Killian stared at me with greedy eyes, as if he wanted something.
It had been that way since I was first adopted into this family.
As if he craved the love he never got from his parents.
From the moment I refused to use my power, his stare became more and more awful.
Staring, Killian approached the bed and kneeled on one knee on the floor.
âIs there anything I can do to help?â
Ha, I let out a small laugh.
âIâve told you many times.â
He flinched at my hoarse voice.
âKill the Count. Thatâs all I want.â
As always the case, he showed no reaction, as if he had not heard.
He just sat there as still as a giant rock.
ââŚYouâre not going to help me?â
Iâve told him many times, I only wanted one thing.
There was nothing he could do for me, but if I donât ask, I wonât have any hope.
Killian approached on his knees as if he were being led. I smoothed his silver hair as I lay on the bed.
His golden eyes, so much like his fatherâs, looked down at me. There was a dim but clear desire in them.
To help. What could this young man do for me?
Yet, he was also a minor who had not received a single title.
I raised my hand and patted Killian on the cheek. His lashes quivered.
ââŚâŚ I know. You can help me.â
His golden eyes glittered.
After beckoning him to come closer, I whispered in his ear.
âI need you to do something for me. FirstâŚâŚâŚ.â
Killianâs expression distorted as he heard the whisper that followed. He couldnât have known my intentions, so his expression was expected.
âCan you do it for me, brother?â
I hugged his neck with both hands, Killianâs body stiffened.
His earlobe was a little hot.
I heard the sound of knocking.
Killian hastily pulled himself away from me.
He quickly cleared his throat with a hardened expression and said.
It was the Countâs doctor who opened the door and walked in.
He looked at Killian and me alternately with a perplexed expression. I wasnât allowed to see him unless my life was in danger. If the Count found out, he would make a fuss.
Whatâs more, he was extremely angry with my rebellion today.
âHuh, but Young MasterâŚâ
The doctor shuddered frustratedly.
By now, the maidservants from earlier should have delivered their words to the Count. Then he would rush in immediately. I didnât want things to get unnecessarily complicated. It wasnât the first time I was wounded like this, either.
Killian ordered the doctor without looking at me, and left, closing the door hard behind him. There was no sound of clattering armor or footsteps. He seemed to be guarding the outside until the Count arrived.
He will get hit soon. Heâs such a fool.
When I was first taken to the basement, there were already signs that someone had been beaten there.
Before I came to this house, Killian was the Countâs victim.
The sound of footsteps echoing down the corridor got closer and closer. It was the sound of the Count coming.
The old doctor shivered and bandaged my wrist.
I heard a loud noise outside the door.
I pretended not to know and closed my eyes. A day passed like this, and the same tomorrow would come.
The door didnât open until the treatment was over.
Finally, at 18, the year of Cordeliaâs abduction in the original story and the year I had been waiting for for over a decade, came.
Very little has changed in three years.
I still went in and out of the basement more often than my room, and the Count tried various ways to shock me.
However, I never used my divine power.
If there was one thing that had changed, it was my relationship with Killian.
The day I hugged him, I ordered Killian to spread the rumor.
âKThere is a smell of rotting corpses in the air at Count Diegoâs mansion. An epidemic of unknown cause is spreadingâŚâ that was what it said.
Killian obeyed the order better than I thought he would.
All the central aristocrats murmured. All of them were quicker to spread the facts they wanted to hear than the truth.
In fact, it didnât matter if there was a dead body or not, or if there was a contagious disease or not.
The Count didnât want the evil rumors to materialize. He didnât want to give them the satisfaction to get to him.
Therefore, he had no choice but to spare himself.
So, from that day on, there were no more innocent visitors to the basement.
No more basementâŚâŚThat was enough.
There was also another subtle change in the relationship between Killian and the Count.
Before I knew it, Killian, who became mature, joined the Imperial Kingsguard on the Countâs orders.
With his extraordinary physique and natural ability, he quickly solidified his position to the point where he was aiming to become the next captain of the Kingsguard.
As the Count grew older, Killian grew up faster.
Killian was still afraid of the Count, but ironically, so was the Count. He could not wield Killian as he wished any longer.
Thanks to this, Killian was able to come home and spend time with me once a week on the days when social gatherings were held. Each time, I would ask him for what I needed or ask him what was going on in the system.
Killian strode in, not even taking off his Kingsguard uniform.
It was a social gathering of noble ladies only. He had a distinct presence among the women of my age.
The noble ladies quickly turned their faces and stared at him, covered their mouths with their fans, and began to speak in hushed tones among themselves.
I knew very well that most of the talk was about Killianâs appearance, body, personality, and whether or not he had a lover.
Killian had a good appearance.
The only thing Killian inherited from his father was his gorgeous silver hair and golden eyes.
Sometimes I looked at him and thought of his mother, who died a long time ago. Iâm sure she must have been very beautiful.
His black uniform with no particular pattern looked like a gorgeously dressed banquet dress when he wore it, and unlike his appearance, his expression was always blunt, which contributed to his charm.
When he wore a light tunic, as he sometimes did after training, the stares of the people around him were intense, and when he wielded a sword, there were exclamations from everywhere.
I looked at him with an indifferent expression.
No matter how handsome he was, he had nothing to do with me.
To me, he was Count Diegoâs son, an unrelated brother, nothing more, nothing less.
But I wasnât foolish to let it show in a place like this.
I smiled brightly before the eyes of the ladies came to me.
This was a show of sorts. A show to solidify the image that Count Diego had created.
I got up from my seat and fiddled with his uniform.
âPlease go change your clothes. Have you been busy?
ââŚâŚa little busy. As you know, the Princess is on far too many expeditions.â
I could feel the vein on his neck move.
It was because of my flamboyant appearance.
I was wearing a pure white dress that showed off my collarbone and shoulders, and a pearl necklace. It was a cheap fabric, since the Count had never let me wear expensive dresses.
But every once in a while, my heart would move by cheap things.
Killian turned away from looking at me and covered his face with his hand. His neck was a little red.
âPlease sit down, brother. The tea will get cold.â
He politely pulled out a chair for me, made sure I was seated, and then sat down. After that, he poured tea into my cup and pushed the tea cakes my way.
His movements, as if he was a skilled butler, made the young ladies buzz once more.
This was one of the elements that raised his charm.
Iâm sure they all wondered what it was like to have a man who was this kind to her, to an unrelated sister.
Killian got the crumbs from my lips and naturally put it in his mouth.
They couldnât help it but exclaimed.
As my gaze fell on him, someone opened their mouth.
It was Cecil, who had been a frequent visitor to the Countâs gatherings since she was a child.
âReally, I envy your relationship with your brother every time I see it. Lady Evelyn.â
I could see that the sentence âNot even blood relatedâ was hidden. She smiled with her fan in hand, and I responded with a smile.
âIs that so? Iâm also jealous of which one of you will be taking my brother.â
The noble ladies who had been in and out of the social scene since childhood were more sensitive to power than anything else. They intuitively knew who would have the upper hand in the relationship with Killian.
I raised my chin and looked around them, as if I were going to decide who could marry Killian.
One of them asked with a flushed face.
âHas Young Master decided where to marry yet?â
âNo, Iâve been busy with work. I donât think my father cares yet. I should be going soon.â
Gently, I folded my arm around Killianâs arm. His body stiffened.
âCome to think of it, youâre all going to debut soon. Are there any of the young ladies who havenât decided on a partner?â
In this world, at the age of 18, they had to make their debut.
It was not a playful social gathering among young people of their age, but an event to announce their existence in the society.
That was why most of the young ladies here would be making their debutantes this year. Instantly, their eyes lit up.