#6.
“…Hey.”
The sharp edge in Shion’s voice sent a chill creeping up the back of Veronica’s neck.
But Veronica stubbornly turned away from him, pretending to be fast asleep, her breathing soft and even.
I’m exhausted, okay?!
She squeezed her eyes shut even tighter and sharply turned her head away.
For the past two hours—two hours when a proper nap was essential for any baby—she had gone without sleep just to keep up with Shion’s endless antics. He had brought her no less than thirty toys during that time.
Now, Veronica wasn’t just tired—she was utterly exhausted.
Honestly, given her situation, she should have forced herself to play along. But maybe because she was much younger than in her previous life, she found herself acting childishly, simply not wanting to.
“You… I know you’re awake.”
But Shion was just as persistent as she was stubborn.
With his arms folded, he glared down at her.
“You still haven’t told me why you laughed back then.”
I’m sleeping. I’m sleeping. This is a dream.
“Hey.”
I can’t hear you. I’m asleep. This is a dream. It’s fine to ignore you.
“…Veronica.”
He paused briefly.
And then—
“Do you… hate me?”
A tone completely at odds with his usual overwhelming confidence—meek, even timid.
And instead of his usual crisp, bold pronunciation, his voice was as small as if an ant were crawling inside it.
For a split second, the pitiful sight of the crown prince from before the regression—the boy who had grown weak and cruel after being starved of anyone’s affection or love—flashed in front of her eyes.
It was like a blow to the head.
No. Absolutely not! For my sake and for his, that must never happen!
Veronica’s eyes flew open, and she blurted out desperately toward him.
“N-no! I don’t hate you! I totally li—”
But—
“…Huh?”
Though his tone was still subdued, his expression was anything but.
“Well, would you look at that?”
Shion smirked, cocking one hand on his hip.
The pitiful image Veronica had feared was nowhere to be found.
In front of her stood the same old, perhaps even more irritating than usual, “supreme ruler of all under heaven” young crown prince.
Her tiny fists clenched and trembled.
You tricked me…?
“Then here’s the thirty-first—”
“Go!”
Veronica’s sharp cry cut him off, her voice loud enough to fill the whole room and then some.
The volume made Shion wince and scowl.
“Hey, what did you just—?”
But he didn’t get to finish.
His normally impassive crimson eyes widened in surprise.
Veronica was crying.
Why?
Tears welled in her blue eyes.
For someone like Shion, who had never once doubted his own judgment, the sight was disorienting.
He had never seen anyone cry before in his life.
The only memory he had of tears was his own—a few cold, miserable drops that had slipped out one dusky night when the grief cut to the bone.
Now, it looked as if Veronica was feeling that same pain.
“Why… why are you crying?”
“Lying’s bad!”
And it was all because of him—Shion Slohran.
Hmm…
Meanwhile, Veronica subtly turned away from him, dabbing at her eyes as if sulking.
Will he take the bait?
So far, there was no meaningful reaction from Shion.
She decided to give it a little more time, keeping her eyes shut.
The plan that had flashed in her mind just moments ago was this:
That was the plan, but…
Her small fingers fidgeted nervously.
Without a clock, she couldn’t be sure, but it felt like at least ten minutes had passed.
Shion hadn’t said a word.
To make matters worse, she’d turned her back, so she couldn’t even see his expression—was he angry? Sulking?
Suddenly, a line she’d once read in a book popped into her head:
…Maybe step one was wrong from the start.
Ugh… Veronica bit her lower lip in frustration.
She should have just played along. She’d been doing fine. Why on earth had she assumed he’d apologize?
Wait—what if…
What if he wasn’t sulking, but actually angry?
A plausible scenario flashed in her mind:
An angry Shion starts avoiding her. Later, when her magic inevitably peaks, he grows jealous because of their strained relationship… and eventually—
No!
She couldn’t let that happen. She couldn’t risk dying at five years old again.
Fine, forget step two. Straight to step three—cuteness.
But just as she turned toward Shion to put the plan into action—
“I’m sorry.”
Huh?
This time it was Veronica’s turn to be speechless.
Her wide blue eyes blinked.
Did I hear that right?
No, she must have misheard. She shut the thought down immediately.
The Shion she knew never yielded to anyone, never acknowledged anyone above him, and never—under any circumstances—apologized.
Not even as a lie.
Yet now—
“Didn’t you hear me? I said I’m sorry.”
“…”
“I’m… not lying.”
Why have you changed?
The question pressed at her, but she didn’t turn around.
She didn’t have to—she could tell from his voice that the apology was genuine.
And that only confused her more.
“You didn’t do anything wrong.”
A bitter smile, blood-red tears sliding down beneath crimson eyes.
“We were wrong from the very start.”
He had never apologized before—only screamed in raw anguish.
The Shion who had once hated Veronica so much he could barely stand to look at her—
“How many times do I have to say it?”
—in this life was saying things like—
“I… m-maybe… did something wrong.”
She had thought he would never change.
But he had.
“…Hey, but honestly, you lied first—”
“Why…?”
She cut him off.
But Shion didn’t get annoyed.
He didn’t even give the irritable answer he would have given anyone else.
He just stood there with his arms folded, looking down at her quietly.
The truth was, he hadn’t come here to make her cry.
He’d simply wanted to know why she had laughed that time, so he’d set aside time to ask.
Instead, he’d made her cry—and it was his fault.
A worst-case scenario, really.
Still, while he didn’t know what had made her laugh, he now knew what had made her sad.
“Look here.”
He gently held her shoulders and sat her upright.
Like a wooden doll, Veronica offered no resistance, sitting meekly on the cradle as he guided her.
The slightly red cheeks, the hesitant voice—it overlapped with the Shion of the past in her mind.
“I was wrong.”
He’s changed.
Veronica’s big eyes blinked up at him.
The old Shion wouldn’t have come to see her no matter the reason.
Bringing toys? Apologizing? Unthinkable.
He only ever tried to run away…
Her original plan had been simple: be a cute little sister until her magic peaked at age five, then slowly distance herself, and eventually leave the palace after her coming-of-age ceremony.
Hide her magic, never threaten the crown prince, and if necessary, even marry outside the palace.
She’d stay in touch with her mother, the Empress, and visit her father, the High Priest, often.
But once she left, she had no intention of ever seeing Shion again.
Every plan she’d made so far had been based on that assumption.
But now Shion had changed—in a way she could never have imagined.
“I was wrong, Veronica.”
“No, you’ve done nothing wrong—except being born.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll… do better!”
“Stay out of my sight. That’s the best thing you can do for me.”
“Please…”
The Shion who had never once looked back no matter how she clung to him—
Has changed.
…Can I really trust you?
Or maybe…
Veronica looked up into the eyes that were now looking straight at her.
Maybe—just maybe—in this life, we could actually be good siblings
