Chapter 6: A Broken Dummy

I blinked, rubbing my blurry eyes. I felt pleasantly warm and cozy.

‘Where am I?’

It was an unfamiliar place.

As my mind cleared, I looked around. It seemed to be some kind of garden.

I was sitting on a chair, and the table was piled high with the desserts I had eaten yesterday.

The weather was… pleasant, but the word didn’t quite capture it. Basking in the warm sunlight and gentle breeze, I reached for a dessert.

A crisp crunching sound filled the air.

‘Wait.’

‘Why am I casually eating desserts in this unfamiliar place?’

‘Well, they’re delicious, so who cares?’

‘I should enjoy this rare moment of peace.’

‘…I feel like I’m forgetting something.’

As I lounged, the word “couch potato” coming to mind, I heard footsteps.

Rhythmic, measured footsteps.

I had a feeling I knew who it was. I turned my head, and there was Iris.

Her hair, tied back, swayed as she walked towards me.

Her face, the only part clearly visible, drew closer.

Stopping in front of me, Iris bent down and placed her hands on my shoulders, her red eyes meeting mine. Silver flecks reflected within them.

The distance between us was dizzyingly close.

Her black hair tickled my face, brushing against my cheek.

Her warm breath grazed my skin.

As her face reached my cheek, she whispered,

“Will you call me ‘older sister’?”

‘Aaaaagh!!!’

I woke up with a silent scream.

I was in the same room I had fallen asleep in last night.

A plainly decorated bedroom. Someone sentimental might find it bleak, but I liked it.

‘What kind of dream was that?’

It had been a pleasant dream until… it turned weird.

I had been pestered a bit yesterday, but it wasn’t a big deal. Why did it show up in my dreams?

‘…It was a bit much, though.’

I hadn’t given it much thought, but when it came to actually saying the words, I found it difficult.

‘If she were older, I wouldn’t have minded as much.’ I stopped thinking about it; it felt like a losing battle.

Looking out the window, it seemed to be before dawn.

I considered going back to sleep, but the lingering image of the dream made it difficult.

‘…Should I explore the mansion?’

I had no one to hang out with anyway. I hadn’t seen any other locations in the game besides the mansion, so exploring the somewhat familiar mansion was the only thing I could do.

I got out of bed, crossed the room, and stood at the door, feeling strangely nervous.

It wasn’t as grand as taking my first step into an unknown world, but my heart was racing a little.

I hadn’t been able to look around properly yesterday.

I turned the handle, and the door opened smoothly.

A chilly breeze, along with a high-pitched voice, drifted in from the empty hallway.

“Oh my.”

It seemed someone was there.

“If you’re awake, there’s no need to come out. Just pull the bell cord.”

‘Ah, that thing next to the bed?’ I had seen and heard about those many times, but it felt… strange for a modern person like me to use one.

‘If I get used to it, I might unconsciously pull at the air when I go back.’

“…I just wanted to look around outside.”

“Oh dear, there’s no need to be so formal with us.”

Come to think of it, it was strange.

I spoke informally to Iris, the second-highest-ranking person here, yet formally to the servants.

It might be normal for a modern person to be polite to strangers, but it seemed out of place here.

“…I will, once I get used to it.”

“Oh my… Hee hee.”

‘Why do they always laugh meaningfully when I say something?’

“If you insist, Miss, I wouldn’t dare to say more. You said you were going out?”

“Yes, for a walk.”

“Then please take this shawl. You’ll catch a cold dressed like that.”

I realized I was still wearing the clothes I arrived in as pajamas because there weren’t any other clothes that fit me.

I heard they had trouble finding clothes my size yesterday. Apparently, those clothes were what Iris wore when she was younger…

That thought made me feel gloomy again.

Taking the shawl she offered, I walked aimlessly down the hallway. I didn’t really need it, but there was no reason to refuse.

