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There are various reasons why someone would drop a work they were reading. It could be because it doesn’t suit their taste, or maybe they don’t like the story’s development. Or it could also be because they might have forgotten to keep up with it after missing a release, or maybe it’s because the spring breeze was warm. There could be diverse reasons.

The reason why I dropped the original work of this world was because of the first two reasons. I found it while searching for something to read, and neither the story nor the development was to my liking. What shocked me the most was the development.

‘How can you do that to a little kid?’

It would have been understandable if Louise was a reincarnated or transmigrated character. Despite her appearance being young, she would be an adult on the inside. I could also accept it if she were a character going back in time. But sadly, Louise was just a normal kid.

The original author made an 8-year-old kid go through too many harsh situations. Seeing that made me drop it. I had never imagined that doing so could bring such consequences to my life.

That was the last line of Louise’s sister.

The relationship between the Naird sisters could be called a cliché.

The weak, younger sister received all the attention of the family. Despite being born weak, she was always cheerful and was loved by everyone around her. The older sister liked her younger sister, but she began to harbor jealousy as the love and attention that should have come to her was also monopolized by her younger sister. However, everyone failed to notice it because nobody cared for her.

Her resentful eyes glaring at Louise as she was about to die was truly memorable. To make things worse, the art was very good. Louise’s pale face was also very well-drawn. I didn’t really want to see all that in high quality.

Unintentionally turning my gaze to Louise, I saw her making macarons as I requested with her usual bright smile.

‘She’s amazing.’

How could someone be so bright after going through such things at such a young age? Of course, Louise wasn’t a psychopath who was unaffected by her sister’s death. At that time, she became greatly shocked and depressed. That’s when she met the Mage Duchess.

I don’t know what happened in the middle, but Louise grew up to become a bright and kind person. Part of the reason why I didn’t recognize her on the first day of the Academy wasn’t just because she’d grown. It was also because her expressions and atmosphere had brightened.

There’s no way I could have guessed that a kid who’d gone through such a thing would grow up to be so bright. I thought her ability to charm people would be based on something more mundane, and not something based on her brightness.

“It’s done!”

As Louise announced that her macarons were done, the hyenas rushed in again.

For some reason, they seemed to like the macarons. What’s up with these people? Was it not a matter of taste but rather extreme pickiness? Do they really hate cookies that much?

* * *

Because the topic shifted to family matters, I kept my mouth shut. After all, I wasn’t in a position to talk happily about my family.

But I can’t show my discomfort. Showing that would be like publicly announcing that I had family problems.

That’s why I stayed still. If I stay quiet, no one would notice it. It’s a fleeting topic, so I don’t need to worry.

As my sister’s last words came to mind, I slightly bit my lips. It usually remained underneath, but it sometimes surfaced out of nowhere, regardless of my wish.

I’d never be able to forget those words.

How could I forget?

It was my sister’s will. She basically died because of me. If I hadn’t been there, such a thing wouldn’t have happened to her.

That’s what my father said. Despite having mourned her death numerous times, my mother never blamed me for her death. But what kind of parent would blame their daughter?

If we were to distribute the blame, I would have the biggest share. I enjoyed receiving attention and love from both of them. I enjoyed receiving the care of my family members. And because I wasn’t even satisfied with that, I even coveted some of the attention that should have been directed at my sister.

‘I shouldn’t have done that.’

It was my fault. It was my fault for hogging the love that our family should have shared equally. If I hadn’t been there, my sister would have enjoyed a happy life. Love was something that should be shared fairly, not monopolized by one person.

As the guilt grew inside me, my eyes met with oppa’s.

No. I shouldn’t show him my dark side. However, he already turned his gaze away. Maybe he’s disappointed because I’ve shown him my bad side.

“Let’s end the family talk here. If we end up hearing some royal secret, we might have to cut off our ears.”

But contrary to my worries, oppa made others stop talking about it. He didn’t show disappointment at my expression; instead, he seemed worried and reacted in a considerate manner. Then, he asked me to make macarons out of the blue.

