Otome Game Mob Villain - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Little Sister

Translator: mayora13

One day, as I was immersed in my research in the study as usual, I noticed the door open slightly with a creak. No one came in, but upon looking over, I saw purple eyes the same as mine staring at me through the gap of the slightly opened door. Now that made me wonder: was this person actually intending to hide?　

But our eyes had completely met… and I didn’t know if I should pretend not to have noticed. It felt like I was being very guarded against.

“… Nii-chama, what are you doing?”

“I’m investigating something, but… do you want to join in, Meredy?”

The peeker was Meredy Baldia, a cute four-year-old girl who got her red hair and purple eyes from her mother.

“Nii-chama, you won’t be angry even if I’m together…?”

“Mhm, I won’t be angry. Come over. Shall I read you a picture book?”

“Really!? You’re not lying!?”

Meredy opened the study door and ran over with bright sparkles in her eyes.

“I’m not lying. Want to start reading now? But do close the door though.”

“Okaay.”

Meredy joyfully closed the door before coming close to me.

I took a moment then to look back on Rid’s memories, but what came to mind that involved Meredy was colored with sadness.

When Meredy was born, Rid had adored her with an excited heart. But when their mother Nunnally fell sick, he vented his aimless insecurity on the people around him. Perhaps it was a child’s way of protecting his heart, but his aggression ended up being directed at Meredy as well. Rid had yelled at his little sister if she so much as approached him.

But then one time, when Meredy asked him about their mother, Rid raised his hand in violence. Thankfully, she suffered no injuries due to the intervention of Garn, Danae, and the other maids. Although the incident was settled as a “light quarrel among children”, it was probably from that moment that the two grew distant from each other.

Since then, even though the two were siblings, the people of the house had been taking care to prevent the two from meeting as much as possible during meal times and so on.

“… Meredy, I’m sorry.”

“About what~? Ah, Nii-chama, you can’t go nap-nap in the garden.”

“Mm? So you knew it about it too. You shouldn’t copy me, alright?”

“But I wouldn’t do something like that.”

“You’re right. Meredy is clever after all.”

“Mhm, I’m clever.” Meredy laughed a little, shaking her body as if she felt ticklish. “Ah, Nii-chama. I’m fine with you calling me Mel~”

“… Are you sure?”

“Uh-huh. Mother always calls me Mel, so you can too, Nii-chama. Beause it’s special.”

“Okay. It’s special alright. Thank you.” As I replied with a grin, Mel squirmed like she was feeling ticklish again and giggled.

For a while after that, I kept reading picture books for Mel as if to make up for what I did wrong. I didn’t know how much time passed, but Mel eventually fell asleep in the middle of reading.

I called for a maid, and some minutes later, I heard a knock on the study door. When I answered the door, I found it was Danae. She quietly said, “Excuse me,” and came inside.

Mel was lying on the sofa, breathing peacefully in her sleep. Danae looked slightly surprised to see her like that, but eventually, she smiled softly.

Mel’s sleeping face was adorable enough to bring a smile to anyone’s face, in my opinion.

Danae called out, “Meredy-sama, can you get up and walk?”

But she got no reply. Mel seemed to be sleeping soundly more than I thought.

Danae picked up the girl into her arms. I opened the study door for her, and she thanked me with a smile before leaving and heading straight for Mel’s room.

Garn seemed to have passed the maid by as he came in the study next and looked at me strangely. He said, “… Were you together with Meredy-sama?”

“Mhm. I saw the door open a bit and found Mel peeking inside. We were reading picture books until she fell asleep.”

Maybe my reply was unexpected but Garn turned slightly wide-eyed. Then he smiled in relief and said, “That is good to hear. I hope that you will get along with Meredy-sama from now on as well.”

“Of course. She’s my little sister after all.”

Garn looked rather surprised at my words, probably because he knew what sort of attitude I used to have toward Mel.

“… I feel that you have changed a little after collapsing in the garden, Rid-sama,” Garn remarked.

“Eh!? Y-you think?　I don’t think I’m any different though.”

Although I put on a calm front, I couldn’t help my heart pounding inside.

“Is that so. I apologize for speaking out of line.”

I couldn’t help stuttering suspiciously. “N-no, no. It’s fine. Thanks for worrying.”

Garn smiled and excused himself before taking his leave.

“Whew… that startled me. I suppose it’s only natural he thought that, considering how I was like until now.”

When Mother was afflicted with Mana Deficiency syndrome, my heart turned crooked and I lashed out at anything I could. The memory of that time remained in me, and it was why I swore to myself again that I would definitely save Mother. With that in mind, I shut myself in the study again.