Looking at his face, it was obvious that he didn't believe it.
I lowered my head, and felt the top of my head sting from his gaze.
My heart raced as if it was going to jump at the gaze that seemed to explore the value of the product.
I can't just die in the hands of a villain who just has a handsome face.
"Believe me, Duke Eustia." I said, making eye contact with the Duke.
And as Sharquis did, I didn't put my small hand on my chest and made the most solemn expression.
The head of the assassin family, who will be my stepfather, stared at me.
Maybe he likes my answer, the black haired man with an arrogant expression smirked.
"Eustia?"
"If believe me, I won't let you down."
Of course it's a lie.
I didn't mean to fool Eustia Visenna fearlessly.
However, in order to get the attention of Duke Eustia, it seemed that I had to do that.
"Did you call my name without permission?"
The Duke of Visenna looked down at me with a commanding gaze.
I didn't doit on purpose. It was because I was in a rush.
"........!"
I thought I would die soon, so I quietly grabbed Sharkis' sleeve.
Sharqis gave an unknown look.
You're always quick-witted, Sharky.
Can't you come forward as a shield at a time like this?
Seeing my desperate gaze, Sharkis opened his mouth.
"She is still young, so please understand."
"Is 17 years old really young?"
Sharkis could not answer the Duke's question.
I know. Seventeen is the age to experience all the joys and sorrows of the world, right?
It was a very Dukely idea.
He must have been around the same age as me when he became the head of the Visenna assassin family.
"Her intelligence seems to have decreased because of the curse."
That's not it, Sharky.
Sharkis tried to protect his life by cutting me down, but he shook his head.
How many side effects are there?
It was a caution that it was better not to tell a lie that would be caught anyway.
"I hate evil and devious things."
I pondered what that meant.
Are you saying I'm stupid by any chance? I was an honor student in my previous life.
"But you have to be cunning to survive in Visenna."
What do you mean?
I waited for the Duke's next words, it would be nice if you just decided if you're complimenting me or not.
"Get ready for the official test."
Just as Sharkis was about to say no, I quickly replied.
"All right, Duke Eustia."
The expressions of the two men surrounding me were contrasting.
Sharkis was looking at me angrily, and the Duke Eustia relaxed his lips, perhaps satisfied.
I suddenly had a feeling that, I was going to have a hard time in Visenna in the future.
It's hard to match the rhythm of the two rich people. I'm tired.
"That was your mistake."
Sharkis scolded me as soon as he opened the door.
The young man's face, who had always smiled mischievously, became fierce, my heart sank.
Apart from being angry, Sharkis knelt down on one knee and held me in his arms.
I aquired my own carriage. It felt quite strange.
I patted Sharkis shoulder, which seemed to be in a bad mood, with my fern-like hand.
"Its alright."
"You'll regret it."
No, What's wrong with you?
I'm fine, but you keep giving me the nuance that my lifespan will be shortened, doesn't it scare you.
In the end, as if squeezing it out, I sobbed with tears the size of a tiny poop.
Sharkis was bewildered even by the somewhat deliberate whimper.
His hand holding me trembled.
'If I refused the exam there, Duke Eustia would not have accepted me.'
He was quite a tricky person when he looked at the official test even though the mine was coveted.
It's not like you get a lot of money just because you give it.
For Visenna, he has turned the imperial family and the temple as enemies, so he must be cautious.
'No, after all, wasn't they are enemy from the beginning?'
Anyway, the process of becoming a part of Visenna didn't seem easy.
Besides, what do you mean by a formal test?
In the gloomy daylight, Sharkis comforted me.
Although he comforted me, he seemed to be unable to do anything about it.
Still, Sharky, who was patting me on the back, asked. "Kid, What are you good at?"
"Saving, money!"
Ding. Unfortunately, this was not the answer Sharkis wanted.
Watching his handsome brow twitch, I gave a different answer.
"I can sew well and wash dishes quickly! Even the Archduke like how I tie the curtain..."
Sharkis, who was predicting my chances of survival, cut off like a knife.
"That's enough."
When I looked somewhat disappointed, Sharkis tidied my hair up lightly.
My pastel-toned sky blue hair flowed like a thread on his big hand.
"I'll give you something generous."
It sounded sincere, so I kept my mouth shut. Are you going to give me a lot of money?
It was too late to regret that I should have done aegyo* to the Duke.
Now that I think about it, if I suddenly say, 'Papa, your daughter is here~'
I would be treated like a crazy kid and become a star in heaven.
Usually, parents listen to anything their children say, but the Duke was the exact opposite.
His two sons, Sharkis and Shurei, had to listen to the Duke.
Bring the relics of the imperial family, kidnap the saintess, and follow the absurd deman silently.
In any case, it was impossible for a duke who doesn't feel any fondness for his family to take care of me as I was newly adopted.
With a somewhat gloomy face, I opened the book with white writing in front of me.
Now I was reading a book with Sharkis in the basement library.
Suddenly, books taller than my height were piled up in front of me.
"This is the Visenna family history."
"Are you saying I need to memorize all of this in one day?"
"How could that be? We'll give you two days."
'As expected, a cold hearted family.'
I lifted my finger to count and found that there were 24 books in total. Even if you read a comic book like that, you wouldn't be able to remember everything.
No, thinking about it, it is strange that there are 24 volumes. How come the history of a family that is only 20 years old is more numerous and vast than that of a family with more than 100 years of history!
Doesn't it mean that he won't accept me?
Should I consider myself lucky because it wasn't a silly test asking a six-year-old kid to use a dagger?
"When is the test?"
"It's two days later."
I got choked up for a second.
I was good at reading and writing the Imperial language, but it was nonsense to ask me to memorize all 24 books!
Inside, I was already puffing out fire like a dragon, but I turned the pages of the book in good faith.
The page fluttered over with a gentle sound.
My eyes widened as I read the book involuntarily.
'Eh, I know all of this'
The period when the Visenna family was founded, the achievements of Eustia Visenna, Eustia Visenna's services to the royalty, Eustia Visenna....
Now I see it, the Duke's favorite character must have been the Duke himself.
Of course, there was also the books about Sharkis Visenna and Shurei Visenna.
"Did you memorize everything?"
"Do you think I'll memorize everything?"
Sharkis replied, shrugging his shoulder.
When I looked at him suspiciously, he spoke frankly.
"I just tortured the examiner."
As expected there was another way!
There was no way Sharkis, who was rather lazy, could have memorized it while reading a book.
It was rare for him to do anything except when he used his sword.
Of course, I would have memorized it all in one day even if I had read the book.
"It's impossible to memorized it all in two days."
"It's not us that's sad, but you, kid."
At this point, I can't tell whether you're here to help me or to tease me.