《The Sickly Youngest Member of the Villainous Family》 CH 1 Prologue On a bleak evening, the windows of the historic Winchester mansion creaked eerily in the wind. It was time for dinner with the whole family. The candles that sat in the golden candelabra in the center of the table flickered. In the center seat sat my father, Duke Ricardo Winchester, who was called the Dark King, and to the left were my brothers ¨C the infamous villains Jin and Othello ¨C sitting side by side. And as always, I was on the right side of my father. ¡°Father, what is the meaning of what you just¡­?¡± I looked at him firmly and tried to verify that what I heard was correct, but no answer came back. Only Jin and Othello¡¯s cool gaze confirmed that I had not heard anything wrong. That was right. The Empire¡¯s strongest villain, my father, Recardo Winchester, made a clear decision at dinner today. Having been lost in thought for a long time, I belatedly came to my senses and sprang to my feet, opening my mouth to shout, ¡°No, I can¡¯t..! Please, take back that order!¡± Startled at the sound of a knife being put down, I looked at Othello, who sat in front of me. ¡°How much does your treatment cost us each time? Shouldn¡¯t you have this much?¡± Othello, pink hair and all, furrowed his brows and urged me. ¡°Hah¡­..but ¡­that¡¯s already being paid by the family¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be shameless.¡± I wriggled with my hands at his fierce gaze. I took a deep breath and prepared to protest again. I couldn¡¯t accept what they were saying as it was. ¡°Father and older brothers. I don¡¯t want anything more. No matter how much I think about it, you are infinitely more¡­!¡± ¡°Sasha.¡± Jin, who had been sitting still, called my name quietly. I flinched at the call of Winchester¡¯s successor. Jin Winchester¡¯s sky blue hair looked particularly cool today, but that did not make it any better as he threatened me gently, with cold eyes. ¡°You¡¯re still weak. With a body that looks like it¡¯s about to collapse¡­.¡± It was a voice full of compulsion. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be difficult if you refused Father¡¯s orders?¡± Dark eyes were ordering me to accept my orders meekly. Since earlier, Ricardo Winchester has not picked up the silverware. There was a stifling silence at the table. I had no choice but to open my mouth and reply quietly. ¡°¡­¡­Cough.¡± <> When my father¡¯s words of handing an entire mine over to me came to mind again, I almost felt dizzy. The rights of the Wilners mine, which was called a warehouse of all kinds of precious gems, were used to subsidize treatment costs in the future. The Wilners mine was a mine with very high economic value among the mines owned by the family, to the point that everyone was paying attention to its operations. Of the rare minerals and jewels mined at the Wilners mine, a piece of gold the size of a thumb would be more than enough for my doctor¡¯s expenses. ¡®But I got the whole mine?! Besides, I¡¯m only ten years old!¡¯ Yeah, my doctor didn¡¯t matter in the first place. I held the tableware with a slightly trembling hand and stared at the juicy steak in front of me. And I started looking back at where this situation started. Chapter 1 ¡°Hwuaaah!¡± I was trying to argue with someone who was slapping my butt, but somehow a strange cry burst out of my mouth instead of words of protest. Then, the dim surroundings suddenly became clear. ¡®Wait¡­¡­where am I?¡¯ It was a spectacular medieval room that was completely contrary to the dark, cold asphalt road ¨C the last thing I saw before I lost my mind. The height of the ceiling was high enough to reach several meters, and women I saw for the first time surrounded me. ¡°Oh my God, you¡¯re such a pretty girl.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a baby with such fair skin. Look at the green eyes.¡± I could hear the sound of cutting something with scissors and the touch of wrapping my wet body with a warm cloth. The sound of a woman breathing heavily, and a language that I could understand, even though it was not Korean, was clearly flowing out from among the women. ¡°I need to contact him right away. ¡­¡­..He¡¯s too much to leave his wife alone on this day.¡± ¡°Maya, don¡¯t say that. You know how busy he is with the manor these days.¡± ¡°Oh, but it¡¯s the day you gave birth to a girl and you¡¯re so happy.¡± I tried to move my body, but my short limbs betrayed my will and moved arbitrarily. ¡°Maya¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m upset for no reason¡­.¡± It felt strange as if the body was mine but not mine. Meanwhile, a maid named Maya gave my wrapped up body to a beautiful, red-haired woman. She looked tired after giving birth, but the woman was looking at me as if her eyes were looking at a very lovely being. I just stared at the woman who gave birth to me in a daze. She had red hair and blue eyes and had a face that was drenched in sweat. ¡°Baby¡­..He will name you.¡± When I heard the word name, things from the past passed by in my mind. ¡®I¡¯ve been born again.¡¯ *** On my way back from a hard night shift at my part time job, bad luck hit me and ran away. When I opened my eyes, the explanation of the Grim Reaper, who was sweating profusely, was not within my expectations. He said he brought the wrong person with the same name, and he said he would give me a chance to live a new life instead because I couldn¡¯t return to my original life. In the typical reincarnation system, randomness was the principle. However, if you were reincarnated into a world you already know, what opportunities could you have? , which I read, was a fantasy novel for girls of all ages, a hit that appeared as a webtoon and even as a game. I also enjoyed reading it like an omnivore, regardless of whether it was a ropan or a signboard. ¡®You don¡¯t know how much King Yeomra enjoys games based on this story. Wealth¡­¡­You¡¯ll definitely be satisfied. I¡¯ll tell him and give you a lot of perks.¡¯ (T/N: Yeomra-Daewang (¡®King Yeomra the Great¡¯): Supreme ruler and fifth of the ten Kings of the underworld (Shi-wang), who judges the sins of the deceased and decides what to do with them. Info from here https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/KoreanMythology) Well, I have to accept that I can come back to life with good terms. ¡®I can¡¯t tell you who you will be born as because of the rules of the underworld, but since you have lived a good life, you will surely be reincarnated with good conditions.¡¯ Let¡¯s briefly describe the story of , where the background is the Janut Empire. The emperor of the empire is the legendary and symbolic Goryeo Mechius. He exists only in mythology and does not actually rule. The actual control of the empire lies in four families: Akada of the Land, Halo of the Water, Winchester of the Darkness, and Taylor of the Light. And the protagonist is a boy named Evan Taylor, who will one day be the Duke of the Taylor Family. Evan Taylor¡¯s story is a brilliantly growing cider novel, which awakens him as an increasingly munchkin protagonist. (T/N: cider: it means a soda drink such as Sprite in Korea. if you drink ¡®Cider¡¯, you feel great and happy ¨C it is used to express that kind of feeling. / munchkin: OP main character) There is not even a handful of romance added¡­..so there is no such thing as being reincarnated as a heroine or as a villain who is the rival of the heroine. Rather, I thought it was appropriate. He said that in my next life I would reincarnate under good conditions, so I will be able to enjoy a peaceful and calm life that I could not enjoy while living as the head of a family. However, there was something that gave me pause. A sick mother and younger siblings who couldn¡¯t make ends meet without me. ¡®We will take that into consideration. Don¡¯t worry, just go through that door.¡¯ In the end, I decided to reincarnate after adding the condition that the remaining family members will win the first prize in the lottery, and with that, I opened my eyes in a different world. *** ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for a long time¡­.to meet you like this.¡± The woman stroked my cheek again. The Taylors, the family of the main character Evan Taylor, seemed to be absolutely not here, so there was a high probability that this was another aristocratic family. Is it Akada or Halo? The room is quite magnificent to say that it was a noble family on the periphery. ¡°You know, I think she is looking at me. There is no way she can already see¡­.¡± At the young woman¡¯s words, the midwife looked at me and said curiously, ¡°Can you really see? I¡¯ve never seen a baby with such clear eyes.¡± It was said that babies usually can¡¯t discern what¡¯s in front of them until about a month after they¡¯re born. But I could clearly see everything in front of me, perhaps due to some sort of reincarnation buff. Even the glittering chandelier on the ceiling was dazzlingly clear. The midwife, who had been looking at me for quite a while, slipped her hand a moment later to check the condition of the woman who seemed to be my mother. ¡°Hyuk¡­..¡± The midwife¡¯s face quickly changed as she looked down. She hurriedly hid her expression as if she had seen something she shouldn¡¯t have seen. Her lips turned white and she said to my mother, unable to hide her trembling hands, ¡°Madam, you are bleeding, so I¡¯ll call the doctor. Please hold on for a while.¡± While she was talking, the color was gradually disappearing from my mother¡¯s face. Astonished, I lowered my eyes and looked down and her white skirt was stained with blood. Surprised, I opened my mouth, but no words came out. ¡°Madam Trisha¡­.are you okay?!¡± Then the door slammed open and another person entered. Wearing a white gown, he seemed to be a doctor. What is going on here¡­..? I think I¡¯ve heard the name Trisha before, but I can¡¯t seem to remember where. ¡°Oh my god. It¡¯s bleeding too much. Can you see me? You need to wake up, Madam!¡± ¡°Duke¡­..Your Grace¡­.¡± After uttering a few weak words, my mother closed her dim eyes and licked her lips. ¡°The bleeding is too severe¡­.I can¡¯t stop it! Oh my god¡­.¡± Before I knew it, the bed and even the cloth wrapped around me were red with blood. ¡°Can you help me grab this cloth? Oh my¡­.¡± I kept hearing the sound of blood dripping to the floor. I looked into her eyes as their light faded. ¡°You are the key¡­..to the promise¡­..¡± Her paling lips twitched, and she spit out words that didn¡¯t make sense to me. ¡°Madam¡­.!¡± The doctor called her desperately, but Trisha was losing the light of her life. Her eyes, which contained my face, were gradually being covered by her eyelids. I looked at her in shock without crying. I know childbirth could be dangerous, but how could people¡­..die so suddenly? Then, with a thump, the door opened again. Outside the door stood a tall young man who appeared to be around 190 cm tall. He had silver hair that felt cold, deep dark green eyes and a handsome face that made even me think he was beautiful¡­.and a chilly atmosphere. On his wide shoulders were colorful gold-silver dragons embroidered on black fabric. There were many knights behind him, but they were no longer visible when the lieutenant, who appeared to be his right hand, followed him, and closed the door. I knew instinctively that this man was my father and Trisha¡¯s husband. And looking at his appearance made me realize which family I was born into. My tiny heart began pounding. The man belatedly stepped into the room where the silence could not be heavier. As soon as he reached the side of the bed, his face became clearer. ¡°Your Grace the Duke, your wife¡­.¡± a maid named Maya wept. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Grace. She is dead,¡± the doctor said with a wretched look. My father would be the one called ¡®the master of the black flame¡¯ and ¡®the king of salt¡¯ in the novel. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The duke, who was looking at her, reached out and closed Trisha¡¯s eyes. He, who had been looking at my mother with a cold gaze for a long time, turned to me, who was held in her arms. Unknowingly I burst into tears at those overbearing eyes; his gaze felt as if he were squeezing my throat. A cry echoed through the room. I really did want to cry. Judging from the current situation, our house was¡­.. ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was the worst villain family in ¡°Taylor¡¯s Home¡±. The Duke Winchester of Darkness, who does all sorts of evil things and ends up being destroyed. The midwife said with tears in her eyes, ¡°The Duke should name the baby¡­..¡± I cried to my heart¡¯s content while the duke was still looking at me. This man, my father¡­..was the greatest villain in the novel, Ricardo Winchester. He, the enemy of the main character, had two sons who would follow him to become villains and a daughter who was a presenceless extra ¨C and I seemed to be this daughter. ¡°Sasha.¡± His gaze was cold enough to make my body shiver. Even without looking at him, I could feel the chill. Soon, his soft, harsh voice flowed into my ear, saying, ¡°Her name is Sasha.¡± ¡°Waah! Waahh! Waahhh!!¡± I wanted to call the Grim Reaper back this instant. There was something deeply wrong with this! ¡°Mechius, the ancient dragon of the beginning, please lead the Duchess to the right path. And please¡­..bless this poor princess.¡± The doctor¡¯s solemn voice was heard. In the original story, Trisha enters the mansion, pregnant with Ricardo¡¯s child, several years after his first wife, who had given birth to twin sons, died in an accident. Fortunately, the baby was born safely, but Trisha died of excessive bleeding after giving birth. Winchester¡¯s doctrine was to eat the weak and allow the strong to survive. The ending of the Sasha that I knew was ¨C born as the youngest illegitimate child of a villainous family ¨C to live in everyone¡¯s complete indifference with a sickly body until her life ends together with the ruin of the family. ¡°Wuuaahh!¡± Am I truly ruined right after I was born? A blue window appeared in front of me as if teasing me for crying out loud. [Reincarnation privilege mode is online and operational.] [System: A new account will be created.] [Account name: Sasha Winchester.] [Legendary Fate dwells in your soul.] CH 2 Gulp, gulp¡­.. . Maya held me in her arms and brought a bottle of warm milk to my mouth. I hurriedly sucked the milk down. ¡®Damn, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m a baby sucking on a bottle¡­..but I can¡¯t help it because I¡¯m so stupidly hungry.¡¯ It had already been three months since my mom¡¯s funeral was held. My arms and legs were getting chubby, and my neck was a little stiff. ¡°You¡¯re a good drinker, My Lady,¡± Maya cooed, her warm eyes on me. I¡¯d never seen her name in the original, but maybe she was a maid brought by my mother, Trisha, from her home, Quenne. The head maid gave Maya the task to look after me, and she did her best for me, even though she often shed tears, thinking of Trisha when she saw me. ¡°How nice it would have been if the Duchess was still alive.¡± Maya sniffed again, and when I finished emptying the bottle, she stood up and hugged me. ¡°No one cares about the young lady; it¡¯s as if they forgot you exist.¡± It seemed that I had already been forgotten by my family, and seeing that no one had come to see me since the day I was born, were things still the same as in the original? I suddenly remembered the blue system window I saw on the day I was born. ¡®¡¯Legendary fate¡¯ ¨C what are you talking about?¡¯ Legendary Fate may be fitting for Evan Taylor, the main character, but it certainly doesn¡¯t suit the Korean-American extra Sasha Winchester. Moreover, the meaning of the last window that appeared was even more difficult to understand. [Complete various achievements to lay the groundwork.] ¡®I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡¯ Maya started patting me on the back. Being a baby with a completely blank slate of a mind meant¡­.it would be more difficult that I thought. Thump, thump, thump, thump. There was something coming up from inside of me. ¡°Ok!¡± The process of a series of burps coming out of the mouth was shameful. In addition, the sight of Maya being so happy with my burp conjured a thousand emotions in my heart ¨C mostly shame, though. ¡°Well done, My Lady.¡± She praised me, laid me on the crib and continued. ¡°Now, shall we look at the diapers?¡± I struggled with all my might, but she easily grabbed my feet with one hand and began to change the diaper. This was the moment I hated the most. ¡°Wuah! Wuah!¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t change your diaper, your butt will hurt, My pretty Lady.¡± I know that, but it does not lessen my hate of this. ¡°If your butt turns red, you need a cream. It works fine, but I don¡¯t know how awful it smells.¡± She muttered and continued to change the diaper, no matter how much I cursed inside. The heavy cloth diaper flopped onto the shelf. ¡°It¡¯s done. You feel refreshed now, don¡¯t you?¡± To be honest, it was refreshing. I lay on my mat, my eyes wide open. Maya made eye contact with me, smiled a few times, and then began to pat me on the chest. ¡°It¡¯s time for a nap, Miss. Sleep, sleep¡­.. ¡° What happened is that my daily life is always eating and sleeping every day. Well, that¡¯s the only thing a baby can do with this body, but it¡¯s so boring. I started crying again and Maya hugged me to her chest and began patting and rocking me. ¡°My Lady, you¡¯re a sleepyhead¡­.. .¡± No. It¡¯s just boring ¡­.and annoying¡­¡­ Ah, why do I feel heavy and irritated when I¡¯m sleepy? Was I always like this? As I continued to cry, my eyes gradually closed. ¡°You have to sleep well and wake up with a pretty face, my sweet little girl¡­..¡± Maya¡¯s shoulders were cozy and warm. *** I woke up with a frown creasing my eyebrows at the sound of footsteps and an opening door. When I turned my head slightly, I saw two boys with delicate pink and sky blue hair. ¡®These kids¡­.?¡¯ They both had the same green eyes as mine, handsome faces that looked as if they came out of a cartoon, and they were wearing navy blue uniforms like those of an aristocratic school. Their skin tones were as white as their father¡¯s and they had pitiful expressions on their faces. To be precise, the light blue hair had a cold expression and the pink hair had a mean expression. ¡®Yeah, they would come to see me at least once.¡¯ I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m nervous or awkward. No matter how you looked at it, it looked like they were controlling me¡­. anyway, these two are the Winchester twins ¨C my brothers. Jin Winchester with sky blue hair, Othello Winchester with pink hair. My half-brothers are six years older than me. They are children who will grow into imperial villains with Winchester¡¯s influence in the future. ¡°Young Masters, this is Miss Sasha. Isn¡¯t she so cute?¡± Of course, the two of them must have attended my mother¡¯s funeral, but this was the first time I met them. ¡°Sasha, say hello, too. They just returned from their education in Rosento.¡± The twin brothers approached me, looking down at me for a long time with a vaguely unnerved gaze, as if they were looking at an alien creature. Then the pink-haired kid with a mole under his left eye lifted his finger and poked my cheek. ¡°Ma¡­. Master,¡± Maya stammered. Maya was perplexed, but the boy didn¡¯t care; he stabbed me a couple more times before expressing his feelings. ¡°You¡¯re fat.¡± I was furious at that relentless voice. ¡®Aren¡¯t babies always chubby like this? I was told I belong to a good family but it¡¯s rude to say that at first sight!¡¯ I glared at the boy who stabbed me with all his might. ¡°Othello, stop,¡± the child who stayed still warned the pink-haired child called Othello. ¡®You mean that¡¯s Othello, right? I knew it.¡¯ The gentler looking kid would be Jin, the older of the twins. The firstborn, Jin Winchester, would become a reticent ruler of the underworld with the modifiers of cruelty and coolness, and Othello Winchester, the second, was destined to become the real power of the family because of his deep madness. ¡®Go away ¨C I don¡¯t want to be involved with you guys.¡¯ I tapped Othello¡¯s chin, which came close as he approached me, by swinging my arm and legs. ¡°¡­¡­.? Ouch!¡± Othello¡¯s pretty eyebrows could be seen wrinkled. The atmosphere froze in an instant, but I turned my gaze elsewhere and pretended not to notice. ¡°I think she knows something. Her eyes are kind of insidious.¡± Othello¡¯s low voice somehow made me feel sweaty. Jin sighed and glared at Othello. ¡°How can a baby be insidious? She doesn¡¯t even know her mother is dead. She doesn¡¯t know who I am, who you are, who we are.¡± ¡®¡­.. I know that.¡¯ I glanced at Jin. Jin¡¯s eyes were on me, and those eyes were complex, not like a child, But the moment our eyes met, I smiled involuntarily. ¡®Oh? What was that just now?¡¯ Why did I laugh at him? At the moment of doubt, the term ¡°social smile¡± came to mind. I learned it in a liberal arts course called ¡°Health of infants¡± that I took to pad my grades in my past life. Young babies smile reflexively when they make eye contact, which was probably the cause. ¡°¡­..¡± Meanwhile, I could see Jin¡¯s eyebrow twitch when he saw me smile. You look a little upset by my unexpected reaction. What? I¡¯m nervous. Why do I keep looking? As far as I know, the twins in the original were quite distant from their half-sister Sasha Winchester. Unlike the two guys who excelled in the black market and dark streets, Sasha was the sickly youngest who only stays home and eats rice. Later, I kidnap the Taylors family on the pretext of my cure, but that was just an excuse. ¡°¡­¡­. Sasha.¡± So, I plan to live like a dead mouse without getting involved with Recardo or these two brothers¡­. ¡®¡­¡­What?¡¯ Suddenly my name leaked from Jin¡¯s lips. Othello stared at Jin in surprise, and Jin, who didn¡¯t take his eyes off me, asked Maya, ¡°You said Sasha right? Her name.¡± ¡°Yes, the Duke named her.¡± After a while, Jin¡¯s lips twitched again. ¡°It¡¯s a fitting name.¡± My plump face was reflected on the surface of his green eyes, which were slightly darker than Othello¡¯s. The corner of Jin¡¯s hardened mouth twisted strangely. *** After the twins left my room, I thought about what Jin meant for a long time. I heard Maya saying to me before that ¡°Sasha¡± means ¡°black pond¡± in the language of this world. What do you mean a black pond¡­? If the pond is black, isn¡¯t it just rotten water? It¡¯s just a pond, so it¡¯s not deep enough to be black on its own¡­ so the only explanation is rotten water¡­ How could a man who calls himself a father give his daughter such a name? I didn¡¯t know if Jin hated me or meant something else, but Jin¡¯s voice did not leave my mind for a long time. ¡°Lady, the young masters sent off the guests of the Quenne family. The atmosphere was so heavy.¡± Maya¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°When we lost the Duchess, when I think of that day¡­I really¡­. Can¡¯t hold in my tears¡­.¡± Unlike Maya, who cried yet again, I was filling my stomach by sucking the baby bottle according to my survival instinct. Sadness is irreversible, so I only pray for the repose of my heart. ¡®¡­.I hope you meet a good grim reaper over there.¡¯ In keeping with my new body, the mental facilities seemed to have become a little babyish, and when I felt full, I felt like I was floating. ¡®I¡¯m getting some sleep¡­.¡¯ ¡°By the way, His Grace will build a memorial in the backyard for his late wife; I guess construction starts in seven days. Let¡¯s go together when it¡¯s finished.¡± I drank milk, leaving myself to the cloud-like feeling, and as I became still, I heard Maya¡¯s voice above my head. ¡°Oh¡­.you fell asleep while drinking¡­..How cute.¡± CH 3 A few days after Jin and Othello left¨C ¡°Ugh¡­.. Ugh¡­. ¡° My face turned red and I ended up crying. Right now, I was ¡®having fun¡¯ doing tummy time. Tummy time is when the baby holds their head up while lying on their stomach, which is said to help the baby develop. This is also the knowledge I learned in my liberal arts course, while I was still alive! ¡°Oh, my Lady, when did you turn over¡­..!¡± I was probably on the fast-developed side. Wouldn¡¯t it be cool to be able to flip over after only three months passed! Of course, it was impossible to flip over and then turn over again, so this aberration always ended with me flapping and crying. ¡°Lady, do you want to turn over?¡± I wanted to nod at Maya¡¯s words. It seems to be a baby¡¯s instinct to turn over. It¡¯s nice to be able to turn around, but just looking at the ceiling¡­¡­! Maya laid the grunting me down on my side. Here, as in my previous life, I could use my side for about 100 days. This side was also much used as a useful item to reduce my boredom. As an adult how could you live without your side¡­..I couldn¡¯t imagine. I guess I became a real baby! ¡°My lady, do you smell?¡± At the sudden attack, I flapped my arms and legs, but Maya changed my diaper regardless. When I looked up at the mobile hanging, I was able to forget the shame more and more. ¡°The stool is in good condition, and it smells okay¡­.¡± Hey, don¡¯t say things like that. I tried to divert my attention back to the mobile. After a while, Maya, who changed my diaper, patted me, and was suddenly startled, as if she had thought of something. ¡°Oh, come to think of it, I heard that a new toy was coming from Yelle Toy Shop today¡­¡­!¡± Maya said while stroking me. ¡°Wait a little bit, Lady. The package must have arrived, so I¡¯ll get it right away.¡± After speaking, she went out of the room. It¡¯d been a long time since I¡¯d been alone. You¡¯re not supposed to leave a little baby alone, but it seemed to be safe because the guard of the crib was high. I blankly sucked on my cheeks and organized my current situation. Sasha Winchester, probably a hundred days old. My future in the original is growing up with a rather weak body and suffering from minor illnesses, and by the time I¡¯m 17, the chronic disease will get worse. It¡¯ll get so bad that I will not be able to even go for a walk. Evan Taylors destroys the Winchester family with the powerful force of the main character of a Munchkin fantasy novel. That must be when I will be 20. The two brothers pass away, and my father, the final boss, also dies! And seeing the family fall, Sasha begs Evan to kill her too, but Evan ignores it as if it is not worth dealing with, and eventually she dies alone. As a reader, I watched the scoundrels die and shouted out¡­. Cider. ¡®The original is off.¡¯ However, like every reincarnated person, I had no intention of surrendering to fate. Even if you¡¯re born in a bad place, there¡¯s a way to survive when you get your act together! I will be careful not to get involved with my dad or brothers, who are villains, and will become independent as soon as possible. And I will contact Casillion, the ¡°great magician¡± to obtain my cure. Evan¡¯s colleague, Casillion, is a blood relative of the Duke of Akada, a family of the land, and saves the lives of Evan and the others who are in danger of death by making an ¡°elixir¡± that can cure any disease. So, before Evan makes contact with Casillion¡­. If I meet him first¡­. Badong ¨C Perhaps because I was too absorbed in my thoughts, I turned over again. That¡¯s bad. Maya isn¡¯t here either. Naturally, I¡¯m not in a position where I¡¯m receiving attention from others, so unfortunately no one will come to me. I gave strength to my neck and endured the weight of my head that kept trying to fall to the floor. Damn, I¡¯m out of energy. Why is my head so heavy? While I was concentrating so hard that I turned red, the door opened. Maya! Maya, right? I flinched as I moved my gaze there with all my might. Ricardo Winchester, the most handsome villain with silver hair and dark green eyes¡­. he was probably 28 years old now. He was walking in with a frown. My dad who hadn¡¯t even looked for me for almost 100 days¡­. ¡°¡­..¡± He stood next to me and looked down at me. I felt very uncomfortable with him, but I had to struggle and ask him. In an emergency like this, even an unwelcome father was needed. Flip me over again. My neck hurts! He frowned even more as he looked at me, barely raising my head while lying face down. I clenched my lips. ¡°Look at this¡­. What are you doing there?¡± Damn it, what are you talking about? It was no different from Othello, who told a cute baby like me that it was fat. How can you interpret my moaning for help as staring at myself? Come back when you¡¯ve studied about babies! After looking at me for a long time, Ricardo finally put his hand on the tip of my arm and lifted me up. All right. Now just lay me down¡­ My little feet were still floundering in the air. And being this close to him, his dark green eyes were visible. ¡®There¡­.?¡¯ He was looking at me as if he were observing me. We¡¯re not close. Why are you doing this all of a sudden? Ricardo Winchester in that I read, didn¡¯t bleed even when stabbed, he seemed like a man who wouldn¡¯t fall. As soon as I was born, I also saw that heartless figure that didn¡¯t even shed tears when my mother died. Maybe if I die, he won¡¯t be any less heartless. ¡°Or are you hiding your face?¡± Ricardo¡¯s lips twisted slightly as he looked at me. I got a chill in the back of my neck. When a handsome villain smiles, it¡¯s even colder and scarier. ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± Feeling the redness of my eyes rising again, I gave strength to them and began to cry. And even with so little effort, a cry broke out. ¡°Uuah!!¡± Let go, you bad dad. I¡¯m going to lie down now!! I, who was struggling and crying in the hands of the Duke, gradually stopped crying with a soft feeling that touched my back. He gently put me back in the bed. He stared at me as I stopped crying as soon as I lay down. Would you please stop observing and leave now¡­.? It was when I spoke to him with my eyes, full of hope. The door suddenly opened, and Maya, arms full with toys, entered the room, startled. ¡°Your Highness¡­.the Duke¡­..?¡± Maya¡¯s eyes were the largest I had ever seen of her. *** He was very angry with Maya. The word ¡°threat¡± would be more appropriate. Ricardo¡¯s cold eyes and the energy of the black flame that was squeezing the room are still vivid. Maya fell on her stomach, trembling, and Ricardo left with a word. I thought you weren¡¯t interested in me at all, though? But, you¡¯re scolding her like that. Well, leaving a baby like me alone and leaving like that was her fault. If Ricardo hadn¡¯t come in, I might have fainted. The soft bedding material may have suffocated me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lady¡­. sob¡­sob¡± But it seemed the reason she was sobbing all day was not because of fear of Ricardo, but because she was sorry for me. She blamed herself when he said he found me upside down. I was sucking the baby bottle with excitement as if I knew nothing and Maya continued to rub my leg as if she was touching something precious. ¡®It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. Anybody could make mistakes. Absolutely¡­. ¡® There was nothing more merciful to me than satiety. After drinking one bottle, I leaned on Maya¡¯s shoulder and burped again. And then, a strange array of text popped up in front of my eyes. [Milk 500/500 servings] [Burping 500/500 times] [Met Jin Winchester] [Met Othello Winchester] [Met Ricardo the Duke of Winchester] [You achieved all the tutorial achievements.] [The ¡°100 Day Baby¡¯s Peek-a-boo Package¡± has arrived in the gift box.] [Menu is available.] CH 4 Now¡­wait, wait¡­. What is this? I shook my arms and legs violently with astonished eyes, but the words just passed through my hand, as if the screen was floating in the air. So this¡­.isn¡¯t this the system window I saw last time? ¡°You must like the mobile today, Lady.¡± From Maya¡¯s reaction, it seemed that this window was probably only visible to me. Maya started babbling again. ¡°What have I done to such a lovely lady? What was I thinking, leaving you here alone? Oh, Maya.¡± After a while, the message faded and disappeared, revealing translucent blue squares on the left side of my field of view. The top row had the word Menu, and below it was Profile, Quest, Inventory, People View, Skill, Combination and Shop arranged side by side. Among them ¡°Profile¡± and ¡°Inventory¡± were activated. All others had lock marks. Is this world really a game¡­..No, it¡¯s too realistic to be called a game. There¡¯s no game that makes you really hungry, but I drank milk. As soon as I focused my eyes on the ¡°profile¡±, another window popped up. It seemed like it connected to my spirit. I thought that this screen, which is like a game system, might be the ¡°reincarnation privilege¡± that I first saw. To make my life more comfortable. ¡®It¡¯s cuter than what I see in the mirror!!¡¯ In the profile window was my face in a round frame, my head was slightly covered with quite grown silver hair, and my round green eyes were sparkling. Although it was a baby whose gender could not be distinguished yet, she was pretty and cute enough to be a baby model. [Name: Sasha Winchester (Lv. 1)] [Occupation: Jobless] [Characteristic: a lazy person who likes to sit around] [Ability 1 ( The overall ability level hasn¡¯t been lifted.) ¡®¡­..¡¯ The description below that cute profile window made me angry. Do you use the word jobless for a 100 day old baby? Besides, I¡¯m a lazy person who likes to sit around? That¡¯s too much. Anyway, it seems that most functions are still locked because my level is low. At first, I thought of ¡°Legendary fate¡± and I was expecting something more intense, but I was a little less interested than I thought in the shabby profile. Next, I selected Inventory from the menu. I was going to check since it said I received something. There were three items in my humble inventory of only eight spaces. Is this the ¡°100-day baby peek-a-boo package¡±? When I looked at the items, a description box for each item appeared. [Beginner¡äs Guide (1): For you who cannot obtain information on your own, the person closest to you will naturally tell you about the information around you. You will not feel uncomfortable even when they tell you stories that are difficult to understand.] [Rattle of Happiness(1): This rattle increases muscle strength by 0.01 per minute. For your safety, daily usage time is limited to 30 minutes.] [Milk powder enhancer(3): Do you want to be the best baby in the empire? If you use this powdered milk enhancer, your weight will be doubled during this week.] I used the first item right away, but surprisingly nothing happened. Considering that the item had disappeared, it seemed that it was used. The rest didn¡¯t seem necessary, so I¡¯d leave it for now. I kept looking through the menu, trying to find a ¡°customer center¡± but there was nothing like that. ¡°Your eyes are especially wide today.¡± Maya said, stroking my head while I rolled my eyes around. ¡°You must be in a good mood today. Hehe. I made a mistake with such a lovely lady¡­.¡± Maya¡¯s self-blame did not seem to go away easily, and she whimpered whenever she had time. My little heart, drawn to her, kept pounding at this event. I was possessed by a supporting role in a novel where misfortunes were scheduled, but I felt like a ray of light was shining on me. Is it a level, is it a quest¡­..It all sounds like a game term, but it should be useful. No, it had to be useful. I floundered my hands and feet in anticipation. *** ¡­. And ten days passed without expectations. I grew up vigorously sucking baby bottles, and now I was a skillfull baby who could not only turn over but also accomplished difficult tasks such as flipping back over. If you put me on a chair with a hollow floor, I will sit for a long time. But my profile hasn¡¯t changed a bit. I was still a level 1 slug who likes to sit around. I was able to figure out if the item I used was working, though. Maya told me all sorts of miscellaneous stories whenever she had spare time. So, I was able to figure out information that I didn¡¯t know about in the original. The world view uses the age of the year, so I was born in early autumn and unfortunately, I am already ¡°two years¡± old according to the way this world counts years of existing because the years have changed. (E/N: She is still about 110 days old, but she was counted as ¡°1¡± for the calendar year she was born, and when seasons changed and it became the next year, she has now existed during two calendar years and is considered ¡°2¡±.) Ricardo is not on good terms with Afinizu, who serves as an elder for this family. It¡¯s said he is in awe and jealousy of his relatives. The rooms of Jin Winchester, Othello Winchester and the office of Recardo, are in the northern building, which is far from the second floor of the main building where I am. The story within the Winchester family, which was only superficially heard in the original, was also quite interesting. Anyway, I was growing up listening to Maya¡¯s chatter. ¡°Oh, my Lady. I guess the little Masters are having fun. I can hear the little Masters¡¯ voices.¡± Now I was sitting in a baby car and taking a walk in the greenhouse with Maya. ¡°Uuah!¡± As I babbled in a storm, Maya continued to push the baby car saying, ¡°Yes, Yes.¡± ¡°Do you want to see your older brother?¡± No. Definitely not! ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go and say hello.¡± I¡¯m telling you to get away from him. Maya pushed the baby car despite my inner cry. As we turned the corner, I heard a chuckle. ¡°Take it! Jin!¡± Jin and Othello were visible in the warm greenhouse, each with water guns in their hands. It was a little different from the modern water gun I used to know, but anyway, when you press it, water comes out, so I¡¯ll call it a water gun. ¡°It¡¯s cold.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± The two eight-year-olds looked quite childlike. ¡°It¡¯s worth a look, Jin! Argh!¡± Othello, who was talking, was baptized with water by Jin. ¡°Ugh! Jin!!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stay still either.¡± Of course, Jin was more mature than Othello, but his hair was still wet. ¡°Lady, I guess the young masters play with water guns. Next time¡­.¡± Maya said to me, looking at the servants who were struggling to take care of the Masters. And then, Jin looked back at me. I could see his eyebrows wriggle. It was when Jin¡¯s lips were lifting into a smile. ¡°Uaaaahh!¡± The cold water soaked my face. I was startled and burst out crying without knowing it. ¡°Uuuah,¡± my cry resounded. Othello was holding a water gun with a playful face. ¡°I made a mistake.¡± Looking at the corners of his mouth, I could see that he must have done this on purpose. ¡°Lady!!¡± Surprised, Maya lifted me out of the baby car and patted me as I continued to weep. I thought I was going to have a heart attack!! ¡°Othello, you¡­¡± ¡°It was a mistake, Jin.¡± When Jin pressed Othello with his eyes, Othello relaxedly excused himself. Eventually, Jin, who sighed a little, ordered Maya to take me. Bad guy! Bad Othello! I sighed and returned to my room in Maya¡¯s arms. I came out for a walk after a long time, but it was a mess. *** ¡°Because Master Othello is still young¡­.so I think he has a resentment towards the Lady.¡± In my sleep, I heard Maya talking to someone. ¡°Yeah. She wasn¡¯t his real mother, but¡­. because the young Master had a special regard for the Duchess. It was only a short time, so I feel sorry for him.¡± This voice is probably the head maid. She was a long-time worker in the Winchester family, a teacher who taught Maya who was inexperienced at babysitting. She often looked after me instead of Maya. ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect him to shoot a water gun all of a sudden. She must have been very surprised¡­.¡± I was surprised, but listening to the conversation between the two, I understood Othello¡¯s position a little. Trisha was a good person to Othello and I was the one who took Trisha away¡­..of course he will have no choice but to hate me. ¡°From now on, if you see the young Master, please avoid him.¡± ¡°All right, ma¡äam.