I feel no life residing inside me when I sit on the staircase before the throne. The coldness of the rugged texture on this stave pushing against my cheek, it’s comforting.

Lightning strikes brightened up of what is in front of me. Revealing the many unordinary people looking at me with tears in their eyes.

One stood forward, and as her trembling lips opened, she mumbled, “Luosa.”

*Gasp*

My eyes opened wide and I found myself— my face pushing against something that smells so good to the point I keep breathing on it as if it’s a life capsule.

Closing my eyes.

*Snifff~*

‘Ahh, the aroma keeps hitting my lungs… It’s addicting. Makes me wanna lick them.’

*Lick*

“Even if you like the smell of my armpits, doesn’t mean you can do this without my permission, Siola.”

“Nuh?!” I look to the direction of the familiar voice, and then, “Kyaaaaa!”

*Thud*

“Ouch!”

Even though I was the one who shoved her away, I was the one who got repelled instead and hit my butt off the bed.

Upon adjusting my eyes, I saw a goth girl lying sideways on the bed I was on. There is a black mask hiding her face, surrounding curls for hair – I don’t know who this person is.

“Wh-Who are you— no wait, better yet, where...?”

A very spacious and extravagant bedroom. Tons of sparkling white decoration but overall empty when it comes to anything other than that and the furniture.

It’s a familiar place.

“It has only been a few months since the last time we’ve met, but I guess you wouldn’t recognize me with this Proxy.”

When the woman approaches me, my eyes quickly shut by instinct.

“You’re safe now, Siola.”

I look up and saw the woman’s face without the mask patting my head. Smiling with her eyes closed as she lent her hand to me, but…

“Gyaaaaaaaaaah!!”

Tears burst out of my eyes as many painful memories resurging through my mind. I never thought that I would actually meet her again.

Rosa Mithra.

My one and only sister… the sweet sister… who have turned my life from the sparkling silver platter to a dirty garbage bin.

“R-Rosa wait! I’m sorry… for getting in your way… Don’t hurt me, please…” my voice cracked from the lack of water, “Y-You can have Leon, okay? I promise I won’t be anywhere near him— Mmph!?”

Holding both of my cheeks with her palm, it’s forming to the mout shape of a fish.

“Idiot, don’t say my name out loud. If Sadrin had listened that, at least when we're still here, and , she would’ve spanked your butt until it’s red again.”

“Wha?”

She hugged me tightly.

Warmth feels my heart as my eyes widened in shock, but my mind is jumbled in confusion.

“I’m sorry, little Queen…”

A real tear flow out of my eyes.

The nickname that dates back to when I was a 9 year old kid, and the words that have started it all was “The Brightest Star”

(Just you wait, sis. When I become an adult, I’ll become the Queen in the whole Capital and become the Brightest Star in the whole world so that everyone can know…)

'… how wonderful my sister is.'

My eyes shut tightly as I unconsciously hugged Rosa in my arms, grinding my teeth as I let my cries onto her soft chest. Who would’ve thought that for my sister's return... to be like this.

…

Watching TV together as I hugged her like a Koala hugging a tree. Rosa gently strokes my head when I asked her, “Why did you do all that?”

“What?”

“You know, stealing my fiancé and all. You even go to the lengths of embarrassing me in front of every single person that I know, stripped the name of Mithra from me, and even… got me kicked out of the house.”

“…”

Rosa masked her face again for no apparent reason.

“I wasn’t thinking straight.”

“Bullshit.”

*Slap*

“Owwwwww! M-My bu—”

“Who thought you to use that word?”

“Err, I um… Ehehehe.”

“You sure have changed since the last time I saw you, that’s no good. We’ll have Sadrin to teach you again to go back to the roots.”

“N-No, anything but that, please! B-Besides, I’ve already learned everything that is to learn so t-there is no need to relearn everything, right? I-I too have something else to do.”

“Oh, and that is? Don’t tell me it’s that VR game or whatever where you put your body inside that capsule there?”

Blushing, “Y-Yes.”

“Good lord, what happened to you, Siola? You’re wasting time just like when you were a kid. Instead of doing that, you could’ve gone to work somewhere now that you are an adult and definitely not leeching off our aunt for money to goof off even more.”

“N-No! That wasn’t what I was doing! The game itself can be a job, like I can earn money from there and I even planned to pay back the money that I borrowed but the real question is what the hell happened to you, Ro— e-elder sister, I thought you were already married with that bastard and go lovey dovey in the mountain somewhere.”

“…” gesturing a flick, “Okay, if you use any of those words again, I’m going to aim for that forehead of yours and stick the same finger inside your butthole.”

“Nuh?!!”

Lifting her body up, “There is a necessary requirement that needed to be uphold from the other end and until it is fulfilled, Leon and I are merely engaged.”

“Okay, so?”

Sighing, “Do you want to go back and be with him?”

“Hell no.”

“…”

“Ah.”

Several moments later, my face went deep inside the pillow as my naked butt become a tower of its own. Rosa is busy cleaning all the wet surfaces on her middle finger with a blower and a tissue coming out of her mechanical fingers.

Mumbling inside the pillow, “I didn’t know that you’re the type to actually kitted yourself full with Cybernetics implants like that.”

“Like I said, it’s just a Proxy. My real body is still untouched by these things.”

