I knew something would happen that day because the staff seemed unusually tense. This was the best way to describe the atmosphere that reigned supreme around the residence - tense and foreboding.

I hadn’t seen my father at the breakfast table, which was a very uncommon occurrence, but decided to ignore that and focus on my daily routine instead. To be more precise, I practiced my archery skills until mid-day.

“Your form is perfect as always, milady,” my handmaiden, Henrietta, said calmly after I scored another bullseye at the training ground. My arms already felt slightly sore by that point, but I paid that no mind: to me, this soreness was merely another result of hard work.

Archery was typically considered a skill any noble should be at the very least rudimentary skilled at, regardless of their status. This belief originated from the ancient times, to the founders of the kingdom itself. Gwyn, the commoner hero, was famous for wielding a greatsword, while Avalon, the first king, supported him from the back with his bow and tactical acumen.

That said, it was uncommon for fathers to pass this skill to their daughters even when they had no male heirs. Instead, any women interested in joining the military were encouraged to become war mages or healers. Therefore, it would be safe to say that I was something of a tomboy.

Come to think of it, Elizabeth from the original game used a bow as well. To be more precise, she was a “wizard archer” - a rare class that focused equally on offensive spells and ranged weaponry. I didn’t put much thought into this before, but in hindsight, the reason she had these skills was obvious.

However, my father hadn’t assigned a magic tutor to me even though most families usually did so once their child could read and write. In this regard, my upbringing was unorthodox as well. I couldn’t quite prove it, but my intuition told me that father didn’t have a high opinion of magic in the first place. Therefore, Elizabeth probably learned some spells after meeting the prince.

Honestly, she was a rather pitiful child. Her mother died giving birth to her, and her father only talked to her during her studies. Then, that oaf would go as far as to bring in a completely new family and shower them with preferential treatment. I didn’t mind that because I was mentally an adult, but I was certain that any child living such a life would be miserable.

I absentmindedly pulled the bowstring back and released another arrow, projecting all my frustration at the target. To be frank, I couldn’t even see Elizabeth’s father as a parental figure. He seemed more like a deity of this household, unreasonable and judgmental.

“Perhaps you should take a break for a cup of tea, my lady,” Henrietta called out. Apparently, she used to be my mother and my grandmother’s handmaiden, so there was a certain aura around her that made her words sound soft, yet resolute.

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“Perhaps,” I understood that her question was mostly a sign of politeness and nothing more. Henrietta wielded absolute authority around the house. “I need to change my clothes first.”

We were about to enter the mansion when I noticed a carriage. My father, the viscount, had to travel around our territory, so the sight of it wasn’t uncommon to me, but seeing an unknown woman leave that carriage was much less so. My father helped her come down with such gentleness that it left me speechless.

I was surprised even more when another person left the carriage. It was a boy around my age, with skinny arms and legs. His hair was red - same of my father’s - and his yellow eyes jumped from one thing to another in amazement.

I knew that boy’s name already - Brian Gray. He was my half-brother and the soon-to-be heir of the Gray household.

In the game, Brian was one of the first party members you could recruit. He had a pretty tragic backstory, too. He had no talent as a soldier, so his father quickly lost any interest in him. Instead, Brian focused on learning magic, which earned him scorn and mockery from his peers. Plus, he was resented and bullied by his half-sister - me.

Brian from the game was a rather gloomy character, but the boy before me seemed pretty cheerful. At this point, he was probably spending his childhood leisurely with his beloved mother. I idly wondered if those “trips” my father took all the time were an excuse to visit this boy.

“No good,” I thought to myself, “I want to do more archery now.”

Instead, I mustered up all my strength and spoke up: “Father, who are these people?”

If the man was surprised, he didn’t show it outwardly. He never smiled - or showed any emotions for that matter - so it was hard for me to ascertain his reactions most of the time. If you wanted to put it nicely, he looked dignified. If you wanted to put it plainly, he was scary.

“Shouldn’t you introduce yourself first?” he shot back. “Where are your manners?”

“Of course,” I said, trying to stifle the complaints popping up in my mind, and did a curtly bow. “My name is Elizabeth Gray. It would be a pleasure to learn your names.”

“Hello,” the woman said awkwardly. “I’m Nora, and this,” she placed her hands on the boy’s shoulders, “is Brian.” Her smile seemed brittle, and there was something resembling pity or sadness in her eyes.

I never knew what Brian’s mother looked like, or even what her name was, since she barely appeared in the game itself. From what I could remember, she was the only positive influence he had in his life, but there was nothing beyond that.

However, she stood before me, looking incredibly guilty, averting her eyes from me in shame.

“Elizabeth,” my father spoke up. “From now on, those people will be your new family. You shall treat Nora as if she is your mother. I also declare Brian to be the heir of the Gray household. We will discuss your potential engagement partners later. You’re dismissed.”

I said nothing. I felt frustration rise deep within my chest, but I stifled it. The tears of humiliation and bitterness, I made sure to lock all these feelings deep within my chest. Before my composure could crumble into pieces, I wordlessly bowed and marched to my room.

My mind was already focused on the task at hand.

I will escape this family and this horrible fate by any means necessary.