¡± After the conversation with Maya, the head maid left the room. In the light wind, the mobile was swaying and I breathed out. By the way¡­.why is my head so heavy? My head was always heavy, but it wasn¡¯t to this extent. Maya, who sent the head maid away, approached me and looked at me with faintly opened eyes. ¡°Oh, are you awake, Lady?¡± On the surface of Maya¡¯s brown eyes my short limbs and my torso lying on my back reflected like a tiny mirror. ¡°But¡­.your face is a little red¡­.Oh, my!¡± Maya raised her hand to her forehead while stroking my cheek and was surprised. She opened her eyes wide and put her forehead to mine this time. My head was throbbing, and I felt dizzy. Maya¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°You have a fever, Lady!¡± CH 5 That night, the hallway on the second floor where my room was, became quite noisy. Because I started to have a fever. Five people dressed in white rushed in, including the doctor I saw when I lost my mother. Maya stamped her feet with worried eyes. It was the first time since I was born that so many people focused on me. ¡°How about this, Lady?¡± The maids wiped my body with lukewarm water. My body was cold and I was shivering. ¡°I think¡­.you seem to have a cold. You don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡± The doctor who finished the examination gave his opinion. ¡°She has a fever, but the symptoms are not severe, so I think she should take medicine and you should keep an eye on it.¡± What¡¯s a little surprising is that Duke Recardo, who hadn¡¯t been seen for a while¡­came right here. Have you been busy these days? Why were you so late when mom died¡­? ¡°Have you ever caught a cold?¡± Maya was overwhelmed when his cold gaze turned to her. ¡°That¡¯s¡­.that¡¯s¡­.¡± She stammered. Even when I was in the midst of lacking strength, I writhed my hands and feet and shouted to myself. ¡®Don¡¯t bother Maya! It¡¯s not because of Maya! Dad is the worst!¡¯ And at that time, the maid, who had a difficult expression on her face, reported to my father. ¡°Sir, the truth is¡­¡± There were probably more than one or two employees who had seen the previous scene, so we couldn¡¯t pass it on as it is. Recardo¡¯s eyebrows twitched as he received the servant¡¯s report. ¡°It was Othello?¡± The maid nodded as if she was sorry. Recardo frowned for a while before opening his mouth. ¡°I will issue a sentence of imprisonment for one month. Go tell him.¡± The maid asked back with astonished eyes, ¡°But your Excellency the Duke, the young Master did this by mistake, not knowing that the young Lady would be ill¡­..¡± ¡°It is the discipline of Winchester to take responsibility for your actions.¡± He coldly cut off the maid¡¯s words and turned to me. I don¡¯t know what his thoughts are, but he seemed quite dissatisfied with the situation. It¡¯s still like this, but if I squirm every day, I get seriously ill and it will be even worse. There¡¯s nothing more upsetting than noticing when you¡¯re sick. ¡°Hah¡­.¡± Recardo, who sighed and frowned, placed his hand on my forehead. His hands were so cold that I flinched and tried to turn my head. But the weight of his hand was too strong for me to shake off, so I had no choice but to look at him. I could see something in his deeply green eyes shaking. I don¡¯t know what he was thinking. After a while, he took his hand off my forehead and put on his gloves again. And ordered the head maid, ¡°Report this child¡¯s progress every day.¡± ¡°All right, your Highness.¡± Soon he turned around and left the room. I coughed as I looked at the back of his silver hair until he disappeared. ¡°Lady¡­.¡± Maya comforted me sadly, and the doctors began making medicine on the spot. After a while, the doctor who finished making the medicine handed Maya a bag. ¡°It¡¯s a medicine that lowers fever. She will be able to sleep comfortably.¡± ¡°This young body, taking medicine¡­. will she be okay?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry because it¡¯s a drug that has been proven safe for babies. Rather, it is more dangerous to have a fever without taking medicine.¡± ¡°Then I can¡¯t help it¡­¡­.¡± It was said that the manufactured product is a powdered medicine and can be consumed by mixing it with milk. Then he told Maya and the maids to wipe me with a warm wet towel all night. I looked at the swaying mobile with fever. ¡°Lady¡­.let¡¯s try it.¡± I¡¯ve already caught a cold. Life is tough. Maya finished mixing the milk and medicine and put it in my mouth. Oh¡­.bitter¡­.How can I eat this¡­..?! ¡°You have to eat it. Okay?¡± I tried to push the bottle away, but when I saw Maya¡¯s eyes tear up, I decided to just endure and eat. *** At the end of the night, a small shadow entered the room after opening the door to Sasha¡¯s room. The boy¡¯s pink hair was neatly arranged, and there was a mole under his left eye. ¡°What the hell¡­.is going on here?¡± Buckets of wet towels lined the floor, and Maya was asleep with her face resting on the back of the sofa. Othello paused for a moment, startled by the messed up view of the room, and then crept towards Sasha. The pale little sister was asleep in a ¡°hooray!¡± pose, with her arms lifted up by her head. Othello pretended to be calm when he heard the stories, but his stomach ached. He was just teasing the baby. To be a little more honest¡­.. He didn¡¯t like the baby¡­.that little thing¡­he was trying to scare her. As Jin said, that baby named Sasha wouldn¡¯t know anything. Who she is and how she came into this world. So that was the most annoying part. Trisha was a pretty good woman. He didn¡¯t like the baby who let Trisha die and then calmly sucked milk like nothing was wrong. ¡®So I was just going to tease you a little bit¡­.¡¯ ¡°¡­..¡± Othello looked at his sister sleeping in the bed. Thick eyebrows cast a shadow under his eyes. Her face was plump, and her hands and feet were as small and white as a porcelain doll¡¯s. For a long time Othello looked at Sasha, he carefully reached out a hand to her forehead. ¡°¡­..Phew¡­..¡± Fortunately Sasha¡¯s forehead was not hot, and Othello sighed. And this feeling of relief was somehow irritating. He was annoyed by the baby who was sleeping without knowing that he came all the way here after evading the knights and employees. He was also annoyed by the way he was staring at the child. ¡°I should have teased you more,¡± Othello, who had been muttering, dissatisfied when he saw Sasha, tried to turn around with a grumble. But then, a small fist clenched Othello¡¯s hand. ¡°¡­¡­..?¡± Othello¡¯s green eyes shook as he turned his gaze to Sasha again. Sasha¡äs cute hands held Othello¡¯s thumb and index finger tightly. Sasha¡¯s eyes were closed, and she was still asleep, but the warmth of the baby holding him was transmitted through her small hand. ¡°You¡­..¡± Othello¡¯s lips twitched. ¡®You fool. You¡¯re sick because of me. You got a fever because I shot you with a water gun.¡¯ But Sasha calmly pulled Othello¡¯s hand into her arms and embraced it as if she didn¡¯t know him. Then Othello suddenly heard Trisha¡¯s voice. These were the words of Trisha, who was walking with him while holding her belly. Othello stared at the baby¡¯s face. He could feel the baby¡¯s heartbeat through his hands. When Trisha¡¯s belly became bigger, Othello had just refuted her request with mean words. His heart beat faster. For a long time, Othello, who had been staring blankly at Sasha hugging his thumb and index finger, leaned down. Othello¡¯s shadow fell on Sasha¡¯s face. For a moment, Sasha frowned and wrinkled her eyebrows, but she fell asleep again with a peaceful expression. Othello¡¯s eyes twinkled. *** It was the next day. Maya, who had fallen asleep while cooling off Sasha¡¯s fever until late at night, opened her eyes. It was still dark outside the window, so it seemed to be around 6 a.m. She slept after checking twice that the Miss¡¯s fever had gone down, so there should be nothing wrong¡­.? Fortunately, Sasha ate well without leaving a drop of the medicine. She didn¡¯t have to worry about the baby¡¯s appetite. Maya, who rubbed her eyes, stood up and approached the crib to check Sasha¡¯s condition. ¡°Oh¡­.my god!¡± As soon as she checked the crib, Maya was surprised and covered her mouth with her hands. This was because the Lady could have woken up if she made a loud noise. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Othello and Sasha were sleeping together on the crib, which was only half the size of an adult bed. One hand of Sasha¡¯s held Othello¡¯s little finger tightly and Othello¡¯s sleeping mouth had a comfortable smile. CH 6 Trisha Quenne, the adopted daughter of a self-creditor, died after giving birth to a child shortly after she entered the family while already heavily pregnant. It was said that she met Ricardo by the lake at the hunting grounds. After Ricardo Winchester brought her into the family, no one doubted that the child in her womb was Ricardo¡¯s. ¡®I am only faithful to Quenne¡¯s mission.¡¯ Even though Jin was a child who didn¡¯t reveal his true colors, Othello was quite grumpy and mean to her, but at some point, he started to follow her. Trisha allowed him to meet his mother in his dreams. The woman, who had adapted well, as if she had been a family from the beginning, left so easily. Oddly enough, Ricardo left behind a young girl who looked just like him. Before arriving at the castle, she delivered a letter through the deputy. [Thank you for keeping the covenant of protection that your ancestors swore to the ancient dragon Mechius. The hopes of you and the other three masters have been put into my womb. I will leave and hand over the key to the duke, the master of darkness who will face the forefront of fate. The duke is the most suitable, chosen one. The child of Mechius will stand in front of the black pond on a certain day. The pond is too deep and black to see inside, like the Duke¡¯s deep black heart. Of course, it¡¯s not easy to overcome fate on your own. The child must have gone back countless nights and days, failing to wake up from the egg. But the day your child overcomes it, it will do things no one could have imagined. Please take good care of the child until then. The guardian of dreams, Trisha Quenne.] Ricardo walked around the greenhouse that Trisha had been using for prenatal education as an excuse. White flowers without a name formed a beautiful colony. As he reached out, black energy emanated from his fingertips and wrapped around the petals. The thin petals dried up, quickly became ash, and began to fall off. ¡®She had never taught me how to keep it and take care of it. I don¡¯t know how to not break it. It is something that is not easily touched.¡¯ At his wandering thoughts, a cold and lonely twist lingered on Ricardo¡¯s lips like a lie for a moment and then disappeared. *** ¡°Whoa, whoa.¡± On a quiet afternoon, I was sucking on a ¡°rabbit¡± with a soft material and fragrant scent. I had one tooth, but my gums were itchy as if another tooth would come out. ¡°Lady, I¡¯ll change your bib.¡± Maya removed my damp bib and changed it with a new one. Chomp, chomp, chomp ¨C all my nerves were focused on the rabbit. There was a fruit called chai berry inside the rabbit, and if you sucked hard, sweet juice came out. Of course, it¡¯s a little burdensome to stare at me like this¡­.. ¡°It must be delicious.¡± Of course. Chomp, chomp. Uh¡­..but just now? I think Maya¡¯s voice got too deep. When I turned my head, I was frightened by the face I saw. Sniffles! Jin, why are you here? Jin, dressed neatly, stood next to me with his arms crossed. Unlike Othello, who was hot-blooded and revealed his inner heart, Jin had eyes where you didn¡¯t know what he was thinking. ¡°I guess the master came to see you, Lady,¡± Maya said with a smile. Jin made eye contact with me, who was frozen. ¡°Sasha, the weather is nice, so let¡¯s go for a walk together.¡± At those words, I was surprised and Maya was also surprised. ¡°Well¡­.young master,¡± Maya shrugged her shoulders with a troubled expression. ¡°Her cold has just gotten better¡­.it could be dangerous¡­.¡± ¡°We can take a walk in the greenhouse. And if it¡¯s dangerous, then you think I¡¯ll do harm to Sasha?¡± Maya¡¯s eyes shook at Jin¡¯s direct question. ¡°Ah¡­.no, it can¡¯t be. Master is still young¡­..¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I even pull a baby car? If you¡¯re really nervous, Maya can follow from behind.¡± He was not like an average eight-year old. ¡°I¡¯m bored because Othello is on probation. Maya is not going to play with me,¡± Jin said to Maya, twisting his lips. Maya, who was caught off guard with Jin, was stumbling and gave Jin a strong look of protest. I knew what to do, but Jin smirked and accelerated my anxiety. At times like these, there was only one way. ¡°Huh¡­.huh¡­.¡± I took a deep breath and started controlling my breathing. I¡¯ve done it a few times, and flow and rhythm were important when I did this. I could see Jin wiggling his eyebrows. This is the time. ¡°Uuuuaaaaahhh!!¡± I let out a violent cry. Success! Once a cry burst out, a roar of cries came out of my throat like a wave. ¡°Lady!¡± It was the moment Maya approached me and tried to save me. ¡°Hurry up and bring something to ride,¡± Jin interjected. ¡°She must be crying like this because she wants to leave quickly.¡± Hold on¡­.that¡¯s a misunderstanding! Maya was startled at Jin¡¯s words and ran out. I was left with Jin and the roaring weeping subsided. That¡¯s because Jin was staring at me without comforting me. After a while, he sighed and lowered his head slightly, making eye contact with me and licking his lips. ¡°That doesn¡¯t work on me Sasha.¡± A chill ran down my spine. What is wrong with this child?! *** In the end, I had to take a walk in the greenhouse with Jin in a baby car. From a distance, I could see Maya following us with a sad look. Jin had a happy expression on his face as if he didn¡¯t care about the sad eyes of Maya and me. ¡°Uuang, uaah!¡± I squeezed out a cry to let him know that walking with him was uncomfortable. Then Jin stopped the baby car for a moment. ¡°You cry because you want to see the flowers up closer.¡± He reached for the flower. And then something amazing happened before my eyes. A dark grey energy, similar to the color of the shadows, flowed out of Jin¡¯s hand and slowly corroded the flower. It took only about 10 seconds for the petals, which were slowly drying out, to fall, as if to imitate the process of dying flowers. Jin whispered in a low voice to me, who was stiff at the sight of the flowers. ¡°Is it fun? I can show you more if you want.¡± And then he started moving the baby car again. I didn¡¯t cry any more. No, it would be correct to say that I couldn¡¯t cry. It¡¯s because the buds he withered may as well have been me. He was threatening a baby. He is also the eldest son of the dark Winchester family. By the way, was what I just saw the power of black flame¡­..? I guess it¡¯s true that Duke Ricardo can kill people with just his eyes. Ha, to be born as a daughter with a sickly future in a family like this¡­¡­my life! ¡°I already understand what you¡¯re saying, and as expected, there¡¯s something interesting. I¡¯m looking forward to the future,¡± Jin walked, talking to himself as if he was having fun. ¡°Othello is always selfish, so I can¡¯t let him have all the fun. The downside is that if you get addicted to one thing, you¡¯ll be obsessed like a madman, but other than that it¡¯s just a little distracting.¡± ¡°Hib.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve never had my toys stolen by Othello. Even if he gave me something to get tired of.¡± Jin¡¯s soft voice raised a chill. Both Jin and Othello in the book were great villains. Somehow I felt as if I was caught firmly in the wrong way. ¡°Hib.¡± ¡°Is it cold, Sasha?¡± When I hiccupped in the aftermath of my cry earlier, Jin stopped the baby car again. Then he took the scarf he wore on his neck. Scared of the way he held the scarf and reached out to me, I crouched down and closed my eyes. I lifted my eyelids slightly when there was no movement for a long time. Jin¡¯s eyes were still cold, but a twisted smile appeared around his mouth. Are sadistic tendencies revealed from such an early age? He looked at me for a long time, as if he were enjoying my close observation. Soon, Jin¡¯s gaze turned to my chubby little finger, which was twitching. ¡°It¡¯s fun. This is difficult¡­¡± The boy¡¯s voice came softly to my ears. It sounded like he was telling himself off. CH 7 Jin¡¯s scarf was definitely made of good material, but when I put it on my shoulder, it felt burdened. After a 30-minute stroll that felt like a thousand years, Jin handed over the stroller to Maya. I sat limp in my baby stroller with a look like I was ten years imprisoned. The walk ended without any problems, so Maya looked at Jin with a warm look on her face as if she had misunderstood him and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the young master was so fond of the young miss.¡± I wanted to spit and refute. Maya, he threatened me! He said that he would twist me like a dried flower if I cried more! That¡¯s not exactly what he said, but I think that¡¯s what he meant. It was strongly implied. Jin¡¯s eyes turned to me as I was looking at Maya with an unfair look. ¡°Hicc-up.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re still hiccupping.¡± Jin¡¯s lips twisted delicately. A man¡¯s personality and appearance may be inversely proportional to the worldview. If you look at the three, Duke Recardo, Jin, and Othello, that¡¯s definitely the case. Because if they say things like that with that face, an innocent person like Maya will think Jin is sweet. ¡°I¡¯ll come to pick up the scarf next time, Sasha.¡± Those words startled me. I was taken aback by that statement. Ah¡­..no, take it now. I struggled, but Maya only checked my clothes. ¡°Yes, young master. Come visit again next time.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Maya bowed her head to bid him farewell, and Jin smiled and turned around. Looking at the sky blue hair that was moving away, I was just devastated as if I had lost the world. Again¡­..you¡¯re coming again? I don¡¯t want that! An inaudible cry echoed from within. *** ¡°I went to see Sasha.¡± Jin, who entered Othello¡¯s room where he was sharpening his dagger and wooden sword, said as much as he approached the window. Othello¡¯s hand paused at Jin¡¯s words. Then a few seconds later, Othello began to sharpen the knife again. It was an elaborate and delicate hand gesture that was hard to see for an eight-year-old. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as you¡¯re worried about¡± At those words, Othello opened his mouth in a fit of rage. ¡°I never worried about that kid.¡± The image of Sasha sleeping in a ¡®hooray¡¯ pose without knowing the world came to Othello¡¯s mind, but Othello tried to focus on sharpening the wooden sword again. ¡°By the way¡­¡­.¡± Jin¡¯s voice came back. Jin smiled as he looked at Othello¡¯s hands, which stopped again. He was a really transparent guy. It was like that when Trisha was around, and even now. ¡°Are you going to participate in the Merco hunting ground boy¡¯s hunting competition?¡± Jin turned away, pretending not to know. Othello, who had been making a bitter face for a while since the words didn¡¯t go in the direction he wanted, opened his mouth. ¡°I am not interested in children¡¯s games. The only animals you can catch there are birds, rabbits, and rats, and the long protective gear is ridiculous enough to annoy you just by looking at it.¡± Jin looked out the window as if he understood. He couldn¡¯t imagine himself hunting birds, to see black birds taking off at the sound of the guns. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of finding a suitable excuse. And you?¡± The Juvenile Hunting Festival, which allowed participation between the ages of seven and thirteen, was one of the annual events of the Yanut Empire. The Winchester brothers, who competed for the first time last year, took first and second place side by side despite being the youngest. ¡°I thought so too. Until I heard that Taylor was coming.¡± Othello eyebrows twitched at Jin¡¯s words. ¡°Taylor, is that that unlucky black-haired kid?¡± Jin nodded. Evan Taylor, the son of Duke Chenoa Taylor, the family of Taylors of Light, and the heir who will take over the title of head of the Taylors in the future. Just as it was the fate that Ricardo Winchester and Chenoa Taylor were bound to be lifelong rivals, so will the future generations. The two families have always been at odds. ¡°That would change the story.¡± Othello, who had finished cutting the wooden sword, put down the dagger. The wooden sword he sharpened was sharp enough to cut things. A sharp energy settled in Othello¡¯s dark green eyes. *** Damn it, Sasha¡­ ¡­ You did a great job today. It was a tough fight. I encouraged myself up and immediately gulped down the milk Maya had given me. In the original story, it was not stated whether the two twin brothers bullied Sasha. This was because Sasha was a supporting character close to an extra, and was the center of the narrative about the male lead, Evan Taylor. But through recent events, I have become convinced that at least one of her twin brothers may have hated her very much. No, maybe both. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that young master Jin would love the young miss so much.¡± I almost snorted at Maya¡¯s words. ¡°Young master Othello, who is keeping a low profile, must also regret a lot.¡± Maya¡¯s voice continued to be heard. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to see such a cute girl from the bottom of your heart?? Even the icy master Jin seems to have fallen for the lady¡­..and master Othello, who came to visit in the middle of the night and fell asleep because he was worried about the young lady¡­ ¡­ .¡± Filter¡­ ¡­ Ear filter activated! Anyway, ignoring Maya¡¯s fussy words, I emptied another bottle. Now that I¡¯m a little bigger, I can burp in a low-butt high chair without Maya hugging me. Since I burped on my own, I less frequently vomited up milk and my clothes got less wet. Anyway, the quality of my life was getting better little by little with my growth. Maya smiled and hugged me when she heard my burp. ¡°Oh my, you are so pretty.¡± Then she sat me on her lap and opened a book. ¡°Since my lady drank well and burped well, I will read you an interesting book today.¡± The book Maya opened was a fairy tale filled with pictures, and it was one of the books designed for people who were responsible for raising children, and was made for infants and toddlers for a long time. It was said that the 9th family head personally inspected and revised it. They said that the original was written by talented fairy tale writers. ¡°Once upon a time there lived a rabbit and a tiger. The rabbit and the tiger, who were baby animals, were very close friends.¡± Maya, who opened the fairy tale book, began to read the book realistically and vigorously. Cute rabbits and tigers appeared in the colorful children¡¯s books loved by babies. ¡°Then one day, the tiger started to get teeth. A sharp pointed tooth.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Can¡¯t we stop here. This book¡­¡­the content is not good for a baby to read. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. And the tiger¡¯s claws also started to grow longer. But the baby rabbit did not leave the tiger.¡± I don¡¯t know why the hell she said ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right¡±, but Maya continued to read the fairy tale. ¡°Until the eyes of the tiger, who had been his best friend, turned very frightening. The rabbit believed the tiger. Because the tiger was the only friend of the rabbit. He thought the two of them would stay close forever.¡± Speaking of the characteristics of this story collection for infants and toddlers¡­ ¡­ . ¡°In the end, the grown tiger got hungry and ate the rabbit in one bite. The Rabbit was very meaty and delicious. That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t live a comfortable life like the rabbit.¡± It was extremely realistic and pessimistic, and there was a lot of grotesque content ¨C in short, it was very suitable for the ¡®villain family¡¯. And Maya, who was said to be from Quenne, seemed completely influenced by the Winchester family, and was reciting scary content with an innocent face. ¡°If you turn a blind eye to the approaching threat and ignore it, you will face a miserable end. Especially when dealing with the Taylors, who are hiding their beast-like claws under the guise of light. You have to be alert.¡± It was a bitterly realistic lesson to learn through animals. ¡°If you can step on it, you should be willing to step on it and crush it.¡± Anyway, a fairy tale book that feels like I threw all my childhood innocence away! Growing up reading these things made Duke Recardo such a scary person! The same goes for Jin and Othello. ¡°It¡¯s really fun and touching, isn¡¯t it, Miss? I think so.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Responding to Maya¡¯s words in an alien language, I mumbled as if I didn¡¯t want to read more books. ¡°I wanted to read ¡°The Werewolf¡¯s Weakness¡± next, but you¡¯re sleepy.¡± Maya moved me to bed and laid me down. ¡°Don¡¯t be disappointed. I¡¯ll make sure to read that book next time.¡± ¡°Eek!¡± While waving my arms and legs to decline, Maya stroked my forehead lovely several times. A light breeze was blowing through the window. *** Months passed. Recardo Winchester, my dad, hadn¡¯t been looking for me for a while. But I couldn¡¯t be relieved just because I was away from his interest. Because there was an ambush. I was wondering if Jin was having fun by bothering me. Every time he saw me, he would say something snarky, observe my reaction, and then smile strangely. I couldn¡¯t avoid it, even if I wanted to. There have been several times when I pretended to be asleep when I saw Jin while taking a walk in the baby carriage. ¡®That¡¯s an interesting reaction today, Sasha.¡¯ I worry a lot about how to get out of his sight. Time passed and the cold wind outside died down. Dangle, dangle, dangle. (Baby rattle sounds) As soon as I woke up, I exercised hard with the rattle in my inventory. When I first took it out, Maya said, ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve never seen this rattle before,¡± but after seeing that I liked it so much, she said ¡° I guess I don¡¯t remember¡­¡± and gave it back to me. [Occupation: Unemployed] [Characteristic: A lazy person who likes to hang around] [Ability: 1 (View overall ability has not been released)] After that, I would shake the rattle whenever I had a chance, but my ability level remained the same. Jobs and characteristics were still the same. ¡®I have to grow up quickly to run away.¡¯ I heard that you gain 0.01 muscle strength per minute¡­¡­.was that a lie? Eventually, when I got tired of shaking it, I put the rattle down. [Acquiring Characteristics!] Oh, it seems that something has finally happened. CH 8 [Acquired Characteristic! Rattle master!] [We praise you for your indomitable will to become a rattle master through persistent efforts.] [Pave your path without wavering in the future to acquire various attributes.] [¡ù You can check the application of the attribute in your profile.] It must be my misunderstanding that it seems to be mocking me somehow, right? Anyway, shaking the rattle hard must have worked, so I became a rattle master. I checked the profile. [Name: Sasha Winchester (LV.1)] [Occupation: Unemployed] [Attribute: Rattle Master (Strength +3)] Strength plus 3? I looked at the profile window with grim eyes and listened to the rattle again. Oddly enough, it seemed a little lighter, but there was no big difference. And at that moment, something went through my head. No way¡­¡­. I mustered up my courage and reached for the bed guard. Then, grabbing it, I tried to lift myself up vigorously. Ugh¡­¡­Ugh¡­¡­ The moment I finally stood up after overcoming several moments when my legs almost gave up, I was overwhelmed with extraordinary emotions. Baby Sasha! I finally got hold of it and stood up! Oh! Yeah, this is how it feels to be standing. And Maya, who was organizing my toys, looked back at me and widened her eyes. Yeah, Maya, this is who I am originally. Look how cool I am. I held myself dignifiedly and showed a standing posture and stood firm until Maya approached me. ¡°Oh my God, Miss! My Miss¡­¡­.¡± Maya¡¯s eyes were shaking. I smirked with pride. ¡°Wait, this is not the time to be just staring at the Miss! What luck!¡± Then Maya opened the door straight away and started screaming excitedly, ¡°Everyone! Miss Sasha is standing! Miss Sasha grabbed onto the bed guard and stood up!¡± At Maya¡¯s words, maids rushed in front of my door. ¡°Oh my gosh. To hear that the young miss is already standing.¡± ¡°The look on your face! It¡¯s so cute. Oh, gosh.¡± They were all amazed to see me standing upright. Huhu, I¡¯m a little bit cool. This was all the result of intense rattle training. ¡°Who is standing?¡± I was also very proud until I heard the voice. And the maids who were making a fuss fell silent as if water was poured directly on their voices. Maybe it was because they knew the owner of the voice very well. The maids split to both sides, and Othello, who was about the size of their chests, entered my room with a haughty expression. ¡°What? Are you making a fuss that she can hold onto something? ¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡­Young Master¡­¡­.¡± Maya bowed her head to Othello with a bewildered expression. Since Othello had been under probation, I rarely had seen his face. ¡°How come you look fatter than last time. Have your cheeks doubled in size too?¡± The unwelcome guest approached me, already trying to start a quarrel. Villain prospect. This pink hair. I put up with the critical gaze and turned my eyes away. And at the same time, the strength in my hands was loosening, so I fell on my buttocks. Ouch¡­ ¡­ I reflexively closed my eyes, but when my butt touched the bed, I opened them again. And at that moment, Othello¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Somehow Othello¡¯s expression seemed to have hardened. Then suddenly, he uttered in an annoyed tone, as if he didn¡¯t like something, ¡°Ha¡­¡­really, you.¡± Maya looked at Othello and me alternately and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous,¡± Othello scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re so weak that you can¡¯t even stand properly.¡± ¡°This is how fast she grows.¡± ¡°Oh, Jin said he left his scarf behind.¡± Maya nodded at Othello¡¯s words. ¡°Yes, because the miss hiccuped¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Give that to me. I¡¯ll give it to him.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­..so, you¡¯re here to get Master Jin¡¯s scarf?¡± After such a long time, the owner seemed to have forgotten about the scarf. At Maya¡¯s question, Othello immediately grumbled and became annoyed. ¡°Then would I just have come to see the little kid in my spare time?!¡± The maids at the door seemed to be holding back their laughter. When Othello looked at them with fierce eyes, they scattered. Maya hid her smile and nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll look for it. By the way, Young Master, why don¡¯t you have a tea time with the miss while you¡¯re here? It seems that the young miss is lonely.¡± Now¡­¡­wait, Maya? My eyes widened, but Maya suggested tea time, regardless of my will. I wanted to avoid it, but I was sure Othello wouldn¡¯t accept the offer¡­¡­. ¡°Well, yes, fine,¡± Othello said while sitting on a chair in the room with a pouty expression. ¡°Quenne¡¯s black tea is quite fragrant. The same goes for snacks.¡± Maya, who hailed from Quenne, brewed black tea quite well. ¡°Yes, Young Master. I¡¯ll prepare it. In the meantime you also should sit down.¡± She reached under my armpits and lifted me up. I thought you wanted to put me in the high chair¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­..what?¡± Othello raised his eyebrows and made a surprised expression. ¡°Uah!¡± I, who was about to be hugged by Othello, loudly expressed my will with my arms and legs. ¡°Babies love to be hugged, Young Master.¡± Ma¡­¡­Maya? I¡¯ve been so nice to you! How could you do this to me! ¡°If you don¡¯t hug her, the miss may cry loudly, and the young master doesn¡¯t like the sound of a baby crying.¡± ¡°¡­..That¡¯s¡­¡­right.¡± I wanted to argue with this suddenly agreeable Othello. ¡°So, while I prepare the tea, it would be nice if the young master could hold the young miss for a while.¡± Othello, who blushed against his own will, held out both hands to me with an annoyed expression. ¡°Uuah!¡± ¡°You¡¯re really bothering me.¡± And my shoulder was buried in Othello¡¯s shoulder within seconds. I could see his earlobes vividly in front of me, and they were quite red. Am I right now¡­¡­.in Othello¡¯s arms? No matter how young he may be, he is the mad Othello Winchester, who will later become a dog psycho villain, so to be in his arms¡­.. I should avoid my brother¡¯s arms even if I die. ¡°If you cry, I will spank you.¡± I heard Othello¡¯s voice in my ears. Maya began to prepare tea while humming. I couldn¡¯t see Othello¡¯s face, but I could tell he was holding a baby for the first time. After all, when else would an eight-year-old boy have a chance to hug a baby. The way Othello held me was very uncomfortable, and I wanted to push him away hard, but if I did, I would have just inflicted a concussion on myself, so I had no choice but to freeze and to be held in his arms. Maya! Why on earth do you believe Othello and let him hug me! ¡°It¡¯s annoying¡­¡± After a while, I heard Othello¡¯s voice in my ears. Hey, I¡¯m more annoyed. ¡°You stink.¡± I was furious at Othello¡¯s words. I had a fresh change not even half an hour ago, and I also bathed THIS MORNING. What the hell do you mean I smell?! ¡°¡­..the smell of a baby. Just keeps coming out.¡± Huh? I think Othello just whispered something. ¡°It smells like Trisha too¡­..¡± When Maya brought the brewed tea and put it on the table, Othello handed me to Maya. Then he got up from his chair and turned around. ¡°Young Master, you should have some tea.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, I have something to do, so I have to go.¡± Maya blinked at Othello¡¯s words. ¡°I also prepared snacks that the young master likes¡­..¡± ¡°Give it to Sasha.¡± ¡°The miss has only six teeth yet¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll go first.¡± Othello¡¯s expression was not visible, but his earlobes still looked red. After Othello left, Maya smiled while hugging me. ¡°He has a cute side.¡± And after a while, she screamed as if she had forgotten something. ¡°That¡¯s right, scarf.¡± Damn it! Shit! Even if I forgot everything, I should have taken care of it! The fact that he still had an excuse to come back was driving me crazy. And then the status window flashed in front of my eyes. [Meet Jin Winchester seven times] [Accomplish three encounters with Othello Winchester] But that wasn¡¯t the end. These red letters¡­..what? [You have achieved the attention of the Duke of Winchester.] [Due to the early completion of the achievement, the ¡°View People¡± function will be activated.] CH 9 When the status window popped up, I immediately checked the new function, ¡®View People¡¯. On the screen, I could see about five lists, and as I scrolled down, there seemed to be more. But apart from the top three, the other lists were grayed out and appeared to be inactive. The top three in the list had faces I knew. When I saw Recardo Winchester, who seemed to have come out of a cartoon, a detailed person view appeared like a pop-up. [1. Recardo Winchester Title: Ruler of Black Flame Causality 0.5%] Oh¡­¡­ the ruler of Black Flame? But what does causality mean? I soon scrolled down below it. [2. Jin Winchester Title: None Causality: 1.5%] [3. Othello Winchester Title: None Causality: 1%] Sky blue hair and pink hair villain oppas. (E/N: Oppa = can be used for literal big brothers/elder brothers (as is the case here) or culturally as a flirty/affectionate way to call an older male friend) Unlike the nasty real thing, the embedded photos felt like looking at pretty child models. Also, I couldn¡¯t figure out the meaning of ¡®causality¡¯. But what about the story of early achievement? It was also true that the thought of an unexpected message made me anxious. [¡®Hurry up and kill me,¡¯ Sasha begged Evan painfully. In her empty eyes, there were afterimages of the hellish days she had been through.] It was a phrase that showed how excruciating her pain was when she was suffering from an incurable disease. [But Evan ignored her and passed by, and she collapsed in despair again and sobbed.] I never want to go through that kind of pain, and I will never leave the world so miserably. I hate endings like that! I don¡¯t like the original! ¡°Miss!¡± I was staring at the character viewing window when I heard Maya¡¯s voice, and was startled. ¡°Miss, you are standing again. You have to sleep now.¡± The amazing thing about a baby¡¯s body is that when it learns something, it instinctively does it day and night. Having learned to stand up, I was standing up whenever I had a chance. ¡°Ouwah.¡± When I looked at Maya who had laid me down, she turned the music box that sounded like a lullaby about 10 times. ¡°You¡¯re so cute. I¡¯ll cover you with a blanket, Miss.¡± I saw Maya¡¯s face looking at me warmly. ¡°Sleep well, Miss. Have a nice dream.¡± Soon she turned away from me. It was Maya¡¯s nightly routine of sleeping in the space next to my room and checking on me several times throughout the night. ¡°Uwa! Uwa!¡± As I opened my hand and tried to hold the mobile, I suddenly became curious. Why doesn¡¯t information about Maya appear in the ¡®View People¡¯? Maybe it¡¯s because she¡¯s not the main character in this novel. Given that only the three men from the Winchester family appeared, it was highly likely. If so, in the future it would be possible to check whether someone is an important person or not by reading about them in ¡®View People¡¯. I started to fall asleep slowly, and soon enough, I was deep asleep. *** I looked around. This was still the Winchester Mansion. But strangely enough, my hands and feet looked much bigger than before. Like an adult¡¯s. And I was standing alone in a dark, magnificent room bathed in moonlight. [This is a preview video of the ending of ¡°The Only Family ¨C Overprotection¡±, a bonus for opening the character viewing.] [¡ùIf you achieve 100% causality, you will receive a random bonus ending regardless of the progress of the story.] [It has been re-edited for all ages in consideration of the psychological shock of the user, and the actual end of the privilege may be slightly different from the teaser video.] There was a blue window floating in front of my eyes. But¡­¡­ a special ending¡­¡­? Suddenly, when I looked at myself in the mirror, I saw a silver-haired woman who seemed to have descended from heaven. I must have been around twenty years old. It was a beauty that was hard to take my eyes off. No way, could it be that I grew up to be like this? There was a huge door in this grand but dreary room. I instinctively tried to open the door and leave, but when I heard footsteps, my feet pulled back. Only then did I realize that I had no control over my body. It was because only my mind was possessed in an already fixed situation, and I could not move or speak on my own. As the door opened, my body instinctively crumpled, and I felt something inside me was afraid. After a while, what I saw was Recardo Winchester¡­¡­ Dad? No, the hair color is different. He was as tall as Recardo Winchester and had an unapproachable energy, but he certainly looked like a young man in his twenties. His hair was sky blue, and his eyes were filled with darkness that seemed to come from the abyss. As soon as our eyes met, a chill ran down my spine. ¡°Brother¡­¡­ I want to go out. It¡¯s been three months since I¡¯ve been here, and I¡¯m so tired¡­.¡± A trembling voice came out of my mouth. He seemed to be my older brother, Jin. Wow¡­ ¡­ I knew he was handsome, but he¡¯s this tall. Just looking at his face is enough to make you admire it. ¡°Meeting father ¡­.