episode_0021

The rain pours down like a waterfall. The heavy rain hits my whole body without mercy, just like when the child was kicked out.

“Hey!”

He speaks urgently.

It’s been a long time since I’ve worn a riding suit. I’ve been so absorbed in social gatherings that I’ve neglected basic manners.

Surprisingly, he was the complete opposite of that child who was faithful to his studies and basic knowledge. Perhaps his father liked that about him and favored him.

If I had known that ‘something like this’ would happen to me, I would have been a little more sincere.

“Catch him!”

“If I miss this time, I won’t be able to show my face to His Majesty!”

“Ugh…!”

The moaning woman was the Marquis Arsent Grancia.

Originally the first princess of the empire, she was stripped of her status as a princess when she married the Marquis of Grancia. Instead, on the first day of their marriage, the Marquis of Grancia was poisoned and she inherited the title according to imperial law.

The new empire’s sun was also unstable. After all, the right to the throne had not been extinguished, so he suffered from the threat of assassination every day.

So I ran away.

The decision was that in order to survive, one day they would have to gather their forces and strike the sun.

However, the future of her returning to the territory became increasingly distant. The path of movement was quickly blocked, and the only way left was the imperial territory owned by her youngest brother.

‘They say he didn’t die…?’

I have to pretend to hold his hand somehow and control him. The more power you have, the better.

That must have been the case… But somehow, he died before he could even find his youngest sibling. His fate was clear: he would be disposed of without a trace in the forest that covered the sky like a net.

“Ugh…!”

Hehehehe!

Suddenly, her horse took a sharp turn. If she hadn’t held the reins properly, she would have fallen.

“Now even this is causing trouble…!”

I was so upset that I wanted to scold him harshly.

The horse’s fortuitous wit repelled the Emperor’s own knights.

“Haa… Haa…”

Soon, the sky covered with tree branches and leaves revealed its cloudy appearance. At the same time, Arsent’s eyes were caught by an unexpected sight.

A magnificent mansion comparable to an imperial palace came into view.

Her words moved towards the mansion as if she had made a promise with it.

“There’s a mansion like this, and yet no rumors spread…? Even if it’s imperial territory, it’s like that.”

A mansion this large could be developed for tourism purposes. If not, it could be used as a resort exclusively for the royal family.

Either way, it was a blessing.

At first, the horse had been leading Arsent, but now Arsent was deliberately leading the horse to the mansion.

“If it’s here… I might be able to counterattack.”

Arsent was of royal blood.

Although it had been a long time since they had trained, it seemed possible to take out their pursuers with a surprise attack using the spaciousness of the mansion.

The horse’s stamina is not infinite, so it was expected that it would catch up someday…

“… Let’s go.”

Arsent stopped her horse nearby. She opened the door to the mansion and entered.

…

……

since.

As the pursuers entered the mansion’s front door, screams that no one could hear seeped into the ground along with the trailing raindrops.

◇

“This… why…?”

Just when I returned from the world of painting.

The butler was startled by the suddenly displayed message.

[A new guest has arrived at the mansion.]

Just one line.

It was a notification without any specific guidelines.

As the butler, who had been serious until just now, frowned even more, Ashe raised a question mark above her head.

“Why is that, butler?”

“… A new guest has arrived at the mansion.”

“What, what did you say? No way…”

Asher had a guessing point.

I thought the assassins were really late, but after wandering around for a while, they finally found the mansion.

Sreung!

Asher took out a real sword from his leather pouch and swung it around like he was dancing.

“Okay… Just like last time.”

The enhancement of physical abilities is also applied in reality. If you have this power, you can kill assassins as if you were twisting a child’s wrist.

“Let’s go, butler!”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The portraits in the mansion watched them as they headed up the stairs. The sense of so many gazes in the empty mansion created a sense of dissonance.

Trying to ignore it, they came down the stairs.

“I feel sick… I’m all wet. I wish I could find some new clothes to put on.”

Knock. Knock. Knock.

A guest grumbles as rainwater drips from the entrance to the mansion.

The woman had the same blonde hair and red eyes as Ashe. While Ashe was a young girl with a youthful appearance, she was a mature woman.

When Asher finally made eye contact with his guest, both of them froze, each taking a deep breath.

“… Sister?”

“You…?”

The first one whose face brightened was the guest.

“Arshela!”

The butler wondered what nonsense it was to be called by that name. Then he remembered that Ashe was the nickname that the Emperor used to call him.

