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Translator: penny
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Sister, Are You Crazy?
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A hazy sensation like floating above the clouds enveloped my entire body. I couldn't even feel my toes touching the ground.
All around me was thick darkness, just like in Camilla's room, so dense I couldn't see an inch ahead.
This situation, utterly devoid of any sense of reality, immediately made it clear that it was a dream. A lucid dream, no less. It was a bizarre experience I'd never had before in my life.
I must have hit my head on the wall and blacked out. My mind felt a little fuzzy, but I slowly took in my surroundings.
In the pitch-black darkness ahead, a faint red glow flickered.
Unable to stand on the ground, floating in mid-air in a ridiculous pose, I swam toward that red light.
When I reached the center of the light, a single flower came into view.
A flower with a red hue even deeper than Roselia's eyes. The moment my gaze fell on it, a chilling energy emanated from its color.
It glowed on its own, much like a mana herb, but with a far more vivid and intense light.
The instant I looked at the flower, an inexplicable emotion began to ripple slowly from deep within my heart.
It was a warm, cozy feeling that brought a sense of peace. A flower I'd never seen before, yet somehow it felt familiar.
Where on earth was this déjà vu coming from?
The subtly surging emotion guided my hand. Before I knew it, I was reaching out toward the flower.
And the moment the red petal brushed my fingertip, a throbbing headache struck, and my vision flashed brightly.
"Ugh...!"
The blinding light made me instinctively squeeze my eyes shut. When I opened them again, a completely different scene unfolded before me.
It wasn't my room, but a place that felt familiar. Roselia's bedroom.
In front of me sat a man with a bushy beard, nodding off drowsily. His white robe marked him as a doctor.
"Groan."
I clutched my head and let out a low groan.
"...Bella?"
Had he heard my faint mutter? Roselia's voice echoed from one corner of the room.
I turned my head toward the sound.
Her eyes brimming with emotion fixed on me, and then she rushed straight toward me. I flinched at her fierce intensity.
"C-Countess. That is..."
Contrary to the ferocious aura swirling around her, Roselia merely sat by the bedside, gazing at me intently.
"Does it hurt anywhere?"
"Pardon...?"
"Even the slightest symptom. Does your body feel off or uncomfortable anywhere?"
Her urgent tone prompted me to shake my head immediately.
"I-I'm fine. Just a slight headache..."
Roselia's eyes shook violently. Her intimidating gaze snapped toward the doctor seated beside her.
He must have woken up at some point; sweat poured down his face as he nervously eyed Roselia.
"Didn't you say everything was fully treated?"
"Th-the wound is perfectly healed! But... some minor sensory issues might linger... y-yes..."
His stammering voice sounded like a desperate plea for mercy.
He looked at least twice Roselia's age, yet a single glance from her left him frozen in place.
So this was the weight of status.
"I'm really fine, Roselia. Nothing hurts, and nothing feels wrong."
I quickly intervened to shield the poor doctor from unwarranted wrath.
She stared at me for a moment before carefully raising her hand and placing her palm near my forehead.
"Tell me the truth. Are you really okay?"
Warmth spread from where her hand touched. It was an uncomfortable yet familiar sensation.
A year later, I could accept her touch far more easily than the first time she'd placed her hand on my head.
Of course, it was strictly limited to my head, and even then, my body twitched slightly.
"...I'm really fine."
At my words, Roselia calmed her gaze and dismissed the doctor. He bowed as if he'd been waiting for the order and practically fled the room.
The room fell suddenly silent. Gauging Roselia's still sour mood, I ventured to speak.
"How long was I out after fainting?"
"About half a day."
I glanced out the window. It was a quiet night, so still not even an owl hooted. Had Roselia stayed by my side all through this night?
Strangely, my chest tickled. I chuckled awkwardly and scratched my head.
"Hehe, that's a relief. I was worried I'd missed a day of business."
"...Business?"
It was a joke meant to ease the awkwardness, but I could see Roselia's expression harden.
"You're... worrying about business right now?"
One of Roselia's eyebrows arched sharply.
"Y-Yes...?"
"Do you have any idea how we've felt all this time, and you still say that?"
I swallowed dryly at her subtly trembling anger.
This was the first time Roselia had shown her anger so openly. And it felt like it was because of me.
