When she’d been reincarnated into this world, she hadn’t felt much attachment to it. She hadn’t wanted to feel anything for the family she supposedly had in this life, either. She’d had more than enough of family in her previous life, and didn’t want to give anything to a family this time around—or get tangled up with one. She’d even thought about simply being an unloved little princess, then escaping the palace once she grew up and living quietly in the countryside. But no matter how willful she was, her family in this life still accepted her. Even though she didn’t want to get along with them at all.

Especially her mother in this life. She’d never wanted to get involved with her. When she was little, she remembered crying whenever her mother held her. Whenever her mother wanted to see her, she’d smack her tiny hand against the woman’s face. Even as a baby, she’d often sneak out of her crib and hide, making the palace maids frantic. By the time her mother found her in the study, she’d cried herself dry.

Her family gave her their sincere affection, but she didn’t want to accept it. Once you gave someone your heart, losing them always hurt. Veltia didn’t want to give her heart to anyone, but she couldn’t resist her mother’s love, either. No matter how willful she was, her mother always put up with it, holding her and soothing her, and even giving her tasty treats. She said she hated her family, but she couldn’t bring herself to reject them.

After all, she’d never known familial love in her previous life. The way they treated her so well in this one had, honestly, touched her a little.

But she would absolutely never admit it.

“Veltia, pay attention during class.”

Leona lightly tapped her on the head, reminding her to listen carefully in class.

Veltia was taking etiquette lessons now. The teacher instructing her and her sister was Baroness Moss. Veltia was too young to learn etiquette—she should’ve had to wait at least another year. But the Empress thought she was a quick learner, and also too wild, so she wanted her to start early. She’d arranged for Leona to take the lessons with her.

But Veltia couldn’t muster the slightest interest in etiquette. There were too many rules: this had to be done one way, that had to be done another. She even had to walk with a book balanced on her head, drink tea like a proper lady, and learn royal etiquette. Good grief. She’d rather die!

“Your Highness Veltia, straighten your back a little more. Your expression isn’t gentle enough. You’ve already forgotten what I just taught you. Come, let’s try again.”

Veltia would’ve liked to slack off, but her etiquette teacher wasn’t about to give her the chance. The woman was strict. Starting etiquette lessons at three—what was that about? She hated this!

Honestly, she’d been a man in her previous life. Why did she have to learn the etiquette of noblewomen? She actually wanted to learn men’s etiquette. But if she said that as a princess of the empire, she’d probably get scolded again. What was that saying? When you’ve eaten someone’s food, you can’t speak against them. She ate well, drank well, and slept well in the palace. Now that she was part of the royal family, wasn’t learning etiquette only natural? When she grew up, she’d have to enter high society and make connections, too. That was just common knowledge among nobles. Of course, she’d also have to study magic and things like that. If she had power, her future might be a little brighter.

She’d better take this seriously. Otherwise, she’d grow up to be a useless princess and get traded off in a political marriage.

But what could she do? This body was only three years old. If she couldn’t learn it, she couldn’t learn it.

“Veltia, you’ve made another mistake. Honestly, your steps are too wide, and your hands—hold them properly.”

After several rounds of this, even her sister was starting to criticize her. She was exhausted, body and soul.

Leona looked at her little sister and couldn’t help feeling helpless. Before, she’d always seen her fooling around, so wild that she didn’t look like a princess at all. Now she was learning noble etiquette and behaving herself, but the way she did it was just so funny. Then again, her little sister was only three. She couldn’t expect too much. When Leona had been three, she’d still been gnawing on biscuits.

Their mother wanted her to start learning early so she could fit into noble society sooner. After all, what noble girl went around catching bugs and rolling in the grass? Just thinking about it gave Leona a headache. Her little sister couldn’t go out and meet people like that. She’d have to train her into an elegant young noblewoman.

“I jus’ can’t learn it! I’m not studyin’ anymore!”

“What are you saying? We’ve only just started. Of course you won’t be good at it yet. Come on, stop pouting and practice with me.”

“I’m not poutin’ at you! You’re not even my big sister!”

“All right, all right. Hurry up and learn this. If you don’t finish the lesson, you won’t get any afternoon tea treats.”

This was the first time Leona had spent so long with her little sister. Before, Karen had always had Veltia all to himself. Leona had wanted to play with Karen, too. As for having a little sister, she hadn’t really cared either way. She didn’t want to be the big sister—wasn’t it better to stay the little one and be doted on? Ever since Veltia was born, Karen had stopped coming to play with her.

Leona was still a child herself, and she felt a little jealous. Even though she was unhappy about it, she still helped her little sister learn etiquette.

Raising her into a proper member of the royal family was part of the duty of being royalty.

After etiquette class, Veltia felt like she was about to die. She’d only been learning for a few days, and she already felt like she was going crazy. These etiquette lessons would go on for a long time, which meant she’d have to keep at them for the next few years. If she could, she really didn’t want to study at all. When was she ever going to grow up?

“Leona, you study this every day. Aren’t you tired?”

