Chapter 86
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Uninvited Guest (3)
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“L-Lord?”
“Squeak?”
The Second and Third Knight Captains had been waiting anxiously in the command tent for the eldest daughter.
“Mmph, mmph...”
Spotting their lord finally emerging alongside Kairen, the two men wore shocked expressions.
“Lord, that woman is...?”
It was because the eldest daughter, cradling the blood-soaked Kairen in her arms, was dragging another woman by the hair with her free hand, hauling her unceremoniously toward the tent.
“The heir was attacked right in the heart of Belverk territory.”
“...!”
“And the attacker was disguised in Third Knight Division armor.”
The two captains, who had been staring blankly at the scene, paled instantly upon hearing the eldest daughter's words as she flung the woman to the ground.
“You know what this means.”
At that chilling declaration from the eldest daughter...
“...We have committed a grave sin.”
The Third Knight Captain dropped to his knees before her, bowing his head low.
“The picnic in Belverk is over.”
“But...”
“You've enjoyed it enough already.”
As he started to lift his head at her words, he froze midway, swallowing hard under the overwhelming killing intent radiating from her, and slammed his forehead back to the ground.
“...Understood.”
He couldn't quite grasp how the situation had unfolded, but the truth of their lord's unprecedented fury was all too clear.
“So, what will you do now...?”
Yet with no idea how to handle the aftermath of this treason, he timidly posed the question.
“We're changing picnic spots.”
“...!”
“The next one is Opstein.”
Another unexpected bombshell from the eldest daughter's lips.
“Wh-what's the deadline...?”
The Third Knight Captain racked his brains briefly before asking about the timeframe to obey her command.
“Finish it within a week.”
“A w-week...?”
“Then invite the family for a picnic.”
He gaped at the response, but...
'Could they have already reached a tacit agreement?'
His sharp mind raced to make sense of the bewildering turn of events.
'Declaring Opstein's fall and a family invitation implies she's already tacitly inherited the family head position...'
“...”
'Then her talk of passing it to her sibling was a ploy to dodge future treason charges?'
Within seconds, the Third Knight Captain concluded that this Opstein campaign might be to redirect internal dissent as the new family head.
“Therefore...”
The eldest daughter, who had been watching silently, issued her cold command.
“Prepare immediately.”
“Yes, ma'am!”
With that, the Third Knight Captain saluted crisply—having already run the calculations—then dashed to the tent to relay new orders laced with his inferences and suggestions.
“Little brother.”
The eldest daughter, watching him go, gently stroked Kairen's head as she spoke.
“You've been through a lot.”
“...”
“You know, I love roasted sweet potatoes the most.”
At her sudden tangent, Kairen—still trembling—tilted his head and stared up at his big sister's face.
“Do you like roasted sweet potatoes too, little brother?”
“Uh... yeah.”
“Good.”
As Kairen nodded, his big sister smiled softly.
“Let's go to Opstein together, light a fire, and roast some sweet potatoes.”
“You mean... roasting them in the burning ruins of the Opstein estate?”
“Of course.”
Kairen ventured the question, suspecting another misunderstanding, but this time the meaning landed perfectly.
“Why the long face?”
“Uh...”
“Don't like sweet potatoes? What do you like then, little brother?”
As he began trembling again, his big sister cocked her head.
“I like family the most.”
His earnest words brought a puppy-like wag to her expression as she beamed innocently.
“I like you too, little brother.”
But then her eyes began to glow red.
“So...”
With a chilling smile, she pulled Kairen close and whispered huskily.
“...I'll hunt down everyone who hurt you to the ends of hell and make them pay.”
A system message flickered nearby, announcing the release of some hidden tag, but Kairen's mind wasn't fully recovered yet.
“For now, let's go to Mom.”
“Huh?”
“I've realized something thanks to you.”
Unable to check the message, Kairen buried his face in her embrace—then perked up, doubting his ears.
“Communication comes first.”
She murmured softly to him, flashing a smile that was still cold but now tinged with warmth.
“I approve the operation.”
Astridje's response to the eldest daughter's stammering report upon entering the tent with Kairen was curt and to the point.
“Since when did Belverk start caring about the world's gaze?”
She rose from her seat and stepped forward steadily.
“I've held back not because of Opstein's historical reputation or the Holy Church's protection.”
Her steps halted before...
“It was because of your request, Kairen.”
“...”
“Of course, even then, I've quietly culled them from the shadows...”
...the wilted-looking Kairen in his big sister's arms.
“As the 49th head of Belverk, I cannot tolerate this incident.”
Taking in Kairen's expression, Astridje continued in a frosty tone.
“I'll take full responsibility. I'll notify the Emperor and meritorious houses myself, so wipe Opstein off the map...”
She paused mid-sentence, tilting her head sideways.
“...Kairen?”
“Ah, yes?”
“Why are you sweating like that?”
Catching her words, the pale, trembling Kairen managed a belated, awkward smile.
“Are you still pitying them?”
“...”
“Even after they wounded you again, despite you once sparing their lives?”
But as his mother's gaze hardened, Kairen fell silent, averting his eyes downward.
“Little brother...”
His big sister buried her face in his hair, looking glum.
“Kairen.”
“Yes...”
“No, son. Listen well. You must hear this.”
Astridje stiffened her expression, crouching to meet his eyes.
“You're a very kind and pure child.”
“...”
“That's why you could touch the hearts of us—and others—who were scarred and closed off.”
With a gentle yet firm look, she caressed her beloved son's cheek and began.
“But there are those in this world desperate to exploit that kindness of yours.”
“Ah...”
“Pitying them isn't kindness—it's ignorance. And in Belverk—or anywhere in this world—ignorance is a sin.”
