Chapter 2: Moving in

"A pleasure to meet you." I smiled thinly, eyeing her hand that was still gripping my arm, "I am Lady Ivory, the prized daughter of the Duke and Duchess.

Susan flung her hand away and collapsed on her feet,

"Forgive me! I know the merciful Lady Ivory will forgive me!" Susan wailed, her chubby fingers pressing towards the floor until they were white.

"Go." I hissed in her ear, keeping my carefree smile on as my brother looked at us questionably.

Ah… to be young and beautiful. I smoothed my hands over my clear and milky skin as Susan fled. With this innocent face, I would be able to trick everyone that I was just a sheltered, naïve little girl.

"Let's go outside, Brother!" I beamed, bopping up and down, "The servants can clean up after this place."

***

The shade of the apple tree soothed my skin as the blades of lush grass danced and tickled my feet.

"Brother…?" I queried, smoothing out the crumpled violet silk of my dress, "Do you… ever get lonely?"

"It's alright. Mother and Father still visit me occasionally." Luke smiled wistfully, "But I know it isn't acceptable for me to get lonely. They gifted me this huge mansion and pay for my sword lessons. So, I know I should be grateful."

Luke stayed seated and reached up and plucked a glossy apple from the over-hanging tree. His eyebrows furrowed and his mouth formed into a regretful smile. The wind sighed and his flaxen locks rustled, and his violet eyes glimmered with unshed tears.

"I'll come visit you alright?" I exclaimed, feeling sympathy for this little boy and held his hands between my own. "I'll visit as much as I can!"

*Beeeeep*

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Quest: [COMPLETED]

+10 CHARM XP

+20 LOVE XP

REWARD: ???Sword

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Hm… I better try out that sword later.

"Do you have any other friends here?" I asked nonchalantly, plucking the tips of the wavering grass.

"No one around my age is here." Luke answered, the apple crunching under his teeth, "And most of the servants ignore me. But I don't see many people much as I train all day."

"Hmm…" I mused as an idea bloomed in my mind.

"Lady Ivory!" My maid called out, lifting their black skirts above the dew speckled grass, "It's time to go home or it'll get late!"

"Bye-bye Brother!" I called out, "See you next time!"

***

I had spent a couple of minutes in my bedroom, attempting to summon my sword.

"Come out sword!" I demanded.

Silence.

"Is it supposed to be like sword art online?" I muttered to myself, stroking my chin, "Summon inventory!"

An inventory log opened before my eyes.

"Woah!" I peered at the cerulean sword exuding black light, "How do I inspect this?"

As soon as I said 'inspect' a description popped up.

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Shadowed Sky:

Age: 10000 years old

Damage: 700/1000

Cost: 800000 gold

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I had an idea.

***

"Whaaat?!" Mother gasped, her lilac eyes filling with tears and she flung herself at me. "What do you mean you want to live with your brother?!"

I struggled to breathe and failed to wriggle out of her arms,

"D-don't worry." I laughed weakly, "I'm only going until Brother finishes his training. I only want to train with some weapons for fun."

"We have to hire a female teacher!" My father bellowed with gusto, clenching his fists, "No man is going near my beautiful, baby daughter!"

"We're coming with you!" Mother exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

So, it looks like it was true. In the otome game, Mother and Father greatly favoured Lady Ivory.

***

The next day, late in the afternoon, we arrived at Luke's mansion.

"H-huh? What are you doing here?" Luke panted, sweaty from his sword training as the servants piled in and lifted luggage out of the carriage.

"We're moving in, Brother!" I squeezed Luke's hand, "Follow me!"

As we sped inside, I caught a glimpse of Susan, her face blanching with fear and terror. I flung open an empty, spacious room where servants were piling furniture in place.

"We're staying here with you, until you finish your sword training." I grinned and slung my arm around his shoulder.

***

I was sitting in the library, watching Luke doing his training while I was longing for something salty. As

soon as I arrived at the kitchen, I begun to ransack the cupboards.

"What are you looking for, Lady Ivory?" A stray maid asked, waiting patiently by the stove.

"Do you have any chips, or nuggets?" I asked, still ruffling through the kitchen.

"Chips and nuggets?" The maid tilted her head to one side, "What are they? I am afraid I have no knowledge of what they are."

H-huh? No knowledge? Was it possible that… the greatest discoveries from all time, did not exist here?! Come to think of it, Luke would probably enjoy eating these.

"I'm going to use the kitchen." I clapped my hands and searched for the biggest potato.

I was not sure if this was going to work, but I vaguely remembered learning how to cook this at school. I grabbed a sharpened knife, ignoring the maid's protests to help and sliced the potato into thin bits. Salt? I took the salt and oil and sprinkled it over the potatoes. I then, popped it in the oven to cook them. (Not sure if this works, just found it on the internet!)

"Um, Young Miss?" The maid asked nervously, plucking at her fingernails. "What are you doing?"

"Inform me when forty minutes have passed." I replied, returning to the library.

I flipped open the book I had been reading about using magic. There was a spell I could use for cooking and I wanted to use to use it as soon as possible; however, it was a fire spell which was highly dangerous for a young child like me, as I could set the organs inside my body aflame, if I messed up. I would have to attempt this later. I had already learned how to analyze people at will.

"Mother, Father?" I asked, as I peered around the corner of the sitting room.

"Yes, darliiing?" Mother chirped, beaming at me.

"When will my magic aptitude test be scheduled?" I asked, smiling, not revealing anything.

