Chapter 167: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (31)
Chapter 167: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (31)
Lupin Lainella hated Ian Percus.
For starters, Ian was a mere lower noble who had once beaten Lupin up. That alone was reason enough for Lupin to despise him.
Of course, Lupin had provided the catalyst for it.
Even if she carried the blood of the Yurdina family, he had never dreamed that anyone would pay so much attention to a mere illegitimate daughter.
No, to be more precise, the situation was a bit different.
It would be more accurate to say he never expected anyone would actually dare to challenge him, even if they did care.
Many high-ranking nobles, not just lower ones, had participated in the bullying of Seria.
Lupin himself was a member of the Count Lainella family—a prestigious magic house—even if they didn't quite reach the level of the Empire's Five Great Noble Families.
It went without saying for commoners, but even lower nobles found it difficult to interfere in the affairs of high-ranking nobles. While not technically impossible, they were forced to fear the friction between families.
Until then, Lupin had enjoyed that status to the fullest.
No matter who he tormented, retaliation was rare. Because his older sister was the famous Elsie Lainella, even high-ranking nobles of similar standing were reluctant to touch him.
So, he had been complacent.
Until the moment Ian’s fist slammed into the bridge of his nose and sent him flying through the air, Lupin felt as if he were in a dream.
This can’t be happening.
But the reality facing him was grim, and Lupin eventually gave up on defying Ian. He simply chewed over the humiliation of that day in his mind, over and over again.
Ian was a genuine psycho.
No one wanted to touch a bomb that could go off at any moment—at least, not unless the potential profit outweighed the risk.
In Lupin’s eyes, Ian was someone you gained nothing from by getting involved with. Since there was no way to control his violence, it was best to just ignore him.
That was when his sister, Elsie Lainella, stepped in.
She was always strong and bold, a person who made the siblings of the Lainella family tremble with her sheer venom. Lupin believed that she, of all people, would be able to take Ian down.
But Elsie had been utterly defeated by him, and the aftermath was even more unbearable to witness.
The Elsie he had seen recently was no different from Ian’s loyal pet dog.
The dignified Elsie of the past was nowhere to be found.
Lupin had nearly fainted when he saw her acting coy and calling the man "Master." To make matters worse, she had even snapped at her precious younger brother just to appease her "Master’s" anger.
Lupin felt as if his heart were being torn apart.
What made it even more painful for Lupin was the fact that the emotion Elsie showed toward the man wasn't just submission.
That hazy, sweet gaze she occasionally let slip...
Lupin had seen it many times before.
It was a look that only a woman in love could possess.
However, Ian’s attitude toward his cute and lovely sister was nothing short of indifferent.
In fact, he seemed desperate to push Elsie away with a look of pure annoyance.
Watching that scene, Lupin’s eyes had bulged so far out of his head that he could almost hear the capillaries snapping.
It was then that Lupin resolved to take his revenge.
his sister, whom he respected so much, was not a woman pathetic enough to cling to a man like that. If anyone should be clinging, it should be Ian; she shouldn't be continuing such a miserable relationship.
Though he didn't have much experience with romance, Lupin knew a thing or two from hearsay.
In the end, romance was nothing more than an extension of politics.
Once a hierarchy of power was established, it would inevitably continue to exert influence throughout the relationship and even after marriage.
He couldn't let that happen.
Lupin refused to live a life where he had to walk on eggshells around Ian even after Elsie married him.
This was why Lupin was currently delivering a long-winded lecture to Elsie.
"…So, Sis, I’m telling you, you can’t start off by being submissive! If you do that, a man will just think of you as a caught fish and lose interest."
In a tea house on Central Avenue, Elsie offered no proper response despite Lupin’s quiet, persistent explanation.
Instead, she was merely blushing slightly, clearing her throat with a "Ahem," and glancing around.
The lovely girl avoided his gaze for a moment before cautiously asking back.
"B-but still, marriage is a bit much already…"
"No, you have to do it."
Thud. Lupin’s palm slammed onto the table. A sharp, blue determination overflowed from his eyes.
