SBTS 06

Chapter : 06

Surviving in the Marquis’s Household (3)

〈The Saintess of the Demon Kingdom〉

This novel was set in a world overrun by monsters.

Monsters were scattered throughout every corner of the world, attacking humans whenever they pleased.

Naturally, humanity fought back in order to survive.

However, monsters possessed tremendous power, while humans were terribly weak.

In the end, humanity settled on one particular philosophy:

“If you want to fight monsters, you must become a monster yourself.”

But who would have to become monsters?

Five prestigious families, renowned as the founding contributors of the Empire, stepped forward.

• House Duranches, the guardians of the Empire.
• House Rues, the Immortal Sword.
• House Monchouchou, the Shadow of the Sun.
• House Dacquoise, the Iron Wall Shield.
• House Macaron, the Grim Reaper of the West.

Among these five families, the ones whose men became involved in an intense romantic rivalry over Saintess Cynthia were House Duranches and House Rues.

As for the remaining families, which played supporting roles, I remembered readers affectionately calling them the “Dessert Families.”

After all, their names sounded like desserts: Monchouchou, Dacquoise, and Macaron.

Come to think of it, the Pasha family, which had adopted me, sounded a little like pasta too.

Suddenly, I was hungry.

Anyway, these five families stepped forward, claiming that they wished to fulfill their noble duty of noblesse oblige. They declared that they would become loyal servants of the God of Darkness, whom monsters regarded as their creator.

In return, they obtained magical power that surpassed the strength of monsters.

“Personally, I think they just wanted to protect their territories, wealth, and privileges…”

Officially, however, they had sacrificed themselves for the Empire and humanity.

At first glance, making a contract with the God of Darkness seemed wonderful. They gained the ability to wield powerful mana and became incredibly strong.

But it was undoubtedly a curse.

Gods never granted power without demanding something in return.

The power they received was not a blessing but a curse.

Since their magical power was fueled by human blood, the five families developed an insatiable craving for it in exchange for their newfound strength. As a result, ordinary people began to regard them with suspicion and fear.

In particular, the heirs of these families often died at young ages, seemingly because of the curse, although the exact circumstances varied.

“…And the ones who maintained the balance by controlling these five incredibly powerful families were the Imperial Family.”

The Amantaria Imperial Family, known as the center of balance and the sun of the Empire.

What kind of power did the Imperial Family possess again?

I didn’t remember the novel ever explaining it in detail.

The emperor was frail, and the only princess eligible to inherit the imperial throne had died young after being attacked by monsters.

The main story focused on Ainhar and Saintess Cynthia as they became active in an increasingly chaotic Empire.

I began jotting down keywords as they came to mind.

Ainhar Rues.

The master of the demonic sword.

He was the head of House Rues, the family I was currently taking refuge with, which was known as the Immortal Sword.

The ancestors of House Rues had borrowed the power of darkness and forged a demonic sword in boiling lava, refining it until it became Tartanus.

As a result, they had acquired a special ability that allowed them to feed human blood to the demonic sword, infinitely amplifying and strengthening its mana.

However, Tartanus was never satisfied. It endlessly craved blood and constantly whispered to its master, urging him to kill more humans so that it could grow stronger.

Ainhar, whose nature was fundamentally upright, had suffered under the demonic sword’s curse until he was eventually saved by the purification powers of Saintess Cynthia, the female protagonist.

Afterward, he discovered true love and achieved his happy ending.

Hmm. I wonder where Saintess Cynthia, the protagonist of this novel, is right now.

She was quite the formidable woman, with an incredibly strong and assertive personality.

It would certainly be entertaining to watch her use her extraordinary abilities to break curses and win the love she desired.

However, no matter how hard I tried to recall the story, there was no mention of Adelia Pasha or anyone with silver hair and purple eyes.

I had never even read anything about House Pasha.

There was no way a bankrupt family drowning in debt would have any influence on such important protagonists.

That probably meant they had absolutely no connection to the main story.

“I’d better avoid getting involved out of curiosity and ending up dying a horrible death. I should quietly focus on figuring out how to survive.”

Scratching my head, I continued writing my notes.

Black Magicians.

Occasionally, people appeared among humans who had discovered the secrets behind the power of the God of Darkness.

They used mana to cast spells and were known as black magicians.

The Amantaria Imperial Family classified all of them as traitors.

No one in the Empire was permitted to investigate or access the power of darkness without the Imperial Family’s permission.

According to the novel, black magic was a forbidden power because it fundamentally required human blood to wield magical energy.

The five noble families were considered safe because they operated under the Imperial Family’s supervision.

But that probably wasn’t the case for everyone else.

“Black magicians were usually people who couldn’t control their magical power and had gone insane. That’s why they were among Ainhar and Cynthia’s main targets during their subjugation campaigns.”

However, the novel never specifically mentioned anyone named Alkan.

He had made such a fuss about being a genius, but apparently, he wasn’t even important enough to leave an impression on the protagonists.

