(Author Note)

This is the story of Lil’s twin sister.

If you dislike depressing developments, feel free to skip this section.

Skipping it won’t affect the overall story.

(Author Note)

———————————————————————————–

Ever since I was old enough to understand the world, I had memories of my past life. In my previous life, I was a police officer in Japan. And I quickly realized that this was a world entirely different from Earth, a world where magic existed.

Moreover, I likely had the ability to distinguish lies. I realized this at the age of three, and I despaired.

To make matters worse, I was born into a marquis family, where my mother and father had a terrible relationship. No, that wasn’t quite right. My mother was the only one who loved my father, but he never returned her affections.

As I started being recognized as a prodigy, my mother would often say to me:

“You are my one and only daughter. Strive to be acknowledged by your father.”

I realized that those words were a lie. I remember feeling deeply confused.

I speculated that my mother had likely suffered a miscarriage with her first child. That would explain why calling me her “one and only daughter” was a lie. And since her second child wasn’t a boy, my father abandoned her. When my mother gave birth to me, she became unable to have children. She must have desperately wanted to regain my father’s attention. That’s why she demanded excellence from me.

I sympathized with my mother. My father treated us as if we were invisible. To him, my mother was just someone he kept around because divorcing her would be bad for his reputation.

But back then, I still didn’t know how much crueler the truth really was.

When I was six, my ability was finally exposed.

My mother immediately reported me to His Majesty the King, and I was granted the title of Saint. My only job was to stand by the king’s side and report liars.

For the first time in my life, my father summoned me and said:

“You are the cursed half of an abominable twin. Calling yourself a Saint is laughable. Be grateful that I have raised you until now. From now on, dedicate yourself to serving this family.”

There was not a single lie in his words. I had been gravely mistaken all along.

The reason my mother’s words were a lie was because she had another daughter.

My father did not abandon my mother because she failed to bear a son. It was because she had given birth to an abominable set of twins.

I confronted my mother, demanding to know where my sister was.

“It’s alright, Mireille. That demon child has been taken care of, so you don’t need to worry. You will always be my one and only daughter.”

There was no lie in her words. It was too late for anything.

I muttered instinctively:

“Murderer…”

I will never forget my mother’s face in that moment. She screamed like a madwoman:

“That child was a demon, not a person! I didn’t kill anyone!”

At least that was a lie. It meant she understood she had taken a life.

How could I ever atone for my lost sister?

Just thinking about what kind of life she had endured made my chest ache. I had sensed something was off, yet I never tried to find out the truth. If only I had investigated properly, I might have been able to save her.

From that moment, I could no longer see the woman before me as my mother. Nor could I see my father as my father.

I investigated what kind of life my sister had lived. The only word to describe it was “horrific.”

When I saw the underground prison where she had been confined, I couldn’t stop crying.

And yet, she had still smiled while living in that dungeon. They called her demon-possessed, but to me, she seemed like an ordinary child.

As a police officer in my past life, I had rescued abused children before. My sister’s behavior was no different from theirs.

From that day on, I began planning the death of “Mireille.”

I prepared a robe to conceal my face and waited for the right moment.

It was a risky gamble, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to escape as soon as possible.

And the opportunity arrived sooner than expected.

While accompanying the king on official business, I stayed in a seaside mansion. I sent the servants away, saying I wanted to see the ocean alone.

I left a suicide note on the table. I also cut my long hair with a knife and left it behind, noting in my letter that it was a memento.

Then, I tore my dress and hooked it onto the balcony railing.

This would make it look like I had jumped into the sea.

I threw my dress into the ocean and changed into a set of boys’ clothes I had hidden away. Climbing down the outer wall, I made my escape.

I never expected my hobby of bouldering in my past life to be useful in this way.

All that was left was to run.

But just as I thought that, someone grabbed my arm.

It was one of the king’s attendants.

I clicked my tongue in frustration.

“I was ordered by Livian Wilson, the Second Prince, to protect you.”

The attendant’s words were unexpected—and truthful.

Protection, not capture? What did that mean?

I recalled my previous meeting with the prince.

He probably knew about my ability. His investigative skills were impressive.

He had even tested me by telling a single lie. A formidable man.

For some reason, he wanted me.

I had nowhere else to go. As long as I could escape that house and this country, I didn’t care.

So I decided to accept his offer.

I was taken to the neighboring Kingdom of Wils.

Before meeting the prince, they cut my hair.

It was now as short as it had been in my past life.

It felt much lighter this way.

When I entered the meeting room, the prince was already seated.

“Ah, Lady Mireille… No, I suppose now you’re just Mireille.”

“Yes. Mireille Adams is dead.”

Ignoring formalities, I sat down in a chair.

“So, what do you want from me?”

“You’re quite strong-willed. Actually, our country has been protecting your sister.”

I was stunned. His words were true.

“My sister… She’s alive!?”

I rushed toward the prince.

“Yes. She was adopted by my younger brother and is living happily.”

I didn’t understand why she had become a royal adoptee, but his words were true.

Tears wouldn’t stop flowing.

The child I couldn’t save was now living happily.

The prince told me more about her.

It sounded like a miraculous Cinderella story, but everything was true.

I felt relieved.

“Now, about you…”

“I understand. If I remain in this country as the ‘Saint,’ my sister, the Interpreter, will never be truly free. You kidnapped me to prevent that. Once I grow a little and my appearance changes, you can make up any excuse. And if you ever wish to reveal her to the public, this was a necessary step.”

The prince frowned.

“Well, that’s part of it, but…”

Did I say something wrong?

“I’ll live in hiding. I don’t want to hinder my sister. Besides, if I were found, it would become an international issue. I’ll follow your orders.”

“Don’t you want to see your sister?”

Of course, I did. But…

“She’s happy now, isn’t she? Rather than having an unfamiliar sister disrupt her life, I’d rather she forget the past. More than anything, I have no right to face her.”

The prince furrowed his brows in thought.

“…Did you know Lil was being abused?”

“No, but I ignored the warning signs. I only learned the truth after she was abandoned. That, to me, is a sin.”

The prince fell silent.

“For now, I’ll protect you. Let’s think about the rest later. You’ll have to stay inside the mansion for a while, but bear with it.”

He then showed me around.

Did he really expect nothing from me?

“Oh, right. Let’s give you a new name. How about ‘Ria’? It matches Lil’s.”

And so, from that day on, I became Ria.

I was a little happy that it matched my sister’s.