The Sickly Youngest Member of the Villainous Family

Step by step, Permetis approached me.

 

“I see you again.”

 

I stared directly at her, not avoiding her fierce gaze.

 

“Hello, Shasha.”

 

A gentle voice reached me.

 

When I didn’t respond, I heard Bashiron’s voice from behind, sounding annoyed.

 

“She really takes after her father.”

 

They were coming out of Recardo’s office, and I wondered if they were returning from meeting him.

 

Judging by the look on Bashiron’s face, it was clear that Recardo hadn’t accepted what they wanted.

 

“Seems like you couldn’t hold back and spilled the beans about yesterday’s incident, Shasha.”

 

Permetis’ voice reached me.

 

Spilled the beans about yesterday’s incident? I haven’t done such a thing.

 

“No response. Is she playing dumb, or…”

 

Permetis twisted her lips.

 

“Maybe she can’t hear well.”

 

Soon enough, Permetis got closer to me.

 

Then, in a hushed and chilling voice meant only for my ears, she whispered.

 

“Don’t get too high and mighty, Shasha.”

 

Her words weren’t particularly provocative to me.

 

After all, just watching a morning drama could expose one to much harsher and crueler words.

 

“One day, you’ll regret this moment once everything is taken away from you.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

And I learned how to deal with types like Permetis.

 

They think they’re the greatest villainous femme fatale of all time.

 

“I do?”

 

Her brows twitched at my disdainful expression.

 

She’s clearly turned to jealousy toward me, but I have no time for her.

 

“What?”

 

“Do you have any way to take it from me?”

 

I have my own destiny to fulfil, not dying of disease by the time Phersetos is resurrected, and I have to prevent the end of the world.

 

Compared to such grave matters, Permetis is a mere footnote.

 

“You’re not better than me in any way.”

 

My retort made Permetis’s brows tremble slightly.

 

“Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you yesterday, my brother Jin hates you. He’d never marry a nasty girl like you.”

 

I leaned in, whispering to Permetis with my arms crossed.

 

“You had better hope to get married to Robin.”

 

I’m sorry, Robin.

 

“You… you…”

 

Permetis’ fist was trembling.

 

I twisted my lips and gave her a twisted smile.

 

“Even Othello is too good for you…”

 

Before I could finish my sentence, Permetis raised a hand.

 

There was a moment of silence that seemed to stop time, but I felt no impact.

 

“……!”

 

When I turned my gaze around, I saw Evan standing there.

 

Taller than me, and even taller than Permetis, Evan looked at her with an expressionless face.

 

Permetis’ eyebrows twitched.

 

“Evan Taylor……?”

 

Evan, the male protagonist that original timeline Permetis liked.

 

A historic meeting, and I was there like an uninvited guest.

 

Destroying the grand moment of their first meeting, seen from Permetis’ perspective, in the original story.

 

“…You…”

 

Evan’s casual voice interrupted Permetis.

 

“If something goes wrong with this one, I’ll be in trouble.”

 

Permetis’ gaze shifted to Evan’s hand.

 

On Evan’s finger was a Lysonia.

 

The ring that symbolized his connection to me.

 

“So, get lost.”

 

Evan’s lips moved sharply.

 

An intense determination manifesting instantly.

 

“You…!”

 

Bashiron seemed to widen his eyes at that statement.

 

But Evan Taylors was Taylors’ heir, the exchanged hostage.

 

Not within the scope of direct lineage, he had no right to interfere.

 

“Permetis, let’s go.”

 

Permetis, with a stiff expression, looked at me and opened her mouth.

 

“Just you watch.”

 

Her gaze turned to Evan, a glaring look that clearly displayed animosity.

 

A moment later, Permetis brushed past me.

 

Bashiron, with a cold expression, passed us too.

 

A while later, I opened my eyes slightly and looked back at Evan.

 

“I appreciate it, but you didn’t need to intervene this time.”

 

In response to my words, Evan furrowed his eyebrows and asked.

 

“What?”

 

“I was going to kick her out if she hit me.”

 

Robin had told me why Permetis was visiting today.

 

He told me that, at least for the time being, Recardo was going to decline the request.

 

I was considering giving Permetis a taste of stepping on her while she was angry.

 

If she couldn’t control her anger and attacked me, I had planned to do a Hollywood-style dramatic fall. Recardo wouldn’t tolerate any threat to his direct heirs.

 

But Evan’s interference twisted my plans.

 

Hearing my story, Evan looked at me as if he was seeing some strange creature.

 

It was a strategy to cut flesh and bone.

 

“You…….”