…What a terrible situation.

Not only was I trapped in a novel where surviving was difficult, but I was also a black magic experimental subject and the adopted daughter of a family accused of treason.

I felt like my head was about to explode.

What was Ainhar planning to do with me now?

I couldn’t even bear to imagine being hanged or served as food for the demonic sword.

“Ugh…”

A sigh escaped my lips.

No matter how hard I thought, I couldn’t find even the smallest clue that might help me survive in the immediate future.

I briefly wrote down whatever parts of the story I could remember, then placed the stack of papers on the desk.

The writing system was probably different here, so even if someone found my notes, they wouldn’t be able to understand them.

After using my brain so much, I suddenly felt like I needed some sugar.

That made me desperately crave the cake I’d barely touched earlier.

I should have eaten more of those cherries decorating the crepe cake.

I made a resolution never to leave food uneaten again, no matter what happened, and flopped down onto the bed.

Wow. It’s so soft!

It’s on a completely different level from the tiny studio apartment bed I used to sleep on.

But somehow, I feel lonely.

Just as that thought crossed my mind, my eyes landed on the bell cord.

Right. Ena had said her room was next door.

Although our relationship had been established through an order, knowing that someone would come immediately whenever I pulled that cord made me feel unexpectedly reassured.

I’m becoming such a spoiled brat.

I’m so weak.

Even as I scolded myself, another wish quietly formed in my heart.

If House Pasha had even a small amount of money left, and if I could get my hands on it, I wanted to hire Ena.

Perhaps I could sell off the remaining territory or property and at least scrape together enough capital to start a business.

After all, I knew the future of this novel.

Even if everything was still a mystery right now, as long as the story unfolded as it was supposed to, I could prepare for the near future.

If things went well, I might even take advantage of valuable information, like knowing which areas of the Empire would undergo redevelopment.

I remembered that there were regions where the supply of goods increased after Saintess Cynthia succeeded in exterminating the monsters.

What if I bought land in one of those places beforehand, opened the Empire’s very first convenience store, and lived comfortably ever after?

Real estate speculation, huh?

…That’s actually a pretty perfect plan, isn’t it?

It was one of the hottest investment strategies even in the world I came from.

With those thoughts in mind, I snuggled deeper into the bed.

Early the next morning, Ena helped me get ready.

The entire process took about an hour, but surprisingly, the morning preparations were quite leisurely and relaxed.

That was only natural, considering Ena took care of practically everything, from dressing me to washing me.

So this was how a noblewoman’s morning began.

The more time I spent with her, the more impressed I became by Ena’s professionalism.

Ainhar had left for the Imperial Palace, saying he would be away for several days. Since then, he hadn’t visited me or summoned me even once.

I spent my days lounging around in this room, occasionally receiving visits from the doctor for medical examinations.

I was starting to get restless.

“You don’t have any major engagements today either, my lady. You just need to wait for the doctor’s visit this afternoon.”

“Then, Ena, may I go for a walk today?”

“That will depend on the doctor’s examination.”

“But I’m really not sick anymore. I don’t understand why you keep treating me like an invalid, Ena.”

“Because you’re far too thin, my lady.”

Ena dressed me in a smooth, comfortable outfit, then took out a brush and gently combed my hair.

Since my hair was still quite short, brushing it didn’t take long.

“Thanks to you, Ena, I feel like my hair is starting to shine.”

“That’s because I’ve been using plenty of hair oil. You can look forward to seeing how beautiful it will be once it grows longer.”

“Do you think it’ll shine even brighter than Marquis Rues’s?”

“Well… I’m not sure about that.”

“I know. That’s probably impossible.”

By now, Ena and I had grown close enough to joke around with each other.

“Your hair needs proper nutrition to grow, so please eat plenty.”

Ena promptly brought breakfast into my room.

Now, in addition to soup, I was being served food that actually required chewing, such as omelets, freshly baked bread, and salads.

I felt a little like I was being fattened up in my room.

Not that I had any serious complaints.

The outside world was dangerous, and the food here was delicious.

The only slightly sad thing was that I had loved convenience store lunchboxes in my previous world, but I probably wouldn’t get to eat them anymore.

My palate had become incredibly refined during my stay here.

“Thank you for the meal.”

Just as I picked up my spoon, a commotion broke out outside the door.

“Young Master. You don’t need to meet that person.”

“Hanson. If I had been the one chosen by the demonic sword Tartanus, I might have become the head of this family instead. If a guest has come to this castle, shouldn’t they naturally greet me as well?”

“Your lordship said he would arrange an opportunity when the time was right.”

“Hah! As if my older brother would ever do that, when he’s keeping her hidden away like this.”

Then, the door was flung open violently.

Ena and I stared at it with wide eyes.

A man with golden hair and blue eyes, much like Ainhar, entered the room with a crooked smile.

Hanson followed behind him, letting out a deep sigh.

