# 47 - 47
* * *
There's a passage in a book I read when I was Han Ina.
“There was a man who heated his bath water with the love letters he received from women.”*
* Dazai Osamu, 『No Longer Human』, Minumsa, 2012
This is another man who has lost his humanity.
Right in front of my eyes.
I stared at Leon Fraser, speechless.
'Now…'
Did he burn the letters you sent to ashes?
Did he bring them here himself to return them to me?
It's crazier than I imagined...
Whether it's out of shock or complete bewilderment.
“…Liziane, are you okay?”
My voice came out a little shaky without me realizing it.
Lycian, who was covered in ash, did not look at me. He just gave a slight nod of his head.
I could see Leon's facial expressions over his shoulder.
A hint of confusion and bewilderment, then anger.
“This is my brother. His problem is that his heart is always weak.”
“Leon.”
“Do you really think she is our sister?”
Oh, those words again.
I hear the same words I heard right before I died, Han Ina's words.
My mood has hit rock bottom.
Although my mood was not good from the moment that bastard opened his mouth.
I was trying hard to maintain a nice smile.
Because I still need Leon's tenderness.
Because that bastard is one of the male heroes of the Kuriko series.
Because I had to win over that idiot.
But that's all in the past.
The moment that bastard scattered the ashes, I felt the corners of my mouth, which had barely been raised, quickly falling.
Leon's eyes, which had been looking at me coldly the whole time, darkened slightly.
Why does he express this with his facial expression? I thought for a moment.
“Rumors are widespread, aren’t they? In high-end circles and in academia as well.”
Leon looked directly into my eyes and sneered coldly.
“She has a different father than us.”
“…”
“Leon Fraser.”
A slow-paced voice sounded.
That was Lycian.
With the attitude of a high-ranking noble young master, he collected the ashes that were still scattered on his head and face with his right hand.
And then.
slap!
He directly hit Leon Fraser's cheek.
Along with traces of ash, a red handprint was etched on Leon Fraser's face.
“You're the worst, Leon, Frasier.”
Even to me, it was a terrifying sound.
It was hard to believe that it came from Lycian, who looked like a silver angel.
I recently remembered the fact that Lycian was a high-ranking noble who would inherit the title of Marquis Fraser in the future…
“…ha.”
Leon Fraser wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his hand and let out a hollow laugh.
“Now even my brother beats me.”
“Collect everything…”
Lysian's stuttering symptoms eased somewhat when he spoke slowly.
Although his voice was slow, it carried obvious anger.
Leon Fraser didn't even stare at Lizian.
He continued to stare at me over his shoulder before leaning down.
Leon Fraser, who collected the scattered ashes with both hands and put them in his bag, smiled coldly.
"Hey. You must be happy."
His green eyes, similar to Tulia's, shone with mysterious, incomprehensible emotions.
“Because your whole family protects you and only you.”
jingle.
Leon Fraser deliberately nudged my shoulder in an uncomfortable motion as he passed, then strode away and disappeared.
* * *
I sat in a bathtub full of hot water, looking at the bathroom ceiling.
A cold drop of water that had formed on the marble ceiling fell onto my forehead with a thud.
"cold."
After muttering to myself, I looked at the surface of the water again.
My concern was focused on one thing.
Leon Fraser.
“Why does that bastard hate me so much?”
Of course, Tulia's memories still linger in my body.
No matter how slowly I looked back, I couldn't understand it.
Tulia is already the official trash of...
It is true that Tullia lived a very luxurious life from a young age, and it is also true that she behaved poorly among the girls of the Grand Duchy.
She ignored the twins or made fun of them when they came.
because.
“The twins don't seem to like you very much, poor Tullia.”
“Maybe it was because of the rumors about your mother that made the twins… No, it doesn’t matter. Your uncle spoke unnecessarily. Forget it, Tullia.”
Because Lilius pretended to be something he was not and sowed discord between Tullia and the twins.
But those were things from childhood.
“If he's older than Tullia, shouldn't he have some wisdom or something?”
And some tolerance too.
Like Lycian.
Or at least give me a new chance considering how honest I've been about texting for months.
Doesn't the academy teach morals and character?
“Do you really think she is our sister?”
I remembered Leon Fraser's dagger-sharp words again.
“Why are you talking so rudely? You bastard.”
However, his facial expression was somewhat strange.
Like his eyes, which wavered for a moment.
Or the way he gritted his teeth as he looked at me.
“Hey, you're lucky. Your whole family only protects you.”
