Chapter 13
Why is that ‘Brat No. 4’ here?
The question was immediately answered the moment I saw the layout of the room.
This wasn’t Yana’s bedroom.
“Yana.”
“Yes?”
“How are you feeling?”
My condition? Obviously terrible. I was about to marvel at my own frailty—worse than a grasshopper’s—but instead, completely different words came out of my mouth.
“I’m fine.”
…Right. What’s the use in being honest when you’re down with some damn illness?
While I tried to regulate my breathing to suppress the nausea, a soft murmur reached my ears.
“‘I’m fine,’ huh.”
Closing his book, Jihad stared into space with an unreadable expression.
“Didn’t you faint twice in just one day after eating that fruit? Including today, that makes three times. Even a superhuman would struggle to be ‘fine’ after that.”
‘…Is he actually worried?’
Hard to believe, honestly.
Even the second wife, who I thought at least cared a little, had no qualms using Yana for her daughter’s sake. No one in this house is worth trusting.
“And one more thing.”
“……”
“What wind blew through you to make you suddenly call me ‘Uncle’?”
At first, I thought he was giving me a warning—something like, “I don’t want some illegitimate brat calling me uncle!” But then I remembered the surprised look on the head of the household’s face back in the carriage.
‘Ah… Could it be that Yana always called him ‘Lord of the Household’ or ‘Fourth Young Lord’ or something like that?’
Such a cold, detached way of addressing someone. Then again, this house is cold enough to freeze over whatever warmth once existed.
“I called you uncle because you are my uncle. Is that a problem?”
“…I never said it was.”
“Then I’ll keep calling you uncle.”
Fortunately, Jihad didn’t push the matter any further.
“But Uncle, why am I lying here?”
“Because I’ve decided to take care of you for the time being. Until the poison of the Sky Wolf Flower fruit is completely purged from your body, you’ll be staying here.”
“Huh? But why would you…”
Before I could even finish the question, Jihad left the room.
Truly, he lives up to the name ‘Brat No. 4.’
As I was admiring the consistency of his behavior, a savory scent drifted through the air. It was coming from the soup placed on the table.
“It’s a shame there’s no bread or meat.”
Meat would help build strength much faster.
‘Well, I’d probably just throw it all back up right now anyway.’
Did they prepare only soup, considering that? I imagined Jihad’s ridiculously handsome and unnecessarily cold expression. Hmph, yeah right.
For now, let’s eat and get some sleep.
The next morning.
At Rin’s request, Olga was also allowed to stay at the main residence.
“Wh-What’s going on all of a sudden? Don’t tell me… Are you going to live in the main house from now on?”
“No. Just for a while.”
The anticipation and tension that had been on her face disappeared in an instant. She couldn’t sit still, glancing around nervously, so I asked why.
“Well, of course I’m nervous! A young maid like me would normally only work in the annex, never in the main house. On the way here, the other maids were shooting me such dirty looks… The territoriality here is no joke!”
“There’s territorial behavior?”
“Pfft. Young Miss, you have no idea…”
“Enough with the nonsense. What kind of territorial behavior are we talking about?”
She hesitated and kept her mouth shut, so I pressed her.
“Don’t worry and just be honest. I’ve told you before, right? Whenever you lie, it shows all over your face. One of your rare good qualities is that you’re frustratingly honest. Don’t forget that.”
“Ugh… Okay…”
According to her, there are three main areas in Tusslena.
The first is the Main House.
It’s the residence of the Head of the Family, the young lords and their wives, and other direct relatives. Only long-serving, trusted employees are assigned here, and the salary is said to be quite high.
The second is the Guest Hall.
Behind the main residence stood a building just as large.
It housed the talents recruited into Tusslena, as well as the knights of the Saint Bright Order affiliated with the household.
Only employees recognized by Tusslena were assigned there.
Lastly, there was the Annex.
