Chapter 4

'He said what now?'

Adrelo just stared at his father but his mind was in a bit of chaos right now.

He did not expect this. Him and his sister? Together? I think I'll just keep puking my insides out if I'm going to stay on the same room with at least one of his siblings.

Although it's not weird, but this never happened in the novel at all. Not even one sentence was mentioned in the novel where Adrelo can be seen with his siblings at all considering the fact that their relationship was strained worse than he thought.

'What is this guy planning?'

Adrelo started to warily looked at the marquis but immediately changed to a calm expression but it seems like the marquis noticed this and Adrelo just ignored it. He didn't respond to his father.

“Get ready for tomorrow...you may go now”

After that, Adrelo left the room and went to the main hall. As he was walking, he glanced at the workers inside the manor. He's sure the workers are busy and carefully cleaning the house for the arrival of his sister later evening. He thought of his sister and tried to describe what kind of a sibling she is to the original Adrelo.

This woman, his sister, is one of the eldest child of the Marquis. She's said to be beautiful and intelligent seemingly resembling her mother. She is also exceedingly good at maintaining the social status of our family making her remarkable in the eyes of the nobles and royalties.

Apparently, Adrelo admired his sister, but their relationship wasn't the best and this would lead to his hatred towards her sister.

Adrelo shifted his gaze from the workers and continued walking towards his room. He can't imagine how pitiful it was for Adrelo to keep begging his parents and siblings to just give him a tiny bit of attention and love. Why must they hate him? He was just a child. Adrelo thought sadly.

He arrived in his room and immediately plopped in his bed.

He was starting to lose his energy just by walking in their big annoying mansion.

He couldn't think of anything other than sleeping peacefully in his warm cozy bed.

Click.

The door to his room quietly opened and someone came in. The butler who served him before stood to the side of the bed as he tidied up Adrelo's room and put up some clothes next to him. The butler observed young Adrelo's sleeping face and walked out of the room after.

***

The next day arrived and Adrelo was called upon in the great hall to meet his sister.

As he heard the sound of upcoming stamps of horses, he fixed himself up and confidently faced his sister. He went to the entrance door to greet the arrival of his sister. The carriage stopped at the manor’s garden with vast and lavish display of the family’s wealth. The door opened and revealed an elegantly beautiful lady.

She had hair like flowing white snow, her blue gaze piercing like an ice-shard of the clearest crystal, her features sharp like a fine point. She was a masterpiece of nature, created from a brush of the highest tier.

For Adrelo , she was the most beautiful being, her presence captivating all who looked her way, yet there was a coldness to her beauty, an air of regal majesty that made one shrink to a lowly creature in her presence.

‘How interesting’ Adrelo thought to himself as he looked at his sister walking towards him.

Adrelo waited with anticipation as his sister approached. Her footsteps were graceful and smooth, each movement exuding confidence and elegance. As she drew closer, her penetrating blue eyes locked onto Adrelo, and her lips curled up into a slight smile.

“Greetings, Brother,” she said, her voice cold and calculating. “It has been quite some time since we’ve seen each other.”

"Indeed, it has been quite some time," Adrelo replied with a hint of formality.

"You look well, sister."

"Spare me the small talk," his sister said, her smile fading slightly.

“ Let's get straight to the point.”

Adrelo nodded silently, bracing himself for whatever might come next. His sister's demeanor was always cold and aloof, even towards him. It was almost as if she had no feelings towards him at all.

"Very well," Adrelo said, keeping his tone even.

“What do you want to talk about?”

His sister looked at him with a slight frown, seemingly thrown off by his calm and collected demeanor.

“I wanted to see how you have been faring,” she said, her voice laced with curiosity.

Adrelo arched an eyebrow, unimpressed.

"Ah, concern for me now?" he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

“How generous of you.”

Adrelo's blunt rebuke seemed to hit a nerve with his sister. Her face contorted into a scowl.

“What is that supposed to mean?” she snapped.

Adrelo shrugged nonchalantly.

“It means what it means. You were hardly ever concerned with how I was faring before, so why start now?”

His sister bristled at the implication. Adrelo's words had stung, and she hated being made to feel inferior. But she hid her emotions well.

