The Empire’s Third Princess was a strange little child. She could read and study at such a young age, but she was anything but easy to handle. Sometimes the Empress wondered if this really was the daughter she’d given birth to. How could her personality be so unlike either parent’s? But one look at those eyes and that face was enough to settle it—yes, she was definitely her own flesh and blood. The girl was certainly clever, but somehow she also seemed far too mature.

Sometimes, this child really did say things no one could make sense of.

Veltia munched on her little snacks. Life didn’t get much happier than this. She’d heard that her birth mother wanted to find her a tutor in etiquette. If she could, she really wouldn’t want one—but after thinking it over, she figured there was no getting out of it. Honestly, when she’d been reincarnated into this world, she’d never expected something like this to happen. She wasn’t about to accept these so-called parents. Her last life had been miserable enough; she didn’t want parents. She wanted to be all on her own, a happy wind-boy. But, well, her parents in this life were still alive and well, so she couldn’t exactly pretend they didn’t exist. She’d just live off them for a few years. Once she was able to leave the palace, she’d find some quiet, out-of-the-way place, open a little café, grow a vegetable garden, and settle down in peace.

Until then, she had to study hard. Only by becoming exceptional could she avoid a political marriage.

Just as she was thinking about all that, another guest entered the palace. He was a blond boy with handsome features, and he looked a lot like Veltia—seven or eight parts out of ten. Veltia looked up and saw him coming over.

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

The maids all bowed.

Karen, the Empire’s First Prince, was Veltia’s older brother in name. He was nine years old, and a bright smile spread across his face as he spotted his little sister chewing on something. He came scampering over.

“Vivi, your big brother’s here! Did you miss me~?”

“Go ’way! Don’ bother me while I’m eatin’… Ahhh, let go! I’ll beat you up!”

Her so-called big brother had picked her up the moment he arrived. She was still so little, and he was holding her like a chick! How could he be so annoying?

“Vivi, I missed you so much~~”

“I didn’ miss you! Now put me down!”

“Karen, you can’t treat your sister like that. You’re holding her so tightly she’s uncomfortable.”

“Mother, I just missed my little sister so much. I wanted to play with her.”

“Put her down first.”

Veltia was set down. She glared at this so-called big brother of hers, furious. It was all because she was smaller than him. If she were bigger, she’d beat him to death!

And what kind of person acted like this as an older brother? He’d be annoying even as a little brother!

Thinking back to when she was a baby, this so-called big brother was always teasing her. He’d bring her toys to play with and say he’d buy her dresses when she grew up. Pah! She didn’t want to be a girl, and she didn’t want frilly dresses! So, once she got a little older, whenever her brother handed her a toy, she threw it. When he gave her a little dress, she tossed it away. When he tried to kiss her cheek, she kicked him. When he gave her food, she… Well, that didn’t count. She ate it obediently.

He’d picked the one afternoon tea she got to herself to come bother her. So annoying!

“Little sister, don’t you like your big brother?”

That guy was looking at her with such an innocent expression. He was just a brat, yet he was trying to make her feel sorry for him! Pah, she wasn’t falling for it.

He was pretty cute, sure, but he was a boy! She wasn’t going to feel sorry for a boy.

“I don’ like you! Go away!”

“Boo-hoo, Vivi, your big brother likes you. Come play with me.”

“Don’ call me Vivi! I’m not your little sister!”

“Then what should I call you?”

“You should call me Imperial Sister.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“How is that the same?! I’m telling you to go away!”

The Empress sipped her tea nearby, used to this by now. Her eldest son really did adore his little sister. That was a good thing; it was good for the siblings to be close. In other countries, royal siblings often fought one another over the right to inherit the throne. Thankfully, nothing like that happened in the Empire. The late emperor had clearly opposed this so-called sibling rivalry, and for brothers and sisters to turn against one another was a grave offense.

Still, no decision had been made about which of the three children would inherit the throne. The Emperor planned to consider their abilities before choosing an heir. At first, the First Prince had held a great advantage. Leaving his birth aside, the nobles in the palace were willing to support him, and the Empress had thought her son would become the heir. But after Veltia was born, many things changed. The reason was simple: Veltia was so gifted. She was already studying at three, and she could understand many books. The nobles in the palace had gradually begun to see her as a contender in the struggle for the throne.

Some had even put Karen and Veltia on the list of rivals for the throne already.

The truth, however, was that Veltia was only studying so hard because she didn’t want to be a useless princess and get thrown away in a political marriage someday. She had no interest in competing for the throne. All she wanted was to eat, sleep, and wait for old age; then she’d tend a patch of farmland, open a café, and enjoy a comfortable retirement.

For now, Karen simply wanted to play with his little sister, who was currently rejecting him outright. His sister seemed to dislike their whole family, though. Whether it was their father or their mother, she treated them all the same.

Still, all it took was a little scare to make this little sister behave.

“Vivi, hurry up and call me Big Brother.”

“No!”

“Oh? You won’t? If you don’t, Big Brother will have someone spank you—right on your cute little bottom.”

