I Refuse to be the Cannon Fodder!

Celestia was pulled out of her thoughts as she was grabbed by the scruff of her neck and hoisted into the air like a misbehaving kitten. She didn't bother to struggle, sensing the familiar mana of her second brother.

"I finally caught you!" Jeremiah declared triumphantly.

She turned her head to face the sword-obsessed maniac, unimpressed.

"Put me down before I permanently ensure you can't have children, Jeremiah," Celestia threatened. Her tone was sharp. She no longer cared about keeping up appearances or pretending she hadn't drastically changed. Winning her father's favor was all that mattered now; her rotten elder brothers could stick it where the sun didn't shine.

Jeremiah frowned, his bravado faltering. "What are they teaching at the academy these days? Why are you so rude? You weren't like this last year."

She shot him a glare. "I learned it from you. Aren't you the one who insults me every time we meet?"

His face twisted. "I–I did not-" he stammered, before clearing his throat and setting her down reluctantly. "It's you who's tarnishing our family's honor by chasing after that Draken boy, even though he clearly dislikes you! I was just trying to knock some sense into you."

Celestia sneered. Zachary Draken didn't deserve a second of her attention, and he certainly wouldn't have gotten it if her family hadn't treated her like she didn't exist. Whenever they did notice her, it was only to tear her down until she believed she was useless. And now he had the audacity to pin the blame on her? How dense did he think she was?

She turned to leave, but Jeremiah caught her wrist, stopping her in her tracks.

"I heard from Hector that you damaged one of Mom's artifacts. What's wrong with you?" he demanded.

"That's none of your business," she snapped, her voice icy. Jeremiah scowled.

"Celestia, you've been acting strange ever since you got back from the academy," he said, his tone laced with suspicion.

Her eyes narrowed. "Maybe I finally grew up and realized I don't have to put up with your nonsense anymore."

Jeremiah stared at her, his usual rudeness replaced with something almost resembling concern. For a fleeting moment, she thought he might say something worthwhile, but she didn't stick around to find out. Turning on her heel, she strode away, leaving him standing there looking dazed.

Back in her room, Celestia flopped onto her bed with a heavy sigh. Armed with memories of her past life and knowledge of the future, she'd thought this second chance would be easier to navigate. Instead, it felt like tiptoeing through a minefield, where each misstep could cost her life.

After reflecting on how much of a pushover she'd been before, Celestia was finding it increasingly difficult to control her temper. She'd always had a fiery temper since her mother's death, but she used to mask it for her family's sake– especially for Zachary's. Now, even her father, the key to her luxurious lifestyle, was testing her patience just by existing.

Still, she reminded herself to endure it a little longer. Once she saved up enough money, she could finally leave this cursed mansion behind.

Her thoughts drifted back to her father. She'd seen the way his anger had melted away when he saw the recording of her mother. The grief and longing in his eyes had been painfully raw. It reminded her that, despite his stern exterior, her father was still a man who had lost the love of his life, and just like how she still hadn't moved on from her mother's early death, he was also still grieving the death of his beloved wife. 

But that wasn't an excuse for the neglect he put her through. So although she pitied him, she really couldn't bring herself to love and care for him as she had before. 

"At least that part of the plan worked," she muttered. If she could keep steering him in the right direction, she might avoid her death flags. Still, there was so much work to do, and time was slipping through her fingers.

Feeling drained, Celestia decided to reward herself with a short nap. After all, standing her ground against both her father and Jeremiah deserved a little self-care.

Celestia's "short nap" turned into a full-blown sleep. By the time she woke up, the sun had long since set, and the sky had darkened. Stretching languidly, she sat up, feeling somewhat refreshed despite her rumbling stomach. She hadn't eaten since yesterday, and the hunger pangs were becoming impossible to ignore.

After washing her face and rinsing her mouth, she headed toward the door, planning to ask the cook for something tasty. But the moment she opened it, she got scared out of her wits.

Standing there, motionless, was her father.

Celestia bit back a scream. The usually composed and refined Duke Aster looked... disheveled. His dark blue hair—identical to hers—stuck up at odd angles. His pale face was flushed, tear streaks visible even in the dim light. His usually sharp, icy-blue eyes were red-rimmed and swollen. Even his clothes were wrinkled.

It didn't take a genius to deduce he'd been crying for hours. But why was he here?

"Father?" Celestia called out tentatively.

That seemed to snap him out of his trance. His gaze focused on her, and he spoke with surprising calmness. "You're awake."

Two words were all it took for her to realize he'd been waiting outside her door for quite some time.

"You could have... knocked," she stated dumbly, not knowing what else to say.

"I did. When you didn't respond, I decided to wait."

"Oh."

The father and daughter pair stared at each other for a while, awkward silence filling the room.

Celestia finally broke the tension. "Um, would you like to come in? Or...?"

Her father blinked as if the thought hadn't occurred to him. "No, I–" He hesitated, then cleared his throat. "I just wanted to talk."

Celestia raised an eyebrow, curiously. Her father, whom she always had to pry the words out of with difficulty, wanted to talk? Voluntarily at that? "About what?"

He didn't answer immediately, his gaze dropping to the floor. "About your mother," he said at last, his voice barely above a whisper.

Celestia sighed internally. This was going to be a long night.