“I see the years away from home have not dulled your tongue,” she spat.

Adrelo smirked.

“And I see being the favorite child hasn't improved your manners either.”

His sister's eyes flashed with anger.

“How dare you speak to me that way?” she hissed.

Adrelo met her glare with an icy stare of his own. "Oh, I dare," he said coldly.

His sister flinched slightly at his cold remarks. She eyed him deeply seemingly trying to pierce her eyes at him.

His sister pursed her lips. "Fine," she said curtly.

Adrelo let out a sigh.

“Great. What a lovely family reunion this is,” he deadpanned.

His sister just observed him trying to understand his foreign attitude that he was displaying in front of her but refrained from commenting further.

“Let's get inside,” she said coolly, gesturing to the manor.

“I have something to discuss with you.”

Adrelo nodded, following his sister as she walked towards the entrance. As they crossed the threshold, the manor's servants scrambled to greet them and take their outer attire.

Once their coats were taken, his sister turned to Adrelo. "Come with me," she said, her voice lacking any warmth.

Adrelo followed his sister through the long corridors of the manor, their footsteps echoing in the vast emptiness. As they walked, the strained silence between them was palpable. Adrelo had never been particularly close with his sister, but this visit felt especially cold and icy.

They finally arrived at a large oak door, the wood carved with intricate designs and patterns. His sister pushed the door open, revealing a grand sitting room that resembled a small library.

"Sit," she said briskly, gesturing to a chair in front of a small table.

Adrelo sat down in the chair, his gaze drifting around the room. It was clear that this was a room reserved for important discussions and meetings. The air felt almost stifling in its formality.

His sister took a seat across from him, her expression guarded and aloof. For a moment, she said nothing, merely observing him as if trying to gauge his mood.

His sister sat across from him at the table, her demeanor composed and calm.

"Now that we're settled, I have something important to discuss with you," she began. "There's a ball being held by the royal family in a few days, and they have requested the presence of all noble children of marquis and above."

Adrelo raised an eyebrow, feigning nonchalance. "What's so important about it?"

His sister looked at him incredulously. "This is an opportunity for us to establish connections and make a good impression on the royal family."

Adrelo rolled his eyes. 'Oh, great. A chance to suck up to the royals. Just what I've always wanted.' thought to himself

Looking at her brother's nonchalance reaction which is contrast to his trashy attitude whenever he gets the chance to show off himself, she felt weird with him.

"You could at least pretend to be interested. This is a chance for us to elevate our family's status and reputation."

Adrelo sat back in his chair, his expression nonchalant and uncaring. "A ball, huh?" he said, sounding uninterested. "What a waste of time."

Adrelo, surprised by his remarks as the realization hit him. It was true that his sister was a potential candidate for the crown princess. And yet, he knew full well that his own reputation would prevent him from even being considered for any significant role.

Adrelo's heart sank. He was once again reminded of his lowly position in the family. No matter how wealthy or capable he was, his own personality had sabotaged his chances of gaining favor with the crown prince, thus making his sister a prime candidate.

As Adrelo mulled over the thought of the crown prince, his inner resentment flared up. He recalled how the original Adrelo had been ruthlessly killed by the prince in the novel.

Adrelo snickered, a bitter smile on his face.

"The crown prince, huh? He's probably going to be there too. I can hardly wait to see him flaunting his pompous self like the spoiled brat that he is."

His sister looked at him with a mix of shock and irritation. "Please watch your tongue," she said, her voice laced with warning.

Adrelo let out a scoff.

"Oh, relax. I'm just stating the obvious. The prince is a self-entitled prick who thinks he's better than everyone else."

His sister's eyes narrowed. Still confused with the way his brother's acting right now, although, with the same trashy personality he still shows.

‘What is wrong with him, he's... acting different’ she thought as she glance at him. A hint of different emotions showing in her face.

His sister studied him intently, her expression a mixture of confusion and surprise. Adrelo felt a strange pang of satisfaction, watching his sibling try to decipher his behavior.

Adrelo seemed to be more happier to see the way she's calculating his every actions as if he somewhat became important.

"What, is there something on my face?" he asked innocently.

His sister shook her head, trying to hide her surprise. "No, there's nothing on your face," she replied, trying to keep her tone calm.

