A shrill scream echoed through the mansion.
It had become a frequent occurrence in recent weeks.
The maids, accustomed to such disturbances, entered the room where the scream had originated and quietly attended to Lizzy, wiping the cold sweat from her trembling body.
"Ha… Ha..."
Lizzy had returned to the Claudia territory after a long-overdue conversation with her eldest brother, Roer, but the horrific scenes of her brothers' brutal murder by Ferzen continued to haunt her dreams every night.
It was as if her nightmares were a manifestation of the guilt she carried.
On the day she spoke with her oldest brother, she couldn't bring herself to suggest abandoning their revenge plans.
She couldn't confess that she believed they should let go of their vengeful pursuits.
"Please lie on your side for a while, Young Miss."
"..."
The maids didn't offer empty words of comfort to Lizzy, who was overwhelmed by fear and terror. They simply carried out their task.
Lizzy clutched the sheet tightly as they worked. She felt like the boy who cried wolf in the old fable, only this time she was afraid of her own dreams.
Each passing day filled her with dread, as she feared that the nightmare might one day become a horrifying reality.
'Brother...'
In her heart, Lizzy knew her older brothers would persist in their pursuit of revenge, regardless of the obstacles in their path.
Perhaps the reason she couldn't advise them to stop that day was that she herself had moments of doubt.
She had acted like a coward, closing her ears, and covering her eyes while using her family as a shield against her own fears.
Even though her reasoning and instincts urged her to quickly turn the boat around as it was heading towards the part of the ocean filled with reefs, Lizzy couldn't muster the courage to take the helm.
After all, the wolf in human skin, no, the monster in the wolf skin that violated her, was preventing that feeling from even budding inside her.
But there was more to it than just fear. Lizzy had her own justifications.
She believed that if she remained passive, if she played the good girl and didn't resist, then when the nightmare she dreamed of became a reality, she might be able to appease the monster.
In that nightmarish scenario, where her family's lives hung in the balance, she might be granted the opportunity to beg for their safety, even if it meant submitting to unspeakable horrors.
"Ha, ha... Ahahaha..."
Even the briefest contemplation of this horrifying prospect sent shivers down Lizzy's spine.
She was drenched in her cold sweat, and the blanket beneath her was soaked as if she were a terrified child.
* * * * *
In a small training hall inside the mansion, Roer sweated profusely as he swung the sword in his hands repeatedly.
The heat in the room was rising steadily.
In the ship called Family, there was no clear distinction regarding who played the role of captain. However, every time Roer thought about his younger sister, who had sailed with him on this journey, he felt like his heart was being pierced by thousands of needles.
He had cried, uncontrollably, after being broken so thoroughly, and even after some time had passed, the pain remained as fresh as ever.
Every time he remembered that scene, Roer intensified his sword swings, as if trying to vent his frustration by throwing more firewood into the flames of revenge.
"You're sweating quite profusely, Roer."
"..."
Before entering the training hall, Roer had specifically instructed the guards not to let anyone in. The sudden appearance of this person was like a rotting rope slipping through his grasp.
"...What business do you have with me that brought you here?"
"Since you'll be heading to the Roverium Kingdom soon, I've come to introduce you to the people I've personally selected to accompany you… Hm? You don't seem very pleased."
Chuckle-!!
It was Corleone Wayne Barreta Alfred, the head of the Alfred family, who laughed as he held his cane with both hands in front of him.
His deeply etched wrinkles gave his face an eerie appearance as if it was composed of numerous writhing snakes.
"I'm content enough. It might just seem otherwise because… I'm not very good at expressing myself."
"It seems your conversational skills have improved. Is it because you've made a new friend you've never met before? Is it because of him?"
"..."
Roer tightened his grip on the sword as he watched Corleone casually deliver such sharp remarks.
"Even though you've been ignoring me lately, it looks like you're interested in me again."
"Hoho… How could I ignore my granddaughter's husband?"
Roer abruptly changed the subject, indicating that his newfound friendship was a topic he didn't want to delve into.
However, there was no clear motive for Corleone to pry further into Roer's affairs. It wasn't as though he expected to uncover any major secrets.