Since it was her first time seeing her younger brother like this, Elsie looked at Lupin with a slightly surprised expression.
His face, with lips trembling slightly, was frozen in a cold resolve.
"Don't you remember what kind of rumors spread about you after you were defeated by that bastard last time?! The main house is looking for a fiancé for you before it’s too late! Why should you have to suffer like this…?"
Lupin’s voice, trembling as he spoke, was steeped in deep-seated grudge. The memory of that day was just that painful.
It was also the day Elsie had earned the disgraceful nickname "Bedwetter."
At first, Elsie would fly into a rage at the mere mention of the word "urine." But her reaction now was disappointingly bland.
She sipped her drink through a straw and spoke as if he were asking something obvious.
"Well, that was the price for daring to defy Master without knowing my place. Thinking back on it now, Master was actually quite merciful…"
Thud. Lupin’s palm struck the table again.
Elsie, who had been thinking of Ian with a dazed expression, now glared at Lupin with a look of slight annoyance.
However, Lupin was already worked up beyond belief.
His mouth began to pour out a passionate speech.
"Your life was ruined because of that bastard! The only way to be compensated? There’s only one! You take his life too… See? Isn't that logical?!"
"…Uh, yeah. Sure."
Elsie thought something sounded strange, but she didn't bother pointing it out.
In the first place, Lupin didn't seem to be in a state to listen to reason. And secretly, she was proud of Lupin for raising his voice to assert his claim.
Lupin had always been intimidated in front of Elsie, as much as he respected her.
Elsie’s heart always ached, thinking it was a lingering effect of his sickly childhood. But the version of Lupin she saw now was more than just motivated—he was energetic.
Above all, she didn't particularly dislike what Lupin was saying.
Elsie pressed her lips against the straw and began to let her imagination take flight.
A married life with "Master."
She wanted to wake up earlier than her husband in the morning. That way, she could finish applying light makeup.
She had no intention of looking unattractive just because she was married.
Once she was ready, she would wake Ian up with a kiss on the cheek. If she happened to crawl under the covers and act spoiled, the man would surely give a wry smile and pull her into his arms.
How happy would she be if she could just stay in those reliable, warm arms?
That wasn't all.
"Master" would surely grant her as many rewards as she desired.
Not only would he stroke her hair, but they would also have children.
She didn't know how many they would have. She just wanted to have as many as Ian wanted.
And she would raise every single one of them with love.
Elsie had unpleasant memories from her own childhood. Perhaps as a reaction to that, she had always thought that if she had children, she would shower them with affection.
Fortunately, the Percus family was a lower noble family. She surmised they wouldn't be as strict about child-rearing as high-ranking nobles.
As for the Lainella family, she could just toss the responsibilities to any of her siblings. Living a quiet life in the Percus territory didn't sound bad either.
As long as Ian was by her side, that is.
"Sis, you have to change your strategy! The more you submit, the more your charm will just decrease—"
"…I’ll do it."
Lupin seemed to be blathering about something while she was lost in her daydream, but his words didn't reach Elsie’s ears at all.
Her expression had long since softened into one of pure bliss. Her eyes were staring off into the distance, imagining who knows what.
Occasionally letting out a dazed "Hehe," Elsie confirmed again.
"I’ll do it. The marriage."
Lupin, who had momentarily stiffened at Elsie’s sudden answer, finally broke into a sinister smile.
Finally, the revenge was beginning.
The moment Ian married his sister, he would see hell.
If they had nieces or nephews, Lupin planned to dote on every single one of them. And when the children were old enough to speak, he would confess the truth to them.
'A long time ago, your daddy beat your uncle very badly… He hit me so hard back then that my nose bone collapsed.'
Then the children would look at Ian with shocked expressions. Just imagining the face Ian would make at that moment made Lupin unable to contain his anticipation.
Of course, since forming a bond of trust with a guardian during infancy was important, this plan required more precise review.
Thus, the Lainella siblings smiled together, though what they dreamed of was entirely different.
Elsie was still floundering in her happy delusions, while Lupin was imagining the moment his cruel revenge would succeed.
It was, quite literally, the same bed, but different dreams.