IBTBD 56

Chapter 56

“By now, it must have been moved to the storage room.”

Ever since hearing Yelloyze’s words, a corner of my mind had been completely filled with thoughts of crystals.

According to the oral legends passed down through generations, crystals were said to amplify the power of beastmen.

If that’s true… maybe I could return to human form without Kenigh.

I gazed at Kenigh’s face reflected in the moonlight for a moment.

Now, people accepted me as the duke’s companion squirrel and showed me kindness, recognizing my usefulness, but life had always been unpredictable.

“Tch.”

Who would have expected that I, once the heir of the Aymond family, would fall to being a mere shadow of the household?

I closed my eyes tightly and recalled the past glories.

Just as Kenigh had been designated as the head of the Kroitz family from birth, so had I.

Born as an albino like the first Aymond head, even the talkative retainers couldn’t say a word against me.

From the moment I was born, I was marked to be the heir.

A month later, when Lania was born, she stole all the attention and love.

Still, until then, I had been the heir acknowledged by everyone.

The problems probably began around the age of five.

It was when Lania began to awaken her powers.

Not only had I failed to awaken any abilities, I couldn’t even emit mana, and the retainers began to look down on me.

The disdain from the elders spread like a contagion, eventually reaching the point where even the servants treated me like an invisible person.

In the vast mansion, the only one who would call my name was my mother.

Was it when I was about to turn six?

For the first time, I was able to hold my father’s hand in place of Lania.

“R-Really… I can go to the banquet with you?”

“Tch, yes. Other family heirs will be there too. It wouldn’t hurt to get acquainted with them.”

I still vividly remember my father’s grimace, as if his head ached from the thought.

“That banquet is for all the capital’s nobles! Taking someone like that would only bring disgrace. I want to go. I will go! I’ve always been at your side, Father!”

“Darling, I wish I could let you, but this time… all the other nobles are bringing their heirs, and you…”

Clinging to my father’s arm, Lania burst into tears, and even the marquis couldn’t do anything.

Lania had already awakened her mana but was not born with the qualities of an heir.

On the other hand—

I had not awakened my abilities, but I was born with the qualities of an heir.

And very clearly.

“You, who can do nothing… dare to…!”

That’s when Lania began tormenting me in earnest.

She would douse me with dirty laundry water, frame me with all sorts of schemes, and lock me in storage rooms.

“If only I could have been born ordinary… then at least I wouldn’t have become a laughingstock like this!”

“You’re still mocking me even now.”

Even as I cried and poured out my heart, Lania never believed my sincerity.

After enduring all that, I finally attended the banquet, holding my father’s hand for the first time in my life.

…It’s warm.

The warmth from that cold, rough hand felt astonishing.

I bit my lips hard to hold back the wave of sorrow.

My father, who had never shown me any interest, kept repeating, “The heir of the duke’s family is coming.”

The banquet was held at a lavish villa on the outskirts of the capital.

It was to celebrate the development of a mineral called the “Soul Stone” as an energy source.

“Yes, let’s name this Soul Stone a ‘Crystal.’ This Crystal will lead the Wigdnia Empire to a new era of prosperity!”

When the young emperor raised his cup with an elated expression, my eyes stayed fixed on the glittering mineral.

It was a crystal.

It felt as if it were calling out to me.

I remember heading toward the crystal as if in a trance…

After that, however, my memory was hazy.

It was as if someone had neatly cut that part of my memory out with scissors.

I woke up a few days later.

My mother said I was tired from a rare outing, but somehow, I instinctively sensed something was wrong.

“The marquis brought the eldest lady? Are you sure? Didn’t you mistake Lania?”

“She definitely had silver hair!”

I had overheard the servants whisper that they should apologize for what they had done, even now, but nothing had changed.

Lania’s tyranny had worsened, and my father looked at me as if I were a horrible monster.

He would have convulsions whenever I touched him, as if I carried a disease.

“You dare… dare to try and control me?!”

All I wanted back then was to confirm if my father’s warmth was real.

It was then that I gave up on being loved by my father.

Just as he abandoned me, I abandoned him.

“Tch-tch…”

There was definitely something.

Long-forgotten memories resurfaced, and I felt a surge of certainty.

If the rumors about the crystals were true, I could succeed in becoming human without Kenigh.

If I were lucky, perhaps even the memories that had been erased could return.

Whoosh—

With certainty, I immediately moved toward the balcony.

I curled my fingers and whistled.

Amazingly—

“…?”

Nothing happened.

The Black Dragon Castle was eerily still, not even a breeze stirring.

Ugh, I said whoosh! Whoosh!

Unable to contain my frustration, I finally pounded the glass window.

A large shadow loomed over me, and a bored voice spoke.

[Why are you bothering me again?]

It was Bishop.

The whistle was the signal to summon him.

[I’ve told you, I’m not a dog.]

Bishop flapped his wings in displeasure. This fierce bird even hated hearing the name I had given him.

I shrugged and went straight to the point.

Give me a ride!

[I refuse.]

The reply was blunt.

[Sigh… I couldn’t sleep well earlier because of all the noise during the day. I’m exhausted.]

Noise during the day?

[All the carriages coming to this mad demon castle. Are they all insane? Tsk, tsk.]

It was definitely the Rose Guild’s carriages bringing goods.

Then you must have seen where the goods from that carriage went.

[Of course. My nest is at the highest point of this demon castle.]

Bishop strutted as if the castle belonged to him.

Though it was just a small room, I decided not to point that out.

Because the distance from the duke’s bedroom to the villa was considerable, Bishop’s help was essential.

No matter how much my short squirrel legs scurried, I wouldn’t make it in time.

So I set a condition Bishop couldn’t refuse.

One lamb chop to the destination. Fresh, obviously, not salted.

The normally indifferent bird’s eyes suddenly shone brightly.

[The contract is established.]