¡± ¡°He won¡¯t be back for a while. Because the winter in Rosento is harsh.¡± A low voice rang in my ears. ¡°Please let me go. How long are you going to keep me locked up?¡± Suddenly, a cruel smile appeared on Jin¡¯s lips. In an instant, a dark aura of black flames seemed to circulate behind him. ¡°It¡¯s for your own good. I can¡¯t let those weak ankles step on the harsh ground.¡± His low voice was monotonous enough to give goosebumps. ¡°I found undissolved powdered medicine in the tea you give me every evening. That¡­..does my brother do this on purpose? I didn¡¯t eat it, so my body is stronger than before¡­..I feel like my stamina is returning.¡± As I spoke, my body began to tremble. Wait a minute¡­¡­ in this timeline, Jin is drugging me? ¡°Tell me the truth, Brother.¡± Jin didn¡¯t answer for a long time. The silence seemed to suffocate me. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Instead of answering, Jin took a step closer to me. My heart was about to explode. I couldn¡¯t breath well because I was afraid his hand would twist my neck at any moment. Then he leaned over slightly and whispered close to my ear. ¡°You said you¡¯d be a good girl in exchange for me sparing Evan Taylor¡¯s life, Sasha.¡± Goosebumps appeared around my neck. Why is the name of the main character suddenly mentioned? ¡°I hate seeing my only family suffering in a dangerous world. You have such a weak body and a weak heart.¡± If there¡¯s only one left¡­. A strong scent of blood permeated the tip of my nose. ¡°If you get hurt, can I endure it without killing all living things? Just thinking about it makes me feel so dirty.¡± ¡°Brother, please.¡± ¡°You¡¯re irresponsible, Sasha. You were the one who let that power go wild. The world is already covered in darkness.¡± Creepy goosebumps set in, and several scenes passed through my mind. The devastated Winchester estate and the people who have become corpses. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­ Brother, I can¡¯t be locked up here forever¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I have no intention of letting you go.¡± A deep madness flashed in his eyes as he uttered in a voice filled with strange anger. Jin¡¯s lips twitched and trembled cruelly. ¡°Rely on me, Sasha. We are each other¡¯s only family now.¡± Then he leaned over and began putting something on my bruised ankle. I felt like my mind was falling into a distant dark world. I heard the sound of the shackles being fastened on my ankles. ¡°I will protect you forever.¡± I woke up with my eyes wide open. In front of me, I saw a familiar ceiling with a mobile attached to it. Alongside the sense of relief I felt upon returning to reality, curses came flooding back as I recalled the dream I just had that wasn¡¯t a dream. What is this?? CH 10 ¡°Miss, why do you have such a bad appetite today?¡± Maya muttered worriedly after I ate two spoonfuls of puree and then shut my mouth tightly. As soon as I remembered the dream from earlier, I felt sick to my stomach. As a result, I was unable to eat anything. Damn it, damn it, damn it! One of the biggest shocks I had in this life so far was in response to the fact that there are actual bad endings. And when the causality rating goes up incorrectly and reaches 100%¡­ ¡­ A future like the dream I had earlier¡­ ¡°I should call the doctor. Your lips are also blue.¡± Crazy, overprotective. I knew from the novel that the men of the Winchester family were half insane. They¡¯re the world¡¯s worst villain family, so there can¡¯t be a way for them to think normally. You just have to look at the complete collection of children¡¯s books, which is a must-read for our family. But even so, the confinement ending is too much. Besides, if it¡¯s a scene edited for all ages, it might be more brutal in reality¡­. Imagining it, I shuddered. ¡°My God, I think you have chills too.¡± Maya made a fuss about me, and after a while the doctor came to see me. In his examination, the doctor determined I was probably scared of something, so he prescribed lavender scent as a means of calming the body and mind of the child. After the doctor left, I checked the ¡®View People¡¯ feature again. I probably had the privilege of watching Jin¡¯s bad ending because his causality rating was higher than Dad¡¯s and Othello¡¯s. If so, how about the special endings for Dad or Othello? Honestly, they were not likely to be less, but at least as bad as Jin¡¯s. Judging by the line that referred to the world being covered with darkness, it seems that a more serious situation could come than the original novel¡¯s story that I knew. ¡®First of all, let¡¯s reduce the situation where the causality rating will increase by avoiding encounters with my father or older brothers. I need to find the elixir anyway, but¡­. I need to run away as quickly as possible.¡¯ I gradually relaxed my anxious mind with the fragrances prescribed by the doctor. But it wasn¡¯t long before I heard someone opening my door. Maya is outside talking to the doctor, so who is it? However, I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep. I heard the sound of footsteps approaching me, and I felt that some gaze was staring at me for a long time. I didn¡¯t open my eyes, waiting for that someone to turn around. After a while, the sound of feet moving again was heard. Only after the door closed did I let out a sigh of relief. And I checked ¡®View People¡¯ right away. [1. Recardo Winchester Title: Ruler of Black Flame Causality: 0.5%] [2. Jin Winchester Title: none Causality: 1.5%] [3. Othello Winchester title: none Causality: 2%] After seeing Othello¡¯s causality rating, I became flabbergasted. Even after rubbing my eyes and looking at it again, the number 2 percent was clearly visible. Was it Othello, the person that just visited? No¡­. Just yesterday, it was just 1 percent. I glared at the number with a shocked face. This is an error¡­. What have I done for it to suddenly rise like this! But the numbers remained inconsistent. * * * As Othello opened his door and entered, he saw Jin¡¯s face and frowned. Jin sat down with a very bored expression and spoke to Othello. ¡°Did you go to see Sasha again?¡± As spring came and the intensity of education and training increased, he became very busy, but after making an excuse for his first visit the other day, Othello¡¯s nerves often turned to Sasha. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Othello didn¡¯t answer, which meant yes. A few days ago, the troublesome baby was sick again and the doctor came. Her lips were blue. Being born with the surname Winchester and yet being so weak. Looking at her earlier, she seemed to be fine. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Suddenly, he remembered what happened a few months ago, the night he shot a water gun. He closed his eyes with a slightly distressed face, not knowing that he was looking down. Her chubby face was pure white, and her small fists were clenched tightly. She squeezed his fingers in her little fist. As he watched the baby sleep, it seemed that the smell he had smelled before drifted to the tip of his nose. Trisha. It was a smell that reminded him of the child¡¯s mother. As soon as some emotions were about to rise, Othello turned around and left Sasha¡¯s room. ¡°Sasha is pretty cute.¡± He heard Jin¡¯s voice. The name ¡®Sasha¡¯ offended Othello. Othello did not call the baby by name. Maybe that¡¯s why even his voice, which was not mixed with any special emotion, seemed unwelcome. ¡°If you¡¯re worried, don¡¯t go out alone like that, and we¡¯ll be going together starting tomorrow¡­.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t go any more. And I¡¯ve never been worried,¡± Othello said sharply, cutting off Jin¡¯s words. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t waste any more time on a weakling kid. Unlike us, who were born with black flames¡­¡­¡± The black flame formed and wrapped around Othello¡¯s right hand. However, its concentration was weaker than that of Jin. ¡°Since I don¡¯t have much, I thought I should work hard.¡± At Othello¡¯s words, Jin smiled. The twins, Jin and Othello, have different strengths and weaknesses. Their father, Duke Recardo Winchester, thought of Jin as his successor, and Othello must be feeling even more out of sight after being put on probation. The reason why the villain, who was full of destructive instincts for everything in the world, was obsessed with Sasha is probably because he was looking for a replacement for Trisha, the only one who opened his heart. The little baby may stimulate Othello¡¯s despair and hope at the same time. ¡°Othello.¡± Jin approached Othello. ¡°The Winchesters are always a team.¡± Two eyes of the same color looked at each other. Unlike Othello, who revealed his insides, Jin instinctively knew how to hide his feelings. So, even though they were twins born from the same womb, Othello did not fully know Jin¡¯s heart. However, Jin¡¯s voice calmed Othello¡¯s complicated mind a little. ¡°Yes. A team.¡± Othello¡¯s lips twitched. A cool voice leaked out, not just copying or affirming. Soon, Othello looked out the green window. The black flame on Othello¡¯s hand flickered for an instant and became thicker before returning to its original glow. * * * ¡°Mmhh! Dad! Da!¡± One day, I began to mumble. I succeeded in grabbing and standing up, and now I was walking quite a bit, and each of the maids who saw me toddling around made cute and crazy faces. ¡°Thi¡­. thi!¡± When I squeaked while holding the pacifier with fruit inside, Maya replaced the chai berry with a new one. I was sucking on it deliciously, and suddenly I was taken aback. ¡°Oh my, the rubber burst. I guess it¡¯s because she has a lot of teeth.¡± Maya, who hugged me when I was coughing and patted me on the back to soothe me, sounded like a thunderbolt when she said that I would not be able to use the chai berry in the pacifier in the future. I started to get ready to cry, with tears automatically forming. Having lived as a baby for nearly a year, the baby¡¯s behavior had become familiar to the body. Maya comforted me and put a small chai berry into my mouth. ¡°Now eat it this way, miss.¡± It¡¯s less fun than putting it in a pacifier and eating it, but I embraced the new method. Now, following the doctor¡¯s advice, I was eating soup with quite a bit of ingredients. Although I do drip so much that it dampens the bib. ¡°We have to go to the Merco Boys¡¯ Hunting Festival tomorrow, but I¡¯m glad that Merco¡¯s estate is close. It takes five days from Akada, but it takes less than half a day for us.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°This time, public attention is focused on the participation of Evan Taylor, who is expected to be the successor of the Taylors. Even so, compared to the young masters, he would be new blood.¡± I paid attention to Maya¡¯s whining as she fed me chopped chaiberries. Evan Taylor was the name of the main character in this novel. And I had heard of the Merco Boys¡¯ Hunt. In the Empire, the difference between nobles and commoners could be classified as the presence or absence of ¡®supernatural ability¡¯. Aristocrats have their own ¡®supernatural abilities¡¯, but since their abilities usually fade after a few generations, in fact, there was no big difference between nobles and commoners in terms of physical ability itself. Most nobles could only prove that they were special by displaying their supernatural powers, not really use them for anything useful. However, the 4 major families were different, and even if the ability was transferred to the ¡®direct line¡¯ descendants, the size of the power did not decrease in the slightest. In particular, the children of each family belonging to the direct line had such powerful power that even five- or six-year-old children could simultaneously kill three or four adult men only with their ¡°ability.¡± Jin¡¯s black flame was like that, and though Othello¡¯s black flame was weaker than Jin¡¯s, it was still not something an ordinary human would dare to deal with. So even if it was a boys¡¯ hunting competition, if the direct descendants of the four dukes participated, it was like their own league. ¡°If such a cute young lady cheers them on, the young masters will be even more happy.¡± Seeing Maya¡¯s expression filled with anticipation, my expression immediately contorted. ¡°Ugh.¡± I don¡¯t think so. CH 11 The Winchester estate was half a day¡¯s drive from the Merco Boys¡¯ Hunting Competition grounds. To explain the geography of Janus for a moment, Rosento, the center of the empire and the Rogentia River running through it, could be said to be the capital. Rosento is the gathering place of the four families and the most prosperous city. The decision-making organization called ¡°Berus¡±, where the heads of the four families gather every month, was also located in Rosento. And the shape and relationship between Rosento and our territory can be considered like Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. (T/N: this means their territory is like a province surrounding the capital city.) The four lands surrounding the capital are ruled by Akada of Earth, Halo of Water, Winchester of Darkness, and Taylor of Light. The Taylors¡¯ land is to the southwest, the Winchesters¡¯ land is to the northeast, the land belonging to Halo of Water is to the southeast, and the land of the Akadas is to the northwest. Anyway, the place where the hunting competition was held today was the Merco estate under the influence of Halo, and we set off early in the morning in a wagon. ¡°Paap!¡± ¡°His Highness the Duke seems to be busy today. It¡¯s a pity.¡± I was just shouting at the bird flying outside the window, but Maya understood it wrong and explained for my convenience. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because he believes in the young masters. Even if he is the successor of the Taylor family, he will not be an opponent to our young masters.¡± Maya¡¯s words suddenly reminded me of the main character I had forgotten. Come to think of it, it seems that Evan¡¯s name came up in that dog dream as well. ¡®You were supposed to listen to me for sparing Evan¡¯s life.¡¯ What kind of relationship did I have with him in my dream to say that? In any case, Evan is a person I shouldn¡¯t get close to. The Winchester estate will be destroyed in the future, making me even more miserable¡­by the protagonist of this story. ¡°The young masters should have arrived by now, right?¡± I heard Maya¡¯s voice. The carriage we were riding in was running smoothly along a well-paved road. The contestants, Jin and Othello, started early in the morning, so they already must have arrived. We were on our way there to cheer for them and take a walk. ¡°Whoa.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss. You must be hungry now. I¡¯ve prepared some warm soup, so come on¡­.¡± It was when Maya lowered her head to pick up something. Swish- An arrow flew in through the window of the carriage and hit the side wall across from Maya, who had her head down. I was so surprised that I widened my eyes. Maya raised her head and was startled when the nape of her neck touched an arrow. ¡°Huh? Uh?¡± Realizing that it was an arrow flying in from outside, Maya hurriedly hugged me. ¡°It¡¯s an attack!¡± ¡°Ugh! Ahh!¡± Whoosh, whoosh. Outside, I heard the sound of wind and the whistle of arrows being shot. And something clearly appeared in front of my eyes. [An unexpected event has occurred.] [The event level is being measured.] [This event was measured as a ¡®rare level¡¯ event.] [¡ù This event does not match the user¡¯s level.] This¡­. What is a rare event? ¡­.Is this the right event? About 10 people were out there as my escort, but the situation quickly became a mess. ¡°It¡¯s a Winchester! It¡¯s a Winchester carriage, you damn bastards!¡± The captain of the escort drew his sword and shouted at the enemies. However, those who appeared wearing black masks did not waver, as if they already knew. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of liver the guy who instigated this has, but you guys will regret being born.¡± The Winchesters¡¯ vengeance was fierce and relentless, and the Winchesters were the Empire¡¯s greatest villainous family. Nevertheless, when I saw them stepping out, it seemed that they were determined. ¡°Even if I die here, bloody revenge¡­. Ugh!¡± I was watching the situation outside the window in Maya¡¯s arms. Those wearing black masks swung their swords at the captain and the few soldiers who remained. At first glance, they were well-trained, and the number of them was high, so our side was inferior. I could feel the sweat in my tightly held hands. ¡°It will be alright, Miss. It will be fine¡­.¡± No Maya. I think we¡¯re both X¡¯s. Watching the captain of the escort fall, I thought. [¡ù This event does not match the user¡¯s level.] [The proper level for ¡®rare¡¯ events is 15 or higher.] [Forcing the system to adjust.] [System readjustment failed.] Is it an error? Do something about this! I stared at the window in front of me with an anxious heart. Soon the masked men, who had knocked down all my escorts, came close to the carriage. Dark red ferocious eyes flashed under the mask. ¡°Miss¡­.¡± Maya hugged me and took out something sharp from her bosom. ¡°This body, even if I die, I will take them with me. Please, only the young miss must be safe!¡± Maya was determined as personnel of the perfect Winchester dukedom. As soon as the masked man grabbed the carriage doorknob and opened it, Maya jumped at him. ¡°Ah!¡± However, the man kicked Maya as if he had already guessed that Maya would attack. The wall of the carriage was pierced by impact. Maya fell outward, and I, who was in Maya¡¯s arms, was not shocked, but fell on my buttocks on the floor. A black shadow soon fell in front of me. [System readjustment failed.] [System readjustment failed.] I felt like I was stuck in a shitty computer and had a lag. It was when I was so frustrated that I hit myself on the forehead. Suddenly, something popped into my mind. [¡®Skill¡¯ has been activated.] ¡®Skill¡¯? [The system is scanning the skill tree for a rare event.] [This skill cannot be used.] [This skill cannot be used.] [Find a skill matching the Legendary Fate and forcibly manifest it.] Do something quickly, damn it. [Acquisition of the SS-class skill, ¡®Black Dominion (LV.1)¡¯.] [This skill does not match the user¡¯s level.] [Skill criticality is readjusted for balance.(0)] [Restrictions remain until skill level 10.] The man slowly pointed the blood-stained sword he was holding at me. What¡­..what is it? What kind of skill is this? I was still in the body of a helpless baby. No matter what skill I have, I can¡¯t deal with an adult man with a sword. Nothing but staring¡­. [Use Black Dominion (LV.1).] It was when the man tried to stab me with his sword. ¡°¡­¡­¡± The blade came right up to my nose, but it couldn¡¯t advance on me any further. I saw the man flinch. ¡°Why¡­.. this is not¡­.¡± As if he was taken aback by the fact that he couldn¡¯t stab me, he gripped the handle of his sword with both hands and tried again. But the man¡¯s hand did not move forward at all. ¡°This¡­. Shit¡­.¡± The man looked at me like I was a monster and said in bewilderment. ¡°Winchester¡­ ¡­ child of darkness¡­ ¡­ A devilish child¡­.¡± I noticed that the man couldn¡¯t attack me while I was looking, so I kept looking at him. I was so nervous as I thought that the baby¡¯s mental strength would not last long, and I kept holding back the cry that was about to burst out. If I cry and close my eyes, I will die. Me, and Maya too. ¡°If I don¡¯t break the key, he¡­..¡± The moment the man glared at me and the hand holding the sword trembled. A frightening and evil energy rushed to my skin, and I felt goosebumps. The man let his sword fall down, no longer holding it. I immediately guessed that the reason the man dropped his sword wasn¡¯t because of my skill. ¡°Ugh¡­. ugh¡­.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­.!¡± The masked men who watched as the man tried to kill me grabbed their necks instantly and began to suffer. Strangely enough, it happened simultaneously. The dark red-eyed man was startled when he saw someone slowly approaching from the forest rather than the road. ¡°¡­¡­¡± The clatter of hooves rang out. A white horse galloped gracefully. And on that horse, a tall man appeared. When the halo of the sun behind him faded, his face came into view. ¡°¡­¡­Ah¡­,,¡± I looked at him in amazement. ¡°Dad?!¡± The one who appeared was none other than Recardo Winchester. Dazzling silver hair and cool turquoise eyes that seemed to freeze the world. And the dark energy behind him was vividly visible. The vivid Winchester pattern and black cape on the black uniform mixed with gray created an intimidating atmosphere as if revealing the notoriety of Recardo, who was called the Reaper of Death. ¡°Ah¡­.. the Dark King¡­..¡± The dark red-eyed man backed away as if surprised and grabbed me by the throat. The sound of the white horse stepping on the hard ground thundered closer. And I could see the dark aura getting stronger. Black aura emanated from all over the ground, entangling the men¡¯s necks. It was an astonishing scene, as if the end had come, or as if the devil had descended. It was the moment when I realized how great the power of the Black Flame was, to be able to neutralize enemies numbering over twenty so easily by himself. To the degree that the memory of Jin eroding the flowers was just a taste of its power. Black Flame¡­..It was an incomprehensibly powerful ability. I felt like my stomach was stuffy because the aura I felt was so thick that it was difficult to breathe. Unexpectedly, the masked man, who had risen halfway from the ground, looked up at Recardo and bit his teeth. Recardo¡¯s lips parted and a low voice came out. ¡°There are many ways to end one¡¯s own life.¡± Soon, one of the black and dark auras that bloomed from Recardo¡¯s body reached toward the man¡¯s face like a hand. ¡°Attacking Winchester¡¯s carriage is the most foolish way.¡± ¡°¡­ Please¡­..please¡­..¡± The man¡¯s dark red eyes shimmered as if he was afraid of something. ¡°Anything related to you won¡¯t be able to grow even a single blade of grass for you to step on,¡± the duke continued cruelly. ¡°Ikaer Azir!¡± Just as the darkness was about to grab the mask, the man shouted something, and his face magically turned black. And in an instant, his whole body began to crumble into ashes. It was a terrifying, bizarre scene. Recardo twitched his eyebrows with cold eyes. When he looked back, all the masked men had turned to ashes and disappeared, leaving only their clothes and masks on the floor. ¡°It¡¯s the curse of Kaisa.¡± Recardo¡¯s red lips opened. With a low voice mixed with regretful anger, he dismounted. Maya was passed out on the ground, and I looked up at Recardo with round eyes. Recardo¡¯s eyebrows stiffened as he looked at me. ¡°That¡¯s new.¡± CH 12 ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal if Taylor goes on a rampage.¡± Othello, who won the boys¡¯ hunting contest, was very excited. However, even though they were in the same barracks, Jin¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look like that. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you say anything, Jin. He dropped out at once, that bastard. I mean he surrendered¡­..¡± ¡°It was on purpose.¡± ¡°What?¡± Othello twitched his eyebrows. Jin licked his lips with cold eyes. ¡°You¡¯re deliberately hiding your abilities, Evan Taylor.¡± The Taylors of Light were one of the four most influential and powerful families in the empire ¨C a family with the ability to illuminate the world. In the family, the person of family lineage called ¡®heir¡¯ inherited the strongest power, such as Jin in Winchester and ¡®Evan Taylor¡¯ in the Taylors family. ¡°What do you mean? You mean that kid lost on purpose?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t feel that clear-blue power of light.¡± Jin recalled the time when he faced Evan Taylor, who was half a hand shorter than himself. Othello deliberately quarreled with Evan, and people gradually gathered around them. It was common to use a hunting contest as an excuse to throw a punch at a guy you didn¡¯t like, and it was an interesting topic to fight between the fledglings who would carry the future of the Taylors and Winchesters. Evan drew his sword as if he couldn¡¯t help it. With jet black hair and blue eyes, he seemed to think everything in the world was boring¡­.. A face that was not suitable for his age. ¡°I¡¯m sure it could have been used.¡± At that time, Evan Taylors¡¯ sword did not show the slightest hint of light ¨C not even a glow. The power of a ¡°human¡± is ¡°human weakness¡±, so there had to be a limit that could not be overcome. However, special powers such as ¡®Black Flame¡¯ and ¡®Pure Light¡¯ gave ordinary people power to the extent that they could not be matched. Therefore, not using ¡°Pure Light¡± when dealing with the Black Flame of Winchester meant that he had no will to fight at all. ¡°Ha. No way¡­. There¡¯s no reason the kid should be like that.¡± Jin¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°¡­.. As if it was something he didn¡¯t want to deal with.¡± Evan dropped his sword at Othello¡¯s blow. It was a confrontation that ended in an instant. ¡®I lost.¡¯ But there was not the slightest hint of embarrassment on his face. That voice was still. The hot-tempered Othello didn¡¯t even notice. ¡°You said he didn¡¯t want to deal with me? ¡­ Wait, who are you kidding? The topic is a little boy!¡± Othello gnashed his teeth. ¡°I won¡¯t let you go. Cheeky Taylors.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get involved in things that don¡¯t benefit you. Because the situation is already over.¡± ¡°But¡­.!¡± However, the hunting competition was already over and there was no reason to go to Evan. A raucous banquet might be an opportunity, but Jin guessed that Evan Taylor would not be present at the banquet. Because he was a child whose personality could be roughly guessed just by looking at his face. Kiik- Just then the door opened, and a servant came in and reported. ¡°Young masters, the Duke and Miss Sasha have arrived.¡± Othello and Jin rose from their seats at the same time. * * * I entered the banquet hall in the arms of Duke Recardo. The eyes of many children and dozens of adults were focused on me. The orchestra was playing a classic song, and the atmosphere in the banquet hall was similar to the balls I had imagined in novels. The Boys¡¯ Hunt, like all aristocratic events, had a Midnight Ball. Luxurious and spacious ballrooms, indoor fountains, and nobles in dresses! Since I was born, I had lived in the Winchester estate, so the scenery here was unfamiliar and miraculous. ¡°¡­¡­?!¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Did I just see something wrong?¡± And even for the people, this appearance seemed very strange and bizarre. The Duke of Black Flame, Recardo Winchester, holding a child. As if they had seen a ghost, everyone stopped talking and looked at the duke, and the children also stopped and looked at me hesitantly. ¡°¡­¡­¡± There was no noise of conversation, only classical music playing. ¡°¡­¡­¡± I, too, couldn¡¯t babble even once and just sat still in his arms. ¡®I¡¯m scared¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s scary¡­.¡¯ Maya regained consciousness after passing out, but was still unable to move, and I followed Recardo to the ball. Even when he rescued me, Recardo, who was alone, came all the way here on horseback, holding me in his arms. In fact, the way he held me was quite uncomfortable. However, it was unfortunate for me that Duke Recardo¡¯s energy was so bad that no one could interfere. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duke Recardo stopped and turned his head with a frown as if looking for something. The sound of people who had been frozen for a moment at his unconventional appearance started talking little by little. ¡°I heard that his daughter was born¡­..that¡­. Is that the princess?¡± ¡°But why did the duke himself¡­¡± ¡°Maybe he killed the nanny? Everything, even the maids.¡± ¡°Then it makes sense.¡± What do you understand¡­. ¡®Dads can give their babies a hug!¡¯ I wanted to argue, but¡­.. Looking up slightly and looking at Recardo¡¯s bloody eyes, I seemed to understand their thoughts. ¡°You are fidgeting.¡± I heard his low voice. Tears welled up without my knowledge, but today I decided to hold them in. Because he was wearing an incredibly long sword. And today I came to know how great Black Flame is. ¡°Sa¡­¡­.¡± And when he stopped, a familiar voice was heard. I turned my head slightly and saw Othello and Jin. Jin twitched his eyebrows, slightly surprised to see me being held by Duke Recardo. Othello was clearing his throat, and his ears looked a little red. I think he just greeted me with a ¡°Sa!¡± ¡­.. Huh? Why are you avoiding my eyes? Jin bowed to Duke Recardo. My neck hurt, so I buried my face in Recardo¡¯s shoulder again. Aah, it¡¯s hard as a rock¡­. ¡°Father, we won¡­.¡± Othello reported to Recardo in a bright voice. But another voice mingled in from behind. ¡°You are late. I almost forgot about today.¡± With a murmur, the eyes of the nobles turned toward the ballroom door. What is it, a famous nobleman¡­? ¡­ I couldn¡¯t see it, but I could see the look on people¡¯s faces. ¡°Oh?¡± I¡¯m also curious, who is it? ¡°What?¡± And then a voice was heard. ¡°Chenoa¡­. His Excellency, Duke Chenoa Taylor.¡± I could hear people¡¯s murmurs in my ears. My heart started beating at the word Taylor. Evan Taylor was the main character of the original novel , and the name of his father, the present Taylors family head, was Chenoa Taylor. ¡°¡­¡­¡± An unusual atmosphere touched my skin, and I could barely turn around a little to see ahead. Then, I found a man with strong momentum coming this way. ¡®The Master of Pure Light¡¯¡­. He was a man with black hair and blue eyes. As soon as Chenoa Taylor appeared, the knights immediately rushed to our side and prepared for defense. Our Winchester family, the villainous family of the novel, has been at odds with the Taylors for a long time. Just as light and darkness do not mix, these are such beings. Jin and Othello¡¯s malice was also clearly felt. Behind Jin, in particular, the black aura that Duke Recardo showed earlier was overflowing. Suddenly, Chenoa¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to come to see the children¡¯s play.¡± He threw a red bag through the nobles, and like the miracle on the red sea, he divided them. ¡°But since the invitation came, there was no way to avoid it.¡± Red liquid flowing on the floor while rolling ¡­¡­ I felt like I knew what it was without even opening the bag. Before coming here, Dad stopped by somewhere for a while, but no way¡­. Despite Chenoa¡¯s provocation, there was no change in Recardo¡¯s movements. A sigh escaped Chenoa¡¯s lips as the music stopped and the atmosphere cooled down. ¡°After killing my soldiers¡­ ¡­ You¡¯re holding the baby in an unbecoming manner, Recardo.¡± I felt my heart shrink when those blue eyes filled with murderous intent were directed at me. And¡­.There are people who are strong enough to be similar to my dad. Recardo¡¯s lips twitched, and a strong dark aura formed in his hands. A strong eerie feeling was felt, as seen in the forest. Then, Taylor¡¯s knights drew their swords, and at the same time, Winchester¡¯s knights also drew their swords. It was an immediate situation. A blue aura was overflowing from Chenoa Taylor¡¯s body as well. A war between the Taylors and the Winchesters would destroy many cities in Janut. There was a saying that if two families with superhuman strength fight, even the capital, Rosento, will be destroyed. The ladies screamed and the children hid behind their fathers. And¡­ ¡­ What a fun party this is! ¡°I think you should have sent the invitation first.¡± Recardo Winchester¡¯s lips parted, and a cool voice came out. ¡°¡­.. How dare you? To my daughter.¡± All eyes were on me. CH 13 It was understandable since I¡¯m the only daughter of the Winchester family. That¡­ ¡­ By the way, wasn¡¯t the tone a little strange just now? How dare you? My daughter? ¡­.. Duke Recardo had only seen me three or four times in my lifetime, so those were improper words to utter. When Duke Recardo hugged me, I blinked and held onto him with all my might. ¡°What do you mean, Father?¡± Othello raised his eyebrows in surprise, and Jin also hardened his eyebrows. ¡°You said Sasha got some kind of invitation?¡± Recardo gave Othello a cold wink, as if telling him to stay still, and Othello kept his mouth shut, but clenched his fists. Duke Chenoa looked at me with a frown on his face. ¡°Ha, daughter.¡± Just by making eye contact, I felt a sharp energy, so I pressed my body close to Duke Recardo. As if responding to Chenoa¡¯s words, I could see that the black aura was getting thicker behind Duke Recardo. ¡°Are you talking about the child you¡¯re carrying with you?¡± From a while ago, the description that didn¡¯t suit him kept following him. Well, I had to admit this as well. ¡°The leader of the attackers had the same cursed mark as those who attacked this child, behind his ears.¡± Recardo responded. The head in the sack must have belonged to an ally of the people who attacked me earlier. For example, a point of contact to report the success or failure of the work. ¡°Check it.¡± As the Duke of Chenoa chinned, one of the enlisted men checked what was in the sack. Then he looked at the duke and nodded. Duke Chenoa looked at Recardo with a distorted expression. Recardo asked in a firm tone. ¡°Can you recognize the shape of the stigma?¡± Recardo moved his lips with cold eyes and continued, ¡°¡­¡­ Kaisa¡¯s Curse.¡± The hall started to stir up loudly. I couldn¡¯t remember what Kaisa¡¯s curse was, so I just listened to people¡¯s words. At the mention of the term, Chenoa¡¯s face turned red and he immediately argued. ¡°This is a conspiracy! Kaisa¡¯s Curse is a spell that has already disappeared 100 years ago. How dare you attempt to slander the Taylors by inscribing the brand of that curse on my enlisted men¡­.!¡± And only then did I recall the word ¡®Kaisa¡¯ I had read about in . The four families did not always have equal power, and more than 100 years ago, the Winchesters of Darkness were originally persecuted. While the ¡®Taylors of Light¡¯ gained support from the other two families, the Winchesters were on the brink of extinction. It is inevitable that humans are instinctively drawn to light rather than darkness. Evil and darkness were just objects of fear that humans had to overcome. However, Kaisa, the head of the Taylors, went mad with a lust for power and made a contract with something unknown, bringing a great disaster to the country. Because of that, people realized that ¡®Taylors of Light¡¯ did not automatically mean ¡®good¡¯. Darkness restrains light, and light restrains darkness. ¡®Kaisa¡¯ was a dark history for the Taylors and an opportunity for the Winchesters. A spell that enslaves people with the mark of a curse and turns them into ashes after accomplishing their purpose. Since one of the seven people of the empire was swept away in the war that resulted from this and died, people could not help but murmur at the word that the curse appeared again. ¡°It¡¯s manipulation¡­ ¡­ This stigma, too! Recardo, how dare you try to frame me!¡± A vein stood on Chenoa¡¯s neck, and the blue and black flames surrounding them both showed their energy, as if they both wanted to seize the other at the same time. Just when it seemed that war would break out at any moment. ¡°This is why you called me, Your Excellency, the Duke of Winchester.¡± The voice that came in at that time was lively and did not match the atmosphere. A strange hand moved under my armpit. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Floating in the air, I suddenly met the eyes of the woman holding me. ¡°No, why are you holding the child so uncomfortably? Like a person who has never hugged a child.¡± A woman with bobbed blue hair and sky blue eyes raised the corners of her mouth. ¡°Are you feeling comfortable now? Woo-jju-jju.¡± And right away, I knew who she was. Vanessa Halo. I¡¯d read about her. Between her outspoken personality and fiery brute force, as well as being the head of the Halo family, she was rumored for many things. There were even rumors that in her younger days, Vanessa Halo defeated Chenoa Taylors in a fistfight. As Vanessa arrived, you could see Chenoa licking his lips. Water is the source of all life. The energy that came out of her was the powerful ability of Halo, one of the four major families. It felt like a warm stream of water wrapped around me, but strangely, I didn¡¯t get wet at all. ¡°You look alike on the outside ¨C the most of the three.¡± Recardo furrowed his eyebrows as Vanessa pursed her lips, seemingly amused at seeing me. ¡°But inside¡­¡­ you are very different? It is not my judgment, it is the message of the water.¡± She added her words in a voice that could only be heard in my ears. Soon, the stream of water that had been crawling through my body was sucked back into Vanessa, and it came to life as a mist in the shape of a large water dragon behind her. Vanessa put me down from her embrace and winked at me. ¡°Then let¡¯s see the truth and go on our own way quickly.¡± Surprisingly, the form of water mist illuminated the scene where the men had attacked. Is it a form of recreating the memories she read from me? The scene of Winchester¡¯s knights and servants collapsing was then vividly relayed. All the people who were buzzing were looking at this scene with astonished eyes. The Winchesters, the dark Winchesters, the infamous Winchesters. Anyone who dares to attack the wagon with that symbol¡­¡­ Taylors would be the only ones. ¡°Nonsense.¡± Chenoa Taylor¡¯s eyebrows hardened. The men in black masks and black clothes were clearly attacking the Winchester carriage. It was obviously a shock to him, who thought that Recardo¡¯s words were lies. Soon, the side of the carriage was pierced, and I saw Maya being thrown to the ground holding me. ¡°Oh my God.¡± People¡¯s startled voices awoke my spirit. Wow, I thought I was really dying back then. Soon I saw a man approaching me with a sword. I looked up at the man with wide eyes. People obviously know I¡¯m alive, but what can I do¡­ ¡­ I was covering my mouth and feeling sad. And when the sword the man was holding stopped, silence fell. Maybe that is when the ¡®skill¡¯ was manifested. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Have you stopped the replaying?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s stopped.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± By the way, what about the system? I didn¡¯t know it would all be exposed like this. Jin and Othello looked at me at the same time. Both of them had their eyebrows hardened. I kept my eyes open pretending not to know anything. ¡°Ppyappya?¡± Othello looked again at the mist screen. ¡°Oppyappya,¡± I babbled more incoherently. I¡¯m a baby. I¡¯m just an ordinary baby. A cold sweat broke out on my back. On the screen, I was in the middle of a snowball fight with a man, and the man¡¯s sword was still not moving. ¨D If I don¡¯t break the key, he ¡­ When I heard the man¡¯s desperate voice, I was suddenly taken aback. Key. What the heck does that mean? Could it be related to the legendary-grade fate of the ¡°Key to Mechius¡± that forcibly granted me skills? It¡¯s an area that we need to investigate someday, but we need to be able to do something with this body. Anyway, Duke Chenoa Taylors and Recardo Winchester were also slowly looking back at me. Even Vanessa Halo, who played the video, gave me a strange look. Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to me. ¡°Baby, you?¡± ¡°¡­.. How did you do it?¡± I heard Vanessa and Othello¡¯s voices. Recardo was looking down at me intently, his eyes squinting. ¡°My God¡­¡­! As expected, the baby of the Winchester family¡­¡­¡± ¡°But that is nonsense. Even if she is from one of the four major families, it is only a two-year-old baby..¡­¡± The murmur of the people grew louder and louder. It was an absurd situation where an adult man couldn¡¯t come to me as if he was blocked by something, even though he was anxious to stab me like that. ¡°If that¡¯s true.