Two Troublemakers, but the Strongest
Two Troublemakers, but the Strongest
Sylvia lay sprawled on the floor, clutching her face.
A burning pain, as if she had been seared with a branding iron, consumed her cheek.
It felt as if her mind had been bleached white. Sylvia could not understand the situation that had just befallen her.
No, her brain was at a point where it simply refused to accept reality.
Sylvia Edelheid.
The youngest daughter of the Edelheid ducal family. The youngest child who monopolized everyone's love.
She could do whatever she wanted, and she could have whatever she desired.
Far from being hit, she was a flower in a greenhouse who had never even received a proper scolding, even when she caused trouble.
For someone like Sylvia, it took a long time to even perceive the fact that she had been struck.
Shock rendered her speechless.
Tears wouldn't even come.
The only reaction she could muster was her mouth hanging open and closing intermittently like a fish.
"You were hiding behind the Duchess, watching while I was being beaten."
Renoa looked down at Sylvia with cold eyes and began to speak.
"I still remember. The expression you wore while watching me get hit. You were definitely smiling."
"......."
"How does it feel to be hit yourself? Does it hurt? So much that you can't even speak?"
Renoa leaned down.
She met Sylvia's eyes at a distance where their noses almost touched.
Renoa's eyes, so close that their breaths mingled, were sunken and dark like an abyss.
Gleaming deep within those pupils was a thick murderous intent that felt like it could explode at any moment.
"Engrave this clearly in your mind."
Her low, whispering voice burrowed into Sylvia's eardrums like a venomous snake.
"Don't delude yourself into thinking that the measly world you trust so blindly will protect you forever. If you cross the line and covet what is mine again......."
Renoa's eerie gaze entangled Sylvia's eyes as if it were about to swallow them whole.
"I'll gouge those eyes out next time."
"Hikkeuk...!"
A short convulsion born of terror escaped Sylvia's throat.
The fear of having her life threatened just by meeting someone's gaze.
Faced with a murderous intent she had never encountered in her life, an alarm bell rang frantically in Sylvia's head, screaming for her to run away immediately.
Thick teardrops fell over her bloodless cheeks.
"U-uaaaaaang! Mamaaaaaa!"
In the end, Sylvia's reason, unable to withstand the terror, shattered completely.
She had long since discarded any shred of her petty pride as a lady of the ducal house.
With a face ruined by tears and snot, Sylvia scrambled to her feet, flailing unsightly across the carpet.
She rushed out of the room in a panic, heedless of her expensive dress tearing as it was stepped on by her heels.
The sound of hurried footsteps and breathless wailing gradually faded into the distance.
Watching her retreating figure, Renoa stood up straight.
"She was creepy when she was smiling, but she's kind of cute when she cries."
Is it said that true siblings feel a strange pleasure when tormenting each other?
Seeing Sylvia burst into a sea of tears made Renoa feel quite good.
Even if they only shared half their blood, it seemed they were indeed sisters.
"Don't you think you just enjoy bullying people, Milady?"
"What do you take me for? I don't have such a twisted hobby."
Irion couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.
If it were possible, he wanted to show her the side of herself that he knew.
She would surely end up rolling on the floor, unable to bear it.
"More importantly, what are you going to do now? You hit the youngest lady, so the Duchess won't just sit still."
"It'll work out somehow. Oh, she's already here."
A thumping sound echoed from the hallway, getting closer. One could tell whose angry footsteps they were without even looking.
-Kwang!
Once again, the door swung open as if it were about to break.
"Renoa!"
Sure enough, it was Duchess Florencia. Rage radiated from her hideously distorted face.
Beside her was Sylvia, sobbing while clutching her cheek.
"How dare you lay a hand on my daughter!"
"Then you should have educated her properly."
"What?"
"Not only did she barge into someone else's room without permission, but she even dared to covet what belongs to another..."
Renoa tilted her head and let out a sneer.
"Doesn't her lack of restraint make her look just like a beast?"
"How dare this bitch say whatever she wants...!"
Florencia, her reason evaporated by fury, fiercely raised her hand.
Her palm sliced through the air violently, as if it were about to rip Renoa's cheek apart right then and there.
However, just before that hand could reach Renoa.
-Teok.
Florencia's hand was caught in mid-air. Irion had grabbed her wrist.
Florencia's eyes were dyed with shock.
The escort knights all placed their hands on their swords, looking ready to draw them at any moment, but...
"......."
Irion stared at them intently.
Under the intangible pressure, they couldn't even twitch a finger, let alone draw their swords.
"Y-you, how dare you touch me!"
Florencia's thunderous roar echoed through the room.
"Even though you are a slave, I took you in because I thought you had a kind heart, and yet you dare to betray me like this?"
"Well, you see..."
Irion had stepped in first because he was worried Renoa might get hit. He hadn't thought about the follow-up.
Was there a good way to get out of this?
As Irion looked around, a lightbulb went off in his head the moment he saw Renoa.
Pretending to be pale with fright, he hurriedly raised his voice.
"Kkeuk.... Milady, you mustn't do this."
"What nonsense are you suddenly spouting! Let go of me this instant!"
