Chapter 7: It’s Disgusting

Returning home after such a long time felt utterly repulsive.

The maids casting wary glances as I stepped out of the carriage.

The verbal abuse from my parents waiting in the lobby upon entering the mansion.

And the old, shabby room I had used since childhood.

Everything displeased me.

I hadn’t wanted to show Sia any of this.

As soon as I entered the room, I called a passing maid and told her to bathe Sia.

I had her bathed first for Sia’s sake, unsure when she last washed.

She shouldn’t get sick due to poor hygiene.

Sia looked at me briefly, then turned her head to look at the maid.

I also approached the maid, handed Sia over, and watched them leave.

Then I waited for Butler to arrive.

I had ordered him to bring documents regarding the current situation of the Duchy estate.

Because I needed to decide how to handle the mansion’s situation.

‘Though it doesn’t matter if things continue as they are.’

Honestly, the Duke or whatever was no longer my concern.

Six months ago, the Ducal family’s power had already transferred to me.

It didn’t matter what the Duke or the heir said.

I could just push them aside.

The power I showed only to the Duke earlier wasn’t even a third of my usual strength.

Yet the Duke, hailed as the Empire’s great hero, didn’t dare make a move.

Meaning, I am at least three times stronger than the Duke.

I didn’t even need the knight order.

The power I secretly cultivated had long surpassed human limits.

I just hope they don’t go crazy and try to destroy the Empire. I could handle the entire Empire alone, but why bother moving myself?

Just unleashing the knight order would devastate the main bases. So, I had to hope the Duke wouldn’t make a foolish choice.

‘Then again. He probably became Duke because of that head of his.’

The Duke possessed martial prowess, but his intellect was proportionally sharp.

The abilities the Duke possessed were quite high.

If he has that kind of brain, he at least wouldn’t provoke me.

Knock, knock.

As I was pondering various things about the Duchy estate, a knock sounded.

“Come in.”

Before I finished speaking, Butler opened the old door and entered.

Creeeeaaak.

The rusted, old door emitted a strange noise that echoed in the room. I should change the door first, then the room.

Butler, holding a stack of documents, handed them to me as I sat in the old chair.

“The heir has been recruiting mercenaries and soldiers for the past six months.”

As I skimmed through the documents, Butler spoke abruptly.

“Why tell me only now?”

Butler worked at the mansion.

Unlike me, who had been away for six months.

This was something he clearly should have reported earlier.

However, since Butler was among my confidants, I didn’t suspect him.

All my confidants would lay down their lives at my single word.

“Because even if I told you, it posed no threat to you, Lady Lilac.”

“Mm. Right.”

I expected as much.

My current power is unstoppable within the Empire. Thus, it wasn’t a particularly important report.

Butler’s report was remarkably clean.

I could also see that corrupt nobles were currently in the same building as me.

Of course, that wasn’t my concern.

I was just looking because I had nothing else to do until Sia returned.

Gazing at the documents, I tapped the desk. Dust that had accumulated until now fell off.

“……”

It seemed the entire room needed to be moved.

Sia’s respiratory system was weak; I couldn’t know what might happen if she stayed here.

Yes.

For instance, the Duke’s room.

“That would be good.”

“Pardon?”

Butler questioned my mutterings.

I looked at him and opened my mouth.

“Clear out the Duke’s room and arrange furniture for Sia and me. Everything top-grade.”

“As you command.”

Butler bowed his head without any complaint or suspicion.

There was no reason to doubt, and besides, he already knew the Ducal family was about to change.

“…?”

However, Butler didn’t leave the room and remained bowing.

“Why aren’t you leaving?”

“…May I perhaps bring in some toys for Young Lady Sia to use?”

“Yes. That wouldn’t be bad.”

To them, Sia no longer seemed like an adult.

Just a child.

As soon as permission was granted, Butler vanished like a ghost, making me click my tongue.

His grandson had become a delinquent, making his life difficult.

He earned money through assassination to clean up after his grandson.

To think Sia was the reason Butler smiled for the first time in years.

He hadn’t even seen her much, yet she had already become his granddaughter.

How fond he was, disappearing the moment the words left my mouth.

Anyway.

‘That bastard is gathering troops. Ha. Still hasn’t grown out of his childish ways.’

I still remembered being hit as a child.

Even though he was now someone who would disappear with a single swing of my sword.

My childhood self was weak and incompetent.

But at the end of abandonment, an opportunity arose, and I became strong.

No matter how many troops he brings, the knight order alone can handle them. My knights aren’t that weak.

It seemed I could just view it as the dog’s futile antics.

Around the time I finished assessing the Duchy’s current situation and had nothing more to look at.

Knock, knock, knock.

“I’ve, brought Miss. Sia…”

The maid’s trembling voice.

Perfect timing, I was bored-.

“A-and… Lord Huster… has come to.”

Creak. Squeak.

