The Goddess Is Obsessed With Me

"You suddenly have a place to go...?"

Marika, despite her higher status, couldn't hide her bewildered expresshion due to the abrupt and nonsensical request.

"I'll explain later. For now, you must come with me."

However, regardless of how she appeared, his response was cold and indifferent, as if the answer was predetermined.

"But, brother... Why are you in such a state? Your clothes are completely soaked..."

Marika, despite the unfair treatment she was receiving, showed a kind demeanor full of concern as she checked his state, her eyes brimming with worry.

"Don't worry about it, we don't have time. Just follow me."

His response was chillingly indifferent, making Marika involuntarily shrink back, her figure pitiful.

"But it really doesn't look good, your right arm... is that a wound?! You're even bleeding..."

"Ugh?!"

But her kindness was unnecessary and unwelcome, and the prince, who was fed up with the one-sided conversation, grabbed her shoulder forcefully.

"Listen... all you need to do is shut up and follow me, I have no intention of sympathizing with your petty emotions, so stop talking and just come..."

Marika did not mean to upset him; in fact, she was worried about his poor condition and wanted to help in some way.

"Just a moment..! It hurts! I understand, so please let go...!"

Marika, without any resistance, only managed to free herself from his grip after pleading in a feeble voice.

"Ahh!"

Abram did let her go as she wished, but he pushed her to the floor with such force.

"Ugh..."

But even with treatment worse than a servant's and the sharp pain, she did not express any resentment or negative emotions toward him.

"You said you've grown enough to not be your former self, but you are still the same, always cowering and groveling before the strong. I've always detested that weakness in you."

Abram walked away from her as she sat miserably on the floor, silent despite the humiliating words.

"Follow me, if you so wish to be of help to me, then now's the chance for your wish to be fulfilled."

Marika slowly got to her feet despite his unkind words, which could be taken as either encouragement or mockery.

"Let's go together..."

Her demeanor was so different from the confidence and sometimes prideful attitude she showed in public, it was doubtful whether this was the same person who always tried to show at least minimal consideration to others.

10 years ago...

"Brother!!"

A very young girl crosses the wide corridor, her lively and innocent voice matching her appearance as she calls out.

"Abram, brother, let's go together!"

The king's second child, dressed in a simply designed dress that does not hide her long golden hair and snow-white skin, beautiful features, appears too youthful for her age as she runs towards her much-admired brother.

"Marika?"

Her path ends before a boy, the firstborn son of the royal family, proving they share the same blood with his golden hair, one year her senior.

"Hehe...! Brother, you're on your way to practice magic, right? I want to come with you!"

Marika, panting as if she ran out hastily, clings to her brother, pleading to join him.

"Hmm..."

The sister seems to be giving her brother a lot of attention, but the recipient of such looks doesn't seem to appreciate it.

"Please, can't you take me with you...?"

She appears to be acting spoiled, earnestly hoping her brother would grant her wish like a truly innocent child.

"Alright, if that's what you want."

However, the crown prince, who is only a year older, carries himself with an adult-like demeanor, composed and seemingly cool-headed, as he consents to Marika's company.

"Thank you, brother! This time I will prove that I have truly become stronger!"

Unlike Abram, whose true intentions were unclear, her emotions and thoughts were plainly visible, showing her simplicity.

But what was the emotionless look in his eyes thinking when looking at Marika... "Only Abram himself would probably know. Thud..."

The magic that appears crude and predictably weak firepower from its appearance.

Initially, the magic was aimed at the target, but at some point, the direction deviated until it completely missed.

"Ah...! I'm sure I hit it last time..."

Marika lets out a lingering sigh over her disappointing magical abilities and becomes disheartened.

However, Abram ignored her completely, indifferent to whatever happened to her or what she did, as if she wasn't even there.

"Burn and burst forth, Fireball."

His incantation was clean and without excess, and the fireball, showing far more power than Marika's, flew accurately towards the target.

Boom!

The exploshion caused a roar and black smoke covered the area.

"Wow...!"

As the smoke spread out like a fog, the scene proved his magic to be first-class considering his age. Where the target had been was now a crater, the ground looked desolate as if ravaged by some disaster.

"You are amazing, brother! It was truly a magnificent spell!"

Marika, despite showing a pathetic display herself, began to admire Abram with sparkling eyes for his exceptional talent.

But even such praise didn't elicit any reaction from the prince, who seemed to be treating her almost like she was invisible.

"Abram, brother..."

Was it the hurt from being ignored by her brother, or was it despair over the clear difference in their abilities?

She murmured his name in a feeble manner.

"Can I ever become as great as you, brother?"

