“In any case. The doctor has said that you will heal in a few weeks. Until then, be sure you rest in peace and quiet. You are prohibited from going out into the gardens until you have recovered.”
“Ehh? But... But I have to take care of the fields...!!”
My protests were immediately answered with a chilling glare from my mother. “If you keep being selfish, Katarina Claes, I will see to it that you are forbidden from ever entering the gardens again from here on out.”
“N-No... Not that...”
“Until you are better, you are not to venture into the gardens. You will stay here and behave yourself, young lady. Do you understand?!”
“...Yes, Mother.” I retreated into my bed, like a frog caught in a snake’s predatory gaze. “Hey... Anne?” I whispered softly to my personal maidservant, Anne, who had been standing next to me the whole time.
“What is it, young miss?”
“Perhaps I am mistaken, but if memory serves, was Mother not a more... Calm? Person?”
“Yes, I would suppose so. The madam has always been a calmer sort of person.”
“See? I knew it. Why did she become so forceful, then? Did her recent lovey-dovey interactions with Father instill her with unbridled confidence?”
“...Young miss, I believe that a problematic child would cause a once-calm mother to become more... vigorous, if I may say so. After all, parents do change for their children’s sakes...”
“What do you mean, problematic child? Keith is a very well-behaved little brother!”
“...I really cannot begin to imagine the depths of madam’s sorrow...” Anne said, before shaking her head and muttering incoherently to herself.
“Oh, right! What about Keith? Is Keith all right?” I asked, raising my voice unintentionally.
My father, who had been mumbling “Thank God Katarina is all right...!” to himself all this time, blew his nose unceremoniously before answering my question. “Keith returned to his room after the doctor announced that you were all right, my dear Katarina.”
“Is that so? Keith kept calling my name when I got injured... He must be worried sick about me!”
“Katarina... On the matter of Keith...” My father’s expression suddenly tensed up, a marked departure from his previous sniveling self.
“What is it, Father?”
“Well. Keith... Has strong magical aptitude, and he cannot yet control his powers, my dear. This was why he made a promise with me to not carelessly use his powers until we had employed a suitable magic tutor. He would then be able to better control his powers. I believe I explained this to you when you first met Keith, Katarina.”
“...N-No...”
What does he mean? I recall hearing no such... Oh, right! Father did say something when I first met Keith... but I was far too wrapped up in my own thoughts, and ignored it.
“I... I am very sorry, father. I did not hear a single word that you said...”
“Well... I thought that might have been the case,” my father said, a slightly defeated smile on his face. My mother, who had been listening in from the sidelines, had an exasperated expression on her face.
“I did not speak of this to you, my Katarina, but... Keith had once injured his siblings in his previous abode. He lost control of his magical powers, you see. Keith is very afraid of his abilities potentially hurting someone... So I was surprised to hear that he had used it at all.”
I recalled Keith’s initial expressions when I had asked him to demonstrate his magic. While I was too busy drowning in my own excitement at the time, I could now easily see that Keith was evidently unsettled by my request — he had hesitated greatly before showing his magic to me.
“Keith also said... ‘I broke my promise to not use magic, and I also hurt my big sister. It’s all my fault, so I will accept any punishment.’”
“What?! No! This wasn’t Keith’s fault! I asked Keith to show me— No, I pestered him against his will! Also...”
In fact... as I slowly approached the three-meter tall golem, Keith did warn me — I just couldn’t hear him in my excitement. It was something along the lines of... “Stop! It’s dangerous, Big Sister! Don’t go any closer!”
“...Keith also warned me to not approach the golem... But I was too excited looking at the magical sight that I hardly noticed. Keith isn’t to blame! It’s all my fault for getting ahead of myself. I am really sorry...” I lowered my head in remorse, apologizing repeatedly to my father, mother, and even Anne, who had been worried about me all this time.
“So... If there is going to be any punishment, I would like to be responsible and take it all upon myself,” I said, looking up at my father as I did so.
“Thank you for telling us the truth, my cute Katarina. I have no intention of punishing either you or Keith. But then, Katarina... It is also true that you have been a little too reckless lately. You have to rest until you are better — do you understand?” my father said, gently patting me on the head.
My mother, however, kept mumbling to herself. It sounded something along the lines of “...Just because the girl is a little reckless... She is hardly cute at all...”
“I have to apologize properly to Keith...”
“Yes, you should. But! It is already late today. You can do it tomorrow, Katarina,” my father said, looking out of the window as he did so.
It was already pitch black — I guess the sun had set a long time ago. It had been noon when I ventured outside with Keith... I had been asleep for almost half a day.
“Well... I will go apologize tomorrow, then.”
“Yes, that is for the best. And do be more careful from now on...” My father patted my head once more before leaving my room, my mother in tow.
After helping me get ready for bed once more, Anne tucked me in and wished me goodnight.
Keith’s face floated up from the depths of my mind as soon as I closed my eyes. Although I hadn’t paid much attention to what my father had said back then, I knew from my memories of the game that Keith had become even more socially isolated in his previous home after injuring his brothers with his magic.
