Again, Villainess
“Asena.”
I stepped into her room once more to wake her. Kirsi had come with me. Since the two of them had slept in the same bed, they rose at the same hour. Asena responded instantly to my voice, a smile blooming across her face. It was the kind of smile I only ever saw in the mornings lately. Her eyes remained closed as she stretched both arms toward me. Following our usual routine, I moved to pull her into an embrace when—
“Sister!! Stop dawdling and wake up already!”
An exuberant Kirsi bounced around the room, shouting at the top of her lungs. Asena flinched, eyes snapping open as she quickly drew her arms back.
“...Kirsi?”
“Today’s the day we leave for the Academy!”
“...Why are you even in here…?”
By then Asena had already sat up against the headboard, her expression stiff as she asked the question. She pulled the blanket all the way to her chin in a defensive posture. I simply opened my arms toward her.
“Come here, Asena. Let’s get you up first.”
“...Ah…”
Asena glanced back and forth between Kirsi and me, her face tightening before she finally spoke.
“...Never mind. I’m fine today.”
“...You sure? All right, then.”
She let out a sigh so faint it was barely audible. “...By the way, Kirsi. You’re up unusually early.”
“Yep! I was too excited to sleep properly, and I woke up with Brother since we slept together.”
At Kirsi’s cheerful answer, Asena’s face crumpled into a frown.
“...You slept with Brother?”
“Uh-huh!”
“...I told you to go back to your own room last night.”
Asena rose from the bed with slightly unsteady steps and reached for the teapot on the table, pouring herself a cup. I tilted my head, sensing the conversation had somehow slipped out of alignment.
“...Last night?”
Kirsi answered brightly. “Oh, we ran into each other in front of Brother’s room yesterday.”
“Did you?”
When I turned to Asena for confirmation, the hand pouring her tea froze mid-motion. She stammered, almost as if making an excuse.
“...Y-yes… that’s right.”
“How did you two end up meeting in front of my room?”
“...I had something to tell you.”
Asena kept her eyes averted, mumbling the words so softly they were nearly lost. I considered pressing her, but it didn’t seem particularly important, so I let it slide.
“Anyway. Now that everyone’s awake, let’s eat first. Today’s going to be busy. We need to leave right after breakfast.”
Preparations had been finished the day before, but we still had to move with crisp efficiency. The journey from the Freister estate to the Academy took roughly two days. We had planned to arrive with about a day’s margin before the entrance ceremony, but even that might be tight. The original schedule had been to depart right after the morning meal. The twins nodded at my words, and we headed to the dining hall.
After breakfast the mansion grew lively. I exchanged final farewells with the servants, then waited in the open courtyard where the carriages and escort knights stood ready. The twins still hadn’t appeared; they said they had a few last things to prepare. I smiled and greeted Tein, our butler, and Lawrence, the knight who had taught me the sword.
“Thank you for everything. I’ll be back safely.”
“Return without harm, young master,” Tein replied in his impeccably formal tone.
“Young master! No matter how talented you are, you must not neglect your training!” Lawrence’s voice boomed with military strictness, though his eyes shone with genuine affection.
We shared lighthearted memories, the atmosphere warm as we waited for the twins. Suddenly both Tein and Lawrence stiffened, bowing deeply at the waist. I turned to see Grandmother Liana approaching with a gentle smile.
“...Grandmother.”
“Caiden.”
After offering their respects, Tein and Lawrence discreetly withdrew. Grandmother drew close and gave me a light hug.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes. Everything’s prepared.”
“...Good. Don’t forget the things I warned you about.”
“Don’t worry.”
She gazed at me with eyes full of affection, then lightly stroked my cheek.
“...It will be difficult.”
I remained silent.
“To endure the nobles’ prejudice, you must become even stronger… I can only hope that the name of Freister—built by my husband, my son, and Asena—will serve as your shield.”
Grandmother was worried, but I doubted anyone would dare disregard the name “Freister” attached to me, adopted or not. Of course, the reality might differ once we arrived, but for now my priority was to ease her concern.
“Don’t worry. Even if someone looks down on me, I won’t be shaken.”
“Hehe.”
When I spread my arms and declared it boldly, Grandmother laughed.
“Ah, Caiden. I’m truly proud to call you my grandson.”
Her smile gradually faded into solemnity. She glanced around once. Naturally, no one was foolish enough to eavesdrop on us. Once she confirmed we were alone, Grandmother leaned closer.
“...Caiden. There is one more favor I must ask of you.”
Her voice had grown heavy. I matched her serious expression and leaned in as well.
“...Yes, please tell me.”
“I’m not trying to burden you. But if you succeed, it will bring great strength to our Freister family.”
“...I’m listening.”
“...Do you know the fastest way to increase a family’s power?”
Several methods flashed through my mind—crushing others to sow fear, securing high office, seizing everything through war. They were the very paths Asena and Kirsi had taken in the original novel. But Grandmother continued before I could answer.
“Marriage, Caiden. It is more peaceful and faster than any other method.”
“...I suppose that’s true.”
“I have worked hard to find you a suitable match. Yet no matter how I praised your merits, it proved difficult to form an engagement that would strengthen our house.”
“...I understand.”
My origins had likely been the obstacle. Unless the other party was a very minor noble house, simply mentioning my name might have been considered rude.
“But now you are heading to the Academy. You will meet young ladies from countless families. Some will be beautiful, some kind, some wise. It is an opportunity for you to see them with your own eyes and judge for yourself.”
“.....”
“...Caiden, among them, try to win the heart of a daughter from a powerful ducal house.”