¡­¡± ¡°Prince Jin is already the heir to the Duke of Winchester.¡± Oh, that is a dangerous statement. It¡¯s no different from a kind of clich¨¦ remark about dying to a brother. I didn¡¯t mean to do this¡­ ¡°Hah¡­¡­.hah¡­..¡± I took a couple of deep breaths while avoiding Jin¡¯s gaze. This was just as desperate a skill as the one I used earlier. Whoa. And when I started the engine quite a bit, I burst into tears with grace. ¡°Wuuaahhhh!!¡± As I started to cry out loud, the words about me died down and everyone¡¯s eyes turned to me. Unlike when Maya was around, no one soothed me for a few seconds before Vanessa hugged me again after a while. ¡± Woo-jju-jju. Were you scared?¡± ¡°Wuah¡­ ¡­ hig¡­ ¡­ hig¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Yeah, the baby doesn¡¯t know. Shh -¡± I had no choice but to rely on her to look at me with pity. After a while, Recardo appeared in the video, and what followed was intense enough that everyone finally turned their attention away from me. Dozens of black stems rising from the ground, ruinous scenery and men disappearing as ashes¡­. Watching it again, it was to the point where I naturally said, ¡°Wow, isn¡¯t that crazy?¡± His eyes were filled with rage that seemed like he was about to destroy the world. If I had died, anyone would know that the future situation would have been more dire. When the scene cut off with a pop, I could see Chenoa¡¯s hardened face. ¡®Kaisa¡¯ can only be cast by Taylors. ¡°This¡­¡­ this is¡­¡­ Nonsense.¡± Chenoa Taylors pursed/licked his lips. ¡°This is incomprehensible! I can¡¯t understand this! That¡¯s what I mean! The Taylors no longer deal with Kaisa!¡± Soon he pointed a finger at me. ¡°Surely this baby did something strange!¡± In Chenoa¡¯s shameless denial, the black flame of Recardo¡¯s murderousness deepened even more. ¡°You have an unnecessarily shameless tongue until the very end, Chenoa.¡± The sound of thin glass shattering was heard in the waves of anger. ¡°Hey, Duke of Winchester. I know you¡¯re upset, but¡­.. the baby is fine, so let¡¯s talk about it later.¡± In the mood that felt like the ballroom would be destroyed sooner or later, Vanessa was struggling to mediate. People were looking at me, as well as Recardo, as if they were scared¡­¡­ It was a moment of chaos. And then I noticed Chenoa¡¯s robe moved at his back. Then, suddenly, my eyes met with a boy. The gaze was so intense that I couldn¡¯t help but notice it. I wonder if he was about the same age as Jin and Othello. They are definitely children¡­.children¡­. The child¡¯s blue eyes contained an abyss thicker than darkness. It was an awkward darkness for a child¡¯s face to contain. The child stopped for a moment, looked at me, and then disappeared again. And at that moment, something appeared in front of my eyes. [Evan Tayl¡­¡­ Encounter achieved $%#@!!] CH 15 ¡°If you woke up, you should say that you woke up.¡± Othello came closer to me, arguing at me with stern eyes. ¡°Ubya, eomam¡­..¡± I protested to Othello, throwing my arms around. I would¡¯ve liked to tell you that I woke up, but it¡¯s not easy for a baby to talk. I don¡¯t know why all the men of the Duke of Winchester have this abysmal level of baby understanding. ¡°Being weak¡­¡­¡± That¡¯s something I can¡¯t help either. Isn¡¯t it the limitation of being reincarnated as Sasha Winchester, a character who is ¡°sick¡±? Whenever she catches a cold, she collapses¡­. ¡°You¡­ and¡­¡­ what was that?¡± Othello walked up to me and leaned in, pressing his forehead on my forehead. ¡°Oh?¡± My eyes widened, and Othello looked at me dubiously. ¡°You blocked it. Someone tried to stab you with a knife.¡± I understood what he meant, but I babbled to myself and pretended not to know. ¡°Wyaya?¡± [Acquisition of SS-class skill ¡®Black Dominion (LV.1)¡¯.] [This skill does not match the user¡¯s level.] When a man possessed by the curse of ¡°Kaisa¡± attacked me, I acquired the skill Black Dominion. The sentences that followed were not clear, but judging from the context, it seemed like it was too excessive of a skill for me to use, so it seemed to lower the power of the skill. If it¡¯s an SS class skill, it must be a very good skill. ¡°Do you really understand everything I say?¡± ¡°U-bya-bya-bya!¡± ¡°I think you know everything, but you pretend you don¡¯t know.¡± My heart was pounding, but I worked hard, laughing and clapping, pretending to be crazy ¨C no, pretending to be a baby. Even if I did speak later, I had no intention of telling them about the situation I was facing. My goal is to leave the Winchester family as soon as possible, find the elixir, heal my sick body, and live a peaceful life. I didn¡¯t know the identity of the system, but it would be good if a series of actions gave me a means to defend myself, so I decided to think of it in a good way. ¡°It¡¯s not like the little ones can already use black flame.¡± Othello said while glaring at my little fists. ¡°But I can¡¯t explain it.¡± His gaze then turned to my bright green eyes. ¡°Wah?¡± As I tilted my head, his eyebrows twitched. A moment later, Othello reached out and grabbed my plump cheek. Obviously in the original story, Sasha Winchester was out of her family¡¯s interest, but I don¡¯t know why everyone bothers me like they do. I struggled with my arms when Othello didn¡¯t seem to let me go. ¡°Wyaya! Ahnnah!¡± As I struggled with my short arms, Othello was startled and opened his mouth. ¡°In addition to pretending not to hear, you even get angry. You have no manners.¡± Crazy guy. I¡¯m a baby. Othello caught my other cheek with his other hand. ¡°Pupu!¡± As he grabbed both cheeks, I looked at Othello with an angry expression. ¡°I can¡¯t even give you a scolding. Ha.¡± The Maya behind me laughed, not even thinking about intervening. ¡°From my point of view, you are no ordinary stupid baby. I¡¯ll figure everything out¡­¡­ wait and see.¡± Othello¡¯s cheeks seemed to be slightly redder than before. ¡°Maya, keep an eye on her too. I¡¯ll come tomorrow too.¡± ¡°Yes. Of course, Young Master.¡± After finally releasing my cheeks, Othello reached out for a moment and tried to put a hand on top of my head, stopped, and then pulled his hand back. He turned around and left the room. After a while, Maya came up to me and said, ¡°He seems to be very fond of our lady. He can¡¯t be honest¡­.¡± No, I don¡¯t think so. Is that the attitude of someone who is fond of me? He always picks a fight. ¡°When the lady collapsed, he spewed black flames and tried to run at Duke Chenoa. Young Master Jin stopped him¡­..He was very angry, and he was so worried about the young lady.¡± Him¡­¡­ really¡­.. ? No way. I was going to believe only what I saw with my own eyes. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m glad. Because nothing happened.¡± Yeah. I¡¯m glad too, Maya. You didn¡¯t get hurt that much. At Maya¡¯s warm words, I lay flat on the bed again. Maya changed my diaper, and I drank some warm milk. I tried to check the causality of the characters by opening [View People], but I fell asleep thinking that it would be more convenient not to do it. *** ¡°Damn it¡­ ¡­ Damn it¡­ ¡­ Why is Kaisa out there!¡± At the Taylors¡¯ white mansion. A building whose exterior looks more like a temple rather than a mansion. Sitting alone at the round table in the eastern tower, Chenoa murmured indignantly. It was after the elders had already poured out their nagging at Chenoa and left. Chenoa Taylor¡¯s lieutenant, Luke, has a scrape on his left cheek from a glass just thrown by Chenoa. It was better not to say anything when the owner was in a bad mood. Especially at a moment like now, when the Taylors family was facing a major crisis. ¡°He should have killed at least one kid with the Winchester surname if he was going to cause such a commotion. I don¡¯t know what kind of idiot he is, but if I find him, I¡¯ll tear him to pieces!¡± As long as the circumstances of the curse ¡®Kaisa¡¯ were certain, the culpability belonged to the Taylors. Verus will demand that the culprit be identified by Duke Taylors. After a long time, he caught Winchester¡¯s weakness and tried to put it on the chopping block, but on the contrary, he was criticized by everyone. The weakness he caught was nothing compared to the curse of ¡°Kaisa¡±. Chenoa was fuming with rage when he felt a sign of movement. Soon, a small boy appeared from the arched entrance. Evan Taylors, successor of Chenoa Taylors. The child approached Chenoa with an expressionless face as usual. Chenoa, who turned his gaze to Evan, radiated intense light energy toward Evan. Evan backed away and fell. The child¡¯s expression was monotonous, and there was not the slightest hint of fear in his dark eyes. Chenoa looked at Evan contemptuously. ¡°You achieved truly phenomenal results in the hunting competition.¡± It was a voice full of contempt and scorn, but Evan just stood still with his emotionless face. Chenoa¡¯s lips twitched as if he was tired of seeing him. ¡°There is a rumor that Othello Winchester¡¯s attack could not be prevented at all. You also weren¡¯t very strong when you were younger¡­¡­¡± He said to Evan with a gaze as if he were looking at a bug. ¡°You weren¡¯t even in an equal class with him.¡± Adjutant Luke held his breath. ¡°You shameful bastard.¡± ¡®Evan Taylors¡¯ who will become the heir in the future. Everyone knew this child as the successor of the Blue Light. This is because, in most cases, the eldest son had the most powerful ability. Except for special cases like Recardo. However, even though Evan Taylors was the eldest son of the Taylors family, his Light did not develop until he was seven years old. If Evan had not been black-haired and blue-eyed, just like Chenoa, rumors of the duchess¡¯s infidelity would have spread. Chenoa, who looked at his son with a scornful expression, moved away. Evan stayed still until the sound of Chenoa¡¯s footsteps died down. Adjutant Luke looked at Evan with a pitiful gaze, then followed Chenoa. A long time after they disappeared, Evan stood up. It was a hunting competition that he was not interested in in the first place. The elders of the family only compelled them to participate. He did not feel much interest towards Othello Winchester, who was showing hostility. It was just an event that always happened, just like before. Only troublesome things will happen if you knock down inconsequential characters. ¨DI¡¯m proud of you, Evan. You flattened the noses of the Winchesters. A handful of compliments, excessive expectations, and twisted fate. Evan¡¯s eyes turned towards the darkening sky. Every day of life was just a punishment that was no different from hell. This terrible fate was neither the Taylors¡¯ fault nor the Winchesters¡¯. He knew he had no humanity left in him. At this point, when his mind was worn out and even his Light was no longer manifested, he had already abandoned his name, ¡°Evan¡±. It was rather a pleasure. For he did not have to continue his efforts in vain. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Rain poured down from the sky. The sound of the rain grew louder as it left round droplet marks on the dry marble. Facing the rain, Evan recalled the fleeting scene with empty eyes. The round green eyes of a mere young baby, and the feeling of heterogeneity¡­. Facing the dripping rain, Evan twisted his lips. A variation? It must be an illusion. His eyes were filled with black darkness. CH 16 [Name: Sasha Winchester (LV.2)] [Occupation: Unemployed] [Attribute: Rattle Master (Strength +3)] I stared at the status window in front of me, listening to the sound of the rain falling on the roof. Maya had filled me in on news from inside and outside the manor today, and I was told that Rowen had delivered an agenda to Verus about the curse of Kaisa. The Taylors had presented a corpse, claiming it to be the caster of the curse, but unsurprisingly, none of the houses were willing to accept it. It was said that strong measures had been taken against the Taylors, and a shadow loomed over the political affairs of Janut. The question is¡­¡­ why me? Who could have attacked my carriage and tried to kill me, and for what purpose? I¡¯m just a helpless baby. ¡®After all, Sasha Winchester is only an extra.¡¯ I let out a small sigh. Soon after, [View People] appeared. [1. Recardo Winchester Title: Ruler of Black Flame Causality: 1.5%] And then down below. [2. Jin Winchester Title: None Causality: 1.9%] [3. Othello Winchester Title: None Causality: 2%] [4. Chenoa Tailor Title: Ruler of Pure Light Causality: N/A] [5. #@$% , #$%%, $#$%^^$$#@ The following information cannot be displayed] The other day, I plucked up the courage to look at the [View People] and was quite surprised. I discovered that Chenoa had been added, and that the causality rating can be marked as not applicable. From the shock of collapsing, my profile screen was filled with strange special characters in the 5th column. The profile picture was nothing more than a shadowy silhouette, just like now. Was it an error, like the messages I got when I first manifested the skill, or was it Evan Taylor? ¡°Ha¡­¡­.¡± Maya let out a small sigh as she grabbed my favorite chai berry yogurt for a snack. ¡± Miss, do you know what just happened?!¡± ¡± Hmm?¡± ¡°A letter of protest came in from Duke Taylor.¡± She shook her head with a pouty face. I opened my mouth wide and took a spoonful of sweet yogurt. ¡°Their western tower has been burnt to the ground by the work of men sent from Winchester, it says.¡± At that moment, I remembered the events in that I had read about. ¡°It sounds like they¡¯re desperately trying to get out of the mess they¡¯re in, but who¡¯s going to believe them when they¡¯ve resurrected such a terrible spell as the Curse of Kaisa, and there¡¯s no telling what they¡¯ll do.¡± The novel takes place when Evan Taylor, the protagonist, is seven years old. Upon learning of the intrusion of a skilled assassin under the command of Recardo Winchester, the Taylors attempted to surround the assassin, but the assassin set fire to the west tower. Evan Taylors, with his surprisingly strong psychic powers for his young age, defeats the assassin, and the Duke of Taylor forces Recardo to confess his actions at their monthly meeting. But instead of showing remorse, the Duke of Winchester¡¯s attitude is one of disappointment that he was unable to burn all of the Taylors down, causing the meeting to end in disaster. The other two families side with the Taylors, and the Winchesters become more and more isolated. This is when the extraordinary talents of Evan Taylor, the heir to the Taylor family, become known, and the conflict with the Winchesters begins in earnest. ¡°Unless he can explain Kaisa, no one is going to be able to trust him.¡± But following the attack on me with The Curse of Kaisa, I felt like I was facing a very different situation from the original. I was confused. In the novel, Taylors had the unlimited support of the other Houses and the people of the Empire. But now, after the Kaisa incident, everyone was wary of the Taylors. ¡®Will this completely change the original story?¡¯ ¡®No way,¡¯ I thought to myself. ¡°Miss¡­¡­.¡± I blinked at the sound of Maya¡¯s voice as she turned towards me with a nervous look on her face, after a brief conversation with whoever had called her from outside. * * * While the head of the house may have the strongest abilities, they are not the only one with them. The source of these abilities is the bloodline, and the bloodline runs deep. As such, each family¡¯s council had considerable influence. The Winchester council of elders, the Afinizu, is led by Recardo Winchester¡¯s uncle, Bashiron Winchester, and his foster daughter, Zestia Winchester, and for this particular Afinizu, Recardo¡¯s grandfather and former head of the family, Hector Winchester, joined the council. Enoch Winchester, father of Recardo and son of Hector, died of poisoning at an early age because of a conflict with his brother Bashiron. His death was suspected to be the work of Bashiron, but the truth was never uncovered. Afterwards, Bashiron¡¯s rightful place as head of the family was taken by his nephew, Recardo. The relationship between Recardo and Bashiron, therefore, was not a very good one. The councilors seated at the twelve chairs around the round table were criticizing the dominance of Recardo Winchester, the head of the household. The atmosphere was considerably heavier than usual, as the largest chair at twelve o¡¯clock, usually empty, was filled today. ¡°We can no longer tolerate Recardo¡¯s behavior, and by sending in an assassin without consulting us, he has given them something to fight back against in a time of growing tension.¡± Zestia Winchester had long, wavy hair that was more gray than silver. ¡°To be swayed by personal emotions is to be unworthy of the position as the head of the family.¡± At Bashiron Winchester¡¯s words, Hector Winchester remained still. ¡°Especially if that means his blood is more important than the prosperity of his family.¡± Bashiron shrugged his shoulders and directed his gaze towards the entrance. Bashiron¡¯s two private soldiers were soon visible, and they roughly pushed Maya, who was carrying a young girl, inside. Bashiron Winchester shook his head at the sight of the infant¡¯s face and slapped his palms together. Then the image stone glowed, revealing a stunning image of a little girl fending off a grown man. Hector Winchester¡¯s eyebrows rose as he watched. ¡°That child here is what Recardo claimed to have got with his lover. A child of that age that hasn¡¯t manifested her powers, and yet she¡¯s able to do that?¡± Maya stiffened and came to a halt near the round table. The intimidating-looking people in robes at the round table were all looking at Sasha Winchester. A tiny little baby who could barely hold herself up. ¡°Recardo Winchester kept us in the dark about the child¡¯s powers, even though it was his duty to report them to the Afinizu. It¡¯s anybody¡¯s guess that it¡¯s because he has darkness inside him¡­¡­.¡± Black flames flickered behind Bashiron. His frosty, venomous gaze turned to Sasha. ¡°I insist that we use the ¡°Shadow of the Abyss¡± on this baby, to investigate, simply to determine the true nature of the family head who caused such tension over a mere child.¡± At the mention of ¡°Shadow of the Abyss,¡± everyone gasped. ¡°But that would mean¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t we have a right to know the truth of that day, the one that Recardo is trying to hide?¡± Shadow of the Abyss was one of the Black Flame¡¯s techniques, nicknamed the mental autopsy. Everything contained within would be visualized, extracted and displayed, forcefully revealing all information about the person from their birth to the present day. It was used on people who had been caught spying on their enemies, and unsurprisingly, the side effects were enormous, nearly destroying their minds. ¡°I wonder who¡¯s going to clean up after Recardo.¡± ¡°Even if the head of household seems reckless at first glance, he doesn¡¯t do things that don¡¯t benefit him. And while he¡¯s been showing some interest lately, he¡¯s not going to overturn the family name for a child whose mother¡¯s pedigree isn¡¯t that great, and once he¡¯s found out the truth, what can you do?¡± Bashiron¡¯s eyes flashed. Recardo didn¡¯t so easily expose weak spots, and Bashiron saw the possibility of finding one in this case. ¡°As you can see, the attacker seemed to know about the child, referring to her with the word ¡®key¡¯. We need to check for the possibility of a connection.¡± Maya¡¯s face paled. She looked around for a place to escape, but soldiers were everywhere. ¡°Lord¡­¡­.¡± The only person she could turn to for any sort of reaction was Hector Winchester, former head of the House and Recardo¡¯s grandfather. Hector stared at the baby in the maid¡¯s arms with a piercing gaze. The child¡¯s bright silver hair, clear green eyes, matching Recardo¡¯s, and the recording from the image stone. ¡°Your Excellency, can we proceed with this resolution?¡± Bashiron¡¯s loud voice called out. Silence fell as everyone waited for his answer. C R A S H..! The doors of the Afinizu, which could not be opened from the outside, shattered with a sound like a bombing raid. Not surprisingly, Bashiron¡¯s face crumpled. With a loud bang, a tall man in a black uniform appeared. His silver hair fluttered with the wind, and his green eyes were filled with unrestrained fire. ¡°Article 7, Section 9, no family head may enter the Afinizu without the permission of a majority of the Afinizu members¡­¡­.¡± Zestia stood up and was about to reprimand Recardo but stopped mid-sentence. The blade-like black flames extending from him were right in front of her eyes. If she hadn¡¯t stopped speaking, it would have pierced her eyes. ¡°How dare you¡­¡­.¡± Bashiron shouted at Recardo, raising his own black flame. But as soon as Recardo¡¯s gaze fell on him, his black flame flickered like a candle that could be blown out at any moment. Like a herbivore in the face of a beast, his power was helpless in the face of Recardo, who possessed the power of the family head. Bashiron felt a chill creep up his neck. When Recardo stood before him, staring at him with eyes darker than midnight filled with nothing but killing intent, Bashiron felt a chill run down his spine. CH 17 ¡°Stop it. It¡¯s too much.¡± It was only after Hector¡¯s words that Bashiron¡¯s feet touched the floor again. At Hector¡¯s blunt command, Recardo¡¯s black flames loosened their grip on Bashiron¡¯s throat, and he slumped to the floor. Maya, still holding me, trembled uncontrollably. It must be hard enough for a normal person, not even a Winchester, to be in this place. As for me, I was frozen to the spot and hoping for the best. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Duke Recardo and Hector locked eyes. The duke¡¯s murderous aura was thicker than when he had faced Chenoa, to the point that it was almost suffocating. It¡¯s a good thing you showed up just in time, though. Otherwise, that bearded fellow might have made me sick with his strange spell called ¡°Shadow of the Abyss¡±. ¡°An attack on the family head¡¯s family.¡± Recardo¡¯s lips quirked as he continued, ¡°An attack on my family would be an attack on the family¡¯s head.¡± The Winchesters had a long and storied history, but in the end, they had one guiding principle. ¡®The weakest go first.¡¯ Whoever possesses the strongest powers of the Black Flame will become the Head of the Family. Of course, the Afinizu exist as a check on an overly destructive dictatorship, but they are ultimately a collection of individuals weaker than the family head. Bashiron Winchester is Recardo¡¯s uncle, and Bashiron is suspected of poisoning Recardo¡¯s father, and so Hector stripped Bashiron of his title as the family lord and crippled his only son after he was accused of poisoning his own brother. He also restored the mining rights of the Wilners Mine to the family, which belonged to Bashiron¡¯s adopted daughter, Zestia. The others felt similarly about Recardo Winchester. Awe and fear, but also hostility and jealousy. Of course, Recardo¡¯s youth and rebellion would play a part in this. ¡°Family, I never thought I¡¯d hear you say that.¡± Hector, who had been wearing a scowl from earlier, twisted his lips and opened his mouth. ¡°Recardo is right. This was a bad idea from the start.¡± His piercing gaze turned to me, mixed with curiosity. Then he turned to Bashiron, who was looking at me with resentment. ¡°Rise, if you have any shame at all in your behavior as a nobleman.¡± Bashiron pushed himself to his feet, his face pale as death. ¡°You were wrong to do this. This was a kidnapping by any standard.¡± According to protocol, he was supposed to ask for Recardo¡¯s consent first. He shouldn¡¯t have sent a private soldier to threaten Maya. ¡°If there is anything suspicious in the family, it should be reported and shared with the Afinizu¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I said enough.¡± Hector arched an eyebrow in disapproval. A vision of a darkness comparable to Recardo¡¯s seemed to engulf the space. In an instant, a massive presence overwhelmed the place, and Maya staggered, barely able to keep her balance. ¡°Heuk ¡­¡­heuk ¡­¡­.¡± I flinched and watched the situation unfold. Even Bashiron, who had been chattering with a disgruntled expression, was frozen, his face even whiter than before. Recardo was the only one who looked nonchalant through it all. ¡°But you didn¡¯t have to break down the door to get inside, only the poor family property will get consumed,¡± Hector snorted and spoke to Recardo. Too bad I couldn¡¯t speak; I wanted to argue a bit. It¡¯s not something you¡¯d want your grandfather arguing about! The discomfort was evident in Recardo¡¯s gaze as he stared at the members of the Afinizu. After a brief pause, he spoke. ¡°As of today, by the authority of the family head, I am abolishing the Afinizu.¡± Hector, who was preparing to stand up, looked back at Recardo. Maya¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, as did those seated at the Afinizu¡¯s round table. Even Rowen, standing behind Recardo, looked stunned. ¡°¡­¡­a¡­¡­ a¡­¡­.¡± Bashiron opened his mouth to say something, but could only stutter while he grabbed his chest. ¡°Re¡­¡­ Recardo, the abolition of the Afinizu, this is nonsense¡­¡­ you have no right to do that!¡± Zestia managed to utter. ¡°When you say nonsense, you mean a situation like this.¡± After looking at me for a moment, Recardo¡¯s words snapped back to Zestia. ¡°The Afinizu are meant to assist in external threats that are too difficult for the family head to deal with alone.¡± Recardo¡¯s cold gaze met hers. ¡°Today has proven us otherwise. The Afinizu is a collection of scum who threaten both the family head and Winchester name with the same claims as our external enemies.¡± The label of scum made Zestia jump to her feet. But she was forced to pause as the blade of black flame which had briefly retracted sprang back up like a tentacle. ¡°And so¡­¡­ Afinizu is not worthy of existence.¡± The only person who could stop Recardo in his tracks would be the former Lord, Hector. The Afinizu was an institution with history and tradition, but like a council in a dictatorship, it was also an institution that was only as strong as the dictator. I was in Maya¡¯s arms, listening with bated breath to the whole drama. Damn, one hell of a family reunion. Recardo¡¯s icy gaze turned to Hector tauntingly. ¡°So, what do you think, My Lord?¡± Hector stared wordlessly at Recardo Winchester for a long moment. Then, as if amused, he spoke. ¡°Not the kind of eyes that ask for an opinion.¡± And in an instant, blackness stretched out from behind Hector. It was an aura of unmistakable intensity. ¡°Eyes that seek to rebuke me.¡± Recardo¡¯s eyebrows arched. Excuse me, you two. You¡¯re not going to fight here, are you? When people like you two fight, the whole mansion will blow up. After a moment, Recardo¡¯s momentum ebbed, and his eyes, filled with murder, regained some of their light. Recardo pursed his lips. ¡°I won¡¯t deny it.¡± In the books, the Duke of Winchester was a man who didn¡¯t trust even his own family, but I¡¯d read that the only person he¡¯d ever revealed himself to was his grandfather, Hector Winchester, the former lord of the household. The two men didn¡¯t seem friendly, but there was a certain respect for each other¡¯s strength. When Recardo began to move forward, Hector drew in the darkness and spoke. ¡°I came here to get some air after a long time, but you¡¯re giving me a lot of trouble.¡± For some reason, Hector¡¯s gaze shifted to me for a moment, and then he frowned and stood up. ¡°Do as you please with the Afinizu, Recardo. I was never interested in it anyway.¡± ¡°Your Excellency!¡± ¡°My Lord! No!¡± At Hector¡¯s words, the Elders rose from their seats in protest, but settled back down as Hector swung round with a fierce intensity. Bashiron looked lost. If even his father, Hector, left, there was no hope. ¡°There are no proper children or grandchildren¡­¡­.¡± He walked over to me and looked me in the eye. ¡°What will be the future of Winchester?¡± I gulped as the old man¡¯s face filled my vision. Despite his worried tone, his eyes were somehow amused. * * * ¡°Thank you for your help, my lord. I¡¯m sure His Highness Duke Recardo will appreciate it.¡± Seeing Hector off, Rowen bowed deeply to the man. Recardo had broken down the door to the Afinizu, declared the Afinizu abolished, and then left, leaving Rowen to clean up the mess. ¡°It¡¯s something to be thankful for. It was quite an annoyance for me too.¡± When Hector announced that he was stepping down as patriarch, his eldest son, Bashiron, claimed the position as his own. But Recardo, the child of Enoch, the deceased second son, proved to be strong to the point of overpowering Bashiron, and so it was decided that Recardo would succeed him. Hector also recognized him as the rightful head of the family. ¡°So much for the long history of the Afinizu.¡± Hector clicked his tongue at the memory of his lackluster eldest son. ¡°Bashiron, you fool. You¡¯d do well to refrain from asking for more.¡± He paused, then spoke again. ¡°The baby ¨C or should I say, Sasha.¡± ¡°That¡¯s her name,¡± Rowen answered, standing behind Hector. Sasha would be with Duke Recardo by now. Hector paused for a moment, then spoke. ¡°How did she look to you?¡± ¡°The lady is¡­¡­ young, small, and fast growing, but she¡¯s also a bit on the frail side, so she¡¯s often sick and¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Tsk. Not that, but her attitude.¡± ¡°What?¡± Rowen couldn¡¯t figure out what Hector was talking about. Though ¡­¡­ certainly, his attitude towards Lady Sasha was strangely different. Hearing that Sasha had been taken to the Afinizu, he exuded a darkness of animosity that sent chills down the spine of even Rowen¡¯s own spine. Come to think of it, the Afinizu were a nuisance, but they were worth using, so he was willing to leave them alone¡­¡­. Hector looked up at the sky, a small grin twisting his lips before he resumed walking. ¡°Yeah, where there¡¯s noise, there¡¯s fun.¡± Rowen stared at Hector¡¯s back, dumbfounded. ??¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤???¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?? CH 18 Sitting in a large chair in Recardo Winchester¡¯s office, I stretched out my feet, only my toes peeking out of the chair. Maya was waiting outside the office, and now it was just me and Recardo in this awkward space. I admired the decorations and medals on the walls, trying my best to ignore the way he stared at me from his seat across from me, some distance away. Why can¡¯t I ever feel comfortable these days? ¡°¡­¡­Ughyagya.¡± I swung my arm around as a dragonfly, flown in from out of nowhere, tried to perch on my nose. The dragonfly couldn¡¯t get a seat and flew away, but I sneezed. ¡°Achoo!¡± I looked at Recardo after I sneezed, and his expression was even more stern than before. ¡®Now, please send me back.¡¯ Not knowing why he needed to see me, he brought me over. Technically, it was Maya who carried me, but¡­¡­ she had no authority. It¡¯s just her job to carry me around whenever the situation calls for it. After sitting and staring at me for a while, Recardo stood up. A couple of steps on his long legs and he was standing right in front of me. ¡°Maya.¡± He parted his lips and Maya walked in from the doorway. Maya still looked nervous. ¡°Are you the only maid serving this child?¡± Maya stared at Recardo for a moment at the unexpected question, then stammered. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Ever since I was born, I have been in the care of Maya, the maid Trisha had brought from her own family. No other Winchester personnel had ever been assigned as my maid. Not like Jin and Othello, who each had their own personal servants, knights, and soldiers. Due to the fact that I am illegitimate, a third child, and a girl, there was no reason for me to have such protection. There¡¯s no way they¡¯d allocate a separate budget for a baby who¡¯s just starting to walk. The Winchesters¡¯ budget is set by the Afinizu and confirmed by the Head of the Family. ¡°It would be better if there were even one knight among the maids.¡± Maya looked surprised at Recardo¡¯s words. With the Afinizu dissolved, the budgetary control of House Winchester now rested with Recardo. And it looked like he was planning to attach a person to me. ¡°Aiya! Aiya!¡± Of course, I didn¡¯t want to put myself in a dangerous situation like I¡¯d been in earlier, but somehow I felt like it would put a damper on my long-term plans. I tried to express my dislike in gibberish, but it didn¡¯t work, and Recardo continued to press his lips together. ¡°The knight should be¡­¡­ Robin.¡± Maya blinked in surprise at his comment. Even I, the listener, couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. Robin is the younger brother of Rowen Hertos, Recardo¡¯s aide and closest confidant. Although he was only in his late teens and had just been knighted, Robin was a skillful fighter and a key prospect for the future of House Winchester. In the original story, he is a villain who becomes the henchman of Jin Winchester, causes massive damage to the Taylors, and is killed by the male lead, Evan¡­¡­. ¡°I see.¡± Maya smiled sheepishly and bowed her head. ¡°Uyadi! Uyadi!¡± I protested, but there was no way either Recardo or Maya could understand me. ¡°I think she¡¯s pleased, Your Excellency.¡± Maya was twisting around my violent reaction. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Recardo stared at me with eyes I didn¡¯t know whether to like or not, then turned to Maya. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill you today because you didn¡¯t have a choice.¡± Maya¡¯s lips twitched as a smile appeared on her face. The nonchalance in his voice and face sent chills down my spine. Such a handsome, innocent face, killing people. ¡°Yes, Your Excellency¡­¡­.¡± Maya rushed to kill the man who tried to kill me in the hunting competition, but today¡¯s work in Afinizu was an internal affair of the family. As a mere maid, Maya had no choice but to follow the orders of her superior. Even if she realized that she should never have been there when Bashiron requested that he use his terrible power on me. ¡°If anything happens afterwards that puts her in danger¡­¡± Recardo had waved the power of life and death over Maya before. It was when Maya left me around the 100th day and left the room for a while. Her lips had turned blue and she could barely hide her trembling hands. Duke Recardo¡¯s fearsome presence seemed to yank Maya¡¯s leash at a moment¡¯s notice. Recardo¡¯s gravelly voice rang out. ¡°You will die, without question.¡± * * * ¡°Miss ¡­¡­ I am so sorry¡­¡­.¡± Entering the room, Maya placed me on the bed and apologized, sobbing. ¡°I should have taken you and run, and if the Duke hadn¡¯t shown up, we could have been in real trouble¡­¡­.¡± I shook my head. Outside the Afinizu conference room, Bashiron¡¯s men were already everywhere. Even if we¡¯d managed to get away, they would have dragged us back somehow. ¡°Aiya. Aiya.¡± I patted Maya¡¯s sobbing head as she buried her forehead at my feet. Maya lifted her head slightly, looked up at me, and started sobbing harder. ¡°Ugh, my angelic little miss¡­¡­, you¡¯re comforting me? You almost got into trouble the other day because of me, and I can¡¯t even protect you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Uu! Uyuyu!¡± ¡°His Excellency, the merciful Duke, I should repay that favor with my life. If it had been any other Winchester, I would have had my wrists slit and my throat dangled on the spot¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Upyaupya! Upyapya!¡± I babbled eagerly, trying to drown out Maya¡¯s lamentations. Apparently there was no language filter for babies in the Winchesters, not even in the children¡¯s books. ¡°Did she just say, brother?¡± ¡°Hiiiiig!!!¡± And with that, a head of light blue hair appeared in front of my eyes which caused me to fall backwards. Swear words welled up inside me, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to spit them out. ¡°Ah¡­¡­ young master Jin!¡± Maya, who had spotted Jin late, hurriedly wiped her tears away and bowed her head to him. ¡°Miss, are you all right?¡± Maya then grabbed my shoulders as I fell backwards and pulled me back upright. I felt the stars spinning before my eyes. When the hell did he get here? Despite thinking I had slipped out of the spotlight, the Winchesters were coming back in like a tidal wave. ¡°Sasha looks very surprised.¡± The way Jin¡¯s lips curled, it was like he was mocking me. ¡°Eue.¡± I turned my head, signaling for Jin to leave, but Maya seemed pleased to see him. ¡°Gosh, look at how shy you are, covering your face.¡± ¡°Sasha¡¯s not shy.¡± Jin said, and then looked me in the eye. My heart always sped up nervously whenever I met those knowing eyes. ¡°She¡¯s never covered up, and she¡¯s not going to suddenly start.¡± Yeah, I thought, I¡¯ll cry and pretend to be unfamiliar with him, but Jin put an end to my thoughts. ¡°Haha, I guess so.¡± It was Maya, smiling her best smile through her reddened eyes. Jin was silent for a moment, then spoke up. ¡°I was just visiting my father and he told me about Robin. He said he¡¯s going to be Sasha¡¯s personal knight.¡± Maya looked at Jin for a moment. ¡°Ah¡­¡­ yes, young master.¡± I also can¡¯t help but be conscious of it, even though I haven¡¯t outwardly seen him yet. Because in the original story, Robin was Jin¡¯s personal knight. He was taken in by Jin as his knight, given a lot of privileges, and owned by Jin¡­.. used as his limbs. Given his personality, Jin may have had Robin planned as one of his subjects from a young age. But it was Duke Recardo who made Robin my personal knight. ¡°Perhaps because of the recent events that have occurred, many of them threatening the young lady,¡­¡­ It seems that His Excellency the Duke paid special attention to it.¡± Maya continued, studying Jin¡¯s mood. Throughout history, squabbles over the heir to Winchester had been violent enough to claim dozens of lives and shed hundreds of liters of blood. However, the reason why people have almost no worries about this generation is because, although still young, the twin Othello recognizes Jin as the successor, and I, the youngest, is actually a young girl who is Korean by birth. However, my powers¡­¡­ became a topic of conversation some time ago, and with even Robin becoming a knight under my wing, Jin was understandably displeased. ¡°Maybe once things become peaceful in the family again, the Duke will take away this knight¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, because Robin is a very capable knight.¡± Maya paused at Jin¡¯s words. Jin¡¯s blue eyes locked on mine. ¡°He¡¯ll take good care of Sasha.¡± I couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking, but I felt an odd sense of foreboding. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I looked at Jin, unsure if Maya felt the same way. After a moment, he whispered, in a voice only I could understand. ¡°¡­¡­ But I guess it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry, right? Sasha.¡± CH 19 I felt an instinctive fear at the sound of his cold voice. ¡®You¡­..you mean me?¡¯ I snapped out of it as the thought occurred to me. Maybe this isn¡¯t the time for me to be whining. The original Sasha Winchester got surprisingly little attention, but for some reason, I was getting all the attention she deserved. Seriously, what if Jin felt anything resembling vigilance towards me? I¡¯d be dead. Considering the vicious hands of Jin and Othello in the original story, I could only hope to die a nice death. ¡°Uyaya¡­¡­.¡± I could feel the aura of the black flame emanating from Jin¡¯s body in my immediate surroundings. To express that I am harmless to him, I reached out to Jin. Jin¡¯s eyebrows twitched as my thick, mochi-like hand touched his cheek. ¡°Jiji! Jiji!¡± Jin, take a look at me. I¡¯m just a little baby. You can¡¯t be a brother and be mean to a baby. Hmm? Anyway, as soon as I grow up, I¡¯m going to move out and hunt down the elixir. ¡°Oya¡­¡­.¡± I conveyed my thoughts to Jin through an intense glare. Though all that came out of my mouth was a pathetic babble. ¡°Oh my¡­¡­ no way¡­¡­.