A Sister's Devotion and a Mother's Revelation
Valter's little sister,
Ia von Tak's daily routine unfolded with clockwork precision.
She preferred a life without gaps in its rhythm, so she went to bed at the same time every day and rose at the same hour.
After waking, she solved one crossword puzzle from the stack on her desk.
Then she requested a cup of coffee from her attendant with exactly five sugar cubes and holed up in the library until noon. That was her morning ritual.
It allowed her to avoid people entirely.
Quietly, oh so quietly, she could spend half the day in peace.
Of course, living like this day in and day out meant there were hardly any new books left to read in the study.
But occasionally unearthing an ancient tome dusted away in some forgotten corner or a suspicious grimoire of unknown origin—that was the highlight of her structured life.
"Miss Ia, heading to the library again?"
"Yes, Head Butler."
"You really do love that place, Miss Ia. Why is that?"
"Because there are so many old books."
So when people asked why she enjoyed heading to the library so much—people she had no real desire to converse with—she always gave the same vague answer: "To find old books not listed in the catalog."
Well, there were multiple reasons she avoided people and shut herself away like this.
But as someone who wasn't even in line for succession, Ia had no interest in revealing her true feelings, let alone voicing them aloud.
Besides, it wasn't entirely untrue,
so it was just convenient for her to say that.
But
over the past three months, Ia had started to change a little.
Until now, her visits to the study had been purely to maintain her routine.
But lately, her responses to that same old question had shifted slightly.
"Miss, off to hunt for ancient documents again?"
"...No."
"Then what brings you there?"
"Because I think my brother might be there."
And seeing her usually stiff expression soften just a bit, those who knew her true nature could only call it a revolutionary change.
She didn't like mingling with people.
Naturally, that extended to her family as well.
Especially since she had always kept the most distance from her eldest brother among them.
Going to the library to seek him out? It was utterly baffling, a complete reversal.
But in truth, it made a certain sense when you considered the context,
and everyone in the palace already knew there was good reason for it.
Valter von Tak, the man she now sought out daily.
He'd been in a carriage accident,
emerging as a captivating figure who stole everyone's gaze.
Everyone in the palace still remembered what he used to be like.
Frail, timid, even sickly—a textbook weakling of a boy.
But after rising from his sickbed a few months ago,
he was like a completely different person.
"Young Master Valter, the training gear you requested... Eek!"
Thud—.
"...You hauled all that with that tiny body of yours. Impressive. And you even collapsed from exhaustion."
"Ugh... I'm sorry! I'll pick it up right away!"
"Forget it. You'd take half a day at that rate."
"Y-Young Master?"
"I'll handle the rest. Just rest up over there and bring some water when it's time."
"Y-Yes, sir...!"
He exuded a belligerent, masculine aura that contrasted sharply with his former self.
And after voluntarily taking up swordsmanship—something he'd never touched before—he displayed overwhelming talent, proving his worth every single day.
"He cleared it all away himself. Young Master wasn't like that before..."
"But it's surprisingly attractive. Makes him reliable."
"Yeah, right?"
"Any other guy would've whined, called for more maids once his hands hurt, and made them clean up."
Watching him, the maids couldn't help but chase a charm they'd never seen in any other man they'd encountered in their lives.
It was only natural they'd view him positively.
That gaze could be admiration, lust,
or perhaps both.
Of course, no one knew why he'd changed so suddenly.
But hey, if it was good, it was good.
For the precious male heir of the family they served to become like this? It was a blessing.
And if asked which version was better as a stud, post-accident Valter was the obvious winner.
So rather than probing the secrets of his transformation, they were all vying for even a single glance from the new Valter.
If everyone in the palace felt that way,
then his blood relatives—who could bear the "pure blue blood" of Tak—surely felt it even more.
Thus, Ia's shift from avoiding people was just seen as part of that same trend, nothing more.
But
the reason Ia had grown so attached to her brother was the polar opposite.
One day, shortly after he rose from his sickbed and rushed to the library, the conversation they'd shared
had planted a strange sense of security in her heart.
"The right to use someone else's body at will for propagation? If that's all for species preservation, I don't need that damn authority."
"……"
"Do you want to do that with me? For species preservation, I mean."
Honestly, by society's norms,
she was in a position where he could pin her down and take her anytime without repercussion.
So when hit with that question, Ia had vaguely replied she wasn't sure and moved on.
But her brother Valter's reaction afterward was truly wonderful.
He acted like it was no big deal at all.
Never once giving her a lustful look,
treating her only with pure kindness.
"Brother's different from other men."
Yes.
He was the only man who never triggered that weird anxiety she felt whenever she saw males wandering about.
"He really treats me like family, not a woman. If I'd known it'd be like this, I wouldn't have run away. I should've gotten closer sooner."