Before I had completely lost consciousness, Keith had been calling out my name repeatedly, his voice almost a sorrowful wail. What a terrible thing I have done... I would definitely visit him early in the morning, and apologize properly.
Swearing upon my name to do just that, I closed my eyes and finally fell asleep.
That vow, however, was soon to be broken — because Keith wouldn’t come out of his room the next morning.
On the day immediately after I had been sent carelessly flying by the Earth Golem, I made a beeline for Keith’s room, intending to apologize in a proper manner. I knocked repeatedly on his door. Perhaps he was not yet awake, but I received no answer.
If he really was sleeping, I would feel bad for disturbing him. Either way, I figured that Keith would show up at the breakfast table... but I was soon proven wrong. With the seat next to me empty, it was plain to see that Keith had decided to skip breakfast altogether. Even my parents seemed worried.
My mother quickly leaned forward, a suspicious look on her face. “Katarina... what did you do to Keith when you visited his room early this morning?”
How rude, mother! I haven’t done anything! Yet!
Even so, I immediately headed over to Keith’s room again after my breakfast as an unsettling sense of worry flooded my mind. Again, I knocked rapidly on Keith’s door, just as I had done so in the morning. Still not receiving a response, I called out to Keith from beyond the door instead.
“Keith! It’s me, Katarina! You weren’t at breakfast... Are you perhaps unwell?”
At that, a weak voice responded to me from beyond the door. “Big Sister...”
“Yes, it is I, your big sister. What’s wrong, Keith? Does your stomach hurt? Are you all right?”
“...I’m fine... More importantly, how are your injuries, Big Sister?”
“Those? Ah, yes. I’m fine. It’s just a l
ittle knock on the head! It doesn’t matter. Keith... I’d like to speak to you. May I come in?” I had to apologize for the events of yesterday.
However...
“I’m sorry. I cannot let you in.” Keith’s response was one of rejection.
“Wh... Why?”
“...I can no longer be by your side, Big Sister.”
After that, no more voices came from beyond the door to Keith’s room.
What is going on? Does Keith suddenly dislike me?
In any case, waiting around at the door was no solution — I placed my hand on the knob and gave it a good turn. But alas, it was locked, and the knob rattled in my hands haplessly.
No matter how many times I called out to Keith to open the door, there was no response. What should I do? If this continued on... Keith would hate me, and remain confined in his room... Confinement » Loneliness » Enrolls in the academy lonely and sad » Is healed by the protagonist when he meets her eventually » Loves the protagonist » Katarina becomes an obstacle » Katarina is exiled or killed by magic.
Wait... What? This is bad! This is really, really bad! This is now a straight line towards a Catastrophic Bad End!
To fight this, I put my entire being into opening the door. I was, however, interrupted in middle of my efforts by the familiar voice of Anne.
“Young miss... What exactly are you doing?”
“Keith has locked himself in and won’t let me see him!”
“Well... Perhaps Keith would prefer that you do not enter, young miss,” Anne said, her eyes focused on me in a cool, pitying gaze.
“Ugh... I... I suppose that may be the case... But Keith sounds strange! He isn’t himself, Anne!” I was desperate.
“In any case, if you would really like to enter, young miss, there is a spare key in the servants’ room... Young miss!”
As soon as those words had left Anne’s lips, I made a mad dash to the aforementioned room... Only to be greeted by yet another depressing sight — Keith had anticipated this, and had removed the spare key from its hook prior to locking himself in.
You are... too clever, Keith. However... with this, I understood. Keith was fully intent on shutting himself in. This is bad! Really bad! If this is how it’s going to be... I have no choice. I have to employ my ultimate solution.
I ran to a certain place, picked up a certain object, and once more returned to Keith’s door.
“Oh, young miss. Have you found the ke— What are you doing, young miss?! What exactly is that in your hands?!” Anne, who had been waiting for me in front of the door to Keith’s room, raised her voice in alarm as she caught sight of me.
I responded to Anne amidst my rapid breaths. “I am OPENING this door. If Keith continues being shut in like this, a disaster will happen!”
“D-Door?! You can’t possibly— You’re opening the door with THAT, young miss? H-How? Are you... going to break it down? Let’s calm down, young miss. Please, please put that thing down.”
Anne tried desperately to calm me down, but I was already pushed to my limit. There was no other way. After all, if I just idly sat and let this go on, the Catastrophic Bad End that I had so painstakingly avoided would come back to haunt me again.
“...Keith. Step back from the door,” I said loudly.
And then, with a deep breath, I raised the axe that I had retrieved from the garden storage shed over my head... and swung it down onto the door.
“YOUNG MISS!!”
And so it came to be that the sounds of metal on splintering wood, mixed with Anne’s alarmed cries, echoed through the Claes family manor.
Having finally destroyed the door, I stepped into the room, only to see Keith sitting on his bed, his eyes staring at the doorway in shock. I supposed he could not make any sense of this situation. Behind me, Anne had apparently run off, screaming something about the young miss to the other servants.
Well, the door can wait. For now, I have to apologize.
“...Big Sister...” His eyes open in a familiar gaping expression, Keith seemed frozen to the spot as I walked towards him.
