@Binary10011 I accept this well thought out idea and until proven otherwise, I'm going with this so my face can stop scrunching at their kinda suddenly new found consciences.
Mc: [mentions how the brother used to take her things]
The brother: [throws a small fit and throws the gift onto the ground for her to pick up]
Me: (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
Because of her real life childhood as well as this game, she's become supremely paranoid and unable to see others' genuine affection for her. As such, she basically interpreted all of his fairly friendly lines as highly hostile and threatening.
From what I could tell, the only two times he was actually hostile was 1) when he first found her in the secret location and 2)when she asked 'what would you do if I leaked the secret', which imo are valid situations for that reaction. All the other times he was neutral or actually favorable but she took it to mean the worst, such as when he said 'as a mage, I can do things no one else can' and she thought he was threatening to assassinate her before the system had to tell her he was actually giving her one favor.
Gosh, Derrick. It's your prickling pride that I don't like. Tsk. And oh, I can't wait for Penelope to meet that certain someone you ignored an invitation from. HAHAHAHAHA