Youthful Mornings and the Lorelei Legacy
Beyond the curtains, birds sang to announce the morning, and I opened my eyes by reflex. Unlike my previous life, where even a deep sleep left me groggy and reluctant to rise, I sat up easily. Youth really is something else.
“This is what they call youth… Wait, that doesn’t sound right at my age.”
I glanced down at my short limbs, clenching and unclenching my tiny hands, and promptly corrected myself. Childish was far more accurate than youthful. As I patted the fluffy mattress, I decided it deserved some credit for how refreshed I felt. Then my gaze landed on René sprawled across the center of the wide bed, limbs stretched out like a starfish, and a smile tugged at my lips.
We shared the bed, so her terrible sleeping habits were a daily trial, but seeing her face so utterly free of worry made it easy to forgive. Children should be happy, after all.
I hoped her early years would be nothing but bright, joyful memories. I pulled the blanket that had slipped to the foot of the bed back over her. In this life, unlike the original story, René was steadily stacking up happy moments, and I felt a quiet swell of pride knowing I—one who understood exactly what kind of life she was meant to lead and how it would end—was changing that fate.
I’ll keep working hard. I’ll give her a different ending this time. A happy one. With that promise in my heart, I hopped off the bed and stretched. I shook off the last traces of sleep, then tiptoed out so I wouldn’t disturb René before the servants came to wake us.
“This always makes me think.”
I slipped into the attached bathroom and let out a soft chuckle at the sight that greeted me. It looked almost exactly like a modern restroom. When I’d read about it in the original story, the minor inconveniences had seemed questionable, but actually living here made it unbelievably convenient.
“Good is good.”
Complaining might invite trouble, and that would only hurt me, so I cut the thought short. I dragged over the step stool the servants had prepared for tiny René and me, then climbed up. In the mirror—spotless thanks to a perfect blend of technology and magic—stared back a girl with long, pale-green hair and matching eyes.
I made a few silly faces, studying the reflection that was identical to René’s sleeping one. Even though we were twins, there had to be some difference. I searched carefully, but found nothing that could reliably tell us apart.
“Sigh. Is this what being a kid does to you? My attention span is nonexistent.”
Remembering why I’d come in here, I gave a wry smile and washed my face with cool water, reminding myself to stay more alert. Letting my guard down for even a second turned me into an actual child.
“Eek!”
When I lifted my head, my eyes met the servant’s in the mirror. She had been standing silently at the door. Startled, I let out a strange yelp. Panicking, I spun around, but my foot slipped on the stool. My body tilted dangerously. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the painful impact.
Instead of hard floor, I met soft warmth and gentle arms.
“Haah, Miss René. Are you all right?”
“Uh… thank you.”
The servant had rushed in and caught me before I could fall. Even after my answer, she checked me over thoroughly before finally breathing a sigh of relief. She stroked my hair—my face was still buried against her chest—apologizing for startling me and soothing me with gentle words.
I hadn’t actually been hurt, so I recovered quickly, but I stayed still, savoring the soft warmth of her chest against my cheek and listening to her heart race faster than my own from the scare.
“What are you two doing in there?”
“Ah, Miss René slipped.”
A moment later René poked her sleepy face into the bathroom, yawning. The servant gave a quick explanation, then carefully set me down when I patted her arm to show I was fine. I felt a pang of regret as the comforting warmth withdrew, but I kept it hidden. The servant smiled at me, then lifted René into her arms.
“Shall we get you ready too, Miss René?”
“Put me down! I can do it myself!”
“Yes, but we should be careful.”
Probably because of my earlier slip, the servant gently coaxed René—who insisted she could manage alone—and helped her wash up. Feeling guilty for causing extra worry, I busied myself with what I could do while I waited. Before long, a fresh-faced René came trotting over to me.
We sat side by side brushing our messy hair while the servant laid out clothes for breakfast.
“Don’t we have anything simpler?”
After years of wearing them, the discomfort of girls’ clothing had mostly faded, but the dress covered in frills still felt excessive. When I asked, the servant simply answered with a quiet smile. I let out a long sigh, chose the plainest option available, and dressed. Then I gave René—who had picked the one with the enormous ribbon—a thumbs-up that meant both pretty and impressive.
The servant chuckled at the sight of us sisters and led the way to the dining room.
“Mom, Dad. Did you sleep well?”
We opened the dining-room door and bowed politely to our parents, who were already enjoying their morning tea.
“Yes. Did René and Rene have a good night too?”
“We slept really well!”
Our parents greeted us with genuinely kind smiles. We took our seats, and soon Arlan and Aran appeared.
“Haaa… hmm, hmm.”
Aran must have stayed up late; she yawned as she sat. When Mother gave her a wry look, Aran sheepishly turned her head away. While Arlan scolded her with a pointed glance, the servants brought in the food.
I watched the lavish dishes cover the table in no time and let out a soft breath.
It’s a genuine feast.
Compared to scarfing down convenience-store triangle kimbap while waiting for a bus, this was pure luxury. A small, satisfied feeling bloomed inside me.
“By the way, René and Rene. It might be time to begin your studies.”
After our quiet, pleasant, chatter-free breakfast, while we sipped our after-meal drinks, Mother suggested we start lessons. Isn’t this a little early? The thought had barely formed when René’s eyes sparkled with interest at the novelty.
“Studying… I want to do it!”
Before I could stop her, René blurted out her answer. She whipped her head toward me. Her sparkling eyes clearly said Let’s do it together. I nodded obediently. Mother, Father, Arlan, and Aran all burst into amused laughter.
Seeing everyone laugh, René broke into a huge grin without even understanding why.
“The Lorelei family, in ages past, received blessings and protection from the spirit of Lorelan Lake…”
“Studying is boring…”
The bright smile wilted in an instant the moment the butler—asked by Mother to make time—began recounting the family’s history. While René quickly lost interest, I listened intently. The original story had barely touched on the Lorelei family’s past.
“During the first rebellion after the founding of the great empire, wicked rebels invaded and devastated our lands because we refused to join them.”
The butler first explained how our ancestor had aided the spirit of Lorelan Lake in its time of need and received its blessing in return, allowing the Lorelei family to rule a vast territory centered on the great lake. Then he moved on to a major crisis from several hundred years ago.
“When the family’s survival hung in the balance, the waters of Lorelan Lake—the lifeblood of the eastern granary—dried up, bringing severe drought to the entire region.”
Even magic and prayers to the gods could not end the long drought. Eventually the rebels fell into internal conflict and destroyed themselves. When the Lorelei family finally returned, the drought lifted. From then on, our house was regarded as special. Hearing the story, I finally understood why the delinquent prince who obstructed the protagonist at every turn in the original novel became strangely obedient whenever René got involved.
He was more sensible than his reputation suggested.
I chuckled. No matter how much of a troublemaker he was, he apparently wasn’t foolish enough to harass the daughter of the family tied to more than half the empire’s food production.
“René. Why are you laughing?”
“It’s just interesting.”
René tilted her head at my answer, still looking puzzled. I thought it was adorable that such sharp insight could hide behind that purely cute face, offered a vague excuse, and continued listening as the butler explained that after becoming a house of special significance, the Lorelei family had maintained a neutral stance ever since.