* * *

Wide-open violet eyes fluttered open.

This is a dream.

It’s just a nightmare that the damn prohibition shows in a different way.

Despite thinking that way, his body moved.

I held the falling girl and looked up with trembling eyes.

Her blood-stained lips convulsed, and she uttered a pitiful voice.

“It’s okay… It’s nothing…”

She’s saying not to worry even though she’s collapsed.

Speak as meanly as before.

“I’ll take care of it…”

As her blue eyes disappeared into her eyelids, his field of view narrowed.

Something blue flared up like flames inside him and burned everything.

He felt an emotion for the first time.

Even when the prohibition was engraved on his bones and soul, even when he was enslaved by medicine, even when accepting my mother’s neck.

Crunch.

The sound of ice cracking on the ground was heard.

The ice that started from where Sid stepped on spread out with a rustling sound.

The controller was still working.

As evidence, black electricity shot up from the restraint device around the neck.

The ability that should not have been manifested raged like a wild horse that had been unleashed.

A severe pain flowed down his neck.

‘No, I can’t do this.’

Sid tried to control his emotions and summon as much strength as he could.

But it wasn’t the pain of the controller that made him hold back.

‘This soft girl is hurt even by this…’

He hugged the child in his arms tightly.

Feeling the small, delicate, and warm body, the cold that seemed to freeze everything around them subsided.

“…Doctor.”

Sid got up with the child in his arms and left the room.

When he tried to leave the designated area, he felt a shock from the restraint device around his neck.

Black electricity crackled and burned all his nerves.

But Sid moved without a groan or hesitation, not even once.

‘It’s meaningless.’

He knew it.

He was probably lying on a cold stone floor, tormented by the prohibition.

It’s pointless to try so hard.

But he couldn’t stop the pain that squeezed his neck.

It was a really terrible nightmare.

Before, he could just pretend not to feel anything, pretend not to see anything.

But this time, he couldn’t even ignore it.

He had no choice but to walk into his own abyss.

“Ah! Miss!”

“Hurry, get the doctor…!”

The people who spotted him in the corridor screamed.

In no time, people swarmed around him.

“Let go.”

A boy with sharp eyes and cold red eyes looked down at him and spoke.

Only then did Sid realize that he was still holding the girl.

He couldn’t even think of letting go.

People were standing helplessly by his side.

When he handed over the girl, he hugged her and ran away somewhere.

Someone blocked his way as he unconsciously followed them.

“You’ll die if you keep doing that.”

It was a boy with slightly drooping eyes and curly hair.

Contrary to his appearance, his expressionless face was infinitely cold.

“Those restraints were personally strengthened by His Excellency for my sister’s safety. The magic might still be paralyzing all your nerves right now.”

“How can I tolerate this? That’s interesting. I must be very resilient.”

“Just because you can endure the pain doesn’t mean it disappears. My sister saved your life with great difficulty. You can’t die now.”

“Right. I received nursing care that I had never received before.”

“Go back.”

As soon as he finished speaking, black magic emerged from the boy and pushed Sid away.

Booom! His body was thrown back into the room where he originally was.

As he returned to the room, the crackling black electricity subsided.

“……”

Sid raised his motionless body.

On the floor, the bouquet of flowers, a key, and a controller were scattered.

Sid picked them up.

The bouquet still had a fragrant scent, while the keys and controller were cold and hard.

It felt too vivid to be a dream.

Perhaps, this might not be a dream after all.

It was the first time such a thought crossed his mind.

But what about the prohibition?

“Just because you can endure the pain doesn’t mean it disappears. My sister saved your life with great difficulty. You can’t die now.”

Did that girl release the prohibition?

But was it really that easy to release it?

It was a curse engraved on a soul, a curse no one could release.

He could see his arm and leg were clean, with no trace of the prohibition anywhere.

At that moment, the image of the girl vomiting blood and collapsing flashed before their eyes.

‘No way…’

Sid’s face turned pale.

She collapsed for one reason—.

For my sake.

For releasing my prohibition.

“Now live freely.”

From what?

When he heard those words, he had such a question.

The girl’s gaze as she looked down at him was strange.

Only now did he understand the meaning behind that gaze.

‘From the prohibition. And… from me.’

Sid tightly clenched the key and controller in his hands.

The sharp end of the key dug into his palm, tearing his skin, but he didn’t care.

That mean girl.

Becoming his master as she pleased, saving him as she pleased, and now discarding him as she pleased.

“Live.”

“Sid, you can become anything.”

“What kind of person you become is up to you.”

Okay. 

I’ll live as you said. I’ll live the life I choose.

“So never again, don’t let anyone tell you what to do with your life.”

I will never live according to someone else’s will.

“Don’t obsess over me.”

“You don’t have to pay me back.”

Even your will, master.

* * *

“Ha.”

A relieved sigh escaped.

“What an amazing ability.”

Why did it have to activate there of all places?

[Your fatigue has completely disappeared.]

[Your dark circles are gone.]

[Your rough skin has become smooth.]

I dismissed the ringing notifications.

After investigating the prohibition and nursing that child, I hadn’t slept properly for days, but my body had become healthy.

‘If you look at it like this, it’s not such a bad ability after all.’

Timing is the problem, timing.

‘Why did I want to vomit blood alone?’

Still, it had activated three times already.

I opened the status window to check my ability for a sense of reality.

— Equipped abilities: X

?With Only This Singing Skill, You Can Only Go So Far? and ?Forget Me? had also been given names by Seed when they gave me the handcuffs and controller, and now they were all used up.

