“I just wanted you to enjoy a prosperous and comfortable life with your status as royalty, but now that you’ve manifested sword energy, it will be difficult to live as before.”

Mother advised me in her usual solemn voice.

“The day will inevitably come when you must use that power for the empire, and the process may be somewhat arduous and dangerous.”

“……”

“So, always be careful. Cherish your body above all else.”

Though it sounded like stern advice, I felt a lump in my throat.

“Yes! Thank you, Mother!”

I smiled brightly at Mother and answered like that, calling her ‘Mother’ for the first time since I was very young.

For a moment, I worried I had made a mistake when I saw Mother’s expression falter,

[SYSTEM] ‘s affection has increased by +44. (Affection: 955)

but seeing the large increase in affection, I finally felt at ease.

‘Ah… thank goodness.’

After finishing my conversation with Mother and coming outside, I couldn’t stop grinning.

‘Elder brother Orent was wrong when he said even Mother wouldn’t like someone like you. Mother doesn’t dislike me. She likes me.’

It was hard to believe that just an hour ago, I had been fighting for my life against Hezen and .

Though I was still overwhelmed and confused by the unresolved situations, I couldn’t shake off the elated feeling from Mother’s unexpected affection.

‘But why has Mother never expressed those feelings before?’

As I was walking and thinking about Mother, I stopped when I saw two figures standing in the corridor opposite me.

It was elder sister Gloria and elder brother Orent.

The two people I had envied so much, each with the head of the empire’s top two ducal families as their father.

Though I already knew and expected it…

, 1st Imperial Princess of Azester Empire

Affection: 0

, 2nd Imperial Prince of Azester Empire

§Alert State§

Affection: −273

‘Those two really don’t like me.’

The elated feeling I had just moments ago seemed to deflate a bit.

Just because I became a player, just because I replaced Hezen as the protagonist of this world, it didn’t mean the miracle of everyone suddenly loving me happened.

‘Elder sister Gloria has always been indifferent to me… but elder brother Orent’s affection is in the negative.’

At the same time, I realized that seeing other people’s affection as numbers wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

Elder sister Gloria looked at me with cold eyes and then brushed past me.

Seeing her heading towards Mother’s office, it seems she had been waiting here for me to finish my private audience with Mother.

“Luibel Azester. I hear you’ve picked up a sword, of all things?”

Elder brother Orent approached me with a sneer.

“Do you think you’ve become something just because you manifested sword energy and had a private audience with Mother?”

I glanced above Orent’s head.

When Hezen was the player, he could only see the affection of women, but I could see the affection of everyone regardless of gender.

And for a while now, the words ‘Alert State’ had appeared in Orent’s name window.

‘Elder brother Orent is wary of me?’

There was no sign of wariness on Orent’s face as he looked down at me.

Suddenly, I remembered something that happened with him when I was younger.

When I was much smaller and younger than now.

‘His Majesty the Emperor wielded a sword and roamed the battlefield in his youth. How magnificent he was…!’

‘Mother wielded a sword and roamed the battlefield?’

‘Yes, there’s a painting of that magnificent sight in the Imperial Historical Museum.’

‘Then I want to be a swordsman like Mother too!’

With those words from my nanny, and the childish thought of wanting to impress Mother, I secretly learned swordsmanship.

But less than a year later, I was caught by elder brother Orent.

‘You’re learning the sword? Someone like you?’

Orent had a talent for speaking nastily even when he was young.

‘Then I’ll specially give you a match.’

He said he’d give me a match and broke my sword.

At that time, I was only 8 years old, and Orent was 14, 6 years older than me.

Of course, I was no match for him.

‘I’m afraid someone like you will tarnish Mother’s name by learning the sword.’

Orent clicked his tongue and said to me as I sobbed, clutching the broken sword.

‘Luibel. You’re a disgrace to the Azester name. Don’t think about learning the sword or anything, just live quietly.’

I was too young then, and Orent, who was much taller and had a duke for a father, seemed incredibly impressive.

So I didn’t know.

That I could become someone Orent would be wary of.

“Elder brother Orent.”

When I called him that, Orent openly frowned.

He even disliked the fact that we were siblings with the same mother.

But I no longer felt intimidated by his reaction and asked with a slight smile.

“Are you wary of me?”

“What? Why would I be wary of someone like you!”

Orent’s face flushed red and blue as he burst out angrily. That’s when it happened.

[SYSTEM] is flustered by your words.

The system window informed me of Orent’s state.

‘Oh, this is quite convenient.’

I thought again how Hezen must have lived easily and comfortably using this until now.

