Chapter 15: A Wooden Sword and a Feline Visitor

I twirled the long, silvery hair, feeling utterly out of place. I’d never let my hair grow past my shoulders—too impractical for work.
The doll-like beauty, alabaster skin, and jewel-like eyes… this appearance was impossible to get used to. It was the epitome of a princess, completely alien to me.
It wasn’t just the looks.
A leisurely day, fine clothes, expensive trinkets, servants doing everything for me—this life was worlds apart from mine.

‘A bit enviable, though. What would it have been like to be born into a family like this?’
No backbreaking part-time jobs. I could’ve gone to college.
No sighing over my bank balance.

“Aileen.”
Knock, knock. Bernell’s voice came with the knock.
I’d been silently practicing calling him “big brother” to avoid cringing, so I permitted him to enter.

“You’re here… big brother.”
So awkward! I wanted to hide.

“I brought you a gift.”

“Oh, wow. I’m… really excited.”
Bernell visited constantly, more than the servants, always with a gift.

“Here, something you begged for as a kid.”

“Hm?”
He handed me a wooden sword, perfectly weighted with a grip tailored for Aileen.

“Like it?”
His expectant eyes watched me.
A wooden sword as a gift for a girl? I was thrown off. My sibling, Uijin, would’ve loved a toy sword, but me? Not so much.
Then I recalled his talk of knighthood and sword training.

“I’m so happy…”
I quickly chose a response Aileen might give, since the gift was for her, not me.
Bernell’s face lit up, clearly delighted.

“Eager to train, right? But the physician says your body needs more recovery time.”
I’d escaped bedrest, but restrictions lingered.
Once, unable to sit still, I’d made my bed, only to regret it instantly—let’s not dwell on that.

“Shall we explore the estate today?”

“Sounds great!”
Bernell offered his arm to help me up, steady as a rock. Would I ever get used to such attentiveness?
Aileen’s growth, stunted by fifteen years in bed, made our height difference stark.

“You wanted to see the western wing today, right?”

“Yes.”
I wanted to chase the butterfly, but even roaming the estate wasn’t my choice—I was under Bernell’s watchful eye.
He was especially wary of the northern wing, likely because of the lake. His overprotection was so intense, he wouldn’t even let me glimpse it through a window.
If I neared that area, servants would cover every lake-facing window with curtains.

“…”

“Nothing’s changed, see? We kept the estate nearly identical to fifteen years ago so you wouldn’t feel out of place.”
To Bernell, my glances to check on the butterfly probably looked like I was just taking in the estate.
I wanted to stop when the butterfly veered, but Bernell led me toward the gallery.

“Remember racing me down this hall when you were little?”
He spoke as we walked the long corridor, lined with paintings on one side and portraits on the other, likely of the Abelgart family.
Many resembled the Aileen in the mirror—strong genes. Bernell, inheriting only their mother’s looks, was the odd one out.

“Uh, maybe…”
His gaze never left me. How he walked without tripping was a mystery.

“Recognize this one?”

“Wah!”
Without warning, he scooped me up, standing beside a portrait.
I’d been carried by paramedics after collapsing from overwork, but not since childhood. Aileen’s petite frame, though small from years in bed, wasn’t light—yet Bernell lifted me like a ragdoll.

“Put me down!”

“This is Aunt Jeanne. You used to stand under her portrait, mimicking her.”
Ignoring me, he kept talking.
I clung to his shoulders, terrified of falling, though his grip was firm.

“If you’re scared, hold my neck.”

“Put me down.”

“You’d look amazing in a knight’s uniform like her. Abelgart women excel with the judgment sword, strongest against evil, as if blessed by the divine. Your sword will surely shine for justice.”

“Big brother, put me down.”
Reluctantly, he set me down with a wistful look. Did he only hear what he wanted?

Watching him, I reflected. People said I was overprotective of my sibling, but I never thought so—until seeing Bernell.
Surely I wasn’t this bad… right?

“…”
I belatedly looked at the portrait.
A silver-haired, golden-eyed woman in a white uniform, holding a sword with commanding presence.
Most female portraits in the gallery had halos painted behind them, including this one, glowing like the sun.

“I used to imagine you grown up like this, in a knight’s uniform, standing by my side on missions. I could ask for nothing more.”
Bernell’s eyes softened, as if seeing Aileen in the portrait.
If Aileen grew up, she’d likely look just like her, being so similar.

“Aunt Jeanne joined the Holy Knights at seventeen. Don’t rush, Aileen—no need to join them. Staying with the family, wielding a sword for us, is fine too. I’ll make sure your dreams come true, everything.”

“Oh, okay…”
Would the real Aileen be grateful or find this overwhelming?

“Is your dream to be a knight like me still alive?”

“Y-Yes…”
His face brightened again. Was it that exciting?

On the way back to Aileen’s room, we passed a slightly open door. Inside, their mother sat in a rocking chair, embroidering. She smiled and waved, but Bernell rushed me past before I could return the gesture.

“Uh…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”
Was Aileen the only family in his head? What a sibling-obsessed guy!
Shouldn’t we at least greet their mother?
I’d misjudged. I doted on Uijin, but I was nowhere near Bernell’s level.

“Are your legs tired? Want me to carry you? Or a piggyback?”

“I’m fine. I can walk.”
I quickened my pace, dreading another lift-off-the-ground moment.

“After lunch, what do you want to do? The training grounds might be okay for a quick visit. I’ll persuade the physician.”
His eyes sparkled, expecting praise, certain Aileen would love the idea.

“Oh, thank you…”

“You can bring the wooden sword I gave you. I’ll keep it hidden until we get there.”

“Haha, I’m… thrilled.”
I felt like a robot spitting out automatic responses.

‘Wait, the training grounds are outside? I can finally leave the estate?’
Outside meant a chance to forage for ingredients—better than being stuck indoors.
I shifted my mindset. Years of service jobs had taught me to plaster on a fake smile for customers.

“Really! I’m so excited! I have to go!”

“Your joy makes me happy too. Trust your big brother.”

“Yes, I trust you! So much! You have to take me!”
Bernell gently patted my head.

“Anything you want, I’ll make it happen. Anything.”

After lunch, as promised, Bernell took me outside.
The training grounds were a flat, stone-paved clearing with packed dirt—no plants in sight. Naturally, I couldn’t stray beyond it, so my ingredient hunt failed again.
I just swung the wooden sword and called it a day.

A week after arriving in this dimension, a secret visitor came to my room at night.

“Mew-.”

“Huh? A cat? You’re…”
A tiny black kitten with two tails—one of the Nekomata kids.