Why was she so furious? I bore the Rahel Tani name, but I wasn't her real daughter.
'...Ah, right.'
The medicine that helped Roselia sleep.
If something happened to me, she wouldn't get the drug to suppress herself anymore. She'd be back to suffering through sleepless nights.
Roselia's intense emotional outburst was probably because she didn't want to face insomnia again.
From her perspective, it was understandable to be upset.
So I bowed my head in apology.
"I'm sorry..."
But a simple apology couldn't douse Roselia's anger.
"...This won't do, Bella. You're grounded for a week."
"What?!"
"No, I can't trust what you might get up to in your room again. You'll stay in mine or Camilla's under supervision."
"Th-that's..."
"Use that time to reflect so this never happens again."
I blinked in disbelief, my mouth hanging open.
"Th-then... what about my business...?"
Roselia's eyes narrowed coldly. Pushing further would only make things worse.
"...Okay."
In the end, I let my lips droop and accepted reality.
Only then did Roselia soften her fierce gaze. After staring at me for a long moment, she let out a deep sigh and sat in the doctor's chair.
"Tell me what happened."
"...Actually, my magic circuit overloaded."
"I figured. Pour more mana into a circuit than it can handle, and that's what happens."
"I knew that, but..."
Circuit diagrams overload when injected with mana beyond their capacity. It was a warning printed in bold letters on the first page of every magic book.
But such incidents typically only occurred with massive overloads.
For my circuit and purified mana, it would take roughly a liter to cause that. Yet I'd used only about five drops.
I hadn't expected mana from a mana herb to be that potent, even refined.
"You knew and did it anyway?"
Roselia's voice sharpened again, stabbing like thorns.
"S-sorry... I'll be more careful next time."
I bowed my head.
I knew better than anyone that excuses would only make things worse right now.
In my past life and this one, excuses had always led to even stricter discipline.
"...Bella."
She called my name softly.
I looked up.
Roselia's eyes held no anger or resolve—just a complex, inscrutable emotion.
"Don't ever bow your head to anyone like that."
"Pardon...?"
"Even if you've done wrong, reflect on it—but there's no need to debase yourself like a criminal."
Roselia raised her hand and stroked my head.
"If anyone ever demands you bow to them in the future, bring them to me. I'll set them straight."
"..."
I looked up at her.
Cool yet tender eyes. Eyes that tricked me into thinking she truly saw me as family.
'...No way.'
I couldn't forget.
There was only one reason I'd been adopted into this household.
Because I could provide what lulled Roselia to sleep.
Nothing more.
Back in my bedroom.
Roselia must have gotten to it—every magic-related item was gone.
The tools for making circuit diagrams had vanished, and the magic books on my desk had been replaced with fairy tales boasting colorful covers.
"...Never saw this coming."
I muttered lowly, stroking the bandage on the back of my head.
Most circuit diagrams were designed not to harm the user.
Mine had been structured to expel wind in the opposite direction from me.
But it had blown me away too, which meant it wasn't just amplified power—the circuit had failed to contain the mana and gone haywire.
Well, I'd used the cheapest, lowest-grade parchment available. It could handle regular mana, but mana herb essence was too much for it.
On top of that, my Divine Power had likely amplified the output.
Boom—!
"Eek!"
I was deep in thought when an explosive crash erupted from the direction of the door, like something had detonated.
The door flew open with enough force to shatter it. And the one who burst in was none other than Camilla.
"Ca-Camilla...?"
She looked different from usual.
Her breathing came in ragged gasps. Her hair was tousled as if whipped by the wind. And was it my imagination? A faint red tint lingered around her eyes.
"Sister... are you crazy?"
Camilla glared at me and snapped sharply. We'd always treated each other like enemies, so insults like this weren't new.
But the atmosphere was completely different. Her usually cold eyes swirled with a storm of emotions reminiscent of Roselia's.
"A-angry?"
"You call that words right now?"
Camilla bit her lip as if grinding her teeth.
A heavy aura, comparable to Roselia's, swirled around her and bore down on me.
"Sister, what the hell were you trying to do?"
Under her interrogating pressure, I could only fluster.
Roselia had been like this, and now Camilla too.
I'm the one who got hurt. I had no idea why they were angry.
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