I Was Reincarnated As The Brother Of A Villainous Young Lady, But I Couldn't Use Magic, So I Used My Sword To Slash Down The Doom Flag - Chapter 4

My name’s Tilti. I used to have a family name and all that—but it looks like when my mom got kicked out, they just dumped us both. I’ve spent my whole life alone with my mom.

Every day, I’d hide in a cramped back alley from creepy adults with shifty eyes. I’d watch my mom leave every morning to work at this place called the Shokan, and then I’d be all alone until she got back late at night… so every day was pure terror.

Getting my food snatched was nothing new. I wasn’t just beaten up by grown-ups once or twice— even the other kids were out to get me. Everyone just took what they wanted, and if I ever fought back, I’d get hit.

The only person in the world who was ever kind to me was my mom. She was the only one I could trust. I used to think that as long as I had her, I didn’t need anything else—that it’d just be the two of us forever.

But… day by day, my mom grew thinner and weaker, losing her spark. Because of that, she even lost her job at the Shokan, and our meals got even worse. Even moldy bread would’ve been better than what we ended up with—living like rats, scavenging through someone’s thrown-away garbage for anything that looked edible.

In that miserable state, there was no way my mom’s health could bounce back. One day, watching her teeter on the edge of death, I broke a promise to her for the first time—I stole from a big store.
Of course, it didn’t go well. I got caught and beaten up, and when my mom tried to help me, she was killed right there in front of me. It all happened so fast—she leaped on some huge guy to defend me, got hit back, and when she fell, she never got up again. I’ll never forget the sight of her bright red blood slowly spreading across the ground.

I was so stunned by her death that I barely remember what happened next. They said it was “compensation for unsellable goods” or something, and before I knew it, I was sold off for a pittance—chained up and surrounded by people who’d seen worse than I had in those dark alleys. I didn’t want to see or do anything anymore—I just wanted to die.

But then, out of nowhere, I was rescued by a bunch of noble knights who caught bad guys. They pulled me out of that cell, and before I knew it, an old man among them—who’d been busy sorting out luggage, of all things—took me in as his adopted daughter. At that point, I figured nothing really mattered anymore. My mom was gone, and there was no one left to be kind to me, so I stopped caring.

Then, as if things couldn’t get any stranger, a boy—who claimed to be the old man’s child—suddenly wrapped his arms around me.
“I’m so happy to have a cute little sister like you. From today on, let’s stick together, Tilti!”
That boy, with jet-black hair and eyes, held me tight as he said those words.

Mom always told me that all nobles were scary monsters—people who’d yell at you for even the tiniest bit of disrespect and might even kill you on the spot. And yet… this kid was genuinely happy to see me. Even though I was covered in mud, reeking so bad my nose would crinkle if it could, he hugged me like it was the most natural thing in the world. I couldn’t understand why he’d do that.

Honestly, I wanted to ask him what he was thinking, but my little, battered body just couldn’t take it anymore—I ended up falling asleep right there.
When I woke up, I found myself in an unbelievably spacious, clean room, lying on a ridiculously soft bed, wearing brand-new, spotless clothes… It was all so overwhelming and, frankly, a little scary. What did they want from me by doing all this? I already had nothing.

Then I heard someone say,
“Tilti, are you awake?”
I tried to stay still, not wanting to cause any more trouble, and that’s when the boy from earlier walked into the room. His name was… I think Sold. He’d promised he’d be my big brother. Supposedly, he even brought snacks—some clear, gooey, water candy that I’d never seen before. Even my lousy nose could tell it smelled sweet and delicious, and before I knew it, my mouth was watering like crazy. I’d never had anything like it in my life. I just hoped my stomach didn’t growl out loud.

For a while, he kept going on about the water candy, but I tried to ignore him—Mom always warned me not to take things from strangers. But no matter how much I avoided him, he wouldn’t leave the room. He wasn’t even pestering me; he just stayed right by my side.
Eventually, I couldn’t stand the silence any longer, and I found myself talking back.
“Why would you care about someone like me? I’m worthless—my only family was my mom. You’re not even family!” I snapped.
“Why? If we’re family, of course I care about you,” he replied.

Even after I lashed out, he didn’t give up on me. He kept saying he couldn’t leave me alone because it made him feel good to help, and he just wouldn’t budge from my side. I thought maybe if I gobbled down the water candy fast enough, he’d finally be satisfied and leave. So, half-grudgingly, I snatched it from him and took a huge bite.
It was so unbelievably delicious that tears just started streaming down my face.
“Huu, uu, uuu…!!” I couldn’t stop myself from crying out in amazement. I’d never tasted anything like that before. I wondered if Mom had ever had something so good—I always dreamed of sharing something like this with her while she was still alive.

Then Sold said,
“That’s right. Eat as much as you want—there’s no one here who’ll hurt you anymore.”
Hearing that, I finally understood something. I’d never really believed that having just my mom was enough. Deep down, I’d always wanted a dad—a strong one who could protect both me and Mom from all the bad people. I longed for a big sister who’d comfort me when I was down… but most of all, I wanted a big brother. Someone who could gently pat me when I felt lonely, make me feel warm, and whom I could truly say, “I love you” to.

“Uuu, uuu…!!” I cried out, overwhelmed by the joy of finally having the family I’d always dreamed of—the joy of having someone to support me, mixed with the sorrow of losing the only family I’d ever known, and the bitterness toward the hell that had tormented us, and that person who abandoned my mom. All these tangled emotions left me so confused I barely understood my own heart.
But right now… just for this moment, I wanted nothing more than to lean on the warmth of my new big brother and cry it all out.

I couldn’t hold it in any longer—I clung to his chest, letting myself be comforted.