"I know in my head that I shouldn't do this either. But my body is moving on its own."
"Are you saying that bitch is controlling your body right now?"
Irion frowned and nodded.
"That's right. Because of the master-slave contract, as a slave, I cannot disobey Milady's orders. Please forgive my rudeness...!"
At Irion's appeal, which seemed sincerely apologetic, Florencia's bloodshot eyes turned toward Renoa.
She seemed firmly under the misconception that Renoa had used the slave to tie her hands and feet in order to humiliate her.
An ominous rage radiated from her.
However, Renoa's gaze was fixed on Irion.
The face of Irion, who happened to steal a glance at her, was perfectly calm.
A silent conversation passed between their eyes as they met in the air.
'When did I ever give such an order?'
'You're the one who started this, Milady. Regardless, I stopped you from getting into a rough situation, so just put up with this much. It's not like you have any reputation left to lose anyway.'
It was likely a conversation of that nature.
Renoa inwardly swallowed a smirk, dumbfounded by the slave's brazen attitude of subtly shifting the responsibility onto his master.
She didn't know whether to feel grateful for his actions to protect his master or to curse him for selling her out.
'So that's how you're going to play it, huh?'
In that case, she had an idea of her own.
"Make her kneel."
"Excuse me?"
"I said, make her kneel."
Irion looked at her as if wondering if this woman had truly gone mad.
No matter how much he disliked her, she was the Duchess in name. Making her kneel would cause a huge problem.
But Renoa had no intention of backing down. Since she had been abused her whole life, this level of revenge was quite trivial.
"That's strange. Why aren't you listening when I'm giving an order? It's almost as if you weren't following my orders from the beginning."
As if to say that grabbing Florencia wasn't due to her order, but something Irion had done on his own.
That was the meaning behind Renoa's statement. At that, everyone's gaze shifted to Irion once more.
'Is she really a psychopath?'
Irion shook his head at her unpredictable way of thinking.
There are things you should do and things you shouldn't.
However, Irion had no intention of taking the fall for everything after coming this far.
"Kuaaaaak! My body is acting on its own again...!"
"Kkyak!"
Irion tripped Florencia's leg. Florencia fell to her knees with a thud.
Florencia's bewilderment was brief before she poured her rage onto Renoa.
She glared as if she wanted to kill her.
"Renoa! You've truly gone mad! Dismiss your slave this instant!"
"Oh dear, what should I do? I'm still inexperienced in handling slaves. It's not going as I wish."
Renoa covered her mouth and feigned surprise with detestable affectation.
However, she didn't even hide the sneer that escaped through those red lips.
"Since you're already on your knees, why don't you take some time to repent for the evil deeds you've committed against me all this time?"
To think she was kneeling at the feet of the illegitimate child she had abused her whole life.
At that ridiculous and historic sight, Renoa felt as if the congestion she had harbored for over a decade was washed away at once.
"Y-you insolent bitch...!"
Her face flushing red and blue from the unbearable humiliation, Florencia trembled and shrieked.
However, she could not shake off Irion's strong grip that was pressing down on her shoulders.
"Kkeuk! I'm sorry, Duchess!"
Since things had already blown up, Irion entered full 'enjoyment' mode.
The master and slave were performing a breathtaking duet.
"Duchess. Let me give you some advice."
"What?"
"The powerless child you used to beat unilaterally is already dead. If something like today happens again."
Renoa whispered into Florencia's ear.
"Next time, it won't be your knees that fall, but your head."
"You......!"
Without listening to Florencia's subsequent words, Renoa spun around.
"Irion. I want to rest. Get all these intruders out."
All the uninvited guests were kicked out.
Only Irion and Renoa remained in the room, as usual.
Irion stood behind Renoa, massaging her shoulders.
"I'm not taking responsibility for this."
"It's because you grabbed that old lady's hand on your own."
"It started because you hit the youngest lady, Milady. Don't go blaming your slave when you're the master."
The two of them bickered, blaming each other for the situation that had just occurred.
However, the situation was much more serious than Irion thought.
"So what are you really going to do? Setting aside your sister's matter, making the Duchess kneel is something unheard of."
"It'll be fine."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because the Duke is my father and mother. Would he take that old lady's side or mine?"
It was true that the Duke was a witch, but for now, he was the Duke of Edelheid.
As long as he held his position, no one would be able to touch Renoa easily.
She had to enjoy this privilege to the fullest until the witch was subjugated.......
"......."
In an instant, a bad thought crossed Renoa's mind.
"Irion, what happens if the witch dies?"
"Well. First, there would be great chaos. Since the Duke, of all people, was the witch."
"And then? What happens to the ducal house?"
"Hmm, since the Duke is gone, wouldn't the eldest son inherit the position?"
That was it.
If the Duke disappeared, the position of the head of the family would naturally be taken by the eldest son, Cassius.
Then the protection toward Renoa would also vanish, and her standing within the family would weaken again.
In a way, the subjugation of the witch would deal a fatal blow to Renoa's power.
'Is there some way?'
A way to eliminate the witch while also preserving her power.
After agonizing for a long while, Renoa finally thought of one method.
Couldn't she just blackmail the witch?