Chapter 1Despised for My Fear

The System said I was a crybaby, so it gave me the villain’s script.

Wiping away my tears, I looked up at my six-foot-three brother and stammered, “I’m sorry, but you’re a bastard, and I have to bully you.”

The System’s voice was harsh in my mind. “Keep insulting him! Slap him!”

“St-stupid… idiot!” I managed.

Then I clumsily rose onto my tiptoes, my hand reaching shakily for his face.

The slap was barely a tap. My brother seemed to enjoy it.

* * *

In the world of this book, the man who would one day become the most bloodthirsty and misanthropic Regent in history, Kael, was currently kneeling in the snow. Our father had just discovered he wasn't his biological son and had cast him out in the freezing cold as punishment.

And I was his universally despised stepsister, Faye. My role was to deliver him a bowl of scalding chicken soup during his moment of utter disgrace.

Not to drink, of course. To his legs.

[Stop crying! All you do is cry, you’ll cry all your good fortune away!] the System bellowed impatiently in my head.

[Sniff… but I’m scared.]

My legs were trembling so hard I could barely hold the soup bowl steady. It wasn't my fault. Kael was terrifying. He had sharp, fierce eyes and a commanding presence, and he’d shot up to six-foot-three. Even kneeling, he looked like a mountain. Worse, he was a battle-hardened soldier who could snap a man’s neck with one hand. He’d just rushed back from the training grounds and was still wearing form-fitting leather armor that did nothing to hide the powerful muscles beneath. His chest, rising and falling with each breath, was the most intimidating part.

I hesitated for a long time before finally getting my tears under control. The searing soup had already raised several blisters on my hands.

I walked over to him. “Brother,” I whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

Then I let my hands go limp, and the bowl tilted.

But Kael, hearing my apology, had already turned. With a flick of two fingers, he batted the bowl aside before it could hit him. Only a few drops of soup splashed onto his thigh.

He frowned, his expression darkening as he prepared to question me.

But then two streams of fresh tears burst from my eyes.

The System was yelling at me again.

[Are you an idiot? Why did you say sorry? Are you brain-dead?!]

[I’m sorry, I’ve never done anything like this before.]

[Do you want to complete this mission and leave this world or not? I’m warning you, if you keep being such a coward, I’ll leave you here to be tortured to death by Kael after he turns evil!]

[I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!]

My apologies turned into gulping sobs.

Kael’s anger melted into exasperation.

“Were you holding that for a long time?” he asked suddenly, his gaze falling on the blisters on my palms.

I nodded.

“Don’t play the saint right now,” he said coldly. “It’s distracting, unsightly, and you’ve stained my clothes.”

I froze.

In the original story, Faye scalded Kael’s leg so badly that, combined with the prolonged kneeling, he became permanently crippled. He was only healed later when he met the story's heroine, who nursed him back to health. Kael never forgot what Faye did. Once he became Regent, he had her branded with a hot iron every day. They would let the wounds heal, then tear them open and brand her again.

Cruelty and a long memory were Kael’s defining traits. A loud mouth and a painful ending were mine.

The System let out a screech of frustration. [Why does he think you were bringing him soup to drink? Is he crazy? Why is he trying to see the good in you?]

Because I’m just a timid, soft-hearted person, I explained silently, not daring to say it to the System.

[Fix this! Now! Kick him! Kick him a few times, try to break his leg!]

I scrambled to obey. I lifted my right foot.

Kael, who had just looked away with a cold, dismissive expression, suddenly went rigid. He slowly lowered his gaze.

A delicate, embroidered slipper was pressed against his lower abdomen, grinding back and forth. The pressure wasn't heavy. It didn't hurt. But the single pearl on the toe of the slipper trembled nervously.

My voice was small and nasal as I sniffled, “Brother, are you angry now?”