The abilities I currently had were the two I had stored in the ability storage.

— Extractable abilities: 2/5

I confirmed the display on the status window and got up.

“Are you awake, miss?”

The maids opened the door and entered the bedroom.

“Why do you keep fainting? It’s worrisome.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want to hear an apology. I just hope you’re healthy.”

“I am healthy.”

Anna smiled and hugged me as if to show her relief.

“According to the doctors, that may be true, but we have to trust them.”

“They’re quacks.”

“To think we are fortunate enough to enjoy the privilege of our young lady’s body…”

I became uneasy as I heard the murmurs of the maids.

“What about the doctors?”

Are they okay?

“Should I bring them here?”

“Is there any discomfort anywhere?”

“I should just kick those bastards…”

No, calm down.

“No! I’m healthy! I wanted to thank them for making me stronger!”

“They said that you vomited blood because as you became stronger, it expelled impurities from your body.”

“Hmm, then maybe they’re not quacks.”

“They’re doctors!”

In an instant, these bastards transformed into doctors.

Anyway, I’m relieved that the doctors seem to be safe.

“It seems I should ask His Excellency to release the doctors from prison now that you’ve become stronger.”

—Is what I wanted to say.

“What about Father and my brothers?”

“They were by your side until a moment ago. But they left suddenly when an uninvited guest arrived.”

An uninvited guest?

I raised my head in surprise and stood up from my seat.

I had thought of going to Sid.

I wanted to part ways in a somewhat dignified manner, but I ended up vomiting blood and ruining it.

‘I can’t even be a grandma anymore.’

Even if I go as my true self, I might just end up scaring him.

Anna, who was following behind me, looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“You’re going to see that slave?”

“Yeah.”

I gave him the key and everything, so I should make sure he’s properly freed.

“Um, miss.”

Anna called me cautiously.

“Why?”

“That slave has already left.”

“What?”

“I heard that he received permission to live freely… He had the key and the controller. That’s why His Excellency also allowed it.”

What did you say?

“Miss?”

I heard Anna’s surprised voice from behind.

Before I could realize it, I was running away.

“Huff, huff…”

I arrived in front of that child’s room and stopped to catch my breath.

He left?

Of course he did.

I gave him the key and the controller, after all.

What lingering attachment would he have to stay here?

Since his shackles have been released, there’s no need for him to try to die.

Even though I thought that way, my hand that was gripping the doorknob was still tense.

I counted to three and swung open the door.

The window in the room was wide open, ventilating the room.

The spring breeze blew in, causing the curtains to flutter, and the neatly organized room was tidy.

Yes.

There wasn’t any trace left of that child.

As if he had never been there from the beginning.

Chapter 15. A Stepmother is a Stepmother, After All!

An exquisite tart filled with summer peaches.

Savory and fresh milk.

And the beautiful scenery of the central garden.

Then I heard a crashing sound that shattered this perfect paradise.

I frowned deeply and asked Grandpa Candor.

“What did you say?”

“I told you that Lady Aphelia will arrive at the duchy within a week.”

“No, no. Why is this Lady Aphelia coming?”

“For now, the external reason is that she’s coming to discuss the land His Excellency acquired after establishing your advisory last time.”

“It was originally the land that Lady Aphelia was in charge of. It belonged to the imperial family.”

“You’re kidding.”

“The real reason is that she is coming to become the new mistress of the duchy.”

“Yes, that!”

Count Candor smiled at me.

“You think that’s funny? I’m cracking up!”

“What could make you react that much? It’s difficult to leave the position of a duchess vacant for too long.”

“It’s not a problem for a new duchess to appear.”

“Then what is it?”

“You’re trying to make a connection with the imperial family!”

I hit my chest in frustration.

“A letter like that came from the palace?”

“I already feel the absence of the lady of the house in various places.”

If I remember correctly, those words they exchanged at the council of elders last time, I’m sure of it.

“Oh, I’ve never taught you about the central political situation, but you seem to know about it. You’re amazing.”

“Don’t make fun of me! Why did I only find out about such an important matter now?”

“When the palace sent an official envoy, the young lady was still unconscious.”

I can’t believe that ‘uninvited guest’ was a messenger from the palace.

“After waking up, you were still out of your mind because of that escaped slave.”

“He didn’t escape. I let him go.”

“Then why are you so shocked?”

Count Candor looked at me as if he were stroking his ego, saying, ‘I didn’t get dumped, I dumped him.’

Ugh, no!

“I thought he would at least say goodbye.”

Well, it was our last meeting, so I gave him the key and the controller.

But still, I even vomited blood. How can he just leave like that?

How much has this grandma taken care of him all this time?

A yellow-haired beast doesn’t get caught.

“Anyway! It’s a big problem! If a duchess who is under the control of the imperial family comes, she will monitor our family for every little thing!”

The imperial family is really out of their minds.

Why are they saying such things when it’s only been a short time since he came back from war under the emperor’s command?

Of course, my dad is still young and can naturally marry a new wife.

Honestly, the vacancy of the duchess’ position is quite significant in governing this great family.

‘Well, then, our family and Father should make a choice!’

Why should we marry a woman chosen by the palace?

It should have been enough that he went to war. How much interference do they want to have in our family?

“You don’t have to worry too much, Princess.”

“Yes, if His Excellency doesn’t like her after meeting her, he will reject the marriage proposal.”

“Hehe, I thought you would be happy to have a new mother.”

“A stepmother is a stepmother, after all!”

I hate the weeds of the imperial family!