¡± I heard Maya¡¯s voice behind me. I didn¡¯t always like the idea of Maya interpreting my gibberish on her own terms, but right now I could only hope that she was interpreting it in a good way. ¡°You¡¯re pushing now?¡± I felt my face flush as she came over and looked at my butt without hesitation. That¡¯s not¡­¡­! For your information, the baby¡¯s body hasn¡¯t developed muscles yet, so even the smallest things require quite a bit of concentration and effort. But if Jin understood that I was holding his face and struggling to do my business¡­¡­. His wariness might turn to contempt. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Fortunately, Jin didn¡¯t seem to understand Maya¡¯s words. Maya sniffed around my arse, then turned to Jin. ¡°Ah, when the lady starts to make a big deal¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± F*ck. Damn it. While pulling myself out of her grasp, I made the disastrous mistake of rubbing my lips against Jin¡¯s cheek. Maya and Jin were both staring at me as if time had stopped. This¡­ ¡­ Has time really stopped? When that thought crossed my mind, Maya drew in her breath. ¡°I just¡­¡­ just saw the little miss kiss the young master¡­¡­.¡± Thankfully, she had stopped trying to tell us why she was sniffing my buttocks. I babbled, looking at Jin with innocent baby eyes, and he stared at me for a long moment with his eyebrows furrowed. His face was much stiffer than the one that had threatened me earlier. ¡°opyapya¡­¡­ opya¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, do you think she just said brother?¡± Maya was excited, but Jin didn¡¯t speak. I looked at him with an uneasy expression, then smiled awkwardly. Was I mistaken to think his eyes wavered for a moment? In an instant, his eyes were back to their usual calm, cold, uncharacteristically boyish stare. It was a long time before his lips curled. ¡°¡­¡­as expected, it¡¯s fun.¡± His tone was casual, but I felt a cold sweat run down my spine. After a moment, Jin turned to Maya with a small sigh. ¡°By the way, Maya, bring me my muffler.¡± Maya, who had been looking at me with a peculiarly friendly expression on her face, clapped her hands with an ahhh. ¡°That¡¯s right,I¡¯ll bring it right over here¡­¡­ just give me a minute.¡± Maya, don¡¯t leave me! I glanced at Maya and then back up at Jin. His dark eyes were still locked on mine. I was flailing my arms and babbling, trying to play a trick on him that wasn¡¯t really a trick. It¡¯s strange how babies can¡¯t stay still. ¡°U-pya, upya-pya¡­¡­¡± At the sound of my squeaky voice, Jin¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Looks like Robin¡¯s going to be with you all the time now.¡± ¡°Uyaya?¡± ¡°What you just did.¡± The surface of his eyes reflected my chubby, cute face. ¡°If you do that to Robin, I think I might kill him.¡± At that moment, every hair on my body stood on end. I couldn¡¯t even tell if he was joking or not, because his expression remained as cold as ever. You can¡¯t kill Robin¡­¡­ because in the future, when I¡¯m gone, you¡¯ll be Robin¡¯s owner. ¡°Euyaya¡­¡­.¡± After a brief hiccup, I sucked in a breath and naturally wiggled my hand. It was funny how babies reacted in time. But when I heard Jin¡¯s next words, my heart skipped a beat. ¡°I know you can understand me.¡± ¡°Ueung¡­¡­?¡± My voice was fading, and Jin¡¯s presence seemed to swallow me whole. How much does he know¡­¡­? Or maybe I¡¯m just dreaming. I recalled what was known about the Jin from the novel. If Othello was a movement wave, Jin was a brain wave. A child who would stand at the pinnacle of Winchester. A quick thinker, to say the least, and he held the organizations of the entire country in the palm of his hand. Without Evan, he would have taken over the empire. ¡°Ueung¡­¡­¡± But even a black flame can¡¯t see into a person¡¯s thoughts. Even the Shadow of the Abyss can only indirectly reveal the memories a person has been through. So the fact that I have this status window floating in front of me will never be known. ¡°I wish this was a little bigger and easier to find in the dresser¡­¡± And just in time, I heard Maya¡¯s rambling and her footsteps. She had brought along the muffler. Jin whispered to me one last time, almost threatening. ¡°I keep thinking differently today, Sasha.¡± A moment later, he backed away from my bed. After taking the muffler from her, I watched him walk away without a backward glance and let out a small sigh. Maya, oblivious to my pace, was enjoying herself, saying, ¡°Everyone likes you¡±. And then a warning popped up in front of me. [¡ùCausality rate with a specific person has reached 5%] [¡ùPlease be careful, your causality reading is very high for your level] I suddenly remembered the scene from my dream. Swearing under my breath, I pulled up the character view. Sure enough, as I suspected, my causality with Jin Winchester was newly above 5%. * * * Beads of sweat trickled down his fine jawline. The wooden knife drew a sharp line, and the needle-like black energy from the knife pierced the scarecrow with a brilliant stab. The scarecrow cracked and shattered. Staring at it, Othello sheathed his wooden sword. And then he heard the sound of footsteps. He didn¡¯t have to turn to know who it was. That¡¯s what happens when brothers are born at the same time. ¡°I see you¡¯ve improved from last month.¡± The voice came from Jin. ¡°I¡¯m not there yet.¡± His breathing, which had been a bit labored, was now even and steady. He sheathed his wooden sword and turned around. ¡°Sasha seemed fine, though a little shaken up.¡± ¡°And father.¡± ¡°He dissolved the Afinizu, which was the right thing to do.¡± Othello paused, but then nodded. It was no secret that the Afinizu, no matter how historic, was of little use to the current House of Winchester. It would be better to get rid of it. By now, the sky had turned gray and the dusk was settling on the earth. ¡°Soon it will be night.¡± Othello thought back to earlier. A cold fire burned in Othello¡¯s eyes when he heard that Afinizu had tried to use Shadow of the Abyss on Sasha. But unlike when he had tried to pounce on Chenoa, he had listened to Jin. Jin had told him to wait, that he¡¯d be back to assess the situation. There was no denying that he was quicker to assess the situation than Othello was. The red of the sunset mingled with the blue of the night, coloring Jin¡¯s sky-blue hair. Jin¡¯s lips twisted. ¡°How about we go hunting for a change?¡± The corners of Othello¡¯s mouth twitched upward at Jin¡¯s words. ¡°Sounds good.¡± For those with Winchester blood running deep through their veins, the night was a great playground. CH 20 ¡°Baron Bashiron has been ambushed, Miss.¡± Maya¡¯s words, heard as soon as I woke, brought me back to yesterday¡¯s events. The Afinizu had been held, and I had been nearly attacked by Bashiron, the uncle of Recardo. Just as I was beginning to wonder if Recardo, with whom he seemed conflicted to begin with, was responsible, Maya added an explanation. ¡°They say it involves orphans from the Rosento underworld, which is a shame. He¡¯s got poisoned arrows in both legs and won¡¯t be able to walk much longer.¡± The note of shame in this was that he¡¯d been attacked by a bunch of orphans. To be weak in the Winchester family is a disgrace. But I couldn¡¯t help but think of something at the mention of Rosento¡¯s orphans. The Winchesters, as sons of a villainous family, ruled the underworld from an early age, and by the time the story really gets going, Rosento¡¯s underworld was all under their control. If the first contact between Jin, Othello and Rosento¡¯s underworld was earlier than in the book¡­¡­. ¡®No way¡­¡­ I think it¡¯s too far-fetched. There¡¯s no reason for that.¡¯ I shook my head at the thought, wondering if it was because of my near-death experience with Bashiron. Even though Jin and Othello were becoming quite close to me, unlike in the original, the brothers were still far from the type of people who would empathize or sympathize with another person. ¡°Milk.¡± ¡°Milk? Just a minute.¡± Maya went to heat the milk, and I stared out through the blue window. Then I reached out my hand. My arms were still chubby and short, and my hands were still fluffy and cute. ¡®When will I grow up¡­¡­ it¡¯s frustrating.¡¯ I was already two years old. But I still walked like a baby, and my first words seemed a long way off¡­¡­. (E/N: Developmental milestones in English dictate that babies should be speaking single words before reaching one year old. Because of how Koreans count birthdays (you¡¯re considered ¡°one¡± the year that you are born, and turn two on your first anniversary of being born), this baby might actually be closer to having lived about one year. But she already had emerging teeth for her chai berries? Questioning it makes my brain hurt so I just won¡¯t.) It was quite hard to live in a baby¡¯s body with a grown-up mind. The good news is that I sleep a lot; I spend half of the day asleep. It¡¯s just a matter of waking up a few times and the day goes by, so time flies. Still, I can¡¯t wait to¡­¡­ grow up and have a little more freedom. There are so many things I want to explore. ¡°Miss, here¡¯s some milk.¡± Maya handed me the heated milk and spoke. ¡°Would you like to wait with the newly assigned maids? There¡¯s the matter of Robin¡¯s assignment, and I think I need to see the butler to get an explanation of the budget allocated to the young miss.¡± At the mention of Robin, I remembered what Recardo had said yesterday about assigning me a knight. I nodded, and Maya chuckled. ¡°At times like this, you seem to understand everything I say.¡± I watched for a moment as Maya left and two maids closed the door behind her. One had short brown hair and freckles, the other wore her straw-coloured hair in a ponytail. The maids, who looked a little older than Maya, gave me a quick glance and began to chatter amongst themselves. ¡°This is the farthest thing from the young master, so what¡¯s the point of living here?¡± ¡°The Duke didn¡¯t give us a second glance when we wiped the dust from his office, and the young masters aren¡¯t any different, and Rowen is just as uptight.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the life of maids like us ¨C we never get to stand out from the crowd.¡± Looking at their expressions, they looked like pretty bad older sisters. Before Maya left, they had been very calm, but now that it was just me, the baby, they showed their true colors. Judging from their conversation, they were maids from the north wing. They must have felt demoted because they were assigned to work under me, a young girl with no influence in the family. ¡°This place here¡­.. She¡¯s not even worthy of being called ¡®Master¡¯.¡± The maid looked at me and sighed openly. I puffed up my cheeks, but the maid turned her gaze to her colleague as if I wasn¡¯t even worth looking at. ¡°Why, I heard that the Afinizu were abolished because of that young lady?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­No way, I hate children.¡± ¡°Actually, so do I. Unless they are aspiring young masters.¡± Taking advantage of Maya¡¯s absence, she sat down on the guest sofa. The other maid sat across from her and leaned back, neither of them seemingly intent on watching the little girl. Well, it wasn¡¯t incomprehensible, but I couldn¡¯t help but not like it. They exchanged a few more words and then dozed off. I took advantage and slid down the bed. I took a very careful step and looked over at them, and they had already dropped their heads down. It had been about half an hour since Maya had left. ¡®Time to explore the mansion.¡¯ It was a clumsy gait, but I could walk now, so it was worth a try. After all, with the Afinizu disbanded and everyone going home, there¡¯s nothing to threaten me in this mansion with the Winchester name¡­¡­. I shouted a challenge inwardly and cautiously left the room. * * * ¡°Did you hear that the Taylors have sent a menacing letter? Oh, I wonder what the Duke will do.¡± ¡°They had better be damned by now. Winchester¡¯s men are ready.¡± I jerked my head back as I overheard the conversation between the friendly-looking maid and the armored soldier. ¡°All these men are a bunch of warlocks anyway.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shame the hypocrites shun them when they show their darker faces.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not surprised. By the way, would you like some fish pot pie? I¡¯ve baked plenty.¡± It was all too easy to get lost in the vastness of Winchester Manor, so it wasn¡¯t exactly my lack of a sense of direction. ¡®I thought this was the way to the west.¡¯ I muttered to myself and decided to walk forward, whatever that meant. ¡®Ah¡­¡­ I wish I had a map.¡¯ I looked at the status window, but sadly, there was no map feature. What do you expect from a system that labels a cute baby like me as ¡°unemployed?¡± Hmpf! I rounded the corner and immediately tripped over something. ¡°Ouch!¡± I bumped my forehead lightly, tears welling up in my eyes, but I managed to hold back a cry. It didn¡¯t hurt much, but it¡¯s a baby¡¯s instinct to cry when you fall down. There was no one to help me up, so I wobbled back to my feet. ¡°Huh?¡± Somehow, the hall felt a little darker than before I fell. Is this the right way¡­¡­? I couldn¡¯t hear the voices of the maid and the soldier anymore. And I saw a path I hadn¡¯t seen before. ¡°Hmm? What could be there?¡± Faced with a tunnel-like corridor that didn¡¯t seem to have people in it, I started walking straight ahead. If I keep walking, something will come out. Hopefully, I could escape¡­¡­ No, maybe I could find an independent path ahead. It was quite dark in the corridor, but I tried to walk bravely. Honestly, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little nervous. Oh, should I just turn around? Then I turned past a pillar and saw a black door. It was enormous, looked like it weighed a ton, and was inscribed with characters I couldn¡¯t interpret. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Naturally, I had no intention of entering. I was well aware of the rules in horror films. You don¡¯t go into a place like this and then expect nothing bad to happen to you¡­¡­. ¡°Eek!¡± Just as I was beginning to think I should turn around and head back the way I came, the door suddenly flew open. I blinked once, and found myself standing just inside the doorway. [An event has occurred]. [You have entered a special area.(1/1)] ¡°Ugh¡­¡­.¡± Frozen in place by the sound of the door closing, I didn¡¯t even have time to cry out. I froze with a terrified look on my face and thought. I don¡¯t know who brought me here, but I¡¯m a baby, and I want to just take a look at it¡­ [The area is unaffected by time outside]. With tears welling in my eyes, I looked back at the door, but it remained firmly closed. [Skills cannot be used in this area]. ¡®What the hell is a special area¡­¡­ I almost lost my nerves.¡¯ Fortunately, it didn¡¯t look like a room with monsters or bad guys. They said that even if you were bitten by a tiger, you would live as long as you stay awake. I strained my eyes and looked around the room. It was a luxurious room, but the layout seemed different from the rest of Winchester Manor. White marble everywhere, something Recardo would have frowned upon. ¡®And that¡­¡­ Taylors¡¯ crest?¡¯ I scratched my head and looked further around the room. There was a bookshelf with a few books on it, and I could see a desk. I grunted, climbed onto the chair and reached for the book on the desk. Surely this is where the crucial clue lies. But the book was too far away to reach, and I could barely make out the title. The moment I saw it, my mind went blank. I knew it! That¡¯s¡­¡­ I need to see that. It might be helpful, I thought. And a moment later. [The owner of the special area enters]. [User will automatically exit due to overcrowding]. I blinked at the new words and found myself in a darkened room. The back of a pink-haired figure stood there, unclothed, self-disinfecting a wound on his left shoulder. I made a small noise, and Othello turned his head to look at me. After a few seconds, I saw the space between his eyebrows narrow. ¡°Kid?¡± CH 21 Upon entering the , Evan Taylor paused for a moment. A slightly crooked chair caught his eye. This was his space, built with special artifacts, and no one else was allowed to enter. He straightened the chair nonchalantly and picked up the desk clock that sat on the dresser. It displayed the time by year, month, day, and hour. Evan tiredly fiddled with it, set it back, and sat down on the couch. Right now, the Taylor family was facing an unexpected threat. ¡®Public opinion in the Empire is not favorable. Sending an emissary to apologize would be¡­¡­.¡¯ Chenoa Taylors sent his well-spoken lieutenant to prison. ¡®There¡¯s a message that they¡¯re going to demand a hostage. You need to start preparing.¡¯ It was a situation Evan had never been in before, and he was curious to see what happened next. The odds were always in Taylors¡¯ favor, but this time it was strangely different. Due to internal issues, Recardo Winchester even removed the Afinizu. Winchester had come close to winning in the past, but the Afinizu had always been there to hold them back. To get rid of it so quickly is incredible¡­¡­. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Evan leaned his head back and closed his eyes. The exhaustion was wearing away at his mind. These days, even the briefest glimmer of hope felt meaningless. Whether or not he received a manifestation, Chenoa would gnaw at him. The position would be his, regardless of his free will. If the outcome is the same no matter what the process, then¡­¡­. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± He opened his eyes after a moment, listening to the tick, tick, tick of the clock. Then he stood up to go back. The next thing he saw was the book on his desk, open and torn. Evan¡¯s brow furrowed. He¡¯d overlooked the slight crookedness of the chair, but this was unmistakable evidence of an intrusion. This was a place where no one was supposed to be, except for him. ¡°Ha¡­¡­.¡± A low sound escaped his lips at the succession of variables that had never happened before. * * * ¡°How¡­¡­ did you even get here?¡± Othello turned to me. I stared at him in surprise, as taken aback as he was. Then he bent down and locked eyes with me. ¡°Are you here alone? Where¡¯s Maya?¡± I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. When I stopped staring in amazement, Othello raised his eyebrows in a vague understanding. ¡°I don¡¯t know how she looks after you, but here you are, wandering around alone. I¡¯m going to have to tell her off.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°And do you know how many dangers there are in the mansion, you little fearless kid.¡± I wanted to defend Maya, but I was still too much of a baby for that. But in the mansion¡­¡­ Are there many dangerous things? That was absurd. I wondered if the doors and rooms that had been moved earlier were of the same kind. I stared at him for a moment, then glanced at his shoulder, which he had been disinfecting earlier. It looked like a cut from something sharp. Where did he get hurt and why is he disinfecting himself like this? Is it a secret wound that he can¡¯t tell others about? ¡°Uhhhh¡­¡­¡­.¡± I pointed my finger at Othello¡¯s wound. ¡°What?¡± He said nonchalantly. ¡°This? I cut myself while playing.¡± What does a kid have to be playing with to hurt himself like that? ¡°Hoya, hoya.¡± Listening to my babbling, Othello twisted the corner of his lips into a pout. ¡°On the subject of kids, are you worried?¡± ¡°Mhh. Opyapya.¡± The Winchester brothers in the original story I¡¯d seen were epic villains and dangerous men, but the ones I was facing were still children. As much as I¡¯d like to avoid them,¡­¡­ I¡¯d still be worried if they got hurt. ¡°Hoya!¡± I clenched my fist and sent him a glare that demanded proper treatment. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± After staring at me for a long moment, Othello rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache. ¡°Damn, maybe I should have put it in a real rabbit cage.¡± He mumbled something unintelligible, mixed with a bitter laugh, then pushed himself up and began to put on his top. ¡°¡­¡­. a rabbit would resemble you.¡± He walked back over to me, grabbed my hand, and frowned. ¡°Come with me, troublemaker. I¡¯ll take you back.¡± His words were full of coldness, but his hand was warm. I could barely grasp his index and middle fingers, instead of the hands holding mine. Soon I was out of the room, still holding his hand. * * * The pale-faced maid, nervously looking around the nearby corridor, spotted me standing in the corner. She sighed and called for the other maid. ¡°She¡¯s here, ha. It¡¯s been a while.¡± The other maid came over with an angry look on her face and stopped in front of me. ¡°Miss, where the hell have you been running around like that?¡± The tips of her eyebrows arched upward. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you for ages. Annoying!¡± She rolled her eyes at me as if to say that she was condescending. ¡°You don¡¯t even understand, and all you do is run your mouth.¡± The maid who first spotted me arched an eyebrow. ¡°If you get out of line one more time, I¡¯m going to spank you, just like this.¡± She arched an eyebrow as she mimed a spanking in front of me. I felt very bad, even for a baby who couldn¡¯t speak. ¡°Ha, really. What is this because of one unlucky kid? I almost lost my liver.¡± ¡°What are you doing? Miss. Go back to your room and stop being such a nuisance.¡± They both seem to have similarly nasty personalities. When I refused to go in, the maid forcefully grabbed my arm and tried to lead me. But the moment she grabbed my arm, a serpent of black smoke struck her arm. (T/N: Muhaha ¡­Yes. Burn them ???) ¡°Ack!!!¡± The maid who grabbed my arm fell backwards in shock, and the other maid opened her eyes wide in surprise. She stiffened in surprise at the sight of Othello. ¡°Yo¡­¡­ young master¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Heuk¡­¡­.¡± There was a darkness in his eyes that betrayed his age. ¡°¡­¡­such a bunch of rubbish.¡± His eyes flashed. He was furious at the presumptuous behavior of the maids who had found me. ¡°How dare you.¡± There were strict class distinctions in this world, and I was probably pretty low down on the Winchester ladder. But that¡¯s just the Winchesters. To Jin Winchester or Othello Winchester, a mere commoner like a maid was nothing more than an object. ¡°You insult a Winchester child?¡± The maids turned pale at the sound of Othello¡¯s piercing, low voice. Othello Winchester. A monster who could easily take their lives, though not as easily as Jin Winchester, the heir to the family name. A decent position, and the vision of the black snake that appears when he unleashes the power of the black flame. They struck a visceral chord of great fear. ¡°Young master¡­¡­ I have committed a mortal sin.¡± The maid fell to her knees. ¡°Please forgive me. I was in a panic because the lady¡­¡­ had disappeared, and I made a great mistake in speaking¡­¡­..¡± The other maid fell to her knees as well, trembling like an aspen tree. ¡°A mistake?¡± Unlike Jin and Othello, who would be at the center of the family¡¯s power, the children¡¯s half-sister, Sasha Winchester, was thought to be unimportant and out of place in the background¡­¡­. Right now, Othello was displaying a frosty anger, as if he had been insulted. The black flame opened its mouth to reveal its fangs. ¡°I was wrong!¡± ¡°Miss ¡­¡­.I committed a sin worthy of death. Please, just once!¡± The maids looked as if they might faint at any moment as the snakes of black smoke swirled through the air, threatening to bite their throats in an instant. Their crass, bothered expressions from earlier were nowhere to be seen. But Othello¡¯s lips formed a cold line. ¡°Shut up and die, if you deserve it.¡± CH 22 ¡°Young Master!¡± Maya, who had come running up behind us, dropped to her knees in front of Othello. ¡°Where have you been going to be coming back only now?¡± Othello questioned with a raised eyebrow. ¡°I had to go to the butler for a while about the budget allocation for the young lady, so I left her in the care of some poorly trained maids, for which I apologize.¡± The maids shuddered and bowed; their faces ashen. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yes, well done, Maya. The maids deserved to be punished, but I, a baby, didn¡¯t have to watch a person die. I ran to Maya and put my hand on her shoulder. ¡°Maya.¡± Then I looked back at Othello. That¡¯s it, Othello. The story of was for all ages. Judging by the trembling of the maids, that was enough of a life lesson for them. Maya continued, ¡°Bring the new maids and¡­¡­ send those two to the north barn.¡± At those words, the maids covered their mouths with muffled sobs. The north barn, where they would dismember the monsters that had been hunted? I had heard that it was where slaves, not free people like maids, who owed debts they couldn¡¯t pay, were forced to work until they died. Either way, you can imagine the conditions must be harsh. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Othello¡¯s energy, which had felt like he was about to strangle the maids, was gradually fading away. After a while, he said to the maids. ¡°Consider yourself lucky to be alive.¡± Somehow it sounded like he was threatening to kill them the next time he saw them. Once he had cooled down, Maya stood up. Maya turned and glared at them, and the two maids backed away and disappeared. Othello stared at me for a long moment, then spoke for Maya to hear. ¡°For your information, I¡¯m not mad at you because you¡¯re a kid, so don¡¯t get any ideas.¡± I stood there, staring into those dark eyes. My eyes widened at the cold voice, and Othello averted his gaze. He turned around quickly and added, ¡°I just won¡¯t stand by and watch the Winchesters be insulted by a maid.¡± Maya kept her back to him until he disappeared down the corridor. Behind him, the aura of the black flame still lingered. * * * ¡°Miss¡­¡­ I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re back safe and sound. It¡¯s my fault for leaving you to those people, but you shouldn¡¯t be wandering around like that either. It could have been dangerous.¡± I avoided Maya¡¯s gaze as she settled me on the bed and sighed. Well, a mistake is a mistake. ¡°Are you hurt anywhere? Did you fall or something?¡± Maya examined my knees and legs. The delicate lace fluttered. Then she brought a bowl of warm water and washed my hands and feet clean. ¡°Milk, milk,¡± I babbled, and Maya smiled brightly. ¡°Okay, Miss.¡± While Maya had turned around to give me milk, I pulled out a piece of paper I¡¯d been hiding under my clothes. I had torn a page from the book in the room I had moved to earlier. I had originally intended to grab the whole book, but when I realized I¡¯d been sent home with the message that I¡¯d been banned the moment I grabbed the paper, it was the only thing I¡¯d been able to bring back with me. Recalling the title of the book , I started to read it. I was already familiar with the language, so it wasn¡¯t hard to read. [After a day without a red sunset, a dark night without a single star comes. Even if the source of darkness is rooted out, reality does not change. That source comes from the Taylors. At least the Winchesters didn¡¯t create a vicious technique like Kaisa. The world is filled with eternal destruction, and I am alone. This is the twenty-seventh.] This is not the same novel I knew as . This was more like someone¡¯s own diary. I went to read it over again. [The world is filled with eternal destruction, and I am alone. This is the twenty-seventh.] I noticed that the handwriting was a little messier than the previous sentences. I wondered who had written this. Was it the owner of the room I had been in? And what does the number twenty-seven mean? Destruction, an ominous and unsettling word. There was nothing I could make out of it. ¡°Miss, I¡¯ve got milk.¡± I looked at the bottle of milk in front of me, and being a good girl, I grabbed it with both hands. The warmth of the bottle soothed my frightened heart. * * * ¡°Eugh¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Heuheuk¡­¡­.¡± Robin looked questioningly at the two maids as they came out, their shoulders hunched with tears. He had just returned from tidying up the Roxen estate. He¡¯d been expecting to be appointed as bodyguard to the promising young master Jin Winchester, but instead he¡¯d been asked to be a Knight of the Youngest Lady¡­..It was a bit of a depressing surprise. He wondered if his chances of rising in the Winchester family were over. ¡°Why are those maids crying in broad daylight?¡± At Robin¡¯s words, the elder maid near him clicked her tongue and shook her head. ¡°I knew it would happen to them, running around chattering away. You should have listened to them when they gave you advice, so you wouldn¡¯t end up in the dumps.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe how much the mansion has changed in a year.¡± Hearing that, Robin looked around. The walls towered in the distance, and Winchester Manor stood like a sturdy fortress. ¡°What on earth do you mean it¡¯s changed¡­¡­.¡± Robin looked around and stopped when he saw maids placing sponge-like cushions along the edges of the doors. The sharp edges and structures were covered with cushions, and they were placed around his knees to his waist. It was as if they were tailored to the height of someone. Now that he thought about it, he noticed that they had been attached everywhere. ¡°What are these?¡± Their purpose was unclear. ¡°It¡¯s something to prevent you from falling and hitting your forehead.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Or to prevent you from cutting your hand or bumping into something.¡± Robin raised an eyebrow. As far as he knew, there were no cripples in the manor who couldn¡¯t walk. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯d last long, knight, seeing as how you don¡¯t have a clue.¡± The old maid clicked her tongue in regret. ¡°Tell me what happened.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The masters don¡¯t like their stories talked about in public. They¡¯re rather reserved, you know.¡± Robin didn¡¯t understand the older woman¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s just our job to suit our masters¡¯ moods and not cause offense. Good luck with that, knight,¡± the old woman said, and left. ¡°Good luck with what?¡± He was still standing there, not understanding. ¡°Mmm~ Mmm?¡± A servant carrying a large basket of fruit swept past Robin. The nobles of Winchester didn¡¯t like sweets, not even the children, so it was hard to smell anything sweet in the manor. But there was a sweet scent of puree wafting from far away. ¡°What the hell¡­¡­ has changed¡­¡­.¡± Robin was muttering when he felt an eerie sensation behind his back. Robin stopped dead in his tracks and turned around, his hands twitching involuntarily. How could such an aura emanate from a young boy? For Robin, a powerful knight but a mere mortal, it was an aura of wonder. All the more reason to be disappointed that he could not be the knight of Jin Winchester in front of him. ¡°Sir Robin.¡± The sound of Jin¡¯s voice brought Robin to his senses, and he bowed. ¡°Greetings, Young Master Jin.¡± Emitting a thick black flame, Jin strode over to Robin and stopped. His presence was overwhelming, like a giant approaching. Then his lips curled. ¡°I see that you wish to play with your master today.¡± With that, Robin¡¯s head snapped up and he looked up at Jin. Jin¡¯s cool green eyes were dark with interest. ¡°Play means¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I wanted to make sure you were worthy.¡± Robin stared at Jin nervously, seeing the vivid black flames behind him. If he was worthy¡­¡­. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Instantly, the words of the old woman came back to him. The protective gear at the height of a child, and maids who looked at them with strangely terrified faces. Jin smiled a twisted smile that sent a chill down his spine. ¡°It¡¯s pretty important to me.¡± CH 23 Entering Recardo Winchester¡¯s office, Rowen reported with a grim expression. ¡°Robin got injured while playing with Young Master Jin and will likely not be back for several months.¡± ¡°And the extent of the injuries?¡± ¡°A dislocated right shoulder, a fractured left tibia, and a couple of broken finger bones.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to put Jin on probation for three months. Robin is to be paid one year¡¯s salary as compensation.¡± Without hearing more, Recardo knew what had happened. Rowen replied, ¡°Robin is at fault for failing to become skillful enough to be played with, and therefore the young master¡¯s diligence has to be rewarded.¡± Rowen was Robin¡¯s brother. Recardo raised an eyebrow and looked out the window. Jin Winchester, heir to the Winchesters who resembled him. Powerful enough to hold his own against dozens of soldiers, but his emotional processing hadn¡¯t yet advanced beyond that of a child. Only his brother, Othello, was an exception to Jin¡¯s outletless possessiveness and aggression. ¡°It¡¯s Jin¡¯s fault for not controlling his emotions.¡± As his father, he knew he had to give him a warning. It was obvious to him what Jin was trying to warn him about. He didn¡¯t want Maya alive for nearly putting Sasha in danger. But it was an uncharacteristic way for the child who was to become the heir to the Winchesters. ¡°Until Robin recovers, I will escort her, myself,¡± Rowen finished with a bow of his head. ¡°Do as you please.¡± Recardo¡¯s voice echoed in the office. A moment later, Recardo stood, and Rowen took a step back. It was easy to guess where he was going. It was dark outside the window. Recardo left his office and walked down the corridor. A long shadow followed him, along with Rowen. As they passed the north wing and headed south, the corners of the doors were cushioned. With an expressionless face, Recardo walked through, and Rowen followed behind him. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ A moment later, they arrived in front of a room on the second floor. Maya, who had just finished putting Sasha to bed, spotted him coming and covered her mouth to stifle a scream. Then she bowed deeply. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Leaving Maya and Rowen at the door, he entered Sasha¡¯s room. There was a deep silence in the room, with Sasha asleep, her hands stretched out above her head, oblivious to the world. Sasha¡¯s room smelled sweet. Something fruity, something like the sweetness of a pie, something out of place in Winchester. Behind him, a great black flame flared. It was enough to wake the deepest of sleepers, but Sasha slept softly, as if listening to a lullaby. Recardo stepped up to Sasha¡¯s bedside. ¡°¡­..ung.¡± Sasha was sleeping soundly, but she tossed and turned as she sensed his proximity. A small, fluffy hand caught his attention. A tiny hand that looked like it might break if he touched it. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± He stared at it for a moment, eyebrows furrowed, and was about to turn away when he heard a voice that sounded like it was laughing. ¡°Ehehe.¡± Sasha was smiling as if she were having a good time. Her small lips were upturned at the corners, and her closed eyes, covered with thick lashes, were smiling. She was probably having a good dream. ¡°Daddy¡­¡± mumbled the soft, babyish voice. His eyebrows twitched, and he studied Sasha for a long moment. Sasha was sleeping soundly again, seemingly drifting back to sleep. Recardo¡¯s eyebrows furrowed and his lips pursed. ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯m not familiar with this,¡± his voice trailed off. A moment later, he stepped out of Sasha¡¯s room. Maya waited, her head bowed deeply. Recardo walked back down the corridor he¡¯d come from. When he was some distance away, Maya looked up, put a hand to her chest, and let out a small sigh. ¡°¡­¡­ again.¡± Maya smiled to herself. ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re paying attention, aren¡¯t you?¡± * * * [Name: Sasha Winchester (LV.2)] [Occupation : Unemployed] [Trait : Rattle Master (Strength+3)] The year went by at a pretty fast pace. There were some minor incidents with Jin and Othello, but I grew up anyway. And just like that, I was a three-year-old baby! I¡¯m still Sasha Winchester, unemployed, but a few things have changed for me too. For one thing, I can now tie my hair into a ponytail, but don¡¯t be fooled by that. I still don¡¯t have a lot of hair. Maya ties it up every morning, and when I look in the mirror, I can actually tell I am a girl and not just an androgynous baby. My profile in the status window now shows a lovely picture of myself in a ponytail. And I can walk pretty well now. I can walk 50 meters without falling over. Most impressive of all, I am no longer wearing diapers. I used to feel so self-conscious about my lack of control, but now I¡¯m using the word ¡°poop¡± to indicate that I need to go to the bathroom. And now. ¡°Squeeze¡­¡­hey, hey!¡± I was throwing a little tantrum as Maya tied my hair into a bun and pulled it back hard. ¡°I¡¯m being gentle, miss.¡± ¡°Front part!¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be gentler.¡± I sat back, feeling Maya¡¯s touch become a little softer. ¡°You¡¯ll have to behave yourself around the duke today. It¡¯s a big day.¡± There was a reason Maya had been taking such great care this morning. ¡°Don¡¯t break any plates like you did at the last dinner, okay?¡± It was an important occasion: a once-a-year gathering of all the Winchesters. For three days, the manor would be quite noisy with guests. ¡®Is Bashiron coming?¡¯ I hadn¡¯t heard from him since the ambush a year ago, when I was told he was quite badly wounded. I still tremble at the thought of him trying to use Shadow of the Abyss on me. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ ¡°I hope you do not get offended by the cranky nobles, my lovely lady,¡± Maya said as she finished tying up my hair. ¡°Though I¡¯m sure the duke and the young masters would not be so forgiving.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I answered with a nod. My tongue isn¡¯t rolling quite as skillfully as it should, and I¡¯m still struggling with pronunciation. So, there wasn¡¯t much I could say yet. ¡°Are you feeling well?¡± I heard Maya¡¯s voice from behind me, but my gaze was drawn to myself in the mirror. A little green-eyed baby with chubby, cute cheeks stood in the mirror. The silver hair tied back in two ponytails was pretty cute. I was wearing a purple-colored dress, and my reflection in the dress was like a doll standing on its own. I looked so cute and adorable that even I couldn¡¯t help but admire myself. ¡°Maya!¡± ¡°Yes, miss.¡± After admiring my face for a while, I reached out to Maya for a hug. Maya hugged me gently with a pleased expression on her face. ¡°I¡¯ll carry you around. Since you¡¯re still young, His Excellency the Duke will understand¡­¡­.¡± When Maya opened the door, I saw two familiar faces. I was surprised to see Jin and Othello waiting for me. Maya was also a little surprised and asked, ¡°Young masters, why are you here?¡± Today¡¯s Jin and Othello seemed more decorated than usual. Perhaps the maids had done their best to dress them up. After a quick glance at Othello¡¯s stern expression, Jin spoke first. I could see myself in his dark gaze. ¡°I¡¯m here to escort her.¡± CH 24 The dome-shaped assembly hall at Winchester Manor. Normally closed, it was opened for three days once a year during the ¡®Dark Feast¡¯, a gathering of blood relatives with the Winchester surname. The official purpose is to worship the ¡°Black Dragon¡±, the source of the black salt in the family folklore. But the real purpose was for Winchester descendants to mingle, share information, collaborate, and show off their Winchester strength. On the second day after the party, each person would place one item into the Dark Goblet to prove that they had been chosen by the Darkness. And today was the first day of the ceremony. Strolling leisurely through the antique and ornate assembly hall, the guests enjoyed the view of the Winchester mansion. Magnificent music played non-stop, and the chefs continued to prepare new dishes and drinks. ¡°Have you heard the rumors about the lady?