Chapter 47
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 47
There’s a line in a book I read back when I was Han Ina.
「I once heard of a man who heated his bathwater with the love letters he received from women.」*
And here is another man who has been disqualified from humanity.
Right before my very eyes.
I stood there, lost for words, staring at Leon Frezier.
‘Did he just...’
Did he really burn all the letters I sent and turn them into ash?
And did he bring them here himself just to give them back to me like this?
‘He’s a bigger psycho than I imagined...’
I wasn't sure if I was stunned or just utterly appalled.
“...Lisian, are you okay?”
My voice trembled slightly despite myself.
Lisian, covered in ash, didn't look back at me. He simply gave a very slight nod.
Over his shoulder, I could see Leon’s expression.
A flicker of embarrassment, then bewilderment, followed quickly by rage.
“That’s the problem with you, Brother. You’re always too soft-hearted.”
“Leon.”
“Do you really think she’s our sister?”
‘Ah. That’s crossing the line.’
To hear the same words I heard right before I died as Han Ina.
My mood hit rock bottom.
Not that I’d been feeling great since the moment that jerk opened his trap.
I had been trying my best to maintain a faint smile.
Because I needed Leon’s favorability.
Because he was one of the male leads for Corico.
Because I had to win him over somehow.
But that was then.
The moment he scattered those ashes, I felt the corners of my mouth, which I’d been forcing upward, drop instantly.
Leon, who had been looking down at me with a cold gaze, had his eyes sink with a subtle shadow.
I wondered for a moment why he was making a face like that, but then—
“The rumors are everywhere. In high society, at the Academy.”
Leon sneered coldly, looking me straight in the eye.
“That she has a different father than us.”
“...”
“Leon Fre...zier.”
A slow, measured voice drifted through the air.
It was Lisian.
With the poise of a high-ranking noble, he used his right hand to gather the ashes that were still scattered over his hair and face.
And then.
Smack!
He struck Leon Frezier right across the cheek.
A red handprint bloomed on Leon’s face, traced by the gray remnants of the ash.
“You are... the worst. Leon Fre...zier.”
His voice was chilling, even to my ears.
It was hard to believe it came from the same Lisian who usually seemed like a silver angel.
It was a sudden reminder that Lisian was a high noble who would one day inherit the title of Marquis Frezier...
“...Ha.”
Leon Frezier wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and let out a hollow laugh.
“Now I’m even getting hit by my own brother.”
“Pick it all... up. And leave.”
When Lisian spoke slowly, his stuttering improved slightly.
His voice was slow, but it was laced with unmistakable fury.
Leon Frezier didn’t even glare back at Lisian.
He kept his eyes fixed on me over Lisian’s shoulder before finally crouching down.
After sweeping the scattered ashes into his bag with both hands, Leon Frezier let out a cold laugh.
“Hey. Must be nice for you.”
His green eyes, so like Tulia’s, shimmered with an unidentifiable emotion.
“Since the whole family is so busy protecting you.”
Thud.
Leon Frezier intentionally shouldered past me, knocking into me as he strode away and disappeared.
* * *
I sat in a bathtub filled with hot water, staring up at the ceiling.
A cold drop of water that had condensed on the marble ceiling fell, landing right on my forehead.
“Cold.”
I muttered to myself and looked back down at the surface of the water.
I had only one thing on my mind.
Leon Frezier.
“Why does that jerk hate me so much?”
Of course, I still had Tulia’s memories inside me.
But no matter how slowly I retraced the past, I couldn't understand it.
It was true that Tulia was the official trash of The Milk Bread.
It was true she had been incredibly extravagant since she was a child and had been mean to the girls in the Grand Duchy.
And she had ignored or mocked the twins whenever they came around.
But that was because...
“The twins don’t seem to like you very much, my poor Tulia.”
“It’s likely because of the rumors regarding your mother that the twins... No. Never mind. Your uncle has said too much. Forget it, Tulia.”
It was because Lilius had been driving a wedge between Tulia and the twins while pretending he wasn't.
But that was all when they were kids.
‘If he’s older than Tulia, shouldn't he have some, I don't know, insight or something?’
Maybe a bit of tolerance.
Like Lisian.
Even if not, he could have at least given me a chance after seeing the sincerity in the letters I sent for months.
Does the Academy not teach morality and character?
“Do you really think she’s our sister?”
Leon Frezier’s dagger-like words stabbed at me again.
“How can he say something so cruel? What a bastard.”
And yet, his expression had been strange.
For instance, the way his eyes wavered for a split second.
Or the way he gritted his teeth while looking at me.
“Hey. Must be nice for you. Since the whole family is so busy protecting you.”
