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Chapter 01
I didn’t transmigrate, but I was born and raised here. I was a child who never existed in the original story, a child named ‘Elizabeth Kristenner’.
I was born with memories of my previous life, and I soon realized where my new life would begin. Marquis Kristenner, Michael Kristenner. The name was clearly imprinted in my mind, even among unfamiliar lands and unfamiliar people. It was the name of the family and the sub-male lead in the romance fantasy novel, ‘The Saintess of Erendel’, which I had read in my previous life. The wealthiest and most prestigious family of nobles in the Kaiden Empire. A family so wealthy that if they were to give away all their possessions, the entire population of the Kaiden Empire could live off of it for at least ten years.
That was the Kristenner Marquisate where I was born as the precious youngest daughter. Overflowing wealth and honor, a splendid and enormous mansion, numerous servants, and parents who doted on their cute youngest daughter. And an older brother who was outstanding enough to cover for his foolish younger sister.
And among them, I….
“Starting tomorrow, you will go on blind dates, so be prepared.”
Wait. What? I didn’t mishear, did I? He really asked me to go on blind dates. No wonder he brought me all the way to the capital even though it’s not the social season!
“What? Why me!”
Only then did I raise my body, which had been lying down, and look up at my older brother with eyes that couldn’t believe it. A piercing gaze flew from the young lord of the current Kristenner family.
“A parasite who has done nothing but eat, sleep, and grow fat for the past twenty-three years has no right to refuse.”
It was a sharp criticism. Unfortunately, I had no room to argue back. In fact, after I was born into this world, I had really lived like a good-for-nothing, eating, sleeping, pooping, and rolling around in bed for the past twenty-three years. I rarely left my bed, holding onto the motto that the outside world was dangerous, unless it was necessary.
I should say my previous life now. I had a strong homebody and lazy personality in my previous life too, and it wasn’t much different in this life. I barely made it through my social debut, which everyone else did, and I didn’t have any close friends except for the unavoidable social gatherings that I was dragged to. And I always turned my older brother’s efforts to somehow rehabilitate me into nothing.
In addition, I made the head of the Kristenner Marquisate look like an incompetent older brother who couldn’t marry off his younger sister. Some people often gossiped that my father had handed over the position of head of the family to my older brother, Michael, early on and left with my mother for a trip because he couldn’t stand his useless youngest daughter’s nagging anymore and ran away.
‘No. Even so, this is too sudden!’
“1 pm tomorrow, at the Zremian Restaurant.”
Even with my gaze mixed with protest, a chilling command fell over my head.
“Remember it and show up on time. It will be in your best interest.”
It wasn’t the face of a brother suggesting blind dates to his only younger sister, but the expression and tone of someone giving a final warning to their mortal enemy. His silent gaze seemed to say that if I didn’t go to the blind date safely, only death awaited me.
Of course, I remained silent, expressing my dislike with my entire body.
“Answer.”
A cold voice immediately pierced through me. When I rolled my eyes up to look, a gaze that seemed like it would stab me into the floor if I didn’t answer properly flew at me. The past twenty-three years of living a lazy life within the walls of the Kristenner Marquisate flashed through my mind like a revolving lantern. They were really good days.
“Answer.”
The voice demanding an answer rang in my ears once more.
Alright, whether it’s a good past or a bleak future, I have to live in the present for now. I nodded, holding back tears.
“…Yes.”
“What time is it?”
“…1 pm.”
“Where is it?”
“…The Zremian Restaurant.”
“If you don’t go to the blind date on time tomorrow?”
“But what if something really does happen, Michael? Like, what if I break my leg or something?”
I didn’t mean it literally, but I brought it up lightly to see what would happen.
As expected, Michael shot me a deadly glare.
I quickly ducked my head and replied, “Even if my leg is broken, I’ll crawl out.”
I hate confrontation, but my life is precious!
The next day at 1:00 p.m., I was sitting quietly at a window seat in the Zremian Restaurant.
* * *
The novel ‘The Saintess of Erendel’ sub-male lead, Marquis Michael Kristenner.
He became the head of the Kristenner Marquisate as soon as he came of age at 19.
He is known for his handsome features and physique that rival the male lead, and his old-fashioned personality that is inflexible. He is a man who always walks the straight and narrow path. This is my brother.
In fact, I am quite grateful to my brother, Michael.
Despite being only two years older than me, he has been a strong support and a loving brother to me since I was young.
Michael has always been there for me, sometimes like a parent, sometimes like a friend.
He nags me more than my parents, scolds me more often than my parents, and has flicked my forehead countless times more than my parents.
Still, for the past twenty-three years, I have thought countless times that I was fortunate to be born as this man’s younger sister.
Michael has been worried about me since I was young.
It was because, unlike other children of noble families, I was not used to socializing with others.
He always watched over me with concern as I sat alone in a corner, counting the ants crawling on the ground, and as I was avoided and ostracized by others for being gloomy.
But he didn’t scold me for not being able to get along with other children my age.
He didn’t force me to hang out with the kids who were shunning me.
“If you need a friend, I’m here for you, so you don’t need any of that. So never lose heart and always stand tall and act with confidence.”
Instead, he would arrogantly put his hand on my head and say in his characteristically indifferent tone.
“Whether you’re squatting on the ground looking at ants or you don’t have a single friend to invite to your birthday party, whatever you do. You are my proud and precious little sister.”
The moment I heard those words, I, who still had vivid memories of my previous life as a nineteen-year-old, truly accepted Michael Kristenner, who was only eleven years old at the time, as my brother.
The reason I was only looking at ants was because I didn’t want to deal with the snooty little kids who were pretending to be adults, and it was a calculated move to make them avoid me first.
Of course, the brother who said that at the time….
“I still regret saying that to you and causing you to become like this.”
Whenever he has a drink, he grabs me and sighs deeply, repeating what he has already said.
I also felt sorry for Michael in my own way.
It’s partly my fault that not only me but also my brother has become a bachelor who has long passed the marriageable age.
In the original story, Michael Kristenner was so engrossed in raising the business he had taken over that he missed the right time to get married.
However, with my existence as a new addition to the original story, Michael Kristenner’s burden has become even greater.
It would be difficult for him not to care about the opinions of those around him if he couldn’t marry off his only sister while he himself was living a happy family life.
“What woman would marry a man with a huge burden like me?”
It was a valid point.
Honestly, I would hesitate to marry a man who had a sister he couldn’t marry off.
Anyway, I know that Michael will not get married until the original female lead appears.
Still, I have enough conscience to feel sorry for my brother, who is living with his old sister and being criticized by those around him as an incompetent brother.
…But that doesn’t mean I’m going to act like a meek and mild lady at a blind date that I was forced to go on.
Crack.
The marble table, which had been doing its job perfectly fine, split in half with a loud bang.
The moment I lightly touched the table while leaning on it was the exact moment when everyone noticed.
The person sitting across the table from me, the restaurant employee approaching to take my order, and even the other customers sitting nearby—it felt like they were all looking at me with the same expression, as if we had planned this. Their eyes said they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
“Oh my, that’s dangerous.”
I pulled my hand away from the broken table, feigning surprise as if I hadn’t expected it at all. A chunk of marble fell from the table, which had split neatly in half.
My companion’s eyes, which had lost their focus, moved from the broken table to the marble piece that had fallen to the floor, and finally back to my face.
I covered my mouth with my hand and let out a timid laugh. “I’m sorry. I forgot to be careful.” be careful.”
