HIBTF 01

Chapter 01

I checked off the last item on today’s to-do list—brushing my hair—and closed the book.
“Today’s to-do list complete!”

Tigris Oppa, who had been waiting beside me, smiled faintly.
“To be writing a to-do list even on a day like this. Impressive.”

“Hehe.”

Seriously though.
Even though I had possessed the body of the one and only younger sister of the male lead in a romance fantasy novel where there was no need to worry about making a living, I still wrote a ‘Today’s To-Do List’ every single day!

It was all because of the habit I’d built over more than ten years of using study planners while preparing for college entrance exams and civil service exams.

Of course, calling it a to-do list was generous—most of the items were trivial.

After all, unlike back then, I was now a ten-year-old child.

When I finished organizing my stationery, Tigris Oppa held out his hand.
“Well then, shall we go?”

Tigris Oppa, who was old enough to practically be my father given our age gap, was incredibly handsome—just like a male lead should be.

His golden hair and eyes shone brilliantly, his features were sharp and attractive, and he carried the relaxed composure and dignity unique to adults.

And although he was cold and indifferent toward others, he always smiled warmly at me.

How many times had I thought, Being the male lead’s younger sister is the best, and felt happy every day?

As usual, I admired his excellent looks and took the hand he offered me.
“Okay!”

Tigris Oppa led me out of the inner residence where I had lived for the past ten years.

The servants waiting outside offered their congratulations one after another.

“Lady Systia, congratulations on your Day of Growth!”
“Our Lady Systia is finally entering her growth period. How moving.”
“Congratulations. Oh my, why am I tearing up like this?”

Receiving the shower of congratulations, we headed toward the tower.

The path to the tower was splendidly decorated with flowers, balloons, gifts, and lights.

The entire Gladwin Castle was in a festive mood.

Well, of course it was. Today was the day I, the only youngest daughter of the Great Tiger family that protects the peace of the beastman realm and rules over the feline beastmen, was entering my growth period!

We passed through the garden bustling with servants and entered the quiet tower.

Perhaps he was nervous—there was a faint dampness of sweat in Tigris Oppa’s hand.

Looking up at his face, I carefully asked,
“Oppa, are you okay?”

He let out a small laugh.
“I think that’s a question I should be asking you.”

“Me? Should I be nervous?”

“It’s not that you have to be. But usually, people are.”

“Were you nervous when you first turned into a tiger?”

“Well, it was so long ago I don’t quite remember. But I do remember the day Razban and Tabian turned into tigers.”

Razban and Tabian were my twin Oppas.

As he stepped up the stairs, Tigris Oppa curled the corner of his lips slightly.

“You were one year old then, so that was already nine years ago. It was chaos. They competed with each other, insisting they would be the first to turn into a tiger, racing up the stairs. The crashing noises were unbelievable. At that time, Mother and Father…”

While recalling the past, Tigris Oppa suddenly fell silent. With a bitter expression, he squeezed my hand gently.

“…I’m sorry, Systia.”

“I’m totally fine, so you don’t have to apologize.”

My—meaning Systia’s—parents passed away not long after I was born.

Since they died so early, I didn’t have many memories of them, so I didn’t particularly miss them or feel sad.

To show I was fine, I smiled brightly and swung his hand lightly.

But perhaps that made his heart ache more, because he stopped climbing the stairs and gently caressed my cheek with his other hand.

Standing there for a moment with his warm hand on my cheek, Tigris Oppa murmured,
“You don’t have to pretend to be strong even on a day like this.”

“I’m not pretending. I really am strong.”

I stretched my lips into a wide smile, and we resumed climbing the tower.

When Tigris Oppa and I opened the door to the room at the top of the tower and stepped inside—

Bang! Bang!

With popping sounds, small pieces of confetti rained down.

On the wall behind the door hung a banner celebrating my Day of Growth.

[Very Chu-ka to Cute Systia’s Growth Period]
[Welcome to Tiger World! Roar

The wording was so very Oppa-like that I burst out laughing.
“Ahaha. What is that?”

Razban and Tabian Oppa, holding party poppers, congratulated me with sparkling golden eyes.

“What do you mean what? It’s the congratulatory message we prepared! Congratulations on your Day of Growth!”
“Our tiny-fist-sized Systi is already entering her growth period. Time really flies!”

As they playfully poked my cheeks, I couldn’t hold back my giggles.

“Ahaha! Thank you, Oppas!”

While we were climbing the tower, the sun had set beyond the mountains, and the sky had grown dim. The faint remaining glow of sunset seeped in through the large windows.

Beneath it stood a beautiful platform covered in a golden carpet, surrounded by rows of chairs.

Long ago, when the Great Tiger Gladwin family had flourished, those chairs would have been filled with relatives congratulating the young beastman as they transformed into a tiger during their growth period.

But now, the only members left in Gladwin were me and my three Oppas.

Tigris Oppa, who had led me to the platform, gently stroked my hair.

“Congratulations on your Day of Growth, Systia.”

“Thank you, Tigris Oppa.”

“I’m sorry there aren’t many family members to celebrate your growth period.”

“Hey, that’s not something you need to apologize for. Besides, I have my twin Oppas. Razban Oppa and Tabian Oppa each count as about six people, right?”

I pointed at the twins.

Wearing cone hats, they stood on chairs, showering confetti over Tigris Oppa and me.

“Congratulations~ Congratulations~ Congratulations on Systia’s Day of Growth~!”
“Sniff! Our Systi is becoming a growth-period tiger! I’m about to cry!”
“What kind of tiger will Systia become? A super tiny, super cute little handful-sized tiger, right?”
“Of course. Ah, finally I’ll be able to carry Systi around by the scruff of her neck! If I bite that tiny thing and lift her up, she’ll dangle there looking insanely cute, won’t she?”

As he grinned, sharp tiger teeth flashed.

Huh? He’s going to bite my neck with those teeth and carry me around?

I shuddered and waved my hands frantically.

“No! If you bite my scruff, I won’t dangle—I’ll just die!”

“It’s okay. I practiced a lot with a baby tiger doll!”

“Yeah, yeah. The doll did get torn up a lot, but I think I can do it properly now? Probably?”

“Alright, that’s enough.”

Tigris Oppa brushed the confetti from his hair and made the twins sit down.

“That’s enough chatter. It’s time.”

“Oh! Finally!”

The three Oppas took their seats, and moonlight streamed in through the now fully dark window.

Soon, my body began to sparkle under the moonlight. As I had been taught, I closed my eyes.

A dizzying sensation of my perspective shifting and a ticklish feeling across my body passed by like a breeze.

It must be over now, I thought, and tried to open my eyes—

But my eyelids felt glued shut.

After struggling, I barely managed to pry them open a little, but I could only see blurry shapes.

“Uh…?”

I heard my Oppas let out short sounds.

They must be shocked.

I understand.

In this situation, even if it weren’t my Oppas but their grandfather, anyone would surely be shocked and flustered.

Among the four gathered here, the only one not surprised was probably me, since I already knew this would happen.

I greeted my undoubtedly flustered Oppas with a hello. More precisely, I tried to.

“Squeak squeak? (Hi?)”

Ah right. I’m not human right now.

Feeling embarrassed, I smiled sheepishly. More precisely, I tried to smile.

But instead of moving as I intended, my insignificant little body merely twitched its pink nose as if sniffing and trembled like a quaking aspen.

I had become a hamster.