Astridje paused, her face pained yet resolute.
“If you can't grasp it, remember the wound your sister suffered today from your indiscriminate goodwill.”
She pointed to the burn mark from holy water on her eldest daughter's arm.
“And remember the wounds we've taken because you neglected yourself.”
Even as Kairen's eyes widened in shock, Astridje pressed on sternly.
“Kairen. Your wish is that no one around you gets hurt, right?”
“...Yes.”
“To fulfill that wish, learn to distinguish between people and non-people from now on.”
Kairen, mouth agape, finally nodded in full understanding.
“And remember that hurting yourself hurts your loved ones too.”
Astridje stroked his head with slight relief, then grew cold again.
“...I'm explaining nicely this time, but if it happens again, I'll be truly angry.”
Unable to maintain her stern face, she pulled Kairen into a hug to hide it.
“So, I beg you, Kairen...”
Silence fell briefly.
“I'm sorry...”
“...Good. As long as you understand.”
As Kairen mumbled guiltily in the quiet, Astridje caressed his cheek and continued.
“You're at an age lacking common sense and experience, after all.”
“...”
“A child's ignorance isn't a sin. If anyone's at fault, it's the guardians.”
Suddenly turning, she fixed a terrifying glare incomparable to before on...
“...Isn't that right, Marchioness?”
...the Marchioness, battered and scraped raw from face to toe, trembling face-down on the ground.
“I-I was used! This is unfair!”
Astridje telekinetically removed her gag, unleashing desperate pleas that echoed in the tent.
“R-right, Kairen?”
As the mother and daughter's icy stares didn't waver, the sweating Marchioness turned pleading eyes to Kairen in his big sister's arms.
“Talk to them for me...”
Her obsequious expression and words hung in the air.
“You always obeyed me so well, didn't you?”
A frigid silence descended over the tent.
'To think I pitied someone like this.'
Gazing down at the Marchioness from my big sister's arms—brazenly awaiting my defense as if it were natural—I sank into deep regret.
'...Why did I ever?'
I'd been lucky to escape Opstein, but I'd grown complacent.
'I was gaslit for ten years and oblivious back then, but now I've fully recalled my past life's knowledge.'
Knowing full well that humans can be scarier than ghosts or demons, yet swayed by mere trauma? Pathetic.
'And unlike what Mom said...'
I could excuse it if I were just a ten-year-old kid muddled by years of gaslighting and abuse-like brainwashing.
But I couldn't make excuses now. Because...
'My past self was a full-grown adult of twenty...'
Wait, was I really twenty in my past life?
“...Huh?”
The sudden doubt widened my eyes; I tilted my head, pondering again.
Until now, I'd vaguely assumed as much, but trying to recall precisely made my head spin oddly.
“Kairen?”
“Little brother, what's wrong?”
I frowned blankly, prompting worried voices from Mom and Big Sis in my ears.
“Uh...”
Even then, frozen in a daze, the growing disconnect in my memories made cold sweat bead on my skin.
'What's this?'
Honestly, survival had kept me from dwelling on my own past details.
But reconsidering now, something felt off.
“...”
Skyscrapers of gray steel, diverse cultures and languages, advanced machines and electronics, knowledge and vocabulary alien to this world.
The System Sis had synced all my past life memories, or so I'd thought...
'...Why?'
Why was the info on who I was in that life a complete blank?
“Aaaaaaaaaah!!!”
A chilling scream jolted me from my eerie stupor.
- Crunch...
Shaking my head clear and opening my eyes, a metallic tang assaulted my nose.
“St-stop!!!”
“No.”
“Get those filthy fangs away!!!”
My big sister had sunk her teeth into the kneeling Marchioness's neck, eyes red as she drained her.
“You seem to know a bit about our clan.”
Mom watched impassively, then knelt suddenly.
“Aridna, good news.”
“Eek...”
“We're sending you back to your daughter and husband's arms.”
The tantalizing whisper made the Marchioness's eyes bulge.
“...Though they might not recognize you as a monster.”
Mom's mocking chill filled the tent.
“Nooooo!!!!!!”
Another hair-raising scream.
“Pl-please spare me! Please... please!!!”
“...”
“Ka-Kairen! Sweetie! Help me!”
Big Sis finished feeding and stepped back; the shuddering Marchioness crawled desperately toward me.
“I've been too harsh, haven't I...? S-sorry...”
Reaching out pathetically, she begged.
“B-but I was good to you sometimes, right?”
“Like what?”
“W-well...”
Her absurdity left me dazed, prompting the retort; she pondered briefly.
“I didn't touch you when Dorsia wanted to play...”
“...”
“And... um...”
Sweating and babbling, her eyes lit up confidently.
“...I made you food!”
In the ensuing silence, I stared incredulously, mustering patience for my question.
“Do you always put mold in food, Marchioness?”
“...Wh-what?”
“I thought all food was like that.”
Her panicked glances at Mom and Sis tested my restraint.
“The first tasty food I had was when you balled up Dorsia's leftovers for fetch games.”
And that's when I realized one crucial thing.
“Kairen.”
I had no need to treat this abuser with patience or humanity.
“When did my daughter ever do that, you filthy brat...”
The next instant, she bared her usual menacing sneer.
- Slap...!
Her cheek whipped sideways.
“...Ah?”
Red bloomed from the full-force strike by my crimson-eyed self; she clutched it, staring blankly.
“Marchioness.”
As her cheek flushed hot and she gnashed her teeth at my icy tone...
“You're ugly.”
Her brazenness didn't last.
“Aaaaaaaaaah...!”
Her blood turned purple, skin and bones twisting grotesquely as she wailed monstrously.
“Just kill meeeee!!!”
Even then, shrieking at us in utter ugliness.