Adrelo knew that he was getting under her skin. The way she was scrutinizing him, trying to figure out what was going through his mind, was amusing to him.

"Then why were you staring at me like that?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

His sister's calm demeanor slightly broke down as she realised she was caught by his suddenly observant brother. "I was just..." she began, trying to find an excuse.

Adrelo chuckled, "You were just... what?" he teased.

His sister pursed her lips, clearly annoyed by his mocking tone. "Never mind," she said brusquely, trying to regain her composure.

"Let's get back to the topic at hand."

'Come to think of it, this seems to be the longest time that Adrelo and his sister interacted'

Adrelo thought to himself as he recalled where the original Adrelo and his sister never reached an estimated time together more than 1 hour. His sister didn't seem to like his presence in the novel.

In the previous timeline, she had barely tolerated his presence for more than an hour.

Yet, now, she seemed to be at a loss. There was a hint of curiosity and, dare he say it, even a bit of concern in her eyes. It was as if, for the first time, she was seeing him as more than just a mere annoyance.

'Could it be,' Adrelo thought to himself, 'that this change in her behavior towards me is because of my demeanor?'

He had deliberately been more aloof and distant than in the previous timeline. Could it be possible that her annoyance with him in the past was because he was too clingy and needy?

Adrelo thought to himself. If that was the case, then this new cold and uninterested persona of his was having a positive effect on their relationship.

'Perhaps there is some merit to this apathetic personality I've adopted,' he thought.

His sister, who had been trying to compose herself, finally spoke up. "Are you done?" she asked, her calmness still evident.

Adrelo raised an eyebrow. "Done with what, exactly?" he replied innocently.

"You know what I mean," she said.

Adrelo decided to humor her. "Oh, you mean the topic of the crown prince and the ball, right?" he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

His sister feigned ignorance at his sarcastic remarks and continued explaining about the banquet and the relationship between the royal family and their family to him.

As his sister continued to explain, Adrelo listened half-heartedly, bored by the details of the royal family's importance and their connection to their own family. However, he feigned interest to at least appear engaged.

'This is a lot' Adrelo boredly thought to himself.

Adrelo tried not to let his annoyance show on his face. This conversation was exactly what he had expected, his sister reciting the traditional values of their family and the importance of pleasing the royal family.

He remembered the crown prince and the female of the novel 'Rhythm of your love', looking back at it. It was a cringy story to the max, Adrelo can't decipher the fact he managed to read that shitty novel until the sun has risen and put him off late for class.

'I guess with so many men flocking around the female lead including Adrelo, the romantic style of capturing the girl's heart is unreachable, those guys are crazy'

Adrelo shuddered at the thought of being pursued by crazy men in different directions.

Adrelo fought back a grimace as he recalled the absurd male leads in Rhythm of Your Love. Every single one of them seemed to have escaped from the asylum for obsessive lovers. Each was more "crazy-in-love" than the last, a cocktail of unchecked possessiveness and violent tendencies—all aimed at wooing the female lead.

The thought of somehow becoming entangled with any of them made him want to laugh and cry at the same time.

‘Maybe if I just lay low and play my cards right, I can avoid crossing paths with them altogether,’ Adrelo thought, trying to reassure himself.

But deep down, he knew better. His name may have been just a minor footnote in the original novel, but fate had a cruel sense of humor. No way would it let him stay on the sidelines for long. He was already deviating too far from the novel's events. For all he knew, his mere presence could attract unwanted attention from the male lead and not in the way he wanted.

His sister's voice snapped him out of his musings.

"Adrelo, are you even listening?" she asked, her icy gaze sharp enough to slice through stone.

"Of course, Sister," he replied with a disarming smile. "Every word."

She narrowed her eyes but didn’t press further. Instead, she leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs elegantly. "You’d better behave yourself at the ball," she said.

"I won’t have you embarrassing the family name."

Adrelo’s lips twitched upward in a smirk.

"Oh, don’t worry. I’ll be the picture of decorum."

The sarcasm in his tone wasn’t lost on her, but she chose to ignore it. "See that you do," she said curtly.

"And try to stay out of trouble."

‘Trouble?’ Adrelo thought bitterly. Trouble always seems to find me.