A Sister's Devotion and a New Look
A moment later, the barren basement had completely transformed. Lights now hung on the walls, and a thick carpet covered the once-cold stone floor. With furniture brought in, it finally felt like a room fit for living.
Letters had been sent to those with the authority to unseal me, but they'd said it would take quite some time for them to arrive. So Carsella had gone ahead and overhauled the basement first. It had all happened in the blink of an eye.
"You had this prepared in advance, didn't you?"
"Of course. I wanted to let my precious little sister rest in a warm place even a second sooner."
It was something briefly mentioned in the setting materials. Carsella was always prepared for anything, in case Flora snapped out of it at any moment.
"This is actually livable now."
"I'm so glad you think so."
She meant it. It even seemed better than the house I'd lived in before.
"Now, Flora. Take a look over here, please."
As I was lost in thought, admiring the room, Carsella called out to me. She was standing next to the wardrobe.
"You can't stay like that forever."
At her words, I looked down at my body. My clothes were little more than rags. The chains had kept me from changing, and though Carsella had patched the tears countless times, it was an eyesore now.
My body was a bit dirty, but surprisingly presentable.
"I'm cleaner than I thought."
"If you think so, then all those daily visits with a wet cloth were worth it."
"...Pardon?"
So... Carsella had been the one wiping me down every time? Personally tending to a little sister who tried to bite her?
"That's some insane devotion..."
"...Hehe, hearing that from you is more than enough satisfaction for me."
Thud!
Suddenly, a dull sound echoed.
"They've finally arrived."
Unlike me, who jumped in surprise, Carsella remained calm. Curious about the noise, I checked it out—a portable bathtub filled with water had been delivered to the basement door.
Carsella snapped her fingers, and droplets of blood rose from the bottom of the tub, pulling it right in front of us.
"Whoa, blood magic."
"...! You know about blood magic?"
Carsella looked mildly surprised. Of course I did. I'd been a gamer, after all—I'd fought her boss battle countless times.
All vampires could use blood magic, so it wasn't special in itself. What was impressive was Carsella's aptitude for it.
"As expected of the future Vampire Lord."
"...You're saying something dangerous."
"Huh?"
"The current Lord is still alive and well. You mustn't speak such irreverent words."
"...What?"
...This time, I was utterly speechless. Just how far in the past was this timeline?
Bathtime. Eyes squeezed shut, I left the entire washing to Carsella.
"...Are you really going to keep doing this?"
Her voice reached me. My answer was firm.
"Yes."
"Because you're not really Flora Alberich, but a man from a distant world long ago?"
"You remembered? I thought you'd forgotten all about it."
"How could I forget what my little sister told me?"
But her attitude didn't match someone who remembered.
"Then let's hear a bit more of that fascinating story."
A hand touched my head. Carsella's fingers gently shampooed my hair.
I felt bad for making her do it, but she'd insisted on washing me herself.
"So, in the world where Flora originally lived, this place was a game."
"That's right."
"And someday I'll become the Vampire Lord, and a hero will appear to conquer the demon world?"
"Spot on."
It was a shocking tale, but her hands didn't falter. She just steadily shampooed my hair with gentle rhythm.
"And you were worried I'd be shocked to learn this world is a game."
"...Yes."
"To be honest, I'm happy. That my little sister was worried about me."
"...You're just gonna brush that off too?"
"Flora, sometimes it feels like you just want to see me freak out."
No way—that reaction was beyond anything I'd imagined!
"You think it's like that previous story."
"Difference in perspective?"
"Yes, exactly. My little sister is so smart."
Whoosh. With the sound of rinsing water, the suds on my head washed away in an instant.
"Flora, I believe you observed this world first through that game. In fact, it answers a lot of questions."
"Not shocked? That this world is a game?"
"The sensation in my hands right now isn't a game, is it?"
Carsella added, "And Flora—from the start, was this world real and the game a mere reflection? Or did the game come first, birthing this world? No one knows."
"Uh..."
"Knowing the future through game knowledge is like a fortune-teller or prophet, isn't it? If that 'game' knowledge is just a highly accurate prophecy, whether it creates or predicts the future... who can say?"
"Uh... um..."
Before I knew it, a warm breeze dried my body. She'd perfectly cleaned me while talking.
Total defeat. Carsella hadn't batted an eye at the full truth.
