I woke from my sleep, suddenly opening my eyes and bolting upright.
While I was catching my breath in shock, I felt a hand holding mine. I turned to see Sikar Blake gazing at me with languid eyes.
Because I had just dreamed of kissing him, I couldn’t help but jump in surprise at seeing him holding my hand. The thought that I had just finished dreaming of kissing him made my face flush hotly.
What would he think? That I must like him too much because I kissed him in my dream? I decided to play it cool and blurted out,
“What—what?! You?!”
Sikar Blake released my hand with an indifferent expression.
“I entered your dream again because you were having that closet nightmare. I wanted to see how scared you were. But your fear was so intense I couldn’t pull you out of the closet. You need to overcome it to escape that nightmare.”
So that was Sikar Blake entering my dream?
“Can you enter dreams?”
“I can’t summon spirits, but I can dominate the minds of existing ones. If the dream spirit lets you dream, I can invade others’ memories through it. Of course, you know not all Sitar clan members can dominate every spirit’s mind like I can.”
Of course I know that. But that’s not what’s important right now!
“Then… did you kiss me?!”
“You couldn’t overcome your fear and step out of the closet yourself, so there was no other way. If I keep kissing you, that dream will gradually turn into a good memory.”
Huh? Wouldn’t that make it worse? He doesn’t even realize he’s turning someone else’s nightmare into an even bigger nightmare.
“Especially for someone like you, who dreams nightmares filled with fear, escaping the nightmare spirit is harder. Until you overcome that dream, I plan to keep kissing you in your dreams. Then it’ll become a beautiful, pleasant memory.”
Sikar Blake believed that if he kissed me, my nightmare would transform into a beautiful, pleasant memory—and thus cease to be a nightmare.
This is purely his own idea?! Let me emphasize again: this guy is definitely completely insane.
“Isn’t there another way?”
Sikar Blake smirked faintly and tilted his head back.
“That embarrassed? Your face is redder than a ripe strawberry. Don’t get too excited—it was just a dream. Not reality.”
Do I look excited to you?!
Sikar Blake said it wasn’t real, but the sensation of kissing felt incredibly real. Maybe that’s why I woke up so startled.
“I think I’ll need to make another dreamcatcher. Seems you need one as much as Kian Blake does.”
If it actually worked, I would’ve worn one long ago.
“But it doesn’t work. It’s just superstition.”
“Then why did you tell me to make one for Kian Blake?”
“He’s a child. I thought believing in a dreamcatcher that protects him from nightmares might help. Maybe give him something to rely on.”
“You do have a point. Then I’ll keep entering your dreams.”
“This… to kiss me…?”
“I’m going to eliminate your nightmare, but you think I’m coming to kiss you? You sly thing.”
“W-who’s sly?!”
“There you go, blushing again. You really are sly.”
He’s the one who kissed me, yet he calls me sly!
Could this story possibly be one of those “misunderstanding” genres? Where the villain keeps misinterpreting things like that?
No. Definitely not. This novel is supposed to be a fierce, cutthroat royal succession drama!
“By the way, I saw in your memory yesterday—you suggested origami?”
“Kian Blake likes that game.”
“The protagonist doing something like origami? Pathetic.”
From Sikar Blake’s perspective, he might think that way. He lost his parents at a young age and had to undergo heir training in the ducal mansion.
So he never learned the playful lessons common among noble children, nor did he attend the Royal Academy.
“Our goal is to raise little Kian Blake emotionally bright, like any ordinary child. And I’m good at origami—I’m confident!”
“I should look into what kinds of games are suitable for children.”
As he said that, Sikar Blake took my hand and focused.
“Origami doesn’t seem difficult. Playing with straws also looks fine.”
“I was already planning to introduce those games when Kian Blake gets a bit older. They’re good for cognitive development.”
“Does someone as intelligent as Kian Blake really need to be taught these?”
“It’s good for emotional intelligence. From this age onward, Kian Blake’s emotional intelligence wasn’t strong—he grew up too lonely.”
As soon as I said that, I regretted it. He was someone who grew up even lonelier than the protagonist—never once opening his heart to anyone, never even smiling once, utterly isolated.
Fortunately, when I glanced at Sikar Blake, he was focused solely on reading my memories.
Sikar Blake, still holding my hand, frowned fiercely as if displeased with something.
“By the way, I told you to look at the roses outside your window every morning when you wake up, but lately you haven’t been following that, have you?”
Am I some novel character? Looking at roses every morning to steel my resolve? That’s just a trope novels use to show readers the protagonist’s determination and perseverance!
Anyway, I offered a ridiculous excuse.
“I guess I’ve become a bit more haughty lately…”
Unsurprisingly, it didn’t work. Sikar Blake didn’t release my hand—he yanked me upright.
“When I was left alone in this house, I always steeled my resolve by looking at weeds trodden underfoot.”
I know that.
“Then your resolve won’t waver.”
That’s just a performative setup!
Sikar Blake opened the window, positioned me in front of it, and stood behind me so I couldn’t move.
“Even if it doesn’t suit you now, if you look at it every day, someday you’ll find yourself resembling those red roses. Just as drawing while imagining a tiger might still result in a cat.”
“In other words, you’re just dressing up ‘become ruthless’ in fancy words.”
“All resolutions are fancy by nature.”
“Fine, I get it. Now move aside. You’re wrapping your whole body around me—I can’t breathe.”
Actually, I was terrified—it was the same pose he used to ambush and kill people from behind. When he closed in like this, I couldn’t do anything.
“Can’t breathe? Durion once said that when you like someone, seeing them makes you feel breathless in a good way. Seems that’s true for you.”
“No, I literally can’t breathe.”
“You really are strange. Everyone else is scared of me, but you boldly like me.”