“You should call me Big Sister. Veltia, I know you’re complaining about me, but this is Mother’s arrangement. As members of the royal family, we have to act like it. When we go out, we represent the whole royal family.”

“I got it! I heard you!”

“I say a few things to you, and you think I’m annoying?”

“No... I’m bein’ good.”

Leona thought, Yeah, right. I believe you.

This kid never paid attention in etiquette class and was always thinking about taking a break. Even the baroness was starting to look displeased. The Third Princess was so hard to teach.

Leona had also realized that her little sister wasn’t very willing to study, which was making the lessons progress painfully slowly. The course they were supposed to have finished by now had stalled. If they didn’t move on to the next one soon, they’d fall behind.

“Little Sister, don’t be so willful. I know Mother and Brother dote on you, but we’re members of the royal family. We have to know what matters most. How about this? Finish today’s lesson, and come to my palace. I’ll share my biscuits with you.”

Maybe she’d realized that being strict wasn’t working, so Leona decided to try coaxing her with something else. She’d never shared her treats with anyone before. This time, she’d try giving some to her little sister, hoping she’d study properly.

But this trick really worked. Veltia actually started studying seriously.

Leona thought about all the clever ways she could use to coax her little sister in the future. They’d rarely spent time together before, but now Leona was realizing that her little sister was kind of cute. She’d ask the kitchen to prepare dinner later and have her stay to eat. In the past, whenever Leona saw her, she was either catching bugs or hiding under a maid’s skirt and causing trouble. She was so wild that Leona had once wondered if the girl was really her biological little sister.

But their very first meal together soon had Leona wanting to pin her sister down and rub her face into the floor. Veltia had come to her palace for dinner, but she had no table manners at all. There were crumbs all over her face, and she was grabbing bread with both hands. She’d take one bite of a dessert, drop it, then pick another. Compared to Leona, who ate like a proper young lady, Veltia looked like she’d been starving her whole life.

“Veltia, what happened to your table manners?!”

“Ah... I don’t gotta do that when I eat in my own palace.”

“Didn’t Lady Moss teach you table manners yesterday? How can you eat like this? You eat worse than a commoner—no, even commoners eat more neatly than you!”

“I’m not a noble anyway.”

“...”

Leona’s anger was blazing. She was right on the verge of losing it. How could a member of the royal family have no manners at all? And she could actually say something like that out loud!

Veltia sensed that her big sister was about to lose it, so she obediently put down the bread in her hand. She made a show of picking up her napkin and wiping her mouth, then picked up some food and chewed slowly.

“Big Sister, don’t be mad. I was bad. Here, this is really tasty. I’ll share it with you.”

“...”

In the end, Leona didn’t say anything else. She looked at that adorable little face, wanting to say something but unable to get the words out.

Sigh. Forget it. She was her own little sister, after all.

Leona realized that this was what it felt like to be a big sister. Her three-year-old little sister sure knew how to stir up trouble. But she was still young, and she could still be taught. They’d just have to take it slowly.

After the meal, Leona looked at the absolute mess her little sister had made of the table and held back her anger as she turned to look for her. Veltia had started running wild as soon as she finished eating. She was like this in her own palace, too. Leona hadn’t been paying attention after finishing her meal; she’d only gone to the bathroom. When she came back, she found her little sister sliding down the banister from the second floor to the first, terrifying the maids in the palace. Veltia didn’t seem to care at all—not even though her dress was covered in dust.

Crack.

That was the last straw for Leona.

She went straight over and grabbed Veltia. A three-year-old couldn’t match the strength of a seven-year-old, so Leona easily pulled her over. Leona sat on the sofa, laid her across her lap, and held her down.

“What’re you gonna do?!”

“Veltia! I’ve put up with you for long enough! Just look at yourself. Your etiquette lessons are a complete mess, and you haven’t learned a thing about table manners, either. You eat with no manners at all! And now you dare to slide down the banister! What if you’d fallen? Did you even think about what could happen? How does any of that look like a member of the royal family?”

“I’m not a member of the royal family! I don’t wanna be a princess!”

“Fine! You don’t want to be one? I’ll make sure you aren’t. I’m teaching you a lesson today!”

“What’re you doing?! Don’t take it off! I’ll report you for assault! Aah!”

Smack!

Her bottom suddenly felt cold, then came a sharp, loud smack. A handprint appeared on her pale bottom.

“That’s for not listening! That’s for not studying properly! And that’s for sliding down the banister!”

Smack!

Another slap.

“Ah! Big Sister, I was bad! Don’t hit me anymore! Waaaah!”

“That’s for not listening! That’s for saying such things! That’s for acting nothing like a noble! That’s for not learning your etiquette! And that’s for not listening to your big sister!”

“Waaaaah!”

That day, no one dared to say a word as they watched Leona spank her little sister. Veltia cried so hard it sounded like her heart was breaking. It was frightening just to hear. The sharp smacks mingled with her wails, becoming the scene that filled the palace. In all her three years, Veltia had never been spanked by her sister before. She’d earned it by refusing to behave.