Melting Snow, My Radiant Sister
The snow had melted away, but my younger sister shone with a brilliance I could never match. Among the fairy clans, excluding the imperial family itself, the greatest house was the Tanalif Grand Duchy. She seemed to embody the very truth that she was its rightful heir. Beautiful features, unreachable talent, and a charisma that drew people to her like moths to flame.
“The curses have overlapped far too much. They’re tangled together so tightly that any careless attempt to lift them could cost her life.”
The child who had once burned so brightly had become bedridden, unable to rise. The girl who had illuminated everyone around her had, paradoxically, earned the envy of far too many. Curses she never even knew were accumulating finally crushed her, plunging her into unconsciousness.
Everyone who loved her gathered in one place and mourned.
“……How much time does she have left?”
My father, the Grand Duke, asked the imperial physician in a voice heavy with grief.
“It will still be some time before the curses manifest outwardly. But once they do, there will be no turning back.”
“Is there truly no way for my daughter to survive?”
“There is one method. Transfer the curses to another person.”
“You mean… I must sacrifice someone for my daughter’s sake?”
“When transferred, the curses weaken. The recipient would suffer them for life, but it would not threaten their survival. However……”
The physician carefully examined my sister once more.
“Even so, we cannot completely erase the curses clinging to the young lady. A faint trace will remain. It may change her appearance or personality to some degree.”
“How much? Will she become an entirely different person?”
“No, nothing that severe. At most, small horns or spots might appear on her body, or her tastes might change slightly. That is all.”
“Then there is no reason to hesitate. My daughter must live. I will find someone to take the curses at once.”
“Pardon me, but… there is one more thing I must tell you.”
“Speak.”
Father’s expression showed clear impatience, as if to say, If you have something to say, say it all at once. Yet the physician’s hesitation was understandable.
“Transferring the curses is only possible between those who share a very close bloodline. Parents, or siblings… for example.”
The moment those words left his lips, every eye in the room—Father’s, Mother’s, the vassals’, the servants’—turned to a single person.
The older brother of the cursed girl.
Me.
“……”
I stepped forward quietly. There was no need to say I would do it willingly. It was simply natural.
I was the one who bore the name Tanalif yet possessed no talent whatsoever—the very embodiment of the family’s shame. Offering my body for the glory of House Tanalif was the obvious choice.
“Sia Tanalif.”
In the heavy silence, only Father spoke.
“The glory of the Tanalif Grand Duchy will continue thanks to you.”
The rightful heir of the Tanalif Grand Duchy. Lua Tanalif. My beloved younger sister.
“House Tanalif will never forget your sacrifice.”
It was the bare minimum expression of gratitude expected from the one who represented Tanalif. No one mourned the pain I would endure.
“Master Sia. It is time to wake up.”
At Angelica’s voice, I lifted my head groggily. My mind still hazy, I blinked at her several times. She reached out and gently wiped the moisture from the corners of my eyes.
“Did you have a nightmare?”
“……I dreamed of when I was still a man.”
“You are still a man, Master Sia. What matters is the heart, not the outward form.”
Thoughtful as always, Angelica offered those kind words.
When I rose from the bed, my reflection in the full-length mirror caught my eye. Pink hair so long it dragged across the floor, unkempt and messy. Dark circles under my eyes from chronic insomnia. A frame that had barely changed from my boyhood despite the passage of time. Skin almost entirely devoid of muscle, smooth and porcelain-pale. Soft, firm breasts and a rounded backside. A narrow waist, flared hips, and long, straight legs.
A body completely different from the one I had seen in my dream—one that anyone would unquestionably call female.
The heart matters more than the exterior, she had said. Well. I found it difficult to agree.
“Haaah……”
I pushed the complicated thoughts aside and slipped into the bathtub, letting the warm water envelop me. The way it melted both body and mind was deeply comforting. Behind me, Angelica poured water over my hair and washed it with meticulous care. Because of its length, the task was closer to laundering fabric than washing hair.
“……I’ve been thinking of cutting it.”
“Why? It’s so beautiful.”
“Isn’t it hard for you, Angelica? Washing it and styling it every single day……”
“Not at all. If you are worried about me, there is no need to cut it.”
“I see…… Thank you.”
Because of the Reversal Curse, I had become biologically female. My once-red eyes had turned golden, and my skin—which had been darker—had become pure white. Yet my hair remained the same pink it had been when I was male. It was the only remaining trace of my original self, so I had never wanted to cut it. I simply hadn’t realized it would grow this long and burden Angelica. I had once tried to wash it myself out of guilt, but she had insisted it was fine even then.
“His Grace the Grand Duke will not be joining you for breakfast this morning either.”
Lua was always busy with her duties, so breakfast was one of the few times we could share. Lately, however, my sister had been skipping it entirely, making it difficult to even see her face.