So, he simply walked away, as if he had concluded his business with Roer.
"They will be your hands and feet, so please have deep conversations with them and build some trust with them."
"I understand... Elder."
Roer was acutely aware that the individuals selected by the old monster were meant to monitor his actions closely.
However, he lacked the power to reject them, so he simply pretended to agree with the elder's words.
"Then... You guys, follow me."
"Yes!"
Roer turned away, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he raised his head towards the scorching sun.
The sun's heat was particularly intense today, casting a brilliant shine upon the blade of his sword as if boasting of its impeccable sharpness.
Observing this scene, Roer calmly sheathed his sword in its scabbard with precise, minimal movements, devoid of any unnecessary motions.
Simultaneously, he gripped the hilt firmly, his determination resolute, vowing not to let it break.
'…My fear and hesitation toward the enemy reside within this sheath.'
Moreover.
What would be unsheathed alongside his sword was his unyielding anger towards the enemies and his unwavering resolve to vanquish them without fail.
'This blade... '
Together with his life...
'Ferzen... '
It would be tempered with that bastard's blood.
With renewed determination, Roer resumed his halted steps, his pupils shimmering with a crimson hue that glowed with a vivid blue light.
* * * *
"Elder, are you bothered by... the thing that the Claudia family hides?"
"Heh, for someone who has been tainted by the filth of this world while acting as my servant, you are quite innocent sometimes."
"Pardon?"
Tak-!!
Corleone slammed his cane to the ground once and gestured to his surroundings.
"Pay attention. Things that are confident, handsome, and elegant never try to hide themselves."
No, even if they want to hide, they wouldn't be able to do so in the first place.
"Everything that tries to hide itself is always filthy and ugly."
As an extension of that simple logic,
Secrets were ugly things.
In particular, humans with secrets were more terrifying than ugly humans.
"...Thank you for your wisdom."
"Forget about thanking me. Did you get the things I told you to buy?"
"Yes! Of course!"
At Corleone's words, a man standing next to him hurriedly pulled out a small box from his chest pocket.
When he opened the box, the item stored inside was...
A baby pacifier, crafted in an archaic style.
"The purchase price... Ah!"
As the man straightened his posture and pulled the box containing the baby pacifier closer to his chest to provide a detailed explanation to Corleone, he stumbled...
Thud!
The box fell onto the dusty floor, stirring up a cloud of dust.
"..."
The man desperately wished his heart would fall instead of the baby pacifier as he watched the event unfold.
Unfortunately for him, nothing changed. Therefore, he ignored the tingling sensation that washed over his body and hurriedly picked up the pacifier, wiping it clean with his handkerchief.
"Forget it. How can we use something that is already dirty with dust?"
"I-I-I apologize, Elder."
"Don't be too nervous. I won't cast you aside just for a mistake like this. After all, you've been helping me for so long."
"...Thank you for your generosity."
"But it would be wasteful not to use things that we've already purchased. So, you can use them."
"Yes! When I have a child, I will..."
"Hmm. What are you talking about? I for sure told you to use it."
"..."
Taken aback to the point he was forgetting his position, the man stared at Corleone's face.
Then, he belatedly realized his rudeness and bowed his head.
"Are you telling me to..."
"If I say it again, I will be saying the same thing three times. Are you okay with that?"
"N-no..."
The man answered quickly since he knew just how much Corleone hated repeating the same words over and over again.
The man looked at his subordinates behind him before closing his eyes and putting the pacifier into his mouth.
Suck-!!
Suck-!!
Suck-!!
...Chortle-!!
When a human do a lot of dirty work and get blood on their hands, their feelings would naturally become numb.
The subordinates behind the man were also people who had become numb.
However, they couldn't help but laugh as they watched their superior suck on a baby pacifier.
The man's face grew as hot as the sun, turning as red as an apple.
Corleone also laughed out loud for the first time in a long time.
"That sucking sound is good. Is it worth using?"
"Yes... It's worth paying a high price for..."
"If you have time, ask them to make the same thing once again and buy it."
"I understand, Elder."
