I Became the Younger Brother of the Villainess

Silence.

A blinding light.

The intensity was staggering, forcing my eyes shut. If I’d been in any condition to keep fighting, I might have forced them open, but my mana was completely drained, and my body teetered on the edge of collapse from sheer exhaustion.

Even with my eyes closed, the brilliant light pierced through my eyelids. If I were human, my eyesight would’ve been ruined by now.

The searing brightness persisted for what felt like minutes before it finally began to fade. Thanks to my vampire regeneration, I could open my eyes without issue.

When I did, the sight of the completely obliterated underground training room greeted me.

Not surprising. Leticia and I had both thrown everything we had into this fight. It would have been stranger if the room had survived.

Fortunately, the automatic repair system would take care of most of the damage, and the ghoul maids could handle the rest. The destruction wasn’t a problem.

Although my mana was completely depleted, my body was still functional enough to move. I forced strength back into my shaky legs and began looking for my sister.

“Leticia—”

There was no response. Had she passed out?

Her silence made me uneasy. I pushed through the thick, hanging dust, which lingered in the air due to the room’s poor ventilation.

“She should be around here…”

“Leticia, where are you?”

If she had passed out, did that mean I’d won?

Huh.

That felt… oddly good.

“Leticia, did you faint—?”

Still nothing. The lack of airflow meant the dust refused to settle, turning the room into a choking fog. I made a mental note to install ventilation shafts later.

As I mulled over the thought—

“Gotcha.”

“Urk!”

Thump.

A hand shot out of the dust and grabbed my ankle. I jerked in surprise and looked down to find Leticia, covered in dust, grinning like a mischievous child.

“I lost,” she said with a sheepish smile. “I blacked out for a bit.”

“Why are you smiling if you lost?” I asked, confused.

“I don’t know… I hated the idea of losing, but now that it’s over, I feel kind of relieved.”

“You’re so weird,” I muttered.

Not knowing how else to respond, I bent down, slid my hands under her arms, and lifted her off the ground.

“You look younger,” I noted.

“I used a lot of blood,” she replied, giggling.

Her appearance, which usually resembled someone in their mid-to-late twenties, had regressed. She now looked more like a teenager in her late teens.

Her height hadn’t changed much, but her figure had noticeably diminished. Her chest, in particular, had shrunk, and her overall maturity seemed to have softened.

Not every vampire regresses in appearance after using blood—it was a peculiar quirk unique to her.

“So, does this mean I’m the older sibling now? Come on, call me oppa.”

“Dream on,” she snorted, flicking my nose playfully.

Despite her loss, it didn’t seem to have hurt her pride too much. That was a relief.

I adjusted my grip, lifting her into a princess carry. She didn’t resist and naturally wrapped her arms around my neck.

It was a stark contrast to before. After sparring in the past, she would’ve been too embarrassed to let me carry her and would either call for a ghoul maid or struggle her way upstairs alone. Maybe something in her perspective had shifted.

“What’s for dinner?” I asked as I started walking.

“Steak and wine,” she replied.

“Fancy,” I said with a grin.

“Not going to ask about dessert?”

“Not really.”

For vampires, human food is more of a luxury than a necessity. Their primary sustenance is, of course, blood.

However, for high-ranking vampires like us, drinking blood isn’t a constant requirement. A single drop can provide enough nourishment for an entire week.

Sure, if someone wanted to grow stronger quickly, they could binge on blood. But that path is risky—it can lead to blood frenzy and make them a target for extermination.

Besides, relying on short-term blood consumption to boost power is akin to doping. Steady, gradual consumption might help with long-term growth, but it’s a slow process.

For siblings like us, born at the peak of the vampire hierarchy, gaining strength through blood alone is a distant concept.

As a result, our meals usually consist of human food.

In the past, when I was focused on recovering my health, I drank blood daily. But now, I don’t need it as much anymore.

After the match, we left the basement to clean up and agreed to meet in the dining room. While magic could’ve taken care of the dust on my body, I wanted the refreshing feeling of a proper shower.

Before setting Leticia down, I playfully squeezed her thigh. She yelped in surprise but didn’t hit me—just shot me a glare before heading to the bathroom.

I decided to use the shower booth in my room.

Before washing up, I called Daisy to prepare a few items in my room. Her face turned bright red, and when I told her the items weren’t for her, she pouted briefly, only to blush again before scurrying off with a flustered, “Y-Yes!”

What a handful.

Freshly showered, wearing just a bathrobe over my underwear, I headed to the dining room, feeling refreshed.

I was the first to arrive. Taking a seat in the empty dining room, I entertained myself by teasing Daisy, who had been trailing me like an overexcited puppy. Her reactions made the wait pass quickly.

After a few minutes, Leticia entered. She’d swapped her dusty training suit for a camisole and dolphin shorts.

Seriously? Dolphin shorts? Even in a game world with ridiculous convenience settings, that felt absurd.

…Not that I was complaining. Honestly, I found the sight a little too appealing, so I decided to keep my comments to myself.

Her usually pale complexion carried a soft pink flush, and I caught a faint whiff of perfume. Had she put on makeup? My gaze lingered, drawn in despite myself.

Noticing my attention, Leticia initially walked confidently. But after a moment, she seemed to grow self-conscious, accepting a robe from a maid and draping it over her shoulders.

Shame.

“Did you wash up well?” I asked casually.

“‘Did you wash up well?’ What kind of weird question is that?” she retorted.

“Just curious.”

We exchanged light banter as we started eating. Daisy, always perceptive, had left the room, leaving just the two of us at the table.

For a while, the only sounds were the soft clinks of utensils and plates. Finally, I broke the silence.

“Why’d you put on the robe?”

“What? …You’re wearing one too,” she said, a little defensively.

“I’ve been wearing mine since the start. You only put yours on after you got here.”

“…”

She glared at me for a moment before stabbing her steak a bit too aggressively with her fork.

“Because I got embarrassed. You knew that and still asked?”

I smiled quietly, which only seemed to fluster her more.

“Why—why aren’t you saying anything? It’s awkward!” she mumbled, stuffing a piece of steak into her mouth and chewing furiously.

Cute.

Having already finished my own meal, I leaned back and watched her eat. Clearly aware of my gaze, Leticia darted quick glances at me between bites.

Chew, chew…

Glance…

Chew, chew…