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Chapter 1. I Picked Up a Child and Suddenly Became a Sister-in-Law
Ah, it’s definitely my life, but nothing ever goes the way I want.
It was fine when I suddenly transmigrated—after all, I was a taekwondo gold medalist in my previous life.
But how did things end up like this?
“Don’t divorce my brotherrrr!”
What did I do to end up in a situation where a tiny future villain is begging me not to divorce his older brother?
Hiccup. The pitiful child held back sobs as he clung tightly to my clothes.
“Ellia… Ellia, you don’t want to be with me?”
“I want to be with you too, Calib. But…”
The contract’s over.
Even though he already knew, I couldn’t bring myself to say it to a crying child.
I glanced sideways at the boy’s older brother, Cedric, who stood there with an emotionless expression.
Hey. Your little brother’s crying. Can’t you do something?
That was the look I gave him, but Cedric just kept his unreadable gaze fixed on his crying brother.
At last, he spoke in a low voice.
“Calib, don’t make things harder for Ellia.”
But Calib didn’t answer.
Instead, he burrowed deeper into my arms as if he didn’t want to hear his brother’s voice at all.
Cedric’s eyebrow twitched.
“Calib.”
His voice came out low and deep, almost rumbling from his gut. A little intimidating, to be honest.
Wait, why are you getting mad at a kid?
I asked you to do something—not scold him.
As I held Calib a bit tighter, Cedric approached with long strides and grabbed the child by the scruff of his neck.
“Ah!”
“Calib!”
Startled, Calib squirmed, and I reached out reflexively, but Cedric didn’t let go.
“Calib. This doesn’t change anything.”
He stared coldly at the child.
Wait… Did he just glare at him?
His icy voice continued.
“Ellia fulfilled the terms of the contract, so she’ll be divorcing me… and you’ll go back to living in the ducal estate without her. Just like before.”
I could’ve sworn I heard his teeth grind when he said “divorce.”
At Cedric’s words, Calib’s large eyes filled with tears again.
Then, furiously rubbing them away, he glared up at his brother with red, puffy eyes.
“You’re an idiot! The biggest idiot in the whole world!”
“…What?”
“How can you let Ellia go? How can you even think about it?!”
“I don’t want to let her go either—!”
Cedric grit his teeth, looking like he was about to yell something, but I quickly cut in.
“Wait, wait! Why are you two fighting?”
I was completely flustered.
What’s wrong with these brothers?
Aren’t you the famously close siblings in this world of backstabbing noble families?!
So why are you bickering now?!
As I blinked in confusion, looking between the two of them, Calib whimpered again.
“Elliaaa…”
“Uh, yeah?”
Should I pick him up?
As I hesitated and reached out, Calib wriggled even more desperately.
Cedric finally handed him over, and the boy wasted no time in diving into my arms.
“If Ellia leaves, my brother will become a complete idiot. He already cut his finger like a klutz!”
Well, technically your brother is the strongest man in this world, and that injury came from when he crushed a hundred knights.
“Nights without Ellia are too scary. I think there’s a monster under my bed.”
You’re a dark-element gravity mage, and that “monster” is supposed to be your pet demon someday.
“So please… please don’t divorce my brother.”
Calib looked up at me with pleading eyes, like a child begging for candy.
And I… he looked just like my little brother, Yoon, when he used to beg like that…
“If you really married him, couldn’t we all live together in the ducal estate?”
And he didn’t even say “brother.” He said “brother dearest.”
“Uwaaah…” Calib broke down crying again and buried his face in my chest.
I had no idea what to do. I just patted his back.
Sigh… How did I end up in this mess?
Ellia, 23 years old. No other information.
That’s all I knew about the extra I transmigrated into.
“I closed my eyes, and when I opened them—I was here.”
That ridiculous thing had happened to me.
“Haa…”
And maybe because it happened so suddenly?
I had no memories of this body’s life.
Unlike in other romance fantasy novels, there was no past life flooding into my mind.
I only found out my name and age thanks to a diary I stumbled upon.
I haven’t read many rofan novels, but I knew a few rules.
“No memories like this must mean… the author forgot about this extra character entirely.”
The less important the character, the sloppier the details. It’s a rule.
Other people transmigrate into female leads, villainesses… but me? I’m just an extra.
“And even extras usually end up somewhat involved with the main cast. But I…”
I looked around the rustic little cabin, clearly worn from use.
Outside the window, nothing but forest. The household items inside looked like they belonged to a hermit.