In short, Arcela is Ashe’s real name.

“Why is Sister Arsent… here?”

“Me? I’m… similar to you. My brother, who is worse than a beast, won’t leave me alone.”

“Is that so…”

The butler couldn’t believe that Ashe was using formal language. While he was observing such an unrealistic scene, Arsent caught sight of the butler.

“Who is the author, Arcela?”

“… Butler.”

“Oh my goodness, that was an owner-occupied mansion? What family is it?”

“Arcaden.”

“Is that a family I’ve never heard of?”

“That’s right.”

Asher gave a short reply and turned away.

“Let’s go, butler.”

“Yes, Asher.”

The atmosphere was somewhat stiff. Since each person’s circumstances were very serious, the butler did not bother to ask questions.

As they were about to climb the stairs, Arsent shouted loudly from below.

“Hey, you there! You said butler, right? ”

“Yes, but.”

“That’s great. Can you bring me a dress that I can wear? As long as the size fits, that’s fine.”

As expected of sisters, Ashe and Arsent had similar body sizes. So the butler asked Ashe.

“Ashe, do you have any of the dresses left from Maid A’s room?”

“That’s right.”

“I think it would be better to pass it on.”

“… Okay.”

Asher pulled out Maid A’s dress, which was several times its size, from a leather pouch. Arsent was so surprised that his eyes almost popped out.

“Oh my goodness, Arcela. What kind of magic did you learn?”

“It’s not magic, it’s an artifact. If you don’t mind, wear it.”

“Wow, it’s dangling with jewels. It’s heavy too.”

Arsent said with a kind smile.

“Then can you help me put it on?”

“Okay.”

Asher guided my sister and gave instructions to the butler.

“Go to the second floor first. Butler.”

“Okay, I will.”

As Ashe entered a room with Arsent, it was quiet and dark somewhere.

◇

Arsent threw away his wet underwear and put on new ones. The material wasn’t of the highest quality, and his skin felt slightly stung.

Still, Arsent deliberately kept his feelings a secret.

“Nice to meet you, little brother. I never dreamed I would see you here.”

“Me too.”

“By the way, did you take care of the assassins who chased you yourself? That’s amazing.”

“The assassins…”

Asher was speechless.

Come to think of it, the assassins aren’t coming. No matter what, there’s no way a mansion this big would go unnoticed for a long time…

“Why did you stop talking?”

Ashe was struck by Arsent’s point.

“… That must be it, if you haven’t heard from your sister.”

“As expected! My brother was upset because he hadn’t heard from me for a while. There must have been a reason, right?”

“That’s right…”

I tried it on purpose, but there was no sign of a lie.

Assassins who have never met before have gone missing. What strange incidents there are.

“But why is the mansion so quiet? There aren’t any servants walking around in broad daylight.”

“Before that.”

“Huh?”

“Sister… How did you come to this mansion?”

Although his tone was deliberately ominous, Arsent ignored it.

She then briefly explained the situation.

“I passed through here because there was only one open road… but the horse turned around on its own halfway. As expected of my horse, he’s a smart guy. Isn’t he?”

Asher really resembled her older sister so much that I wanted to snap at her and say that she wasn’t like that at all.

I was thinking about giving a standing ovation to the fool who visited without even knowing where this place was.

But since she had the same visiting pattern, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

“Anyway, that’s not the point. Why is it so quiet in this dirty, big place?”

“Because there is no user.”

“Is that butler earlier a hallucination?”

“There’s only him.”

“What?”

Arsent asked seriously.

“Isn’t that just illegal squatters?”

“I wish that were the case, sis.”

She had roughly dried her body and finished trying on the dress. Asher taught her foolish blood relatives some reality.

“You shouldn’t have come here, Sister.”

“What does that mean?”

“The last favor I showed my sister just now was a favor. After all, we share the same royal blood, so I had to maintain her dignity.”

“You, what are you talking about to your sister now…!”

“Wake up, Arsent!”

“…”

Arsent took a sharp breath.

The shock was doubled because Asher had never been able to yell at his older siblings.

“Here. This is not a place where my sister can maintain her noble dignity.”

“Arshela…?”

“Do you think I treated you like a pet without knowing anything? I already noticed that you considered me a thorn in your side.”

Arsent had a hard time accepting the change in Ashe’s attitude. Ashe wiggled her slanted eyebrows, wondering if it was the same.

“Taking all that into account, I’ll still give you some advice.”

She gave her last blood relative affection.

“Sister, you’re trapped.”