“……”
“Let’s go down for dinner before it gets too late.”
Though I thought pretending to like him might help me survive, I couldn’t help the occasional flare of irritation.
After the quiet meal, Sikar Blake went straight to attend to business, and Kian Blake entered spirit play with Vika Lamberst.
Lately, Kian Blake had been doing spirit lessons disguised as spirit play every morning with Vika Lamberst. According to Sikar Blake, this would help Kian Blake’s abilities as a spirit master improve faster and hasten the time he could break his own curse.
Meanwhile, I had instructed the servants to prepare colored paper and was leisurely sipping tea on the cozy balcony, basking in the warm sunlight.
As I enjoyed the rare moment of relaxation, Meiri spoke to me carefully.
“Madam. His Grace requests that you join him in the young master’s playroom.”
“Playroom?”
“Yes. His Grace prepared a playroom for the young master.”
What is this? He did something I didn’t even ask for? And a playroom? Was going to “attend to business” just an excuse to build Kian Blake’s playroom?
But… shouldn’t I feel some heartwarming anticipation at the mention of a playroom? Why do I feel so ominous?
I jumped to my feet right there.
“Hurry, Meiri.”
Even while walking down the corridor, my unease wouldn’t fade. This ducal mansion had Sikar Blake’s training room—a place packed with drills and exercises, like another world entirely.
Surely he didn’t turn that brutal room into Kian Blake’s playroom? Or maybe he built a haunted house and called it a playroom?
Anxiously, I practically ran to Kian Blake’s playroom and flung the door open.
At that moment, I couldn’t help but gasp in admiration.
Thankfully, Sikar Blake seemed to be in his right mind this time—he hadn’t turned Kian Blake’s playroom into a training ground. Instead, it resembled a modern playroom.
Did he recreate it after reading my memories? Curious and excited, I stepped inside.
On one side of the playroom, small balls were piled up. Beside them sat a little tent to serve as Kian Blake’s hideout, along with various model blocks and teddy bears.
Seeing my amazed expression, Sikar Blake slightly lifted one corner of his mouth as if to say this was nothing.
“Well? Worth seeing?”
Of course it was. I clasped my hands together, gazing at Sikar Blake with overwhelming admiration.
“How did you even think to make something like this?”
“I saw in your memory that children’s playrooms are like this. Fitting for a Blake heir, after all.”
So it was less for Kian Blake and more for upholding the dignity of the ducal mansion.
Still, it was fine. Whatever his motive, it would make Kian Blake happy.
I’d been worried he might decorate it like a haunted house, but he did an excellent job.
“Kian Blake will love this.”
“Then I should call for Kian Blake.”
“If possible, invite Vika Lamberst and Durion too.”
Sikar Blake asked with a face that showed he didn’t agree.
“Why those two?”
“Children enjoy playing with multiple people. It’ll be better with Vika Lamberst and Durion than just us two. Right now, they’re the only ones who can play with Kian Blake.”
“No problem.”
When Vika Lamberst and Durion arrived at Sikar Blake’s summons, they looked around the room in shock.
As villains who usually handled swords, axes, and spears, seeing these cute little items for the first time made their reactions bizarre.
“Why does the room look like this?”
“Your Grace… are these… new types of totems?”
Sikar Blake paid no attention to their reactions.
“Everyone, sit down and pick these up.”
This time, they gaped at the colored paper laid before them. Their reactions differed—Vika Lamberst was exasperated, while Durion seemed slightly excited.
“What? You want me to fold paper?”
“Is this… an item used to curse people?”
“It’s a game. A fun game to play with Kian Blake.”
“A fun game? Marriage really has changed you.”
“Vika Lamberst, I said it’s a fun game. Maybe one that summons undead?”
Sikar Blake, seeming to reach the limit of his patience, pinched his forehead and threw colored papers at Vika Lamberst and Durion. They swiftly caught the papers without dropping them.
“It’s a game to play with Kian Blake. Sit quietly, watch what I do, and fold the paper.”
“Tch. Looks like I’m about to play the most useless game in my 140-year life.”
Durion stared at Sikar Blake and Vika Lamberst as if still unable to believe this was real. After blinking several times, he picked up the colored paper.
“Seriously… you just want us to do origami?”
Yes. You villains. Just origami! You’ve never experienced childhood innocence, so of course you wouldn’t understand.
Though Vika Lamberst and Durion clearly didn’t want to do it, they couldn’t refuse Sikar Blake’s command—he was glaring at them. Grumbling, they began folding the colored paper firmly in their hands.
Only then did Sikar Blake call a servant.
“Go bring Kian Blake here.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Finally, Kian Blake would see this room. What would his reaction be? I was so curious and excited my heart fluttered.
Would Kian Blake dislike it? I desperately hoped he’d be happy. Unable to calm my trembling nerves, I turned to Sikar Blake with a flushed face.
“Sikar Blake… I’m so nervous right now…”
Sikar Blake flinched slightly at my words, then quickly glanced at Vika Lamberst and Durion before looking back at me.
“Even if you like me, you don’t need to show it so obviously in front of Vika Lamberst and Durion.”
Again, why is he like this?
Then I noticed Vika Lamberst and Durion staring at me with mouths agape. Could they really think I was showing obvious affection for Sikar Blake?
Sikar Blake cleared his throat a few times before answering.
“Yura Blake always trembles when she sees me.”
‘That’s because I’m scared!’
Vika Lamberst shook his head disapprovingly, tutting, “Our Madam certainly has unique tastes.” Durion gave me a thumbs-up and said,
“You two really suit each other!”
‘No, seriously, that’s not it at all!’
What am I supposed to do with these villains, all trapped in collective misunderstanding…?
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”