Anyone could see that it was a blatant act of consideration. He wanted me to make more macarons because they were good? He hardly ate any, to begin with. After all… He wasn’t someone who could properly taste food.

‘He must be flustered.’

He must have sensed my mood, so he changed the topic. I took a glimpse at oppa’s eyes, and as expected, his eyes were moving all around the place.

I almost laughed. At the same time, I almost cried. This was something he could have just ignored, or he could have become disappointed. I felt thankful that he cared even for trivial matters like this.

He probably doesn’t know what I went through. He shouldn’t know what I’m thinking about. Yet, he still worried and sensed that something was wrong based on my expression alone.

‘Thank you.’

I muttered inwardly because I couldn’t say it out loud. Saying ‘thank you’ out of the blue in this situation would only make others think I’m strange.

“It’s done!”

So I smiled cheerfully, just like always. I accepted oppa’s consideration and regained my composure. This was the only way I could repay him.

“Louise, it’s delicious. You really are good at making these.”

I belatedly realized something after hearing Ainter’s words. I had forgotten to add medicinal herbs.

I always added some medicinal herbs to see if they could help oppa fix his tastebuds. The other guys also ate a lot of sweet things, so I should also care for them by making them eat something good for their health.

Well… I guess it would be fine to skip it only for today.

* * *

Fortunately, Louise was smiling until the club activities ended. Of course, I couldn’t know what she was truly feeling inside.

For starters, I don’t even know how Louise dealt with her childhood trauma. She might have completely overcome it, but she could still be suffering silently. She usually seemed cheerful, so I thought it was the former. However, her expression today suggested otherwise.

‘It can’t be helped.’

I was worried, but there wasn’t much more I could do. If she looks down, I’ll cheer her up. If an unpleasant subject comes up, I’d change it. Anything more than that was impossible.

After all, I was officially someone who didn’t know about Louise’s past. Why would I offer advice or worry about a past she hadn’t told me?

That would be most likely her response. I would immediately become a crazy stalker right there. Because I’m the Executive Manager of the Prosecutor’s Office, I’d go from ‘Creepy Stalker’ to ‘Evil Prosecutor who investigated her and her family’s past.’

That would be enough to scare Louise away. My relationship with Irina might improve, but it would wreck my relationship with Louise. What a crazy law of equal exchange.

Anyway, Louise’s trauma was something she had to share with someone she could trust. If she couldn’t resolve it by herself, she should try sharing it with someone she can trust.

‘Why does this kid have such a heavy mouth?’

She told me to talk to her if I had any worries, but she kept her own mouth tightly shut.

It was a little bit infuriating, but it was mostly pitiable. That’s why I ended up treating Louise well. Was it because of compassion? Did this child even know what happiness was?

“These hopeless bastards.”

I spoke while sighing in frustration. The biggest problem was that Louise had no one she could confide in even if she wanted to open up. If one of the five were close to Louise, she could have told one of them. However, all they ever did was mess around and keep each other in check.

Louise thinks that it’s her fault for monopolizing her parent’s love, and that caused her sister’s death. Maybe that’s why she blocked the idea of getting closer to one of her friends. Perhaps that’s why she avoided favoring just one person.

That’s why it should be them who take the initiative, but these idiots were clueless about all of this even as the semester drew to a close.

For Louise to make a choice, she should overcome her trauma. However, she couldn’t even talk about it.

‘I’m sure the esteemed daughter wants to love, too.’

The Esteemed Daughter Wants to Love.

I recalled the title that only I knew in this world. It didn’t come to mind right after the possession, but one day, it suddenly popped up. Of course, knowing the title didn’t mean anything since I didn’t know the content.

Still, thinking about Louise’s past and title, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. Hey, guys. Louise wants to experience love, too. So please, let’s make some progress.

‘It’s probably not going to happen.’

While I wish they would make some progress, my mind had already concluded that that wouldn’t happen. Praying for a sixth character to appear might be more effective.