Chapter 272: Eve and Her Little Brother
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 272: Eve and Her Little Brother
She pulled herself out of bed.
Scratching her disheveled hair, she listened to the sparrows chirping outside, signaling the start of a new day. Sunlight streamed through the window, brightly illuminating the room. The walls were covered with pictures of Isaac in his uniform.
Eve Ropenheim let out a deep sigh. Her body felt refreshed, but her mind was a tangled mess.
The semester has already started…
She hadn’t spoken a single word to Isaac since the incident at the Ropenheim Barony. The break had slipped through her fingers before she even realized it.
*
“It’s been a while! Did you lose weight?”
“What did you do over the break?”
“Hello!”
Märchen Academy was bustling with students returning from vacation. Conversations about their time away filled the air, but the hottest topic, of course, was the Ropenheim Barony incident.
Given that this was a prestigious academy with a high percentage of noble students, the details of the scandal—which had spread like wildfire through high society—naturally reached everyone’s ears.
“Did you hear? Baron Ropenheim was actually trafficking children.”
“Yeah, I was so shocked. But did you know the one who stopped him was Senior Isaac?”
“Wow… Senior Isaac… I think I’m falling for him all over again…”
Naturally, news of Isaac’s pivotal role in resolving the crisis followed.
Isaac himself wasn’t fully aware of it, but his popularity at the academy had reached fever pitch. The only thing keeping the girls from swarming him was Luce, who constantly loomed over him, shooting murderous glares at anyone who dared to even glance in his general vicinity.
Meanwhile, a third-year student walked dejectedly through the halls, overhearing the girls' excited chatter. It was Isaac’s sister, Eve Ropenheim.
“Eveeee!!”
“Eek!”
Alicia, a short-haired third-year, ran up and tackled Eve in a hug from behind. Startled, Eve let out a strange yelp.
“Long time no see, Eve!”
“Long time no see, Alicia…”
“The semester just started, so isn't it a bit much to be this down already? Are you worried more demons are going to show up?”
“No, that’s not it…”
“It’s fine! The Ice Sovereign said there wouldn’t be any more incidents like that! We’ve safely made it through all the big disasters so far, so don’t you think things will be quiet until we graduate?”
The protests triggered by the string of recent incidents continued unabated, and the Imperial Knights’ protection had been significantly bolstered.
Outsiders might wonder why Märchen Academy hadn’t simply shut down. The truth was that closing the academy would be an overreaction that caused more harm than good. Furthermore, since it was under the direct protection of the Imperial Court, closing its doors wasn't even an option.
The academy had to continue operating, and for the most part, the students wanted it to remain open as well.
However, Eve’s low spirits had nothing to do with Alicia’s concerns.
That’s not it. It’s because I still haven’t been able to talk to Isaac…
Eve felt a crushing sense of self-doubt for failing to speak to him before the break ended.
I want to join in when the girls talk about my brother. I want to brag about how handsome, cool, and sexy he is…! And then, I want to proudly declare, “I am Isaac’s older sister.”
The mere thought sent a thrill through her, bringing a fleeting sense of satisfaction. But since she hadn’t spoken to him since the Barony incident…
She felt as though nothing had been resolved between them. Bragging about being his sister felt like a shameless, inconsiderate act that ignored her brother’s true feelings.
“Eve?”
“Yeah… Hopefully, nothing else happens until we graduate.”
Eve sighed, pretending to be worried about the state of the world.
*
The class placement evaluations were scheduled in three days. Until then, the students were assigned to temporary classes.
Eve, clutching a bottled drink, reached the second-year floor of Orphin Hall. She paused, discreetly peeking into one of the temporary classrooms.
Among the crowd of students, one particularly radiant boy with glasses stood out. It was Isaac.
Eve’s face broke into a wide, involuntary grin.
Even the way he organizes his books is so adorable…
Though siblings often bickered, Eve—who was forced to love Isaac from a distance—had no such sibling pride. She simply adored her little brother’s every move.