"...It wasn't even a real contest, so don't look so defeated."
She gave an awkward smile, trying to comfort me.
"Now, time to change into something pretty. Nice clothes can lift your spirits."
Carsella scooped me up. The size difference hit me anew. She carried me straight to the wardrobe.
"Here, take a look."
The opened wardrobe held hundreds of outfits.
"How about this?"
A blue dress covered in frills. I frantically made an X with my hands.
"Don't like blue? Then how about... wine red?"
"Hold on."
I couldn't hold back and started scanning the wardrobe myself. Dress, dress, dress, dress, and more dresses.
"...Any pants?"
"If my memory serves, no."
"......"
In the end, I dug through and picked the most subdued one—a gothic-style dress in black and white. It looked the most proper amid the bright, flashy clothes.
"You like that one?"
Carsella took the gothic dress from my hands. Then she reached out, stripping off my rag-like old clothes.
I closed my eyes and let it happen. Once fully changed, she gathered part of my hair, tying it with a ribbon into a short side ponytail.
She showed me my reflection in the full-length mirror.
The Mad Vampire, Flora Alberich. It was definitely me. Compared to her boss battle look, this was way cleaner and cuter.
Carsella was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke.
"...You're pretty."
"Yeah."
"Another nonchalant reaction?"
"I'm not Flora Alberich."
"Right, I forgot for a second. My little sister isn't Flora Alberich."
She smiled as she replied, treating my words like cute whining.
She held a thick book, looking at me with eyes full of anticipation.
"A book?"
"We should start by learning to read and write slowly. Don't worry! Your big sister will teach you from the basics."
"Ah."
Dropped into a game world, and the first thing is foreign language study? Reality hit me like a brick.
Unlike me, Carsella seemed thrilled, a smile playing on her lips. She hid it at my reluctance to study, but her joy was obvious.
It must have been one of her dreams—sitting side by side with her sister, studying letters.
"...Please take care of me."
I accepted reality. Speaking and listening first wasn't bad.
And a short time passed.
"My little sister is definitely a genius."
"I'm not."
"And so humble too..."
"Please."
Learning to read and write was over in a flash. Not because I was a genius—the language here was very similar to Korean. A few confusing parts, but the basics were easy.
I'd explained that to Carsella, but she pretended not to hear.
"Hmm... I'm proud my sister is a genius, but it's a shame the lesson ended so quickly."
"Not a gen—sigh."
No matter what I said, to her, I was already a genius.
"Still, since you mix up a few letters, lots of reading would be good."
"Not a bad idea."
The basement had nothing else to do. Reading would kill the boredom.
Still looking regretful, fiddling with the primer, Carsella soon closed it. But her regret was brief. She pulled out a new book.
"How about this one?"
"Let's see..."
I focused on the text. It took a bit, but I could read it clearly.
"A fairy tale?"
"Yes. No difficult words, short content—perfect for you, right?"
A fairy tale. Honestly, I was past the age for that.
"If you don't like it, there are others. Look—this one has beautiful illustrations."
She showed another book with elegant drawings. Another fairy tale.
"This is a fairy tale too."
"Yes, it's especially famous as a bedtime story read to children at their pillow."
"Doesn't that mean it's boring?"
"Hehe, you think so? There's some truth to that."
Carsella covered her mouth, letting out a soft laugh.
"Shall I read it to you?"
Her calm smile hid a deep longing. Like the lesson earlier, reading fairy tales must have been one of her long-imagined moments.
After decades, centuries by her mute sister's side, she had countless things she wanted to do.
...Listening quietly wasn't hard, so why not.
"I'd like that."
Carsella's face lit up. I tried to sit in a chair, but she urged me to lie on the bed.
The fairy tale was short and honestly not fun. But her voice was pleasant—more memorable than the story itself.
Thud.
The book closed.
"It's a bit different from what I imagined."
"Yeah?"
"In my imagination... by the end of the fairy tale, my precious little sister couldn't fight the sleepiness and dozed off."
"I'm a little sleepy, but not enough to sleep with someone right here."
"That's not bad either. I get to hear your thoughts directly like this."
"Your voice was nice."
"...You can't say things like that so easily."
Carsella blushed, coughing awkwardly and looking away.
Hm? Ohhh?
"The reader was pretty."
"...Flora."
...She was really weak to compliments about herself.