I’ve always lived in my brother Sebastian’s shadow. The day I learned he was the fake young master switched at birth, he texted me: 【Hey, your new brother’s coming. Stick with me—we’ll give him a warm welcome.】 When he arrived, Mom pushed me forward and told me to call him “brother.” The boy wore faded clothes, his expression dark and gloomy. I was about to say something sarcastic when comments flashed before my eyes: 【The sidekicks are teaming up to bully him again.】 【The protagonist’s suffered enough. Now he has to deal with these two?】 【Don’t worry—the male lead becomes the most powerful. He’ll bankrupt them with a snap, leaving them digging through trash.】 Oh hell no. I hugged my new brother and said sweetly, "Brother, welcome home." Instantly, light returned to his gloomy eyes. 1 My brother and I were the envy of everyone, raised in the lap of luxury, coddled by our parents since birth. Our family was wealthy, and every year, we’d throw huge birthday parties at our villa. My brother, Sebastian Wynter, was especially popular. He was handsome, a straight-A student, played the piano, and had a cool, rebellious charm. He was the kid every parent wished they had. And I was his loyal sidekick. When he had a crush on the prettiest girl in school, I was the one delivering his love letters. When he skipped class to play video games, I was his alibi. When he was too lazy to do his homework, I’d stay up all night doing it for him. Because I was the adopted daughter of the Wynter family. When I was little, Sebastian used to tease me, saying that if I didn’t listen to him, he’d have our parents send me back to the orphanage. I cried my eyes out. From that day on, I unknowingly developed a people-pleasing personality. I was always trailing after Sebastian, calling him "brother" this and "brother" that. Until today. Sebastian had asked me, yet again, to buy breakfast for the school beauty. I was halfway there when he texted me: 【Hey, sweetie, have you delivered the breakfast yet?】 I was out of breath and exhausted. 【It’s not that fast! Do you know how far the cafeteria is? I’m not doing this for you next time.】 He laughed. 【You say that every time, but you always do it.】 【I spent all my allowance on a gift for her, so I’ll owe you for this one. Oh, and can you get her breakfast tomorrow too? Thanks.】 【By the way, your new brother is coming home today. You need to be on my side. When he gets here, we’ll team up and put him in his place.】 Sure enough, when I got home, I saw my mother with a strange boy. He stood in the darkest corner of the foyer. His black hair was so long it nearly covered his eyes, his head bowed so no one could read his expression. He wore a faded school uniform, his face was gaunt, and his eyes held a darkness that didn’t belong to someone his age. His hands were covered in calluses. When I saw his face clearly, I froze. Sebastian was considered handsome, but this boy… he was even more striking. He looked just like Mrs. Wynter, with sharp, defined features—a classic, intense beauty that seemed to exist on a different plane from everyone else. I never knew someone could look both broken and regal at the same time. His name was Leo Wynter. He was the son who had been switched at birth, Mrs. Wynter's biological child. Which meant Sebastian had been living the life of luxury that rightfully belonged to him for seventeen years. But even with Leo home, Mrs. Wynter gently patted Sebastian’s hand and comforted him. "Don't worry, darling. You'll always be the most important child in this family." I watched them carefully. My mother's attitude would determine my own. I decided to stick with Sebastian. Leo, who had clearly suffered, had the eyes of a wolf. He said nothing, simply staring at our mother until she grew visibly uncomfortable. Only then did she go to him. "I'm so sorry, my child. You've suffered so much all these years." Sebastian saw this and let out a short, mocking laugh. "Mom, it looks like you're a real family now. Since you're reunited, should I just leave?" Our mother panicked. She immediately pushed Leo away and rushed to Sebastian's side. "Don't be silly. You will always be my most precious son." Out of her line of sight, Sebastian shot a triumphant smirk at Leo. Leo remained cold and impassive, as if it didn't matter whether our mother loved him or not. But I was the only one who noticed the flicker of loneliness in his eyes. Mrs. Wynter said to him, "Leo, don't hold this against him. He's a victim in this too." Suddenly, the comments appeared again: 【I can't. The biggest beneficiary of this whole mess, and he’s the victim?】 【Sebastian got seventeen years of a perfect life, while Leo was stuck with that abusive lowlife, working day and night and getting beaten for it.】 【Yeah, I’d love to be that kind of ‘victim.’】 Leo stayed silent. Feeling a bit guilty, our mother pulled me over to him. "Come on, Chloe, sweetie. Say hello to your brother." Sebastian pinched my arm and shot me a look. When my brother wanted to bully someone, I was always his first soldier. I took a deep breath, looked at Leo, tilted my chin up, and said with a sneer, "So, you're my brother?" The comments popped up again: 【Ugh, I can't watch.】 【The female sidekick is about to tell him she only has one brother and that he should crawl back to whatever hole he came from. This is what shatters his last hope for this family, leaving him with nothing but hate.】 【For real, the protagonist has been through hell. He finally gets home and has to be tormented by these two selfish monsters.】 【It's okay. He might be pitiful now, but in the future, he becomes the most powerful character in the book. He’ll bankrupt these two with a snap of his fingers, leaving them broke and forced to eat out of trash cans.】 