Chapter 4: I'm here for you, brother.
Scarlett's POV
After that day with er... Miss Olivia.
My maid Elise's niece and who was apparently scared of me, brother ordered me to not go anywhere near her for the meantime until he explains it to her that I wanted to be friends in a genuine away and that this is not some sort of any game nor manipulation for me to torture her.
Which is understandable but hearing that from my own brother hurt me.
It's already been a week I haven't hurt or tortured anyone or even slapped them.
I should be proud of that.
"Milady, are you alright?" (Elise) asks who takes a plate of sweets in front of me and I smile a little for the consideration of this woman. I quite like her for always bringing me things like this. "You've been staring into the ceiling for a while now." she continues and I sigh giving a once over look at the tasty treats in front of me.
"Elise tell me." I reach for the cookie holding it in my hand attempting to take a bite but I stop the treat merely inches away from my mouth taking a glance at my trusted servant. "Am I doing a good job on changing to be a better person?"
Elise tilts her head a little before giving a little smile. "It's only been a week since your words to change. I've seen some progress of your temper not being so bad as before so I believe you are doing good, milady."
"Is it enough to be friends with your niece?" I took a bite of the cookie and savored the flavor of chocolate melting into my mouth.
"Forgive me, milady but I cannot find the right answer to tell you." she dismissed herself and I was left with my thoughts to run. I should find a way to befriend someone of my age right? I should wait for my brother but...
What if it's not enough?
I should send gifts, lavishing things and expensive sweets.
That should be able to befriend her, wouldn't it?
"Ugh..." I held my head for another headache coming. What's wrong? Is it not the right way to make friends? Oh no... I feel like my old and new personalities are being fused again. "Not again..."
I waited for the headache to subside and I calmed myself down by tapping my finger into the desk and clicking my tongue into some sort of rhythm. "Has making friends always been this hard?" I slump into the chair in dejection.
Having a villainess face and mannerisms doesn't help because it leeks that scary aura unto others and that makes me really hard to approach... Where can I find an answer to this problem of mine?
There's no internet for me to search for an easy answer...
"But there should be our library. That slipped out of my mind, there should be a few books on how to counter my problem." I push my chair behind me grabbing a handful of sweets before swiftly walking into our several halls. The mansion that my family owns is certainly huge... my feet are just walking to whatever direction feels right. "It should be around here."
I come across a familiar door and immediately knew I was in the right place. I twisted the knob of the door before entering, the smell of books welcomed me as I looked onto the dozen bookshelves and several bright wooden desks and chairs lined up in the side.
No one seemed to be in here so I just walked observing the shelves and their signs of being cleaned well. There wasn't a speck of dust in them, "I believe there was a spell for this kind of occurrence."
My family was a line of military combatants and the prowess to have such cunning tactics on the verge of war.
My hands moved into one layer of the bookshelf and realized the whole row was full of military books and the art of it.
The original Scarlett seemed to have a knack for planning attacks and almost killing the Heroine who was definitely heavily guarded. Even if she didn't have magic she gets back at them with strategies and manipulation.
I took a book off the shelf. It was thick and the cover was intrigued with the contents of [Military Tactics 101]. Well that certainly will help me with life if I want to be involved with anything in the field of military.
If my father even allows women into the battlefield.
He's a marquess with high achievements in protecting the kingdom and was in charge of the very outer wall making sure no beast can get past it or any invading individuals. "That certainly gave the original Scarlett pressure and Sawyer with the next heir to the De Chevalier family."
I took the book and nestled it into my hands. Perhaps I'll read it when I head off to my room at a later time. I took to finding a specific book on communication, anything that might help me to be able to befriend a common maid.
I went through endless covers of titles and it was all either books on magic or technology. There wasn't even a speck work of fiction or stories in this library but I suppose it would serve as a distraction if it was included.
"Hmm... not this."
"Not this either."
"There's no book on how to be friends with commoners in here?!"
Getting impatient, I threw the last book into a wall due to my rising temper. It makes a loud sounding thump before I take a deep breather calming myself down. I should keep on searching and not damage the innocent books who did nothing wrong.
I picked up the book that I threw and apologized to its wrinkled pages.
"Fancy seeing you here." I glance a bit behind me before rolling my eyes.
"Brother, is there anything that you need from me?" I ask wiping the cover of the book for any dust that might have stuck through it.
It was Sawyer, my older brother. He seemed to have come from his swordsmanship practice and I felt envious that he can do something like that while I search on how to even make a single commoner friend.
He was an outgoing person and even being related to me, he still had many friends when he was in school. "I go here to study, Scarlett and besides our tutors gave us assignments, remember?" (Sawyer) walks beside me and grabs a book that he seemed to have needed.
"Or... don't tell me you punished them again?" (Sawyer) asks raising his eyebrow looking angry.
Tutors? I didn't know we had them. Nor someone informed me of them, don't tell me they were scared to teach me and decided if I don't show up, they'll just relax and eat?
"No one informed me of it. I didn't punish anyone for the past two weeks or so. So you don't need to worry." I shrugged him off and his body seemed to have relaxed after knowing I did nothing wrong.
"You really are keeping your word about trying to change. So I'm guessing you're looking for something that might help you befriend Miss Olivia right?" (Sawyer) nudges my arm and I nod seriously.