The man, who had just experienced the darkest moment of his life, bowed his head as he answered.
* * * * *
"She really did not come home..."
Viscount Rosenberg said those words with a heartbroken face as he looked at his wife.
After all, their little princess followed Ferzen without hesitation, only sending them a small letter in advance.
"My dear wife... It seems like our daughter dearest is in love with Lord Louerg..."
"Since she is already old enough to marry, isn't it a commendable thing that she found a husband for herself?"
"Even though her choice is a man who already has two wives...?!"
On top of it, one of the wives was the daughter of the Alfred family.
Even if Rosenberg wanted to lend their support towards Laura once the succession battle for the throne of Louerg starts, it would be impossible to do so as their family stature was not as high as the Alfred Family.
In case the daughter of the Alfred family gave birth to a daughter,
And Laura gave birth to a son,
A lot of people would prosecute her and keep her in check.
There's no way she'd be able to hold on to that little boy.
"Come to think of it, Lord Louerg is also strange. If he had a conscience, he would reject my baby's request. Judging by the fact that he accepted... He must be a twisted man...!"
"Darling~~"
"..."
As Laura's mother as well as the wife of Viscount Rosenberg, she knew why Laura was inclined to like Ferzen.
Since she also knew that Ferzen favored Laura quite a bit, she stopped her husband from saying anything more in an instant.
"I-I mean... Isn't she the daughter that you delivered after a lot of suffering?! How can you be like that–!"
"I just want to tell you to stop being such an overprotective father."
"I'm not being overprotective!... Sigh... Since she is always stuttering and is physically weak, which would make it hard for her to have a child, how about we use it to reject him?"
"If he still took Laura even with all of those weaknesses, wouldn't it be something to celebrate?"
"..."
Come to think of it, the words of his dear wife were right.
Thanks to her words, Ferzen's reputation in his head improved a lot. As expected, feelings were something that could be overridden by reasoning.
Knock-!! Knock-!!
Viscount Rosenberg forcibly raised his limp body at the sound of knocking on the bedroom door before allowing the knocker to enter.
"Milord, a letter has arrived from Brutein."
"...From Brutein?"
Viscount Rosenberg absent-mindedly opened the letter that arrived after exchanging a brief glance with his wife and looked at it together.
"..."
"..."
When they realized the value of the invitation contained inside the letter, they exchanged glances with each other once again.
"This..."
"It seems that man is being a proper gentleman after taking our daughter away."
"...?! That's not the problem here! If he os trying this hard, it means that he has done something bad to Laura!"
"..."
"Oh! OHH!!... Did he get my baby girl pregnant already!?"
"Darling!"
Flinch-!!
Viscount Rosenberg was startled by his wife's high-pitched voice and shrank back. However, the uneasiness that he felt had still not gone away.
'If...'
At the time Ferzen brought Laura along to greet them.
And Laura's stomach was bulging...
Viscount Rosenberg promised himself that he would slit Ferzen's throat without hesitation.
However, that promise disappeared in less than three seconds.
After all, if he did that, Laura would become a widow. Then, her child would have to grow up without a father.
"T-This...All of this...Because i ended up having a daughter….."
"Oh my, how ridiculous~ Are you insane? Do you even know that the ability to bear children is determined by a woman? If you want to blame someone darling, then blame your seed."
"What...!"
"You need to control yourself better. Every time you talk about Laura, you lose your mind. So, like a baaad boy~ You're staying on your own for now okay~"
"Oh, no...D-darling... "
Watching his wife walk out of the bedroom without hesitation, Viscount Rosenberg hurriedly got up and followed her, whining pathetically.
Meanwhile, she thoroughly ignored her husband and looked out of the window at the beautiful scenery of Rosenberg.
Rosenberg, a place that had reached the peak of culture and art, even taking the title of the sole craftsman of Brutein's magic.
However, the more splendid the heyday, the shorter the lifespan.
Even her own face, which was often praised as beautiful, was beginning to show inevitable wrinkles that makeup couldn't hide.
From this perspective, Laura's involvement in the current situation could become the key to bringing another sun to Rosenberg.