Her pleading eyes seemed to beg for comfort, but he gave her no encouragement, only a brief response.

"Who knows."

His answer lacked sincerity.

"I wish someday I could become strong enough to help you..."

Despite everything, Marika conveyed her goal and looked towards the distant mountains. Compared to her siblings, she truly felt like an incompetent existence.

Talent so embarrassingly inadequate compared to the strong bloodline she inherited.

No matter how much she learned, her skills did not improve, and her dimwittedness in always letting emotions lead, and her unfriendly nature that always caused conflict with others,

She was a pitiful talent, treated like a child even by her younger siblings who had just begun to show magical abilities, contrary to her title as the eldest daughter of the royal family.

As time passed, her stagnant abilities and her siblings who continued to develop every day...

For these reasons, she was considered the most incompetent child in the royal family and was ranked lowest in the line of successhion to the throne.

That's why she admired her brother, who enjoyed everything in stark contrast to her situation.

A prodigious talent that was undeniable from birth, the brilliance to make quick and rational judgments in any situation, the leadership to win people's favor and lead them.

A genius who had everything necessary to be a king at a young age, universally recognized as the first in line for the throne, a perfect fit for the future ruler.

She had always admired and followed her exceptionally talented brother, unlike her, who was merely incompetent in name.

Always staying by his side to become like him, watching and learning what she lacked, trying to become a better person.

Thanks to that, she was certainly able to improve, but more than that, what was ingrained in her was a strong admiration for her brother.

At some point, her goal to one day be of help to her brother, who was admired by everyone, took root inside her.

"Marika, it's time to train, won't you come with me?"

"If you want, I have no reason to refuse."

At first, her brother also reciprocated her faithful following with good gestures, and she truly followed him sincerely as if they were close siblings...

"Don't worry about me."

"Do whatever..."

"As long as you don't bother me, that's fine."

At some point, he began to reject her.

It was all contempt and disdain as if dealing with an enemy.

"Marika..."

Then, one day, when he called her out personally, she confirmed the doubts she had about herself. "Brother...?"

She was aware that her perception of her brother was changing within her...

"Listen, I don't care whether you follow me around or leave. It doesn't concern me."

She still vividly remembers his clear image, the cold rationality and contempt in his chilly gaze.

"But... if you get in my way, I will not leave you alone."

His overtly defensive attitude instilled fear in her toward her brother...

"Even so..."

It was then she realized.

"I... I want to learn by watching you, brother..."

That her following him was born not of admiration but of fear... A hidden underground tunnel unknown to anyone at the academy.

"Brother... where are we going now?"

Marika's voice, lacking confidence, echoed quietly.

"Marika"

However, unlike her, Abram appeared eerily calm.

"I knew, you were following me against your will."

"L...?"

Abram's sudden and shocking statement.

"Haven't you always wondered? You felt reluctant to follow my orders, but you forced yourself to come along."

"If you really hated it, you could have avoided me from the start, but you chose to follow me, even in fear."

The atmosphere grew more ominous, and Marika, sensing something, began to sweat coldly.

"Do you know why you do that?"

Marika, unable to answer and with a dry throat, waited for Abram's words.

Click! Clank!

But what returned was not his answer, but the sight of black, tarnished chains.

"What?! "

Marika screamed in panic, caught off guard, but it was too late.

"It's because you were born with the instinct of a weakling."

Abram's answer came too late, and although he was smiling, there was also disgust for her.

"Weaklings are designed to instinctively follow the strong, to grovel to the powerful for their safety, even if they hate it, to be exploited, a foolish existence destined to disappear."

"Ugh...! Brother?! What are you doing...!"

As he dragged the chained Marika along, Abram stopped in front of a door.

"I truly despise that kind of person, yet to think that person is my sister... No matter the shared blood, it's unacceptable."

Thump!

He roughly opened the door, and purple smoke flowed into the room, the evil fumes raising goosebumps just by touching the skin.

"But... thanks to such a personality, I get to benefit like this, which is something to be commended for."

A place unfamiliar to Marika, a massive underground facility filled with corrupt energy, making it hard to breathe just by being there.

"Today, as you wished since you were young, you will be of use to me for the first time."

Her eyes widened as she began to deny the reality, wishing that the person she was seeing was an impostor.

"Brother..."

The place she had been brought to once before when she was kidnapped, it could be different though it looked the same.

"From now on, you will be a sacrifice for a noble ritual."

Marika, overwhelmed by deep despair at the thought becoming reality, couldn't close her mouth...

"Could it be that brother..."

Was she clinging to a vain hope, or did she not understand the situation? Eventually, she mustered the strength to form words...

"A heretic...?"

She revealed his true identity.