While Aria’s eyes shimmered with mischievous playfulness, the other girl was expressionless and her eyes peaceful.

Once Aria approached, Nephrite sent her a half-glance, curious but not interested. She did not even try to hide her apathy or the fact that Aria's presence was, to her, insignificant.

“What are you reading, sister," Aria spoke with a sweet tone while moving behind the other girl.

No answer.

Still smiling, Aria took a glimpse of the book the girl was holding, identifying it as something she had also browsed through - A Take on the Political Landscape of the Empire and its Power Dynamics, by Siegfried Leonheart.

‘What a boring book.’

Yawning, Aria twirled on her feet and moved to the other side of the table, sitting down in front of Nephrite. The girl didn’t even give her a second glance.

She was the first daughter of Aria's second stepmother, Theresa. However, because the Tealeaf Family rarely showed up in the game, Aria barely knew anything about the other girl.

‘But knowing from where she comes, guess it’s not strange she is this stiff.’

While she was thinking, Aria leaned her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her palm. She then spent a few minutes just staring at the black-haired young lady.

“Why don’t you drop that boring book and come play with big sister, huh~”

Still no reaction.

"I can probably teach you far more than that boring book can. About the empire, and about girls too~" Her tone became a bit perverted at the end.

She was just joking around, though. Yet, Nephrite did not even frown at the lascivious undertone of her statement.

“You are no fun.”

Complaining, Aria pushed her feet against the ground, dragging the chair back with a grating, scraping sound.

This time, she clearly saw one of her sister’s browns quiver in annoyance for a moment.

Aria’s smile became even wider as she looked below the table for a moment, before promptly looking up at Nephrite once more.

"He-he, pink really combines with you, you know?" Aria held her chin as if considering something.

“What do y—” Nephrite’s words were cut short as she noticed what Aria was talking about.

The table creaked as the girl clamped her legs shut, hitting her knee against the leg of the table in the process. Her pale white skin also became flushed red as she stared daggers at Aria.

Seeing the girl finally paying attention to her, Aria dragged her chair closer to the table once more.

"What do you want?" Nephrite scowled slightly, but her childish facial features made it look cute rather than intimidating.

"I just want to talk and relax, I am extremely bored right now!"

Aria’s words were immediately met with a placid stare as the younger girl’s face became expressionless once more.

“Wa! What a nice stare you have there! I am so afraid~”

Swiping out with her arm, Aria grabbed the book out of Nephrite's hands, earning a cry of surprise from her sister.

“You should really stop reading this boring stuff.” Aria silently read a passage of the text before rolling her eyes. “This thing teaches you nothing but fallacies.”

“What do you even know?”

“Are you going to accept the words of an unknown professor at face value, just because they are written in a book, then?”

“He is not unknown, Professor Leonheart is a—” Looking at Aria in the eyes, she choked on her words.

Nephrite could see amusement dancing on the blond’s lips, but her eyes twinkled with a strange, evaluating light - as if her words would completely change the dynamic between them.

She didn't really know why, but the odd behavior of her sister made her hesitate and even flinch in her seat.

“So?” Aria urged her.

Clicking her tongue, Nephrite looked away. It was only after a few minutes that she looked back at Aria and, having calmed down, spoke.

“They are not fallacies, nonetheless, I know that the knowledge spread through books is contaminated with the writer’s view of the subject.”

"Oh?" Aria seemed genuinely surprised by her words. "Good girl~" Her praise was playful, but sounded honest.

Nephrite did not really know what to do about that, though. She knew, however, that this was not the Aria she was acquainted with anymore - that girl that would look down and stare at the floor when she passed by people.

“He-he~” Seeing her being stunned by words, Aria found it quite cute.

Leaning forward slightly, she patted the other girl's head a few times, ruffling her hair and messing her black, and smooth locks.

Light shimmered in the room through the enormous window of the place, bathing Nephrite in its splendor. Somehow, Aria thought, it served to make her lemon-colored eyes even more charming.

“Stop with that.”

“Hm? No way~ I feel really good pampering people.”

Aria found the struggle and hesitation in her eyes way too entertaining to just stop.

It was only after a few minutes, namely when the girl's ears were flushed so red that smoke was coming out of them, that Aria stopped and leaned back on her chair.

Maybe, getting entangled with the previous Aria’s soul had softened her quite a bit.

Louise had not been, exactly, a fan of children. That was why she preferred going out with older women instead of her schoolmates.