I had declined her offer to guide me. She had insisted that she couldn’t leave a guest alone, but when I said I was going to where Iris was, she readily let me go.

‘I have no idea where Iris is, though.’

‘…I hope I don’t get punished for wandering around alone. Judging by the servants’ attitudes, it doesn’t seem like they treat me badly, so I’m probably worrying over nothing.’

I walked down the somewhat empty hallway.

The servants I passed greeted me. It felt strange. Soon, I saw a door leading outside. I opened it without hesitation.

A chill, far more intense than when I opened the door to my room, enveloped me… but it felt familiar.

Outside, a familiar scene greeted me. The same view I saw when I first arrived at the mansion.

It reminded me of the coachman who brought me here. ‘I wonder what he does? He seemed somewhat close to Iris.’

‘I’m curious about his role. Which way did he go? That way?’

Following my memory, I started walking.

‘This must be it.’ I had no idea what I would find.

The sky was changing colors, signaling the approaching dawn. I arrived at what looked like a training ground.

Wooden swords, wooden spears, and various other training weapons and tools were displayed. ‘Is this like a basic training ground for knights in romance fantasies?’

I had expected it to be empty at this hour, but I heard thudding and cracking sounds, suggesting someone was training.

Approaching the source of the sounds, I saw a familiar face.

“…I didn’t expect you to be up already.”

Iris, dressed in light clothing, was hitting a wooden dummy. Seeing her face brought back the dream, making me feel strange. The situation was completely different, though.

‘That stupid dream is lingering for too long.’

“You too…”

We exchanged brief greetings. Iris resumed swinging her wooden sword. Steam rose from her sweat-soaked body.

“Considering today’s schedule, I thought this would be the only time I’d have.”

‘Didn’t she say she wasn’t doing any other work for the time being? Did I hear wrong?’

“Where are you going?”

At my question, Iris stopped and approached me. It felt like a scene from my dream, even though the context was different.

“To buy clothes.”

“Clothes?”

“Yes.”

‘I thought she wouldn’t be interested in clothes. She’s more girlish than I thought.’

“Why clothes all of a sudden?”

“We have the inauguration ceremony coming up…”

Wiping her sweat with a towel, Iris continued,

“And we need to get you some clothes, Evrys.”

“Me?”

“Did you intend to keep wearing that single dress?”

“Oh.”

“Of course, you seem fine in that, but there’s a matter of appearances.”

“…”

“I could have had them brought here, but… since you seemed eager to look around outside, I decided we’d go in person.”

I had thought about looking around, but I don’t think I said anything.

“Did I say that?”

“It was a hunch.”

“…”

“We’ll leave after breakfast. I’ll come get you anyway.”

While I stood there, momentarily stunned, Iris disappeared in a flash.

‘Clothes, huh…’

‘I should get something like pants, like Iris? I’ve been wearing whatever fit, but I hadn’t thought about buying new clothes.’

‘Why didn’t I think of that? It’s so obvious.’

‘I must be out of it from being in the snowy mountains for too long.’

Scratching my head, I looked at where Iris had been standing, and my eyes fell on the wooden sword she had left behind.

Picking it up, it felt strangely comfortable in my hand. Not because of Iris’s sweat, but just… instinctively.

The only weapon I had ever held was a K2 rifle.

Holding the wooden sword, I felt the urge to mimic Iris’s stance. I stood before the wooden dummy, legs apart.

Taking a deep breath, I raised the sword and…

…swung.

A whooshing sound filled the air, followed by a crack! The wooden dummy split in half.

“?”

‘What just happened?’

Panicked, I dropped the sword and hurried back to the mansion, retracing my steps.

‘They probably won’t mind if I broke one dummy, but it’s still destruction of property, so my body moved instinctively.’

‘…With this kind of strength, I won’t have to worry about getting beaten up.’

‘Maybe this is why I had that weird dream.’

‘I’ll just consider it a preemptive misfortune cleanse.’