“Okay, but since when?”

“Does it matter?”

“Not really, but what now?” lifting my body from the pillow sluggishly, “I never thought you would actually managed to convince Grandpa to let me in the family again. Like seriously, the last thing I expect is for the senile ol- ahem, him changing his mind.”

“Oh, I haven’t done that yet.”

“Eh?” my eyes widened, “W-Wait a minute, d-d-d-don’t tell me you brought me here without even telling him about it.”

“Yeah well…”

My face turned blank as the only words I have in mind is, ‘Fuck me.’

…

(You go ahead and clean yourself first. I’ll see if the family is ready for our reunion, and ah, will you be fine without your maids?)

(Thanks to you, I only have Sadrin with me, remember?)

(Right)

Sighing as my mouth dipped into the warm water full of bubbles. Just a shift of glance and I already see the difference between this and the one in the Desolated Sector, and first of all, there was none of these in that swamp.

‘Ugh, how did it come to this?’

‘The past is quite different than I remember. Was it because my action changed it? No flipping way. I mean seriously, Rosa never changed in my past life, but I also have never seen her like EVER - since I got kicked out of the house - no, even before that too...’

Recalling it back, the only action that I took that is different from the past is that I borrowed money from aunt instead of falling off of a building.

‘Hmm, thinking about it makes my head hurt. Plus, I really want to go back and play Ekolia again right now. Especially since last time…’ flush in red, “Why the fuck did I even cried after spouting all that nonsense to him.”

Do NPC even understand what I was saying back then?

‘Ekolia has the most advanced A.I since the core part of it is heavily linked to the Black Network. I don’t know how they work on it, but if they did monitor what goes in and out of those NPCs and hear what I said, then that means they will either hunt me down and spill everything about stuff like 'What will happen the future" or just ignore the crazy bitch who just spout nonsense to a freaking NPC!’

“Haah, I don’t know what the fuck is going on right now. Let’s just enjoy life and let everything flows by itself.”

“And it will indeed flows, young lady.”

The familiar voice shuddered my entire body. As I look behind nervously, the shadow covered my face and the sapphire eyes pierced my soul with their sharp glare.

My second mother in the royal maid outfit, Sadrin.

“E-Ehehehe, I’m home~”

She smiles with her eyes closed, “Welcome back, my lady…”

“…”

“Now come here and receive your punishment for using that filthy word. Such profanity in our sacred home!”

“Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Once again, my butt has become the victim of my loose mouth. I should pay more attention to what and where I say these things from now on.

I was dressed completely like a doll. Golden white frilly clothes that I am so familiar with ever since back in the days when I was younger. Sadrin’s skillful hands have turned me into someone else entirely - not really.

Walking in the endless hallway makes my butt hurt, “Ugh, it keeps stinging.”

“It wouldn’t have been if you hadn’t said that word in front of me.”

“How would I know that you were there? I didn’t even hear your footsteps or the door opening at all. Did you get [Hunter Augment] or something? Cause, I'm pretty sure those things are”

“Stop it with the nonsense. Are you saying that you would say those things when I’m not around?”

“Nuh?! O-Of course not, Ehehehe… but like, aren’t 20 is a bit overboard since I only said it like… once?”

“What was that?”

“Ahh, nothing. Ehehehe…”

“Hmph.”

Nervous as we keep on walking. Fidgeting all around, I don’t know what to say to her now since it’s been so long, but in her eyes, I’ve only gone in a few days.

“Um, where are we going?”

“Breakfast.”

“Okay…?”

She glanced at me, “Lady Rosa did something truly unpredictable. Her to be saving you from the Desolated Sector is the last thing your grandfather expected to happen.”

“Is he… going to be there too?”

“Yes. Everyone except your father who is still working in the Earth Sector. He will be here in a few days.”

*Gulp*

We keep walking and walking in silence. Her firm and still expression, I can’t tell what she’s thinking at all.

“Um, Sadrin.”

“I’m glad you’ve returned, Siola.”

My eyes brightened up as soon as I heard her muttering my name.

“But I’m disappointed to see that it actually happened.”

“Huh?”

“…”

“Wait, Sadrin. What do you mean by that?”

"..." sighing.“When you left this house, part of me didn’t want you to go. I gave the love for you just as I’d give for my own flesh and blood. But I also want you to grow, become mature and refined, something like an independent lady that is deserving the title of Mithra.”

“Sadrin…”

Stroking my head as her eyes gazed at mine, “But all I’m seeing right now is the same rebellious child from 7 years ago.”

“…”

She smiles, “Well, maybe it’s better this way.”

The me from back then, the 14 years old me was the peak moment of my entire life. I have the love from everyone that I hold dear with no enemies on sight, but I took it all for granted.

Hugging me, “Siola, this world is harsh. Growth is necessary for anyone to survive. Even if you can’t physically, you have other traits that can be tempered. Don’t let the flow of fate decide your destiny and keep you still from whatever it is that you want to do.”

“Nuh?! Wh-What do you mean I can’t physically?! I’m still growing, Sadrin! Like, I can feel my breasts have grown like 2 mm at least… maybe.”

“Siola…” with a concerning expression of worries, “You understand, right?”

“…” I hugged her tight as I mumbled, “Yes… Sadrin.”