I felt smug at the thought of having gotten one over on Orent.

[Ugh, that pathetic guy⁽⁽(੭ꐦ •̀Д•́ )੭*⁾⁾

I’m dying to know what conversation took place between Player and Empress .

Shall we tease the 2nd Prince a little?]

Huh? Tease him? There’s no need for that…

[Let’s tease the 2nd Prince a littleლ(´ڡ`ლ)

1. (Snickering) You seem curious about what I discussed with Mother. Well, you’ve never had a private audience with her, elder brother…

2. (Giving a radiant eye-smile) You seem curious about what I discussed with Mother. Well, you’ve never had a private audience with her, elder brother…

3. (Clicking tongue) You seem curious about what I discussed with Mother. Well, you’ve never had a private audience with her, elder brother…]

I thought there was no need to tease him, but three options immediately appeared.

‘Aren’t they all the same?’

I chose number 2, which seemed the most mild among them, while inwardly marveling at the fact that even the high and mighty Orent had never had a private audience with Mother.

“You seem curious about what I discussed with Mother. Well, you’ve never had a private audience with her, elder brother…”

“What?”

Orent lost his composure and raised his hand as if he was about to hit me.

‘Oh.’

How could he be so stupid?

Even if I looked easy to push around, still. To try to use physical force even knowing I had just awakened as a Sword Master.

I was considering how to counterattack if necessary when,

“Luibel!”

Elder sister Elizabeth’s voice came from behind.

“Tch.”

Orent turned and left.

“Luibel, are you alright? Elder brother Orent wasn’t about to hit you, was he?”

Elder sister Elizabeth, who had rushed over to me, asked in a seemingly worried voice.

“That person may be our family, but he has a really nasty personality, so it’s best to avoid getting involved with him as much as possible.”

“I agree.”

I nodded in agreement with elder sister Elizabeth’s words.

“More importantly, elder sister Elizabeth, what happened to the young ladies who were gathered?”

“Thanks to the knights, everyone returned home safely without any injuries.”

“Ah…! That’s such a relief.”

I had been pretending to be worried, so I felt genuinely relieved at the news elder sister Elizabeth delivered.

“But Luibel! Did you really become a Sword Master?”

“Ah, yes, somehow…”

“Oh my!”

Elder sister Elizabeth exclaimed, hugging me tightly.

“That’s amazing! I’m so proud of you, Lulu!”

I was a bit flustered by her enthusiastic congratulations, but I smiled and hugged her back.

Because I had mistaken Hezen’s affection for my own, I had put up a wall against elder sister Elizabeth who approached me familiarly, afraid of mistaking it again.

But at this moment, I could tell that her heart congratulating me was genuine.

Because the words floating above her head since a while ago,

, 2nd Imperial Princess of Azester Empire

Affection: 318

told me. That elder sister Elizabeth doesn’t dislike me. That she quite likes me.

“Thank you, elder sister. But have you perhaps seen Prince Anselot?”

“Prince Anselot? Why… Ah.”

Elder sister Elizabeth, who had tilted her head, soon made a sly expression.

“I see, you’d be happier receiving congratulations from Prince Anselot than from me.”

“It’s not like that!”

It seemed she was misunderstanding the relationship between Anselot and me because of the conversations I had with the young ladies by the lake during the boat trip.

I strongly denied it, but elder sister Elizabeth’s sly gaze towards me didn’t change.

“Prince Anselot should be in Sapphire Palace right now. Mother advised everyone to stay in their assigned quarters because of today’s incident.”

[This is the timeline separator]

Outside had already grown dark.

Sapphire Palace, located in the eastern part of the Imperial Palace, was where visiting dignitaries stayed.

As elder sister Elizabeth said, Anselot was there.

At the entrance of the busy corridor, as if waiting for me, he was leaning slightly against a pillar.

Just earlier, I had been preoccupied with eliminating the immediate enemy in front of me, but now I had to figure things out.

I just wanted to escape from Hezen, so why did I end up becoming the player?

“Anselot!”

At my call, he turned his head and opened his eyes wide. Then he immediately narrowed his eyes and gave an eye-smile.

“It’s the first time. That you’ve called my name.”

Nothing was visible above his head.

No name, no status, no affiliation, no affection, nothing at all.

“I can’t see anything…”

As I muttered blankly, he gave me a faint smile.

It was strange.

At first, I feared and was wary of him because there was nothing above his head.

But now, why…

‘Why do I feel at ease?’

Why do I feel at ease at the fact that I can’t see his affection?