“To think I transmigrated into a truly forgotten background character… That’s actually kind of impressive.”
I couldn’t help but marvel at my tragic fate.
But only for a moment.
Clap!
“Well, this might actually be perfect. Isn’t this what I wanted?”
Maybe it wouldn’t be the dazzling life of a heroine, but at least I wasn’t… me anymore.
Lowering Ellia’s pink gem-like eyes, I whispered internally.
Before all this, I was a taekwondo gold medalist.
But on the very day I won my first Olympic gold… my little brother passed away.
I still remember it vividly.
The moment I shooed away reporters to call Yoon, thrilled to tell him the good news.
I wanted to tell him we could finally pay off the hospital bills, hire a better caregiver, and find a new hospital.
But instead, the caregiver gave me devastating news.
“Don’t tell her until after the match.”
That was Yoon’s last request—his final words.
Now that I think about it, Yoon was always mature.
“You were only seven…”
And still more grown-up than me.
He hid his condition to let me focus on training. Stupidly selfless.
After he died, I fell apart.
The gold medal felt meaningless. I had nothing left.
That shining medal? Probably buried somewhere in the trash heap I called my room.
The journalists who constantly rang my doorbell made me develop a fear of people.
“The sickly younger brother who died the day his sister won Olympic gold…”
My grief became a headline. Just another juicy story for the media.
I wanted to disappear.
I thought about moving abroad, but even there, someone might recognize me.
And just the thought of cameras flashing at the airport made me panic.
I just wanted to vanish.
“And now I’m an extra in a novel world.”
Was it fate or coincidence?
One thing was clear—this transmigration was a second chance.
“I may not know what this world is or who I am… but still.”
Maybe it was better this way—starting from scratch.
I didn’t need to worry about storylines or dark masterminds like those other heroines!
“Alright. Time to explore a little. I’m going to live here, so I should at least know what’s around.”
I spoke out loud, trying not to feel the loneliness of being dropped in a strange world.
Honestly, I quite liked the thick forest outside.
After all, I’d spent my life training—hospital, gym, hospital, gym.
Just not being in a cold, crowded city already felt like healing.
How long had I walked?
“Ow, my feet… These cloth shoes suck, and this forest path is brutal.”
I flopped onto a tree stump, muttering to myself.
The forest was denser than I expected.
But thanks to the sunlight streaming through the canopy, it wasn’t too dark.
Strange plants and startled animals scattered at the sight of me.
Weirdly, it felt good.
“Hah, like there’s anyone here to judge me.”
I chuckled to myself.
But then—
“Haaah… Haaah…!”
A child’s panicked gasps.
Wait—child?!
I jumped up.
Just then, a boy burst out of the bushes on the other side.
“Grr! Grrrr!”
And behind him—a monster that looked like a wolf, drooling as it chased him.
The kid was running for his life!
“Shit!”
Without hesitation, I sprinted after the boy.
The ankle-length dress got in the way, so I hiked it up.
“Kid! Over here!”
Using the full power of my national athlete lungs, I shouted.
The boy’s eyes wavered with uncertainty.
“Now!”
I called again, and he ran toward me.
Naturally, the monster followed.
“Haaah!”
I pushed the child behind me and took a fighting stance.
It’s a wolf. Not gonna lie—I was scared. But I had to protect the kid.
I couldn’t back down.
The wolf lunged.
Its open jaws, moving in slow motion.
But my legs were longer. And my specialty? Spinning back kick.
No hesitation—I turned my body.
“HAAH!”
A shout to drive out the fear. My white dress fluttered, and with a loud crack!
“Yipe!”
My kick landed squarely on its lower jaw. The wolf flew and didn’t get up again.
Panting, I looked at its broken face.
“Is… is it dead?”
From one kick?
I was stunned.
Was I always this strong?
I knew my specialty was powerful, but still…
Well, whatever. I saved the kid.
I turned my head and said—
“Are you alr—”
I couldn’t finish.
Because the child staring at the dead wolf in terror…
Was Yoon.
My younger brother who had died from albinism-related complications.
The same white hair. The same red eyes.
It was Yoon. Exactly the same.
“Yoon…”
I whispered.
The child looked up with those red eyes.
For a moment, I thought I might cry.
Even his confused expression looked just like Yoon’s.
Then he spoke.
“Yoon? Who’s that? I am Calib Indigentia, sole heir to the grand duchy of the Ifrescent Empire.”
…What?
Wasn’t he… that child villain from the parenting rofan I read?
“This Time, I Won’t Let Him Sleep”?