The only one who’s actually protected me is Lisian, so what kind of nonsense was that?
I couldn't understand Leon Frezier’s psychology at all, and it made me scowl.
Then, a thought occurred to me.
A sudden, random thought.
Surely...
‘...Surely not, right?’
It couldn't be, but...
I glanced at the winged star floating around me and clicked it.
Main Content: Settling Karma
You are trash!
You have no money, bad luck, and everyone hates you!
(Except for one person) No one loves you!
Goal: Reach A-Rank before the ‘Real One’ appears!
Failure Penalty: Death
“No way. No way.”
‘It wasn't Lisian. So surely...’
I muttered the words “no way” dozens of times as I carefully re-read the main text floating in the air.
You are trash!
You have no money, bad luck, and everyone hates you!
(Except for one person) No one loves you!
“That ‘one person’... surely. Suuuurely.”
It couldn't be that bastard Leon Frezier, could it?
* * *
“Please enjoy your meal, My Lady.”
The next morning.
I rolled my eyes as I took a spoonful of the soup the servant had set down.
There were over ten dining rooms in the main castle. This one was smaller than the one we usually used, but it was cozy.
The people eating here right now were...
Me.
Lisian.
And Leon Frezier.
Just the three of us.
‘Wow. This is awkward.’
Ever since Lisian and Leon returned, Lilius had always insisted on having breakfast together, bringing Aubrey along as well.
‘I suppose it looks good to the vassals.’
Whatever Lilius’s ambitions were, he wanted to project an image of a kind and affectionate uncle to the outside world.
But this morning...
As I was getting ready for breakfast, Lisian’s servant came to find me.
“I have been sent to escort you by Lord Lisian’s order, Lady Tulia.”
“Lisian?”
“Yes. Shall we go once you are ready?”
And then he led me to a dining room I’d never seen before.
“This place is...”
It wasn't the dining room where Lilius usually sat at the head of the table.
It was a dining room where only Lisian and Leon Frezier were seated.
Napkins, glasses for aperitifs, and cutlery were set for exactly three people.
“Y-you’re here? Tulia.”
Lisian greeted me with a smile.
I asked as I sat down.
“What about Uncle and Aunt?”
“F-from today on, we’ll be e-eating by ourselves.”
“Huh? Just us?”
“Yes. T-Tulia. Eat c-comfortably.”
It was unexpected.
My eyes widened a beat late.
‘Wow.’
That’s right.
Now that I thought about it, Lisian was the eldest son and the ‘successor’ to Marquis Frezier.
As such, he had the authority to host his own formal meals within the Grand Duke’s main castle.
‘Leon Frezier is annoying as hell, but...’
At least he’s someone who listens to Lisian.
I figured he wouldn't attack me during the meal.
This was going to be a much more comfortable dinner, wasn't it?
I’d been finding it hard to focus on my food because of Aubrey attacking me every single morning.
I sat down with a pleasant smile.
“What would you like for your aperitif?”
“I’ll just have orange juice today.”
“Yes, My Lady.”
There wasn't a small orchestra playing, but perhaps because I felt more at ease, my appetite was much better.
I stuffed a piece of warm bread spread with fragrant butter into my mouth.
Ham, cheese, thinly sliced fruit, and cooked eggs were served as toppings for the bread.
I glanced at Leon Frezier as I placed a thin slice of apple on my bread.
It seemed he had chosen cold-brewed tea as his breakfast drink.
Well, unless they were elderly nobles, people didn't usually drink alcohol in the morning.
I looked away quickly since nothing good would come from making eye contact, but Leon Frezier’s face was quite a sight.
‘His cheek is totally swollen.’
His red, puffy cheek practically screamed to the whole world, “I got hit.”
I thought it was quite impressive that he was walking around the castle so boldly without even trying to hide it.
And it really hit home that Lisian had given him a very stern warning.
I took a sip of the sweet and sour orange juice and stole another glance at Leon Frezier.
Text appeared in the air.
[System] Would you like to check ‘Leon Frezier’s’ favorability?
[System] Leon Frezier’s Character Importance: ☆☆☆☆☆
‘As expected, he’s a five-star too.’
[YES]
I clicked ‘YES’ immediately, just like yesterday.
Half worried and half curious if this guy would also have a gold gauge.
But then...
[System] Cooldown in effect!
[System] You need 6 days and 5 hours more to check ‘Leon Frezier’s’ favorability.
‘Huh?’
[System] You can check ‘Leon Frezier’s’ favorability immediately by spending 100 Coins.
[System] Would you like to check?
[System] YES or NO
‘What? There was a cooldown?’