SYOV 16

Chapter 16

When Verity arrived at the prayer room, he immediately frowned.

“Ugh. Why are you still here? Why haven’t you left yet?”

“You don’t have to beg me to shoot you. My last bullet has always been reserved for you.”

“Why don’t you cut those bangs? You can’t even see where you’re aiming. That’s why you’re walking around with a gun stuck in front of your crotch. And what’s with those pants? Did you forget to pull them up?”

“A pervert who still wears a school uniform despite his age wouldn’t understand fashion.”

“I see.”

“So if you grow old with your pants hanging off your butt, you end up loving fashion like that.”

“If that’s what acting your age means, I’d rather stay a school-uniform pervert forever.”

After exchanging friendly middle fingers with the Angel, Verity checked on everyone else.

Hebenia and Ian had fallen asleep, huddled together in a corner beside the bed.

On the bed lay Flora and the young Prince, still dressed in his white priest robes.

“Oh.”

“So this is the child.”

Verity quietly looked down at the sleeping Prince.

“Sigh… Both our Young Lady and the Prince are still just children…”

“What is Clavis doing?”

The Angel asked while staring at the door.

The temple was already on high alert after discovering that a Demon had put the entire city to sleep.

Yet…

No one had come to check on the young Prince.

That alone showed how fragile his position truly was.

“Sleeping.”

“The small one?”

“Oh.”

“You mean the old, stubborn one?”

The “old, stubborn one” Verity referred to was the head of the Clavis family—

Hebenia’s grandfather.

“I don’t know either.”

“That eccentric old man didn’t tell us everything.”

“That’s a shame.”

The Angel pulled a lollipop from his pocket and placed it in his mouth.

With the way he dressed…

It looked less like candy and more like a strong cigarette.

“I would’ve loved to see the arrogant Clavis running around in a panic.”

“Haha.”

“I actually agree with you on that.”

A faint golden light flashed through the Angel’s worn eyes beneath his bangs.

“So.”

“Why did you summon me?”

“There was a forced Succession Ritual.”

“That’s your Demons’ problem—”

“There was also illegal enhancement.”

“…”

A smile mixed with disgust…

Anger…

And annoyance…

Appeared on the Angel’s face.

Verity wore almost the same expression.

“That’s a problem for both of us, isn’t it?”

“Tch.”

“We’ll keep an eye on the Emperor for now.”

“That idiot is involved?”

“Surprising, isn’t it?”

“I was shocked too.”

“I didn’t think the Emperor was capable of something on that level.”

“That’s exactly why it’s a problem.”

“We need to find out how this happened.”

“You’ll be busy for a while.”

“So will you.”

Just then—

“…Lord Verity?”

Thanks to the habit he had developed while serving night watch during his days as an Imperial Knight…

Ian woke up almost instantly.

“You’ve returned.”

“Yes.”

“It’s all finished.”

Verity patted Ian on the shoulder.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“But…”

Ian hesitated while carrying the sleeping Hebenia.

He glanced toward the bed.

“Oh.”

“His Highness will be fine.”

Verity said as he picked up Flora.

“From what I can tell, our Young Lady asked that delinquent Angel to grant a wish for His Highness.”

“We should leave as quickly as possible.”

“That’s not it…”

Ian hesitated for quite a while before speaking.

“Well…”

“I injected His Highness with anesthetic…”

“Oh dear.”

“He must’ve bruised.”

Verity gently placed a cat-shaped bandage over the tiny red needle mark on the back of the Prince’s neck.

“It has antibacterial ingredients.”

“It’ll prevent infection.”

“It also helps scars disappear faster.”

“Thank you.”

“…Idiots.”

The Angel looked at them as if they were hopeless fools.

“Get out already.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Keeping my distance from you has been my lifelong dream!”

Whenever I became extremely tired…

I always had nightmares.

Most of them were about my family.

Whenever one was coming…

I could always tell.

‘Ah…’

‘I’m going to have another one.’

‘What am I going to see this time?’

Ever since arriving in the exile village…

I hadn’t had a single nightmare.

But now…

That familiar feeling had returned.

‘But this…’

I found myself standing inside a magnificent palace.

Elegant maids dressed in black uniforms.

Well-dressed servants.

Even assistants carrying stacks of documents hurried through the halls.

‘…Assistants?’

‘How do I know they’re assistants?’

While I was still confused…

Someone ran past me.

I turned around.

My eyes widened.

“Harvey!”

“You’ll fall if you keep running like that!”

“Big Brother!”

“Hurry!”

It was a young Hebenia.

Running beside her was a composed-looking teenage boy who resembled her.

“Edel is coming!”

“We have to hurry!”

“We don’t.”

“Edel will come to us.”

“But…”

“That annoying brat is coming too!”

“If he bullies Edel again, I’m going to slap him the moment I see him!”

“Grandfather said you have to beat people into line from the very beginning!”

The boy had the same beautiful chestnut hair as Hebenia.

Unlike her…

His eyes were a brilliant blue.

He looked about fifteen years old.

‘So…’

‘I’m seeing Hebenia Clavis’s childhood.’

“So?”

“You’re going to hit him too, right?”

“You shouldn’t get used to violence.”

“Remember the song I taught you?”

“Yep!”

Young Hebenia wiggled happily as she sang.

