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As I added sugar to my cup, I overheard the maids gossiping in the distance. One maid met my gaze.

“Well…, it seems there’s going to be a meeting with the Schweike family, so if it goes well, everything should be fine.”

My ears perked up. It seemed to be a continuation of the story Jack had mentioned at the mine. The family was in a cold war with the Schweike family, and it appeared a meeting was being held to resolve the situation. I wanted to hear more, so I waited for the maids to continue talking. Then, one of them noticed me.

“Ah.”

“Ahem… Let’s take another path.”

The maids, sweating nervously, quickly turned their backs and walked away briskly.

In the past, they used to approach me awkwardly to attempt assassination. But ever since someone died in my quarters and I was exiled to the mine, their visits had stopped. Now, whenever we met, they would flee as if they had seen a ghost. Thanks to this, I could enjoy tea in the garden safely, but it still hurt. After all, who would want to approach me? I had built such an image of terror that it was only natural for them to be scared.

Yet, there was someone. A girl who looked about ten years old.

***

The girl, clutching a bundle of papers, limped towards me. It wasn’t the first time I had seen her. It was around the time I returned to the mansion yesterday. I had heard that the twins who had been at their maternal grandparents’ place had returned while I was at the mine. The girl with light beige hair and green eyes was the youngest daughter of this family. She had waved from a distance. How did I react then? I had thought she was greeting the nearby servants and ignored her. She was the mistress’s daughter, after all. I didn’t think she would greet a scoundrel like me.

But now, she was walking towards me. Her gait was odd, clearly dragging one leg. This girl’s name was Niasel. She finally reached me and pointed at the cookies on the plate. Without saying a word, she gestured that she wanted some. Seeing her smiling face, I answered bluntly.

“Eat.”

Niasel pulled out a pen and started writing on the paper she brought.

Scribble scribble.

[Thank you.]

Unsure of how to respond, I paused, but then I heard Donatan’s voice.

-This child seems unable to speak and is also lame…?

‘Ah? Hmm. I see.’

-Born into such a family is fortunate. Had she been born into a commoner household, she wouldn’t even be treated as a human. She must have grown up receiving a lot of love, as she doesn’t have a single wrinkle of resentment. �

That, I’m not so sure… Even though she’s the daughter of a prestigious family, having a physical disability would not have made her life all sunshine and rainbows. Even in our advanced, civilized modern times, discrimination against those different from oneself persists. It goes without saying for this place with its medieval mindset. I couldn’t understand why Niasel was approaching me so casually. I couldn’t picture Hersel getting along with this little girl.

Scribble scribble.

But my doubts quickly faded with Niasel’s new note.

[Big brother, last time you said to go to the ball and do that thing. Teach me again.]

“Hmm?”

[You know, the thing. When you see a handsome man, you drink and act coquettishly. Was it like this?]

Niasel loosened her grip on her hand, letting only her pinky finger extend slightly, then mimicked a delicate, drunken woman.

[Oh, my… It seems alcohol doesn’t agree with me. What was next?]

“Huh?”

[Oh, right. You said to lay my head on a handsome man’s chest. That’s what a woman should do at a ball.]

Hersel suddenly felt like an absolute scumbag. From what I had gathered living in this body, Hersel was not your average rogue. He had a natural talent for ruining people’s lives. Even if she was a half-sibling with only half the blood relation and the daughter of the estranged mistress, she was still just a child. A pure, innocent girl at an age where she should only be learning good things. Hersel had poisoned this girl’s pristine heart with such venom, undoubtedly aiming to ruin her life with his serpentine tongue.

As someone who grew up understanding the value of children in a low birthrate country, I had to step in to rectify this. It was my duty as a proper adult!!

“Everything I said was a joke, so don’t do such things. Just forget everything I told you.”

Niasel’s eyelids drooped as if she was losing interest. To this girl, Hersel’s presence seemed to be like a cheap, yet strangely stimulating junk food.

“If you’re bored, why don’t you ask your real brothers to play with you? There are plenty of snacks in the mansion too.”

After all, she was the mistress’s child. My inner discomfort showed, and she looked dejected.

Oh well. What did she do wrong…?

“Never mind. Do as you please. There’s too much for me to eat alone anyway.”

Niasel’s face lit up.

Crunch crunch.

She started eating the cookies without saying a word. She ate them really well. I was worried she might choke. I poured tea into the empty cup. Niasel eagerly brought the cup to her lips and gulped it down.

Then, she planted her head on the table. For a moment, I suspected poison, but it was tea from the same pot. That couldn’t be.

“What are you doing?”

[Pretending to be drunk.]