His voice was soft and gentle for a boy,
and the way he looked out for her timid self was reassuring.
Under the protection of a brother like this,
she felt safe no matter where in the world she went.
And so, Ia came to respect and follow him purely as a brother, not a man.
Now, she headed to the study every day not for trivial ancient documents, but in hopes of seeing him.
And so.
That's why,
when she witnessed him declare that he'd impregnated his sisters to send the royal messenger packing,
"Brother, with me?"
Ia shuddered instinctively, realizing even brothers were still men capable of such thoughts.
...But he never laid a hand on me, right? So this must be him cleverly scheming to avoid leaving the county.
Honestly, she smiled in relief.
Because it proved her long-held belief: "Brother's a little different."
It might sound odd at first glance,
but didn't it essentially mean he knew he could do such things yet still refrained from touching her?
She didn't know what might've happened with her other sisters,
but judging by his character, nothing had.
His intent was purely to wield that fact as a weapon.
And seeing that, Ia felt even more at ease.
Someone who says that much won't take me carelessly from now on.
So Ia quietly thought of her brother from her room,
wishing to learn more about this increasingly fascinating man named Valter,
and resolved to approach the brother she'd watched from afar—afraid he'd devour her if she got too close—with a bit more familiarity.
Seeing him bustling about with purpose every day,
it seemed he had some goal lately.
Like a girl hoping for praise, wondering if she could help.
Valeria von Tak.
Current head of the Tak Count family,
and my birth mother.
She always carried a benevolent air,
maintaining a dignified poise befitting her station.
The world knew her as an upright, kind-hearted noble who respected all.
Even I, who trusts few people, had spent the last three months thinking this mother figure might actually be decent...
Need I say more?
But that didn't mean I fully trusted her.
Just my intuition.
My gut's spot-on, you see.
Sure, as her own son, she wouldn't abandon or kill me,
but the more we talked, the more I sensed something lurking beneath that good character, deep in her heart.
And in my experience, anyone giving off that vibe had an agenda, without fail.
So,
until her true intentions surfaced, full trust was off the table.
Until now, I'd just treated her formally as "Mother."
But today, when I dodged the Royal Knights' appointment with a slick evasion,
"Ahh, Valter—."
Her eyes gleamed with something,
and eventually, she slipped into my bedroom unannounced.
This was her castle, so whatever, but
not in her usual countess attire, but sheer silk pajamas that clung to her.
And seeing that bold glint in her eyes,
my senses screamed this was no ordinary visit, forcing me to step back slightly.
"It's late, Mother. What brings you to my room?"
"……"
"...Mother?"
"You."
And damn, my uneasy premonition never failed.
She lowered her eyes, hesitating, then murmured,
"You're not the Valter I knew."
"Why do you say that?"
"Asking that just proves it. Everything that's changed since the carriage accident—my son Valter couldn't do any of it, not even in his wildest dreams."
"……"
"I sensed it when you awoke from that accident and started wielding a sword freely. But today, facing the Royal Knights without flinching and pulling off that evasion I never expected? That confirmed it."
"It was just a spur-of-the-moment wit, Mother."
"No, Valter. It wasn't. The Valter I know, that frail, impatient boy... he'd have teared up, looked to me for help. Only I, his mother, could tell."
……
Yeah.
So that's how it was.
Chance to slip away already gone, no room for negotiation, I subtly moved my left hand toward the sword at my waist.
Well, busted already.
No choice now.
I was, in essence, a mental parasite that stole Valeria's son's soul and inhabited his flesh.
If I were the mother, I'd have wailed for my son back and chased the intruder out the instant I knew.
So, heart heavy as it was,
if she came at me with real accusations, my only option was to cut her down here and silence her.
But.
But...
Those two unbelievable words that followed
left my mind reeling.
"Sword Ghost."
"...Mother?"
"You are the Sword Ghost, aren't you...?"
"───."
Stunned speechless for a moment,
but she pressed on undeterred.
"Don't say you're not. I know everything, everything..."
With it out like this, no denying it.
So, softening my voice,
I filled my mouth with killing intent, grinding the words between my teeth.
"Don't rush your death, Valeria."
"...Ahh!"
And then.
She collapsed, legs trembling like her strength had fled.
No, not just collapsed.
Soon, in utter reverence, she pressed her hands together on the floor,
shaking her maternal form as she prostrated deeply before me and cried,
"I've been waiting. All the heads of Tak... only, only for you...!"
"Hah...?!"
"Take my body, my mind, my power, my wealth—everything! Take it all! This family's everything, to you...!"
So,
to sum up.
My own mother
was kneeling before me like this?
"Don't kneel like some cheap whore—get up...!"
"Yes, Sword Ghost! Sword Ghossst!"
"Fuck...!!"
My mind went blank.