*** *** *** *** ***
“Asil…!”
The scream of my mother ringing in my ears was extremely unrealistic. Just a few days ago, Asil, who had been smiling brightly in front of me, returned to my mother and me as a cold corpse.
I was completely dumbfounded. The woman who introduced herself as the ‘executioner’ said that Asil had been disposed of according to the rules because it was determined that he did not fit in with the Agriche.
It was the first time in our generation that this regulation had been activated. At that moment, my mind cleared like being doused with cold water. At the same time, chills ran through my entire body.
“There’s not a single outstanding quality.”
Three years ago, my father, who had scanned me with eyes as if appraising an object, came to mind. Also, my mother’s unusually tense appearance that day. I had known early on that this family was strangely twisted, but I never imagined it would be to this extent.
My weak-hearted mother fainted in front of Asil’s corpse. And after that, she lay ill for about ten days. Naturally, I was also greatly shocked.
I thought this wouldn’t do. If Asil was disposed of, the next could be me. Just thinking that made goosebumps rise along my spine.
My father, Land Agriche, liked people who were useful in any way. From then on, I devoted myself to my education more diligently than before. And at the same time, I began to coldly reassess my situation.
“Xana, how’s your studying going these days?”
“Yes, I’m working hard.”
“Good, you must do your best today to become an excellent Agriche.”
“Yes, Mother.”
I no longer contradicted her words.
After the age of eight, my main field had changed to the art of captivating people, but I still had to learn various things for future usefulness. From basic physical techniques to handling various weapons, knowledge of poisons, acquiring information on the overall situation, rhetoric, and so on, there were many subjects I had to study.
This family, where not even a speck of familial love could be found, held a ‘grand banquet’ once a month. My father would call the top three children who showed great achievements during the month to spend time together there.
Naturally, up to now, neither Asil nor I had ever been invited to the grand banquet.
After Asil, two more children were disposed of. One of them sensed that he would die and attempted to escape from the Agriche. However, he was eventually caught and killed in the most miserable way so far.
By then, I was questioning this world. And I realized that the only place to find the answer was my father, Land Agriche.
A year after Asil’s death, in the summer when I was twelve, I was finally invited to the grand banquet. And at that time, I was convinced that this place where I reincarnated was the world inside a book.
*** *** *** *** ***
“Can you lend me the key for a moment?”
Returning to the present, I was in the underground prison. As I descended the stairs and stood in front of the iron door, I could feel the damp moisture and chill seeping out from inside.
“No, I can’t. The master said not to let anyone in…”
“So, you’re refusing? Really?”
At my question, the subordinate standing guard flinched. I tilted my head as if telling him to think carefully before answering, and stared intently at the gatekeeper.
From the time I was first invited to the grand banquet until now, just after my sixteenth birthday, I had always been part of that fixed group. In other words, I was the rising star and promising talent of the Agriche.
No, of course, I wasn’t proud of it at all.
If you ask how I ended up like this when I’m not even an aspiring villain, I would answer that I’ve worked incredibly hard to survive all this time.
“But…”
The gatekeeper hesitated. He seemed like he’d give in with just a little more push. Should I threaten him or persuade him?
I pondered for a moment and stared at him blankly. Then, the gatekeeper’s face slowly began to flush red.
Wait a minute. I haven’t even used my charms yet, and he’s already like this—what am I supposed to do?
This guy looks like he’s got a high chance of ending up in chains rattling away.
Of course, since he’s still a novice among novices, he appeared quite young, in his late teens. It seemed like he hadn’t built up any immunity to me because I hadn’t come to the underground prison much before.
Well, that’s good for me.
While the gatekeeper was flustered, I swiftly snatched the key from his hand.
“I’ll just take a quick look at his face and come out. Then it won’t be noticeable, so there’s no need to report it to Father, right?”
I whispered in a deliberately soothing tone and gave him a smile, and the situation was resolved. The gatekeeper, saying he wouldn’t tell anyone so I should hurry in and out, hurriedly opened the door himself.
Hmm. Looking at him, this guy doesn’t seem like he’ll last long working in this house.
I entered the underground prison with a cold assessment. As I fully stepped inside, the chill became even clearer against my skin. Moreover, there was an unpleasant stench in the underground prison. Well, considering this place had been used for generations to kidnap, imprison, and torture people, it was only natural.
I hardened my expression and went deeper inside. A moment later, the figure of a person trapped behind iron bars came into view. I unlocked the door with the key I had just taken from the gatekeeper and entered.
Creak.
The rusted iron door opened with a sharp sound. The boy who had been kidnapped earlier was still leaning against the wall with his limbs bound.
His head was tilted downward, so the mysterious silver hair with a bluish tint caught my eye first. The fierce golden eyes that had glared at our family earlier were now closed.
Looking at him like that, it seemed like he had lost consciousness.
I stood at the doorway and quietly called out to him.
“Hey.”
Hey, heroine’s brother. Open your eyes.
“Cassis Pedelian.”
But even when I called his name, the boy didn’t move a bit. I looked down at him quietly and then moved away from the door.
