INOTV 10

Chapter 10

 Brother or Man

For her, life now was no different from a desert.

A harsh, barren desert where only death awaited her without a single drop of water. As her life grew more desolate, so too did her emotions sink to rock bottom.

“……”

Hearing the faint sound of birds chirping, Sara realized it was morning.

With a body that felt as if it would collapse at any moment, she barely managed to sit up and looked out through the small barred window.

“Clear…”

Her face was filthy with dried tears from crying all night. Scabs of dried blood covered her arms and legs.

Her lips had split open, and every time she moved them, pain shot through her.

But now she didn’t even have the strength left to cry from pain.

Staring blankly at the sky like a madwoman, she finally turned away and picked up the piece of bread that had fallen on the floor.

She was starving—completely, unbearably starving.

Taking a bite of the stale bread, Sara cried again.

She hadn’t wanted to cry, but the tears came on their own.

Even as tears ran down her cheeks and clogged her nose, she chewed and swallowed just to survive.

At least I’m still hungry… so I still want to live.

I’m still alive.

“Ehehe… haha…”

She laughed like she had lost her mind.

Then the corner of her mouth split slightly, and she winced in pain again and again.

Sara was being punished.

Punished for displeasing Lady Diana.

It was a room she could leave whenever she was allowed—but the more Diana’s mood worsened, the longer she remained trapped.

How many days this time? Two? Three?

Or maybe a week?

Could she even survive that long?

As long as that necklace remained, she could no longer use her ability.

The necklace suppressed her power, and her golden eyes would shift into heterochromia when it activated.

What would people do if they saw her eyes like that?

With each passing moment, despair deepened.

Yes. Just as the lady said, the necklace was a curse. A shackle.

“Someone… please…”

Curling up and hugging her knees against the wall, Sara whispered.

And then she remembered.

“…”

[“How terribly you cry, Lady.”]

A soft bedroom. A wide window. And a man telling her not to cry.

He was a tyrant who would stain his hands with others’ blood. She should have feared him.

And yet—she didn’t.

[“If I stay with you, will you not be afraid?”]

If anything, he was the only one who understood her.

And above all, right now, he was the only one on her side.

“Ca…ssian…”

She whispered his name, trying to push away her fear.

It wouldn’t happen—but she wished Cassian would come.

Would all this pain disappear then?

She was that desperate.

Was there such a thing as light?

If God truly shone light equally on everyone, then when would it reach her?

Her face twisted in anguish.

If there was a chance for light to come… she wanted it now.

There was no light in this prison-like room.

And then—

Loud noises came from outside.

Sara had no strength left. Her body felt heavier, her mind hazier.

Her breathing grew rough.

Something was wrong with her condition again.

She desperately tried not to collapse, biting her lip hard until she tasted blood.

And then—

BANG!

The door opened. Light flooded in.

Sara winced hard at the brightness.

“Sara! Sara, wake up!”

The iron door opened, and an unfamiliar voice called her name.

Is this… God’s answer?

In her fading consciousness, she looked toward the figure calling her.

Her body slowly tilted.

Someone caught her.

With dry lips, she whispered,

“…Cassian.”

Was it him?

She hoped it was Cassian.

And then, as if finally relieved, she slipped into unconsciousness.

Sara had been rescued and moved back to her room.

The count, who had returned earlier than expected along with Derek, had found out and ordered her rescue.

SLAP!

A sharp sound cracked through the room.

The count, furious, shouted at Diana.

“…Lady Diana! What on earth were you thinking? Do you want to kill the child? How could you be so cruel!”

Lady Diana pressed a cold hand to her burning cheek, speaking in a wounded voice.

“What exactly did I do? It was Sara who disgraced our family by staying out overnight! I was only disciplining her!”

Diana thought the timing was unlucky.

If only the count had stayed longer at the imperial palace… it would have been the perfect crime.

But he had returned too early.

To avoid exposing her true intentions, Diana lowered her lips and forced tears.

“You always… care more for Sara than for me… and even Beria, your real daughter, must feel hurt…”

The mention of “real daughter” made the count furious.

But in front of others, he restrained himself.

“That child was reduced to that state—and all she was given was dry bread? Don’t use Beria to cover your wrongdoing. This is abuse—for Sara and for Beria!”

“…Abuse?”

The count pointed at the unconscious Sara.

Her arms were covered in wounds that had not yet healed.

She would have to wear long sleeves for a long time.

“Why did you even bring a child like her into this house? If you hadn’t, none of this would have happened! Honestly… maybe you should have just let her die back then!”

“…What?”

A shadow fell over the count’s face.

Diana quickly apologized.

“I-I’m sorry… I didn’t mean that. I was just angry…”

She had crossed a line she should never have touched.

A trauma-like memory for the count.

“Please, I’ll do better. I’ll treat Sara as my own daughter… no, she already is part of this family, isn’t she?”

The count worried whether Sara had heard.

But she remained unconscious.

He rubbed his head and sighed deeply.

“Watch your words. All of them. Sara is my daughter. She is family.”

Diana’s expression twisted in contempt for a moment—then returned to a smile.

“Yes. Our family.”

Sara is our family. Truly.

Derek was devastated.

He couldn’t live with the guilt.

“This is insane…”

He shook his head repeatedly.

Lady Diana had asked him to deliver the necklace.

[“If I give it to her, she won’t accept it. So could you give it instead? She trusts you the most among us.”]

“Mother… why would you make me do this…”

He realized the necklace he gave Sara not only suppressed her ability—but could also harm her.

He could not understand Diana’s cruelty.

Why?

Even hatred didn’t justify this.

And above all, he was haunted by Sara’s smile when she thanked him.

When he later saw her collapsed and barely alive in the cell-like room, he was utterly broken.

“……”

Lost in thought, Derek headed upstairs.

He needed answers from Diana.

Why had she told him to give that necklace?

“Hey, brother.”

At the top of the stairs, Beria stood leaning against the wall.

Derek sighed.

“Not now.”

“I just came back from the academy, and no one’s even greeting me.”

Derek rubbed his forehead.

“Now’s not the time.”

He tried to walk past her.

But Beria grabbed him.

“Don’t go. Mother’s already getting scolded by Father anyway.”

Derek snapped.

“Scolded? You call that just scolding? She beat and locked up a child! More than once!”

“Who told you that?”

“Beria!”

Derek was frustrated by her deflection.

Beria looked at him calmly.

“You really are too emotional, brother.”

“Don’t talk nonsense and move—”

“Derek.”

“….”

“Brother.”

Beria smiled—like she understood everything.

Derek disliked that expression.

Though they were blood siblings, their relationship was not close.

“Answer me one thing.”

“What now—!”

“Are you going to act like my real older brother…”

“….”

“Or like a man?”

The words struck him silent.

As if she had seen through him completely.

“….”

“I don’t care what you choose. But, brother…”

She clenched her fist, silent.

Her cold words pierced him like a blade.

“…We’re family, aren’t we?”

Beria smiled softly, watching him closely.