Students passing by glanced nervously at Eve as she lurked outside the second-year classroom like a stalker. Many had seen her doing the exact same thing last semester. Eve was a repeat offender.
However, Eve was too immersed in watching Isaac to care about the stares of others.
I need to talk to him soon…
Today, she was determined. She had even bought the drink as a prop—an excuse to strike up a conversation. Once the evaluations were over, Isaac would inevitably join Class A, and his admirers would flock to him in even greater numbers.
Come on, be brave. Get it together.
Eve gave herself a mental pep talk. At that moment, Isaac stood up from his seat.
“Gasp…!”
Eve immediately flattened herself against the wall, hiding. It was an automatic, reflexive evasion, born from the sudden fear that he had spotted her.
No, this isn't right. It’s better if he sees me.
Old memories kept resurfacing, causing Eve’s heart to drop whenever she saw him. She let out a small, frustrated groan. Though she tried to muster her courage again, in the end, Eve chose to run away, too scared to face him.
“…”
Isaac watched Eve’s retreating figure from the doorway. He had known she was watching him the entire time.
Why is she just leaving?
Isaac had learned the truth about his family situation when he defeated Baron Ropenheim. However, he still didn't know the specifics of his relationship with Eve or the details of their life together. Moreover, he had been too focused on his training to address the "Eve issue."
He had been patiently waiting for her to approach him first, but it seemed he would have to be the one to take the initiative.
Isaac started walking.
*
Eve sat on a bench behind Orphin Hall, clutching her drink and sighing deeply.
“What should I even say…?”
The human heart was like a reed; no matter how firm the resolve, it swayed with the slightest breeze. Her indecision was starting to frustrate her.
She just needed to talk to him. A simple “Hello” would be enough to start. And yet… even that one word felt impossible.
This won’t do. How long are you going to keep hesitating?
Determination flared in Eve’s eyes. She began practicing her greeting to the empty air, holding out the bottle.
“‘Hi, Isaac. Want a drink? Oh, and thanks for the other day…’ No, that’s too formal. ‘Here, I picked this up on my way. And about that day, how can I repay you…?’ That sounds rude. ‘Thanks for saving me. Here’s a little gift. Can we talk sometime…?’ Ugh, am I a teenage girl or something?”
“What are you doing, Sis?”
“…?”
From behind the bench, a boy with silver-blue hair appeared.
It was Isaac.
“Hyaaaaa!!!”
Eve screamed as if she were about to faint. Isaac casually covered his ears.
*
“Huff, huff…!”
For a long moment, Eve clutched her chest, taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart. It took some time for her to settle down.
I sat next to Eve, waiting for her to speak. There were about ten minutes left until the second-semester orientation began.
“S-S-Sir Brother… w-w-what b-brings you here…?”
“Sir Brother?”
Eve immediately slapped her hand over her mouth. She was incredibly nervous. I glanced at the bottle in her hand.
“Did you buy that for me?”
“Huh? Ah, yeah…”
“Thanks.”
Eve held out the bottle. I took it and had a sip; the sweet flavor lingered on my tongue.
An awkward silence followed. Eve sat stiffly, like a wooden doll. She was clearly overwhelmed. Honestly, I didn’t quite know how to deal with her either. Strictly speaking, we were strangers.
Even so, as the only family this body had, I couldn’t help but feel a certain bond.
After all, I am Isaac now.
Moreover, Eve clearly harbored a deep affection for me. It was psychologically difficult to reject someone like that.
“Tell me about it.”
“Huh?”
“The events at the Ropenheim Barony. From the past to what happened recently.”
It was the story I had missed while I was out hunting Calgart the Necromancer. Eve had apologized to me then, and I decided it was time to hear her out.
Eve let out a small sigh and turned to face me. After a brief silence, she began to speak carefully. “Okay. When we were young…”
For about five minutes, Eve spoke without pause. Her story was concise and coherent, hitting all the core points as if she had practiced the explanation many times. She must have spent a long time thinking about how to explain her situation to Isaac one day.
