Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Ophelienne had an older brother.
But the two hardly resembled each other. Their hair was different, their mothers were different.
He had hair the color of earth and eyes like chestnuts. His skin was dark. His mother had been a gypsy dancer.
A woman Serban had fallen in love with during his travels. Ophelienne’s brother was her child.
Ophelienne, however, was different. Her origin was noble. Her mother was a princess of the Kingdom of Charlen.
Serban had elevated his son to the position of sub-head of the family. Ophelienne’s mother had cried out in despair.
“How dare you let someone of lowly blood become the head of this house while I still breathe…”
She had always lived consumed by fury. A noblewoman through and through. Born as a princess of a kingdom, she had been betrothed to Serban since childhood.
She could not tolerate being abandoned or having anything taken from her, but she could never accept a low-born reaching the pinnacle of the house.
After giving birth to Ophelienne, her womb was left permanently damaged, leaving her unable to bear more children. The absence of a son was defeat incarnate.
Yet she did not give up. She had a daughter.
“You must lead this family, Fili.”
The education came directly from her mother. Everything learned in the royal palace was poured into her daughter.
Yet discipline was harsh.
Smack!
A riding crop struck the tender palm of young Ophelienne, leaving a red mark.
“What is this? How can you not know this?”
“I-I’m sorry…”
“Fili.”
“Yes, mother.”
“Look me in the eyes, Fili.”
“Yes…”
“What is this? Tell me. You’ve learned this before, haven’t you? What is it? Tell me.”
“I-I don’t kn—”
Before she could finish, another strike.
Smack!
This time across the cheek. Ophelienne’s head twisted to the side, tears spilling down. Her right cheek bore the deep imprint of her mother’s hand.
Her mother never paused her lessons, even when her daughter cried. Instead, she often became even stricter.
By a young age, Ophelienne had mastered two languages, understood her family history, and learned the art of acting.
But the greatest lesson she received from her mother was yet another:
“The world will never take care of you. Do not be mistaken. Not everyone will care for you like I do. More will hate you than love you.”
“…Why do they hate me?”
“There are many reasons. But you need not concern yourself with the trivial.”
“What should I do, then?”
“Remember two things: either make them your ally, or crush them so they cannot resist you.”
“Crush…?”
“Yes, crush them. Make it impossible for them to ever get close to you again. Their pride, honor, assets, whatever—destroy them. Leave only the fact that you are superior. You are noble, Fili.”
“….”
Her mother smiled beautifully and stroked Ophelienne’s hair. Ophelienne flinched at the touch. The same hand that had just struck her now offered comfort.
“You are my daughter. No one can treat you poorly. Take what you want without hesitation. You were born for this.”
Ophelienne did not fully understand the meaning at the time, but the words lingered. They remained, eventually shaping the woman she would become.
Inside the speeding train, Ophelienne’s gaze returned from wandering through the past to the present.
Matthios sat across from her, face to face. There was no avoiding each other’s gaze.
He looked visibly uncomfortable, darting glances at her before quickly turning to look out the window, repeating the motion. Every time their eyes nearly met, he flinched like a frightened rabbit, ready to flee.
“…Am I really that scary?”
Ophelienne rested her chin on her hand. Matthios had changed. He was no longer the same boy from a year ago.
Back then, he had followed her, calling out “sister, sister” with desperation. He had not feared her; he had always wanted to be near, becoming uneasy if their hands did not touch.
But around the time he turned sixteen, he suddenly became cautious of her gaze, gradually keeping his distance.
At the time, she had been hurt and confused without understanding why.
Now she knew.
“So you really want to become the head of the house, don’t you, Mati.”
Ophelienne let out a faint sigh. It was all the same in the end: mother, brother, all of them.
She rested her chin on the windowsill and looked out. The train had left their estate, heading for Porca.
The siblings passed the time without speaking, each lost in their own thoughts.
Ophelienne pulled out a grimoire to read, while Matthios continued staring out the window, deep in thought.
“…Heading to the Academy, huh.”
That place, full of incidents and danger. He had thought he would have nothing to do with it, but here it was.
He summoned his status screen, acquired through his memories from his previous life.
