I Was Told to Take After My Younger Sister, So I Did

I Was Told to Take After My Younger Sister, So I Did

Raw: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n0114lc/

“Natasha, you're so graceless. Why don’t you learn from your sister, Miss Aira?”

My fiancé, the Second Prince, said that to me, and at that moment I remembered my previous life.

In my previous life I had once been hailed as a genius child actor, but nothing came of it, and in the end I worked as a clerk at a small company. There were no messy disputes over appearance fees like those child actors sometimes face; my mother saved all the money, and I am grateful to her for that. I don’t remember how I died, so I can’t be certain whether it was reincarnation, but since I have twelve years of memories as Natasha, let’s say it was.

I am now Natasha Silver, eldest daughter of the Marquisate of Silver. Before me stands His Highness Prince Julius Gorsia, who has come to pledge marriage to me. Yet Prince Julius seems to favor the ever-calm Aira, who quietly goes about her days, more than me, who was exhausted from strict heir training. 

Aira is my sister, a year younger. To my trained eye (that of a former child prodigy), I can already see the telltale signs of an pretentiously cute actress, who performs for effect.

It doesn’t matter to me if those two marry. It won’t change that I inherit the marquisate. My parents dote on the calculating Aira but they are cold toward me, the eldest, although they have soberly judged that Aira lacks the capacity to inherit the marquisate. 

I have no intention of watching over Aira, that will be my parents’ misjudgment. Let them be comforted by the belief that family love covers everything. I had even prepared to swap a fake contract if one were produced, but the fact that they didn’t prepare one shows they still believe in family love. As the eldest, I do not indulge in such sentimentality, though I have enough affection to give away a single manor in the domain.

Having thought that far, I stared at Prince Julius, who was making a fuss in front of me. I knew he was on good terms with Aira, but I never expected to be compared to a twelve-year-old brat. Of all things, to be told to learn from Aira… 

Aira looked at me triumphantly beside Prince Julius.

“Very well. Then I shall learn how Aira behaves at home.”

“Eh?”

He hadn’t expected such a frank reply; Prince Julius looked dumbfounded. The girl beside him wore much the same expression. Though she is eleven and should be receiving a proper lady’s education, she clearly hadn’t been listening. Still, my reaction was a somewhat bold move…

“No, no, no, no, no! History is meaningless! I don’t want to study! Instead, Sister should study for me!”

“Aira is going to wear a new dress and eat macarons! Call Prince Julius! Sister, don’t come along! Aira will marry Prince Julius!”

“Tell me every invitation from Prince Julius! Don’t tell Sister!”

I flung myself flat on the floor and kicked my limbs in the air. Prince Julius was taken aback by my sudden antics. I am embarrassed too, but I drew on the nerve I had from being called a genius child actor long ago.

“I want Sister’s hair ornament! Prince Julius, you actually wanted to give it to Aira, didn’t you? Take it off quickly and give it to Aira! I’ll tell Father and Mother on you!”

“Sister! What are you doing!?”

Aira shouted, her face burning red. At that moment, our parents rushed into the room. It seems a maid had run for them in a panic over my behavior.

“Natasha! What are you doing!?”

“That’s disgraceful! You need a refresher in manners!”

My parents were alarmed by my outburst, but I continued.

“Father, Mother! Buy me a new dress and a hair ornament! That dress doesn’t suit Sister, give it to Aira! Aira should wear the dress that Prince Julius gives!”

“…So that explains why Aira has been wearing the hair ornament and the dress you gave her, Natasha. When I invited you to go into town you didn’t come, was it because you hadn’t even known about the invitation…?”

I was getting tired, so I rose slowly from the floor and exhaled.

“Well, this is as far as I can go imitating Aira. This already breaches etiquette. Father, Mother — how do you find my imitation of Aira?”

I forced reality on my rose-colored parents, who indulged Aira and had lost sight of the real world. An eleven-year-old throwing such a tantrum would be out of line even outside a marquis family. Aira, whose behavior I had mimicked, was crimson with anger and shame. My parents fell silent at the painful sight of Aira’s behavior seen from the outside.

Prince Julius looked at me with a faint frown.

“I’m sorry, Natasha. I invited you, but you didn’t reply, and since Aira was wearing the dress and hair ornament I wondered whether you disliked me…”

He was only twelve and naturally anxious in the situation. Perhaps he said that out of unease. If he were an adult of eighteen it would be unacceptable, but being twelve makes it forgivable. I could have bluntly insisted to my parents that I didn’t want to give the gifts, or asked Prince Julius for advice, even if it were a long shot.

“Marquis, it seems Miss Aira requires further instruction in manners. I will summon the steward who will attend to her at the castle. Leave the work to the steward and have him take care of Miss Aira. I will report it to your father as well.”

Even as her sister, She had seized the royal fiancé’s dress and hair ornament and treated a royal letter with disrespect. Prince Julius had been surprisingly conciliatory.

Mother pressed a hand over Aira’s mouth to silence her frantic cries and bowed her head.

Tomorrow the three of them will likely seclude themselves at their estate — using Aira’s poor health as a pretext. Surely Grandfather will be called back and will personally give me training to be the head of the family. Grandfather is strict but not unreasonable. Whether those three receive re-education or are kept under some soft confinement, we shall leave it to Grandmother.

“Natasha, will you sneak into town with me this time to go have cake?”

Prince Julius invited me timidly. Not as an act, but from the heart, I laughed.

“I’m looking forward to it!”

End scene

(From the castle comes a steward ⇒ “You don’t have a seat (the marquis’ seat) here.” That’s the image.)

Author's Note

How long is childish tantrum tolerated…?
I’ve never thrown myself on a supermarket floor, but apparently I have been the kind of child who might suddenly disappear. Even now, suddenly disappearing and getting lost is part of the package. Maybe it’s not being lost so much as just wandering.