“How discourteous of you to stay in this household for so long without even offering your greetings. Lady Adelia, my name is Dwen Rues. I am the second son of House Rues.”

Excuse me?

You’re the one who practically broke down the door to a room occupied by a woman. And you’re calling me discourteous?

The moment I saw him, I immediately recognized who he was.

Dwen Rues, the second son of House Rues and Ainhar’s younger brother.

He was a handsome man with the same golden hair and blue eyes as Ainhar, although he was slightly shorter.

Most importantly, despite their considerable resemblance, his expression was far more sinister.

How should I put it?

He had the face of someone with terrible luck written all over it.

The perfect face for a death flag.

In fact, he died young, leaving Ainhar with a lifelong trauma.

Ainhar’s mother had left a dying wish, asking him to look after Dwen. In the end, however, he had been unable to fulfill that promise.

But how could Ainhar possibly protect his younger brother when the fool had gone hunting alone in a monster-infested territory just to show off?

After losing his brother, Ainhar had resolved to exterminate every monster in existence.

But he was still alive?

That meant this was taking place before his death.

I was unexpectedly glad to see the rude man’s appearance, since he had brought me some new information.

That was, at least, until I witnessed him striking Ena.

Ena had simply been doing her duty as my maid by welcoming the guest.

She stepped forward, bowed politely, and asked,

“My lady is still having breakfast. Young Master, would you like me to serve you some tea?”

But in response, I heard a sharp slap.

Then came a stream of verbal abuse.

“How dare you interrupt your master’s words?”

“That’s not what I meant, young master. How could I ever dare…”

Ena trembled in surprise and immediately lowered herself before Dwen.

He sneered at her and kicked her in the backside.

Ena stumbled sideways and fell, her skirt riding up to her thighs.

“What? Are you desperate to catch my eye too?”

The worst.

Disgusting.

How could someone behave so shamelessly?

His character was the complete opposite of Ainhar’s impeccable manners.

Why was he treating Ena like that? She had only been trying to help me.

I jumped to my feet and addressed him as formally as I could.

This was the moment to channel every noblewoman I had ever seen in movies, novels, and dramas.

“Please stop, Young Master Rues.”

Without realizing it, I had put considerable strength into my voice.

Dwen’s sharp gaze immediately settled on me.

Hanson, meanwhile, simply watched with interest, as though thinking, Well, well.

“Stop? Why should I? This maid is embarrassing her master in front of a guest. Naturally, it is the master’s responsibility to punish her.”

Dwen smiled like a snake.

What an unpleasant man.

I calmly continued.

“She is a maid entrusted to me by the Marquis of Rues. If anyone is going to punish her, it should be me. If you have any objections, we can discuss the matter with the Marquis later.”

I believed your older brother was at least capable of thinking rationally, unlike you.

“Haha… My lady. You’re much more assertive than I was led to believe.”

Dwen crossed his arms and wiggled his fingers.

“Lady Adelia Pasha. From what I’ve heard, you’re in a position where you have no choice but to depend on our family, aren’t you?”

“…Of course, I am always grateful to the House of Rues for its kindness.”

I flinched slightly.

Just how much did this man know about me?

With a personality like his, I was certain that once he discovered someone’s weakness, he would relentlessly exploit it and torment them.

“Then surely you know which families Count Pasha owed money to, don’t you?”

Of course I didn’t.

But I had a feeling I shouldn’t let him find out that I was clueless.

“You’re being rather rude.”

“Am I? And aren’t you being rude as well, my lady?”

“I’m sorry I haven’t been able to visit and pay my respects because of my poor health. I was planning to do so as soon as I recovered.”

“Ah-ha.”

His eyes gleamed as though he had just found an amusing new toy.

“Please forgive my discourtesy. I’m simply very interested in you, my lady, so naturally, I have many questions. I look forward to the day you make a full recovery.”

Dwen approached me, took my hand, and kissed the back of it, just as a young nobleman would when greeting a noblewoman.

Goosebumps spread all over my body.

I calmly concealed my disgusted expression behind a smile.

Whether or not he noticed how I felt, he simply chuckled and walked out of the room.

Hanson, who had watched the entire scene, merely bowed before following him outside.

“Are you all right, Ena?”

Ena was still on the floor, with tears falling from her eyes.

“I’m sorry, my lady. This happened because of me.”

“What do you have to apologize for?”

I reached out and helped Ena to her feet.

She held my hand, trembling slightly, and moved her lips as though struggling to speak.

“My lady… You really must be careful. Young Master Dwen is…”

“I think I already understand, even without you having to tell me, Ena.”

My instincts were telling me one thing.

Dwen was a complete nightmare.

And from experience, I knew that dealing with people like him was incredibly frustrating.

The other servants in this mansion had probably experienced it firsthand.

Ena, too, must have suffered at his hands more times than just today.

But don’t worry about Dwen, Ena.

He’s destined to die soon anyway.