Before the maid could finish, the door burst open, and I came face to face with hair similar to mine… murky blonde.

The eldest son of the Ducal family.

Huster.

The heir, that is.

“My beloved sister. I missed you.”

I hadn’t expected his greasy face to barge in without even a semblance of propriety. Having nothing to say to an idiot, I ignored him, stood up from my seat, and headed towards Sia.

And I saw it.

Drip.

Cleaned Sia was pretty. Cute and like a girl her age. Except for her severely thin, gaunt appearance.

But right now, my eyes were drawn more to the red blood trickling from Sia’s mouth than anything else.

My mood turned icy cold. Sia’s cheek, held by the maid, was flushed red, and her gaze, which had met mine before she left, was now directed at the ground.

Emotions I’d been feeling frequently lately boiled inside me. Something felt like it snapped in my head.

Ignoring it all, I approached Sia. Then I carefully reached out, grasped Sia’s chin, and lifted it.

Dead eyes.

They were a bit better when she was with me. The eyes I had created were erased by someone else.

“Sia.”

My voice, slightly softer than when I spoke to her earlier.

“La-Lilac…”

Her voice calling me lacked strength. The voice that was never loud to begin with. Now sounded incredibly small.

“Come here.”

As I took Sia from the maid, mocking words came from behind.

“Hahaha. Lilac. Ignoring your dear older brother to go to some lowly commoner. Mother said you were crazy-“

“That mouth.”

I adjusted Sia into a comfortable position and turned my head back. Blood-red light glinted as I stared directly at Huster.

“Would be better shut. Since today will be the last day you can open it.”

“…Your words have become quite rough. Thinking my sister’s mind wasn’t sound, I merely gave the commoner some guidance myself.”

At Huster’s words, something snapped in my head for the second time. Turning my head back to look at Sia, my heart felt uneasy.

He had inflicted violence on this child.

Sia, unable to move, could only endure being hit.

Why did Sia have to be hit?

Because she was a commoner?

This trash even hit me, a noble.

Truly egalitarian.

He grew older but never matured. How could those calling themselves parents cherish such trash?

“Disgusting.”

Did Huster hear the words spoken aloud?

Curses poured from behind me.

“Sister. You really have gone mad. How dare you speak like that to me, the heir.”

“I believe I told you to shut your mouth.”

My gaze remained fixed on Sia, and Sia was looking at me too.

The flushed cheek and the fresh blood from her mouth froze my thoughts.

Not much blood was coming out, but if left alone, her inner mouth would scar.

So, it would be better to end this quickly.

I didn’t want to see Sia in pain anymore.

‘Why have I seen so much blood these past two days?’

‘Is it because she’s with me?’

‘Could it be that I am the one causing Sia pain-.’

No.

If it weren’t for me, Sia would have died there. The village fire would have consumed Sia too, killing her.

She lived because of me, essentially. Therefore, the ‘ownership’ of Sia belongs to me. No one should touch ‘my property’.

Holding Sia, I turned around and went back into the room. Huster, still cursing, approached me and Sia, reaching out his hand, but.

Slice.

The sword, drawn automatically from its sheath, moved according to its master’s will and severed Huster’s wrist.

Thud.

Pshuuuuuuu!

“…Huh? Wh-what is this. Aaaaaaaah!! Kuaaaaaaaak!!!!!!”

Huster, not understanding what happened for 3 seconds, let out a scream.

Blood spurted from the brutally severed part of his wrist, pouring onto the room floor.

Watching Huster writhe around, unable to bear the pain, I muttered lowly.

“Butler.”

“Yes, Lady Lilac.”

Butler instantly appeared in the room, knelt, and bowed his head.

I glanced at him briefly, then turned my back. Sia, held in my arms, had her eyes tightly shut and was trembling violently. I felt sorry for showing Sia something she shouldn’t see, but there was something more important.

“Is the Duke’s room cleared?”

“Yes. Most of the furniture has been brought in; only Young Lady Sia’s belongings remain.”

“Good. Then go get the ring from the study now.”

Only the Duke could enter the Duke’s study. A space solely for the Duke. Because the family head’s ring was kept there.

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“And tell the knight order. Kill all mercenaries and soldiers staying in the Empire. Even if they claim no relation.”

“Loyalty.”

I turned my gaze to Huster, still twitching like an insect.

‘Trash worse than a dog.’

‘I gave you a chance to live quietly. You threw it away.’

‘And there are no second chances.’

“Ah. And bring some ointment for the inside of the mouth. Sia’s inner mouth seems to be torn.”

“What ki-. Khm. My apologies. I will bring it.”

Butler disappeared quickly again.

‘Did he take such a liking to Sia?’

Anyway.

From now on, there was only one Lady left.

Since I had become the Duchess, I planned to visit my sister soon.

For the record, the succession ceremony wasn’t held.

I was curious how the Imperial family would react.