly one to talk, David. I shot back in a whisper.

“Unlucky? He was adorable.”

“What?”

“Ahem. Hello, I’m Joy Michela.”

I lightly ignored David’s sharp glare and smiled naturally as I greeted the child sitting next to me.

The child flinched under my gaze, but I didn’t care. Let him stare for the rest of his life.

Blame your bad luck.

David’s effort to buy out an entire train car ended up being pointless.

All the empty seats around us were soon filled with students our age.

They spoke to David and me far more comfortably than before.

David looked clearly annoyed, but perhaps out of a sense of duty to help me make friends, he played along quite earnestly.

“Oh my… Lady Michela, I heard you were quite frail?”

The conversation drifted until it reached my health. They’d heard I’d been bedridden due to illness and asked whether I was fully recovered.

David lied without hesitation, saying my heart condition was still serious and that I could collapse from even minor stress.

He lied so smoothly it was ridiculous. I stared at him in disbelief, but the naïve students believed every word.

“That’s right. So if anyone bullies her, tell me immediately.”

Kind-hearted young ladies looked on with pity. David addressed them with a serious expression.

Some students began to sense something odd, exchanging glances as if testing the waters. Eventually, one brave young lady stammered out a question.

“C-could it be that you two are… dating?”

Before she could finish, David jumped up in outrage.

“What? What nonsense is that? She’s like family to me—basically my little sister!”

I’d planned to stay quiet, but one word from David struck a nerve.

I raised an eyebrow and retorted firmly.

“David, why would I be your little sister? I’m the older one.”

“Did you forget that my birthday’s earlier?”

“My mental age is higher.”

“How would you know that? Did you crack open my head?”

We bickered for quite a while before I suddenly felt drained. What was I even doing, arguing with a twelve-year-old?

Was this what people called a “reality check”?

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

As I sighed in self-contempt, David frowned and pointed it out. He really had a talent for sounding rude no matter what he said.

But he was only twelve. Instead of getting angry, I found it oddly cute.

I shrugged as if nothing were wrong.

“Still, you two really seem close.”

Once our argument died down, the students spoke up again.

“Yes, you look very intimate.”

“I heard the Taylor and Michela families have been close for generations. I guess it’s true.”

They looked at me with sparkling eyes, as if I were someone to admire. Being the center of attention like this was new to me, and I felt a bit dazed.

In truth, the Duke of Taylor and the Count of Michela had shared deep ties for generations.

Several generations ago, the Taylor family had been falsely accused of treason. It was said that the Michela Count played a crucial role in clearing their name.

After that, the Taylor family began supporting the Michela family, and their friendship naturally continued.

“Well, we’ve seen each other a lot since we were kids, so we are close.”

“Since childhood?”

While I was lost in thought, David began telling stories about my childhood.

That I’d been painfully shy, that I’d been much sicker than I was now, that I’d cried easily at the slightest thing.

“Come to think of it, Joy, you…”

Go ahead. Talk all you want.

The “young Joy” David talked about wasn’t me, so it didn’t matter what he said. I couldn’t even remember those things—it felt like listening to someone else’s story.

At least, it did until he looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“What?”

“You seem very different from when you were little.”

“…D-do I?”

“Hm. Strange…”

He tilted his head slightly. My conscience prickled, and I tried to stay calm.

“People change, you know.”

“But…”

“Speaking of which, David, weren’t you the kind of kid who wet the bed—mmph!”

David clamped a hand over my mouth. His eyes were wide with panic as I blinked at him. I’d only said it on a whim, but it seemed he really did have such a history.

Well, few kids don’t. Of course, I never did.

“We should talk about something else.”

I nodded slowly, and David let go with a sigh of relief. After that, cheerful conversations continued throughout the train ride, but an uncomfortable feeling lingered in my heart.

What would David do if he realized that the Joy from his childhood and the current me were different people?

The unanswered question that had followed me even in my past life stubbornly tangled my thoughts.

My mouth tasted bitter.