Ch.4Again, the Villainess.

“Asena.”

I entered Asena’s room today as well to wake her up.

Kirsy was with me.

Since they slept in the same bed, they woke up at the same time too.

Asena immediately responded to my voice and smiled.

These days, it was a smile I could only see in the mornings.

With her eyes still closed, she spread her arms wide.

Just as I was about to embrace her as part of our routine—

“Sister!! Stop dawdling and get up already!”

An excited Kirsy shouted while bouncing around. Asena startled, her eyes flying open as she quickly withdrew her arms.

“….Kirsy?”

“Today’s the day we go to the Academy!”

“……Why are you here…?”

Asena, now sitting against the headboard, asked with a slightly stiff expression. She pulled the blanket up to her neck, taking a defensive posture.

I extended my arms toward Asena.

“Come here, Asena. Come to me first.”

“…Ah..”

Asena looked back and forth between Kirsy and me, then said with a hardened expression.

“…No. I’m fine today.”

“…Really? Never mind then.”

She sighed with a barely audible voice.

“…But Kirsy. You’re up early today.”

Asena asked her sister.

“Yes! I was too excited to sleep well, and I also woke up with brother since we slept together.”

At Kirsy’s answer, Asena frowned.

“….You slept with brother?”

“Yes!”

“…I told you to just go back to your room yesterday.”

Asena staggered out of bed. Then she picked up the teapot on the table and began pouring tea into her cup.

“…Yesterday?”

Sensing that the conversation wasn’t quite connecting, I asked. Kirsy answered.

“Oh, I ran into sister in front of brother’s room yesterday.”

“Did you?”

When I asked Asena to confirm, her hand paused while pouring the tea.

Then, stumbling over her words as if making an excuse, she said:

“….W-well…yes.”

“How did you two end up meeting in front of my room?”

“….I had something to tell you.”

Asena mumbled in a crawling voice without even looking at me. I could barely hear what she was saying.

I thought about asking again, but it didn’t seem like an important conversation, so I let it go.

“Ah, anyway. If everyone’s awake, let’s go eat first. Today’s busy. We need to leave right after eating.”

Though preparations were completed yesterday, we still needed to move quickly.

It takes roughly two days to travel from the Praester Family’s Territory to the Academy.

We had planned to arrive with about a day to spare before the entrance ceremony, but that might not be enough.

The original plan was to leave right after breakfast.

The twins nodded at my words, and we headed to the dining hall.

****

After finishing our meal, the castle became bustling with activity.

After saying my final goodbyes to various servants, I stood in the courtyard where our carriages and escorts were lined up.

The twins said they still had things to prepare and hadn’t come out yet.

I smiled and greeted Tein, who had been the butler, and Lawrence, who had taught me swordsmanship.

“Thank you all. I’ll be back safely.”

“Return without incident, young master.”

“Young master, don’t neglect your training just because you’re skilled!”

We were chatting about memories and waiting cheerfully for the twins to arrive.

Suddenly, Tein and Lawrence’s faces stiffened as they bowed deeply.

Looking behind me, I saw Grandmother Riana approaching with a gentle smile.

“….Grandmother.”

“Caden.”

Tein and Lawrence greeted her and tactfully vacated the area.

Grandmother approached and gave me a light embrace.

“Are you all prepared?”

“Yes. Everything’s ready.”

“…Good. Don’t forget the precautions.”

“Don’t worry.”

She looked at me with loving eyes and gently stroked my cheek.

“….It will be difficult.”

“…..”

“To withstand the nobles’ territorial behavior, you’ll need to be even more steadfast…..I hope the Praester name, built by my husband, my son, and Asena, will serve as your shield.”

Grandmother was worried, but I thought that regardless of being adopted, it would be difficult for anyone to easily disregard the ‘Praester’ name attached to me.

Of course, I’d only know the reality once I got there, but for now, alleviating her concerns was the priority.