She explained that due to their family’s dire financial state, she had accepted Baron Ropenheim’s "suggestion" so she could provide for Isaac. She revealed that she had planned to leave the Baron the moment she received her diploma from Märchen Academy.
She also recounted the details of the Baron Ropenheim incident—how she had been bound by dark mana, and how the Baron had intended to use her as a sacrifice in a ritual.
“I’m sorry… I was so foolish… I’m sorry for leaving after saying such harsh things.”
I took another sip of the drink and spoke softly. “We were just kids back then. We were helpless against the Baron’s schemes. Don’t cry. I understand why you did it.”
“Why are you acting more mature than me…?”
Eve sniffled, wiped her tears, and regained her composure.
“You’re still not like you used to be… When did you start hiding your true self?”
My true self. It was obvious what she meant. Isaac, who supposedly had no talent for magic, was now recognized as an archwizard. She was asking why I had hidden such power from my family.
“It seems I had some latent potential. It awakened the day Mother passed away. It’s hard to explain; I don’t fully understand it myself.”
“…So, you weren’t hiding it?”
“No, I wasn’t. By the way, what was I like back then?”
“Huh? Don’t tell me you can’t remember your childhood?”
I nodded.
“It seems to be a side effect of my potential awakening. I’ve lost parts of my memory, especially the older ones.”
Of course, this was a lie. I simply didn't know how the original Isaac had interacted with her. I decided this was the best approach. If I said I lost my memory due to mental trauma, Eve would feel even more guilty. If I truthfully told her I was a different soul inhabiting her brother's body, she would be devastated or think I was insane.
Either way, it would only add to the burden.
“How could such a thing happen…?”
“Who knows.”
“…”
While I sipped my drink, Eve collected her thoughts. She cleared her throat and averted her gaze.
Then, she began to speak again. “Every morning and night, we kissed.”
Good morning kisses, good night kisses… like something out of a movie.
“And?”
“We often bathed together, too…”
We were young then, so that made sense. Children wouldn't have had any concept of such things. But… it’s starting to sound a bit strange.
“Whenever anything happened, you always tried to hug me, act cute, and hold my hand. You always said you would grow up to be just like me, that you’d marry me, and that you didn’t need anything else… You were always saying, ‘I love you, Sis.’ Before going to sleep, you insisted on staring at my face for ten minutes, saying I was the only thing reflected in your eyes.”
“…”
Did the original Isaac have a sister complex? It’s possible… but I’m detecting lies here.
Using [Psychological Insight], I noticed Eve was weaving in several fabrications. But as she spoke, her lies became more elaborate, and she seemed to start believing them herself, effectively deceiving her own mind. As a result, the "tell" of the lie began to vanish.
Eve continued, staring into the distance. Her face grew calm, and a small smile played on her lips. I sat still, listening silently. Her story was becoming increasingly poetic, like a scene from a romance novel.
“As you grew older, you still only had eyes for me. Most nights, we slept in each other’s arms. I can still feel the warmth of your breath; your soft breathing still echoes in my ears. Whenever I patted your head, you would smile so brightly and say how much you liked it. Even when we went to the flower garden… you probably don’t remember, but you placed a crown of flowers on my head. Just as I protected you, you promised you would protect me forever when you grew up. You were as gentle as a spring breeze and as bright as the midday sun.”
“Sis.”
“And also…”
“Sis.”
“Huh… yeah?”
I pulled Eve back to reality just as she was becoming fully immersed in her own fantasy world.
“The bell rang. Let’s talk again later.”
“Ah.”
The class bell was tolling. It was time to head back.
“Right… Yeah, let’s go back.”
We walked back toward Orphin Hall together.
“Hey, Isaac.”
“Yeah.”
“Can’t we go back to the way things were?”
“…That might be difficult.”
“Yeah… I guess so. Take care.”
Eve waved at me and headed toward the third-year floor.
At some point, the line had blurred. I truly couldn't tell which parts of Eve’s memories were real and which ones were the lies she had told herself to cope.