Bankrupt? Eating out of trash cans? Not on my watch. I’d spent years pleasing Sebastian, investing so much emotional labor, all for a comfortable life. No, I had to fix this. I changed my tune immediately. I stepped forward, opened my arms, and gave him a hug. "This brother is handsome. I like this brother," I chirped. "My name is Chloe. Welcome home." The boy froze. For the first time, a different expression crossed his cold, stoic face. As I held him, I could feel his stiffness, his uncertainty. And then, a hand, so carefully placed on my back. I smiled and took his hand, pulling him toward the dining room. "Brother, you're too thin." "We can't have that. Dinner's almost ready. You have to eat a lot." The comments were dumbfounded: 【What's going on? The sidekick isn't bullying him?】 【She must be planning something worse. She’s Sebastian’s accomplice. She helped him bully Leo countless times.】 2 At the dinner table, our mother subconsciously had the maid place all the best dishes in front of Sebastian and me. All Leo had in front of him were the sautéed vegetables I hated. Realizing her mistake, she quickly put a piece of sweet and sour fish on his plate. "Leo, this is delicious. You should have some." Leo glanced at it. "I don't eat fish. I'm allergic to seafood." After a moment of awkward silence, our mother moved the fish to Sebastian's plate. "Sebastian, you've been working so hard at school. Eat up." Sebastian grinned. "Thanks, Mom. This is my favorite. Can you make it again tomorrow?" "Oh, and Mom, can we have a big seafood feast tomorrow?" He looked at me, head down, shoveling rice into my mouth. "My sister was just telling me she's craving seafood. Right, sweetie?" The comments popped up again: 【This guy is so disgusting and manipulative, knowing full well the protagonist is allergic.】 【So this is his game. I can't wait to see these two go bankrupt and end up on the streets.】 My appetite vanished. My survival instincts kicked into high gear. I wiped my mouth with a napkin. "Actually, I'm really craving sweet and sour pork, cola chicken wings, spicy tofu, and mushroom chicken stew." I shook our mother's arm playfully. "Mom, can we have those, please?" She fell for it, as always, tapping my nose with a smile. "Of course, you little foodie. I'll have the chef make them for you tomorrow." Sebastian's face darkened when he saw me defending Leo. I kept my head down and ate, pretending not to notice. For my entire life, I had catered to his every whim. It was practically instinct. So, saying no to him felt strange. I felt a pang of guilt, a sense of having done something wrong. But I wasn't going to take the fall for him. After dinner, our mother showed Leo to his room. It was next to mine. I thought the night would pass peacefully. But the comments appeared again: 【I can't believe it. The fake brother is going to pour water on the protagonist's blanket. So vile.】 【It’s early spring, the nights are still cold. How is he supposed to sleep?】 【It's fine. Thinking about how these two evil siblings will end up with nowhere to sleep, fighting with beggars for a spot under a bridge in the rain, makes it all better.】 The comments might have felt better, but my heart was racing. I jumped out of bed, grabbed a new comforter, and padded barefoot to his door, knocking softly. Leo opened it. His gaze lingered on me for a moment. The moonlight traced the sharp line of his jaw, making him look even more striking. I was mesmerized for a second. I quickly held up the comforter. "Brother, I heard your blanket got wet. You can have mine." He was clearly stunned. He stared at me for a long moment before speaking, his voice raspy and low. "Why are you being so nice to me?" I gave him a big smile. "Because you're my brother. We're family." He seemed struck by those words, repeating them like a question. "Family?" I nodded. "I'm very capable. I'll take care of you, and I'll protect you." He suddenly smiled. "I'm the older brother. I should be the one taking care of and protecting my little sister." Hearing that made my heart flutter. Because in our house, I had always been the one taking care of Sebastian. I rubbed my nose. "What are your favorite foods, brother? I'll write them down for the chef." A corner of his mouth lifted. "You don't have to. The things you mentioned today… I like all of them." I grinned. "I knew it. Who doesn't love cola chicken wings?" Hearing that, for the first time, Leo actually laughed. I stared. He was so beautiful when he smiled. 3 The next morning, Sebastian left for school without me. I knew he was angry. And I felt a little hurt. I had spent my whole life trying to please him, and the one time I didn't do what he wanted, he gave me the cold shoulder. A text from Jessica, the school beauty, popped up on my phone: 【Chloe, for breakfast today I'm craving the braised noodles with green peppers and pork from the first cafeteria. It's so far, though. Could you please get it for me?】 Ever since Sebastian started making me her personal delivery girl, she had gotten comfortable, even starting to place specific orders. I wanted to reply, Get it yourself. But after a moment, I deleted the message and typed: 【Okay.】 