“Don’t worry. Even if someone looks down on me, I won’t be shaken.”

“Hehe.”

When I spread my arms wide and spoke confidently, Grandmother laughed.

“Ah, Caden. I’m truly proud that you’re my grandson.”

She smiled, then gradually her expression hardened. She briefly surveyed our surroundings.

Naturally, no one was brave enough to eavesdrop on our conversation.

Once she confirmed no one was watching us, Grandmother Riana leaned toward me.

“…Caden. Actually, I have one more request.”

Speaking in a subdued tone, I also hardened my expression and leaned forward.

“…Yes, please tell me.”

“I don’t mean to burden you. But if you succeed in this, it will be of great help to our Praester Family.”

“…..I’m listening.”

“….Do you know the fastest way to increase a family’s power?”

Various methods flashed through my mind. Trampling others to spread fear, securing high official positions, taking everything through war, and so on…

Numerous approaches crossed my mind. These were methods Asena and Kirsy had taken in the novel.

But without waiting for my answer, Grandmother spoke.

“Marriage, Caden. It’s more peaceful and faster than any other method.”

“….I suppose so.”

“I’ve made many efforts to find a match for you. But no matter how much I spoke of your charm, it was difficult to establish an engagement that would strengthen our family.”

“…I understand.”

My background must have been the issue. Unless it was a truly weak noble family, even mentioning my name might have been considered rude.

“But now you’re going to the Academy. You’ll meet young ladies from many families. There will be beautiful ones, kind ones, wise ones. It’s also an opportunity for you to see and judge with your own eyes.”

“…..”

“….Caden, try to charm a daughter from a great noble family among them.”

“Oh my… Grandmother.”

I had been holding my breath, thinking it might be something important, but I chuckled with disappointment and straightened up.

But Grandmother Riana wasn’t laughing.

Seeing her expression, I wiped the smile from my face and asked.

“…..Are you serious?”

“I am serious, Caden. It’s good for you too. As I said, I don’t mean to burden you. If there’s no one you like, that’s fine. But….if there is someone you like, and she’s from a powerful family, it might be good to seize the opportunity. It would greatly strengthen our family.”

I slowly digested her words.

So while the choice was entirely mine, she was suggesting that if I could establish an engagement that would strengthen our family, I should pursue it.

“….You’re a charming boy, Caden. If you set your mind to it, you’ll have opportunities. Besides, noble young ladies are quite taken with knights, aren’t they?”

She grinned, lightening the mood that had momentarily grown heavy. I exhaled with a “phew” and waved my hand.

“…..Sigh. Charm who?”

“Why do you think it won’t work?”

“….What are you talking about?”

Suddenly, Asena’s voice came from behind us. Turning around, we saw Asena approaching, wearing a wide-brimmed hat.

“Hmm? Asena, you’re here?”

“…..”

She didn’t respond to my words and looked back and forth between Grandmother and me.

“Where’s Kirsy?”

“…Inside. So what were you two talking about?”

I glanced sideways at Grandmother. She raised her eyebrows as if she had enjoyed our brief secret conversation.

Seeing her expression, I smiled one last time and then made up an excuse for Asena.

“Just some idle talk. Don’t worry about it.”

“…..”

“Brother!!”

From a distance, Kirsy called out to me as she came running.

She stopped in front of me and twirled around, showing off her outfit.

“How is it? Pretty?”

“Cute.”

I pinched the cheek of the smiling girl.

“Hehehe..”

Kirsy smiled with satisfaction. I slowly looked around.

“…Hmm…I guess we’re all ready now.”

All eyes were on us.

After lightly receiving Kirsy’s embrace, I placed my hand on Asena’s shoulder.

“Asena.”

She nodded slightly and carefully began to speak.

She gave her final farewell so that everyone could hear.

It was a good speech. She asked everyone to take care of this place while they were gone, to look after Grandmother. She said they would learn a lot and return.