"You have told me to wait, but doing some light reading before the actual bonding might even deepen our relationship considering that she'll be my future sister-in-law." I answered him with a sly grin and he immediately looked away.
"Hey now we're only sixteen." he reminds me but I shake my head taking another step towards my brother.
"If I recall correctly you can get engaged in our kingdom by being my age. The young age of thirteen and can get married at eighteen." While that certainly concerns me because in the future when I turned sixteen, my father and mother arranged an engagement with the crown prince.
Another death flag I have to avoid.
"In any case, what happened to your talk with her? Did she agree to becoming my friend or at least me trying to befriend her?" I ask and he takes a huge sigh, meaning that it didn't go well.
"About that. I suggest giving it much more time because she has told me while I'm your brother and trusts me, she just doesn't think she's worthy of being your friend." (Sawyer) mutters and I nod.
While I'm not happy, it is completely understandable.
"Alright. Perhaps another time when she's ready. Will you help me with studying instead?"
Sawyer seemed to be surprised that I asked him to study with me. "You want your big brother to study with you?"
"I asked you, didn't I? I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to." I replied and took a couple of books off the shelf. He shook his head and took a seat with me at a nearby table. I grab a small few pointers about many things.
Like the ration tactic.
Corner tactic and Melionis tactic.
There was also a tactic of going around the enemy's camp base finding a safe route and then burning their rations then retreating. Leaving hungry soldiers will lead to great morale loss and the time to strike would be right after when they're close to the brink of starvation.
"I suppose they'll also need to close off the only route for backup resources. The first army dictated in the book relies on their prowess of speed and their power over the land getting their food from the trees, bushes and root plants." I point at this short looking general.
Sawyer nods pointing at the drawn figure over the book. "This general underestimated the enemy. The enemy realized the general was taking resources that nature gave, they burned it while they ran to give chase."
"The general was a sour loser so he chased even forcing his men to give up and flee. Soon many died and when they decided to retreat. The enemy already planted an ambush on the side and now they were the one giving chase." (Sawyer) continued and I took that note into mind. It was such a shame that nature was involved in people's crossfire.
Sawyer seemed to enjoy the time he was spending with me, even impressed that I was keeping up with the material.
"How come you wanted to study this? I thought you would rather read some romance books you would order in the city." (Sawyer) places his head on his chin while he writes an essay about how nobles should take control of commoner morality.
"I've grown tired of romance. I suppose I find these things more interesting now." I answered, besides I'm not interested in love when I could make money out of this. If the Heroine chooses a certain route with a knight, a war will break out.
I need to be prepared.
"I heard you did the same to your pink dresses. You got rid of them." (Sawyer)
"Good riddance that I did. I never want to wear anything like that ever again. It hurts my eyes." I chuckled a little imagining the color of pink leaving out of my safe space of my quarters. I would've burned it myself but the maids would've had a much better use of them than I could ever now.
Sawyer looked scared the moment he heard that I no longer care for pink.
Ever since the original Scarlett was an infant after all, it was all that she wanted. Pink anything, and even when she grew up.
"While I'm enjoying the new you, I have to be honest Scarlett you scare me sometimes." (Sawyer) reaches for my hair and ruffles it. I frown not wanting to be petted but for he has helped me with work. I'll let it slide.
He takes back his hand and I couldn't help but cross my arms over what he did. "Oh right, a letter has come early in the morning saying that father is coming home in a few months. We should be ready to welcome him, it's been five years since he's come home." (Sawyer)
I tried racking my brain for any memories of the man but there was not much of it. His face was even blurry and in my past life's memory in the game he was only a side character with a black figure.
Apparently he wasn't important enough to be drawn.
"What's father like?" I ask Sawyer who smiles sadly.
"I forget that you were only eight when he left. Perhaps you've forgotten about him, but it's alright." He stands taking the book to put it back in place, since he seems to have finished his work and I follow him.
"He's a strict man and... someone who has many expectations for me." (Sawyer) places one of the books weakly into an empty space on the shelf.
"How about me, does father have any expectations for me?"
"I guess... to be married and be a link of power so our family can grow? It's the same for me but he doesn't expect you to be anything else." (Sawyer) continues and I click my tongue.
Another red flag spotted.
"But what about Mother?" I ask him pressing further.
"You haven't noticed Scarlett? What do you think his tea party visits were all about when her hair was a little tangled and her neck was covered in hickeys?" (Sawyer) angrily clenched the book tighter and I blink for a bit.
Well, that was certainly a lot to unpack.
No wonder the original Scarlett was... broken.
She had this emotional baggage of a family since she was a little child, it was no excuse for the other things she did but I can understand.
Her mother was a cheat and her father wanted her to be pawned off to the crown prince, the original Scarlett thought the prince wanted the marriage first and fell in love turning into an obsession.
Then when the Heroine came...
It's not only Scarlett... I know Sawyer must've been through a lot as well.
"Brother..." I held his calloused hand and comforted him. "I'm here if you ever need me."
I told him genuinely, if I'm going to escape my red flag destiny I have to make sure my brother lives a good life. He looked at our intertwined hand, he dropped the other books that he was holding and hugged me.
My body stiffened for a moment before feeling safe in his embrace.
So this... is what it feels like to have a proper family caring for you.
I'm not used to this kind of affection but... I don't mind it.
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Platymage