“Oh, Grandmother…”
I had been holding my breath, thinking it would be something grave, but the tension drained away and I let out a small laugh as I straightened. Yet Grandmother’s expression remained grave. Seeing her face, I wiped the smile from my own and asked again.
“...Are you serious?”
“I am, Caiden. It is good for you as well. As I said, I am not forcing you. If no one catches your eye, you need not do anything. However… if there is a girl you like and she comes from a mighty house, seizing that opportunity would benefit our family greatly.”
I slowly digested her words. The choice was entirely mine, but if I could form an engagement that strengthened our house, I should not hesitate to pursue it.
“...You are a charming boy, Caiden. If you set your mind to it, opportunities will come. Besides, noble young ladies tend to lose their heads over knights, don’t they?”
She grinned, deliberately lightening the heavy mood. I exhaled loudly and waved my hand.
“...Sigh. Who am I supposed to charm?”
“Why do you think it’s impossible?”
“...What are you two talking about?”
Suddenly Asena’s voice came from behind us. I turned to see her approaching, wearing a hat with a long brim.
“Hm? You’re here, Asena?”
“.....”
She didn’t respond to me, instead looking back and forth between Grandmother and me.
“Where’s Kirsi?”
“...Still inside. So what were you talking about?”
I glanced sideways at Grandmother. She raised an eyebrow as if the brief secret had been amusing. I gave her one last smile before turning back to Asena.
“Just idle chatter. Don’t worry about it.”
“.....”
“Brother!!”
Kirsi came running from afar, calling my name. She stopped in front of me and spun around, showing off her outfit.
“How do I look? Pretty?”
“Very cute.”
I pinched her cheek as she laughed. “Hehehe…” Kirsi beamed with satisfaction.
I slowly looked around. “...Well… it seems we’re ready.”
All eyes had gathered on us. I gently accepted Kirsi as she leaped into my arms, then placed a hand on Asena’s shoulder.
“Asena.”
She gave a small nod and carefully began to speak so everyone could hear. It was an excellent farewell speech—asking them to look after the estate in their absence, to take good care of Grandmother, promising they would return having learned much. She delivered it with a dignity I could never imitate, then gave the order to depart. The escort knights moved out first. In the meantime, the three of us shared one last goodbye with Grandmother.
“Grandmother, we’re off.”
“We will return safely.”
“Yes. Have a safe journey.”
The relationship between Grandmother and the twins was still somewhat stiff. Yet no one could deny the affection that lay beneath it. After the brief farewell, the twins boarded the carriage first. I turned back to Grandmother.
“Grandmother, I’ll be—”
I stopped mid-sentence. Her eyes were watching me with quiet intensity. She took my hand in one of hers and covered it with the other, patting it gently. No words seemed necessary. Her entire heart flowed through that touch. I smiled softly and nodded to her. Grandmother nodded in return, then released my hand. Without another word, I climbed into the carriage.
The melancholy of parting lasted only a moment. Inside the carriage heading toward the Academy, the mood quickly grew lively—mostly thanks to Kirsi.
“Ah… I’m so excited…”
At Kirsi’s bright voice, I pushed the conversation with Grandmother to the back of my mind. Caught up in her contagious enthusiasm, I smiled and asked, “What has you so excited?”
“Meeting new friends… I wonder how fun it will be?”
“You were looking forward to it that much?”
“Of course!”
I ruffled Kirsi’s hair. “Someone like you will get along with anyone.”
It wasn’t empty praise. The Kirsi from the novel would have struggled, but the Kirsi now was genuinely easy to befriend. She rarely grew angry, knew how to read the room, spoke with kindness and consideration, and possessed stunning beauty. There was no way such a girl would have trouble making friends. Moreover, none of the characters who would share classes with the twins had particularly difficult personalities. In truth, the only problems had ever been Asena and Kirsi themselves.
But since I had reformed them… there was nothing left to worry about. The characters in that novel really ought to bow to me. By rehabilitating Asena and Kirsi, I had essentially erased the unreasonable tragedies that had awaited them. If anyone was the hidden hero, it was me.
“...Ahem.”
Asena cleared her throat, drawing our attention. Kirsi and I stopped laughing and looked at the family head. The moment our eyes met hers, Asena glanced at me before quickly averting her gaze. Even though she had called us, she seemed strangely burdened. It was unusual. Asena rarely showed anything less than perfect composure.
“...Did you have something to say?”
When I asked, she hesitated, clearly gauging my reaction, before finally speaking.
“...Once we arrive at the Academy… let’s be careful around the Ice Duchy.”
The Ice family stood in complete opposition to the Freisters. While we occupied the southern plains, they ruled the northern mountains. In the original story they had been allies, but now that I had become a Freister they were the opposite. That didn’t make them unpleasant. They were a house that made rational, just decisions. History simply hadn’t been kind to our two families. There had been no conflict in our generation, but Grandmother’s era had apparently seen frequent wars.
“.....”
Yet what bothered me was Asena’s tone. We had already discussed the Ice family hundreds of times. It wasn’t something that needed to be brought up again inside this carriage. Just from her expression I could tell she still had more to say.
“...What is it, Asena? Tell me.”
Come to think of it, she had said last night that she had something to tell me. There was clearly still something left. I wondered how difficult the words must be for her to hesitate this much. Asena blinked at my question, stared into the distance for a long time as though lost in thought, then finally drew in a deep breath as if steeling herself. She turned to face me directly.
With a voice completely steady, as though she had rehearsed it for a long time, she spoke.
“Brother. This is one command.”
Command. The heavy word instantly filled the air with unease.
“......What is it?”
“......After you graduate, return the surname ‘Freister.’”