Chapter 9
“A rat, huh.”
I brought out my spear, and headed for the attic in my current mother’s room. I have my personal bodyguards in this home as well. They’re my elite bodyguards made up of only women. However, they’re my forces to be used for conquest. How do I say it, well, it seems rather foolish to be using them for the sake of my parents.
What’s not so funny is that even while knowing my true nature, a.s.sa.s.sins still wouldn’t stop coming for me even while gritting their teeth. For the most part, since they wouldn’t stop coming and I would be troubled if rumors escaped, I took care of them myself.
My goal was to torture and kill the a.s.sa.s.sins. That’s my hobby. I’m definitely not doing this for the sake of protecting my parents. Absolutely not.
When I entered the attic, I immediately captured the a.s.sa.s.sin and twisted his arm. The guy dressed entirely in black seemed really surprised and his body was stiff, but he didn’t resist.
“Ho, you’re not going to resist?”
“…It’s my loss. I was completely taken off guard.”
“Hmm. You have such a beautiful voice.”
I wrenched his face towards me and stripped off his mask. What appeared from underneath it was a beautiful face unbefitting that of a rat. A strong will shone from his emerald green eyes, his skin was smooth and tan, and he seemed to be slightly older than me.
“I haven’t seen such a good thing in a long time. I’ll forgive you. Your life shall become mine.”
“…I’m not going to become your slave.”
“You probably were sold off to become an a.s.sa.s.sin and forced into it to feed yourself anyways, what a waste of a good thing. Very well. Then, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d, what’s your wish? I might even grant it on a whim.”
At my question, the brat took a deep breath and answered quietly.
“…I, want a family.”
“A family? Something like a family? ……Heh, wahaha, hahahaha! A family! A family, is it!?”
“…Is something funny?”
“I’m the daughter of this house. You b.a.s.t.a.r.d, you were just trying to steal my family away from me just now, no? And yet, you wish for a family of your own?”
“…That’s my wish.”
“I can’t even shake you into changing that wish, eh! How wonderful!”
“…What are you trying to say?”
“That wish! I might as well grant it!”
The moment I said that, the brat’s completely emotionless expression up until now collapsed.
“…………Hah?”
“There’s no son to inherit the t.i.tle of duke in this family. I’m going to be marrying the third prince, so I’m supposed to have children quickly and let one of my children inherit this place for the sake of the family, is what my dead grandfather said. But, I’m completely not interested in that at all.”
In the first place, if I keep acting the part of a n.o.ble girl villainess, this entire country might not even exist in the future.
“Fortunately, my father doesn’t have any interest in the affairs of the house, and only cares about the people in his territory, and my mother is just like me, and loves beautiful things. Well, I’m sure that there will be people that object, but I’ll silence them.”
“…What are you talking about?”
“I’ll say it quite simply. Brat, become my older brother.”
The brat whose expression had completely collapsed earlier, made a full turnaround and became so serious looking.
“…What are you aiming for?”
“How insolent of you to ask such a thing. Fine. Hehe, there’s nothing more to hide, I’ll reveal all of my plans. ……That old man with no kids – you b.a.s.t.a.r.d, as an a.s.sa.s.sin you should know about the Rickson place adopting a commoner girl, surely? He plans on raising that little girl as his own. Right now, she’s too insignificant to even be considered as a ‘rival’ to me. That’s how it is. b.a.s.t.a.r.d, since you’re also a commoner, if you become a splendid heir to a duke’s family, that little girl will become even more cornered. Cornering her to that extent, even that little girl should finally realize, just how shameful she is, and improve.”
“…You, do you want to crush that girl, or not, which is it?”
“What, I just want to act out the role of a ‘n.o.ble girl villainess.’ And besides, thrill-seeking is the nature of all living creatures, no?”
“So, that’s my reason, Riley.”
“Ahh, ojou-sama is being very calm about it today.”
“I won’t hear that again! ‘Bullying is uncool,’ I definitely won’t hear something like that again! In order to prevent that, I’m going to produce that little country b.u.mpkin myself. If my opponent gets stronger and then I defeat her, it’ll be cool, right! I’m such a genius!”
At the big fuss that it caused all over my house, I laughed loudly, and drank all of a hot guy’s blood that I had left in reserve.
“Ahh, that brat…… My older brother’s name is Sujata. Remember it well, Riley.”
“While I’m not as smart as ojou-sama is, I’m not at the extent where I’d make a simple mistake like forgetting his name.”
“Hm?”
“Ojou-sama, please calm down.”