Ah, she’s completely corrupted. By Hersel’s poison.

***

Deisel wiped his thigh with a handkerchief as soon as he sat on the living room sofa. His pants were spotless, but he felt as if they were dirty.

“Damn it…”

It happened while he was walking through the corridor to get here. When he encountered his limping half-witted younger sister, he pretended she didn’t exist and tried to walk past without even glancing at her. But Niasel tripped and bumped into his knee.

He could have helped her up, but he didn’t out of disgust. Instead, he strengthened his knee, causing her to fall. Since there were onlookers, he made sure it was subtle… As Niasel struggled to get up on her own, Deisel helped her up while muttering under his breath to vent a little of his anger.

-Wouldn’t it be better if you couldn’t use your other leg too? Then you’d never bump into me again.

Recalling this, Deisel looked at the hand that had touched Niasel’s arm. He pulled out a new handkerchief and vigorously wiped it, frowning.

‘I can’t accept it. Such a blemish on our noble bloodline…’

“What’s the matter, Deisel? Did you get something dirty on you?”

Deisel turned his head at the voice behind him. A boy who looked almost exactly like Niasel, but with shorter hair, was glaring at him. It was Mircel, Niasel’s fraternal twin brother. Deisel forced a smile and tried to greet Mircel warmly.

“Long time no see. Have a seat.”

“You did it on purpose to Niasel, didn’t you?”

But the face of his much younger brother’s continuous disrespect twisted his composure.

Deisel retorted sharply.

“I told you to respect your elders, didn’t I?”

“And I told you, if you keep bullying Niasel, I won’t let it slide.”

Bang.

Mircel took a step forward. Simultaneously, Deisel felt a prickling sensation all over his body, like needles piercing him. It was a terrifying aura, strong enough to paralyze. He suddenly realized again that this boy, at an age where he should be playing with wooden swords, was a monster beyond imagination.

Despite the murderous intent, Deisel managed to speak.

“Let’s stop. It’s a rare occasion for brothers to reunite, and it would make mother sad to see us quarreling.”

“Oh? How touching, Deisel, that you care so much about your mother.”

Fortunately, their mother appeared behind Mircel to prevent it from escalating to sword fighting. She smiled warmly at the two.

“Have you two caught up? Mircel, come here. I want to hug you after so long.”

“Mom… I’m ten now. That’s double digits.”

Mircel grumbled, speaking childishly, while Deisel bit his tongue in silence. He resented Mircel for being so free to talk casually with their mother. Sometimes he even resented their mother for indulging Mircel’s whims.

Mircel had an exceptional talent for swordsmanship, surpassing even their father. Would his position remain secure when Mircel grew old enough to take the head’s position? It was an anxiety he had harbored for a long time. The suspicion that perhaps the head’s seat was meant for Mircel, and he was just a placeholder, seemed evident from their mother’s favoritism.

Leaving the picture-perfect reunion of mother and son behind, Deisel left the room.

***

Having finally escaped from his mother, Mircel walked down the corridor, trying to calm his anger. Since long ago, Deisel had been cold towards him, as if wanting to freeze him to death. He had a foolish second brother, Erucel, who followed Deisel. Even though they were blood brothers, Mircel could tolerate their hostility. However, he could not accept their cruelty towards Niasel.

And sometimes, even his mother.

-You must walk on your own two feet, Niasel. If you can’t even do that, you’ll live a life stuck in one place.

He understood she wanted to raise her strong, but she could have been a little more considerate. There were times when her strictness seemed to be effective; whenever faced with unfair treatment, Niasel would stand firm. But Mircel knew very well that it was all an act of pretending to be okay.

-Every night she cries alone, locked in her room. It’s so noisy from the room next to mine…

Despite that, Niasel was different. She was considerate and respectful towards others. That made Mircel wonder if his own bad personality might have caused Niasel’s condition back when they were in the womb together.

With a headache-inducing thought, Mircel searched for Niasel. Through the window, he spotted her blonde head. She was following Hersel uncomfortably close behind him in the garden.

“Damn it… I told her not to get close to him.”

Mircel narrowed his eyes as he watched.

‘Yes, there’s another one. A snake teaching only vile things.’

Just then, a butler passed by. Mircel called out to him.

“You there, bring me two wooden swords.”

“Pardon? Wooden swords?”

“Yes, sturdy ones.”

“I’ll fetch them right away, young master!”

The butler’s eyes shone as if honored. As he walked away briskly, Mircel pondered.

“Why is that guy still alive?”

Hadn’t there been talk of a festival or something?

Suddenly recalling, Mircel tilted his head in puzzlement.

“Well, never mind. Let’s go help mother.”