After finishing her speech with an orderly dignity I couldn’t imitate, she gave the order to depart.

The escort began to move out first.

Meanwhile, the three of us exchanged final goodbyes with Grandmother.

“Grandmother, we’ll be back.”

“We’ll return safely.”

“Yes. Have a safe journey.”

The still somewhat stiff relationship between Grandmother and the twins.

But no one could say it wasn’t a loving relationship.

After brief farewells, the twins boarded the carriage first.

I turned to look at Grandmother.

“Grandmother, I’ll also be…”

I stopped mid-sentence.

Grandmother’s eyes were gazing steadily at me. She took one of my hands in hers and covered it with her other hand, patting it gently.

It seemed unnecessary to say anything more. Her entire heart was conveyed through her hands.

I smiled lightly and nodded to her.

Grandmother nodded back, then released my hand.

Then, without further words, I boarded the carriage.

****

The gloom of parting soon gave way to a lively atmosphere in our carriage heading to the Academy.

It was mainly because of Kirsy.

“Ah…I’m so excited…”

At Kirsy’s bright voice, I pushed the conversation with Grandmother to the back of my mind.

Riding on Kirsy’s contagious emotion, I smiled and asked.

“What are you so excited about?”

“Meeting new friends… I wonder how fun it will be?”

“Were you looking forward to it that much?”

“Of course!”

I ruffled Kirsy’s hair and said.

“You’ll be able to get along with anyone.”

It wasn’t just flattery.

If it were the Kirsy from the novel, it would have been difficult, but the current Kirsy was truly easy to befriend.

She doesn’t get angry easily and knows how to read others. She says many gentle and considerate words. She’s also beautiful.

There was no way someone like her would have trouble making friends.

Moreover, among the characters appearing in the novel, that is, the characters who would be taking the same classes as the twins, there were no difficult personalities.

In reality, only Asena and Kirsy had been the problem.

But since I had reformed them… there was nothing to worry about.

Truly, the characters from the novel should bow to me.

By rehabilitating Asena and Kirsy, I had essentially removed the unreasonable doom that lay in their future. Wasn’t I the hidden hero?

“…Ahem..”

Asena cleared her throat, drawing our attention.

Kirsy and I stopped laughing and looked at the family head. For a moment, as attention shifted to her, Asena glanced at me once and then averted her gaze.

Despite having called for our attention, she seemed somewhat burdened.

It was puzzling.

It wasn’t common for her to show a lack of confidence.

“…Do you have something to say?”

When I questioned Asena, she looked at me nervously and spoke with difficulty.

“….. When we arrive at the Academy.. let’s be careful of the Ice Duchy.”

The Ice Family is completely opposite to the Praester Family.

Unlike the Praester Family located in the southern plains, the Ice Family is situated in the northern mountainous region.

In the novel, they were portrayed as the good side, but for me, who had become part of the Praester Family, it was now the opposite.

That didn’t mean they were uncomfortable. They were a family that made many rational and just choices.

It’s just that their history didn’t align with the Praester Family.

There were no issues in our generation, but I heard that wars were frequent up until Grandmother Riana’s generation.

“….”

But I was caught by Asena’s tone. The Ice Family was a topic we had discussed hundreds of times. It wasn’t something to bring up again in this carriage.

I could tell from her expression that Asena had more to say.

“….What is it, Asena? Tell me.”

Come to think of it, Asena had said she came looking for me the night before because she had something to say.

There was still something lingering.

I wondered what could be so difficult to say that she was hesitating this much.

At my question, Asena blinked, then for a long time seemed to be contemplating as she lost focus and stared into the distance, and finally, as if making a resolution, she took a deep breath.

Then she faced me directly. With an unwavering tone, as if she had been preparing for a long time, she said:

“Brother, I have one command.”

Command.

That heavy word.

It suddenly felt ominous.

“……What is it.”

“……When you graduate, return the ‘Praester’ surname.”