¡± ¡°What lady? She is the illegitimate daughter of a woman from Quenne who was not officially married.¡± ¡°They say she looks more like him than any of his sons. Silver hair, green eyes¡­¡­ kind of funny.¡± The people gathered around the table were muttering rumors about Sasha Winchester. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ ¡°Still, it¡¯s a chance to put pressure on the Taylors¡­. so, I¡¯m assuming the head of the family is interested.¡± ¡°Last year, Lord Bashiron had his eyes on her.¡± ¡°Perhaps it was the Taylors who were responsible for the raid? I heard Taylor¡¯s venom was found in the poisoned arrows.¡± ¡°His leg hasn¡¯t healed, and I hear they¡¯re bringing in a fairly famous healer this time, so maybe he¡¯ll get better.¡± More than half of the fifty or so people gathered here were related to Recardo Winchester within eight degrees of consanguinity. In fact, if you went beyond the eighth degree of consanguinity, you couldn¡¯t use the surname Winchester, and you couldn¡¯t use the power of black flame, so this was a gathering of people who could be called ¡°Winchesters¡± in the Empire. Some people were unhappy with him as a member of the Afinizu. ¡°It¡¯s not like him, there has to be something to it, with the raid on Bashiron and¡­¡­ the kid must have a secret.¡± One of them, Zestia, looked at the altar and pursed her lips. Since Sasha Winchester¡¯s birth, the things that had been happening in the Winchester household had been quite upsetting to her. It was bad enough that Recardo, the unsightly bastard, had taken over as head of the family, but the spies that Bashiron and Zestia had planted in the Winchester manor were losing contact. Then, just when it looked like they might finally be catching up ¡­¡­ Recardo overreacted. The youngest, a maiden, a mere child. ¡°It stinks.¡± At Zestia¡¯s side, her daughter Permetis raised her eyebrows. ¡°I will find out, Mother. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Permetis was seven years old, two years younger than Jin and Othello. She had wavy gray hair like Zestia¡¯s, and her eyes were red, like her slave father¡¯s. After Zestia gave birth to Permetis, she killed the male slave who had been her lover. Because that was the way to pass on the Winchester surname. ¡°My oppas are kind to me, so I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll tell me if I ask.¡± (E/N: Oppa in the older male friend/associate way, not the actual older brother way) Permetis was confident. Although the brothers Jin and Othello Winchester often ignored or despised other Winchesters their age, they were kind to her. Zestia spoke to Permetis in a commanding tone. ¡°Bring me a clue ¨C anything. Anything useful.¡± ¡°Yes, Mother.¡± Permetis planned to live up to Zestia¡¯s expectations. She had been taught the art of scheming and manipulation from the time she had begun to learn her letters and could easily outdo a child as young as ten. The other Winchester children, also trained from an early age, were no match for her. ¡°Uh, look, isn¡¯t that Jin?¡± At the sound of chatter, a moment later, Permetis glanced in the direction of the entrance. Compared to Othello, Jin was more conversational and had more manners and courtesy. But when they came into view a moment later, her brow furrowed slightly. ¡°Between Jin and Othello is that little baby¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Silver hair and green eyes. Is that the youngest?¡± The assembled crowd began to murmur. The members of the Afinizu turned to look at Sasha Winchester with meaningful eyes. Sasha Winchester had cute, ponytailed hair and a white, chubby face. Her large eyes were a sparkling green. The lavender dress she wore exuded a lovely aura, and the mood of this strangely dark place seemed to change completely as the baby walked along. On either side of Sasha Winchester were Othello and Jin. They weren¡¯t holding the baby¡¯s hand, but they were definitely walking side by side. Jin Winchester, cool and aloof, with sky-blue hair that mirrored Recardo¡¯s aura. And the pink-haired Othello Winchester, who exuded a fierce, feisty, ferocious air. All eyes turned to them at their entrance. * * * I stopped in my tracks. What the hell, why is the atmosphere so ferocious? I felt many eyes on me. Some of them were relatively harmless, but the temperature of their gazes ranged from suspicious to wary, as if I were more than a mere baby¡­¡­. Jin and Othello¡¯s expressions remained unchanged, as if they were used to it. The Winchester family motto was the rule of the strong. Normally, the child with the strongest black flame would be the next in line, but Recardo Winchester¡¯s father¡­¡­ Enoch Winchester, my grandfather, was not a patriarch. He was eliminated from contention and the seat of the House Head should have gone to Bashiron, but twelve years ago, when he was only seventeen, Recardo Winchester overwhelmingly defeated Bashiron and became the Head of the Household. And his successor would be Jin, just like the original. His black flame is just as strong as Recardo¡¯s, so he¡¯s more than a match for anyone. The only problem is, before he can take his first steps as head of the house, the family will be destroyed by Evan Taylors. ¡°Aiya¡­¡­¡± I should at least give these two a hint. They¡¯re annoying, but they haven¡¯t been mean to me. I looked at Jin and Othello and thought about it for a moment. I felt the guests¡¯ gazes on me fade, and the chatter resumed. A cheerful voice called out from the side. ¡°My brothers!¡± I turned to see a little girl with wavy hair, about seven years old. Her eyes were red, and her face was quite pretty. She looked like her mother, I thought, and then I made eye contact with Zestia, who was a few feet away. Zestia looked at me, twisted her lips into a pout, and turned her head away. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ What was that¡­¡­? I feel¡­¡­. ¡°Permetis.¡± Othello said the name in a flat tone with a raised eyebrow. It sounded a little like a response of annoyance. Jin didn¡¯t answer, but he smiled faintly, as if greeting a familiar face. ¡°I¡¯ve missed my oppas so much.¡± It was a genuine expression of emotion, one that would normally be reserved for a child of her age. She flashed a deep smile at Jin and Othello, her eyes sparkling. ¡°I think you¡¯re both taller than me, oppas. Peri¡¯s still too short.¡± Then she held out her hand and ran it through her hair. ¡°You were seven this year?¡± ¡°Yes, seven, and I wish I could be as tall as Othello-oppa. I¡¯ve been eating all the tori berries Jin-oppa told me about, but I¡¯m not big enough.¡± Adding a little charm, Permetis pouted a little. Jin smiled faintly. ¡°You¡¯ll be big soon enough.¡± Othello¡¯s expression was stony, and Permetis quickly smiled brightly. ¡°I¡¯m sure I will, but Othello-oppa is still a little shy today. I heard he won first place in the hunting competition, though. Wow.¡± I don¡¯t know about other things, but this kid, Permetis, seems to have great social skills. ¡°That¡¯s awesome, Othello-oppa, and congratulations.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Mmhhn.¡± He only said it half-heartedly, obviously uncomfortable with her. In , he was the number one antisocial personality. Despite his reaction, Permetis smiled and said to Jin. ¡°We have a lot of games at our summer house, and I¡¯m hoping my oppas will come over again this year to shoot some hunting and play with Peri.¡± Seeing Permetis smiling, Jin nodded. ¡°There are plenty of suitable ones in the Pashurit Mountains, but before that¡­¡­.¡± Jin looked at me. ¡°Did I introduce you to Sasha?¡± Her eyes widened as if she¡¯d just spotted me. ¡°Sasha! That¡¯s right, I heard about the baby, but it¡¯s the first time.¡± I think she could have asked earlier. ¡°I was so excited to see my oppas that I forgot to ask about the baby. Silly Peri!¡± Shrugging her shoulders, Permetis smiled brightly and said, ¡°Hi, baby, I¡¯m Peri.¡± As my face reflected on the red surface of those smiling eyes, I suddenly remembered the vaguely familiar name of Permetis. CH 25 was a fantasy novel, not a romance novel. Therefore, the story revolves around the main character, Evan Taylor, and there is no heroine ¨C although I don¡¯t know if that was the author¡¯s preference. The female characters had a very limited role. However, despite the lack of a love interest, there were at least two candidates for Evan¡¯s love interest in the readers¡¯ minds, one of which was Permetis Winchester. The other was a man, the Lord of the Magic Tower, Casillion. Permetis Winchester, the only daughter of Zestia Winchester. She is raised by Zestia to be a wicked villain, but when she meets Evan Taylor as a teenager, she is swayed by his righteous ideas. She eventually befriends him, passing on confidential information about the vicious Winchesters to him, and is instrumental in Evan¡¯s capture of the Winchesters. For the Winchesters, it¡¯s a stab in the back. The real twist here is her relationship with Othello Winchester. He became obsessed with her to the point where he would do anything for his eighth cousin, Permetis. The moment he became obsessed¡­¡­ was after Permetis got lost in the summer and nearly died because of his mistake. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ It seems to have been after she hugged him and said, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay, brother,¡± when Othello offered an insincere apology. Anyway, even on death¡¯s doorstep, after learning of Permetis¡¯s betrayal, Othello says to her, ¡®I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe as well¡¯. Othello, a sociopathic psycho and one of the story¡¯s main villains, dies on a very emotional note. It was an episode that had a lot of comments about how it was a love story and how people shouldn¡¯t glorify crazy villains. But this kid¡­¡­ is that Permetis? ¡°¡­¡­.¡± There was something ominous about my reflection in her red eyes. ¡°She can¡¯t talk yet; she¡¯s a baby. Awww, she¡¯s so cute.¡± It was foreboding. Before she met Evan Taylor, she was raised to be a villain. And after falling for Evan¡­¡­ she becomes a traitor in the eyes of the Winchesters. As a reader, hearing Permetis say that she was skeptical of Winchester¡¯s brutal, dark life and now wanted to bring light to the world was quite welcome, but¡­¡­. I am a Winchester. Sasha Winchester. A character who, in the original series, rose and fell with the Winchesters. Of course, I would eventually escape and become independent somehow, but she was not a welcome character to me. I had an instinctive reaction. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡­.¡± I reflexively took two steps back and grabbed Othello¡¯s arm. He turned to me with his eyebrows raised. ¡°Ba¡­¡­by?¡± I could see Permetis¡¯s eyes waver a little. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t want to be friendly with you.¡¯ ¡°I won¡¯t. Geez!¡± Jin observed the awkward pause for a moment, then spoke. ¡°You¡¯re a stranger, Peri.¡± ¡°A stranger? What¡¯s that, brother? You don¡¯t hate Peri, do you?¡± Permetis asked, looking at Jin with concern in her eyes. ¡°She¡¯s just wary of strangers, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯re a stranger to Sasha.¡± ¡°¡­..I¡­. I see. Do you think Peri was like this as a baby?¡± ¡°Mmh.¡± The usually bubbly and cheerful Permetis looked a little embarrassed. ¡°Peri wants to get to know the baby, too, so we¡¯re going to spend some time together at the summer mansion¡­¡­.¡± She glanced up at Othello. She looked at him for comfort, but instead he grabbed my hand. ¡°Come here. You don¡¯t have to put up with this.¡± Permetis¡¯ eyebrows twitched as he turned away from her with me. Then she froze, looking at me as if she¡¯d been hurt. I stumbled to my feet, dragged by Othello, and heard Jin soothing Permetis behind me. ¡°Oh¡­¡­ brother¡­¡­.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t like it when Sasha cries. Peri should stay out.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­ yes. But I¡¯m so¡­¡­.¡± I stumbled forward, barely managing to match the quick steps of Othello. The angle of his eyebrows and the look of annoyance, same as always. I wonder what he doesn¡¯t like so much. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll grow to like Permetis later anyway¡­¡­. Othello¡¯s lips parted. ¡°I don¡¯t like her, and I don¡¯t like her mother.¡± He¡¯d come to like her later, but it would be a sad end¡­¡­. ¡°Don¡¯t you dislike her, too?¡± A pausing Othello asked, his eyebrows furrowed in displeasure, and for some reason my heart thumped as I remembered his future. * * * Recardo Winchester didn¡¯t show up until late in the party. Which was a pretty good choice, considering the mood of the party subsided as soon as he showed up. He was not dressed in formal attire for a party, but in a battle suit with a long cloak. The heavy sword sheath that gleamed with a dull light at his waist made a rattling sound. All eyes turned to Recardo as he took his seat at the head of the table, reeking of blood as if he had just killed a man. Even the armor of his aide, Rowen, was spattered with blood. ¡°The music is dull.¡± The orchestra leader flinched and bowed as Recardo took his seat. The music stopped, and the conductor¡¯s hands were visibly shaking. Recardo smirked and muttered in a low voice, ¡°I just came here from hunting, but everyone looks at me like a monster.¡± The black flames behind him were thick, though no one could blame him. Whether the hunt was for animals or people was unknown. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ Zestia¡¯s expression, which had been haughty and arrogant as she greeted him, has darkened. ¡°Give me a drink.¡± Recardo Winchester, the man who all the attendees fear, admire, and are wary of¡­¡­, the head of the Winchesters. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Taking the goblet from his aide, Rowen, Recardo cleared his throat and spoke again. ¡°Play me something pleasant enough to wash away the smell of blood, for it would be a shame for the host to spoil the mood on a good day.¡± ¡°At your service, your Excellency,¡± The maestro replied in a high-pitched voice and began to gesture vigorously. The grand but calm song has been changed to a cheerful but warlike song. The people who had been watching him like mice began to speak up, but it was a far cry from the atmosphere before his arrival. As I ate the fruit Maya was feeding me, I stared blankly at him. Recardo Winchester was clearly the most powerful of the Winchesters. Not only because of his good looks, which outshone every other adult male and female, but also because of his intense Black Flame presence. I¡¯m sure I wasn¡¯t the only one who felt overwhelmed the moment he walked in. ¡°¡­¡­Hiccup.¡± ¡°Miss?¡± And I started to hiccup when the harsh-looking gaze of Recardo turned to me. There were a lot of people, and I was a good distance away from him, so I didn¡¯t expect him to look at me. Our eyes met. I hiccupped and quickly turned my head away. I thought I saw the corner of his mouth lift for a moment. When I looked at him again, cautiously, he was talking to the Winchester nobles who had approached him. They looked like they were bending down to ask him for something, and he was looking high and mighty. Ugh. Turning my attention to his sword sheath, I shuddered. ¡°Hiccup.¡± ¡°Oh, are you cold, Miss?¡± Maya draped the shawl she¡¯d brought over my shoulders. Othello was a couple of feet away, sipping lime juice. Three or four kids my age came close to us, and when Othello glared at them, they gasped, turned around, and disappeared. Maya looked at him and chuckled, ¡°Your debut in society may be a long time away, but your debut in the clan is a success, Young Miss.¡± I didn¡¯t respond to the incomprehensible remark. ¡°I can¡¯t believe the young masters themselves would escort you here.¡± I had heard that no matter how direct one¡¯s lineage is, if one is weak or out of place, one can be ignored and bullied. The book Maya had read to me said something similar. But the moment I arrived, escorted by Jin and Othello, people seemed to have lost the will to say anything about me. Perhaps today¡¯s me was strongly imprinted on everyone¡¯s minds. And then I heard Maya whisper, ¡°For your information¡­¡­ His Excellency the Duke has ordered it.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but gasp a little. ¡°Hiccup.¡± I looked at Duke Recardo. In the original, and even now, he was a human being far from attentive. A ¡®dark king¡¯, born in darkness, raised in darkness, living in darkness. If he did something, there was a sinister reason for it all. Was he really looking at me favorably? Having read the original, I was not convinced. So, until I could figure out what he was thinking, I would keep my guard up. He was alone, emptying his glass, and there was darkness in his eyes. Suddenly, a status window popped up in front of me, one that I remembered seeing before. CH 26 The moment I read the message, I remembered an event from a year ago. When I left my room alone and got lost, I was taken to a place called a ¡°Special Area¡±. And there was a diary-like book called . I wondered if it would still be there if I went back into that room. There¡¯s only so much you can get out of a single torn page, and since I didn¡¯t know when the special area would open again, I couldn¡¯t pass up the opportunity. The party was in full swing, and I had to find a way to outsmart Maya. With Othello still hovering close by, I wasn¡¯t sure what to do. And even though Recardo was farther away, he was still close enough to see me if I misbehaved. My last skill manifestation had already made a strange impression on him, and I didn¡¯t want to do anything more suspicious. How could I divert people¡¯s attention away from me¡­¡­. ¡®Right. That¡¯s it!¡¯ And at that moment, I remembered an item I had forgotten. I opened my inventory and saw two items. [Tight shoes] [A ball of surprise] It was explained that the shoes will let anyone who thinks of you know where you are, and the ball will draw everyone¡¯s attention for about a minute. I was nervous about whether this would work, but I chose the latter. And that¡¯s when I heard the giggles. ¡°There¡¯s a little monster crawling around ?¡± And the little ball that had suddenly protruded from the width of my skirt, , began to move forward as if it had wheels on the bottom. It was very colorful and had a tacky design, but the surprise ball was spinning and moving forward at a very high speed. ¡°I¡¯m going to be a butterfly, a fancy caterpillar?¡± The cheerful nursery rhyme continued. ¡°Oh my, what is that?¡± ¡°Is that one of the little ladies¡¯ or young masters¡¯ toys ¨C who brought it?¡± Of course, the catchy lyrics and melodies that feel like you¡¯ve heard them before were an added bonus. The surface of the surprise ball constantly flashed in different colors, making it hard to look away. ¡°I don¡¯t know where they made this, but it¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°It keeps singing. Is it a magic stone?¡± Naturally, everyone¡¯s eyes went wide. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ This was a world where simple modern technology was made possible by magic stones, or alchemy. Machines made of special stones could record and project images, and light bulbs were made to illuminate. So, the reaction of these people was not all that strange. ¡°No way, a gemstone is too big for a child¡¯s toy¡­¡­.¡± ¡°They took Zestia¡¯s mine, so the family must be rich.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s really cute. It would be great to attach a poisonous stinger to it and use it as a sneak attack weapon¡­¡­.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes went blank, as if hypnotized for a moment by the item¡¯s function. A quick glance at Othello¡¯s eyes revealed that he, too, had been drawn to the spectacle. ¡°Playing is the best! Gather around little friends ?¡± Oooh, a happy nursery rhyme medley. As I caught my reflection in the mirror on one side of the surprise ball, I remembered that I had a time limit. ¡®Oops, what am I doing? I need to run away.¡¯ I was so excited that I almost stared at myself in disbelief. Leaving Maya to stare in amazement, I moved quickly. I rounded the corner and saw the same long corridor as before. When I looked back, I saw nothing of the assembly. ¡®Oh, interesting.¡¯ After a short walk, I saw a large door in front of me. The door swung open, and I was instantly transported into the room. * * * This was the same room from a year ago. None of the furniture had changed its arrangement, and the color of the lighting remained the same. Still, I cautiously crawled across the room, pushing the chair with more force than I had ever done before and climbing onto it with a groan. Every day is remarkably new for a baby. Before, I struggled like that toward the top of the desk, but now that I¡¯ve grown up, I¡¯m different¡­.. ¡°Yay yay!¡± And I was struggling again. I can¡¯t reach it ¨C I can¡¯t reach it! I saw another book on the desk. This time, I really wanted to take that one and¡­¡­. ¡°Ugh!¡± My arms were short, so I barely caught hold of it. I put the book in my arms, and as soon as my feet touched the ground, the weight of the book caused me to buckle and fall right off the chair. ¡°Ouch¡­¡­.¡± It hurt. I almost started to cry. But, no. I barely held back the urge to cry and shifted my gaze to the book. Nice to see you again, ¡­¡­? Huh? But the book from the desk was not the book I knew. It was untitled, and the pages were thinner than I¡¯d ever seen. It was more like a notebook than a book. The only thing that made it feel a little heavier was the quill pen. When I opened the section with the quill, I was stunned. [Who are you?] The handwriting on the page pierced my brain. The handwriting bore a striking resemblance to that of the writing in . The owner of this room. If so, then was also written by the owner of this room, right? I could only guess, but I couldn¡¯t tell for certain. Staring at the page, I picked up the quill pen. Even the quill felt heavy and clunky to me, and my hand shook as if I were suffering from hydrocephalus, but I carefully wrote each letter in Janut language. (T/N: Hydrocephalus is a neurological disorder caused by an abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles (cavities) deep within the brain. This excess fluid causes the ventricles to widen, putting harmful pressure on the brain¡¯s tissues.) [Who are you, then?] I¡¯ll be honest, I was a little upset that I couldn¡¯t get a copy of . I had come all the way to this room to get the book, and all I got was this note. Gritting my teeth, I put the quill back in the book and slid down the chair, leaving it on the table. I didn¡¯t have the confidence to put the note back on the desk. Ha¡­ okay. I¡¯ll just have to come back another time and check. I¡¯d been told before that this place is unaffected by time, so I should be in the same time zone when I return. Hopefully Recardo or the others hadn¡¯t noticed. I moved towards the door. * * * Entering the square, Evan Taylors raised an eyebrow. It looked like someone had been there. Someone would have to be a genius or an alchemist to set foot in this square of special powers and complex formulas. The only person who could have done that was¡­¡­. ¡°¡­¡­This is not the time for Cassilion to show up.¡± Evan walked slowly over to the chair. On the chair was a note he had purposely placed, disguised as a book. It was meant to be a book, after all, since that¡¯s what they¡¯d torn a page from the last time. Evan opened the notebook to reveal the quill pen. His eyebrows rose as he saw the markings that answered his question. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ ¡°¡­¡­ Did they write it with their feet?¡± His normally reticent lips twitched for a moment at the absurdity of the markings. If he could get into the Square, he must be pretty good. The question, ¡®Who are you, then?¡¯ suggests that his intruder doesn¡¯t know anything about himself ¨C the owner of the Square ¨C or perhaps he was deliberately pretending not to. This was a square where only physical force could be used, without the use of powers or magical objects, and if the intruder had intended to attack the owner, he would have set up a trap. But there were no marks on the space other than those written on it. ¡®What were they thinking?¡¯ The crooked writing could not have been done by any normal person. The person must have been trying to hide their handwriting. ¡®Even if that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s terrible.¡¯ Evan arched an eyebrow at the slightly curved tip of the quill. He picked it up and scribbled on the next page. [It¡¯s shameless to intrude into someone else¡¯s space and ask who it is.] [I warn you. Do not enter my space again. If you ignore the warning¡­¡­..] As soon as the ink was dry, he closed it and placed it on his desk. Evan¡¯s brow furrowed slightly at the presence of the unwelcome intruder. Even the breeze of change was unwelcome. Although¡­¡­ it did feel a little refreshing. As he turned his head, something on the floor glinted. Bending down, Evan picked it up. A small piece of jewelry, about the length of his palm, stretched out on Evan¡¯s hand. CH 27 ¡®F*ck, I¡¯m doomed.¡¯ That¡¯s what I thought as soon as I saw the badly smashed surprise ball coupled with Recardo stepping on it and glaring at me. The effects of the ball no longer lasted, and all of the people in the blindsight had regained their senses. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Maya¡¯s eyes snapped to me, and she exclaimed, ¡°Oh, Miss! When did you go there?¡± Maya rushed at me as I popped out from behind a pillar. I was glad that unlike last time, I was still in the right place. Otherwise, I might have raised even more suspicions about me¡­¡­ No, things don¡¯t look good for me right now¡­¡­. ¡°You¡­¡­.¡± Othello seemed to raise an eyebrow. He hadn¡¯t caught me in the wrong place, had he? The original Recardo Winchester was sharp and perceptive enough to easily spot the ambush of trained assassins. My heart pounded as I stared into his dark green eyes. ¡°This¡­¡­.¡± I flinched as his red lips curled. The shattered surprise ball at his feet seemed to hint at my future. Maybe I¡¯d gotten so drunk on the attention that I¡¯d forgotten he was a fearsome villain. Fear rushed through me. ¡°¡­..Is it yours?¡± Recardo finished. I froze and stared at him, his murderous gaze penetrating my soul despite the considerable distance between us. I couldn¡¯t make out the meaning of his glare. Was it an accusation for ruining the party, or did he realize I had done something? Maya looked flustered and at a loss for words. ¡°I don¡¯t think any of your toys looked¡­¡­. like this one¡­..¡± The room fell silent, and I clenched my fists. Jin¡¯s eyes, Permetis¡¯s eyes, Zestia¡¯s eyes¡­¡­ all of them were on me. If I messed up here, I could be in big trouble¡­¡­. So, this is the only way. It was the same moment my mouth fell open. And at that moment, Recardo¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Sa¡­¡­ Sasha!¡± This body is just three years old. It is not strange for a three-year-old toddler to cry anytime and anywhere. It¡¯s natural to cry when you make eye contact with a scary person! ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡­.¡± My eyes quickly began to fill with tears. But I tried not to make a sound. The point of this move is to look like you¡¯re trying to hold back your pitiful tears. You look more pitiful when you¡¯re clenching your fists and shedding tears like this than when you¡¯re crying out loud. It makes it hard to ask for more. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ ¡°Heuk¡­¡­.¡± I choked out, engrossed in making my weeping as gut-wrenching as possible. Jin and Othello, who had been staring at me, looked at Recardo. ¡°Ah¡­¡­ Miss¡­¡­.¡± I heard Maya¡¯s voice. I was so focused on crying that I actually felt nauseous. ¡®Don¡¯t ask me anything.¡¯ I hadn¡¯t realized that the surprise ball would shatter so easily on physical impact. They should have put a disclaimer on it. Heuk. Recardo was still looking at me. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± After a moment, he sighed with a furrowed brow and opened his mouth. ¡°Come here.¡± I sobbed and stepped in front of him, giving him a good look at my face. I must have looked pretty pitiful, because I saw his eyebrows wiggle once more. After looking at me for what seemed like an eternity, he placed his hand on my forehead and spoke to Maya. ¡°Take the child back inside.¡± Maya bowed hastily. ¡°Yes, Your Excellency the Duke.¡± * * * After a restless night, I heard the news of the day. My nervous sobbing in front of Recardo in the middle of the night had made some of my relatives less wary of me. The sight of me sobbing uncontrollably had even generated some sympathy. ¡®She lost her mother when she was born, and she must have had a pretty rough upbringing amongst that fierce duke and her half-brothers,¡¯ they thought. ¡®And the way she cried was quite pitiful.¡¯ And yesterday¡¯s ball was discarded. ¡°Where did that toy come from, seriously¡­¡­.¡± Maya asked me, but I only responded with babbling. ¡°Everything that comes into the Winchesters is thoroughly inspected, from needles to wardrobes, and that includes your toys¡­¡­.¡± Maya said as she tied up my hair. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like that before, and I think the duke was wary that the young miss might be in danger.¡± Quality assurance probably wasn¡¯t the only reason for the thorough inspections. The Winchesters had many enemies. Enemies both external and internal. And on days like yesterday, it was hard to tell which was which. ¡®Is it possible that Recardo¡­¡­ is worried about me?¡¯ He looked at me coldly, his eyes lacking the warmth of concern that they always had. The original Recardo was not a man who trusted or loved anyone. Even if they were his children. ¡°No.¡± My reflection in the mirror was that of an innocent, cute three-year-old baby. No one would suspect me of anything yet, but I would have to be careful with my behavior in the future. ¡°Miss, there¡¯s a ceremony this evening where they put things in the Dark Goblet, and that fire is for burning offerings to the Black Dragon¡­¡­ I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have a great time tonight.¡± White smoke could be seen rising from several places outside the window. ¡°I wonder what kind of fireworks young master Jin will show us; I heard they were really cool last year.¡± ¡°What?¡± It was an annual ritual in Winchester. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty fire, and when you¡¯re older, you can put things in the goblet.¡± The Black Dragon, the eponymous source of the Winchesters¡¯ affinity for night and darkness. When you make a sacrifice to it, you are confirmed as a descendant of the Black Dragon by the color of the flames that burn from the Dark Goblet. The color and intensity of the flames are used to determine whose abilities are stronger and who is chosen to succeed the Black Flame. In a family where strength and power played an important role, it was also a way of confirming each other¡¯s strength without staining the clan with blood. ¡°Oh my, the young masters are back.¡± I turned at Maya¡¯s words and saw pink and light blue hair bobbing through the courtyard beneath my window. Recardo, Jin, and Othello had gone hunting, and only two had returned. They were both riding black horses, which stood out against the color of their light hair. I was wiping my cheeks with a white towel when Othello suddenly looked up. ¡°Miss, is Prince Othello looking here?¡± Flinching at the words, I hid my face. Through the window, I think I caught a glimpse of his smiling face. He quickly turned his head again to speak to Jin. ¡°Are you ashamed, Miss?¡± I turned my head, oblivious to Maya, who was smiling brightly. Since yesterday, I¡¯d been thinking that I needed to keep my distance from my family. The more attention I get from them, the more I am constrained in my behavior. And if they ever found out I was actually a reincarnation¡­¡­. I shuddered. The Winchesters are the worst villainous family in the Empire. I¡¯m just sitting on the small tip of the iceberg that has come to the surface. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s Robin.¡± Just then, I recognized the man¡¯s voice outside. Robin was a knight assigned to me about six months ago. He was supposed to be assigned to me sooner, but an injury delayed him. He¡¯s actually very friendly, a far cry from the arrogant, harsh knight I¡¯d imagined from reading the original. ¡°These are presents.¡± Maya¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of him. ¡°Sir Robin?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but be surprised, too. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ He was holding a bunch of new toys in his arms. A toy car and balloons, a stuffed cat, a stuffed teddy bear, a squishy ball of soft material, a giraffe toothbrush that seemed rather out of date to me now¡­¡­. There were also three balls that looked remarkably similar to the broken surprise ball from yesterday. And they all had red ribbons on them. Red ribbons stamped with the words ¡®Elle Toy Shop¡¯. A high-end toy store in Rosento, where most of my toys came from. ¡°No way ¨C I wonder how Sir Robin has so much money¡­¡­ this one is probably the monthly salary of a starting knight,¡± Maya commented, holding up a stuffed cat among the toys Robin had brought. Heck, is this really that expensive? I thought my allotted budget was pretty small since I didn¡¯t have a lot of toys, but apparently, it¡¯s not as small as I thought. But is it because I am a Winchester daughter? ¡°I didn¡¯t buy it, of course¡­¡­.¡± Robin said with a small sigh. ¡°They were all sent to me by her blood relatives.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just the way it is. I suppose that means there are some people out there who consider her favorably.¡± Was it just pity, or was it the fact that my brothers were there to escort me? I don¡¯t know what happened, but I felt good about having new toys. That¡¯s what gifts are supposed to do. I hugged the pink ball, which resembled the surprise ball, tightly. Robin leaned close to my ear. ¡°That was from His Excellency the Duke.¡± A replacement for the surprise ball he had destroyed yesterday. I suddenly remembered Recardo¡¯s face, looking at me with a complicated expression. CH 28 A purple flame burned brilliantly as Zestia placed her brooch in the goblet. Soon, a pale aura of black flame enveloped her body, and she smiled with satisfaction. Once a year, a member of House Winchester is recognized and bonded to the eponymous Black Dragon. The thicker the Winchester blood, the darker and larger the flames. ¡°My turn.¡± Stepping up to the black goblet, Othello inserted the ring from his pinky finger. The dark, colorful flames rose beautifully like a small fountain, and there were murmurs of admiration. Othello twisted the corner of his lips and stepped back. He could feel the black flame on his body getting stronger. Next, Jin Winchester. Everyone held their breath and focused on him. The flames were a symbol of his power. Of course, dueling and combat could be improved through training, but absolute power depended solely on the concentration of the black flame. Unlike Othello, Jin was completely focused as he placed his button into the cup. Before the button even touched the surface of the goblet, dark red flames burned with tremendous concentration. I could have sworn I heard an explosion. The flame was bright enough to light up the dark night sky. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Unlike with Othello, most of the people were silent. A few opened their mouths in surprise, but¡­¡­ Jin was the undisputed heir to the Winchesters. His aura and abilities were almost identical to those of Recardo Winchester when he was his age. Recardo Winchester sat at the head table, close enough to Jin to observe him. He then looked at me for a moment. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I stood there holding the ball that he had passed to me yesterday. It was my way of saying, ¡°I¡¯ll put it to good use¡±. After all, I had ruined the mood a bit yesterday. After a few moments, Recardo stood up. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ His turn had come. He approached the goblet and casually tore off the hem of his sleeve, dropping it into the glass. And at that moment, an enormous black flame, not even comparable to the black flame of Jin ¡­¡­no, a distinct dragon form, wriggled out of the glass. It was a dense, roiling black flame. You could feel the heat as well as the light. The black flames of the dragon¡¯s form shot upward and scattered majestically in the air. Like a flamethrower, the huge flames spread and died. I stared at him in amazement, while the others looked at Recardo in awe and fear. Holy shit! So that¡¯s the way it works! I hid my astonishment at this demonstration of unparalleled power. * * * After the participants had finished ritualistically checking each other¡¯s powers, it was back to the lively atmosphere of the ball. When they finished, I stepped aside to return to my room. ¡°Baby, don¡¯t you want to try it?¡± I jumped at the sound of Permetis¡¯s voice next to me. When did she show up next to me? She grinned wickedly when I gave her a wary look. Then she leaned in and whispered in my ear. ¡°Now¡¯s your chance, no one else is putting it in.¡± If I were a normal three-year-old, I may have taken her at her word. The fireworks were beautiful enough to mesmerize everyone, and it¡¯s the kind of thing that makes most babies want to try it themselves. But I knew what they were thinking the moment I saw Zestia behind me, the corner of her mouth twitching upwards. They tried to figure out my power with the Shadow of the Abyss before. If I demonstrated my power by putting an object in it, their purpose would be fulfilled, and I would be the only one who would be scolded by Recardo. ¡®How cowardly. Taking advantage of a baby.¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re a pretty little thing, you know,¡± Permetis crooned, leaning in close, trying to coax me into action. ¡°Let me see what you¡¯ve got.¡± I nodded. Then, with a twinkle in her eye, she took my hand. She pulled me closer to the platform where the goblet was placed. None of the adults seemed to be paying any attention to us, a couple of kids. Permetis stepped up to the platform first and held out her hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay, come on up.¡± I handed her the ball instead of my hand. She must have thought I wanted her to keep the ball for a moment, because she grabbed it with her other hand and reached out again. ¡°Your flame will be prettier than mine, let¡¯s go.¡± But I did not take her hand. ¡°Then I will be praised by my mother, and you¡­¡­.¡± It was then that her eyes widened. ¡°Wudada.¡± I was running hard on my short legs. ¡°Ba¡­..by?!¡± I could see Permetis¡¯s expression change. And when I had run quite a distance by my standards, I pointed my finger at Permetis and shouted. ¡°Ball!¡± The eyes of the people who were engrossed in their own conversations turned to me, and then to Permetis. ¡°Sasha ball!¡± I noticed Permetis¡¯s facial expression contort. ¡®Seven-year-old sister, I¡¯m sorry, but if I add my age in my past life and now, I¡¯m 27 years old. I don¡¯t fall for poorly thought-out tricks.¡¯ The reason why I shouted ¡®ball¡¯ with a defeated expression was simple. It was to draw attention to Permetis. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, Permetis, trying to put Sasha¡¯s ball in?¡± I think the grown-ups told her to do it. Maybe Zestia.¡± I could hear the clansmen murmuring. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean you can take the baby¡¯s ball.¡± I could see Zestia¡¯s face flush red. Apparently, Permetis had been caught trying to steal my ball and put it in the goblet. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ Permetis opened her mouth in embarrassment. ¡°Ah¡­¡­ this, Sasha said she wanted to put it in first.¡± ¡°The one who can¡¯t talk?¡± The mocking stares poured in. They¡¯d seen me giggling with a sheepish expression yesterday, and there¡¯s no way they¡¯d think I¡¯d deliberately put her in trouble. Permetis looked at me and gritted her teeth. ¡°You¡­.. said you were going to do it!¡± I heard a voice say. ¡°Stop.¡± There was silence, and the atmosphere froze. At the sound of Recardo¡¯s voice, who was talking to some of his lieutenants, Permetis dropped the ball with a shudder. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Recardo¡¯s gaze was on the ball, reprimanding her for her error. ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Finally, Permetis lowered her head. ¡°Come down here¡­. let¡¯s go¡­¡­!¡± Zestia stepped up to the platform and pulled Permetis¡¯s hand. She looked furious. It made me feel a little better. How dare they take advantage of a baby who doesn¡¯t know any better. Well¡­¡­ actually not a baby who knows nothing. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Suddenly, I felt Recardo¡¯s eyes on me. Surely, he hadn¡¯t seen everything? I took the ball back from the servant as if I didn¡¯t know anything about it, and then scurried away. * * * ¡®Anyway, I¡¯m sure it went off ¡­¡­without a hitch.¡¯ Just as everyone was leaving and I was about to grab Maya¡¯s skirt again, I heard Recardo¡¯s voice. ¡°Wait.¡± Turning around, Maya looked at Recardo questioningly. ¡°Yes, Your Grace. Do you need something?¡± ¡°I need you to step outside for a moment, Maya.¡± Maya was a little taken aback by his order. But the look in his eyes was so cold and firm that she couldn¡¯t help but swallow hard and leave. Alone with him, my heart was pounding. My hand tightened on the pink ball. He can¡¯t have seen what I did earlier. I saw him talking to his lieutenants and followed Permetis. Was he going to ask me where the toy came from yesterday? Or was he going to say he saw me disappear? I was a little worried, but I managed to keep it under wraps, and made eye contact with him. ¡°Dad?¡± Ricardo¡¯s eyebrows twitched as I spoke. ¡°¡­¡­Sasha.¡± His lips twitched and a low voice came out. CH 29 His brows were furrowed, his forehead shadowed. His silver hair seemed to sway, even though there was no wind blowing. Maybe it¡¯s my vision that¡¯s shaking because I¡¯m¡­¡­ trembling¡­¡­. ¡®I¡¯m afraid of being alone with him¡­¡­.¡¯ Is¡­.. he going to scold me? Or even worse¡­¡­. I was gazing up at him with wary eyes when he spoke again. ¡°Well done.¡± I stared at him, stunned by the unexpectedness of his words. Was he referring to the incident with Permetis? But he was talking to his lieutenants, so he wouldn¡¯t know. I blinked innocently, and his expression hardened again. As I stood nervously, unsure of his intentions, he continued, ¡°But you need to be careful with situations like yesterday.¡± If it was yesterday¡­¡­. ¡°¡­¡­You should take a look for yourself.¡± He held his hand out in front of him. The transparent space in front of him suddenly began to shimmer. A black energy crept through it, and it began to bubble, like boiling water. I twisted my shaking body 90 degrees, and I could see inside, almost like a door opening. When I saw what was inside, I immediately stepped back. Through the shimmering window opened up by Recardo¡¯s powers, I saw a black dog with three heads. The dog, with black fur like a Doberman, looked very ferocious, growling and baring his fangs. As it barked at me like it was going to eat me, I backed away and almost fell. I looked up to see Recardo, who had a nonchalant face. ¡®He¡¯s not going to feed me to that dog because I cried yesterday, is he?¡¯ My mind went completely blank at the thought. ¡°There are guards around the Winchester manor.¡± Recardo¡¯s deep voice drifted into my ear. ¡°They like human flesh and blood. It is said that the younger the trespassers are, the more voraciously they will devour them.¡± I clasped my trembling hands together tightly and stared at the dog. It looked as if it would lunge at me at any moment if I looked away. ¡°The manor¡¯s employees don¡¯t go near the guards, but strays often become food.¡± His words made me feel like I¡¯d been doused in cold water. So, this mansion, which looks like a medieval European castle, has ¡°guards¡± like that? ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ In the original, just as the Winchesters planted spies to watch the Taylors, the Taylors planted spies to monitor the Winchesters. Some were sent to assassinate them. So, those ¡®guards¡¯ are a security device. They¡¯re there to bite the throats of enemies from the outside who don¡¯t know their way around¡­¡­. The three-headed Doberman continued to growl for a long time, and when Recardo turned his hand again, the dog disappeared like a door slamming shut. I think I understood the warning he was trying to give me. You can¡¯t guarantee survival if you¡¯re freely wandering around. I remained frozen for a long time after the dog disappeared, and then I heard his voice again. ¡°If you have understood, you can go.¡± I tried to walk away, but my steps didn¡¯t move at the sound of his voice. It wasn¡¯t until Maya opened the door a few moments after hearing Recardo¡¯s voice and ran to me. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Maya patted me on the shoulder and bowed her head deeply in respect to Recardo. Even that time seemed long to me. The sight of the hungry dog earlier had been traumatic. * * * ¡°You said that the young lady is intelligent and can already understand most of what you say¡­¡­ But I fear that she might be too surprised, considering how vulnerable she is.¡± At Rowen¡¯s words, Recardo twisted the corner of his lips. The moonlight was streaming in through the window. ¡°Hearing it a hundred times is not as good as seeing it once.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­ that is true. But that statement about how the younger they are, the more voraciously they devour¡­¡­is not really true.¡± Rowen smiled awkwardly as Recardo furrowed his eyebrows. Early education in Winchester is rigorous. Both Jin and even Othello sat at desks from the age of five, so Sasha Winchester would be no exception. Some scenes that would be quite brutal for a child might be helpful for Winchester. And like that threat, no, the words of the lord that were clearly threats¡­ ¡­ It might be necessary for the safety of the lady. He¡¯d already reported to Recardo that two of the maids had been sent to the workhouse for failing to take proper care of the young lady. ¡°She needs to be careful. With her intelligence, it¡¯s easy for her to run into danger.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes, huh?¡± Rowen paused. Rowen, who had been listening, looked puzzled. Did the young lady do something dangerous? ¡°Though I must admit, her quick judgement was quite enjoyable,¡± Recardo continued. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re talking about the little lady?¡± Recardo didn¡¯t look like he was going to answer, but there was a definite note of amusement in his dark green eyes. After a moment, Rowen changed the subject. ¡°The young lady seems to like the ball, perhaps even more so because of the fact that it is a gift from Your Grace,¡± Rowen said, recalling the pink ball Sasha was holding. ¡°Although it was almost taken away by Lady Permetis¡­¡­.¡± The recollection still caused him to frown. ¡°I¡¯m going to send a warning letter to Zestia. I advise her to work on her children¡¯s education next time.¡± The look that would appear on Zestia¡¯s face when receiving the warning was obvious. ¡°Good.¡± Ricardo curled his lips. As if he was quite satisfied. * * * I shuddered at the memory of Recardo¡¯s chilling gaze. I was almost ashamed of myself for feeling somewhat positive about Winchester Manor and the Winchesters for a moment. Even though I knew they were the most villainous family in the world, people without blood or tears and therefore heartless¡­¡­. ¡®Next time I catch his eye, he might just throw me to the dogs.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t believe that I was momentarily relieved that he was showing me favor. ¡°Miss, are you cold?¡± Maya asked as she put another layer of duvet over me, a concerned look on her face. Yes, Maya, I¡¯m getting chills. I can¡¯t wait to grow up and get out of this scary mansion. I gulped down the warm milk Maya offered me and warmed up. ¡°Do you want me to read you a story before you go to sleep?¡± ¡°No, wan¡¯ sleep.¡± ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll save the storybook for another time.¡± Maya smiled warmly as she took the empty milk from me. Still, I¡¯m glad I have Maya in this dreary, scary mansion. ¡°By the way, Miss, did you notice that one side of your braids is loose?¡± Maya, who had left behind the milk bottle, said as she brushed my hair. I hadn¡¯t realized it because it was still so thin, but one of my braids had come undone. ¡°You probably dropped your ribbon.¡± ¡± I did.¡± ¡°Now that all of your relatives are gone, the manor will be quiet after tomorrow.¡± ¡°Mmh.¡± ¡°The roses in the gardens should be in full bloom, so why don¡¯t we go to the east garden tomorrow?¡± Maya asked, gently brushing my hair. No, Maya, I think it¡¯s better if we don¡¯t wander around. Do you know how scared I was of that dog I saw earlier¡­¡­? I kept closing my eyes, probably because of the tension from earlier. ¡°Oh, my, how lovely you are sitting there, Miss. How cute.¡± With the sound of Maya¡¯s voice, my consciousness slipped into sleep. * * * Jin stood in front of the assembly hall where everyone had gathered. His black flame was moving the heavy doors even though he hadn¡¯t touched them. He took a step, then another, into the moonlit void. There was no fear or hesitation in his dark eyes. There was only an icy coldness in them. In the middle of the room, there was a goblet of darkness that had not been cleaned up yet. It was the one into which he, his brother, and his father had placed their small items. The goblet had burned the Winchesters¡¯ things in an instant, proving they were of noble blood. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Staring at the goblet with cold eyes, Jin slowly raised his hand. In his hand was a grey ribbon. It had once been tied neatly in the hair of a child. The grey ribbon swayed in the breeze that blew in from outside, and when he lowered his hand, the end of the grey ribbon touched the dark goblet. Jin released his grip on the ribbon. Thud- Vivid light of dozens of colors. For a moment, a vision of a dragon flashed through his mind. The colors didn¡¯t match the black flame at all. He wondered if such colors even existed in the world. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Jin stood still, staring into the goblet for a moment. It was several minutes before he lowered his hand again. He took the grey ribbon from the goblet and bent down to smell it. It did not burn in the slightest. There was a pleasant glow in his eyes that didn¡¯t quite match the small sigh he gave. After a moment, he parted his lips. ¡°Yeah, Winchesters aren¡¯t supposed to be cute.¡± CH 30 In the clear air of a new day, I could hear the cicadas chirping. Jin, Othello, and I were all riding in the same carriage. It was late summer, heading into the first days of autumn, and we were on our way to the summer mansion. It was on the Winchester estate, so it was close by, only an hour¡¯s carriage ride away. Jin was reading, Othello was napping, and I was gazing out the window at the green landscape passing us by. I shuddered at the memory of Zestia¡¯s face, which was hostile towards Recardo, but luckily she was away on a business trip to Rosento, so I wouldn¡¯t be seeing her on this visit. Instead, we will meet with Permetis, the daughter of Zestia, the owner of the summer residence. And in the Pashurit Mountains, close to Zestia¡¯s mansion, in the hunting grounds of that early season, Jin and Othello will enjoy their summer hunt. I looked at my inventory, suddenly remembering the status window that had been shown to me not so long ago. Along with the shoes I¡¯d received as part of my last level-up, I also noticed a Protection Orb I¡¯d received as part of this level-up. The blue-tinted orb was said to block one incoming attack against me, but is not effective against diseases. I¡¯ll probably use it someday. But¡­¡­ I wonder when Sasha in the original story really started to get sick. She must have been sick before the age of seventeen, which was the peak of her illness. ¡°Cough.¡± I still get sick every now and then, but not nearly as much as Sasha in the original. ¡®I have to grow up and find Cassilion and the elixir¡­¡­.¡¯ Knowing my fate, time seemed to pass more slowly. I hope I don¡¯t get too sick in the meantime. [Name: Sasha Winchester (LV.3)] [Occupation: Unemployed] [Traits: Rattle Master (Strength +3)] As I grew, I was able to run around quite a bit now. Fewer people looked at me strangely when I spoke to them, and I could understand them quite well. I was known to the maids as ¡®The Gifted Lady Sasha¡¯. Tak¨C I flinched at the sound of Jin closing his book and looked at him. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± I heard Jin¡¯s low voice. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ His gaze drifted to the blue-roofed mansion in the distance. The three-story mansion was quite grand, though not as grand as Winchester Castle. The day was still sunny and clear. * * * After the carriage came to a stop and Jin and Othello got out, I stretched out my hands in the air. ¡°Hug me!¡± At my call for a hug, I saw Maya ¨C who had just gotten off the carriage in the back ¨C approaching, but before she could, a black shadow loomed in front of me. It was Jin. Not you¡­¡­ I called for Maya, not you! My arms, which I had raised with all my might, gradually gave way, but Jin put both hands under my armpits and pulled me into a quick hug. Maya giggled softly behind him. My feet touched the ground, and I looked up at Jin. I could see the lush garden, the leaves rustling behind him, and the sunshine. In the backlight, I couldn¡¯t see his face properly, but I could see the corners of his lips turning up slightly. ¡°It¡¯s a shame you¡¯re so unhappy,¡± I heard him say before he turned around. The wind picked up again, ruffling the hem of my light pink dress. The summer breeze, rather than being humid, felt cool. And I saw Permetis and her maids coming towards us from the summer house. She seemed a little taller than the last time I saw her, and she wore a blue frilly dress. She stood before us. Although Othello was looking at her with a wary expression, she smiled brightly and said, ¡°Welcome to the summer residence, Brother.¡± And then she turned to Jin, placing her hand on her heart in greeting. Then her gaze fell on me. ¡°Welcome, as well, baby.¡± She was still smiling, but I sensed a strange hostility in her smile. She must be harboring the memory of that fateful day. Moments later, the maids of the manor, along with the maids and servants we had brought with us, began to carry our luggage, and we followed Permetis into the manor. With the cool breeze from the Pashurit Mountains, this mansion was a great place to stay in the summer. The mansion was open and airy. Maya went up to my room to organize my things, while I joined Jin and Othello for tea. I wasn¡¯t old enough to drink tea yet, of course, so there was my favorite chai berry juice in front of me. I reached for it, but someone snatched it away. I glared as hard as I could at Othello, who gulped it down. He emptied my chai berry juice and looked up. ¡°It¡¯s hot, I¡¯d rather have juice than tea.¡± I glared at him in irritation, and Jin spoke up. ¡°Othello,¡± Jin chided as he leaned his head back against the couch and pursed his lips. ¡°Give her another cup. It doesn¡¯t even look like she drank it.¡± He shook his head, and the maid quickly returned with two glasses of chai berry juice. One was for me, and the other was a reorder for Othello. As I reached for the chai berry juice in front of me, Othello snatched my glass from me again. ¡°Otenno!¡± I shouted, and with a nonchalant expression, Othello placed my glass in front of him and gave me his own. I blinked, not knowing his intentions. But he didn¡¯t say anything, just drank the juice that would¡¯ve been mine in front of me. Looking at Permetis, whose mouth was smiling but whose eyebrows were furrowed, I drank Othello¡¯s juice. * * * We made our way to the entrance of the hunting grounds where the cabin was located. ¡°It¡¯s not good to be so openly suspicious, Othello.¡± Jin and Othello were riding black horses, and I was listening to their conversation from the carriage behind them. ¡°Well. I don¡¯t know what you mean?¡± When Jin spoke, he shrugged it off, and Othello remained silent. Soon, however, Othello¡¯s horse was leading the way, followed a moment later by a white horse ridden by Permetis. She had changed out of her dress and was wearing a navy-blue hunting outfit. ¡°I¡¯ll go first, brother,¡± Permetis smiled brightly at Jin and followed after Othello. Watching their backs, Jin pressed his lips together. ¡°Maya.¡± Maya, who had let me sit on her lap, answered immediately when Jin called out. ¡°Yes, Young Master?¡± ¡°You¡¯re watching Sasha at the cabin. I¡¯ll be back before sunset.¡± It was just past noon. ¡°Understood.¡± Hearing Maya¡¯s answer, Jin urged his horse into a trot. Behind him, about ten knights followed on horseback. Our carriage came to a halt at the entrance to the village, and Maya dismounted, carrying me. The summer house looked small below, and we were at the beginning of a mountain range. No dangerous monsters lived in the Pashurit mountains, and there were plenty of herbivores to hunt. So, when the Winchester children were young, they would hunt here with the permission of their elders. This was the time of year when the white deer were most abundant. The large, well-shaded, cabin-like structure seemed like a good place to pass the time until the brothers returned from their hunt. ¡°Juice.¡± ¡°No, Miss. Chai berry juice gives you an upset stomach if you drink too much.¡± ¡°Otenno, drank two,¡± I protested, holding up two fingers, but it was no use to Maya, who was concerned about my health. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ ¡°Have some water,¡± Maya insisted. Ha, I¡¯m running out of sugar. I gulped down the water I was forced to take. Even though we were at the beginning of the mountain range, we were still at a fairly high level, so the scenery was quite nice. Enjoying the scenery under the mountain and thinking about the quiet Winchester mansion today, I was bored and decided to look at the ¡®View People¡¯ feature for the first time in a while. [1. Recardo Winchester Title: Master of the Black Flame Causality: 6%] I scrolled down. [2. Jin Winchester Title: None Causality: 7%] [3. Othello Winchester Title: None Causality: 6%] [4. Chenoa Taylors Title: Ruler of Blue Light Causality: N/A] [5. #@$% , #$%%, $#$%^^$$#@ The following information cannot be displayed:] [6. Permetis Winchester Title: N/A Causality: n/a]. Number 5 still had broken letters. By the way, Permetis¡­¡­. If I were better at self-expression, I wouldn¡¯t have followed this girl to the summer mansion. My name was on the invitation she sent, so I had no choice but to come. It¡¯s polite to go when invited. But no matter how much I thought about it¡­¡­ there was something that seemed different from the original. In the original, it seemed that Othello was extremely possessive of Permetis and her attention¡­¡­. For some reason, it feels like she¡¯s now the one following him around. I was lost in thought. ¡°Miss, did you just feel¡­¡­?¡± Maya asked me with a serious expression on her face. Just as I noticed the floor rattling. ¡°Huh?¡± CH 31 [The Orb of Protection has been activated.] [You have reduced 50% of the impact.] [The Orb of Protection has been activated.] [You have reduced 70% of the impact.] [The Orb of Protection has been activated.] [You have reduced 30% of the impact.] ¡°Ugh!¡± I groaned as I rolled over and landed on my buttocks on the floor. What the hell just happened? I searched through my shakey memory. The floor of the cabin rattled and a large rock broke through. Maya had grabbed me and tried to escape outside, but the sudden impact knocked her away from my body, and I began to roll down the slope. I think the last thing I heard was people screaming. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Now I was sitting dazedly in grass as tall as I was. Suddenly, the word ¡®landslide¡¯ came to mind. Wow. I¡¯m so unlucky. Fortunately, thanks to the Protection Orb, I only suffered minor scratches compared to the distance I rolled. [The Protection Orb dissipates.] I dusted off my knees and stood up, looking around. There was no sign of Maya or the others. Only the sound of water flowing down the slender ravine. Hmm¡­¡­ What am I going to do? It¡¯s better to see insects and nature from a distance. I took a deep breath as I heard the sound of an approaching snake. And I opened my inventory, the only cheat key I had. * * * In the dense forest, a white deer was struck down by an arrow from Jin. Permetis clapped her hands excitedly. ¡°That¡¯s great, brother.¡± Both Othello and Jin were in full swing. ¡°I learnt a lot from my brothers today.¡± Permetis caught a small rabbit. Considering she was only seven years old, it was an accomplishment, but not even close to her cousins. The soldiers behind them cleaned up the carcass. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ ¡°This place has changed a lot,¡± Jin commented as he readjusted his arrows. ¡°My mother took great care of it,¡± Permetis smiled. ¡°I see. How is she doing these days?¡± It seemed like a meaningless question, but Permetis was startled for a moment. She remembered what Zestia had said. ¡®Guide Othello and Jin deeper into the hunting grounds, so they don¡¯t get caught in the crossfire. They need to stay uninvolved.¡¯ For some time now, a healer had been staying at her grandfather Bashiron¡¯s home. He spoke with Zestia whenever he had time, sharing his wisdom. After her humiliation and warning letter following the Dark Feast, Zestia¡¯s animosity towards Recardo had been fueled by her conversations with the healer. Not long ago, she had traveled to the summer residence and taken Permetis on a tour of the hunting grounds. ¡®You don¡¯t intend to harm them, do you? If they find out, they¡¯ll surely kill my mother and me.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t worry, trust your mom.¡¯ Zestia had spoken with eyes that seemed possessed. ¡®Everything is for your own good, so be a good hostess, Permetis.¡¯ She¡¯d be lying if she said she didn¡¯t feel uneasy. But the reason Zestia had ordered Permetis to escort Othello and Jin was because she intended to leave them untouched, at least. That¡¯s it. No need to bother with that nasty Sasha. ¡°She¡¯s the same as always. She left after asking me to treat my brothers well. Look forward to this evening.¡± A moment later, Othello pulled out his bow and drew the string. A white deer appeared in the distance. As the bowstring was pulled tight, his eyebrows twitched. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± A moment later, he pulled the drawstring back and returned the bow to its resting position. When he gave up after almost catching it, Permetis looked at him questioningly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, brother?¡± Othello pursed his lips. ¡°The sound, don¡¯t you hear it?¡± Permetis just shrugged her shoulders, as if she didn¡¯t know. After a moment, Jin looked at him sharply. ¡°Beep, beep,¡± Othello spoke up. ¡°The baby is calling.¡± A moment later, his eyes narrowed, and he broke into a run. Permetis panicked and shrieked, ¡°Brother!¡± Zestia told her to keep them in the hunting grounds. ¡®Whatever¡¯s going on over there can¡¯t be heard from here,¡¯ Permetis thought, turning to Jin. ¡°It¡¯s not safe to run like that, especially since it has only just rained. You should stop your brother Othello¡­¡­.¡± But Jin, too, looked cold and took out his whip. ¡°You don¡¯t hear that?¡± The previously gentlemanly expression on his face had turned chillingly cold. The distance between them seemed enormous at that moment. ¡°The sound calling to us is so clear.¡± It was as if an invisible, solid wall had risen between them. Permetis felt her heart racing. With a flash of his black hair, Jin broke into a fast trot. ¡°Brother! Let¡¯s go together!¡± Permetis called out in vain. * * * Now that I¡¯m wearing these Bubble Shoes, anyone thinking of me will come to my rescue. I tried to relax. I was in distress, and there¡¯s no point in hanging around. There¡¯s no way I could climb that high cliff. If it weren¡¯t for the Protection Orb, I¡¯d probably be dead. Items are powerful, and I officially believe wholeheartedly in them. ¡°First, let¡¯s try to get water.¡± I know it¡¯s better to stay put, but in this weather, I¡¯m going to get dehydrated. I¡¯m only three years old, and I need to drink water often. I listened for a moment and heard the sound of running water. The tall grass was scary, but I moved forward. I hadn¡¯t taken more than a few steps when I encountered a creature I despised. Shhhh- shhhh. With its triangular head and colorful patterning, it looked like it was certainly a venomous snake. The problem was that the snake was longer than I was tall. And it was looking at me like it had spotted a good meal. ¡®Ugh. What a surprise.¡¯ Its triangular eyes were fixed on me, and a cold sweat began to run down my spine. If it opened its mouth, it would swallow me whole. Awoo-woo-woo¨C As I fell to the ground, I could hear wolves howling in the distance. I felt like I¡¯d fallen into a cage of hungry predators. A cold sweat broke out on my back, but I had no intention of giving up. [Use the skill ¡°Black Domination (SS/LV.1)¡±.] I glared at the snake and used a skill I¡¯d acquired some time ago, hoping it would work on it like it had on the man under Kaisa¡¯s curse. But the snake didn¡¯t care, it just hissed. ¡®This isn¡¯t how it should end.¡¯ I focused my mind. And then I slapped myself hard on the forehead. If this one didn¡¯t work, I prayed that another would. But nothing happened. The snake was still looking at me. ¡°Now¡­¡­ wait a minute. Where¡¯s the Grim Reaper? If you send me here, you¡¯ll be held responsible¡­¡­ evil!¡± I squeezed my eyes shut as the snake finally moved closer. Was it going to eat me whole? Would it hurt? I flinched, thinking the worst, but I didn¡¯t feel any pain. Instead, I felt the sharp sensation of a lick on my nose. I opened my eyes, startled. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ The adult snake had raised its head and was looking at me. It stuck its tongue out and flicked the tip of my nose. ¡°Wh-what?¡± The snake, ready to eat me at any moment, was looking at me docilely. Like a puppy. I cautiously reached out to the snake and stroked its angular head. Shhhh¨C The snake was so gentle, as if it had no intention of attacking in the first place. I wondered if the skill had worked¡­¡­ but the snake seemed to move freely. Maybe the skill is only triggered by those who want to harm or bully me. This snake had no intention of eating me in the first place. ¡°Do you know where the water is?¡± I asked, but the snake just gave me a dumbfounded look and flicked its tongue. I let out a small sigh. I stroked the snake¡¯s head again. ¡°I will look for it. Sorry for the misunderstanding.¡± The snake flicked its tongue again and went on its way. I walked toward the sound of the water, braver than before. I guess it¡¯s not right to judge people or animals by their appearance. * * * When the sun began to set, I sat up, wondering if someone had finally come to find me. In front of me was a cup of water made of leaves, and I gathered up the fallen leaves and made myself a fairly comfortable place to rest. I was scared when I was first stranded, but I sighed with relief when I thought I would soon be safe. A figure slowly emerged from the bushes. CH 32 It was none other than Permetis. Dressed in a navy-blue hunting outfit, she came to me as I sat by the stream and watched her. A bow was slung over her shoulder. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It had been a while since the landslide, so all the knights were probably looking for me. Jin and Othello would also be looking. So why was Permetis the first to show up? Unless she was desperately looking for me? She opened her mouth with a grim expression. ¡°You¡¯re still alive, huh?¡± This would be a difficult sentence for a typical three-year-old child to understand. But I understood the malice in her words very well. ¡°Life is tough.¡± So, the sudden landslide had been planned. She took a step closer to me. ¡°Your brothers will be late, as they are busy dealing with the wolves coming this way. I don¡¯t know what to do with you in the meantime.¡± There was a reason why Jin and Othello, who would also have reacted to my squeaky shoes, were late. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ Releasing the wolves ahead of time to deal with the corpses that fell was also a scenario that could be easily predicted. While Jin and Othello were distracting the wolf pack from coming towards me, Permetis, who was moving with them, arrived one step ahead of them. ¡°If you beg for mercy right now, I might spare your life. What do you think?¡± But that meant¡­¡­ that they would arrive soon. I didn¡¯t back down and looked up at her, who was much taller than me. ¡°Ha, little one, you have no cute side, nor noble qualities, and I get irritated when I see you. It would be so refreshing if you just died.¡± She smiled softly in the presence of Jin and Othello, but when she was alone with me, a dark shadow fell across her face, revealing her true colors. Yes, this is the real Permetis. ¡°Nyou¡­¡­ you¡­¡­.¡± I pointed my finger at Permetis and spoke firmly. ¡°Stink!¡± As a three-year-old facing a seven-year-old who was much taller, I had to raise my hand high. ¡°I¡¯m the superior! You get to choose!¡± I shouted in my puny voice. But even so, I was a three-year-old who could express myself pretty well. Permetis looked perplexed at my insults and stretched out a hand. Her fingers began to press against my forehead. ¡°You little brat, should I really kill you with my own hands?¡± In front of Jin and Othello, she must have looked terribly worried about me. Saying ¡°Peri, Peri¡±. And now she¡¯s trying to figure out how to deal with me. Things were getting a little too ambiguous to feed me to the wolves. ¡°You think you¡¯re the same as your brothers because you¡¯re related to them. You think adults care about you¡­¡­¡­.¡± Perhaps a typical toddler would not understand such difficult words, making them pointless, but Permetis was pissed enough that I was so brazenly staring at her and started throwing out a bunch of insults. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s some inferiority complex at play, but the main emotion was jealousy. She didn¡¯t like the fact that the eyes of the adults were on me, whether it was in a positive or negative sense. She pushed my forehead with her hand. ¡°You¡¯re nothing to the Winchesters. Even if you die here, you¡¯ll be forgotten in a moment. You¡¯re just a bastard child with no backing.¡± Thump. As I stepped back, tears quickly welled up in my eyes. I clenched my fists and took a deep breath. And when a crooked smile tugged at Permetis¡¯s mouth. I seized the moment and began to wail. ¡°Wuuuaaahh!!!¡± Permetis twisted her mouth and looked at me. ¡± You can cry all you want, but your brothers are busy slaying wolves¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­enough.¡± Permetis¡¯s expression hardened abruptly. It was because of the voice that was coming from behind. In fact, I was aware of the presence of that pink hair that was approaching in the distance. Preoccupied with me, she looked startled. ¡°Agh! Peri¡¯s on me, ouch! Ouch!¡± I cried, pointing very dramatically to my forehead where Permetis had been tapping. ¡°Peri wants Sasha gone!¡± I didn¡¯t like the idea of making a fool of myself in front of Othello, but I had to get Permetis off my back first. In truth, I was a little uneasy. No matter how obviously guilty Permetis was, Othello might end up liking her afterwards¡­¡­. ¡°Oh¡­¡­ Brother¡­¡­.,¡± she stammered. The embarrassment on her face was palpable. He paused, then slowly began to take one step, then another. ¡°¡­¡­Peri is¡­¡­.¡± I could feel the tremor in her voice. She was so confident in front of me earlier. Like a puppy in trouble, she reached for Othello, unsure of what to do. ¡°Peri¡­¡­ just scolded Sasha,¡± she continued, making excuses pathetically, ¡°scolded her for acting dangerously¡­. Aah!¡± At that moment, black serpents emanated from Othello and threatened Permetis. She lost her balance and fell backwards, landing on her butt, and looked up at Othello with a look of utter shock and disbelief. I was stunned, too. I hadn¡¯t expected that black flames would be used to attack Permetis until this moment¡­¡­.. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Without so much as a glance at her, Othello stood before me. His complexion was shaded, his brow furrowed. I stopped crying and looked at him. His gaze was so terrifying that I even wondered if he was going to punish me, too. When his eyebrows twitched, I flinched. But then he reached out and wiped my tears away from my eyes. After a moment, he pursed his lips. ¡°¡­¡­.You¡¯re not hurt.¡± The sound of his voice made my heart skip a beat. It sounded like he was glad I wasn¡¯t hurt. ¡°I was wondering why the snake guy was so eager for me to get here. But there was a reason.¡± He must have been referring to the snake from earlier. It turns out that his black flame takes the shape of a snake, and he has the ability to communicate with them. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ After a pause, he withdrew his hand and turned to face Permetis. She was frozen, staring at him. Her hands were bleeding from the sudden fall. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to say this for a while, but I held back because of Jin¡­.. ¡° Othello¡¯s words made Permetis flinch. Whether he wanted to hear an apology or not was unclear. But a harsh voice escaped from between his lips. ¡°You¡¯re unlucky, Permetis.¡± Her eyes widened at the words. ¡°And Trisha was at least a noblewoman, but you¡­¡± Othello closed his mouth, as if saying anything more would be a waste of time. Her eyes shook again. Permetis was Zestia¡¯s daughter, but Zestia had received Permetis from a bedroom slave. That was why Permetis kept her maiden name. ¡°Now even that will be difficult. Your mother and you will be held accountable for this.¡± Othello warned of future events and grabbed my wrist. I started walking with Othello, leaving the frozen Permetis standing there. The tap, tap, tap of my shoes sounded cheerful. My head was spinning a bit. Would Othello and Permetis become enemies? I didn¡¯t intend to stay true to the original, but it was strange to think that the existing relationships are being altered. ¡°Are you angry?¡± I asked Othello, who still wore a stern expression. It was getting dark, and I could see a light in the distance. If it had been evening, I would have been scared. In front of a boulder larger than my height, I spread my arms when Othello turned towards me. Within Othello¡¯s pupils, a slightly distorted reflection of myself could be seen. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I looked at him and let out a small sigh. If I climbed up the boulder by myself, my skirt would be in even more disarray. It couldn¡¯t be helped. In the same manner in which Jin had helped me out of the carriage, Othello lifted me up in his arms. Thump- As we stepped onto the boulder, a low voice could be heard. ¡°¡­¡­Only I can bully you, little one.¡± CH 33 I stared blankly at Othello. His voice echoed in my head several times. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The red sun was setting in the greenish-blue iris of his eyes. I couldn¡¯t tell what Othello was thinking. A moment later, he climbed up onto a rock and casually took my hand, leading me forward. Othello¡¯s back looked like that of an adult. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I held Othello¡¯s hand and walked forward, lost in complex thoughts. After being born in the Winchester mansion, I had pondered over the original story over and over again. In fact, there was no need to judge them as good or evil. ¡°The Dark Winchesters.¡± ¡°The Empire¡¯s Worst Villainous Family.¡± That¡¯s certainly how they were described in the books. There were also heinous acts that I witnessed personally that would furrow one¡¯s brow. Even now¡­ the fact that they are villains cannot be denied. But was it right to let the novel¡¯s content dictate my judgment? These people are no longer just characters in a book, they are living, breathing people like me¡­¡­. Othello¡¯s pink hair fluttered in the wind, tickling my insides. ¡°Sasha.¡± As I held Othello¡¯s hand and passed through the tall grass, Jin¡¯s figure came into view. Jin stood tall against the sunset; his forehead wrinkled with what almost looked like concern. Dozens of wolves lay dead around him, in terrible shape. A thick smell of blood lingered in the air. He quickly approached me and reached out his hand. ¡°Where are you hurt¡­¡­.?¡± A ferocious voice came from Jin¡¯s lips. Unlike his usual calm demeanor, that voice sounded demanding. But as he reached for me, his fingertips didn¡¯t touch my head, as if he was bothered about his hands being covered in wolf blood. He hesitated and withdrew his hand. ¡°¡­¡­.I¡¯m glad there¡¯s nothing wrong, Sasha.¡± His fierce gaze had no trace of laughter, and my heart skipped a beat. The cool evening breeze blew between us. Othello was looking at the setting sun, and Jin was staring at me. Yes, ever since I was reborn, my purpose has been clear. The damn villainous family is a place I need to escape from. Duke Recardo, as well as Othello and Jin, are people I need to stay away from. It¡¯s just a relationship like that¡­.. ¡°Miss¡­¡­?¡± Maya, with one arm in a cast, ran up to me from afar and sat down, looking at me. ¡°Are you okay, Miss?¡± I shook my head. Today, things aren¡¯t going well. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ My heart was beating fast, and my mind was in turmoil. I didn¡¯t know what to do. The reason why I felt this way about Othello and Jin is probably because I was really Sasha Winchester now. I wanted to be outside of their world, but I was undeniably in it with them. The sense of belonging to Winchester, and Jin and Othello¡¯s actions, were shaking me. Was it really okay? If I became their family¡­ I bit my lip hard. ¡°You might be surprised, Brother. There was an incident,¡± Othello said grimly. ¡°Huh?¡± Jin inquired. ¡°First, go in with Maya. I have to talk to Jin.¡± At Othello¡¯s words, Maya hugged me. I felt relief as her shoulder touched my nose. All my complicated thoughts faded away. * * * Permetis¡¯s face was pale and stiff. The knights of the House of Winchester were approaching the summer residence. They were the best of the best, dressed in black armor and numbering over a hundred. They were the best that could be sent to war against the Taylors and they stopped in front of the summer mansion. At the head of the line stood Rowen, Recardo¡¯s adjutant, also in black armor. There was no Zestia in the house, and even if there were, she would be no match for these fearsome knights. After dismounting from his horse, Rowen approached Jin, Othello, and Sasha standing in front of the mansion. He knelt down on one knee to show his respect. ¡°I am here to serve you, Young Master.¡± Permetis, who was standing a little away from the three of us and holding the hem of her dress, bit her lip. She regretted what she had done to Sasha ¨C or at least, she regretted that it had been exposed by Othello. Although she denied it to Jin in her panic, his gaze remained cold. ¡®Brothers, you always¡­.. liked Peri right? Isn¡¯t that¡­ right?