“Boo-hoo, no! Imperial Brother, have mercy!”

“Call me Big Brother.”

“Big Brother, I’m sowwy!”

See? It was that simple. At first, Karen hadn’t wanted to use this trick, but after seeing their mother do it a few times, he’d tried it himself. It worked pretty well, so he’d kept at it.

After afternoon tea, Veltia ran off to the Imperial Garden in a huff. Karen scampered after her, and the Empress set down her teacup and followed with her maid. Even as the mother of the Empire, with all her busy days, she still needed to spend time with her children. Her own parents had raised her that way, and now that she had children of her own, she naturally wanted to pass it on. The child she worried about most was her youngest daughter. Veltia was clever, yes, but she was anything but easy to handle. It was as if the child had been born resisting something, unwilling to get along with her family.

But she was still a child, and that part was easy enough to deal with. It was getting her to open her heart that seemed to take something more.

Once they reached the Imperial Garden, Veltia did nothing but complain about her big brother, shouting at him to stay away. But he kept shamelessly following her. She couldn’t kick him away, either. It was so annoying. They might have been born of the same mother, but she didn’t like this guy. He wasn’t her brother—he was Veltia’s brother. That was right: she didn’t want to admit she was Veltia.

Her new life was unlucky enough already. She’d been reincarnated, turned into a girl, and then reborn into the royal family on top of that. Why? She didn’t want to be royalty. She just wanted to be an ordinary person.

The two children played in the middle of the Imperial Garden. Veltia ran with her skirt gathered up, while the little tagalong behind her chased her effortlessly, laughing and giggling. Damn this stupid body! If she weren’t still so small, she’d have left him in the dust long ago.

From far away, a little girl with a golden ponytail came over. She wore a gorgeous little dress and carried herself with poise as she entered the Imperial Garden with her attendant maids. There, she spotted the two siblings playing around.

“Greetings, Mother. Greetings, Imperial Brother.”

Leona greeted her mother and brother, then turned to look at her Third Sister.

“Hello, Imperial Sister.”

“Next time you see me, you should bow.”

Leona sighed and gently tapped her on the head.

“Ow! Why’d you hit me? Don’t you know that hurts?”

“Imperial Sister, you spend every day lazing around. Starting tomorrow, you’re coming to etiquette lessons with me.”

“Nooo! Big Sister, be the bigger person and let me off!”

“How do you know so many expressions? Are you really only three?”

How should Leona put it? Her little sister was younger than her, but sometimes seemed rather mature—though that maturity could vanish in an instant. Everyone doted on her, but Leona and her sister were neither especially close nor on bad terms. They were just… okay.

“Leona, what brings you here? Afternoon tea’s already over.”

Karen laughed carelessly as he made an annoying remark. Leona sighed.

“I’m here because you said you’d have afternoon tea with me today, Brother. How’d you end up over here with Imperial Sister?”

“I like Vivi. You should come over next time, too.”

“You’re already nine, Brother. If you keep following your three-year-old sister around, people will laugh at you.”

“So it’s fine if I follow you around, my seven-year-old sister?”

“Um… Ahem. Imperial Brother, you should remember your place as a member of the royal family. I only came to tell Imperial Sister that she’s coming to etiquette lessons with me tomorrow.”

Veltia puffed out her cheeks and glared at Leona. This so-called older sister was awful. She didn’t like her!

Besides, this girl clearly just wanted to hang out with her brother. She wasn’t here to see Veltia at all—she’d come to find that good-for-nothing Karen. What a siscon!

Leona was the Empire’s Second Princess and Veltia’s older sister, but the two weren’t particularly close. Leona didn’t cling to Veltia the way Karen did, and Veltia didn’t dislike her, either. They were simply on about the same terms. They were family, after all, and could still talk to each other, but it wasn’t as if they played together all that much.

Leona just felt a little unhappy that ever since Veltia was born, her brother had been running over here every other day.

Veltia didn’t want to deal with Karen. He kept buzzing around like a fly, driving her crazy, so she simply grabbed Leona’s hand and ran.

“Imperial Sister, what are you doing?”

“Come on, Imperial Sister. I’ll show you my treasures. I caught them all myself.”

“…You want me to look at the cicadas you caught? Veltia, you’re a member of the royal family. Stop playing with bugs all day. Father will lecture you again if he sees.”

“You don’t want to play? I can catch you a few crickets, and we can make them fight.”

“…Imperial Sister, I won’t tell anyone about today. But play with bugs less from now on. I have a few dolls here. Take them and play with those.”

Leona was at a loss. With Veltia holding bugs like that, where was the royal dignity? Just looking at her made Leona want to facepalm. Anyone could believe she was some wild child from the countryside. Karen, meanwhile, was afraid of bugs. Seeing his little sister playing with them, he didn’t dare go near—and that suited Veltia just fine.

Looks like she really needs etiquette lessons as soon as possible. Leona felt that if they didn’t teach her little sister soon, she’d grow up all wrong.