 

Unlike the disheveled appearance he had when he came out of the underground prison, Evan’s current appearance was quite intimidating. He was the male lead, so being handsome went without saying.

 

Though I don’t like the expression on his face.

 

“…Are you planning to act like a seven-year-old?”

 

Evan’s question made me feel somewhat embarrassed.

 

“I’m busy, so I’ll be going.”

 

Pushing him aside, I turned around casually.

 

I quickly walked into Recardo’s office, feeling like Evan’s lips had twisted into a faint smile just now.

 

* * *

“……You came.”

 

I was attempting to lift the stack of papers I was holding and place them on the desk. Rowen, who was behind me, came over to assist.

 

“Father, about Peri…….”

 

I was about to ask, but I decided not to say anything.

 

Regardless of how Recardo had found out, I hadn’t done anything wrong.

 

As if he had sensed something within me, Recardo’s voice reached me, lips slightly curling.

 

“What did you bring?”

 

“Grandfather Hector sent a letter.”

 

Hector Winchester travelled back to the Obin Mountains of Akada.

 

Not long after, a letter arrived from there, containing information about the state of affairs with the Taylor family.

 

Such confidential information could have been sent separately to Recardo, yet he had given it all to me at once.

 

“…….”

 

After reading the paper for a while, he put it down on the desk.

 

His thoughts were hard to read.

 

He rarely displayed changes in emotions, which made it hard to gauge.

 

“It seems that things are getting interesting.”

 

Although his expression didn’t appear amused at all.

 

News had arrived that strange incidents were occurring quite frequently within the empire.

 

The attack last time was not the end, it seemed.

 

Kaisa was just the beginning.

 

After a while, Recardo turned to me.

 

“Has there been any contact from Othello?”

 

He’s asking me, right? I looked up at Recardo for a moment, then shook my head.

 

We didn’t exchange letters with each other.

 

Othello sitting at a desk and writing a letter… that was quite an unimaginable image.

 

And the content of the letter was likely just teasing or taunting, so there was probably no need to bother with it.

 

At my reaction, Recardo furrowed his brows and said.

 

“Othello sent Luna.”

 

Luna? What’s that? I had never heard of it.

 

Seeing my puzzled expression, Recardo’s lips curled in a faint smile.

 

“Yeah, that guy wouldn’t have kindly explained and left.”

 

A moment later, Recardo returned his gaze to the documents.

 

“That will be all, you can leave now.”

 

Following Recardo’s words, I gave the appropriate greeting and left.

 

Rowen kindly opened the door for me.

 

***

 

― It’s about Fury’s shop. Bandits were blocking the road, so they couldn’t obtain the grains for the dough. I wanted to eat oatmeal cookies…

 

The day after I complained to the bear I received from Othello, news came that the bandits had been defeated.

 

Thanks to that, Maya was able to buy oatmeal cookies at Fury’s cookie shop.

 

― Ugh… I had a book I wanted to see, but that strict private tutor of Jin said that young ladies shouldn’t be looking at those kinds of things! If only Grandpa Hector were here!

 

The day after I complained that I couldn’t see the expensive and good books at the library because Jin’s private tutor interfered, he couldn’t go to work.

 

His allergy to chamomile made him sneeze all day.

 

It had become my daily routine to say a word or two to the teddy bear on my bed if something special happened, and…… that was Lune.

 

“No way!”

 

Luna was a pair of magic stones that allowed one-way communication.

 

Recardo had expected Othello to be the sender and me the receiver, but it was the other way around.

 

He could hear me ranting and raving.

 

“You….. didn’t know?”

 

Maya asked me, her eyes wide.

 

“Hundreds of years ago, they were used by husbands who went off to war to spy on their wives…… but the wives didn’t like them, so they were discontinued. That’s where the expression ‘corune,’ which refers to an ugly man, comes from…….”

 

“…….”

 

“Nowadays, they are exchanged between lovers and family members as a token of love. Fashions come and go.”

 

So why did he give me that thing.

 

Thinking about my history of grumbling to the bear, I covered my face with both hands.

 

Othello had been hearing my complaints.

 

“He heard everything?”

 

“Background noise from the surroundings isn’t transmitted. Only what you say to Luna is transmitted to the other side.”

 

At least that was a bit fortunate.

 

“You should have explained that properly! Bad Othello!”

 

I huffed and complained.

 

The note Othello had sent with the bear must have had that kind of meaning.

 

I looked at Luna on the bed with a skeptical gaze.

 

Really… Did he hear everything I said?

 

If so, then could he possibly know about Phersetos’s downfall or what happened with Evan?