Chapter 11
The memories from that time were hazy and blurry.
At some point, however, my mana channels gradually began to narrow—and eventually, they completely blocked.
It wasn’t unusual for mana channels to change as one grew.
‘Still, it wouldn’t be honest to say I never felt regret.’
Unlike me, Felix’s magical power flourished as he matured.
Though I had sometimes helped amplify his weak magic, he also naturally developed a rich mana pool as he grew older.
As a result, Felix became a renowned magic swordsman, earning fame at the academy.
Meanwhile, no matter how much I memorized magic theory, I couldn’t even conjure a small flame.
Sometimes, watching Felix channel magic effortlessly into his sword and perform dazzling sword techniques, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy.
‘Come to think of it, that really famous magic swordsman is now my boss.’
Cayen Kreutz.
A genius who had mastered both magic and martial arts.
Hmm. Thinking of such a genius far beyond my level made me laugh. Even if my mana channels were opened a hundred times over, I’d never catch up to the tips of his feet.
[That’s not flattery! Pipi is sincere! I’m surprisingly synchronized with master, so I think Pipi can get smarter really quickly!]
‘Yeah, that’s great—’
Gurgle.
My stomach growled miserably.
I realized then that I’d forgotten something important and muttered bitterly:
“I… didn’t ask for an advance…”
Well, it couldn’t be helped.
‘Tomorrow! I’ll get at least a single coin!’
I resolved firmly and headed home.
Of course, no butler or servant opened the door for me.
Familiar with the routine, I opened the door myself, and—
“Ah!”
A scorching pain shot through my scalp, and my eyes snapped open.
Someone had grabbed my hair.
“Where have you been, sneaking around?”
A venomous voice hit my ears.
I barely turned my head and saw a girl with long, fiery red hair cascading down.
Her cat-like eyes, emphasized by makeup, sparkled mischievously.
Exuding a full, coquettish charm, this girl was my cousin—my uncle’s daughter, Ciela.
“L-let go.”
“Let go? You think you can just go wandering off? They say a Kreutz carriage came looking for you! What kind of trouble did you get into for them to find you there?”
[What is this crazy woman!? Pipi wants to leap out and pluck all her hair!]
I felt Pipi bouncing inside my pocket.
I hugged the bulging pocket to hide her.
‘Ah, no. Stay calm.’
If Pipi was discovered, I didn’t know what she might do.
Another voice interjected.
“Whatever happened, a lady shouldn’t stay out overnight.”
It was my cousin Edward, my uncle’s eldest son.
Edward, with his red hair neatly slicked back with pomade, crossed his arms with a stern expression.
“Did you decide to act wild just because you were broken off with? That’s unacceptable. Still, someone might…”
Edward’s eyes scanned me from head to toe.
“Maybe I’ll have to bring you back myself.”
Naturally, the servants watched from a distance, grinning, without lifting a finger to help.
[Looking at master with rude eyes! Pipi wants to rip their eyeballs out! And why that tone? Looks like a nouveau riche but talks like royalty!]
Pipi bounced even more furiously, making my pocket bulge.
‘P-Pipi!’
I hurriedly moved the pocket behind my back to hide her.
Even so, Pipi’s fiery anger made me feel a little less alone.
But that feeling plummeted in the next moment.
“Were you not raised properly? Oh right, your parents are dead, huh?”
Ciela laughed mockingly.
“….”
I felt the sting of humiliation flush my face.
I wanted to retaliate immediately, but my body trembled.
As a child, I had dared defy Ciela before.
But each time, my uncle’s harsh whip followed.
Because I couldn’t cover for my sister’s misbehavior as her older sibling.
Those painful memories were so ingrained that just thinking of defying her now made my body stiffen.
But I didn’t want to live like that forever.
I desperately whispered to myself.
‘Pipi… help me.’
[Just what I’ve been waiting for! “You can be a villain ver.2” initializing! Master, set your malice level!
-
Mild 2. Moderate 3. Strong]
Ver.2? When did it get upgraded?
No time to wonder. I filled myself with twitching anger and shouted in my mind:
‘Strong! Strong it is!’
The next moment, lightning-fast hands grabbed Ciela’s mouth.
“Ghh?!“
Ciela yelped and let go of my hair.
‘W-what…’
It was exactly like the scene hours earlier at the magic tower, where Cayen had stretched a wizard’s mouth.
I had admired that outrageous act, and now, just hours later, I was doing the same!
Without hesitation, my mouth moved.
“Orphans, orphans, always whining about being orphans. Then why is someone like you, whose parents are alive, so rotten?”
“Hhh?!”
“Were your parents useless anyway?”
“Hhhh!”
Ciela’s eyes widened as if they might pop out.
‘Whoa!’
The lines that had just escaped my mouth were ones I had prepared, thinking of a more timid version to use if I couldn’t speak up earlier.
‘Pipi, you even learned that!’
Along with the shame, a thrilling sensation ran through me.
It was my first time saying words I had only imagined.
“Hhhh!”
Ciela sobbed painfully.
Still, I didn’t let go of her mouth, which was stretched like a duck’s beak.
I even shook it up and down.
“Mind your mouth, okay?”
With a rough, delinquent tone too!
‘Strong really means no holding back!’
Shock and exhilaration ran down my spine.
I had always wanted to pinch someone’s mouth like this for talking nonsense.
“Ah, miss!”
“Are you out of your mind?! Let go of Ciela at once!”
The servants, shocked, stomped their feet but didn’t intervene.
Then—
“What on earth is going on here?!”
Edward shouted in horror.
I glared at him, and he instinctively clamped his mouth shut.
Then, embarrassed by his own reaction, he quickly lowered his hands and pointed at me.
“You cannot leave Ciela alone!”
“Ghh, hhh!”
Ciela cried out to her brother in distress.
Edward rolled up his sleeves.
“This won’t do! Father’s not here, so I’ll have to discipline you myself. How dare you use violence among family! Go fetch the whip Father uses!”
A servant hurried to bring Edward the whip.
Watching all this, I spoke.
“I was the one who first touched Ciela.”
“Right. Then roll up your sleeves—”
“But isn’t verbal abuse also a form of violence?”
“What?”
“It’s funny how you stay silent when Ciela mentions my deceased parents, but now talk about family discipline.”
“How dare you speak like that!”
Edward’s eyes flared.
He was hit squarely in pride by my mocking tone.
Ciela, finally free from my hands, covered her swollen lips and yelled.
“Brother! She’s completely insane!”
“Seems so.”
Edward glared at me and raised one hand.
I smirked annoyingly.
“You mean you’ll hit me? Yesterday, Felix tried to lay hands on me and got utterly embarrassed when a Kreutz knight came to fetch me.”
“What?”
Edward froze midair.
“…What do you mean? Why would a Kreutz knight come for you?”
“What are you talking about? Stop imagining things! She’s obviously crazy, brother! Please discipline her!”
I shrugged, watching the siblings fuss.
“Haven’t you heard? I was hired by Duke Kreutz himself.”
“What? Someone like you—how!?”
Edward’s eyes widened in disbelief.