“I-is that so? She’s been doing that a lot recently. I wonder if she’s unwell……”
I knew that wasn’t the real reason. I still remembered the last time we had eaten together.
‘……I will take my leave first.’
She had not even finished her meal, her expression one of clear disgust. She had practically thrown her utensils down before leaving. She must have grown tired of having to face an older brother with no value, only because they were family. The only reason she had not driven me out was the debt of having had the curses transferred onto me.
“How would you like your meal, Master Sia? Shall I bring it to your room?”
“U-um…… actually, I’m not very hungry either……”
“No. You must eat. I will bring it at once.”
“……Yes.”
I had no particular schedule today. Angelica would have to attend to Lua from the afternoon onward, so I would be spending the time alone.
Maybe I should take a walk……
I usually stayed shut inside my room. If I happened to encounter guests visiting the family, they might feel discomfort at the sight of me—a walking mass of curses. It was not particularly unpleasant, but every once in a while I wanted to step outside and feel the cold wind. The physician had recommended it as well.
I left my room and headed for the garden.
Ugh…… it’s cold……
The Tanalif Grand Duchy was in the northern region, a place where snowstorms raged every day. Yet I had never felt it this sharply before. The weather had not actually grown colder; my body had simply grown frail from being steeped in curses.
No one should be here today either…… right?
The garden maintained directly by the Grand Duchy saw few visitors, making it the perfect place for me to walk. Mother had tended it herself until her passing. Lua had no interest in gardening, and it seemed a waste to let it wither, so I had begun caring for it. Though given my lack of talent in that area as well, it looked no different from when it was abandoned.
It had once been filled with fragrance while Mother lived. Now it was little more than a forest of bare, skeletal trees.
— Hic…… sob…….
Then, from between the trees, came what sounded like stifled weeping. The only people permitted in this garden were myself and Lua, but she rarely came here.
“……Is someone there?”
— Big Brother…… Brother…….
Brother? Was she calling for me?
— It gets harder every day…… Ah……!
A short gasp, followed by a sound like something being scattered.
I could not understand what was happening and felt a flicker of fear, but I gathered my courage and moved closer. No matter how worthless this body was, I was still a member of the Grand Duchy. If someone other than Lua had entered the garden without permission, it was my duty to drive them out.
“Haa…… haa……”
Silver hair that seemed to carry the chill of the north. Clothing adorned with black feathers. There was no mistaking the figure—it was my younger sister, Lua, seen from behind. Around her, the snow refused to settle, melting the moment it touched the ground. Steam rose in visible wisps, scattering into the cold air.
Why was she so heated? Had she been training alone?
“Lua, is that you?”
“……?”
Lua fumbled with her clothes as if straightening them, then turned in my direction.
“Eep……”
The moment those sharp crimson eyes met mine, I instinctively looked down. Even though we were family, her gaze carried the majestic dignity of a Grand Duke—something I could never possess.
“……What brings you here, Brother?”
“Ah, um, I just came for a walk. I felt someone’s presence…… and, well, I’m the one who manages this garden. Since you don’t……”
“……”
“O-of course I’m not saying you did anything wrong! It’s just that no one else would do it, so……”
Her silent stare was terrifying. Had I somehow interfered with something? Growing self-conscious, I lifted a hand to scratch at my head.
Ever since we were children, I had felt a distance from Lua. She was an extraordinary child, and I was a pathetic one; the gap was only natural. Back then, however, we had at least shared the position of “the Grand Duke’s children,” so the distance had not felt quite so vast. Now that our roles had been clearly divided into “master of the house” and “member of the house,” even thinking of her as my younger sister felt disrespectful.
“B-but, have you been feeling unwell lately? You’ve been skipping breakfast so often that I can hardly see your face……”
“……I will take my leave now.”
“Ah, yes. Take care of yourself. I’ll stay just a little longer and then—”
Lua did not wait for me to finish. She brushed past me and vanished, her attitude making it clear she had no desire to spend another moment in my presence.
“She must hate me……”
The melancholy made me want to crawl straight into bed, but I decided to finish my walk. If I ran into her on the way back, it would only upset her further.
Where Lua had been standing, fresh white snow was already beginning to pile up again. I was about to walk through that spot when it hit me.
What is that smell……?
A scent I felt I had encountered before—thick and musky. It reminded me of a flower that bloomed on a certain tree, but I could not recall which.
“Ugh……?!”
My face suddenly burned. I did not need to use the bathroom, yet a strange, tickling sensation spread through my lower belly and between my legs. It was not the kind of itch that scratching could relieve—an odd thirst-like feeling.
Why was my body reacting like this?
I-I should go back inside and rest……
Perhaps I had stayed out in the cold too long. It would be best to return to my room quietly.