The only person who even kind of protected me was Lycian, so what the fuck?
I couldn't understand Leon Fraser's psychology at all, so I kept frowning.
Then suddenly.
An idea suddenly occurred to me.
impossible….
“…This can't be true, can it?”
Maybe that's not the case.
I flicked my eyes to the winged star floating around me.
Main Content: Repayment of Karma
You are scum!
You have no money, your luck is bad, and everyone hates you!
(Except for one person) No one likes you!
Goal: Get an A before the “real” grade comes out!
In case of failure: death
“Impossible. Impossible.”
It wasn't even Lycian. impossible.
I muttered the word “impossible” dozens of times as I carefully read the main text that was floating in the air again using intensive reading.
You are scum!
You have no money, your luck is bad, and everyone hates you!
(Except for one person) No one likes you!
"Except for one person... Impossible. Absolutely impossible."
That bastard couldn't be Leon Fraser, right?
* * *
“Have your meal, miss.”
The next morning.
I rolled my eyes as I took a spoonful of the server's soup.
The main castle had over ten dining rooms, and this place was a little smaller than the dining room we used to use, but it was still cozy.
Those eating were here now.
I.
Lycian.
And Leon Fraser.
Just the three of us.
Oh, my God. This is embarrassing.
After Lycian and Leon returned, Viscount Lilius always had breakfast together, and he also took Aubrey with him.
“Well, that will look good on the courtiers.”
Whatever Viscount Lilius' ambitions, he always wished to project the image of a kind and caring uncle outwardly.
But this morning.
While I was preparing for breakfast, Lycian's servant came to look for me.
“I have come to accompany you on the orders of Master Lycian. Miss Tullia.”
“Lycian?”
“Yes, shall we go if you are ready?”
Then he took me to a dining room that I had never seen before.
“This place is...”
This was not the dining room where Viscount Lilius usually sat at the head of the table.
It was a dining room in which only Lycian and Leon Fraser sat.
Napkins, glasses for pre-dinner drinks, and cutlery were prepared for exactly three people.
“Oh, you here? Tu, Tulia.”
Lycian smiled and greeted me good morning.
I asked as I sat down.
“What about uncle and aunt?”
“Oh, from today on, we will eat alone.”
"Huh? Just the two of us?"
“Yes, Tu, Tulia. Eat comfortably.”
That was an unexpected statement.
I opened my eyes wide, too late.
‘Awesome.’
That's right.
Thinking about it, Lycian was the eldest and the 'heiress' of Marquis Fraser as well.
He therefore had the power to hold separate official meals even in the main castle of the Grand Duchy.
“That bastard Leon Fraser is annoying, though.”
At least he listens to Lycian.
I thought he wouldn't attack me at the dinner table.
This would be a more relaxed formal meal, wouldn't it?
At every morning meal, Opray attacked me daily, making it difficult for me to focus on eating.
I sat with a nice smile.
“What would you like to have as an aperitif?”
“I'll just have orange juice today.”
“Yes, miss.”
There was no small band, but perhaps because I felt relaxed, my appetite was much better.
I smeared the warm bread with fragrant butter and shoved it into my mouth.
Ham, cheese, thinly sliced fruit, and cooked eggs were served as foods to eat with bread.
I placed thin apple slices on top of the bread as I glanced at Leon Fraser.
It appears he chose iced tea as the drink to accompany his meal.
Well, unless you're an elderly noble, you won't drink alcohol in the morning.
There was nothing good about the eye contact, so I quickly looked away, but Leon Fraser's appearance was worth seeing.
His cheek is completely swollen.
His swollen red cheeks screamed to the entire neighborhood, “I’ve been beaten.”
I really liked that he walked around the castle so boldly without covering his face.
She also realized that Lycian had warned him more severely than he expected.
I took a sip of my sweet and sour orange juice as I glanced at Leon Fraser again.
A text appeared in the air.
[System] Would you like to check Leon Fraser's emotional level?
[System] The importance of Leon Fraser's character: ☆☆☆☆☆
As expected, it also received five stars.
[Yes]
I pressed “yes” immediately, just as I did yesterday.
Half worried about what I would do if this guy actually had a gold scale, and half curious.
But then…
[System] Cooldown activated!
[System] You need 6 days and 5 additional hours to check Leon Fraser's emotional level.
'Huh?'
[System] You can use 100 coins to instantly check Leon Fraser's affection level.
[System] Do you want to continue?
[System] Yes or No
What? Was there such a thing as a cooling off period?
—————