We Are NOT Friends

WHAT IS THIS SHIT LUCK!

8 Years Old

Whew! 3 years have passed in a blink of an eye and I am now eight. My younger brother Cal (Callan) has grown so much that he is now taller than me by several inches. He has also matured a lot, he is still young, but he has been slowly acquiring sex appeal causing the maids to blush and comment that he was "hot". A hot 8 year old. As expected of a capture target.

Thankfully, in the past 3 years I haven't come into contact with either the prince or the twins by strategic avoidance. Every time any one of them saw me they would always stop and say hello, but I would always bow then run in the opposite direction. I think that they treat it like a game.

Although the past 8 years have been relatively lax, I am currently FREAKING OUT. That is because... THE CAPTURE TARGETS ARE 8 YEARS OLD WHEN THEY FIRST MEET THE HEROINE! AHHHHHHHHH! I AM GOING TO DIE!

Wait, don't get too hasty, as long as I don't come into contact with the capture targets I will be alright. Don't catch their attention, don't talk to them, and much less become (self-proclaimed) friends with them. Or else I will just be repeating the game. And I'll die. Gruesomely.

"Nee-sama!" Cal burst into my room and tackled me in a hug. We fell back onto my bed and it would have been a very ambiguous position if he wasn't my little brother. He's safe.

Oh, were you wondering why I was still affectionate with my brother? Well, it went like this:

Flashback

"Nee-sama, why are you avoiding me?" after a few weeks of avoidance he finally caught on and confronted me.

"I-I'm not avoiding you," I stammered, looking at my feet guiltily. 

Tears suddenly filled Cal's eyes. "Does Nee-sama not want me anymore? I love Nee-sama, is Nee-sama going to leave me like my parents left me?" I could see his ears drooping as he looked at me sadly. Unable to withstand his puppy eyes, I pulled him into a tight hug.

"No, of course not, your Nee-sama loves you."

"Then Nee-sama, promise me that you will never leave me alright? Just like how my parents left me, Nee-sama would never be cruel enough to do the same, right?" Trying to withstand his trembling voice, drooping ears, and tear filled eyes was not something possible for a block of ice, much less someone like me, to do.

I patted his head and cooed, "Of course not, I promise that your Nee-sama will always be with you."

His tears stopped immediately and a bright smile suddenly appeared on his face as if that episode had never happened. He smiled happily and hugged me tight, whispering in my ear, "Don't you ever go back on your promise," and then he released me. I was stunned, then seeing the slightly cunning glint in his eye, I felt a chill run up my spine.

Flashback End

That glint in his eye must have been my imagination, since Cal is only a kid. Yup, an adorable, cute child like Cal definitely does NOT have a dark side. Definitely not. And no, I'm not in denial...

Anyways, today me and Cal are going to explore the wooded forestland around our territory. We had heard from some of the maids that there was apparently a gorgeous meadow around the east of the forest, and that today was the best day to see them bloom. 

In the past 3 years we have both improved dramatically in our magical abilities. I am now able to create advanced level potions and mists. I  can easily create mists in places with a lot of plant life by drawing on their essences, and when I'm not around nature I open bottles with condensed mist and release it back into the air. Also, apparently my mists have a much better potency and efficiency than other elixirs because the energy is drawn directly from nature. My brother has also became an advanced level water magician. When we work together as a team our father calls us "monsters" proudly. We have graduated all of our tutors, so we'll have to wait until magic school to be able to be taught by any Saint-level magic teachers. Somehow, I don't think Cal's level was this high when he was a kid in the game, but whatever. 

While I have close to nothing to do, my brother is still earnestly learning etiquette and how to manage the dukedom, to prepare for the day that he inherits the estate. When I asked him why, he said, "So that Nee-sama can have an easier life," Aww... such an adorable younger brother. Although he did mutter under his breath, "And I fear for the well-being of our people," I will pretend that I didn't hear that.

"Cal! Look at this flower! It's so pretty!" I pointed at a pink and purple flower blooming near a tree. 

Cal peered over and plucked it off. He used water magic to wash it, and then placed it inside of my white blue hair that now reached to my knees. "It's the same color as Nee-sama's eyes," he said, smiling innocently.

I froze. For some reason this interaction seemed very un-sibling like. Trying to break the silence that was quickly becoming awkward I pointed in the distance at some more pretty flowers and told him that we should have a look. I gasped in shock when we came upon a huge field filled with flowers of every color and fragrances that smelled heavenly. I quickly took off my shoes and reveled in the feeling of the soft grass tickling my toes.  A slight breeze nudged my wavy long hair and the simple white dress that I was wearing. I turned and smiled at Cal,

"Doesn't it look beautiful?" I asked, feeling the warmth of the sun on my face.

"Yeah," he said, sounding dazed. "Absolutely gorgeous." Then his face suddenly became bright red and he turned away. I smiled triumphantly. Cal has finally realized how beautiful nature is and is embarrassed to admit it. Seeing him blush like that was actually quite cute.

I once again reveled in the paradise around me. I suddenly felt the urge to play the piano; a beautiful and clear song would fit this atmosphere perfectly. I instead settled for singing.

"The hills are alive with the sound of music
With songs they have sung for a thousand years
The hills fill my heart with the sound of music
My heart wants to sing every song it hears
My heart wants to beat like the wings of the birds

That rise from the lake to the trees
My heart wants to sigh like a chime that flies
From a church on a breeze
To laugh like a brook when it trips and falls over

Stones on its way
To sing through the night like a lark who is learning to pray
I go to the hills when my heart is lonely
I know I will hear what I've heard before
My heart will be blessed with the sound of music
And I'll sing once more"

I held the last note for as long as I could before having to stop for air. Thankfully, in this life I was gifted with a sweet, pure voice that had amazingly high vocal chords. I was quite surprised when I managed to reach all of the notes that Julie Andrews had sung in my slightly childish rendition of her song during the play "The Sound Of Music". I opened my eyes and looked at my brother for his approval. He was looking slightly dazed. What was wrong with him? 

Suddenly, the sound of loud clapping burst into the silence and I quickly whirled around searching for the source. I found it in the form of a petite young girl with golden haired pigtails and sky blue eyes. Oh, god no. I suddenly hoped that a hole would appear and swallow me whole. This extremely cute girl... was the heroine.

All of a sudden, other sounds of clapping came from my right and was joined by an long whistle of appreciation. I whirled to that side and nearly fainted at the sight that I came across.

Why am I  here on the day of the first encounter with the heroine? Of all the places and days it had to be here and now? 

What is this shit luck!