Up close, the boy looked worse than I thought. His wrists and ankles were deeply cut from the restraints, and new wounds had appeared on his body that weren’t there when I first saw him.
They said to keep him locked up until he became obedient, and in the meantime, he’d even been whipped.
Still, judging by the marks, it seemed they used a regular whip without glass shards embedded, that was fortunate. Seeing that his limbs were still intact, it looked like they didn’t intend to decide his fate right now. The people Land Agriche had brought in before hadn’t been in this intact a state.
Of course, calling the boy’s current appearance ‘intact’ might sound absurd. But according to Agriche standards, this was in remarkably good condition.
So, I could say I was relieved for the time being. If this boy died like this, even I, as a member of this household, wouldn’t be safe later.
I took out the medicine I had hidden in my bosom. Then, I grabbed the boy’s head, which was tilted sideways, and lifted it.
Clink.
Hmm, he’s really handsome. He had the look of a perfect young noble. With the delicate face marked by wounds, he even seemed quite masochistic. It gave off an impression that made you want to torment him, somehow.
Earlier, when he was glaring with wide eyes, his presence was overwhelming. But seeing him like this, quietly with his eyes closed, he looked so soft and gentle it was deflating. He seemed a bit older than me. According to my information, he should be seventeen now.
“This is troubling.”
If I had seen him somewhere else, I would have purely admired the boy’s appearance, but right now, I was somewhat serious.
This is quite to Charlotte’s taste.
Charlotte was one of my two younger sisters who had chattered about wanting to play with this boy earlier. She was three years younger than me and already showed promising signs as an excellent aspiring villain. Despite being young, she had a sadistic temperament, and her hobby was playing with the toys our father brought home.
I narrowed my brows and scanned the boy’s face this way and that before grabbing his chin and forcing his mouth open.
Ugh. Let’s get the medicine in him first.
As I did that, I must have touched his lips where blood was clotted, because the boy flinched and grimaced. Wondering if he might wake up, I paused my actions for a moment. But the boy remained still.
Well, this much is nothing. We carry around wounds like this every monthly evaluation too.
I thought somewhat indifferently as I put the pill into his mouth. It was actually fortunate that he was unconscious like this. If he had been awake, he wouldn’t have docilely taken the medicine I gave him.
“Mm.”
Right then, a small groan escaped from the boy.
Oh, was he faking it earlier? This time it seems like he’s really waking up. My thought was correct. Right after the boy’s eyelids trembled finely, his golden eyes appeared. The unfocused eyes blinked slowly, opening and closing.
Oh no, this is awkward. I thought he’d stay unconscious a bit longer.
The next moment, my eyes met the boy’s.
“Uh, hello?”
I greeted him without thinking. Of course, this wasn’t the time to casually say ‘hello.’
The boy in front of me still seemed unable to grasp the situation. But soon, a spark of light entered his previously unfocused eyes. It looked like he had finally realized my presence standing before him. Moreover, he didn’t seem to notice the pill in his mouth yet.
“Wha, t’s… mmph!”
His hoarse, rough voice was forcibly cut off. Because I had covered the boy’s mouth with my hand. It was almost a reflexive action.
At that moment, sparks flew from the boy’s eyes. He started thrashing wildly to push me away.
Clank clank!
Oh my, he’s still pretty lively.
I was a bit surprised because I hadn’t expected him to have this much energy left. Still, since the chains connected to the restraints were tightly fixed to the wall, the boy’s movements didn’t affect me much.
“Mmph mmph!”
“Don’t spit it out. This is an antidote.”
“Mmmph!”
“If I wanted to kill you right now, why would I bother using poison?”
But seeing him continue to struggle like a madman, it seemed he wasn’t in a state to listen to me.
Well, that’s understandable. He’d been forcibly kidnapped into the enemy’s lair, and while unconscious, someone was trying to feed him some pill—who wouldn’t freak out?
Still, from my perspective, this guy kept flailing around, which was actually getting in my way.
I just need to wait until the pill dissolves, but this is a bit annoying.
“Sorry. You’re thrashing so much, I have no choice.”
While covering the boy’s mouth, I pushed his arm and snapped his head back sharply.
“Mmph, gah!”
Caught off guard by the sudden attack, the boy forcibly swallowed the pill I’d given him. Hmm, but if I let go now, there’s a very high chance he’d vomit it up.
Well, no helping it then. Just pass out.
“Cough! Ugh, what is this…”
“Brother, sorry one more time.”
Thwack!
“Guh!”
After apologizing in advance, I punched him in the solar plexus. Hit in the vital spot, the boy let out a dying gasp and lost consciousness again, slumping limply. He looked even more drained than when he’d passed out earlier.
Huh, did I hit him too hard?
I felt a bit awkward as I removed my hand from him.
All the Agriche children learned basic martial arts, so subduing a boy my age wasn’t particularly difficult for me.
Especially in a situation where his limbs were bound. Plus, he had been poisoned.
Still, since he was thrashing so vigorously, I thought this much was necessary, but maybe not.
Well, what’s done is done, so no helping it. I left the unconscious boy behind, sweating coldly, and exited the underground prison.
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