And then...
“I’m sorry for yesterday!!” I said, getting on my knees.
I lowered my forehead, my skin touching the cold ground. Yes, Katarina Claes was prostrating herself once more. I personally felt that an apology was meaningless unless I had adequately expressed my sincerity.
“I’m really sorry for forcing you to use your magic, and for being unreasonable...! And for not listening to your warnings about not touching the golem!! I’m so so sorry for having worried you!!” I said, my head still very firmly pressed against the ground.
Before I knew it, Keith was kneeling down next to me, his voice shaking. “...Why? Why are you apologizing, Big Sister...? I... I am the one at fault...”
“What are you talking about?! I am the one who was wrong! I asked you to do something you didn’t want to do, Keith!!”
Keith hung his head at my words, his voice impossibly strained — as if something was squeezing his very heart. “...A-Are you not... afraid of me, Big Sister...?”
“Afraid?” What does he mean?
Well yes, Keith, I would be scared out of my wits if you had fallen in love with the protagonist and shoved me into a Catastrophic Bad End. C-Could it be?! Did Keith already hate me enough to consider getting rid of me?! Was I at the bad end I had so desperately sought to avoid?!
“...In my previous abode... I ended up hurting my brothers with my magic. This time, I hurt you, Big Sister. Although my magic is strong, I can’t control it at all...”
I swallowed deeply at Keith’s words. So he does hate me... for forcing him to use his magic...! Is it coming? The Catastrophic Bad End? Which is it?!
“...Even though I have strong magical aptitude, I cannot control it well, and I end up hurting people... Even so, are you not afraid of me, Big Sister?”
“...Ha?” His voice was far from enraged or hateful. This isn’t a bad end?
“Ahh. You meant it that way, I see...” Relieved, I gave a deep sigh of relief.
At my words, Keith, who had been hanging his head up until now, suddenly looked up at me in confusion. My eyes met with his — they were a sparkling, beautiful blue.
“If you can’t control your magic... you just have to work hard from now on, right?”
This was true — Keith was able to control his powerful magic in the game without any issues. As he was now, Keith was only a child of eight. It would hardly surprise me if he learned to control his magic well before he enrolled into the academy.
“Soon, father will appoint a magic tutor, and we can be adequately taught! We can even practice our magic together!” I said, with a smile that was as bright and wide as my sense of relief at having lived to see yet another day.
At that, Keith, who had been quiet up until now, suddenly spoke. “...You will... stay by my side, Big Sister?”
“Of course! I’ll stay with you forever! Unless... you don’t like me anymore, Keith?”
Keith shook his head rapidly, dramatically turning this way and that. It seemed that Keith did not hate me after all. What a relief.
“So... even if anything bad happens from here on out, you can’t lock yourself in your room— Keith! What is it?!”
Although I was relieved mere moments ago, I was once again thrown into a state of alert at the sight before me — huge drops of tears were rolling down from Keith’s blue eyes.
“Keith?! What is it?! Does it hurt somewhere?!”
I panicked at the sight of the suddenly crying Keith. Were we not talking normally just now? What have I done now?! Although I continued to desperately pat him on the back, Keith would not stop crying.
As Keith continued bawling, I could only sit next to him in a daze, unsure of what to do.
“...Katarina. What... Exactly. Have you done?” a low, almost gravelly voice graced my ears from the entrance of Keith’s room. Turning around, I saw none other than my mother, her features contorted in an almost
demonic rage.
“Katarina... Do you not remember how you promised you would rest quietly in your room until you were recovered, just yesterday...? What exactly is the... pathetic state of affairs in this room? You have even made your adopted brother cry... What, exactly, is going through that head of yours right now, I wonder...?”
“Ah... Um. Mother, this is...” I felt my blood freeze in my veins — as if I had been lowered into a cage filled with circling lions.
“Katarina. Come. To. My. Room.”
“...Eek!”
Grabbing me by the collar, my mother comforted Keith in a soothing manner. “Oh my dear Keith. You must have been so frightened. Don’t worry... I will take this one... away from you. Everything is all right now.” Then she turned to me with an expression that could only be described as the polar opposite of soothing.
“...M-Mother. Wait. This is...” Although Keith himself tried to raise his head and say something in my defense, he had cried a little too much, and could not find the words.
Before I realized what was happening, a wall of servants had assembled outside Keith’s room. But it would appear that my father, who loved his daughter more than anything else in the world, was not present.
And that was how I ended up being forcibly removed and dragged to my mother’s chambers, with my only allies unable to defend my actions. For the next few hours, I was continuously lectured by my mother, who seemed nothing less than a demon as she doled out my psychological punishment.
When I was finally released from my torment a few hours later, I made my way back to my room, exhausted from such exertion. Anne already had a pot of tea ready for me; I could feel the gentleness of her actions soothing my heart. I suppose I should forgive her for having reported the axe incident to my mother.
I drank deeply from the cup, heaving a final sigh of relief. Come to think of it... is Keith all right, having cried that much? I turned to Anne, hoping for answers.
“After a while, he seemed to have calmed down.”
My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, Volume 1 Page 6