¡¯ Even though her eyes were pleading, all that came back to her was contempt. ¡®Peri is just jealous that everyone thinks Sasha is the only pretty one. And I don¡¯t know anything about the accident!¡¯ Permetis covered her face with her hands and cried, but I could easily see that she didn¡¯t mean it. I turned quickly and buried my head in Maya¡¯s neck, and my brothers walked out with me, leaving Permetis behind. ¡®Today is the last day we go hunting with Permetis,¡¯ Jin had muttered to himself as he looked at the blackened night sky. Everything that had happened here must have been reported to the lord of the house, Recardo. And in response, he sent his fearsome knights. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± They completely ignored the frightened figure of Permetis, who was frozen in place. It was a demonstration of power for what was to come. ¡°Miss, are you all, right?¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± I nodded my head at Rowen, and he smiled heavily as if relieved. Then he cast a frosty glance at Permetis who was still petrified with fear before ignoring her thoroughly. As our eyes locked, Permetis glanced at Rowen beside me, then lowered her gaze. That¡¯s right, don¡¯t do anything that will make you regret later. I still felt dirty when I think of that moment, when she tapped me on the forehead and muttered something about killing me. We climbed into the carriage we had traveled in on the way here. On the way back, Recardo¡¯s knights would accompany us. ¡°Oh¡­¡­ brother, if you go like this¡­¡­.¡± Desperate Permetis finally approached and grabbed Othello¡¯s coat. ¡°If you go on like this, what will happen to Peri?¡± Permetis said, tears welling up in her eyes. ¡°I think we¡¯ve said everything we need to say to each other.¡± But the words that came out of Othello¡¯s mouth were cold. Permetis thought back to the moment when she was pushed away by his black flame. But she thought there was no way they could part like this, so she opened her mouth again, sobbing. ¡°Really¡­ It was just an accident. I didn¡¯t know anything. Of course, I was rude to Sasha, but I don¡¯t think I did anything bad enough to be abandoned by my brothers! Sasha is fine too!¡± Othello looked at Permits and briefly lowered his head. From my position in the carriage, I observed that Othello whispered something in Permetis¡¯s ear. I couldn¡¯t hear the voice, but judging by Permits¡¯ pale face, it didn¡¯t seem like good news. Shortly after, he left the stiffened Permetis behind and climbed into the carriage. We set off again in the carriage, cutting through the darkness of the night towards the Winchester manor. I heard Jin asking Othello a question. ¡°What did you say to Permetis back there?¡± However, Othello closed his eyes and leaned his head against the carriage wall without saying a word. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ I was glad he didn¡¯t open his mouth. There was a pretty good chance it was something inappropriate for a toddler to hear. ¡°No matter what the investigation results are, our family will hold Zestia and Permetis accountable for putting the young lady in danger.¡± ¡°It will be a sight to behold if they lose the summer mansion after the Wilners mine.¡± I started to doze off next to Othello. Ahead, I could hear Rowen and Jin¡¯s conversation. ¡°If they deliberately caused the incident to harm the young lady, they will not be able to avoid death.¡± ¡°Thoroughly investigate. Permetis is denying it now, but this is obviously not an accident.¡± Jin, who was thinking about something for a moment, spoke up. ¡°If they¡¯re involved, they¡¯ll pay for it with their deaths.¡± His voice was cold, a far cry from his usual kindness to this girl. It was a dark night, with a slim moon the size of a fingernail looming over the land. The wheels were rolling and made a clicking sound. My three-year-old body began to sway as I drifted off to sleep. As I dozed off, I felt something pulling at me. Eventually, something touched the right side of my head, and I closed my eyes thinking it was a pillow. ¡°You.¡± Othello¡¯s low voice drifted into my ear in a comforting way. ¡°There you are being so carefree again, Sasha.¡± I soon fell into a deep and cozy sleep. CH 34 ¡°Young Master! Where in the world are you¡­¡­?! Go and check over there!¡± ¡°Young Master Othello! Where are you?!¡± The mansion was in an uproar in the middle of the night. Jin came out of his room with a furrowed brow and asked the head maid, ¡°Has Othello disappeared again?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s been quiet for three days now¡­¡­.,¡± the head maid replied with a worried look. Jin and Othello were seven years old It had been a month since Winchester¡¯s ability, ¡°Black Flame,¡± had manifested in Othello. The timing of the manifestation varied from child to child, and Jin had already manifested his ability at the age of four. The problem was that the process of manifesting these powers could be very taxing on the body and mind. While Jin had a low-grade fever for about three days, Othello¡¯s reaction was more intense. He began to sleepwalk around the mansion in a severe delirium. He wasn¡¯t just wandering around, he was destroying things with his black flame. A week earlier, one of the farms had been razed to the ground, and four days earlier, six soldiers standing guard had been seriously wounded. ¡°Young Master Othello¡­¡­.¡± Someone interrupted the conversation between Jin and the Head Maid. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ The young woman with red hair and blue eyes was named Trisha Quenne. Six months pregnant, her belly was bulging and she was carrying a baby girl, a half-sibling to her twin brothers. She was called ¡°Madam¡± by the maids, even though she had not had a formal wedding. ¡°¡­¡­.Did he disappear?¡± Trisha asked, but Jin didn¡¯t answer. The head maid bowed and opened her mouth. ¡°Yes, Madam. A servant discovered that the window was broken. There was no one in the room.¡± There was a moment of silence. Jin turned and walked down the hallway with an expressionless face. Trisha watched Jin¡¯s back for a moment. ¡°It seems like Young Master Jin is planning to go out and look for him as well.¡± The head maid¡¯s words were heard. Trisha thought for a moment and then looked out the dark window. *** ¡®I wish you were dead, Othello.¡¯ ¡®How can you be so different from the heir, Jin? You were born on the same day, and yet you¡¯re so different.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s why I left early. Think about it, do you have any memories of being loved?¡¯ During the day, it was a clear pond, but at night even the moon was hidden behind clouds, making it dark to the point of not being able to see the end. Othello¡¯s bare feet, covered in scars, gradually disappeared into the depths of the pond. Othello¡¯s blue-green eyes were black and empty. ¨C Do you know why you¡¯re tormenting that woman, Othello? If she gives birth to a child¡­ ¨C You will be abandoned. That¡¯s the fate of incompetent second-borns. ¨C Who knows, maybe even the third-born will be better than you. The rippling water rose up Othello¡¯s chest. A meaningless smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. The hem of his deceased mother¡¯s dress was swaying in the center of the pond. Although her face was not visible, her solitary figure shining in the darkness seemed to promise warmth. An eerie voice continued to echo in Othello¡¯s ears. ¨C Everyone hates you, even the maids and soldiers. You¡¯re a troublemaker with a dirty personality. You know everyone whispers when you pass by. ¨C You bring shame to Winchester. You¡¯re nothing compared to your brothers¡­ ¨C Wouldn¡¯t it be better to die with me? The black water rose up to Othello¡¯s neck. He felt like he could reach the hem of the dress if he took another step. Just as Othello was about to take one more step forward. ¡°No.¡± Someone grabbed him from behind and pulled him back. ¡°No!¡± A soft, cold feeling enveloped Othello as he was pulled out of the water. ¡°You¡¯re a wonderful, strong child and¡­¡­.,¡± a woman¡¯s desperate voice rang in his ears. Othello¡¯s focus returned to his empty eyes. ¡°You are precious.¡± He looked up and saw Trisha holding him tightly. Trisha Quenne, a woman who had been brought into the house by his father a few months ago. The one who was now the most annoying thing in the house. She was hugging him tightly. Only then did he realize that he was in a pond. Trisha, who had entered the cold pond with her pregnant body, seemed to have no intention of letting go of Othello. ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t say things like that.¡± It was only then that Ohello realized that the words he had been hearing in his ears as his mother¡¯s voice were actually being spoken by himself all along. The woman and the dress that had seemed like a vision before his eyes¡­¡­ were all illusions. A cruel trial created by the black flame. He heard Trisha¡¯s voice again. ¡°Quennes hear voices in their dreams, and I heard that of Madam Winchester.¡± At those words, Othelo looked at Trisha in a daze. Madam Winchester. Then he turned to her with a fierce glare. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me! You¡¯re lying to get my mother¡¯s place!¡± ¡°The Star of Rockland.¡± But the words came right back. Othelo¡¯s pupils shook at the mention of it. His wild and unruly black flame was unsteady with emotion. ¡°Do you remember the music box?¡± The Star of Rockland was a song Othelo¡¯s mother had composed for him and placed in a music box. He hadn¡¯t played it since her death. Othelo may have attacked her after hearing that, but there was a strong conviction in Trisha¡¯s eyes. Even though Othello had been acting rude and unruly up until now. ¡°You can keep hating me, you can call me a greedy woman who covets Madam Winchester¡¯s place, but¡­¡­.,¡± Trisha¡¯s lips rose gently, ¡°¡­don¡¯t have any more bad dreams from now on.¡± After staring at her, Othello finally lowered his gaze. The surface of the black pond rose and fell with a drip, drip, drip. *** Othello swung his sword toward the rising sun. There was no hint of hesitation in his eyes. Ever since the day he entered the Black Pond, he played the music box before sleeping. There were no more bad dreams, no more nighttime roaming, and the black flame had settled into his body. Trisha had died, and time passed quickly. He still had the body of a young boy, but his body was hard from years of training. If Trisha were alive, his height would have reached the tip of her chin. As he took a breath and turned around, Jin¡¯s voice was heard after he turned around once and half. ¡°I won¡¯t be a match for you with just swordsmanship.¡± As Othello turned his head, Jin, who was sitting and staring at him, appeared. Othello twisted his lips and wiped the sweat from his forehead. ¡°You¡¯re unlucky, Jin.¡± Jin chuckled at Othello¡¯s response. The balance of power was determined from birth. The bloodline chosen as the successor from the Black Dragon has an incomparable strength that others cannot reach. However, it was not impossible for Othello to overcome the supremacy forever if he reached the level of ¡®Sword Aura¡¯ by imbuing his sword with black flame ¨C then Jin would not be able to ignore him. Of all the Winchesters in history, there were only four who could use Sword Aura. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ ¡°What are you doing here at dawn?¡± ¡°The results of the investigation into the incident at the hunting grounds have come out.¡± Two days ago, there had been an accident on the hunting grounds of the summer residence, in the Pashurit Mountains. A landslide had collapsed the lodge and nearly killed Sasha. Othello had brought Sasha, who had fallen dozens of meters below, up on his horse back. ¡°Lack of evidence, no suspicion, punishment impossible,¡± Jin said to Othello, whose eyes quickly turned cold. At those words, a fierce energy rose in Othello¡¯s eyes. ¡°I have to go to Father.¡± Othello tossed the sword he had been holding onto the floor. A black viper that delighted in his anger slithered up Othello¡¯s body. Turning back to Othello, Jin said, ¡°There¡¯s a reason why we can¡¯t punish Zestia.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what that reason is.¡± ¡°Othello.¡± The sound of Jin¡¯s low voice calling his name stopped Othello in his tracks. He could feel the black flame emanating from him. ¡°There¡¯s no need to punish her anymore.¡± Jin¡¯s voice drifted into his ears. The darkness in Othello¡¯s eyes writhed fiercely, and only then did his lips open, understanding the meaning. ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡± CH 35 ¡°Miss, where have you been? I was surprised when you disappeared.¡± ¡°Oh my, flowers! So pretty! Lovely flowers!¡± One day, a few days before turning four, I pointed at the flower bed with my finger. ¡°You have to hold my hand tightly. Got it?¡± I understood why Maya always acted so protective. When something happens to me, her life is in danger. Thinking about that, I felt sorry for Maya. ¡°Mmh.¡± In truth, it was a lie to say that I had briefly visited the flower bed. Another special area alert popped up, unhesitatingly, I went in for a moment and came back out. In Maya¡¯s eyes, it would have appeared as if I had disappeared the moment I let go of her hand. Anyway, in that room, I discovered a threatening letter from the notebook I had seen before. If I came back, they would find me at all costs. Judging by the threatening wording, it was clear that the owner of the room was an eccentric individual with no time to spare. The handwriting seemed fierce, and the temperament behind it felt nasty. Yeah, I hate boring rooms like this too, okay? I wrote a single symbol in reply and left the room. Now, even if another special area alert came up, I had no intention of entering. ¡°Hyah! Hyah!¡± The coachman urged the horses onward, and before long¨C ¡°We have arrived at the Winchester Library.¡± After a brief detour through the special area, I gazed enchantedly at the new world unfolding before me. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ The spacious area was filled with bookshelves, and tens of thousands of books neatly arranged. The place Maya and I had come to today was the library located to the east of the mansion. I wanted to come a little earlier, but somehow ended up being late¡­ But since I¡¯m here, let¡¯s read to my heart¡¯s content! ¡°Miss, the children¡¯s books are over there¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Awesome!¡± ¡°Huh? But those books are¡­ imperial history books¡­¡± ¡°Awesome! Amazing again!¡± I excitedly raised my finger and pointed to the books I wanted to read. In truth, even in my past life, I quite enjoyed reading. I read everything from classical literature to essays to romance novels. ¡°Are you sure you want to read these? They probably won¡¯t be interesting at all¡­¡± Maya pulled out the books I pointed to with a hesitant look in her eyes. When I wanted to sit down, Maya placed a cushion on the library chair and adjusted the desk height for me. I started reading the books. ¡°Are you uncomfortable?¡± ¡°No!¡± Even if it wasn¡¯t ¡°Taylor¡¯s Home,¡± the book I saw in the special area, it was still a way to gather information through different books. As I flipped through the thick pages and began to read, I could feel Maya and the maids exchanging curious glances. They seemed to think I was enjoying the illustrations. Thanks to my previously used item, I was able to read all of the text and even understand some of the ancient and foreign language markings. ¡°The Past and Present of the Janut Empire.¡± The empire¡¯s history was exactly as I had read in my previous life. A structure of four families ruling, powerful individuals with abilities, and a lineage of chosen successors. It was like a myth of how the four noble families came to be. It was said that there was an ancient dragon, Mechius, who guarded the good and balance of the world, and Phersetos, the great incarnation of evil, who tried to devour and destroy the world. After a fierce battle, Mechius sealed away the evil and safeguarded the world, dividing his immense power among four lesser dragons. Halo the Water Dragon, Akada the Earth Dragon, Taylor the White Dragon, and Winchester the Black Dragon. They were the four noble families, entrusted with the power bestowed by the mighty dragon. Their mission was to uphold the balance of the world and preserve the power passed down through generations. Of course, a thousand years have passed since each family was founded, so this was just a record of old legends. However, no matter how much I searched through the books, I couldn¡¯t find any records about the ¡°Key of Mechius¡± that I wanted to know about. Well, maybe I should look into the elixir as well. ¡°You¡¯re reading something quite interesting.¡± As I was digging through the book, I heard a familiar voice and looked up. Across from me stood an old man I recognized from somewhere. I remembered seeing his face amongst the members when the Afinizu suddenly summoned me. It was Recardo¡¯s grandfather and the former Head of the Winchester family, Hector Winchester, who also possessed the mighty power of the black flame. ¡°Hello, Grandpa!¡± I greeted him, staring up at him while I babbled out my unsteady pronunciation. ¡°Grandpa,¡± he repeated. Technically, he was my great-grandfather, but to a baby, that¡¯s what it was, so I decided to call him Grandpa. Hector raised an eyebrow and then laughed. ¡°Not bad.¡± Twelve years ago, Hector Winchester declared that he would pass on his position as the next head of the family. After that, Recardo became the head of the family, and Hector had been enjoying his old age by traveling across the country. He occasionally appeared at the Winchester Mansion as well. ¡°Well, how is the book? It seems like it might be difficult for you to read.¡± ¡°It¡¯s interesting.¡± As far as I could tell, Hector was not a dangerous man. A man who stood in the middle ground in the fateful struggle between Recardo, the head of the family, and the members of the family who were wary and afraid of him. The reason the Afinizu was so woefully weakened, and the reason Recardo was able to dismantle it so easily, was because Hector Winchester no longer cared about the House¡¯s affairs. ¡°But then again, you never know,¡± he said, faint humor buried deep down in his voice. A hundred years ago, the empire faced danger due to the terrible curse called ¡°Kaisa,¡± which originated from Taylor¡¯s. The revival of Winchester, which was on the brink of destruction, came after that, led by Hector, the head of the House. He would probably know a lot of things that are not mentioned in the records. ¡°Grandpa, it mentions that we were friendly with the Taylors, but when did we become enemies?¡± In response to my question, Hector remained silent and looked at me for a while. ¡°When Goryeo Mechius gave the dragons their powers, they all got along pretty well.¡± His expression hardened a little, and I wondered if I¡¯d said something wrong. After several seconds passed, Hector spoke up. ¡°Were you really reading the book?¡± I realized that he didn¡¯t believe that I had been reading the book. Well, it¡¯s understandable. After all, for a young child to read a history book with tiny letters. Even if I could read the characters, it would still be remarkable for me to comprehend and ask questions. ¡°Yes.¡± After briefly looking at me, Hector pulled out a chair and sat across from me. ¡°There was a similar incident with Peri, and it seems that I had prejudices based on that event. Haha.¡± Hector, who furrowed his eyebrows as if a certain memory had come to mind, spoke. ¡°¡­¡­If you¡¯re interested, I¡¯ll tell you now.¡± * * * ¡°There was an attack on Lady Zestia¡¯s slave market. The soldiers guarding the market were incapacitated, and it is said that 300 slaves were set free.¡± In the corridor of the mansion, Rowen, who followed Recardo, was reporting on the events of the previous night. Bashiron and his daughter Zestia were running the empire¡¯s largest slave market. Slavery had long since been outlawed by a pact between the Four Houses, but those with debts they couldn¡¯t pay, or defeated soldiers from foreign lands, were still sold into slavery in secret. ¡°It¡¯s only natural for an ownerless business to get raided,¡± Recardo responded indifferently. ¡°As for Zestia¡¯s body¡­¡± Their footsteps echoed down the empty corridor. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ Through the connected window, the autumn scenery of the garden, gradually tinting with colors, stretched out like a painted canvas. ¡°Bashiron is planning to hold the funeral.¡± Although Zestia was wanted, she had already been discovered as a lifeless body. Someone had taken care of her in advance. The culprit was most likely someone who had orchestrated the attack. The most likely culprit was Bashiron¡¯s doctor, but he disappeared, and Bashiron¡¯s statements failed to provide any evidence. ¡°Seize Zestia¡¯s assets and use them to purchase a summer mansion from the bank.¡± The area near the Pashurit Mountains was rich in natural resources. ¡°Understood.¡± Recardo, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped in his tracks. ¡°Oh, and the ¡®Ortenian¡¯ given to you by Baron Bashiron in exchange for sparing Miss Permetis will soon be in the process of being acquired by¡­¡­.¡± As Rowen continued speaking, he stopped in his tracks when he saw Recardo¡¯s expression. Through the open library door, murmuring voices could be heard. Rowen glanced inside and held his breath. If you were to choose the strongest among the current Winchesters, it would be Recardo Winchester, the head of the family, and then directly after that, former Lord Hector Winchester. Phenomenally powerful black flames, beyond human comprehension. If Recardo was the lion on the throne, Hector was the lion taking a nap on the front lines. A man of untold power and experience, whose attention could not be captured by anyone else. He was also a cruel person who strictly applied the law of survival of the fittest to his own bloodline. ¡°Oh, I see. Halo helped us,¡± Sasha exclaimed cheerfully. ¡°Now I know!¡± Hector Winchester was looking at the child with an unusually joyful expression. CH 36 In the history of the Four Great Families, spanning a thousand years, the rivalry between the Taylors and the Winchesters began 300 years ago. It was said that the discord ignited when the Duchess of Taylor, who had visited Winchester, was assassinated by an assailant, leading to a gradual deterioration of relations and growing animosity between the two houses. In the meantime, even the families of Akada and Halo got involved and took sides in the Cold War¡­¡­ A hundred years ago, the conflict reached its peak, and Winchester, on the verge of extinction, faced a precarious situation, rejected and ignored by Akada and Halo. It was a time of great vulnerability. Then came Kaisa, a curse unleashed by the Taylors to cement their victory. It changed the fate of the empire. With its astonishing power and cruelty, it claimed the lives of many imperial subjects, and Halo and Akada condemned Taylor¡¯s actions. Halo, in particular, actively sided with the Winchesters in their fight against the Kaisa curse. This event marked the beginning of Winchester¡¯s revival and Taylor¡¯s downfall. After countless power struggles, the strength of the four houses was now rebalanced. ¡°I understand.¡± [Acquired Trait: Curious Explorer!] As Grandpa Hector finished telling the tale of a hundred years ago, something appeared before my eyes. [Congratulations on becoming a Curious Explorer through your persistent efforts.] [Continue to pave your way unwaveringly and earn various traits.] [*You can check the applied traits in your profile.] [Name: Sasha Winchester (LV.3)] [Occupation: Unemployed] [Traits: Rattle Master (Strength +3) , Curious Explorer (Intelligence +3)] It seemed like multiple traits could be applied at once. Feeling delighted about the increase in intelligence, I exclaimed, ¡°Grandpa! Amazing!¡± I gave Hector a thumbs-up and grinned at him. He looked at me with a blank stare, and then he coughed. He then opened his mouth to mutter, ¡°I can see why he¡¯s so protective of you,¡± to himself. And then a familiar low voice drifted into my ears. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I turned my head to see Recardo and Rowen in their official blue uniforms. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ Unlike me, who was startled, Grandfather Hector replied in a nonchalant voice, as if he had already sensed their presence. ¡°We were having a conversation.¡± Rowen looked slightly surprised at Hector¡¯s response. ¡°¡­¡­How was it?¡± Recardo, referring to me as the subject, asked Hector for his evaluation. There was a moment of silence, and I felt a little nervous; we were just talking about something I was curious about and suddenly I felt like I was waiting for my test report. Hector¡¯s lips parted. ¡°It¡¯s not much different from when Jin was as big as this.¡± Rowen¡¯s expression became even more astonished. One could guess the family¡¯s assessment of Jin. ¡°Start giving her an education.¡± I was taken aback by the unexpected comment. As far as I knew, the Winchester children usually begin their ¡°education¡± around the age of five. Education includes physical training, studying various fields, and learning how to handle the black flame. The seventh generation of the family codified this method of education, which had been scattered throughout the immediate and extended family, and Jin and Othello were being educated according to that curriculum. ¡°¡­¡­ still young.¡± As Recardo said, I had not yet reached the age threshold. Hector clicked his tongue and licked his lips. ¡°When you¡¯re ready to accept it, that¡¯s the appropriate time. It¡¯s not right to just leave writing and understanding history untouched at this age.¡± It was a moment when I regretted giving it my all. If I were to receive education, would my leisurely free time disappear? ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Recardo stared at me with intense eyes. I felt unnecessarily intimidated by his gaze. After a moment, Recardo furrowed his eyebrows and spoke up. ¡°Do you accept?¡± Hmm, what to do. I should absolutely say no. Crying wouldn¡¯t work in the current atmosphere. However, I didn¡¯t want to attract attention by being labeled as a prodigy who started education early. After all, Jin already held that position. ¡°Just¡­¡­.¡± So I decided to take a different approach to the predicament. ¡°I prefer playing with Grandfather over studying!¡± I smiled mischievously as I expressed my opinion, and Recardo¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Let me talk and play with Grandfather.¡± I twinkled my eyes at Hector. After an awkwardly long silence, a small sigh escaped Hector¡¯s mouth. Though Grandfather was a bit eccentric, the stories he shared were quite interesting. After a moment, Hector spoke up. ¡°If the party involved dislikes it, there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± Then he turned to Recardo. ¡°Come to think of it, I don¡¯t have much going on, and I¡¯ll be spending some time here for the time being.¡± At that, Rowen¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Hector Winchester, the former head of the Winchester family and the only person who could rival Recardo in terms of dark flames. He had given the position to Recardo because he was old and wanted to live out his days in peace, and Recardo had led the house for twelve years. However, there were those who feared Recardo and still resented him for rising to the occasion. Sure, Recardo could have used his power to overpower them, but that would have been like cutting off a sore arm, and Rowen would have to deal with the nerves for quite some time. ¡°I suppose it wouldn¡¯t hurt to delay my next trip,¡± Hector continued bemusedly. If the former lord were to stay in the Winchester Manor under these circumstances, it would be a source of strength for Recardo. ¡®I wonder if the young lady has won his favor.¡¯ Hector¡¯s positive influence would extend not only within the family but also beyond. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Sasha?¡± ¡°Yes, Grandpa!¡± The mere rumor of Hector Winchester¡¯s stay at Winchester Manor, the gray-haired old man who had led the Winchesters for decades and revived the family name, was sure to have an impact on the Taylors. After watching Sasha for a moment, Recardo pursed his lips. ¡°Do as you please.¡± * * * ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Evan frowned upon discovering the prominently drawn figure in his notebook. ¡®?¡¯ It was a symbol depicting the profile of a flying dragon, representing ¡°emergency¡± or ¡°taking flight.¡± And¡­¡­ ¡°hope¡±. ¡®Quenne.¡¯ Evan tore the paper and crumpled it. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ To infiltrate such a highly complex space so easily, the intruder must be an exceptional individual. A silver-haired individual, one who wishes to reveal his true identity. Who would this be if not Phersetos, the cause of this damned regression. Who would attempt to interfere with his fate with such clarity? Evan¡¯s azure eyes were filled with suppressed anger. ¡®Even the worthless second child of their family, awakened the Black Flame at the age of seven, and you, the heir to the Taylor family, are still this way at the age of eight.¡¯ This regression was different. The clarity that always awakened on his fourth birthday had not yet manifested. The conflict with the Winchesters after the hunting competition. It became the catalyst for Winchester to once again face a downturn, while the other two families gradually aligned themselves with Taylor. But this time, everyone was wary of the Taylors. Thanks to that, Duke Chenoa, Evan¡¯s father, showed signs of hysteria. He, who always became hysterical in the end, had even killed two servants yesterday. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Taylor looked at the crumpled paper in his hand. This was a process that hadn¡¯t happened in the twenty-seven previous regressions. Someone had invaded his space so casually, like a joke sent by fate. Evan Taylors, a boy with deep blue eyes, extended his hand and spoke. ¡°Whoever you are.¡± The mind and body were not as infinite as time. He thought that he was worn down and exhausted by the years of giving up and repeating his own death, that he had abandoned even his name. So, when he wrote that last message, he had meant it. When a sprout that he had buried in the soil resurfaced in his thoughts, he was forced to admit that he was still alive, albeit painfully so. The most cruel thing ¨C the word ¡°hope¡±. ¡°¡­¡­Whatever this is, you¡¯re going to have to answer for it.¡± Blue light flashed between his fingers. ¡°Giving me a reason for me to live.¡± CH 37 ¡°The testimonies state that it¡¯s difficult for Akada to intervene due to the worsening public opinion about Kaisa¡­¡± At the adjutant¡¯s words, Chenoa threw his silver goblet. The cup struck the adjutant¡¯s shoulder and clattered to the floor with a loud clatter. The red wine within splattered like blood. ¡°Kaisa! Kaisa! Damn Kaisa! If it weren¡¯t for that damn hunting competition!¡± Chenoa¡¯s blue eyes burned with rage. It was only after the hunting tournament that the two families that had been supportive of the Taylors had become wary. Word of the resurrection of Kaisa¡¯s Curse had spread across the empire, and all arrows were pointed at the Taylor family, not the damned Winchesters. They even publicly denounced the spies they had sent, but the other families did nothing to help. They were completely marginalized. It would probably take a considerable amount of time for other families to withdraw their suspicions. ¡°To resume our business and political activities as before, it seems there¡¯s no choice but to accept Winchester¡¯s conditions.¡± The Winchesters had the audacity to demand a hostage in exchange for a peace deal. The other families argued that this was unreasonable, but considering the resurrection of Kaisa¡¯s Curse, it was necessary to consider the consequences. They wanted to keep the Taylors in check by using the Winchesters. ¡°¡­¡­damn it.¡± Chenoa Taylors had only two children. Evan Taylors, his intended heir. And a newborn baby boy from his concubine. It was clear that Evan Taylors lacked any significant abilities, judging by his failure to manifest Clearlight yet. ¡°Young Master is clever. Perhaps he can discover Winchester¡¯s weaknesses while he¡¯s a hostage.¡± At the adjutant¡¯s words, Chenoa raised an eyebrow. He had no qualms about sending the weakling on his way, but this was a matter of pride. Nothing like this had ever happened in the history of Taylors. ¡°That would be if I could trust Evan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Certainly, the young master is a man of few words, and he doesn¡¯t wear his heart on his sleeve.¡± When Evan looked at him, Chenoa sometimes felt a chill. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ Yes, he knew that Evan, born as the heir to the Taylors, would not be able to control his own fate, but it was a strangely ominous feeling. So, he wasn¡¯t entirely convinced that sending him as a hostage would fulfill his role. ¡°I will focus on his education considering the concerns of the duke. We¡¯ll also buy some time.¡± Chenoa spoke with an unsatisfied expression, ¡°Well, time. I suppose we need time for preparations. And¡­,¡± Chenoa paused. ¡°Thoroughly investigate the third child of the Duke of Winchester.¡± Chenoa recalled the video he had seen at the hunting competition¡¯s ball. ¡°If it¡¯s the third, Sasha Winchester¡­¡­ that little girl?¡± ¡°That¡¯s no ordinary little girl.¡± A mere baby, about three years old, fending off a man under the Kaisa¡¯s Curse. It was impossible, no matter how he thought about it. * * * ¡°You¡¯re not going to read the letter?¡± On their way back from the training grounds, Othello responded stubbornly to Jin¡¯s question. ¡°I told you to throw it away,¡± he grumbled. The ¡®it¡¯ in question was a letter from Permetis, which a servant had just handed to Jin. Written in a child¡¯s handwriting, it was addressed to ¡°Brother Othello¡±. But Othello¡¯s expression was filled with annoyance. ¡°We have to learn how to maintain undesirable relationships, Othello.¡± Jin¡¯s words were correct. ¡°You may not like it, but she is alive.¡± It was the same reason that the hostile Bashirons hadn¡¯t been completely exterminated. ¡°They might be worth using someday. We need a steady stream of information about Bashiron.¡± Ignoring Jin¡¯s words, Othello turned his head and coldly replied to the last remark. ¡°Only if he doesn¡¯t pose a threat.¡± ¡°Does Permetis pose a threat to you?¡± Jin asked back, his tone indicating that this was not meant to be a joke. The difference in ability between Jin and Othello was insignificant compared to the tenfold difference between Othello and Permetis. To Recardo, it was the same way that Bashiron was an annoyance, but not a threat. ¡°You¡¯re the one who can strangle her with your Black Flame, are you not?¡± As soon as Jin finished speaking, the Black Flame surged and flowed out from behind Othello. He turned to Jin with a glare. ¡°I didn¡¯t say she was a threat to me.¡± Jin¡¯s eyebrows twitched at the words, and his closed lips parted slightly. A moment later, Othello added in a low voice, ¡°Yeah, I regret not killing her back then. It would have been better.¡± ¡°Othello.¡± ¡°So, burn that letter. Just thinking about that day makes my blood boil.¡± Othello¡¯s eyes were filled with intense determination. ¡°How dare anyone lay a hand on my sister.¡± A tremendous surge of energy emanated from Jin¡¯s hand as he stared at Othello for a while. The letter from Permetis that was in Jin¡¯s hand turned into ashes. After seeing Permetis¡¯s letter turning into ashes, Othello started walking again. Jin, who had been expressionless, stared at his empty hand and pressed his lips together. ¡°Did your simplicity make you hear it before I did? Sasha¡¯s footsteps¡­¡­.¡± A moment later, as they approached the entrance to the mansion, a familiar voice could be heard. ~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~ ¡°Ball. Ball time!¡± Othello saw Sasha and Maya, who had apparently just come out to play in the garden. The ball, which had rolled away from Sasha, stopped at Othello¡¯s feet. Sasha called out to him at once. ¡°Othello! Ball! Ball!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Jin couldn¡¯t see Othello¡¯s expression, but he could tell from Sasha¡¯s puzzled expression what he was about to do. Whoosh ¨C and Sasha¡¯s ball was flying off into the distance, curving a perfect arc. ¡°This¡­¡­ this¡­¡­!!!¡± Sasha¡¯s eyebrows shot up. She stretched out her second finger and shouted at Othello, ¡°Bad! Stupid! Ugh¡­ Uggh¡­ Bad!¡± Sasha was jumping around and cursing at Othello with her eyes. But those were all the negative words she could muster. ¡°You should quickly go catch the ball,¡± Othello smirked. ¡°It might be a little difficult with your short legs.¡± At his teasing look, Sasha gave him one more fierce glare and then started running in the direction he¡¯d kicked the ball. Maya smiled awkwardly and bowed to Jin before following Sasha. Jin looked at Sasha and then shifted her gaze to Othello. The guy who just moments ago radiated a killing intensity was now humming a tune and stepping inside the mansion. A smile tugged at Jin¡¯s lips. * * * ¡°Othello¡­ you¡­ you jerk.¡± What¡¯s wrong with picking up the ball nicely? I huffed and puffed and finally caught the ball. ¡°Miss? What did you just say?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Haha, no, I must have misheard you.¡± Maya fanned herself, saying she felt hot. In my arms was a ball that did not weigh much. A ball made of golden cloth and golden thread was a gift and assignment given to me by Hector Winchester. Hector Winchester had been staying at the Winchester mansion for the past week, spending time with me and sharing many stories that couldn¡¯t be found in books. Today, he told me a story about a civil war that happened a hundred years ago. Why all the houses had fallen to Kaisa, and the vicious and inhuman acts that the Taylor¡¯s were experimenting with at the time. The content was distressing even for an ignorant child to hear, but in true Winchester fashion, Hector didn¡¯t mind telling me. A little filtering would be fine, though. After finishing the story, Hector handed me something he had brought. ¡®This is the ball that once belonged to Kaisa Taylor¡¯s daughter, Eshir. She was only twelve years old when she was killed by her own father.¡¯ The book I read, was centered on Evan Taylors, centered around Evan Taylor, and Taylor¡¯s lineage was depicted as an absolute noble family. It briefly mentioned the Kaisa¡¯s Curse, but it was described as a temporary flaw in the history of a noble family. However, the story I heard from Hector Winchester was so brutal that it reminded me of the racial genocide during the World Wars. At this point, I began to think that in ¡°Taylor¡¯s Light,¡± the ¡°Light¡± should be taken away¡­ ¡®Kaisa had five children, but the only one who died was Eshir, and this ball contains the reason why Eshir died. Sasha, maybe you can uncover that secret¡­¡­.¡¯ I pondered deeply while looking at the ball. ¡®Next time, I¡¯ll give you a clue about the thing you were curious about.¡¯ I asked Hector about the elixir, saying it was something I¡¯d been wondering about since I read about it in a book, but he said that we should start step by step, saying, ¡°We¡¯ll have to look into the knowledge in the Black Tower.¡± The Black Tower is a legendary place where Winchester¡¯s long-held knowledge is stored, and unlike a library, not just anyone can enter. Perhaps this is a test to see if I¡¯m worthy of being there. After receiving this ball, I¡¯m even more convinced of that idea. At any rate, my end goal is the elixir, and a healthy, easy going life, not a sickly one like in the original! I need to solve the puzzle to find out as much information as possible. Besides. [Achievement unlocked: ¡®Trust of the Wise Old Scholar¡¯] [The quest feature has been unlocked.]