"Well… we haven't thought much about your magic. It doesn't matter if you're not good in magic! You're perfect the way you are!" Father comforted me, flustered, "But if you want… we can schedule one next week."

"Ok thank you!" I chirped, giving them a smile.

"We need to get a painter to capture her happiness right now!" Father bustled.

"Exactly!" Mother agreed, as they turned their hawk-like eyes towards me.

I darted from the room before they attacked me.

***

"The food you cooked is ready, Young Miss!" The maid from the kitchen called from down the stairs to me.

I spectated the golden chips on the table. Knowing my skills, there was a large chance that the chips would turn out as poison.

"Uh… would you like to try it first?" I smiled innocently to the maid.

"H-huh? Really?! How dare I, eat something the Young Miss cooked?!" The maid gushed, tears of joy filling her eyes, "It's an honour for my family to eat your cooking!"

The maid's trembling hand reached for a chip and popped one in her mouth, as soon as she ate it, she started coughing.

"H-huh? What's the matter?!" I stuttered.

"What's this?!" The maid gasped, "It's amazing! You could sell this for a fortune! I knew Young Miss was brilliant, but I never knew you were this amazing!"

"Huh? What's going on?" The kitchen servants crowded outside the kitchen.

This would be a good time to bring some allies over to my side, after all, I could get them to help me with some things.

"Would you like some?" I offered, smiling.

"Really?!"

"Oh wow!"

"Our Young Miss is too benevolent!"

"What are you doing Sis?" Luke's head peered around the door.

"Brother!" I chirped, "Are you having a break? Try some!"

***

After everyone had finished eating, a sign appeared.

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+50 LOVE XP

+20 CULINARY SKILLS XP

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"Hmm, Ivory, did you cook this?" Mother asked, popping a chip in her mouth, with clear trust in my abilities, "Wow! As expected of my little girl! This is amazing! We should start to sell this!"

"Exactly!" Father muttered, stroking his chin, his eyes full of proudness for my accomplishment, "How about we help Ivory with the store and get a quarter of the profit?"

"I'm thinking of a café! Ivory could make new recipes, I trust her, since she's so smart!" Mother clapped her hands.

"Ivory's growing up!" Father sniffed, ruffling my hair, "W-WAIT! We must make it only for women, we cannot have any other men around Ivory! But, do you want a café, Ivory?"

"Y-yeah." I nodded.

"That's settled, then!" Mother pumped her fist into the air, "Let's get planning."

I was then, forcefully dragged off to their scheming.

***

The next day, I had woken up and turned to see Luke's bed next to me empty and cold. He must have gone to sword training early in the morning. Honestly that boy was going to have muscles by the age of nine if he kept training like that ruthlessly. Even though the sword training was arduous and tiring, Luke still enjoyed it. If only he studied as much as he trained, he would become an academic prodigy.

"NOO!" I heard Father's faint weeps from downstairs, "MY BABY GIRL IS GOING TO LEAVE ME ONE DAY!"

"Ivory's growing up too fast!" Mother wailed.

What now? The café wasn't due to become finished until two weeks from now. What were they complaining about?

"Young Miss!" My personal maid burst in and flung open the curtains and a whole hoard of maids followed, "Get ready! News just arrived that you are getting a fiancé today! And he's visiting in a few hours!"

Fiancé? Oh, it probably was The Crown Prince Kyle. Whatever.

"Let meee slleeeepp." I grumbled as they tore my blankets off. "They're not coming until a few hours, and it's only daybreak."

"Don't be silly!" The maids giggled, "It's going to take a few hours at least to make you presentable for royalty."

Sigh… Sounded like too much work.

"We'll make the Young Miss so beautiful, that her fiancé will fall in love with her!" A maid gushed, "Ahh… a beautiful, sweet love at only five years old!"

Yeah, well, Prince Kyle fell in love with Emilia, not me. I could not be bothered less. And, I already had a plan to ensure he wouldn't kill me in the future.

"Don't bother putting much effort." I warned, as they literally threw me in a bath.

***

"You're so beautiful!" A maid squealed,

"EXACTLY!"

"I feel so proud of our hard work…!"

I stood in front of the mirror, my glossy, golden hair curled in soft ringlets, flowing just above my shoulders. My big, round azure eyes had long, curly eyelashes bordering it. My indigo dress flowed to the ground, adorned with silver roses and a single silver ribbon and glass silver butterflies bejewelled my hair.

Why was Ivory so pretty compared to my last life?

"Thank you for your hard work!" I smiled towards the maids.

"Eeee! It was our pleasure Young Miss!"

"Nonsense! That's your true beauty! We just amplified it a little!"

"The Young Miss is just too cute!"

"Shoo, shoo! Your fiancé is coming any moment! Get downstairs!"

I was pushed outside. As I stepped down the stairs, Luke stood grumpily down in the foyer obviously been attacked as well and freshened up.

"Wow! Sis you look pretty!" Luke beamed, "Don't worry! I'll try not to murder your fiancé!"

"Same here!" Father chimed in, "I'll "try"! If he tries anything suspicious on you, I'll "try" not to kill him! I don't care if he's royalty!"

"There, there." Mother comforted, "Don't scare Ivory, this is just the first meeting."

"Excuse me." A butler, interrupted, "The royal carriage was seen in front of the manor, I am estimating they are coming in at twenty seconds.

Get ready… I steeled myself for the famous encounter. Whatever I did next, I had to break our engagement!