IYVR 01

Chapter 1

“Are you seriously calling someone as irresponsible as you the head of the household?!”
“Irresponsible? Who’s talking about irresponsibility right now?!”

Good morning, a fine day.

Yet, from downstairs, I could hear my parents arguing as usual.

Sigh… here we go again.

Harsh personal attacks and the sounds of objects being thrown echoed through the house, but I ignored them as I always did.

Trying to intervene never ended well. Last time, I jumped in by mistake and ended up with a huge bump on my forehead.

Instead, I tucked a bag of bread and today’s newspaper under my arm and opened the attic door.

“Cindy, I’m here—!”
“Unni…?”

Cindy, sitting on the old bed in the corner of the dilapidated attic, turned her head toward me.

“It smells like bread, Unni.”

She reached her hand into the air. I walked over, making footsteps audible, and placed a warm piece of bread into her hand.

My younger sister gently stroked the surface of the bread with a faint smile.

“A croissant?”
“That’s right.”
“Wow, croissants are my favorite. Unni, what about the newspaper?”
“Of course I brought it. Want to read it while eating?”
“Yeah.”

Cindy took a big bite of her bread. I dragged a chair over, sat down, and unfolded the newspaper.

On the third page of Polum Ilbo, the most criticized novel of recent times, The Scales Guardian’s Bride, was being serialized daily.

But my sister loved this novel.

“Hmm… hmm. Do you remember what happened yesterday?” I asked as I cleared my throat. Cindy’s unfocused eyes sparkled.

“Tani went to a ball for the first time. At the end, she met a handsome man.”
“Right, today’s chapter starts with her going on a date with that man.”
“Lucky Tani…”
“…”

Her envious voice made me pause. Cindy had lost her sight to illness a few years ago.

For Cindy, trapped in the attic all day, this novel was the only window to the world.

I looked at her silently, then turned back to the newspaper and forced my voice to sound casual.

“Shall we start? Titania Nightley felt her heart race as she looked into the man’s tree-like eyes…”

The chapter began with Tani meeting the male lead and feeling a sense of destiny.

“His name was Cain Brams, a knight with beautiful green eyes. Cain was equally drawn to Tani.”

Cindy, having finished her bread, blushed.

“They must have fallen in love at first sight, right?”
“Probably?”
“Wow…”

Watching Cindy’s reaction, I read the newspaper with dramatic flair. As the story unfolded, her unfocused eyes began to shine.

She became so engrossed that the story felt too short, even for me watching.

“‘Please… may I have another chance?’ Cain Brams whispered to Tani.”
“…”
“The chapter ended with Cain asking her out on another date.”
“Eek…!”

My passionate little listener clasped her hands together and cheered.

Does she really like Titania that much?

But unlike Cindy’s envy, most readers were busy criticizing Titania for being indecisive. She had caused herself so much trouble just attending a single ball.

Even I had crumpled the newspaper several times while reading it aloud.

“Cindy, you seem extra excited today.”
“Tani is about to go on an adventure to break a curse with Lord Cain. I’m so jealous, Unni.”
“…”
“I want to go out too…”

Thankfully, Cindy couldn’t see my face. If she could, she would have seen my dark expression.

You’ll get to go out like Titania soon enough.

But I couldn’t say that.

“If I… were to go outside, cough…”
“You’re too worked up, Cindy. Take your medicine and rest a little.”
“Okay…”

I laid Cindy down on the bed. I tried not to notice, but there was almost nothing left of her body except bones.

“Unni… I’m sorry…”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about.”

I straightened her blanket, steadying my voice. I didn’t want her to hear my trembling.

Once I confirmed she had fallen asleep, I stepped out of the attic and collapsed.

My poor sister.

Cindy was terminal. She had first lost the strength to walk, then her sight. No matter how hard I worked or what medicine I gave her, she didn’t improve.

Perhaps Cindy wished she could live the adventures of Titania through her, escaping far away in her imagination.

So please… let Titania be happy.

I clenched my fists, recalling the cruel words the doctor had told me days ago.

Please, may seeing a happy ending give Cindy strength…

“Cindy?”
“…”
“Cindy! No, Cindy! Open your eyes!”

But shortly after, Cindy passed away without seeing the ending.

“Good riddance! The medicine money was wasted anyway!”

Our parents, who never cared when she was sick, began squandering money even more after her death. The already broken family fell apart in no time.

How can I save this house? How?!

I ran everywhere trying to protect the house, the last trace of Cindy, but I alone couldn’t prevent it from falling into the creditors’ hands.

“Disgusting, despicable! How can you call yourselves parents!”

A few weeks after Cindy’s death, I wandered the streets drunk.

By chance, I saw Polum Ilbo again, and today’s chapter had concluded…

“No, Titania, you insane woman! Who did you follow? Who?!”

After reading the ending, I crumpled the newspaper.

The story had gone completely off the rails. Titania had been captured by the villain.

They should have lived happily forever, and yet I had to watch the male lead get captured! One of you has to be decisive! Did I endure all this for nothing… huh?

As I shouted in frustration, my legs gave out, and my body tilted toward the road.

“Whoa! Hey!”

“…!”

I heard the sound of hooves and the driver yelling frantically.

But I couldn’t lift myself. I could only stare helplessly at the massive carriage speeding toward me.

Wow, this is such a miserable ending…

Crash! The huge impact struck, and I lost consciousness.

“Wah… wahh!”

Ugh… so noisy.

The cries of a newborn pulled me back to consciousness. I couldn’t understand what had happened in an instant.

When I opened my eyes:

“Uh…?”

Why is the world so tall?

Everywhere I looked was filled with lavish decorations, completely different from the street where the carriage had just been.

“Edelweiss?”
“…?”

A man I had never seen called me gently, his eyes full of warmth.

As I stared up, he led me to a large bed.

“Shall we go greet your sister?”
“Si…ster…”

The word got tangled in my tongue. I bit my tongue, unable to trust my hearing.

Could it be…?

And when the man lifted me to get onto the bed, it confirmed my fear:

Have I… become a child?

But I had no time to be shocked. On the bed, a very beautiful woman held a baby who looked just like her.

The newborn’s bright red skin deepened as she cried, but she was so tiny and precious.

“Edel, this is your younger sister. Her name will be Titania—Titania Nightley.”

“…!”

I looked at the baby again. With her mother’s sparkling silver hair and likely her father’s pink eyes, she was a perfect little girl.

And if she’s Titania Nightley…

I cautiously reached out. The chubby little hand fumbled through the air but instinctively grasped mine.

“Oh my, she recognizes her Unni…!”
“…”

I felt a surge of warmth holding her hand.

Ah, now I understand. Why I woke up here. It didn’t matter if the original Titania had an older sister named Edelweiss.

“…Titania, I will protect you no matter what.”
“Oh, my lovely Edel…!”
“Honey, our daughters are already so close.”

My “mother” shed tears at my words. My “father” hugged her tightly.

But I wasn’t saying it just to impress the parents I had just met. I silently promised myself once again:

I will definitely protect you.

Cindy had died, but I was reborn—
As the older sister of the Tani she had loved.

If I can give Titania all the things I couldn’t give Cindy…

And if she lives decisively and wonderfully, Cindy will be able to watch from heaven!

Cindy, I will rewrite this novel for you.

So, Tani.
Unni will take really good care of you—get ready!