Brother 1

That night, Valery barely slept.

Not because she was confused, or frightened by her new life.

Quite the opposite.

Her mind was surprisingly clear.

Lying in the grand canopied bed, staring at the ceiling faintly lit by moonlight through the window, she finished putting all her thoughts in order.

She had spent hours recalling every detail the audiobook had narrated.

Every scene.

Every conversation.

Every moment the former Valery had suffered.

But now that she analyzed it all with the cold, rational mind of the woman she had been in her first life... so many things struck her as infuriating.

Especially Eric Field.

Valery frowned slightly at the memory of him.

There was one thing that bothered her in particular.

When she was a teenager, according to the story, she had begun growing closer to Eric. It was the age when her feelings started to shift -- when she no longer saw him as the older boy who protected her, but as the man she loved.

And Eric had noticed.

That much was clear.

During those years, he would sometimes say something the narration presented as a good-natured joke.

"You should call me 'brother.'"

As if he wanted to put some distance between them.

But Valery remembered perfectly the response the girl in the story always gave.

"I won't. We're not siblings."

And the audiobook described how Eric... would smile.

A soft smile.

An amused one.

As if he enjoyed that small act of defiance.

Valery rolled over in bed and stared into the darkness of the room.

"Damn narcissist..."

Now that she saw it from the outside, everything seemed even clearer.

Eric knew she loved him.

He liked that she loved him.

But he never intended to return her feelings... nor to set her free.

He simply kept her close.

Like someone holding on to something that belonged to them.

Valery sighed.

But that story wasn't going to repeat itself.

Because the person here now... was not the same girl.

She finally closed her eyes.

And at dawn, when the soft morning light began streaming through the windows of the Field estate, Valery had already made her decision.

The next morning, she went down to the main dining room.

The mansion was quiet, as always.

Servants moved in silent steps along the corridors while preparing breakfast.

When Valery entered the dining room, three people were already there.

Lord Field.

Lady Field.

And Eric.

The couple looked up almost at the same time.

Their faces showed immediate relief.

"Valery, dear! I'm so glad to see you up."

Lord Field nodded with affection.

"You had us worried yesterday."

Valery inclined her head politely.

"Thank you for your concern. I'm feeling much better."

Lady Field watched her with tenderness.

She had always been deeply fond of the young woman. Ever since little Valery had arrived at their home as an orphaned child, she had treated her as if she were her own daughter.

"If you're still feeling weak, you can rest today."

"That won't be necessary," Valery replied with a small smile.

It was then that she looked to the side.

And saw Eric.

He was exactly as the story described.

Tall.

Broad-shouldered.

His hair was fair, slightly wavy, falling naturally across his forehead. His eyes were a striking light blue.

He was a handsome man.

Very handsome.

But as Valery observed him... the only thing she thought was:

What a problem...

Eric was watching her too.

His eyes seemed to be studying her closely.

"Valery."

"Eric."

There was a brief silence.

Then Eric spoke as though he were making an important announcement.

"In one week, I'll be traveling to the Mason estate."

Lady Field smiled immediately.

"Ah, yes... The formal proposal."

Eric nodded.

"I'll be asking Lady Rachel for her hand officially."

As he said those words... he looked directly at Valery.

It was a long look.

Very deliberate.

As though he were waiting for something.

Valery noticed it immediately.

What he was expecting was obvious.

Tears.

Pain.

Maybe a broken expression.

Something to confirm that she was still the girl who loved him desperately.

Valery felt a small spark of irritation in her chest.

"He really is a bastard..."

But her face showed none of that.

Instead...

She smiled.

A calm, easy smile.

"Congratulations, brother."

The silence in the dining room was instant.

Eric blinked.

For a second, he seemed not to have understood what he'd heard.

"...Brother?"

Lady Field pressed a hand to her chest in surprise.

"Oh... Valery, since when do you call him that?"

Lord Field smiled as well.

"That's very sweet."

Valery maintained her composed expression.

"Well... My brother Eric is getting married soon."

Her green eyes shone with serenity.

"I wish him all the best."

Lady Field beamed.

"How lovely you are, dear."

Lord Field also seemed pleased.

But Eric...

Eric was not smiling.

Not at all.

His expression had gone completely rigid.

His eyes were still fixed on her.

Valery could see it clearly.

He was furious.

But he said nothing.

He rose from the table abruptly.

"I have things to do."

And without waiting for a response, he walked out of the dining room.

The sound of his footsteps disappeared down the corridor.

Lady Field let out a gentle sigh.

"That boy, always so busy..."

But Valery knew the truth.

As she calmly sipped her cup of tea, she thought with a small flicker of inner satisfaction:

"Right... That wasn't about work."

Eric Field was furious.

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