"Well, since Nephy is behaving so well, let this big sister teach you a few things about the world."

With a smile dancing on her pink lips, Aria yawned slightly before starting her lesson.

— - -

[Jobs: Noble Daughter (1); Swordswoman (9); Student (9); Smooth Talker (9); Debater (2); Tutor (1).]

Seeing the changes in her character sheet, Aria felt a bit satisfied with the results. She had not gained a level in Smooth Talker, but also acquired two other jobs that further pumped her Charisma.

She wasn’t really interested in raising them, though.

For one, she didn’t feel the need for debates. Her brilliant mind could reach the right conclusions on its own; as for the tutoring part, it felt like a waste of time.

As she trudged through the hallways, a nasal and annoying voice suddenly caught her attention.

“To think you are still following that girl around, how funny.”

“….”

“The rope you grabbed is a rotten one, don’t you think it is time to change owners?”

“What does a cross-breed like you know?”

The last voice was familiar and made Aria lift an eyebrow. She knew they were talking about her, she just didn't expect Marian to be involved.

Sneaking alongside the wall, she approached the intersection between the two corridors and listened with perked ears what they were saying.

“You!”

“What about me? As far as I known, a bitch that doesn’t even know how to respect its owner has no right to say anything.”

Aria could almost hear the other person gritting her teeth with so much force that they cracked. Inward, though, she was smiling with extreme delight.

However,

Slap—

A loud clap erased the smile from her face, making her eyes grow cold and sharp instead.

“You are just a dirty rat that sneaked its way in this house, don’t you dare lecture me!”

The shrill-like voice continued to hurl abuses at Marian. Aria could hear the woman panting heavily in anger while everything was going on.

Sneering, she straightened her back and walked out of her cover - properly entering the line of sight of the two women.

No one said anything as Aria stepped closer.

Marian had a surprise and worried look in her eyes, the sort one wore when they were afraid someone dear to them got hurt.

'She is so adorable!' Aria had to remark.

Despite having spent a lot of time together during the past two years, Marian was still so worried about her.

She should have known by now that Aria was no more the same person that would get hurt and depressed because of the words of an irrelevant servant.

Meanwhile, the other maid stared defiantly at Aria, clearly unafraid of her. She probably belonged to one of the two madams or other favored children of the house.

Poor thing.

"Ah!" A sharp scream of surprise escaped the maid's mouth as, in one swift and decisive movement, Aria grabbed her throat.

The past two years of sword training had built Aria's body to be slender and powerful, making her taller than the usual noble ladies of her age.

Thanks to that, she was barely a head smaller than the woman, and her grip was strong and firm.

“A rotten rope, you say?” Aria’s cold face gave in to a devilish smile. “Do you want to see how a rotten rope can be used to strangle someone?”

Her words were met with muffled groans as the woman flailed in her grasp, using her nails to claw at Aria’s hand while trying to break free. But it was of no use.

Taking a better glance at the surroundings, and noticing Marian’s surprised stare, Aria’s eyes became brighter.

The Tealeaf mansion had four floors, and they were currently on the last one - and right now, they were standing right by the side of the stairs in a ‘T’ intersection.

“You think a lowborn like you has the right to disparage nobility? Who gave you the guts to look down on the great me?”

Aria continued to question incessantly, almost enjoying the pleas in the woman’s brown eyes. She wasn’t done, though, and dragging her near the stairs, Aria glanced at her once more.

“I wonder how many bones you would fracture if you accidentally fell down the stairs?"

Seeing Aria rub her chin and speak with an amused and curious tone, the woman shivered and her movements became more frantic - her groans becoming louder as she tried to beg for forgiveness.

“Hmph.”

Narrowing her eyes, Aria threw the woman to the ground while scowling. Even back on Earth, she hated people that were all bark and no bite.

While she was thinking that, the servant started to drag herself up from the ground

“My l—”

Her words were immediately interrupted, though. Sending her a cold glance, Aria stepped on her head and pushed it against the ground, muffling her words and cries.

“I will show you compassion this time, but this will be the last one. Moreover, open your ears and listen-”

Aria stretched her arm and grabbed Marian’s hand, pulling her closer and intertwining their fingers.

"This girl is mine, and whoever dares to mess with what is mine…" Aria did not finish her words, leaving it to her to interpret the silence.

She could see tears streaking down the older woman’s face, however, the blond didn’t care in the least. Instead, letting go of her feet, she looked flirtatiously at Marian.

“Now, I wonder what sort of reward my lovely maid deserves~”