[Matthios Vinna Moretti]
Body
Age/Gender: 17 / Male
Height/Weight: 158.5 cm / 45.9 kg
Skills
[Moretti Branch], [Circle 2], [Excellent Marksmanship]
Stats
Strength [5] Agility [7] Stamina [4] Mana [9]
A healthy adult male’s stats are 10. A trained soldier’s is 15. A knight’s minimum is 40.
Compared to that, he was… pitiful.
Partly because he had never trained, and partly due to his inherently weak physique. At seventeen, he still hadn’t reached 160 cm. He was growing increasingly anxious.
“Just be average, please.”
Nothing grand, just 170 cm at least.
She wiggled her short legs.
Glancing, she quietly watched her sister. Ophelienne was immersed in a book, the image of a model student.
Unlike Matthios, her limbs were long and well-proportioned. Even sitting quietly, flipping pages, she resembled a painting—elegant in every sense.
Ophelienne Vinna Moretti. In the game, countless phrases could define her: villainess, schemer, mastermind… the list went on.
Throughout the story, she tormented the protagonist—not openly, but through calculated schemes, the true mastermind behind events.
At the end, her actions shocked everyone: bribing professors to lower grades, taking hostages, secretly poisoning and exposing to monsters, spreading lies. All while smiling pleasantly in public.
That’s why he had kept his distance.
Knowing her true nature, he could never treat her as before.
“Of course, she can’t touch me carelessly.”
Before boarding the train, their father had given them a warning—well, to Ophelienne in particular:
“Matthios is your younger brother, Fili. Make sure nothing happens to him. I trust you.”
It was a warning: if anything happened to him, she would be held accountable. For someone vying for the headship, such a statement could not be ignored.
“Matthi.”
Their eyes met briefly.
“Aren’t you staring too much? Is she really that pretty?”
Her gentle smile bent the corners of her eyes. Despite knowing her nature, his heart still wavered at that fleeting charm.
“…Just looking.”
Ophelienne chuckled softly and returned to her book. Matthios exhaled slowly. Each conversation with his sister felt like it shortened his life.
“Don’t give up. You can do this.”
He steeled himself. Complaining would change nothing.
He had the Academy knowledge. He could manage, somehow, with it. Everything depended on his actions.
“The problem is… something might happen right now.”
The train ride to the Academy was far from peaceful. The train would soon be attacked by enemies.
He trembled. Even knowing the future, fear was unavoidable. In his current state, he couldn’t defeat even minor enemies.
“Why are your legs shaking?”
Ophelienne gently placed her long legs over his trembling knees, stopping the vibrations.
He looked down at her feet and carefully asked,
“Don’t you worry at all, sister?”
“What could worry me enough to scare our Mati?”
“…There are not exactly ordinary people on this train.”
Even just he and Ophelienne were children of the Empire’s four major houses. Numerous other noble children were aboard. Among them were the crown prince and a princess betrothed to him. Any incident could trigger a global-scale conflict.
“That’s true. But are you worried something will happen?”
He nodded cautiously. It was not just worry—it would happen. After passing the Almans Mountains, enemies would strike.
“Unnecessary worry. Anyone smart enough wouldn’t dare attack this train.”
Her words were not arrogance. Not all passengers were students.
The Empire’s greatest swordmaster, 20 royal guards, and 20 paladins were aboard. Even a small group would be crushed.
In fact, the train attack passed without any casualties. He could only hope it remained that way.
“…If you’re scared.”
Ophelienne turned to gaze at the distant horizon.
“Stay with me. Protecting a single brother is nothing.”
Her earlobes faintly pinked. Perhaps from the cold. He silently appreciated her words. With her, he was safe.
“Thanks. I’ll just go to the bathroom for a moment.”
“Go ahead, I’ll wait.”
He left his seat, pausing briefly in the corridor to glance outside. Much remained before crossing the Almans Mountains.
Perhaps he should check around.
The main characters must also be on this train.
Not only the main characters, but other Academy-bound students were aboard. He decided to greet them and establish some connections.
As he moved through the cars,
“Hey, wait!”
A sharp, haughty voice called him.
Turning, he was startled. A striking woman with bright, fiery hair and piercing blue eyes stood, arms crossed, glaring.