The truth was, I couldn't stand Jessica. On the first day of school, our teacher asked us to introduce ourselves. The moment I opened my mouth, she burst out laughing. "Oh my god, are you doing that on purpose? Your voice is giving me goosebumps. It's so funny. We're in high school now, you don't have to act all cutesy." The entire class laughed with her. My face burned with shame. I wished the ground would swallow me whole. I'm from the South, and my voice is naturally a bit higher pitched. Sebastian kicked his desk. "Alright, that's enough." Jessica pouted. "So defensive. Can't even take a joke. She's so sensitive." Sebastian patted my head. "Don't worry about it, Chloe." I looked down, feeling a sense of security from the warmth of his hand. But… But then, Sebastian… Why did you fall for her? 4 Even though Sebastian used to threaten to send me back to the orphanage, my years of coddling and weakness had softened him. He had started treating me well. I have hypoglycemia and often forgot to carry candy with me. I'd get dizzy after the third period. After he found out, he always made sure to have a few pieces of candy in his pocket. Whenever I forgot mine, he’d walk over, unwrap an orange candy, and pop it in my mouth, smiling. "You dummy. Always forgetting. You're such a pain." Lately, I hadn't been forgetting my candy. But I'd pretend I did. Because I loved those moments of weakness when my brother would dote on me. But then Jessica started hanging around him, chirping, "Sebastian, do you have a sister complex? It's so embarrassing. You're always hovering around her. You're going to turn her into a spoiled princess." Sebastian would tell her to shut up, but his ears would turn red. After that, he never carried candy for me again. Soon, his pockets were filled not with orange candies, but with the small hair ties Jessica was always losing. All his patience was reserved for her. He’d smile while helping her with her homework, listening to her whine. He’d meticulously note her likes and dislikes in a notebook. He’d prepare a gift for her for every holiday. He asked me to deliver his love letters to her. He asked me to bring her breakfast. I think, perhaps, he forgot that I hated her. And to keep my brother from hating me, I could only try to please Jessica, pretend I didn't dislike her, and try to get closer to her. But lately, I felt like I couldn't keep up the act anymore. The sweetness of the orange candy was long gone. All that was left was a bitter taste in my mouth. 5 The first cafeteria was so far away. It took me forever to get Jessica her breakfast. She took it with a cheerful smile. "I'm so sorry to trouble you all the time." Sebastian said casually, "It's fine, don't worry about it. She's loved running errands for people since she was a kid. My sister is your sister. If you ever need anything, just ask her." I should have been used to hearing things like that. But thinking about what Leo had said last night, I felt a knot in my stomach. He said a brother should take care of and protect his sister. Maybe my brother was just different. The bell rang, and Leo walked into the classroom. My father had placed him in our class. He wore a clean, crisp new uniform, his bangs trimmed to reveal his handsome eyes. He didn't look as gloomy as he had yesterday. Honestly, just standing there, he was so good-looking that every strand of his hair seemed to glow. Someone like him should have been incredibly popular at school. But Sebastian had already gone around first thing in the morning, telling everyone not to sit with him. So when the teacher asked who would be his desk partner, no one spoke up. The light in Leo's eyes began to dim. Just as the teacher was about to assign someone, I raised my hand. "Brother, over here!" Leo froze for a second, then his head snapped up, his eyes wide. The comments were confused: 【Isn't this sister supposed to be the evil sidekick? Why does she seem so sweet? Like a good kid.】 【It's got to be an act. She's been a great actress since she was little. Protagonist, please don't fall for it!】 A classmate leaned over. "Chloe, is he your brother too?" Sebastian scoffed. "Hardly. We're not even related." He shot me a warning look. Leo ignored him and walked straight to the empty seat beside me. He turned his head and whispered, "Thanks." Seeing his profile up close, I couldn't help but say, "Your eyelashes are so long." He seemed taken aback by the blunt compliment. His Adam's apple bobbed. When he looked away, the tips of his ears had turned a faint shade of red. It was kind of cute. A strange, ticklish feeling spread through my chest. I bit my lip to hide a smile. Sebastian watched me, a wave of irritation rising within him. After class, he pulled me into an empty hallway. "Chloe, what did I do wrong? Why are you fighting me on everything now?" He leaned in closer. "You got a new brother, so you don't like me anymore?" I said quietly, "I just don't want to make enemies." He raised an eyebrow. "You coward. So what if you make an enemy of him? You think he'd dare bully you? I'm here. I'll protect you." I lowered my eyes. "No," I whispered. "You can't protect me." I couldn't tell him about the future the comments had described. And besides… He had never really protected me. Sebastian frowned, annoyed. "Who says I can't protect you?" Just then, the bell for the next class rang, saving me. It was gym class. First up was the 800-meter run. My hypoglycemia kicked in. Halfway through, my vision went black, my legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the track. My classmates gasped and rushed over. I’d torn my pants. Blood was seeping from the gash on my knee. Hiss. I sucked in a breath, the pain so sharp I couldn't stand. Sebastian immediately crouched down. "Get on. I'll carry you to the nurse's office." Jessica glanced at my knee and muttered, "Is that really necessary? It's just a little scrape. Why are you being so dramatic?" "Sebastian, you're going to turn her into a spoiled princess." Sebastian hesitated. There it was again. Always. I couldn't take it anymore. "But you have him buy you breakfast every day with his own money, you have him carry the hair ties you always lose, you whine for gifts from him for every holiday, and you practically sit in his lap whenever you need help with a problem. Does that mean you don't have a princess complex?"
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