This building was lined with various rooms, including a small hall, but the only current resident was Yana.
Newly hired staff were usually assigned there.
‘Something’s off. No matter how much of an illegitimate child she may be, why is a fourteen-year-old like Yana the only one living in the annex?’
Feigning memory loss, I casually asked Olga.
“When did I start living in the annex?”
“U-Um… I wasn’t around back then, so I’m not sure, but… about eight years ago, maybe? I think someone said that you caught a particularly nasty infectious disease, and they isolated you in the annex for a while. After that, you just stayed there permanently.”
So that’s the reason.
‘They didn’t just isolate her socially… they literally locked her away.’
Cunning bastards.
‘This is really starting to piss me off.’
Rin wiped her face roughly with the wash water Olga had prepared and stepped out of the room.
“Ah, where are you going?”
“Training.”
She needed to regain her stamina and physical strength as soon as possible. That way, she could handle aura more skillfully.
And since anger made great fuel for building power, she figured it was the perfect time to push herself harder.
“Wh-What if the Second Young Lord finds out?”
“What do you mean, ‘what if’? You think I’m some maid like you? I can go where I want and do what I please.”
“Ugh… Young Miss, you’re not actually dying, are you? When a person changes too much, they say it’s because their end is near… You can’t die, okay? I’d be in huge trouble too!”
I already did die, you know.
Sharp little thing, isn’t she?
However, Rin’s bold plan to head to the training grounds was foiled the moment it began.
‘Why are there so many people here?’
The place wasn’t just crowded today.
Between the white uniforms of the Saint Bright Order, unfamiliar outfits in black and teal were mixed in, creating a vivid contrast.
Just a glance at the fine quality and design made it clear—these weren’t just ordinary knights.
“…Olga, about Grandfather. Where exactly did he go?”
“G-Grandfather? Didn’t you used to call him the Head of the Household…?”
“I’m calling him Grandfather now. Just answer.”
Olga pouted before replying.
“Well, where else? The Edirial Assembly is held around this time every year, right? This year, your family hosted it. The assembly ended early, and he returned before the guests to get things ready.”
“And these guests… who are they?”
“I checked a while ago…”
Olga glanced around the hallway, confirming they were alone, then scurried up next to me and whispered.
“The Lord of the Nega family and his son are visiting soon. That’s why the Second Wife is in an uproar right now. The Nega heir is an only child, you know.”
Ah, the Lord of the Nega family and his only son.
Not information I care about.
I’m only interested in the Head of the Household.
“Do you happen to know what the agenda was for the Edirial Assembly?”
If it was important enough, I might be able to use it to get closer to the head of the family.
“Wh-What? How would a maid like me know that? Aren’t you curious about the Nega heir instead? I looked up everything about him!”
“Not interested.”
“Why not? You never know! You and the Nega heir might fall in love at first sight! Since you’re staying in the main residence, you might as well land something! If you’re lucky enough to get engaged, both our lives would turn around!”
“What a greedy thing to say, for someone so young.”
“Hmph. You’re younger than me, Miss!”
But she wasn’t entirely wrong.
‘Could it be… did Yana not realize how much of a disadvantage it was to live in the annex?’
Then, a line Olga said when I first woke up in this body popped into my mind.
“Does she think people are fools? Everyone knows she pulls this nonsense just to get the Head of the Household’s attention.”
Maybe Yana had been trying all along.
“Olga, about the day I ate the Sky Wolf Flower fruit… Why did everyone think I did it to get the Head of the Household’s attention?”
“……You’re mad at me and just trying to scold me now, aren’t you?”
“I’m not. Be honest.”
Visibly subdued, Olga answered cautiously.
“It’s because you’ve always wanted to leave the estate.”
“Me?”
“Every New Year or birthday, whenever the Second Wife asked what you wanted, you always said, ‘I want to stay somewhere quiet outside Tusslena.’ You never got your wish, though.”
“……”