“Schemes, strategy, and ruthless tricks!”

“Those are an elegant princess’s ultimate weapons!”

“That’s right.”

“An elegant princess uses her brain before her fists.”

I was speechless.

‘What kind of thing is he teaching a child…?’

But young Hebenia wasn’t any easier.

“I don’t understand any of that.”

“I’d rather just hit him.”

“Then…”

“I’ll protect Harvey from getting locked in the underground prison.”

“Big Brother…”

“Are you an elegant princess too?”

“Yep.”

“I’m the terrifying fist that exists only for my baby sister.”

“Closer than the law.”

“Hehe!”

“I’m not a baby anymore!”

The loving siblings ran down the hallway together once again.

The adults nearby watched them with warm smiles.

Only I…

Couldn’t smile.

“What is this…?”

I had always assumed her family was trash.

After all…

People who could murder a Princess while leaving behind a young daughter couldn’t possibly be a normal family.

But the boy I had just seen…

Even if I questioned his sanity…

He was still a wonderful older brother who genuinely cared for his little sister.

The servants had looked at Hebenia with affection too.

Her beautiful clothes.

Her silky hair.

Her chubby cheeks.

‘She really grew up wanting for nothing.’

She had truly been the princess of the Clavis family.

‘Then…’

‘What about twenty-five-year-old Chae Habin?’

If she had been loved this much…

Why did she have to cross into another world…

And suffer through that miserable life?

“Damn it…”

“What kind of bullshit is this?!”

“Harvey.”

The older brother gently stopped my curse.

“Don’t use such vulgar language.”

“You’ll dirty that pretty mouth.”

“…”

The magnificent mansion disappeared.

Before I knew it…

Only the boy and I remained inside an endless darkness.

He looked at me…

As though I were the most precious treasure in the world.

“…B-Big Brother?”

Without thinking…

I called him the way young Hebenia had.

The boy smiled happily.

“Wait just a little longer.”

“Big Brother will come to see you.”

The shaking of the carriage slowly woke me up.

“…Ian?”

“You’re awake?”

Helping me sit up…

Ian smiled.

Still half asleep…

I looked around.

The curved ceiling of a carriage came into view first.

‘A carriage…?’

Across from me sat Verity and Flora.

Flora was hugging a rabbit doll I had never seen before.

“We’ve already left the territory.”

Verity handed me a water flask.

“I’ve dealt with the bad Demon.”

“The others at the mansion are sleeping very deeply.”

“And I put an antibacterial bandage on His Highness.”

Verity deliberately avoided mentioning the deaths of Baron Deste and the two rat-like men.

It was for Flora’s sake.

‘So that reptile Demon killed them.’

I took a sip of water.

Honestly…

The deaths of those three men meant nothing to me.

They had brought it upon themselves.

“By the way…”

Ian looked at me with concern.

“Are you okay?”

“Me?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m fine.”

Considering everything that had happened yesterday…

I actually felt surprisingly energetic.

Being young—

No…

Being a child—

Really was a blessing.

Even so…

The worry on Ian’s and Verity’s faces didn’t disappear.

Verity pointed at his own eyes.

“Young Lady…”

“You’ve been crying.”

“…Me?”

Startled…

I wiped the corners of my eyes with the back of my hand.

Sure enough…

It came away damp.

“…Big Sister.”

Flora gently squeezed the rabbit’s ear.

“Does it hurt…?”

“No.”

I gave her a bright smile.

“It doesn’t hurt at all.”

“Don’t get hurt…”

“I won’t.”

“I promise.”

Relieved…

Flora smiled softly and continued playing with the rabbit doll.

She really was a kind child.

Someone who sincerely worried even about people she had only just met.

Watching her…

I remembered the boy from my dream.

‘Ah…’

‘Now I know why I cried.’

‘I cried because I was furious.’

More than being happy that I had once had a rich and powerful family…

I was angry.

Angry that my twenty-five-year life had been filled with nothing but hardship…

Without ever enjoying any of it.

‘How could I not cry?’

It wasn’t because I missed them.

Not at all.

‘What?’

‘”Wait a little longer?”‘

‘”Big Brother will come see you?”‘

The day we meet again…

Will be the day my entire family gathers…

For their own funeral.

“…Anyway.”

Ian stretched lazily.

“We’re finally going home.”

‘Home…’

I really liked that word.

Yes.

Our home was the small hidden village inside the Primeval Forest.

I finally had a place I could safely return to.

“Still…”

Verity counted on his fingers.

“We rescued Flora.”

“Punished the bad Demon.”

“Bought gifts with the money from selling herbs.”

“And gathered quite a bit of useful information.”

I nodded beside him.

‘That’s right.’

‘Information.’

We had learned something incredibly important.

Framing Aunt Dallis—

The only survivor of the Succession Ritual—

And sending her into exile…

Wasn’t something that could happen easily.

A powerful person had to approve it.

Or at least remain silent.

‘Someone like…’

‘The Emperor.’

The minerals mined through forced labor in Exilium.

The herbs supposedly purchased for the sick Princess.

‘That bastard…’

Putting everything together…

There was only one conclusion.

“Looks like the only answer is a revolution.”

PFFT!

Ian sprayed the mouthful of water he had just been drinking everywhere.