My heart, which had just started to find a steady rhythm, skipped a violent beat the moment I read the glowing purple text on the screen.
The 'Obsessive' Sister.
The words felt like a cold bucket of water dumped over my head. I didn't even have time to process the "Villainess" tag before my gaze was pulled, almost magnetically, toward the heavy oak door.
My eyes locked onto the golden handle as the knock echoed through the room.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The sound was rhythmic. Precise. It wasn't the frantic pounding of a worried relative; it was the steady, confident tap of someone who knew exactly what they were doing.
I didn't move. I stayed glued to the silk pillows, holding my breath until my lungs burned.
'Maybe if I don't make a sound, she'll think I'm still in the infirmary,' I reasoned desperately. 'Maybe she'll think I'm not here and leave.'
But my hope was shattered before it could even fully form.
"I hope you're not thinking that I would leave thinking you aren't inside," Elena's voice drifted through the wood, sharp and clear.
My eyes widened, and I felt a cold sweat break out across my neck. How? How could she possibly know? The walls of this palace were thick enough to stop a siege engine, and I hadn't moved a muscle.
"You know I can sense you being inside the room," she added, her tone carrying a hint of bored amusement that made my skin crawl.
Sense me? What was this, a radar? A GPS for "pervert" brothers?
I cursed the trashy author under my breath.
Of course, the high-tier Aragon family would have some kind of biological sonar. I was a Ferrari with a rusty engine, but she was a fully upgraded stealth bomber.
"Great," I hissed quietly to the empty room. "Not only am I in a death-game novel, but I'm being hunted by a metal detector."
I looked at the 'Pigeon' screen, but it just flickered mockingly, offering no help.
I was an 18-year-old student who used to worry about whether the rickshaw would show up on time; I wasn't equipped to handle a magical stalker sister with predatory instincts.
"Open the door," Elena commanded, her voice dropping an octave, losing the playfulness. "I have something to tell you."
I sat up slowly, my legs still trembled slightly. If I didn't open it, she'd probably just burn the door down, and I really didn't want to explain to the King why his "opulent" furniture was turned into charcoal.
I just want to stay low and avoid anything that can cause me trouble.
After standing up, I wiped the soot from my palms onto my trousers, and took a deep breath.
"Coming," I called out, trying to sound a lot more "Aragon" than a terrified student.
I grabbed the cold, ornate handle and pulled. The heavy oak door creaked open, and there she was.
Elena Aragon.
She was leaning against the opposite wall of the corridor, her arms crossed over her chest.
In the dim light of the hallway, her deep brown hair fell over her shoulders like polished mahogany, but it was her eyes that stopped my breath. Her sharp, bloody crimson eyes seemed to glow in the shadows of the palace.
"You..."
She spoke up, but the word died in her throat. She stopped before even beginning the rest of the sentence and moved her gaze to scan me from head to toe.
"Y... Yeah... Me?" I stammered, my voice cracking slightly. I immediately wanted to punch myself. Smooth, Rio. Real smooth.
I tried to stand taller, ignoring the soot on my face and the way my knees still wanted to buckle.
I was waiting for the lecture. The "stay away from the maids" speech. Or maybe the "how dare you embarrass Aries" slap.
But it didn't come.
Elena didn't move. She just stared at me without blinking. It was the kind of silence that makes you want to confess to crimes you didn't even commit.
Back in Pakistan, I'd seen teachers give this look to students who tried to cheat on an exam—a mix of "I know what you did" and "I can't believe you were that stupid."
Except with Elena, there was something else. Something... hungry.
"You're different," she finally whispered, stepping forward into the threshold of my room.
She didn't ask for permission; she just invaded my space like she owned the air I was breathing.
She reached out, and her finger tracked a line through the soot on my cheek. I flinched, but she didn't pull back.
"The Rio I know would be crying on the floor right now, begging for a healer," she said, her voice dropping to a low, dangerous hum. "The Rio I know couldn't hold a sword straight, let alone use it as a mirror. So tell me..."
She leaned in closer, her scent—something like cold lilies and ozone filled my senses.
"Who are you? Are you really my useless brother, who thought more about women than himself?"
Hearing her words, my heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird.
And it wasn't the only thing hitting a frantic rhythm. Just over Elena's shoulder, a screen began to strobe with a rhythmic, sickening violet light.
— ALERT: The 'Obsessive' Trait has activated. —
— Current Status: Under Investigation. —
— Tip: If you lie, her 'Sense' will detect your heart rate. If you tell the truth, you're dead. Good luck! —